Scarring Acne and Hair Transplantation

First off, excellent blog. What a fantastic resource!

I’m in my late 20’s, have never had a HT procedure before, and I’m considering a strip procedure in the near future. I have read that people with scarring in the recipient area might be at risk of experiencing poor growth/yield of transplanted hair into that area. (discussed on another forum somewhat here: hairlosshelp.com )

Though mostly clear today, in the past I have had acne at my hairline and behind it (on the scalp), sometimes in hard cystic form. Some of this acne may have caused some scarring at my hairline and behind it, though it is difficult to notice any visible scarring on my scalp. I do have acne scarring on some areas of my face from cystic acne, and it appears that the cystic acne led to a loss of fat or collagen in some areas, given the depressed look of the scarred areas. I also have some pitted scarring in my temple areas (where the hair is also receding), which is an area where I hope to have hair transplanted.

Could acne scarring from cystic acne affect the growth of transplanted hairs in the recipient area (e.g. hairline, scalp or temple area)? Or, when people talk about the risks of scarring in the recipient area, are they mostly talking about scarring possibly resulting from incisions made during previous HT procedures’ (or even the result of grafts from previous HT procedures being removed or extracted)? I read in a message (found in the thread I linked to above) that scarring in the recipient area could inhibit blood flow and hinder growth of transplanted hair.

Have you ever heard of acne scarring leading to poor transplanted hair growth? Also, if acne scarring could pose a risk to transplanted hair growth, is there anything that one can do before surgery to try to minimize that risk, other than try to prevent any further breakouts?

Thank you for any information!!

I have not heard of a one to one relationship between acne scarring impacting hair transplantation. If there is any active acne present, it could well have an impact. If you are concerned, you can have your doctor perform a small test transplant into the scar and see what grows. Using a FUE (follicular unit extraction) technique for a quick procedure will take less than 10 minutes. It is not unusual for me to do test transplants on a limited basis in people with scarring alopecias. Wait a full 8 months and then you will know what the risks are. As I can not examine you, I can not really render an opinion at this time.