Poor Growth 6 Months After FUE Procedure

Dr. Rassman,

It has been a little over six (6) months since I have had FUE surgery. I had approximately 900 grafts done. My surgery was with a well respected doctor in the industry.

However, I have experienced poor growth thus far. My updated pictures that were recently sent to my physician showed lingering redness in the recipient and poor growth. My doctor responded that he was concerned about the lack of growth, and suggested that I have biopsy peformed if there is no improvement in the coming months.

Is this necessary and what can I expect a scalp biopsy to show as far as poor growth is concerned? It seems to me that not enough grafts were placed to begin with and that I may have experienced poor growth due possible transection of some of the grafts. Some areas are growing in better than others. What do you think?

Thanks

I really cannot tell you what is to be expected and what is poor or good growth without examining you. Not being your doctor puts me at a great disadvantage. It seems you are in good communication with your physician and I would recommend that you follow up with that doctor. Sometimes the full growth may take as long at 12 months.

I believe that follicular unit extraction (FUE) has problems, even in the hands of good doctors experienced in that form of art. Notice that I said the “form of art”. I believe that FUE is a form of art in the way it is done. I have received many reports of failed FUEs and have spoken to doctors who are skilled in this ‘art form’ and they report hearing of many failures amongst the doctors procaiming to be experts in it. For example, I know of one doctor who is well known for FUE (he heavily promotes the practice expertise) and states that the speed for doing them exceeds an extraction rate of over 1000 grafts per hour. I would say, off hand, that this doctor’s failure rate must be huge. Not knowing your physician’s experience, I can not comment on your doctor, but you should be able to meet many of his/her patients to determine his/her success rate.

For more on FUE / FOX Procedure, please see:

• Follicular Unit Extraction: The FOX Procedure
• FOX Megasession