Hair transplant risks and complications

The risks associated with hair transplants whether one uses the FUE or STRIP method are very limited. It is however important that you as a patient understand that you may suffer from hair transplant risks and complications when treating your hair loss.

Scars

When using the STRIP method, there is some risk for scar formation in the donor area which may need to be treated. In such cases it is performed with scar revision surgery or by using the FUE method, where hairs can be extracted and implanted into the scar, thereby hiding it.

The risk of scarring can be minimised by using proper and judicious surgical technique.

In most cases it is unsuitable to cut out a strip of skin wider than 20 mm. To increase the width and harvest a few extra hundred hair involves a disproportionate risk and is also inappropriate.

When using the STRIP method it is possible to undergo a second extraction, a year or two after the first strip-surgery. However the exchange of hair will be lower if the neck has been ”over used” the first time.

You can read more about plastic surgery scarring on the information page about scars (coming soon).

Infection

In all procedures where the skin is penetrated, there is a certain risk of infection, which can easily be treated with cleaning and antibiotics prescribed by a clinic or doctor.

Temporary swelling and wounds

Some patients who have undergone a hair transplant with STRIP Method, may experience swelling in the forehead and eyelids. This can sometimes lead to bruising. This complication mainly affects almost those who sleep on the stomach the days after surgery and subsides after approximately 5 days.

Sensitivity changes

When a strip of skin is removed the surgeon also cuts through thousands of invisible nerve fibres in the subcutaneous fat. The patient will thus for about six months have a “styrofoam feeling” at the back of the head. Sensitivity gradually returns, it is a natural part of the healing process.

Also, the surfaces that are transplanted often suffer from some kind of temporary sensitivity loss. This is in general a very small problem, but should not come as a surprise immediately after the procedure.

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