Touch up HT needed?

[goonerfan]

I had my first FUE transplant of 3000 grafts in Turkey with a reputable surgeon in October of last year.

However there is a patch in the middle of my scalp that hasn't grown. In the days after the surgery that section went very crusty, so I'm not sure if that was infected or I tried to remove the scabs prematurely, in fact I think the whole right stand looks a little sparse.

Anyway now I'm looking to fill in that area and I'm wondering how many grafts I might need and if you were in my position would you return to the same surgeon?

[Shera]

Hi Goonerfan, it's difficult to judge your result without seeing your pre-op pictures.

 

However I would suggest another pass of 1500-2000 grafts will provide you with the added density to give you a result you will pleased with.

 

Feel free to contact me if you need any other help or advice.

[goonerfan]

Hi, thanks for your reply, I'll include a pic of how my hair was pre op

[Shera]

Hi, thanks for your reply, I'll include a pic of how my hair was pre op

 

Hi Goonerfan,

 

You are about 9 months into your surgery, you might want to wait until 12 months before assessing your next move. Looking at your hair, it does look a little wiry, this will settle as the hairs mature into their natural state. Hopefully you still have some more hairs waiting to push through.

 

You might want to contact your surgeon after 12 months to see whether he will do a repair for free if the patch that has not grown remains in a similar state. But for now, you should carry on with your aftercare routine and wait.

 

Are you taking Finasteride, Minoxidil and Biotin? In my opinion these medications will help growth following surgery.

[Spanker]

Since you will already have scarring in the area, I would say start off low at like 800-1000. It could be that they were packed too tight and had vascular issues. You can always beef it up, but my point is that you want every graft to grow.

[goonerfan]

Ok, as I'm in the U.K. And the surgeon is in Turkey, it's quite a journey to get there so I really wouldn't want to go back a third time if I can avoid it.

Presuming I don't get get any more growth, would people say I should beef up the right side of my hair or just concentrate on the middle patch?

And I'm currently using minoxidil only.

[HairThereAndEverywhere]

I'd definitely wait a year. Is there a doctor in the UK you can just go in for a consultation?

[mattj]

Judging by your pre-op photo, you had very little hair in the area treated so with that in mind the result doesn't look too bad. Especially considering that at nine months, there could be further growth.

 

How are you styling your hair now? I'd be interested to see how it looks styled.

[goonerfan]

I'll include a photo of my hair arranged over the sparse spots to show what it's like styled.

Not too bad I think, but I really don't want to live with it how it is, if that's it at full growth, as it's quite visible if the wind blows my hair or if I've been wearing a cap for example.

[mattj]

You started with quite a large balding area so it was perhaps inevitable that you wouldn't be totally satisfied with what 3000 grafts gave you. I can't really say for certain whether your procedure was a total success, but it certainly wasn't a complete disaster.

 

There's no reason why you shouldn't undergo a second procedure to increase the density and improve the patch in the centre, but keep in mind that donor supply is finite and you might need to tackle future loss.