What is the likelihood of scarring after a FUE Hair Transplant Procedure?

What is the likelihood of scarring after a FUE Hair Transplant Procedure?

A short answer to the title of this blog is very likely. Just like all surgical procedures, scarring is to be expected but in this blog we are going to discuss what type of scarring is involved with an FUE Hair Transplant procedure and how it compares to scarring from a FUT Hair Transplant procedure.

What is a FUE Hair Transplant Procedure?

An FUE (Follicular Unit Extraction) procedure is involves removing the hair follicles from usually the back of the scalp to the areas that are thinning or balding using a specialised extraction tool.
These hair follicles are then prepared under a microscope ready for transplantation. The follicles are inserted into the new areas with a specialist micro surgical needle and are made sure to mimic the angle and density of your natural hair growth.

Will a FUE Hair Transplant Procedure cause Scarring?

FUE procedures are often preferred because it is minimally invasive leaving patients with minimal scarring. During the procedure, the hair follicles are removed with a specialised extraction punch tool which is less than 1mm in diameter which means scarring will be almost invisible to the naked eye. The scarring after an FUE procedure presents itself as very small circular scars that may appear as little white dots. You may notice the slight signs of this scarring if you shave your donor area or have your hair cut short.

How does a FUT Hair Transplant cause scarring?

An FUT (Follicular Unit Transfer) procedure differs from the FUE procedure as a strip of tissue containing hair is removed from the back of the scalp. This strip is then cut into smaller individual follicles before transplanting them into the areas being treated.
Because the hair follicles are removed in this strip format, an FUT transplant can be the cause of scarring at the back of the scalp as a large area of tissue is often removed and will require stitches.

Can previous Hair Transplant scars be treated?

In the majority of cases we can use the FUE Hair Transplant procedure to help disguise FUT hair transplant scarring. It is common that hair stops growing on areas where scarring is present which can cause the scarring left to be a lot more noticeable.

An FUE Hair Transplant procedure can help disguise scarring by transplanting hair from other areas of the scalp to the scar tissue. It is important to note however, that the survival and growth rate of a transplanted hair follicle into scar tissue can vary between patients and a full health assessment will be required to assess your suitability before going ahead with the procedure.

Why choose The Private Clinic?

• You will be treated by highly experienced Doctors who are highly skilled in FUE (Follicular Unit Extraction) and treat hundreds of patients every year.
• FUE is a minimally invasive treatment (meaning there is no cutting of a strip), and carried out under local anaesthetic – many patients either watch TV, or even fall asleep during the procedure.
• You won’t require any stitches after your treatment. This means that the recovery time is also reduced when compared to the Strip surgery (FUT). Find out more about FUE Hair Transplant aftercare here.
• We use the finest instruments, resulting in as minimal trauma to your scalp as possible.
• Thanks to our advanced skills and techniques, our team ensure that the donor looks intact after the hair transplant procedure and you can keep your hair really short if you prefer without any obvious scarring.
• Following treatment, there will be no linear scarring across the back of your head as seen with the strip method (FUT) – you’ll be free to wear your hair long or short.
• We choose the best follicular unit (a group of hairs), this ensures that only the strongest, healthiest grafts are used for your hair transplant procedure. See our Hair Transplant videos here.
• Your results will look natural, with denser packing – the hair is implanted in the direction that matches your hair growth.
• We are one of the very few clinics able to offer the Unshaven Hair Transplant (U-FUE) (the long-hair hair transplant), to those who prefer not to shave beforehand. At your consultation, we will be able to advise you on whether an unshaven procedure is suitable for you.
• Scars resulting from injuries or previous surgeries can also be corrected. In fact 30% of all patients that come to us have been somewhere before and need further work to improve on a disappointing result. This could be a previous bad hair transplant or we can cover linear scars caused from FUT hair transplants. Find out more here.
• We treat Afro-Caribbean hair loss, as well as eyebrows, beard and facial hair.
• View our FUE Hair Transplant before and after photo gallery
• Read our extensive hair transplant FAQs
• Find out more from our informative Hair Transplant blogs
• Hear from previous hair transplant patients

Hair Transplant surgeons at The Private Clinic

• Dr Furqan Raja, MB ChB, GMC Number: 7419667
• Mr Michael Mouzakis S.C.F in Plastic Surgery, GMC Number: 7237640
• Dr Luca De Fazio MD, BSc, MSc, GMC Number: 7095123
• Dr Ismail Ughratdar, MB ChB, GMC Number: 6103427

Hair transplant consultations and procedures are available in London Harley Street, Birmingham, Manchester and Leeds.
Consultations with a surgeon or adviser are also available in Northampton

To find out more about FUE Hair Transplant surgery or to book a consultation call 03339209135 or use our hair transplant online contact form.