FUE Scars

Do FUE procedures form scars?

Yes, there are scars anytime the body is invaded by the surgeon, or any time you cut yourself. The scars come about when the edges attempt to close the gap. The FUE scars are circular, so the size of the scar somewhat reflects the size of the wound. To answer the question appropriately, let’s talk basic math and then convert the math to logic.

The chart here shows the size of the cutting punch and compares the size of the wound that is created. The scar reflects the size of the wound.

The reality of these number are that the 0.75mm leaves almost no scar, because the edges co-apt and there is minimal secondary healing as the scar fills from below as the side skin grows over it. With all of the wounds from strip harvesting, the scars are long and the wound is much larger. Such ‘line’ wounds can be seen when the scalp is shaved.

The 0.75mm wounds are impractical, but the 0.9mm wounds are the standard used in my practice. So in answer to your question; scars are related to the size of each wound. The smaller the wound for FUE (for example), the smaller the instrument used by the surgeon, the smaller and less noticeable will be the wounds in their final healing phase. Please see this previous post, Size of FUE Procedure, for discussion on actual yield rates. If only a needle is used (like the one you get with a flu shot) I sincerly doubt that you will ever find the scar with the naked eye.