Hair Restoration Complications: An Approach to the Unnatural-Appearing Hair Transplant
November 2008
in “
Facial Plastic Surgery
”
TLDR Hair restoration can sometimes result in unnatural-looking hair, wide scars, and poorly designed hairlines, but these issues can be corrected with careful planning, various techniques, and possibly medical therapy.
In 2008, James E. Vogel, M.D., F.A.C.S., discussed the complications of hair restoration surgeries, particularly those using older techniques. Common issues included unnatural-looking plugs or grafts, wide scars, poorly designed hairlines, and failure to consider progressive hair loss in young patients. The author emphasized understanding the anatomic problems associated with unnatural-appearing hair transplants for successful correction. Treatment approaches included reducing or removing graft size, and managing wide donor scars through tissue expansion or grafting. The paper stressed the importance of preoperative discussions with patients and long-term planning, considering the progressive nature of hair loss. The use of medical therapy to reduce hair loss was also highlighted. Correcting complications required creativity, long-term planning, and a variety of techniques, depending on the patient's specific issues.
