One of the most common myths about Hair Transplantation procedures is that they are not possible on areas that are scarred.
Fortunately, this is not true! In fact, according to a survey of 37 patients who received Hair Transplantation on Scarred Tissue, the average rating (out of 5 possible points) was 4.6! That’s an astounding statistic, but why does this myth exist?
Scar Tissue Facts and Complications
Part of the reason this myth continues to spread is that people usually hear information about scarring in isolation from its relationship to Hair Transplantation, and vice versa. Here are some that you might have heard:
Scar tissue does not have Hair Follicles
This is quite true, and in particular procedures that were more common in the past this was a prohibitive factor in Hair Transplantation and Restoration. However, more modern techniques, such as Follicle Unit Transfer (FUT) or Follicle Unit Excision (FUE), do not require the Hair Follicles in the transplant site to exist because they place existing, live Hair Follicles directly onto the location!
This means that a doctor can transplant hair from a donor area on your own scalp or other appropriate location onto the site and allow natural hair growth where only scar tissue existed before.
Hair Restoration Requires Healthy Hair Follicles at the Treatment Site
This is true only for specific types of treatment, such as Low Level Laser Therapy (LLLT), which stimulates and encourages the growth of hair in Follicles that are still alive and active, but are not producing or maintaining healthy hair.
These types of treatments tend to be used in cases of recovery from vitamin deficiency or other particular incidents where the hair has been temporarily restricted in its growth, but not rendered impossible due to Male or Female Pattern Hair Loss (MPHL/FPHL) or other genetic conditions.
It is possible that stimulated Hair Growth in the areas around a scar could be an option, in many cases a complete Transplantation of the hair to take the place of the existing scar tissue provides the best results.
Hair Transplantation causes Scarring, how can it fix Scarring?
This is a very common concern among people looking into Hair Restoration in general, but specifically on Scarred Tissue. Unfortunately, this is an example of a mix between understanding of older, more outdated methods of Hair Transplantation and misunderstanding of the processes available to manage Hair Loss today.
Processes like FUT are the most widely used in Hair Transplants today partially because they minimize and reduce the amount of scarring that occurs naturally with any medical procedure on the skin. Dr. Williams has a particularly effective approach to managing scarring in his procedures by using his expertise, experience, and knowledge to ensure minimal scarring, proper pacing, and appropriate vision of the finished procedure.
There is always a risk of some Scarring when you involve procedures like this, but FUT in particular is effective at reducing that because it uses strips of hair in sections rather than transplanting individual Follicles – this means that there are fewer direct incisions into the skin, reducing the overall damage that needs to be healed by the body.
Scarring cuts off blood flow to the Scarred skin
This is another example of confusion about what the actual process of Hair Transplantation looks like in modern medicine. This statement is true, but as we saw before, in past procedures or in procedures that are designed to stimulate limited growth rather than move Hair Follicles, it is important to have healthy Follicles in those areas that are susceptible to these types of treatments.
When a doctor is Transplanting into a Scarred area, however, the process is completely different, and it relies on the blood flow beneath the skin tissue to bond with the Transplant. This completely replaces the Scarred tissue in the Transplant area rather than relying on that damaged tissue to sustain Hair Follicles. Once the Donor Strips of Hair Follicles (in an FUT Procedure) are placed, they are able to connect with the blood vessels that were under the old tissue and begin growing anew.
Care and How to Find Out More
As with any procedure, Hair Transplantation of any kind, but especially to replace Scarred tissue, requires specific care after the procedure, and it is important to follow your doctor’s advice in all regards.
Dr. Williams, who specializes in Hair Transplantation, will provide you with a personalized plan for your procedure or procedures, pre- and post-care instructions, and follow-up care to ensure you are happy with your new look.
Schedule a consultation today to find out how Dr. Williams can help you.
