Your Questions
Your Questions
Q: Dr. Eppley, I am a 25 years old male inetrested in lip scar treatment. When I was 12 years old I had an accident which resulted in the need stiches in my upper lip. Thereafter my moustache hairs will not grow in this area. Is there any chance for regrowth of hair in that scar part. Please let me know as that would be very kind of you.
A: Upper lip lacerations in men very commonly result in beard hair loss. This is because the scar tissue that repairs the lip tissue does not have hair follicles in it. The wider the scar is the bigger the lack of beard hair will be and the more visibly apparent the lip scar will be. Beard hair will not regrow into a lip scar. Hair follicles must be in the tissues to do so. Your options are either scar excision to bring the hair bearing lip skin closer together or hair transplants into the lip scar itself. Most of the time lip scar revision would be the appropriate initial course of treatment particularly if the lip scar has any width to it and is more vertical on orientation on the lip.
Dr. Barry Eppley
Indianapolis, Indiana
Q: Dr. Eppley, I am interested in having a direct neck lift and was wondering if i would be a good candidate for the procedure. Also, I was born with a cleft lip. I would like to fill in the hairs on my upper lip to cover the scars. Could you use the redundant neck skin as a source for the donor hairs, since they are facial like the lip or would you use scalp hairs? Thanks.
A: Whether one is a good candidate for a direct necklift is based on the degree of loose neck skin, age and one’s tolerance for a very fine vertical neck scar. The direct necklift tends to be a procedure most commonly done and accepted in men older than age 65…although that does preclude any man younger than that age if they meet all the other qualifications. You are absolutely correct in making the assumption that the neck skin could be the source of donor hairs for transplanting into the cleft lip scar.
Dr. Barry Eppley
Indianapolis,Indiana