Cobblestoning in recipient area - FUE August 2013

[flip41]

Hi all,

 

I had 2500 grafts transplanted via FUE by a leading hair transplant surgeon in the US (at the moment I'd rather not mention who it is) back in August 2013.

 

I've been concerned about cobblestoning in the recipient area - see attached photos. In the close-up photos I'm not pulling the hair, just simply holding it back and not pulling from the roots. Those bumps are always visible looking at the hair line under direct light, and feel like hard scar tissue when touched.

 

I contacted my surgeon with the attached photos who told me the bumps to him looked like they were from me pulling my hair and to send clearer photos, however I've been finding it difficult to get clearer shots than what I've supplied. I live in Australia so unfortunately heading to the clinic for a consultation is not an option at the moment.

 

Based on the attached photos do I have cobblestoning in the recipient area, or is it some form of inflammation? It has been over two years since my surgery so I doubt that it is inflammation. And if it is cobblestoning, is this usually only ever a consequence of surgery solely attributable to surgeon error (i.e. the surgeon botched my surgery)?

 

I went to one of the leading hair restoration surgeons in the world (who is also a Hair Transplant Network Coalition Surgeon and a member of IAHRS), so I am perplexed that I have received such poor results regarding the bumps considering the fact that I was under the impression that cobblestoning pretty much never happened these days.

 

What recourse do I have available to me? Do I have a right to request some form of compensation from my surgeon to rectify the cobblestoning? I've read that some people have had success with smoothing out cobblestoning using Fraxel laser, so I would like to try that out to see if it does me any good. Unless anyone on this forum knows of any other potential treatments for the cobblestoning/bumps on my head?

 

Thanks!

[mikeey]

those are just punch insertions , very Normal with a HT , we cannot replicate Nature with the minute openings ... but we can get as close to Natural .... No Need to worry over this ... its nothing and Perfect and Normal . go live your life .... it has bigger Holes that you need to cover ))

[flip41]

those are just punch insertions , very Normal with a HT , we cannot replicate Nature with the minute openings ... but we can get as close to Natural .... No Need to worry over this ... its nothing and Perfect and Normal . go live your life .... it has bigger Holes that you need to cover ))

 

Are you sure they are normal? I actually had a dermatologist who has experience with hair transplants ask me whether I had a hair transplant during a consultation for an entirely different condition - he noticed the raised bumps on my hairline and he was on the other side of the table! He told me it was very obvious and the recipient area should be undetectable if done properly, which is what has prompted me to question my results.

[Wwiizzkkiidd24]

the pictures aren't great but I'd say it's cobblestoning. from what I can see and what you explained sounds just like it. this is caused two ways iether the doctor didn't cut the slits deep enough resulting in the skin raising and causing "cobblestoning" the second way it could happen is if the doctor has removed to much tissue from the donor area and then put in the slits the excess tissue doesn't heal correctly resulting in a bumpy look. now this shouldn't of happened if a reputable doctor done your procedure bur having said that you stated your doctor was a coalition doctor wich baffs me because he should know what he was doing. what you could do is..

 

1.go and have another hair transplant to try and blend them in.

 

2.you can do laser trearment it sometimes makes the skin appear smoother but it's not garranteed. (works for some doesn't work for other) but be aware it could make it worse because lasers have scaring affects on the skin.

 

3.smp into the bumps and try and blend the cobblestoning in.

 

it's a tuff one to treat and im not a doctor im just going by what ive read before. so my advise would be to go see a hair specialist they can give you some options. or maybe a doctor on here could chime in with some options. wish you the best of luck.

[Joesocks202]

That just looks like normal graft healing. When your hairs grow it should be impossible to see so don't worry so much. Wait and exercise patience.

[Petchski]

Read the title Joe "FUE August 2013"

 

At first i didn't see it, but as i clicked through the photos i began to see what you mean. I wouldn't say it was obvious, but i haven't got to actually look at your head in person, only photos.

 

It shouldn't have happened, i don't know much about cobblestoning though, so can't really rec anything, but i'm sure if you sent through a consultation to a doc they will be able to better inform you.

[flip41]

Thanks for the replies guys.

 

@Petchski - it's definitely not the worst case of cobblestoning I've seen, however it's still cobblestoning! It's really difficult to get a clear enough photo of it. I'll see if I can get a better one to upload here but I haven't had much luck.

 

If it is in fact cobblestoning, would you think I've got reasonable grounds to request compensation from my surgeon? Within the forms I signed before surgery there was a clause that stated that I understood cobblestoning was a potential consequence of hair transplant surgery, however if it's only caused by surgical error and not due to my own susceptibility to it I don't see how a clause like that could be enforceable.

 

I just want to get it smoothed out - I shouldn't have it in the first place!

[Petchski]

I don't fancy your chances, but it is worth asking or bringing up the subject with your doc, sounds to me like he tried to play it off, probably because cobblestoning is pretty much always down to surgical error, so you do have a valid claim.

 

If you get no joy i would definitely detail your experience online including the name of your doctor to warn others.

 

Your only real options to fix it are what Wwiixxkkid mentioned in his post above, as it does not look like it will improve from where it is now and will probably always bother you.

[2youngforthis]

Sorry that you are going through this.

 

Side question. Do you have previous pics of your hair prior to the HR and how many grafts did you get. Also sorry again