Hair transplants have been around for long time. Before the 80s, men who were desperate to do something about their balding problems mostly relied on an older version of hair plug procedures. Unfortunately, this procedure, along with other factors such as inexperience or poor technique of a surgeon, can cause hair transplant problems later on. How do expert hair doctors come to the rescue of patients who are extremely dissatisfied with their procedures? Here’s how it can be saved and corrected.
If you’re one of those people dealing with hair transplant problems, you can still do something to correct it. Thanks to more modern technology and more skillful surgeons, corrective and remedial procedures are now available and you can use them for your hair transplant repair.
Choosing Between FUT and FUE
People with balding problems and those looking for hair transplant correction can choose between two types of modern hair restoration procedures. First is the Follicular Unit Extraction, which involves extracting a patient’s remaining hair to be harvested then re-inserted back into the head to allow full and natural growth. Those who are afraid of having linear scars can opt for this method. After the procedure, small non-pigmented dots will be left on the head which are barely noticeable and practically invisible when hair grows back.
FUE is a better choice for younger patients because they are most likely to change hairstyles in the future. The dotted scars produced by FUE are barely noticeable even in shorter hairstyles. This is also a better alternative for those who already went through FUT and would like additional procedure done; getting FUE means lesser scars to add to the existing ones.
Second is the Follicular Unit Transplantation, which involves cutting strips of tissues from the scalp, which is cut into thousands of units. The surgeon will make tiny holes on the recipient sites on the head then place the tissue units around the balding areas.
The primary concern about FUT is the linear scar that the operation will produce. It’s worth nothing that this shouldn’t be a problem for patients who plan to maintain a longer hairstyle; the hair will be enough to conceal the scar.
Both can deliver results but given the nature of the procedures and the differences in scarring and healing processes, one can be more suitable for you instead of the other. Before you choose between FUE and FUT, it’s important to know the differences between the two. If you’re not concerned about scarring, then the FUT procedure is for you. This is more acceptable in female patients since hair length is able to conceal such scars. On the other hand, FUE is meant for those who would want to deal with the “obvious” mark in the name of getting a thicker and fuller crown.
How Poorly Done Transplants Are Corrected
FUT and FUE can be used solely or in combination with other procedures for hair transplant corrective surgery. Here’s how poorly performed transplants are corrected and how FUT and FUE are incorporated into the procedures.
- Camouflaging
If the transplant problem is not that serious, it can be solved by placing micro grafts in front of larger grafts. This is effective in camouflaging abnormal-looking grafts. This reduces the “pluggy” appearance of grafts and makes hair growth look more natural. This is a great option for you if your larger grafts are not too close to the hairline or if your hairline is not transplanted too low on your forehead. If you have these problems, camouflaging along may not be enough to fix the problem.
- Graft removal
This is a more aggressive approach employed if camouflaging is not enough to correct bad transplants. The grafts are removed from scalp and re-distributed. The abnormal grafts are carefully extracted and dissected into individual follicular units. These units are then re-implanted in problem areas. Since this is a corrective procedure, there’s no need for additional donor areas; previous grafts will be recycled and transplanted for a more natural look.
- Combined approach
Your surgeon may decide that a combination of camouflaging and graft removal is the best option for fixing your bad transplant. Instead of removing an original graft, the surgeon may opt to place additional follicular units around it to make it look more natural. After redistributing the grafts, the surgeon will need additional hair, so he can use the FUT method and dissect tissue strips or use FUE to take hair directly from donor areas. The hair acquired from these procedures will be placed on problem areas for a complete combined restoration.
You should be willing to wait if you’re planning to take a combined approach. After graft excision, you have to wait at least eight weeks before you go for another excision. Your skin should be given enough time to heal in order to avoid reopening new wounds. After the last excision, you have to wait eight weeks more before you can get a camouflage procedure.
- Scar camouflage
If you’re bothered by a prominent linear scar as a result of your first transplant, the surgeon can use FUE to cover up the scarred area. The hair extracted by the surgeon will be placed directly into the area of scarring. This is also perfect for patients who prefer to wear shorter hairstyles and would like to conceal the appearance of donor area scar. In this case, FUE will be performed using punch instrument in order to avoid creating new linear scars.
The right method of removing scars will depend a lot from patient to patient since each has unique hair transplant problems. The surgeon will check for the amount of remaining donor hair of a patient before deciding on the right course of action.
It’s important to weigh your choices carefully before you subject yourself to hair transplant repair. Another botched operation will hurt not only your self-esteem, but your wallet as well. If you have made a mistake choosing surgeons the first time, you should take care to choose the one that will undo the damage and make your hair look like the way it should be. Make sure to consult with the best hair surgeon in the Philippines to get the aesthetic and peace of mind that a discerning patient like you deserves.