Revision hair transplant

What is a revision hair transplant?

A revision, that is, a corrective hair transplant, is a hair transplant we plan to improve the appearance of an earlier transplant. As in our other transplants, we take the grafts one by one from the donor area using the FUE method. The main difference lies in the planning: we take into account the existing grafts, the scars left by the earlier procedure and the hair remaining in the donor area.

The need for a revision does not always stem from a problem with the earlier transplant. Sometimes the transplanted hair stays in place while your own hair behind it continues to thin, and the front hairline ends up looking isolated.

Which problems do we assess?

• An unnatural-looking hairline: a line that is too straight, too low or does not suit your facial features; grafts in the front row that look thick and clustered.
• Areas that remain sparse: a transplant that has not reached the density you expected or is unevenly distributed.
• Mismatched angle and direction: transplanted hair that grows against the natural flow of your own hair or sticks straight out from the skin.
• Sparseness or scarring in the donor area: a donor area that has become sparse because too many grafts were taken, or a widened strip scar left by an earlier transplant.
• Progressive hair loss: new sparse areas that open up over time behind or around the transplanted area.

Several of these problems can also occur together. During the examination, we decide together which one is the priority for you.

The deciding factor: the hair left in the donor area

What we can do in a revision depends largely on the hair left in your donor area. If too many grafts were taken in the earlier transplant, or if there is scarring in the area, the grafts we can use may be limited; we make the correction plan within this limit.

During the examination, we look at your donor area in detail and assess how many grafts can be taken without thinning the area further, and which corrections this may be enough for. If your hair loss is continuing, we also take into account the grafts that may be needed in the future; sometimes we recommend medical treatment before a transplant.

How do we plan the correction?

Every revision needs its own plan. We examine the earlier transplant, your hairline and your donor area together, and consider the following options:

• Increasing density by adding new grafts to sparse areas and between the earlier grafts
• Creating a softer transition by placing fine, single-hair grafts in front of and between the grafts of a hairline that looks harsh
• Removing grafts whose position or angle does not fit and re-implanting them in a more suitable area
• Making a scar in the donor area less noticeable by adding grafts into or around it

If the hairline is too low, adding new grafts will not correct it; in such cases, we discuss removing some of the grafts at the front and, if possible, re-implanting them in another area. We describe transplanting into scar tissue separately on our page on hair transplant into scars.

A staged plan

Some corrections cannot be completed in a single session. We first address the problem we prioritized during the examination, and once we have seen how you heal and how the new hair grows, we decide on the next step together. How long to wait between sessions varies from person to person.

Realistic expectations and limitations

A complete correction is not always possible in a revision. The hair left in the donor area, the scars left by the earlier transplant and the condition of the grafts determine how far we can improve the appearance; sometimes we can aim only for a partial correction. We tell you this openly during the examination.

• Scar tissue from the earlier transplant can affect how well new grafts take hold; this is why hair growth may be less predictable than after a first transplant.
• Some of the grafts that are removed and re-implanted may not take hold in their new position; small scars may remain at the points from which they were removed.
• Small, dot-like scars also remain in the donor area where we take the new grafts.
• A transplant does not stop your own hair from falling out; if the hair loss progresses, sparse areas may appear around the transplanted area again over time.

The process and aftercare

The process consists of the initial call, examination and planning, the day of the procedure, and follow-up. If you have any information about your earlier transplant (the date of the procedure, the method used, the procedure report or photos from that time), bring it with you to the examination; this information makes planning easier.

Before planning a revision, we usually wait for the result of the earlier transplant to become clear; it takes months for transplanted hair to grow. We decide together during the examination when we can start.

We harvest and place the grafts under local anesthesia. In the first few days, you may notice redness, mild swelling or scabbing. In the weeks after the procedure, some of the newly transplanted hair or the hair around it may fall out temporarily; this is called shock loss. When it happens and to what extent varies from person to person. Hair transplanted in the earlier procedure may also be affected; some of the surrounding hairs that had already thinned, however, may not grow back.

After a revision, too, it takes months for new hair to grow, and when the result becomes clear varies from person to person. We review your progress together at follow-up appointments.

We give you written aftercare instructions on washing, sleeping and returning to daily life; always follow those instructions rather than the general information on this page.

Frequently asked questions