Shotgun Scars

Hair Transplant
1

The thing that bothers me the most about my hair are the shotgun scars where Bosley Medical Group extracted grafts from the back and sides of my head back in the 70’s using a large punch. You don’t see a lot of discussion about this on the Internet or in the forums. Possibly because many guys can cover these scars with their existing hair. In my opinion, they look worse than a strip scar. With a strip scar at least it could be interpreted in a public setting as a scar that happened by accident. With the shotgun scars, they look intentionally created.

I had wondered this morning whether their prominence is based upon the lack of hair in the scars or their white hypo pigmentation. I borrowed some makeup that matches my approximate skin color and applied it to a block of shotgun scars. They virtually disappeared. For me, what contributes to their unacceptable appearance is roughly 80-85% hypopigmentation and 15-20%, lack of hair.

I noticed where Dr. Cole had placed BH grafts on the outer rim of my shotgun scars, their appearance virtually disappeared. CIT at Dr. Cole’s office recommended beard hair as the best repair option. Most of my beard hair is white. Does that make me a poor candidate for beard transplantation? From what I have heard and seen, the placement of a graft into a scar helps reduce hypopigmentation.

I am interested in knowing if there is any additional information related to effectively reducing the hypopigmentation problem related to shotgun scarring. (white scar appearance).

I know Joe who works for H&W also had this legacy HT surgery years ago and must still have a load of these round scars hiding under the hair on the back and sides of his head. Sometimes some of these can be excised during during strip surgery and the remaining hair in the strip redistributed. Of course this method is only practical if the area of shotgun scars doesn’t cover nearly the entire fringe on the sides and back of the head as it does with me.

2

I just read thru your story, thats awfull… Are your scars visible due to lack of hair?? Have you thought about having some correctional work done?

3

Sorry to hear of your experience.

How is the recipient area?

4

Within a few months, I’ll have the funds to be able to have BH grafts placed into these scars. It has worked work well for my repair work.

Using leg, stomach and back hair, Dr. Cole has been able to break up the previously obvious pluggy hairline look, related to work (if you can call it that) I had done by Bosley Medical Group back in the late 70’s.

I know the grafts will be effective, I just don’t know how many I should expect to have placed into each 4mm shotgun scar. Other concerns are finding the time to have the work done, and figuring out a way I can get some sleep within the first 9 days without disturbing the grafts. Sleeping face-first is very uncomfortable.

I would really like to know if anyone is aware of any new/additional treatments for these type of scars.

5

Would it be possible to have the scar tissue excised and each one sutured close like mini scalp reduction? Or maybe there is not enough hair in that area to pull it off.

6

» Would it be possible to have the scar tissue excised and each one sutured
» close like mini scalp reduction? Or maybe there is not enough hair in that
» area to pull it off.

Yes, without pictures it’s hard to say but I would think a hybrid approach would be best here. Perhaps a small strip to excise many of the scars and release a few more hairs for where you want them.

Then, as the previous poster said, perhaps some can be excised like little “mini-strips” - it would still leave scars but they’d be nowhere near as obtrusive. Then in other places perhaps body hair, especially robust body hair like from the beard, could be used to deal with the rest?

Having seen a few photos of this kind of scarring I wonder if trying to fill them may be a mistake. Better to cut them out then use robust body hair to fill in what’s left - perhaps in a second procedure a few months down the line.

7

» The thing that bothers me the most about my hair are the shotgun scars
» where Bosley Medical Group extracted grafts from the back and sides of my
» head back in the 70’s using a large punch. You don’t see a lot of
» discussion about this on the Internet or in the forums. Possibly because
» many guys can cover these scars with their existing hair. In my opinion,
» they look worse than a strip scar. With a strip scar at least it could be
» interpreted in a public setting as a scar that happened by accident. With
» the shotgun scars, they look intentionally created.
»
» I had wondered this morning whether their prominence is based upon the
» lack of hair in the scars or their white hypo pigmentation. I borrowed some
» makeup that matches my approximate skin color and applied it to a block of
» shotgun scars. They virtually disappeared. For me, what contributes to
» their unacceptable appearance is roughly 80-85% hypopigmentation and
» 15-20%, lack of hair.
»
» I noticed where Dr. Cole had placed BH grafts on the outer rim of my
» shotgun scars, their appearance virtually disappeared. CIT at Dr. Cole’s
» office recommended beard hair as the best repair option. Most of my beard
» hair is white. Does that make me a poor candidate for beard
» transplantation? From what I have heard and seen, the placement of a graft
» into a scar helps reduce hypopigmentation.
»
» I am interested in knowing if there is any additional information related
» to effectively reducing the hypopigmentation problem related to shotgun
» scarring. (white scar appearance).
»
» I know Joe who works for H&W also had this legacy HT surgery years ago and
» must still have a load of these round scars hiding under the hair on the
» back and sides of his head. Sometimes some of these can be excised during
» during strip surgery and the remaining hair in the strip redistributed. Of
» course this method is only practical if the area of shotgun scars doesn’t
» cover nearly the entire fringe on the sides and back of the head as it does
» with me.

Another Bosley success. Really sorry for your ezperience. You should post some pics, and maybe one of the Hair transplants might fix it pro bono.