Strip Scars Grafting and Camouflaging
What are the ways to camouflage strip hair restoration scars?
Camouflaging Strip Scars
Scars in the donor area from strip harvests may be problematic for many men. They may be short or run from ear to ear. Sometimes they widen over time, occasionally to more than two centimeters, which is deforming. This is usually due to an overly tight scalp, too low a placement, or poor surgical technique. They also change the direction of hair growth below the scar, relative to above the scar, which may cause a “shadow” of the linear scar to be evident even with the hair grown out somewhat.
IN order to minimize the appearance of scars, several strategies are available. There are cosmetics such as Dermatch, which may help disguise the scar. The hair may also be grown out fairly long to attempt coverage. This, of course, may not be an option for those with an over harvested donor region.
Surgical scar revision may be attempted, often without success. This consists of excising the scar and them suturing up the wound, hoping that the resultant scar will look better than the original one. This can work in some instances; however, if the condition that led to the scarring is not remedied, then even the best revision may fail.
Grafting into the scar is another option. Because yields tend to be lower in scars, this may take more than one surgical procedure over many months to have a significant cosmetic effect. Either body or scalp hair may be used; scalp hair is generally a better choice if it is available.
Tags: Dermatch, donor area, Hair Cycle, hair growth, hair restoration, scar grafting, scarring, strip scar, surgical scar revision
