Miami plastic surgeon Dr. Jeffrey Epstein has many years of experience in repairing bad hair transplants. A surgeon must stay up-to-date with advancements in hair restoration to perform the best possible procedures for their patients. However, some surgeons still use older hair transplant methods, often resulting in disappointing outcomes.
These methods have obvious drawbacks such as visible plugs, uneven grafting, and more. The good news is that if a patient is not happy with their traditional hair transplant, they can opt for a reparative hair transplant procedure that can fix the unsatisfactory results.
It is crucial to choose a surgeon with ample experience not only in hair restoration but also in hair transplant repair. Most patients who are disappointed by the results of their first transplant are looking for more natural-looking results. Only a skilled hair transplant surgeon who uses modern techniques can accomplish this goal.
Older Techniques
Older hair restoration techniques have fallen out of favor with most surgeons, and Dr. Jeffrey Epstein no longer uses them. These techniques can result in large areas of scarring on the scalp or leave visible plugs in the transplanted hair. There can also be other problems, such as unnatural hairlines.
The visible plug look typically occurs when a surgeon transplants a hair graft with over two or three follicular units. The graft’s larger size makes it look obvious in the transplanted area.
The use of large grafts also tends to leave noticeable scars in the donor area. Along with visible scarring and a plugged look, older methods of hair transplantation can also leave the hair growing in the wrong direction or planted too deeply into the scalp, creating pitting.
Poor Physician Skill
While in some cases, poor hair transplant results are due to outdated techniques, they can also occur from poor surgical techniques or overall lack of skill.
If a surgeon does not effectively place each hair, the follicles might end up growing in the wrong direction. Similarly, if the surgeon does not anticipate future hair loss, they can perform the surgery incorrectly.
There are ways to gauge whether or not a surgeon has the experience and talent needed for hair transplant surgery. For example, patients can look at photos of the doctor’s past work before the surgery or ask for reviews or recommendations from other patients.
Choosing a board-certified surgeon is very important, and prospective patients should seek a surgeon with experience and expertise in hair transplants specifically.
Reasons Why A Bad Hair Transplant Occurs
Unsuccessful hair transplants are common and give a bad name to hair restoration surgeons everywhere. Botched procedures leave patients unsatisfied with their results and can be expensive to repair. There are a few reasons why the more traditional methods can result in unsuccessful hair transplants, such as:
Inexperienced Surgeons
An experienced surgeon is patient and methodical during the procedure and follows a step-by-step grafting process. However, unskilled surgeons might fail to graft hair properly, resulting in unsuccessful hair transplants.
Precise graft placement and understanding the perfect donor-recipient ratio are what make a professional surgeon. An inexperienced surgeon might find it challenging to predict a donor area and improperly extract follicular grafts for transplanting.
The Patient is Not an Ideal Candidate
A hair transplant isn’t right for everyone. Some patients do not research enough before opting for a hair transplant. Similarly, some inexperienced surgeons might not know what to look for to ensure that a patient is an ideal candidate.
A surgeon needs access to each candidate’s medical history with information on their overall health. These factors help evaluate a candidate’s complete diagnosis, future hair loss patterns, and the classification of their hair loss.
Miscommunication
Failing to follow post-operative care guides and general impatience can result in failed transplants or unmet expectations. If a patient doesn’t use prescribed medications or practice proper post-operative care, they may end up with poor results. Other patients simply don’t fully understand that it takes a while for the final results to emerge.
How Can Patients Prevent Poor Results?
It isn’t always possible to prevent poor results from cosmetic surgery, but patients can reduce the risk of complications significantly with the following precautions:
Choosing an Experienced Surgeon
Surgeons who are board-certified are always the most experienced. By choosing a professional with extensive experience in hair restoration, a patient can enjoy a satisfactory hair transplant procedure.
Inexperienced surgeons are bound to make mistakes. While it may be cheaper to go with a less experienced surgeon, it can negatively impact the overall result and graft success.
Knowing if They Are an Ideal Candidate
A prospective patient needs to find out if they are an ideal candidate for a hair transplant before moving forward with the surgery. At times, hair loss can be due to stress and does not require any surgery. Opting for a doctor who can help patients with the step-by-step evaluation process will ensure that only good candidates actually go ahead with the surgery.
Maintaining Post-Operative Care
Patience is key during the post-operative period. After a hair transplant, patients should follow gentle hair washing routines as directed, avoid sweat-inducing workouts, and reduce exposure to the sun.
Patients should also realize that it takes about 12 months for successful hair re-growth. By following the doctor’s aftercare instructions closely, a patient can speed up their healing process and enjoy the results of an error-free surgery.
How Reparative Hair Restoration Can Help
The revision or repair process for a bad hair transplant depends on the problems an individual patient faces. If the issue is visible plugs of hair follicles, the revision surgeon can remove the grafts and reduce their size before replacing them to look more natural.
Some patients may need additional grafts in the area. It is also possible for a patient to decide to have the grafts removed completely, leaving the area bald. The reparative hair restoration procedure can help resolve unsatisfactory results and boost the patient’s confidence.
If a patient wants to have the scars on the donor area repaired, the reparative surgeon can excise them and close the area more cleanly. A surgeon might also transplant hair to cover the scarred area, using follicular unit extraction (FUE.) It is a safe technique that avoids making cuts in the donor area for the additional grafts.
Other Treatment Options
A reparative hair transplant procedure can help restore a natural and attractive look. Many other treatments can also provide excellent results, depending on the situation. Here are some other treatment options to consider.
Surgical Hairline Excision
Surgical hairline excision is the removal of the frontal hairline. This will remove scarred skin from a previous procedure. The surgeon then goes on to suture the scalp and replace any grafts that may still be viable.
Endoscopic Ridge Reduction
Dr. Epstein personally developed this reparative treatment, which involves removing the thick tissue (ridging) along the hairline. This is the area where a previous surgeon will have plugged in the grafts. It takes 2-3 days to recover from this procedure.
Get Help From An Expert
Patients looking for a successful hair transplant repair can call (305) 666-1774 to consult with Dr. Jeffrey Epstein in Miami. He had many years of experience in corrective surgeries and helps each patient restore their confidence so they can enjoy a natural-looking head of hair long-term. Many patients travel from out-of-state to our office for Dr. Epstein’s skill and experience.
