Repairing Old Hair Plugs
By Sara Wasserbauer | Published on August 4, 2010 | 0 Comments
Although hair plugs have been around for years as a method of treating receding hairlines, many can’t help but agree with the stereotype that this particular technique is not the most natural-looking. Given the advances in hair restoration that are available to patients today, many with hair plugs are knocking on their surgeons’ doors to ask the following pressing question: Can my old hair plugs be repaired – and improved?
The answer is an emphatic “yes” according to Sara Wasserbauer M.D., a Diplomate of the American Board of Hair Restoration Surgery who runs her own hair transplant clinic in Walnut Creek, California, serving the San Francisco area and beyond. In fact, Dr. Wasserbauer insists that patients today can benefit tremendously by having their old hair plugs repaired.
According to Dr. Wasserbauer, many of the older techniques used for hair transplantation brought forth results that, over time, grew to look unnatural. As a result, many people who underwent these procedures grew to regret their decisions as time went on. Fortunately, those who are less than satisfied with the results of their hair plugs of old have the option of seeing an experienced hair restoration surgeon for a thorough repair job – an alternative that has helped many improve their appearances.
How do hair restoration experts like Dr. Wasserbauer go about repairing old hair plugs? According to Dr. Wasserbauer, it depends on the patient, but for many, the process begins by treating the old scar at the back of the head, where the donor hair for the original procedure was initially taken from. To minimize the appearance of scarring, a surgeon will typically either transplant new hair grafts onto the affected area to cover it up, or remove some of the scar tissue in an attempt to improve the situation.
For scars at the top or front of the head, a surgeon will generally offer patients the option of having new hairs transplanted around the old plugs. On top of this, a surgeon will usually attempt to remedy the unnatural appearance of hair plugs by breaking up dense hair concentrations and integrating newer hairs to achieve a more uniform, natural look.
While hair plug repair is an option that more and more patients are coming to embrace, Dr. Wasserbauer does like to warn that the process of mending old scars and evening out the hairline can be rather time-consuming. Typically, hair plug repair will require more than one session of surgery in order for a doctor to produce results that are natural and aesthetically appealing. Fortunately, those who do choose to invest the time and money that hair plug repair requires are likely to walk away feeling delighted with their new and improved appearances.
*Disclaimer: The information on this website is not intended to substitute for the medical expertise and advice of your healthcare provider. We encourage you to discuss any decisions about treatment or care with an appropriate healthcare provider.