No Hair Growth Months After Chemical Burn

Hello,
I have 2 scars on the top of my head from a chemical burn. During the healing process I noticed hair underneath the skin that looked like stubble. I was wondering if there was a chance of my hair growing back because of this. It’s been 2 months and my wound is healed but no hair. I have been looking into tissue expanders and hair transplants but wondering if I should wait to see if my hair grows. Friends are saying that the hair might not grow until the wound heals. Is that true? and if it is do you think I should wait because it has only been a week or two since my wound completely closed?

This is not an easy question to answer. If the burn was second degree, then the hair loss will probably return by the end of the induced telogen cycle that the burn may have caused. A second degree burn does not go through the entire skin below the dermis. Some elements of the hair shaft remains and these often grow new hair, to a varying degree depending upon the depth of the second degree burn. The less deep, the better the hair growth will be. If the burn went through the entire skin below the level where the bottom of the hair follicles are, then the hair will not regrow. Full thickness burns are relatively easy to diagnose as the skin is very tight and tissue like. Most full thickness burns form large wounds (sounds like what you are talking about) and the growth of the skin comes from the healthy skin around the burn. It takes months for such wounds to close on their own and some require surgery to get them closed. I do not know how big this burn was (size is very important), if it is really uniformly third degree or not, to what depth it went, and whether it is combined with a second degree component to it. I will assume that it must be eary serious if you are looking into tissue expanders. As you are in Los Angeles, I would be pleased to give you a second opinion if that suits you. You can call my office at 800-NEW-HAIR if you’d like to setup a free consultation.