Scarring and Hair Transplants: The Trichophytic Closure and the Follicular Unit Graft

When successful, a trichophytic closure leaves no visible scar.People seeking a permanent solution to hair loss may worry that hair transplants could cause noticeable scarring. Scarring is virtually invisible, when the procedure is performed by an experienced hair transplant doctor who performs transplants daily and usesĀ a trichophytic closure.

Typically, follicular units (hair follicles) are taken from a “donor area” at the back or side of the head, and transplanted to the balding areas. This is called a follicular unit graft (FUT). In the case of male pattern balding, the follicles at the back and sides of the head are less sensitive to testosterone, and therefore less likely to fall out as a man ages or produces extra testosterone. Under local anesthetic, a strip of skin, several inches long, is removed from the donor area.

After the strip of scalp is removed, the area is carefully closed using stitches. A good hair transplant doctor will use a special method called a “trichophytic closure” to minimize scarring. Some scalp that contains hair follicles is “buried” under the incision area while it is being stitched. Hair will eventually grow right through the incision area. If closed in a conventional way, hair would not grow through the scar tissue. This technique is often used by plastic surgeons during face or brow lifts.

For many patients, directly after hair transplant surgery, the closure is undetectable. The patient needs to follow the post-operative procedures in order to help ensure the best healing results. The stitches are painlessly removed a specific number of days after the surgery.

The best hair transplant surgeons will allow you to meet with patients who had a hair transplant in the past. You would be able to check the quality of the results and see if any scarring is noticeable. If a hair transplant doctor does not allow this, run away! Dr. Shapiro, a hair transplant doctor with clinics serving southern Florida, including Boca Raton and Miami, offers this option at his free consultations.