Tag: keloid

How Surgeons Hide Donor Scars during Hair Transplant Surgery

Hair transplant procedures leave scars. It is just a fact of life. However, if the surgeries are handled in the proper manner, the scars are barely noticeable. They are thin to the point that they can barely be seen in most cases. Skilled doctors have ways of making the scars practically disappear.

First of all, the surgeon must be very skilled in choosing the site of the path where he harvests the donor tissue for the hair transplant. Its width should be no more than one centimeter in most instances. This allows the scalp to close completely when sutured back into place.

If the hair transplant procedure is done well, the scar will not be noticeable even if the patient likes to wear his hair in a short style. The scar will only become unsightly if the patient is genetically predisposed to keloid scarring. People who have this kind of problem need special treatment.

If a patient is known to suffer from keloid scarring, the first thing a reputable doctor will do before hair transplant surgery is to explain the possibility of unsightly scars. This requires a very honest surgeon, since the patient may decide the procedure is not worth the scarring it will cause.

The next step with such a patient would be to discuss ways the keloid could be covered. It could be camouflaged by wearing the hair just a little longer. Other patients have rubbery skin that stretches too much and so causes wide donor scars. These two groups add up to about 5% of the patients who have hair transplant surgery.

The other 95% of patients have no problems with their tiny scars at all. The hair transplant doctors are able to keep the donor strips very thin. They also use a double layer closure method to help the skin heal properly. As long as the surgeon knows what she is doing, the scars are a minor consideration.

Another aspect of scarring is when doctors go in for multiple hair transplant surgeries. A new strip of donor tissue has to be taken each time to supply the grafts for the new transplant. It would seem that this would lead to a large number of scars on the back and sides of the head.

Actually, there is a hair transplant procedure that keeps the scarring to one thin line. It consists of cutting the new thin donor strip immediately above the original scar. In most cases, the old scar is removed at the same time. When the wound is stitched up, the entire area of both the old scar and the new cut are sewn into one line. If multiple surgeries are done, this procedure is used every time.

Hair transplant surgery leaves scars. That much is certain. If you are one of the unlucky few who scar easily, you might have scars big enough that you have to hide them. Yet, if you are like most people, you will not have scars that anyone will notice at all.

What Are the Side Effects of Hair Transplant Surgery?

A person with balding problems can gain a great deal of confidence by having hair transplant surgery. The procedure is a fairly easy one for the patient. However, there are some minor complications or side effects that sometimes come with the surgery.

1. Thinning. If you have hair transplant surgery, you might be alarmed if you notice that the hair you already did have is getting thinner. This is a normal post-operative condition. The thickness comes back within a few months after surgery. It will be just as full as it ever was.

2. Bleeding. The hair transplant surgery will likely cause some bleeding. If you put pressure on the area, the bleeding will usually stop. In rare situations, the bleeding does not stop this way. In that case, it might be necessary for the surgeon to do some extra stitching to close the wounds.

3. Pain. There is actually very little pain with hair transplant surgery. About half of the people who have the procedure done will not need any pain relievers at all. Most others take a mild pain reliever such as Tylenol for a few days, and that seems to be enough for them.

4. Itching. It is not unusual for itching to occur on areas affected by hair transplant surgery. Yet, it should not last more than a few days. If you use shampoo and wash the hair every day, it helps with the problem.

5. Swelling. Almost everyone who has hair transplant surgery has swelling in the forehead and around the eyes. This lasts for only a few days, the worst being about the fourth day. Some people exhibit a black eye as a result.

6. Numbness. A hair transplant patient will feel numbness for several weeks after the surgery. It is almost a given. However, it is usually only temporary.

7. Hiccups. Interestingly enough, one side effect of hair transplant surgery is having the hiccups after the procedure. Only about 5% of the patients have this problem, but it can be troublesome if it lasts more than a few days. It can keep you from eating or sleeping properly. Doctors have medications they can prescribe to help with this.

8. Infections. Infections are rare with hair transplant surgery, but they can happen. One reason they do not happen more is that antibiotics are given before and after the procedure to prevent infections from even starting.

9. Cysts. Cysts can come up in the areas where the hair is being transplanted to, also called the recipient areas. The cysts do not usually last more than a few weeks and are rarely more than the size of small pimples.

10. Scarring. If you have keloid scarring after hair transplant surgery, it is probably because you are genetically inclined to have it. Very infrequently, patients have scarring that takes the form of ridges.

The side effects of hair transplant surgery are not particularly difficult for the person who has them. They are more like minor inconveniences for most people. The most important thing about them is that nearly all of them will be gone in just a few weeks.

Contraindications of Laser Hair Removal

There are people that should not have laser hair removal because of one or more specific reasons. These reasons are called contraindications, which mean, that it is inadvisable to have the treatment or procedure. The treatment could be dangerous or cause permanent side effects. Other contraindications require special treatment or medication before laser hair removal can be started.

Women that are pregnant should not have laser hair removal. Although there is not significant information regarding laser usage and pregnancy, many physicians and health care providers recommend avoiding laser treatments because of the unknown effects on the on the unborn child.

Anyone that has herpes simplex virus I or II should tell the doctor that is preforming the laser hair removal before treatments have begun. It is necessary to take a prescription antiviral medication for several days both before and after the treatment. If the hair removal is in the area of previous outbreaks, it is possible that the heat from the laser will cause a flare up of the herpes virus. If a herpes outbreak is active, either on the face or genital area, it is important to reschedule the laser hair removal treatment.

An appointment should also be rescheduled if there is any cut, broken, irritated or inflamed skin in the area that is to be treated. Rescheduling is also necessary if there is an active infection anywhere within the body.

Anyone that has the condition of albinism, which is the absence of any color pigment in the hair or skin, should not have laser hair removal. Laser light is drawn to dark pigmentation so it will not work on anyone with this condition. The same holds true for people with very light blonde, red, grey, or white hair.

People that are sunburned or have recently tanned should postpone their treatment until their skin has returned to its normal color which could take several weeks. It is important that skin is its natural color when laser hair removal takes place.

Certain oral and topical medications can cause photosensitivity or photoallergic reactions if used before laser hair removal treatments take place. Accutane should be discontinued three months before treatment begins. Tetracycline and Retin A should be discontinued six weeks before the laser hair removal process.

Anyone that suffers from certain medical conditions, such as lupus, diabetes, or epilepsy, should not have laser hair removal. Any nervous disorders which are present, need to be evaluated before laser treatment begins. If hirsutism is present, the cause should be diagnosed and treated before any laser treatment is started.

If there is a mole in the area to be treated, many people decide to have it removed before treatment. Because of the dark pigmentation of the mole, it may attract to much heat from the laser and cause burning. The same holds true for certain birthmarks and beauty marks.

If there is a history of keloid scarring, it is important to know that there is a higher danger of scarring from the treatments.

The importance of knowing the contraindications of laser hair removal can protect you from a dangerous experience.