Questions about camouflaging strip scars

RickH

I’m trying to understand as much as possible about strip scar camouflaging, since I have three scars I want Dr Cole to hide starting early next year. This website has been very informative. I now understand (correct me if I’m wrong) that transplanting hair into the scar not only helps hide it because the hair helps blend it in, but also because the blood supply the transplanted hair brings causes the scar color to more closely match the surrounding skin. I also understand that the best approach to filling in the scar is not to densely pack it in a single session, but rather to take several small-scale passes. I do, however, still have questions.

1. I know that the minimum goal is simply camouflaging the scar(s), but is it possible one could go further and - taking several passes - reach a density comparable to that of the surrounding scalp? Or at least close enough that a very closely trimmed head would not reveal the scar?
2. Does the yield percentage of a session tend to decrease with each subsequent session? Meaning, if I got an 85% yield with a first pass, is there reason to think I will get a lower yield from the second session, and an even lower yield with a third? Or, assuming the sessions are conservative, should the expected yield remain the same despite the fact that hair is being tranplanted into a scar where there is already growing hair? OR, might subsequent sessions give a higher yield than the first because there is hair growing (and therefore a greater supply of blood to the scar)?

Thanks.

drcole

It is certainly possible to reach the same density you have in the surrounding donor area in any strip scar. It my not be necessary, however. One must recognize that strip scars also produce distortions in hair growth angles above and below the scar. Grafting into a scar will not change the surrounding hair growth direction problems. Fortunately, hair growth angle distortion does not typically occur with one strip procedures. Three strip scars might indicate that each strip was taken from a different locations. This will reduce the risk of hair growth angle distortion, by of course you could have this and no amount of density in the scar will alter this problem. It is, however, possible to remove the grafts above and below the scar and put the hair back in a normal angle is this is a problem you have. It is reasonable to assume that each procedure will result in a similar density though this has not been studied in scar tissue in the past. High densities might result in full re-growth. Then again, it might result in a decreased yield. Therefore, multiple lower densities might be in your best interest.