Failed* & Corrective Hair Transplant Clinic in India

Introduction to Failed Hair Transplant

Failure of the hair transplant surgery can occur due to the technical failure by the surgical team or due to sloppy surgical methods. There are many clinics for hair transplantation but unfortunately, hair transplants done by an inexperienced surgeon leads to poor results, low self esteem, patient dissatisfaction and depression.

Correcting these failed hair transplants is challenging because of the reduction in the donor area, bad hairline designs and previously done scarring. It can also be very traumatic for the patient.

Watch our video on corrective hair transplants (Part 1)   
Watch our video on corrective hair transplants (Part 2)

What are the Rescue Options for Failed Hair Transplant?

There are certain ways to repair the failed hair transplant:

• Body hair can be used to rescue patients with a depleted donor area.
• FUT Scarring on the backside of the scalp can be concealed with the aid of scalp revision or scalp micro pigmentation.
• A bad frontal hairline can be totally redesigned by extracting the wrong grafts with the assistance of FUE technique and relocation.

What are the Causes Behind Failed Hair Transplants?

Following are the various causes of failed hair transplant:

Drying Graft

The hair graft can dry up in case it is exposed to air for more than 10-20 seconds. Tiny grafts are at much greater risk of damage or drying. This can happen due to the below mentioned conditions:

• When the grafts are not immersed in a physiologic solution directly after extraction.
• While trimming the graft inefficiently
• Shifting of graft from one place to other
• Inefficient placement of the graft

Storing the Graft for long time

The solutions meant for the survival of the grafts should be well maintained and they must be in their accurate compositions. If the graft is left out of the body for a long time then the risk of damage is higher.

Handling of Graft

It takes some time to move the grafts from the physiological bath solution to the recipient area. Thus if the grafts are taken out and piled up on a surface then the grafts end up getting exposed to air.

Placing the Graft

It is very important to handle the grafts delicately. It requires a steady hand while placing the grafts.

Depth of the Graft

Placing the graft too deep also kills the graft and it can produce folliculitis after the surgery. Placing a graft too deep or too superficially can cause infection of hair follicles.

What are the cases where hair transplant repair is required?

Defective Hairline

• Unnatural Hairline Design: The hairline which has been designed in a straight line, makes it look unnatural after the hair transplant.
• High Placement of Hairline: Forehead will look too large if the hairline is placed too high. It may also lead to continued balding.
• Low Lying Placement of the Hairline: Patients who have undergone hair transplant in their early 30’s may feel that their hairline appears unnatural and low after some years. Therefore their hairline can be corrected by extracting the follicular units and reconstructing the hairline.

Compromised Density

In some failed cases of hair transplantation, the hair may look less dense and the scalp may be still visible. Implanting the grafts in between can be helpful in correcting the scanty look on the scalp. This procedure needs a lot of care and skill.

Wide Scar after FUT

Follicular unit transplantation often results in a linear scar at the back of the scalp. If the incision is closed under tension then it can appear as a wide scar. Hair transplantation can be done in this scar to make it less visible.

Stretched Scar

Loose stitches or improper surgical tools can stretch the scar.

Bushy Temples

Temples usually have fine and light colored hair. Increased density on the temples after hair transplant due to thick hair implantation gives a bushy look. This can be redesigned to give a natural appearance of the temples.

What are the Techniques used in Failed Hair Transplant Repair?

Following the techniques are used to repair the failed hair transplant:

Follicular unit extraction

This technique was previously termed Follicular Unit Extraction and was published in 2002 by Dr Bernstein and Dr Rassman. This technique involves extraction of individual follicular units (FU) or follicles from the donor area and implantation in the recipient area. It established the use of small, circular punch which aided in incision of the skin and separation of surrounding tissue from the graft. This technique gained popularity in next few years after facing initial criticism like any other.

 In the year 2018, the term ‘extraction’ was replaced by ‘excision’ in an attempt to emphasise the minimally yet invasive nature of the procedure and avoid misleading patients.

Steps of FUE:

• Extraction of required follicular units or follicles from the donor area and placement in holding solution.
• Implantation of the grafts in recipient area with the help of implanters or forceps.

Advantage of FUE over FUT-

•  Avoidance of linear scar
•  Faster healing time
•  Technique of choice in decreased scalp laxity