What if hair transplant gone wrong?
By Prof. Dr. Soner Tatlidede 2021-10-13
What if hair transplant gone wrong? This is a question that arises always among patients getting hair implants. A wrong hair transplant is a risk when we undergo a hair surgery to solve our alopecia problems, specially if we have not chosen the right clinic... And, although there is no zero risk in any surgery, it is not the same to choose a trustworthy clinic, with a skilled medical team and with good patients’ reviews, than any other without that... no matter how cheap their fares are.
When patients contact Clinicana asking about the cost of a hair transplant, we always inform them on the possible risks involved in the operation, despite the fact that the FUE technique is very safe and minimally invasive. But, beyond the risks that any operation entails, there are the problems caused by a poorly done hair transplant due to improper practices of the medical team, or due to rushing or lack of experience. Let's see what happens when a FUE hair transplant gone wrong... and what can we do to prevent it.
Can hair transplant go wrong?
Sadly, yes; and it´s not a problem with the technique itself... but with the human team performing the operation. Before submitting a patient for a hair intervention, it is always necessary to carry out a detailed analysis and diagnosis of the case in order to determine what is the most convenient treatment... which does not necessarily has to be a hair transplantation.
We must emphasise the importance of this point: an incomplete or a wrong diagnosis, or a hair transplant in a patient who is not suitable for it, will cause unsatisfactory or unaesthetic results, side effects, and damages that can be irreparable, especially if the donor area has been damaged or if it does not have enough follicles for another transplant anymore.
The arrival of the modern FUE technique has brought a revolution for hair transplants, since being a minimally invasive technique, it is almost painless, does not leave scars, is very safe, and has hardly any side effects, achieving spectacular, very natural and long-lasting results that you will enjoy the rest of your life. But the FUE technique requires a high degree of specialisation, and when hair transplants go wrong because medical personnel do not have enough training, problems such as those detailed below can occur.
Damages to donor area:
Due to the high competition in the sector, we usually find some sort of “race” between clinics to see who offers to implant more follicular units in a single session... This, which is advertised to the customer as the possibility of getting more follicles for less money, is actually a tremendous risk in the wrong hands, since in addition to offering unnatural results in the operated area, serious and irreparable damage can be caused in the donor area, so that a new intervention to correct errors will be impossible.
Doll hair:
Unfortunately, we at Clinicana have treated many patients who come to us for our experience trying to reverse a poorly done transplant, or to get a touch-up of their hair transplant; a very common case is that of clinics where unexperienced or hurried surgeons implant follicles following lines, creating a symmetrical and row distribution of hair that is totally unsightly and unnatural, similar to doll hair.
Straight front line:
An error related to the aforementioned is when the hair surgeon who performs the intervention creates a frontal hair line marking a continuous and homogeneous line: this, which is faster, easier and more comfortable for the surgeon, is horrible for the patient, since it creates a totally unnatural and wig-like appearance on forehead hair, making clear that your hair has been transplanted (and in this in case, in a horrible way).
Too dense front line:
Another quite common mistake in clinics where its medical team does not have the necessary experience or training to perform the FUE technique, is to create a too dense frontal hairline. In addition to not following a straight line when implanting the frontal hair line, follicular units with a single hair must be chosen to draw this area, increasing the number of hairs per follicle as we go backwards to the crown area; but when the surgeon does not take time to select the appropriate follicular units because of haste, laziness or lack of time... the result is a strange front hair line with an unnatural-looking.
Unnatural receding hairlines:
Although receding hairlines are a symptom of inherited baldness, they are a natural characteristic among men providing them with a touch of masculinity; so, in many cases, during hair transplants - especially if there are not enough follicles in the donor area – the surgeon seeks to create some receding hairlines with a natural appearance. The problem occurs when the medical team, due to a lack of experience, creates abnormal receding hairlines, with straight or very angular lines, leaving patient's hair with a very artificial appearance.
Can you reverse a hair transplant?
When a hair transplant went wrong, this can have dire consequences for the patient in the short, medium and long term. In addition to the psychological consequences and economic loss due to a poorly performed operation, there is also the problem that, in many cases, there is no solution for wrong hair transplants. To repair them, the surgeon will have to remove the implanted follicles and replace them with new ones; but if the damage is especially serious, or if there are not enough follicles in the donor area, a 2nd intervention will be unsuccessful.
Therefore, we should not forget that a hair transplant is the last step to take in order to treat any hair loss problem; before that step, normally it becomes necessary to treat the condition that is causing the hair loss, which – by the way - can also be reversible. If any hair clinic, without examining your case, offers you directly to get a hair transplant, you should distrust of the professionalism of that medical team.
Besides, although a hair transplant with poor results can be repaired - and we at Clinicana have repaired many of them – we must underline that these kinds of interventions are more complex than the initial hair transplant operation: they pose a real challenge for even the most expert medical team, and unfortunately they do not always get to repair 100% of the damage.
Certainly, once a hair transplant gone wrong, it’s not easy to repair the disaster. To avoid its consequences, it is essential to choose a trustworthy clinic with the necessary certificates and licenses, and having a surgeon with experience and adequate training, like our Prof. Dr. Soner Tatlidede, the best hair surgeon of Turkey: that’s what makes Clinicana the best hair transplant clinic in Turkey. Just request a free consultation to study your case: we can save your hair!!
