What Determines the Size of a Hair Transplant Donor Strip and Scar?

The following response to a question from our Hair Loss Forum and Social Community was written by forum member “Gillenator”:

I had some questions on hair transplant strip/scar placement and sizes

Do the strip sizes (or, should I refer to them as lengths?) vary based on an individual’s graft needs? Say someone decides to go for a follicular unit strip surgery (FUSS) and he needs only around 750 grafts. In this case, will the strip be still the typical ear to ear or will be customized/shortened so that it is only as long as something that would give the required number of grafts? I don’t remember seeing a shorter strip ever, so, I wonder if a strip is always a standard length

For someone undergoing multiple strip surgeries, how are the strip locations chosen? Are the strips always below or above existing strips? Apart from the safe-zone consideration, are there other factors that determine where the strips are made relative to an existing strip/scar location(s)?

The size of the strip specimen excised is based on a number of considerations and factors. The hair restoration surgeon initially wants to be sure that the patient has enough laxity in the scalp so that the scar will heal thin and not run the risk of becoming wide.

The surgeon will also estimate or calculate your donor density. Many strips average roughly .5 cm in width so depending how many grafts are needed for the procedure, the surgeon will calculate how many follicular units there are in a 1cm2 area and then do the math so he/she will know how long the strip will be.

Again this is based on the presumption that the width will be .5 cm wide.

Gillenator
Supporting Hair Restoration Physicians: Dr. Glenn Charles, Boca Raton, FL – Dr. Jerry Cooley, Charlotte, NC – Dr. Jim Harris, Denver, CO – Dr. Robert True & Dr. Robert Dorin, New York, NY
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David
Editorial Assistant and Forum Co-Moderator