Hair Transplant Repair

The only thing worse than losing your hair is having a poor hair tranplant and needing it repaired.

What is Hair Transplant Repair?

Hair transplant repair is basically any surgery that is meant to repair unwanted effects from a previous hair transplant.

Unfortunately, hair transplants weren't always so good at achieving a natural look as they are today.  Some past surgeries can end up looking sparse or pluggy (also called the doll's hair' or 'corn-rows,' look). Especially if you continue to lose your hair, this can result in an embarassing problem on top. 

There's also hair transplant surgeries that, for whatever reason, didn't turn out so well and the patient is disappointed with the results.

Hair transplant repair can involve everything from filling in hairline density (from a former surgery that didn't give enough density), to fixing a hairline that was not done to the patient's satisfaction, to repairing a scar from a previous surgery.

For example, if a hair transplant was done poorly, there may be a large scar that the patient wants to repair or reduce.  While it's probably not possible to completely eliminate the scar, some surgeons are very good at reducing the scar and using a technique that allows hair to actually grow through the scar tissue. I've seen scar repair cases where the guy can shave his hair almost all the way down and you can't even tell there's a scar.

Some hair transplant surgeons can reverse a bad hair transplant (for example if you have a really bad 'plug' look) while others can fill in the density and just add to what is already there - it all depends on your situation.

Generally, due to the extra time and care involved, the costs involved in a hair transplant repair case are higher than the cost for your first hair transplant. This is why it's really important to choose the right surgeon to begin with.

If you are in a position of needing hair transplant repair, don't despair. There are ways to fix a bad hair transplant but you have to take your time and find a surgeon who excels in hair transplant repair. I've come across several excellent ones out there.

Interview as many surgeons as you can before making your final decision. You may be surprised at how many options you have and what each surgeon suggests. Don't always trust what you read on forums or message boards. Better to go straight to the surgeon and find out for yourself.

Best of all, don't give up hope.  New surgical methods are making it easier than ever to repair a bad hair transplant and have a great natural looking head of hair again.