Dot Scarring from a Large FUE Procedure (with Photo)
I (Dr. Rassman) have had a total of 2200 grafts in three strip surgeries over the past 20 years, the last one being 6 months ago. If you were to look at my single linear scar, most people (even with a comb in their hand looking for it) can’t locate it. My strip scar is certainly far less significant than the mottled scars from follicular unit extraction (FUE) in this patient below. To be fair, if the patient had let his hair grow slightly longer, the scars would be less visible.
This is not my FUE patient, but I was told that he had 2500 grafts extracted in one session four years ago (and saw extremely poor growth). FUE scars like these are very common, and as most people get FUE procedures because they want the option of cutting their hair very short without a linear scar, many of them can’t do so when these dot scars are so detectable. Click the photo to enlarge:
I grant that some patients will have visible scarring from a traditional strip procedure, but now with Scalp Micropigmentation (SMP) the linear scars can be made undetectable. The same treatment can make these ugly FUE scars undetectable.
My point for this post is that scarring occurs with all types of surgery. Scarring should not be the motivator for the choice of FUE over strip surgery. Considering the cost differential between strip and FUE surgery, this is just part of the calculation each person must do in making the decision between strip and FUE surgeries.
I have to admit, I probably wouldn’t have even spotted these scars myself at first glance. If you can do better than that, then it’s very impressive – even for someone who wants such a close shaved look after a transplant.
Agree. I suspect that these FUE scars would not be visible if the hair is not shaved. Given that strip surgery also produces a scar (and also precludes close shaving if one does not want a detectable scar), it would be educational to have a follow-up picture with hair grown out (if possible). Then readers can see what FUE scars truly look like (assuming this patient is a representative case) via the above photo, and whether they are visible with hair growth (in a subsequent photo).
When you know to look for them, they are quite noticeable. But I suspect unless they had been pointed out, I wouldn’t have even given them a second thought.