Question regarding FFS and Hair graft.

4
u/YvetteOnSet
Sat Mar 27 01:23:50 2021 UTC
(4 comments)

I just had FFS with Dr. Spiegel on March 23rd including forehead reconstruction, but without scalp advancement. I managed to pay for it with starbucks insurance, but my insurance is due to run out after march 31st. I am young, and don't have much balding but was hoping to get a hair graft to fill in the corners of my hairline and give it a more feminine shape. Spiegel's office has agreed to do it on my post-op appointment scheduled a week from my original surgery, 3/31.

My question is: is it a good idea to get this done so soon after FFS? How likely is it to take, and what can I expect it to do to my recovery time? I would wait, but my insurance is due to run out after the 31st and I live pretty far from Massachusetts. This is the only opportunity I'll have to do this for a long time, and at no cost. But I don't want to do it if it wont take, or if it'll somehow botch me.

Secondary question: I just started feeling a trickle along my forehead incision and I'm worried my binding may be too tight and I might have opened it up, but i already tried rebinding it and I didn't see any blood. Could this just be sensation returning..?

all 4 comments


5
u/Klafka612
Sat Mar 27 02:09:31 2021 UTC
(2 children)

So my surgeon, deschamps-braly, said I should wait at least 6 months before doing hair grafts ( doing mine Monday actually ) as he found it increases graft survival.

That being said people do do simultaneous hair transplants with ffs.

My understanding is that the concern in doing it so soon after surgery is that essentially poor blood supply to the area because of ffs may result in grafts failing to take.

Another issue is scalp laxity if you had a forehead advancement. Doing FUT is adding another tension on your scalp before the first has fully healed.

I am not aware of any good research on this precise issue unfortunately as most of the SHT papers use the strip removed from forehead reconstruction

That being said if the options are now or not at all vs now or later I'm not sure what I would do.

1
OP
Sat Mar 27 02:11:53 2021 UTC
(1 child)

I believe they would be doing FUE. Would that make any difference..?

1
Sat Mar 27 02:14:44 2021 UTC
(0 children)

Yes! With FUE there isn't a linear strip but rather individual grafts removed which from the perspective of scalp laxity is better. With respect to forehead vascularization it doesn't really address it.

1
u/wormyshroom
Sat Mar 27 21:27:48 2021 UTC
(0 children)

Well, the worst case is the grafts take badly and will be sparse/spotty. Dunno if it can affect the forehead healing - I doubt it as SHTs are done too, although a week later is different than simultaneous with scarring already ongoing, so who knows.