Here’s why you should think twice about getting a hair transplant surgery abroad. This patient came to our office seeking a restorative hair transplant surgery to fix his botched surgery. He traveled to Turkey to get a “more affordable” hair transplant. He was told he would be getting
an FUT/strip procedure and would be getting the most “bang for his buck.” Upon returning home, the patient began noticing darkening on the top of scalp. He also noticed a wide linear scar that stretched across the back of his scalp that was extremely visible.
The patient tried contacting his doctor but was unable to get a hold of him due to the time difference and lack of returned calls/emails by the physician. Within just a few short months, his scalp looked like this. The once black area developed into dead scalp tissue and severe scar tissue with complete graft failure and hair loss. The linear scar never recovered and there is a hair loss in a linear pattern across the scalp.
Unfortunately, this is a common outcome we see of hair transplants done abroad. Doctors in other countries are not held to the same high standards that doctors in the US are held to. The
early blackening of the scalp is a tell-tale sign of necrosis. This is caused by infection and is completely preventable if the surgeon is skilled, experienced, and has a clean, sterile environment. Once necrosis occurs, it is very difficult to treat. This patient will likely not have hair growth in the dead tissue area again. His best hope will be aggressive PRP treatment to try and heal the area and break up the scar tissue. If the scalp is able to regain some blood circulation and healthy tissue again, then transplanted hair may be successful  in the area. Any attempts at remedying this case will be hopeful at best, as there are no guarantees with botched hair transplants.
 
You can prevent this from happening to you! Your hair transplant is an investment in your future appearance. Find a good, trustworthy hair restoration surgeon that is local. While it may cost you more up front (compared to Turkey’s prices), you’ll save more time, money, and stress in the long run.