Scar Hair Transplant
In a scar hair transplant, grafts taken from the back of the head are planted into a scar, and once they grow, hair covers the line or patch that was bare. For a scar that has bothered someone for years, it can be one of the most satisfying operations in the whole field.
The scars it treats are varied. The linear scar from an FUT strip, scars along the hairline or behind the ears from a facelift or brow lift, scars from accidents, neurosurgery and dog bites, and patches of scarring after burns. Scars in the eyebrows and beard can be treated the same way.
The one fact that shapes everything is that scar tissue has a poorer blood supply than normal skin. Grafts still grow, often very well, but survival is less predictable, so surgeons place grafts a little more sparingly and often plan two sessions. I always tell people to expect a staged plan. The ones who go in expecting two rounds are the ones delighted at the end.
At a glance
- Also known as
- Scar FUE, hair transplant into scar tissue, scar camouflage transplant, FUT scar repair, burn scar hair restoration
- Stages
- Often 2, about 12 months apart
- Surgery time
- 2–6 hours, depending on the size of the scar
- Anaesthesia
- Local, with or without sedation
- Hospital stay
- Outpatient
- Back to work
- 3–7 days
- Full recovery
- 12–18 months per session
- Scar
- Pinpoint dots in the donor area; the treated scar becomes far harder to see
- Sensation
- Scars often have reduced feeling already; the area may tingle for a few weeks
- Typical cost
- $3,000–$10,000 (United States, self-pay)
Figures reviewed .
On this page
Who it’s for
The ideal scar is flat, pale, mature and stable. That usually means at least six to twelve months after the injury or operation, and longer for burns. A scar that is still pink, raised or changing is still healing, and grafts do better once it has settled.
Linear scars are the most reliable to treat. An FUT donor line or a facelift scar is narrow, with healthy skin either side, and grafts placed into and across it usually grow well. Patches of scar, after burns or injury, are more demanding, because the whole recipient bed is scar tissue.
Some scars need preparation first. Very thick, tight or shiny scars may do better after fat grafting or another treatment to improve the tissue, and a wide scar is sometimes best cut out and closed again before grafting. Scars from active disease, the scarring alopecias, are a different situation entirely and need a dermatologist first. The usual criteria also apply, including a healthy donor area with enough hair to spare.
Before you book anything
Photograph the scar in daylight every couple of months for half a year. If it looks the same in each photo, it has settled and is ready to be treated.
How it’s done
The surgeon starts by examining the scar closely, checking its thickness, how firm it feels and how well it bleeds when pricked, which is a guide to its blood supply. They plan the graft count and how the hair should lie to blend with the surrounding hair.
Grafts are taken from the donor area by FUE, usually in modest numbers, since most scars need a few hundred to a couple of thousand grafts rather than a full session. Single and double-hair grafts are favoured, because they need less blood supply to survive and blend more easily.
Sites are then made into the scar, often a little smaller and spaced a little wider than in normal scalp, so the tissue between them keeps its circulation. For a linear scar, grafts are angled to match the hair on either side, so the hair growing from the scar flows across it. The grafts are placed with forceps or an implanter pen.
Many surgeons start with a test session of a few hundred grafts in a difficult scar, to see how the tissue responds before committing more hair.
At the planning appointment
Ask the surgeon to show you the direction the new hair will grow and how it will meet the hair around the scar. Hair that flows across a scar hides it far better than hair that grows straight out of it.
Scar transplant recovery
Recovery is usually lighter than a standard transplant, because the sessions are smaller. Small scabs form over the scar and fade within ten days or so, and the donor area is sore for a few days.
Swelling is mild unless the scar is on the forehead or near the eyes. The clinic's washing routine protects the grafts until they anchor at around day ten. Most people return to work within a few days, especially when the scar is behind the ears or at the back of the head.
As with any transplant, the hairs shed at three to six weeks and regrow from about month three. In scar tissue, growth can be a little slower to start.
| Days 1–3 | Small scabs over the scar. Donor area sore. Mild swelling if the scar is near the face. |
|---|---|
| Days 4–10 | Gentle washing. Grafts anchor by about day ten. Most people back at work. |
| Weeks 3–8 | Transplanted hairs shed. The follicles stay in place. |
| Months 3–6 | New growth starts, sometimes slower in scar tissue. |
| Months 9–12 | Growth fills in. The surgeon judges survival and plans any second session. |
| Months 12–24 | Second session if needed, then the final result a year later. |
In the first month
Keep the scar out of direct sun and wear a hat outdoors. Scar tissue burns easily and darkens with sun, and the grafts are settling into it.
Scar transplant scars
The treated scar is the whole point, and the aim is for it to disappear under hair. Grafts in a linear scar usually hide it well, and even a scar that still shows at a number one becomes invisible at a normal length. Patches of burn scar improve more gradually, often over two or more sessions.
The donor area carries pinpoint FUE dots, spread thinly because the graft counts are small.
Sensation after scar transplant
Scar tissue often has reduced feeling to begin with, and the area may tingle or itch for a few weeks as grafts settle. The donor area is numb or tender for a short while. Lasting changes from the transplant itself are rare.
Risks and complications
Medical complications are uncommon. The ones to know are folliculitis as hairs come through, rare infection, minor bleeding and mild swelling.
The main risk is lower graft survival. Scar tissue has a poorer blood supply, so survival is less predictable than in normal scalp, and a first session may grow more patchily than hoped. Careful surgeons plan for this with spacing, smaller grafts and staged sessions.
The risk specific to scar work is overpacking. Too many grafts placed too closely can strain the circulation of the scar and reduce survival across the whole area. A surgeon who places fewer grafts the first time and adds more later is protecting your result.
Scar transplant results
A good result is a scar most people never notice. An FUT line hidden by hair growing across it, a facelift scar at the temple softened by fine hairs, or a bald patch from an old injury filled in to match the surrounding hair. For many people, it is the end of years of styling around a mark.
Burn scars and large patches are often a longer project. Two or three sessions can build up coverage that looks natural, and the improvement after each one is real.
Alternatives to scar transplant
Scalp micropigmentation is the main non-surgical route. It shades the scar so it blends with short hair around it, needs no donor hair and suits people who keep their hair short. It is often combined with a transplant.
For a wide scar, surgical revision cuts it out and closes it again, ideally with a trichophytic closure, and grafts can follow if needed. Where the scar is from an earlier transplant, the repair page covers the wider options.
Scalp Micropigmentation
Scalp micropigmentation, or SMP, places thousands of tiny pigment dots in the scalp to mimic hair follicles. It creates the look of a close shave with a sharp hairline, or adds the impression of density behind longer hair, without spending any donor hair.
Best for: extensive loss, limited donor supply, scars to camouflage, or more apparent density behind a transplant
Repair and Revision
A repair that corrects a previous transplant: removing badly placed grafts, redesigning a hairline, camouflaging donor damage and adding coverage. It works with a donor supply already partly spent.
Best for: anyone living with a transplant that looks wrong, or a donor area damaged by one
Combining scar transplant with other surgery
Scar transplants are often combined with other work. An FUT scar is commonly grafted during a second transplant session, using a few hundred of that session's grafts. Scar grafting pairs well with scalp micropigmentation for extra density, and after cosmetic surgery it can sit alongside hairline or temple work.
Scar transplant cost
Scar work is priced per graft like other transplants, but sessions are small, so totals are usually modest. Some clinics charge a minimum fee for small cases, and some charge a flat price for an FUT scar.
Reconstruction after burns, trauma, or cancer surgery and radiotherapy is occasionally funded by insurers or public health systems case by case, so ask before you pay privately. Ask too whether a second session is priced in from the start.
| Country | Self-pay | Public / insurance |
|---|---|---|
| United States Small sessions; many clinics have a minimum fee | $3,000–$10,000 | Occasionally covered after trauma or burns; cosmetic scars are self-pay |
| United Kingdom FUT scar repair often quoted as a flat fee | £2,000–£7,000 | Occasionally funded for reconstruction after injury or cancer treatment |
| Thailand Packages common; ask whether a second session is included | $1,500–$4,500 | Self-pay only for international patients |
Choosing a scar transplant surgeon
Ask how many scar cases the surgeon treats, and of what kind. FUT scar repair is common, but burn scars and facial scars are specialist work, and a surgeon who does them often will be more confident about what your scar will accept.
Then ask how they plan to space the grafts, whether they recommend a test session and how they will judge survival before the next step. Look at results at a year, close up, on scars like yours.
I would also ask what they would do if the scar is not ready. A surgeon willing to wait, or to prepare the tissue first, is putting your result ahead of the booking.
At the consultation
Bring any notes from the original operation or injury, including dates. Knowing how old the scar is and how it was closed helps the surgeon plan with much more confidence.
Frequently asked questions
Will hair grow in scar tissue?
Yes, usually well, though survival is less predictable than in normal scalp. See risks.
How long after an injury or surgery can I have it?
Usually at least six to twelve months, once the scar is flat and pale. See who it's for.
Can a transplant hide an FUT strip scar?
Yes, and it is the most common scar transplant. Hair grown across the line hides it well. See results.
Will I need more than one session?
Often, especially for burns or large patches. See recovery.