Procedure detail
This hair restoration patient is a 57-year-old gentleman who came to me after a failed hair transplant elsewhere in the Northwest. He stated that 2 years prior to my initial evaluation, he had a transplant, which did not achieve the desired result. In fact, he had problems with an infection throughout his scalp and an area in the left mid-scalp turned black. It took almost a year to fill in with scar, which is shown on the close up.
On initial evaluation, he had many 4-mm areas of “white scars” which represented plugs that failed and had no hairs. There was an area in the left mid-scalp which was white and thin where the skin died (necrosis), and a white scar eventually replaced it. There were several areas of plugs that were very unnatural appearing. (See photograph with diagrams). The donor scar was wide and unsightly.
We were able to perform 2 procedures on this patient with a total of 3570 grafts, with repair of the donor scar. Our goal was to repair the prior transplant by placing grafts where he lacked them, and thicken the entire scalp region with new transplants. We also wanted to make it look natural. I was not sure if the grafts would grow in the prior necrotic area, so these were placed very conservatively in that area to make sure there was adequate blood supply.
The postoperative photographs are 3 year after the procedures. The entire scalp has been filled in and he has a very natural appearance to the hairline and scalp.
Bald class
Norwood stage 5A
In stage 5A, the hairline continues to progress toward the back of the head.
