What Is the Optimal Width of a Hair Transplant Strip Scar?
This question, from a member of our hair loss social community and discussion forums, was answered by Coalition hair transplant surgeon Dr. Bijan Feriduni:
Dr. Feriduni, In your experience, how wide is the average hair transplant strip scar in mm?
A linear hair transplant scar is always influenced by various factors and those factors are often decisive in the outcome of a linear scar, such as:
Patient factors:
- Patient’s age (in general better scar results in older patients)
- Smoking or non-smoking patient
- Diseases that influence wound healing, such as Diabetes, Ehler-Danlos syndrome etc.
- Previous surgeries
Surgical factors:
- Area/position of the linear strip
- Width of the linear strip – tension
- Suture technique (single, double layer suture technique, trichophytic closure technique)
- Experience of the hair restoration surgeon
Postoperative factors:
- Aftercare (infection, scabbing, etc.)
- Sports (weight lifting)
In general and under ideal conditions, a linear scar will be between 1mm and 4mm in width and invisible when the hairs are buzzed in grade 2-3. In case of a full buzz cut a linear scar will always be visible, even when the outcome is optimal, due to the scar tissue and difference in skin structure.
Kindest regards,
Dr. Bijan Feriduni
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David
Editorial Assistant and Forum Co-Moderator for the Hair Transplant Network, the Coalition Hair Loss Learning Center, and the Hair Loss Q & A Blog.
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