How does one fix/reverse a failed procedure?

[MrZennie]

EDIT: I just realized I posted this on the wrong board sorry!  Rookie mistake. Moderator, feel free to move this to the correct place!

I'm new to the forum and just started researching transplants in the last couple months. (I'm 49, probably N3/N4) I've seen very little mention about reversing bad HTs.  I know about the fixes for FUT linear scars (FUE graphs/SMP etc) but what about failed recipient areas where the hair is just too thin/patchy to be presentable?  Do people ever have the hair removed via laser or other means and go back to where they started? How common is this? 

A side question, and maybe a more common problem...how to fix an over-harvested FUE donor area that looks patchy? 

Great forum btw.

Edited August 7, 2019 by MrZennie

[Greg_Swanson]

Hey mate,

Sorry to hear about your transplant. 

How long ago did you have it done, and has the surgeon advised any reasons for poor growth?

If you're comfortable, posting pictures may help some members/doctors on here guide you, and give you some options.

[MrZennie]

Thanks for your reply Greg but no, I actually haven't had a transplant yet...I asked this question because I'm a super cautious person by nature and want to know all my options before I pull the trigger on a procedure.  (Just had my first consultation today, it went well and they told me I had a better than average donor area!) 

[LaserCap]

Typically, patchy results are due to doing transplant on a patient that's suffering from a condition, say CCCA - for example.  Both the patient and the doctor are aware of the situation and all is discussed prior to the procedure.  The patient, by that point, has exhausted all options and is just looking to improve the detrimental irregularity.  The doctor is just trying to be helpful and explains there could be little to no improvement. I recall a case just like this some years ago.  Fortunately for the patient, the take was far more than anticipated and the patient was thrilled.  Don't get me wrong, it was not perfect, but she now had different styling options. 

Some doctors, given their experience, will send patients away because of conditions other than hereditary ones.  These patients need to rely on some kind of medical therapy to help them with retention and to p erhaps "prompt" the hair to return.  Cancer patients, in my opinion, could really benefit from the use of a laser.  This type of treatment prompts the blood to the area...with the concept of...more nutrients, more growth.  I've seen many cases like these through the years.

You have to realize the donor area is very limited and finite.  These area does not "grow back." So you do have to treat each graft like gold.  Thus, if you have a transplant, (hopefully the grafts were not placed in the middle of the forehead), stay put.  If the outcome was less than desirable, get another one.  The first procedure only serves to add density to the second one.

The only time I suggest removing grafts, (surgery, laser, electrolysis), is when grafts are placed just too low on the forehead, or when grafts are placed on temporal areas, sloping down/not blunting, (similar to a woman's hairline), on a male.

In the overall scheme of things, this is not common....much less now that the process has improved.

Over-harvested donor areas are tough.  I am assuming you are talking about FUE procedures.  If so, SMP and grow the hair longer.  I guess you could also do an FUT at a later time.  By taking a segment, a lot of the FUE "sites" would disappear, but you would end up with a linear scar.  I guess it  all depends on the circumstances, elasticity, and all factors typically involved in a hair transplant procedure.

[Melvin- Admin]

Unfortunately, there’s no reversing or undoing HT’s. This is why I’ve been so adamant on potential patients to really research. You’re probably better off trying SMP in the donor. Mind sharing pictures?

[MrZennie]

Thanks Laser Cap and Melvin.  Melvin, to be clear, I haven't had a procedure yet.  I'm just trying to learn as much as I can, and how to deal with a possibly bad result should that happen.  But the good news is that I was just told yesterday that my donor area looks good for a HT, and that I'm a good candidate for FUE.

[Al - Moderator]

If you're thinking about how to reverse it to go back to what it was before the hair transplant then you should seriously be asking yourself if you really need it at all. I mean if you're thinking you'd be OK with how it is now if it doesn't work out, then why not just be OK with how it is now? That's much cheaper and easier. I'm not trying to stop you from having a hair transplant, but I do think some people should really think more about what they are trying to achieve and what they are willing to accept or not accept.

I'm saying this because there have been a few other posts where the person hasn't gotten the best results or maybe still has some thin areas and wants to go back to how it was before they started even if another procedure would most likely solve the issues. If you don't want to continue down the road of hair transplants, then you probably shouldn't start. Most people are going to need more work as time goes by even if the first one looks great because people continue to lose hair.

 

 

[MrZennie]

That's some good advice BeHappy.  I think people considering HTs should absolutely shave their head's completely first to see if that look works for them.  (I have)

The thing that really got me starting this thread was seeing a review on Realself.  This poor guy got TERRIBLE results.  We're talking light wispy hair at the hairline only, all the the inside hairs never sprouted so it looked really, really bad.  It was a terrible look and if that happened to me I would want to reverse the procedure and remove the hairline.  

[LonelyGraft]

1 hour ago, MrZennie said:

That's some good advice BeHappy.  I think people considering HTs should absolutely shave their head's completely first to see if that look works for them.  (I have)

The thing that really got me starting this thread was seeing a review on Realself.  This poor guy got TERRIBLE results.  We're talking light wispy hair at the hairline only, all the the inside hairs never sprouted so it looked really, really bad.  It was a terrible look and if that happened to me I would want to reverse the procedure and remove the hairline.  

Do you have a link or know who the doctor was?

[MrZennie]

I'd rather not link to the patient's review just in case he peruses this forum. That wouldn't be a nice thing for him to stumble on.  

[SimpleLife]

On 8/8/2019 at 4:49 PM, Melvin- Moderator said:

Unfortunately, there’s no reversing or undoing HT’s. This is why I’ve been so adamant on potential patients to really research. You’re probably better off trying SMP in the donor. Mind sharing pictures?

@Melvin- Moderator Do you still stand by this point?

Cuz I've seen several cases from dr Feriduni for example where he extracted hairs with no (visible) scarring. Theoretically they could be placed back into the donor, with a poor survival rate ofcourse. It will never be the exact same, but afaik it is somewhat possible.. 

[Melvin- Admin]

13 minutes ago, SimpleLife said:

@Melvin- Moderator Do you still stand by this point?

Cuz I've seen several cases from dr Feriduni for example where he extracted hairs with no (visible) scarring. Theoretically they could be placed back into the donor, with a poor survival rate ofcourse. It will never be the exact same, but afaik it is somewhat possible.. 

It’s impossible to “undo” a hair transplant. You can repair it, but there will always be scarring.