Experiencing Problems with Grafts Put Into a Scar

Dear Dr Rassman,
I recently had about 420 grafts put into a scar that was about 10mm wide and 100mmlong. Some of the hairs that were implanted in there (this is from about 4 months ago) are still in there. They haven’t grown, and are just sitting there..they are bent as well, where the growth has stopped. What does this mean?

Also, I keep getting scabs in the scar tissue where the hair was implanted. Would this be because my body is trying to remove those hairs that have not shed(but not growing), and does hair that grows in scar tissue cause the scar to scab, when breaking through the scar? Also, I was told i’d have to wait 18-24 months before most of the growth. Do you agree with this?

thank you

First and foremost, I would go back to the doctor who performed your surgery for a recheck. He/she should be able to answer your questions more specifically as it relates to a procedure they were a part of and know more about your overall health.

On average, it takes 6 to 12 months for hair to grow. Hair growth in scar tissue tends to be slightly slower than in non-scarred tissue, and in general, it is thought that hairs transplanted into scars do not grow as well as hair transplanted to normal scalp/skin. There is no study to prove one way or the other if that is true, though. In a few cases where I transplanted a small number of grafts into a scar and counted them at full growth, 100% of what I put in grew.