Optimal Treatment for Post-Surgical Cicatricial Alopecia: Autologous Hair Transplantation?

[BACKGROUND AND RATIONALE] Scarring alopecia significantly impacts patients' appearance and psychological well-being. Surgery is a common cause of scarring alopecia, making positive treatment crucial for patients' overall health.

[OBJECTIVE] To investigate the clinical efficacy of autologous follicular unit extraction (FUE) transplantation for postoperative secondary stable scarring alopecia and evaluate its effectiveness.

[METHODS] A retrospective descriptive study was conducted, including 14 patients with postoperative secondary scarring alopecia. All patients underwent initial autologous FUE hair transplantation, and postoperative complications were monitored. Patient satisfaction surveys were also conducted.

[RESULTS] Satisfaction assessments were performed for all 14 patients. Two patients (14.3%) reported being very satisfied, 6 patients expressed satisfaction (35.7%), 4 patients reported being somewhat satisfied (28.6%), and 3 patients were dissatisfied (21.4%). Aesthetic complications included low follicular density post-transplantation, uneven density, and unnatural appearance.

[CONCLUSION] Solely using a single FUE hair transplantation for treating postoperative secondary scarring alopecia has limited effectiveness and may not always meet expectations, potentially requiring multiple transplantations. Further research is necessary to guide and improve follicular transplantation survival rates to ensure surgical efficacy.