2nd ht scar

[bananas]

Hi,

I would like some input on 2nd ht scars. Do they heal as well as virgin ht scars? My first ht was around 1800 grafts and the donar area was taken using the standard max. length. It healed beautifully. Even after around 5 months it was totally unnoticable, and I could use a #2 guard cut if I desired. Also, after the donar site was shaved during my 2nd procedure by my Dr.,the techs were totally impressed by the quality of the scar. Consequently, a year later, I went for a 2nd tp that was was quite smaller, less than 1,000 grafts. Therefore, the donar scar was narrower and shorter in length. However, it's been about 6 months since round 2 and I still see a noticable scar with not much hair grown in from the trycho. procedure. I guess I'm comparing my healing progress with the last procedure and I'm just a bit concerned that the outcome won't be as good even though my surgeon told me the scar would probably come out the same or even better. does anyone have any advice on this matter?

[Sparky]

Mine didnt come out well at all, but I had very bad surgeons, so that could be why.

[bananas]

Well Sparky, I had very good surgeons. In fact they are well respected coolition surgeons from the same practice, and the first scar was undetectable. Did you get poor results from your first scar, too?

[bananas]

anyone else...

[Sparky]

Wasnt as bad from the first surgery, but as far as I can remember it wasnt great, and it was only 5cm long ffs!

[Dr. Michael Beehner]

As a general rule, just as you found in your experience, first-time scars should turn out wonderful and almost undetectable, whether or not you use a trichophytic closure or not. I find that each time you go through the same territory again for subsequent harvests, the scar on average will end up around 1mm wider, so that a typical patient who comes three times over his total transplant history will end up with around a 3mm wide scar.

I dont' like to use a trichophytic closure until the LAST transplant, as I think using them in the early sessions just sets up more tension for the last time the patient is closed. When everything is done and over and the patient anticipates no further work, then we offer our patients at no cost working on the scar to make it as undetectable as possible, using a combination of narrow excision, FUE grafts into the scar, and/or tattoo dots. 90% of patients don't mind their scars at all and have their hair long enough that it is never an issue. For those that do want to wear the hair on the sides and back a little shorter, these procedures work nicely. Of course, if at the time of the last procedure, we think the existing scar isn't that wide and there is good laxity, we certainly will do a trichophytic closure, and the majority of time this gives a very nice result.

There is a small group of patients, perhaps 5% of the total group, who have hyper-elastic scalps, which will stretch out their scars no matter how well you do the sew-up, and despite no tension at all on the wound.

Mike Beehner, M.D.

[bananas]

Thanks for the detailed info, although I was hoping that wouldn't be the case. However, I guess I'll find out if this is true in my case within the next few months. Thanks again.