Can a hair transplant cause scarring alopecia?

[HopefulRaven]

Hello all,

 

I'll start off by saying I think this forum is a wonderful source of information and support for people experiencing and/or treating hair loss.

 

I had a hair transplant 5 weeks ago ( on February 2nd) and I do generally feel like things are going well. Today I visited my surgeon's office for a post-op check and the surgeon himself had a look to see how things were progressing.

 

I had a specific area of concern - a portion of my crown in the recepient zone. This area is considerably more red than other areas. It's like a patch of redness amongst a canvas of more muted redness/ pinkness.

 

The surgeon looked at this area and (thankfully) confirmed there is no infection. He also said it should be fine in the long run but that area of the scalp was just reacting differently. He then mentioned there is the remote possibility it is "scarring alopecia" but that he hoped it wasn't ( and didn't think it was, most likely).

 

As you can imagine, having looked this condition up online I am mortified by even the smallest chance that my $13,000 hair transplant caused something like this to happen ( I had healthy scalp there previously, it was just thin).

 

Is this a possible complication? I have never heard of this before.

 

Thanks in advance for any collective wisdom that can be shared

[mattj]

I've never heard of a transplant causing scarring alopecia, but that doesn't mean it can't. It's good that your doctor was honest about it, although perhaps they frightened you unnecessarily. The important thing is to remember that they said the chances of it being that are remote. It's more likely to be some irritation that is temporary. At five weeks post-op, that isn't all that unusual and certainly more common than scarring alopecia. Give it time before being too concerned.

[HopefulRaven]

I've never heard of a transplant causing scarring alopecia, but that doesn't mean it can't. It's good that your doctor was honest about it, although perhaps they frightened you unnecessarily. The important thing is to remember that they said the chances of it being that are remote. It's more likely to be some irritation that is temporary. At five weeks post-op, that isn't all that unusual and certainly more common than scarring alopecia. Give it time before being too concerned.

 

Thanks a lot for the kind words and positive vibes man.

 

The actual assessment was all very rushed. The surgeon could not remember the date of my surgery or any other details about my particular case.

 

I actually had trouble cleaning that area and it had late ( day 21 it was finally all gone) crusting ( I was being the typical "too gentle" guy with cleaning that area). So I honestly think you're 100% right that it might just be a bit irritated. I guess the trouble is the surgeon did not even know this because he didn't take the time to ask.

 

Anyway - thank you so much for the encouraging words! I really appreciate it.

[Windjammer]

Here is a related thread that was also recently posted, but in regards to alopecia areata developing post-op.

 

In my experience, any time you cause trauma to a certain part of your body, each of our body's can choose to react differently. Obviously, you claim your scalp was fine and of normal hue prior to surgery. So, something clearly did change post-op, otherwise it's quite a coincidence. Most people simply deal with shockloss as a result to the induced trauma, but that doesn't mean it could be the only side effect on your scalp. In the end, hopefully it's simply related to stress from the recent surgery. Work on calming your nerves, eating well, and focusing on a positive outcome from this procedure. Keep us posted on your progress.

[HopefulRaven]

Here is a related thread that was also recently posted, but in regards to alopecia areata developing post-op.

 

In my experience, any time you cause trauma to a certain part of your body, each of our body's can choose to react differently. Obviously, you claim your scalp was fine and of normal hue prior to surgery. So, something clearly did change post-op, otherwise it's quite a coincidence. Most people simply deal with shockloss as a result to the induced trauma, but that doesn't mean it could be the only side effect on your scalp. In the end, hopefully it's simply related to stress from the recent surgery. Work on calming your nerves, eating well, and focusing on a positive outcome from this procedure. Keep us posted on your progress.

 

Thanks for the input and supportive statements.

 

I do believe the scalp was normal and in fact part of the pre-screen process is to have your scalp evaluated prior to surgery. My surgeon's office was adamant my surgery would be cancelled if there was any sign of extraordinary skin behaviors observed on the day of the surgery.

 

I've sort of decided to try and stop focusing on these things for the time being and simply wait and see what happens. Ultimately, I guess we are all in the same boat in that regard. We have to wait for growth

[gillenator]

I also agree that at 5 weeks, it is too early to tell but it is not abnormal for that type of redness and/or inflammation to occur.

 

Once the scabbing is healed, try aloe vera to soothe and help with the redness...some guys have good results using coconut oil as well.

[HopefulRaven]

I also agree that at 5 weeks, it is too early to tell but it is not abnormal for that type of redness and/or inflammation to occur.

 

Once the scabbing is healed, try aloe vera to soothe and help with the redness...some guys have good results using coconut oil as well.

 

Thank you for that information - very much appreciated