If I get a hair transplant will the hair that they take from the back and put on the top grow back?
Robert asked:
I’m wondering if I will end up with some permanent bald patch in the back of my head as a result of the hair failing to grow back? It would just seem counterintuitive to go from bald on top to bald in the back. Has anyone had one of these operations before?
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Tags: Bald Patch, Hair Grow, Hair Transplant
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What they do is they actually cut out a section of your scalp. Its the width of your head and about an inch tall. After that they put staples in your head. So no there will be no bald patch.
There are two ways of harvesting the hair to be transplanted. One is as already described in another answer, but my understanding is that it usually is closer to 1/4″ to 1/2″ tall. This is called FUSE(follicular unit strip extraction.) The harvested strip of scalp that circles the back/sides of the head is dissected into individual hair grafts under a microscope. There is of course cutting with a scalpel, anesthetic, staples or stitches involved, and there is a scar hidden in the hair for each strip extraction, so very closely tapered back/sides haircuts are not usually possible. The Hair is left just as thick in the harvested area and the density in the transplanted area will be much thinner. The tightness of the scalp can limit the number of strip extractions. The more recent method is FUE(follicular unit extraction) aka wood’s technique. In this method the back/sides are cut very closely and then individual one or two hair grafts are extracted in a random pattern thinning the harvest area. The grafts are transplanted in the same manner regardless of how they were extracted. Theoretically a more even density can be approached between the harvested and transplanted areas. A topically applied anesthetic is involved with FUE. There is no limit due to scalp tightness. With FUE even a closely tapered crew cut should be possible. I think FUE is a more costly procedure because it demands more of the surgeons time. The hair in the harvested area does not grow back with either method. There is a lot of information available by searching the internet, including videos of the procedures.
Good Luck!