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3rd degree burn, is a hair transplant possible?

A

Andreas Singh

member
Hi my name is Andreas. I had an accident when I was 2 years old and suffered 3rd degree burn on 80%of my body. I have outgrown a lot of my scars but I am left with a big scar on the back of my head. Due to that I have always struggled to go out and socialise with other people.
Is it possible for me to have a hairtransplant and how successful could it be?
 

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Bigmac

Bigmac

Administrator
Staff member
Hi Andreas. Sorry to hear this happened to you and you`ve struggled through life because of it. Hair transplants can work for scar tissue. In a lot of cases, a test area is done to see how the grafts grow before doing a full coverage transplant. People like Katie Piper have had successful ones.
There are a few examples on here if you search burn or scar tissue.
 
Bigmac

Bigmac

Administrator
Staff member
Hi Andreas. Have you been referred to a burns unit as an adult within the NHS?
A possible solution is tissue expansion.

This is taken from the NHS site.

This is a method that is used to ‘grow’ more skin. It is most commonly used in breast surgery for reconstruction following mastectomy, or for example when breast development has not occurred or there is a difference in breast sizes. It is also used in reconstructive surgery for burns patients where it can be used to expand hair bearing scalp to cover areas when the hair has been burnt away. It can also be used for breasts and scalps, that have been affected by cancer, injury, or abnormalities that are present from birth. There may be other reconstructive methods that can be used so it is important that you talk to your surgeon to decide if this is the best method for you. A tissue expander is a balloon made from silicone that is attached to a small inflation port. It is placed under the skin. It comes in various shapes and sizes. The balloon is gradually filled by injecting fluid through the inflation port to allow the body to ‘grow’ more skin.

This method is likely to produce a good match for the colour and texture of your existing skin. You will need a general anaesthetic for this operation. The surgeon is careful to place the injection port in an easily accessible site, away from the expander itself. Sometimes the port is actually part of the expander and located with a magnet (see second image above) During the operation, saline (salt water) will be injected into the expander. Once you have been discharged you will need to go to the outpatient department, so that more fluid can be injected into the expander. This is a time consuming process and it needs to be repeated several times so that the skin can gradually stretch to allow the insertion of a prosthesis (implant), or enough extra skin has been grown to cover the adjacent area. The amount of fluid that is injected at any one time depends on how your skin looks whilst the fluid is being injected and how much discomfort you have.

The fluid cannot escape from the expander as there is a valve between the expander and the tube. This method of reconstruction takes place over many weeks. Once the period of adding fluid is finished, the expander is kept in place for several weeks to allow the skin to adjust before it is removed. Are there any risks? Tissue expansion works very well in breast reconstruction and on the scalp. When used in other parts of the body it may not achieve the desired results. This is because a hard surface under the skin, such as the scalp, is needed so that the skin can be stretched. There are very few risks associated with tissue expansion. It is a common operation and it is generally safe. However, all surgery comes with some element of risk. The most common side effects are swelling and bruising often associated with pain or discomfort. Scars This operation cannot be performed without causing a scar.

The position of the scar depends on why and where the tissue expander is placed. Stitches are normally dissolvable (they do not need to be removed). Sometimes scars can become very ‘raised’ and look unsightly. They can also be red and itchy. They tend to improve over time. Haematoma Despite the use of drains, blood does sometimes collect around the expander. This is called a haematoma. Sometimes a second small operation will be necessary to remove this. Wound breakdown and infection Sometimes wounds heal more slowly than expected and might occasionally weep or ooze. Antibiotics may be required to treat this. If the scar breaks down or a deep abscess forms that exposes the tissue expander it may have to be removed. Treatment with a high dose of antibiotics will also be given. This complication rarely happens and you would have to discuss future attempts at tissue expansion with your surgeon. Rupture of the tissue expander Rarely, the tissue expander can rupture or tear. If this happens and the expander cannot be inflated, it will have to be removed. The fluid inside the balloon is sterile saline and will not cause any problems. Again, your options about further surgery will have to be discussed with your surgeon. Deep vein thrombosis (venous thromboembolism - VTE) This is caused by a blood clot forming in the leg veins. To help prevent this you will be encouraged to be up and about as soon as possible after the operation. Blood clots are a serious complication and if a clot breaks away from the vein in the leg it can travel to the lungs and cause a pulmonary embolism which can be fatal. To help prevent this happening you may be given a small injection of a blood thinning medicine every day. This makes your blood take slightly longer than normal to clot which reduces the risk of a blood clot forming.
 
@Andreas Singh I have read your post and I am sorry to hear about your burns injury. Our lead surgeon (Dr Arshad) as well performing hair restoration surgery in the private sector also holds a current Consultant post in the NHS in a large London University NHS Hospital and works as part of a team of head & neck surgeons which often involves complex reconstructive cases. If you wish I can arrange a video conference for you with Dr Arshad to potentially look at exploring options that may be of interest to you. I know Dr Arshad has a specific interest in these types of cases so please private message if you wish to take up this offer. All the best with your research.
 
A

Andreas Singh

member
@HairDr Clinic I would be more than happy for Dr Arshad to have a look and evaluate the condition. You could email me on [email protected] and I will provide you with my mobile number. Thank you for reaching out. It's much appreciated.
 
A

Andreas Singh

member
Hi Andreas. Have you been referred to a burns unit as an adult within the NHS?
A possible solution is tissue expansion.

This is taken from the NHS site.

This is a method that is used to ‘grow’ more skin. It is most commonly used in breast surgery for reconstruction following mastectomy, or for example when breast development has not occurred or there is a difference in breast sizes. It is also used in reconstructive surgery for burns patients where it can be used to expand hair bearing scalp to cover areas when the hair has been burnt away. It can also be used for breasts and scalps, that have been affected by cancer, injury, or abnormalities that are present from birth. There may be other reconstructive methods that can be used so it is important that you talk to your surgeon to decide if this is the best method for you. A tissue expander is a balloon made from silicone that is attached to a small inflation port. It is placed under the skin. It comes in various shapes and sizes. The balloon is gradually filled by injecting fluid through the inflation port to allow the body to ‘grow’ more skin.

This method is likely to produce a good match for the colour and texture of your existing skin. You will need a general anaesthetic for this operation. The surgeon is careful to place the injection port in an easily accessible site, away from the expander itself. Sometimes the port is actually part of the expander and located with a magnet (see second image above) During the operation, saline (salt water) will be injected into the expander. Once you have been discharged you will need to go to the outpatient department, so that more fluid can be injected into the expander. This is a time consuming process and it needs to be repeated several times so that the skin can gradually stretch to allow the insertion of a prosthesis (implant),or enough extra skin has been grown to cover the adjacent area. The amount of fluid that is injected at any one time depends on how your skin looks whilst the fluid is being injected and how much discomfort you have.

The fluid cannot escape from the expander as there is a valve between the expander and the tube. This method of reconstruction takes place over many weeks. Once the period of adding fluid is finished, the expander is kept in place for several weeks to allow the skin to adjust before it is removed. Are there any risks? Tissue expansion works very well in breast reconstruction and on the scalp. When used in other parts of the body it may not achieve the desired results. This is because a hard surface under the skin, such as the scalp, is needed so that the skin can be stretched. There are very few risks associated with tissue expansion. It is a common operation and it is generally safe. However, all surgery comes with some element of risk. The most common side effects are swelling and bruising often associated with pain or discomfort. Scars This operation cannot be performed without causing a scar.

The position of the scar depends on why and where the tissue expander is placed. Stitches are normally dissolvable (they do not need to be removed). Sometimes scars can become very ‘raised’ and look unsightly. They can also be red and itchy. They tend to improve over time. Haematoma Despite the use of drains, blood does sometimes collect around the expander. This is called a haematoma. Sometimes a second small operation will be necessary to remove this. Wound breakdown and infection Sometimes wounds heal more slowly than expected and might occasionally weep or ooze. Antibiotics may be required to treat this. If the scar breaks down or a deep abscess forms that exposes the tissue expander it may have to be removed. Treatment with a high dose of antibiotics will also be given. This complication rarely happens and you would have to discuss future attempts at tissue expansion with your surgeon. Rupture of the tissue expander Rarely, the tissue expander can rupture or tear. If this happens and the expander cannot be inflated, it will have to be removed. The fluid inside the balloon is sterile saline and will not cause any problems. Again, your options about further surgery will have to be discussed with your surgeon. Deep vein thrombosis (venous thromboembolism - VTE) This is caused by a blood clot forming in the leg veins. To help prevent this you will be encouraged to be up and about as soon as possible after the operation. Blood clots are a serious complication and if a clot breaks away from the vein in the leg it can travel to the lungs and cause a pulmonary embolism which can be fatal. To help prevent this happening you may be given a small injection of a blood thinning medicine every day. This makes your blood take slightly longer than normal to clot which reduces the risk of a blood clot forming.
@Bigthank you for the information and no I have never been referred to a burns unit as an adult within the NHS. At the time of the accident I was in Germany 1988. I assume technology has advanced since but the procedure still sounds very scary.
 
A

Andreas Singh

member
Hi Andreas. Sorry to hear this happened to you and you`ve struggled through life because of it. Hair transplants can work for scar tissue. In a lot of cases, a test area is done to see how the grafts grow before doing a full coverage transplant. People like Katie Piper have had successful ones.
There are a few examples on here if you search burn or scar tissue.
Thank you very much for the reply. Your message fills me with hope :) I have had a look at a few cases on this website and the results look amazing. Thank you for the kind help.
 
Bigmac

Bigmac

Administrator
Staff member
@Bigthank you for the information and no I have never been referred to a burns unit as an adult within the NHS. At the time of the accident, I was in Germany 1988. I assume technology has advanced since but the procedure still sounds very scary.

Hi Andreas.
I`ve been reading up on the tissue expansion, it seems to work very well.
I see Dr Arshad has reached out to you, this area seems to be something he knows a lot about. It will be great if he can help you out.
Please keep us informed on any progress.
All the best.
Bm.
 
A

Andreas Singh

member
Hi my name is Andreas. I had an accident when I was 2 years old and suffered 3rd degree burn on 80%of my body. I have outgrown a lot of my scars but I am left with a big scar on the back of my head. Due to that I have always struggled to go out and socialise with other people.
Is it possible for me to have a hairtransplant and how successful could it be?
 

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Bigmac

Bigmac

Administrator
Staff member
Hi Andreas. What is your body hair situation? Do you have chest and beard hair that could be used or was this lost because of the accident?
The scar tissue is prominent in the area that is traditionally used to harvest donor grafts.
 
A

Andreas Singh

member
@Bigmac I have a lot of chest hair it that's a possibility. I had a surgeon from turkey give me an online consultation in which he said that I had donor hair on the left hand side above the scar and the side of my head that could be used but he wasnt sure it it was possible over the scars so I never took it any further at that time.
 
bullitnut

bullitnut

4 awesome repairs with SMG
Sorry to hear about your accident and the scarring problems, it must have been awful for you and hard to recover. I know Bigmac will try his hardest to get you help but it sounds like that might happen from the HairDr, thanks to this forum. Bigmac helped me, he is the most genuine caring guy in this industry.
Chest hair and hair from the sides could be used, but a test session would be advisable. The tissue expansion looks promising, it is amazing what they can do these days. See if you can get a referral from your GP, it won`t hurt to get more opinions from the experts.
I hope you can have this fixed.
Good luck buddy.
 
Bigmac

Bigmac

Administrator
Staff member
That`s good you have a supply of chest hair and some donor from the side. Did the Turkish clinic give you an estimate of how many grafts they thought you`d need or what they thought they could extract?
Dr Arvind just posted this burn patient result. It`s not as extensive as your scarring but shows how the grafts have grown.
Dr Arvind burn victim
 
S

sasahi

member
I was in shock bro you can try bio fibers too. I hope eveything will be fine with you. I want recommend you not having a hairtransplant your hair back will be thinning.
 
A

Andreas Singh

member
@Bigmac
Hi I was wondering if there was any progress in my case? I haven`t heard anything from anyone yet.
 
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