Eyebrow transplant 3 months post - pitting, scarring and bumps, so upset!!

[sadbrows]

I had an eyebrow transplant three months ago and as of today my skin on the recipient site is terribly scarred, pitted and bumpy. I am so upset I cry every day. I was never made aware before the procedure that the skin would actually change. The marks are really noticeable, this causes me distress every day and I have even stopped my social activities as I am so ashamed of how my brows look.

I am looking for recommendations on creams I could use to soothe the skin over. My skin is healed now, but is showing hundreds of bumps and pits (bumps on one eyebrow and pits on the other..!!)

I do not want to comment on the lack of experience of my surgeon as it is just too obvious and it makes me even more upset as I am mad at myself for picking a surgeon without properly checking their background etc. I have obviously followed up with him and he is avoiding the question, saying it is normal and I just need to be patient. But I am terribly sceptical.

Right now my priority is to hope my skin will at some stage resolve..

I know I need to wait another few months to judge, but since the procedure is described as being scar-free, I am thinking maybe the fact my skin is in such a terrible condition at three months is not normal.

[Dr Blake Bloxham]

Sadbrows,

 

Welcome. I'm sorry to hear you are upset about your recent procedure. Let me see if I can help with some of your concerns:

 

First: I know this probably isn't what you wanted to hear, but it's still very early. The skin can remain disrupted for some time after surgery, and some of this irregularity will likely go away. What's more, remember that you are at the point now where all the implanted grafts have shed, but have likely not started growing back yet. This means you are seeing any sort of disruption in the skin but without any of the associated hairs. Even if the "scarring" didn't improve -- and it very likely will -- remember that it will be hidden under the new hairs growing through it.

 

Second: Did you ask your doctor if there is anything he/she recommends putting on the skin disruptions? It's always best to follow your clinic's post-operative instructions as closely as possible. If it is true scarring, usually vitamin E is the best treatment. If it is some sort of skin irritation, there may be something better suited. And if you have been discussing it with the clinic, they have probably seen pictures and can recommend the most effective treatments. Otherwise, it may be helpful to share some images and maybe elicit some opinion here.

 

I hope this helps. Altogether, I do think this will improve; I think the skin itself will "calm down," and I also think the hair growing through it will camouflage any remaining disruptions on the skin itself.

 

Grow well!

[sadbrows]

Dear Dr Bloxham,

Thank you for your reponse.

I have been applying a soothing repairing balm during the day and an antiseptic healing cream at night since week 3. I saw my surgeon last week who said I should continue to use these creams and has not given any other recommendations..

I am indeed at the stage when my hairs have all fallen out. But I do not want to rely on re growth to "hide" the horrible skin texture, as there is never 100% regrowth and also because they have placed some hairs way too high which I do not like so I'd like to be able to shape my brows at some stage.

I cannot put concealer/ make up on as the skin is too bad and the make up makes them look worse. This is having a huge impact on my confidence.

I pray everyday that the skin will improve with time.

Thank you for the info on vitamin E, I will start taking some.

I will keep you posted.

[Sean]

Sadbrows, look up eyebrowqueen on these forums. She went through something similar. Pittig, scarring, bumps are a concern, but you are ay 3 months. Wait 3 more months and see if you still have the issue. I would also inform your surgeon of the issue and concern at this point. Hope this resolves for you and wish you the best.

[sadbrows]

Thanks Sean for the envouragement. I did see eyebrow queen's review. I really hope the skin will have resolved by month 6..

I'll keep you updated.

[Capillus]

Hello Sadbrows,

 

first of all I hope that you will get better soon! Sometimes waiting does a lot. Since I had a bad experience myself with my first eyebrow transplant and I want to get a new one to repair it, I am interested in this too. Who was the doctor? You can also answer by PM if you prefer.

It seems that there are not so many experts on this area like on the usual transplantation of the head hair. Lets hope that this gets better. I wisch you the best!

[MrGio-WHTCClinic]

Hi, Sadbrows. The changes in the skin can improve over several months. The clinic should provide some explanation as to what could be the cause for such unsightly skin appearance. To improve your appearance in the short term, try applying some concealer or makeup. Aesthetically pleasing results with eyebrow hair transplants can be difficult to accomplish if the harvested grafts are bulky. Depending on your clinic's surgical technique, instrumentation, and experience, you may want to get some insight on possible solutions from different reputable clinics. In the long term, you may need to have the grafts removed, but only time will tell if corrective surgery is required. Lastly, there is always scarring with surgery, but scarring from hair transplant surgery can be very unnoticeable.

[Bill - Seemiller]

Sadbrows,

 

It always deeply saddens me when I read somebody's experience and they are unhappy. So my heart really does go out to you because the last thing I want to read is that somebody is upset and crying about their procedure and or result.

 

That said, and I know it's been said many times by other people on this topic, but three months is exceptionally early. It is quite possible that these phases will dissipate and you will be left with a quality, natural looking result. I would also recommend that you share your concerns with your doctor and see what he or she recommends for you. In the meantime, you could try aloe vera or vitamin E cream or oils which might help alleviate some of the irritation and inflammation you are experiencing.

 

I also encourage you to post some photos of your eyebrow so we can see what they look like before surgery and what they look like now. I understand that in order to do that you may have to show parts of your face. But if you crop it down really good, it can just show your eyebrows. If you need help with that, feel free to send me a private message and I can help you edit/crop your photos so that it only shows your eyebrows.

 

Posting pictures will help us see where you are currently at and may even help us provide you with better advice.

 

The meantime, try to hang in there and if there's anything we can do, let us know.

 

Bill

[sadbrows]

All,

Many thanks for your messages and encouragement.

To answer one of the questions, I had the procedure done in Europe. The surgeon was really nice but in hindsight did not seem very experienced, and unfortunately I trusted them.

i am quite self conscious and do not dare share photos as my brows are terrifying. I mean, really. I am scared of my own reflection in the mirror.

Since my last message some hairs have sprouted but they are either too high or too low and they grow at 90 degrees which make me look even more weird to say the least. I have to cut them really short which to me is a total waste of grafts.

I am terribly upset about all this and have totally lost my confidence.

I am considering getting hair strokes drawn on my brows to correct the shape and actually fill them properly, I will probably get this done at the 6 month mark.

I have been massaging my eyebrows for the last 3-4 weeks with lavender and tea tree essential oils mixed with almond oil and vitamin E oil, my very own receipe, and it seems to have helped the scars. They are still there and quite obvious, but they seem to have improved slightly.

One question for the experts: at what point do you think I can get a tattoo (hair strokes) done to cover the bad results from my procedure?

Thanks