The Latest Techniques for Plug Repair - 1 Year Result Pics
This patient had plug surgery 20 years ago. This method is outdated by today’s standards. During plug surgeries, the hair is removed in 4mm plugs, about the size of a pencil eraser. The plugs are then transplanted to the front. Each plug for this patient included 3-6 follicular units and all of the tissue between the follicular units. Because of the bulk of the tissue, the transplanted area was raised, causing a ridge on each side of the frontal third. He also had widened scars in the donor area from where the plugs were harvested.
The options to this patient were to either add hair around the plugs to make the area look more natural or to remove the plugs and go for a bald look. Because his scalp donor was already seriously depleted, he probably would have also needed to use body hair to cover the frontal third around the plugs. Removal of the plugs is a more cost effective option, and there is not a donor availability issue to work around. The patient decided that he wanted to try and remove the plugs, going for a bald look. He also wanted to graft the scars in the back.
First, this patient came in for a test. We removed 4 plugs and placed them into the scar. Test sessions are especially useful because it allows the patient and the doctor to review the results before moving forward with a large session. Should the result of the test be unsatisfactory, the patient can decide against moving forward before they spend money or make large changes to their appearance. It also allows the doctor to adjust the future surgery based on the outcome of the test for optimal healing and results.
Dr. Cole and the patient decided that the test was successful, so they did a larger session, removing 435 plugs in one day. The plugs were divided into smaller groups and transplanted to the scars in the donor. Another session removed 271 more plugs, divided, and relocated the hairs to the scar in the donor. This gave a total of 710 plugs removed and relocated to the scar.
Here are pictures of before, 1 month after surgery, and 1 year after surgery.
If you want to see some really awful repair cases…go to James Vogel’s website. E-friggin-gad. Its hard to BELIEVE that was surgically done all those years ago. Results on some of them would be fit for a horror movie. I mean just plain wrong.
glad this fellow can go through life as a normal bald man now.
» The Latest Techniques for Plug Repair - 1 Year Result Pics
»
» This patient had plug surgery 20 years ago. This method is outdated by
» today’s standards. During plug surgeries, the hair is removed in 4mm
» plugs, about the size of a pencil eraser. The plugs are then transplanted
» to the front. Each plug for this patient included 3-6 follicular units and
» all of the tissue between the follicular units. Because of the bulk of the
» tissue, the transplanted area was raised, causing a ridge on each side of
» the frontal third. He also had widened scars in the donor area from where
» the plugs were harvested.
»
» The options to this patient were to either add hair around the plugs to
» make the area look more natural or to remove the plugs and go for a bald
» look. Because his scalp donor was already seriously depleted, he probably
» would have also needed to use body hair to cover the frontal third around
» the plugs. Removal of the plugs is a more cost effective option, and there
» is not a donor availability issue to work around. The patient decided that
» he wanted to try and remove the plugs, going for a bald look. He also
» wanted to graft the scars in the back.
»
» First, this patient came in for a test. We removed 4 plugs and placed them
» into the scar. Test sessions are especially useful because it allows the
» patient and the doctor to review the results before moving forward with a
» large session. Should the result of the test be unsatisfactory, the
» patient can decide against moving forward before they spend money or make
» large changes to their appearance. It also allows the doctor to adjust the
» future surgery based on the outcome of the test for optimal healing and
» results.
»
» Dr. Cole and the patient decided that the test was successful, so they did
» a larger session, removing 435 plugs in one day. The plugs were divided
» into smaller groups and transplanted to the scars in the donor. Another
» session removed 271 more plugs, divided, and relocated the hairs to the
» scar in the donor. This gave a total of 710 plugs removed and relocated to
» the scar.
»
»
That’s a great improvement- I’m sure this guy is quite pleased. Jessica- is there anything further that can be done to smooth out the skin anymore? I was thinking of maybe some intense dermabrasion or something.
» The Latest Techniques for Plug Repair - 1 Year Result Pics
»
» This patient had plug surgery 20 years ago. This method is outdated by
» today’s standards.
This looks great and is very much easier for him to maintain.
The main thing this shows to me is that the really young folks need to pay attention. Say what you will about this prior to the correction, the surgeon no matter how inept, you have to assume he placed the plugs appropriately for that that particular slice of time. Clearly this guy balded further and could never play catch up. Bottom line, don’t start too early even though it might be painful emotionally at that particular time.
»
» That’s a great improvement- I’m sure this guy is quite pleased. Jessica-
» is there anything further that can be done to smooth out the skin anymore?
» I was thinking of maybe some intense dermabrasion or something.
During plug surgery, a 4mm plug is forced into a 3.5mm site. The extra mass and tissue has no where to go but up; this causes ridging. This patient had a deep ridge on either side of the rows of plugs, creating a plateau in the frontal third.
To get rid of unwanted hair, a person can use electrolysis or lasers to try and kill it over several sessions. But, this does not address the ridging aspect, and sometimes does not even get rid of the hair. One of the advantages of FIT plug repair is that the entire follicular unit is removed. That includes the hair and the tissue around it. By removing the tissue with the hair, it helps to debulk the area that is raised.
There are some other options to help bring the ridging down further, like steroid injections. Steroid injections can cause adipose atrophy, affecting the deeper tissues. Too much, however, can cause the surface to become concave.
From normal face to face distance, you can’t see the ridging on this patient. If you look very close, you can make it out a little. (That is why I included the up close shots). Steroid injections can help to put the finishing touches on FIT plug repair patients. They may not ever be exactly the same as before the plug surgery, but we can come pretty close.
»
» This looks great and is very much easier for him to maintain.
»
» The main thing this shows to me is that the really young folks need to pay
» attention. Say what you will about this prior to the correction, the
» surgeon no matter how inept, you have to assume he placed the plugs
» appropriately for that that particular slice of time. Clearly this guy
» balded further and could never play catch up. Bottom line, don’t start
» too early even though it might be painful emotionally at that particular
» time.
is it always possible to remove hairs with FIT and leave it nearly invisible? because im thinking of a FIT/FUE procedure for my temples. though i know , when the meds stop working , im gona become a nw 6. i will wait with this though until we know if HM will become reality. though you never know , like it could happen that they find out HM makes cancer. so i need a backup plan.
what i think is that it should be even more possible to make it invisible if you get FIT/FUE and NOT plugs. or was this case very special and lucky?
Just to let you know… scarring is absolutely impossible to predict. Not one type of procedure can fully guarantee that there will be no scarring. This case turned out good.
» Just to let you know… scarring is absolutely impossible to predict. Not
» one type of procedure can fully guarantee that there will be no scarring.
» This case turned out good.
so what would be the worst case? and what the average case?
There are many variables from patient to patient that affect how a person will heal after a surgery. The best way to find out how you will heal is to do a test session.
This patient was also concerned about the end result of plug removal surgery. So, he did a test session first and removed 4 plugs. After he saw that it healed beautifully, he went ahead with the entire procedure. The result of the surgery was very good, as you can see. And by incorporating a test session, he was able to eliminate some of the uncertainties involved in making a life-changing surgical decision.
» Just to let you know… scarring is absolutely impossible to predict.
I disagree. By doing a test session, you can have a pretty good portrayal of the scarring, if any, that will occur after surgery.
Pictures of results can be a good guide and a visual aid to help people to decide what options are available to them. But, no two patients are identical. You cannot completely base your future on what happened to some one else. The test session is a useful approach when planning to take action towards your hair transplant goals.
We used the hair from this patient’s plugs to graft the scars in the donor area. The one year result pictures of his scar and an in-depth discussion about scar repair options are here: http://www.forhair.com/hairtransplant/topic1328.html
» whew, thats tough
»
»
»
»
» If you want to see some really awful repair cases…go to James
» Vogel’s website. E-friggin-gad. Its hard to BELIEVE that was surgically
» done all those years ago. Results on some of them would be fit for a
» horror movie. I mean just plain wrong.
»
»
»
» glad this fellow can go through life as a normal bald man now.
I just went on vogels site there are some absolutely brutal repair cases on there.
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