A New Method to Conceal Cleft Lip Scar: Follicular Unit Hair Graft

Uhm, Ki Il; Shin, Jong In

Abstract

In cleft lip surgery, the scar on lip is minimized with trials but visible in some cases. The causes of visible scar after cheiloplasty include; (1) Mature scar is whitish, so the scar is more visible in Orientals with dark skin color than in Caucasians. (2) Mature scar on lip is conspicuous because it is whitish, so distinguished from hairy skin especially in mustached men. To solve this problem, authors used hair transplantation techniques. Hair transplantation techniques have been used for the treatment of alopecia in the main. The techniques include scalp composite graft technique such as strip graft, square graft and punch graft, but this may have a shortcoming such as unnatural, cobble-stone appearance. Moreover, this is not appropriate to use for the correction of long, slender scar of post-cheiloplasty state. So, authors used another hair transplantation technique, individual hair graft. A donor ellipse of scalp was harvested from the occipital area. The scalp was splitted into many single hair grafts carefully not to hurt hair follicles with No. 11 blade. The grafts were transplanted to the scar using Choi hair transplanter. Between February, 1996 to June, 2001, 8 cleft lip patients underwent individual hair graft and satisfactory results were obtained to conceal cleft lip scar. Hair grafts were well taken. When we splitted a scalp ellipse into many single hair grafts, we removed dermis from hair follicles delicately. So we obtained natural appearance and avoided unnatural, cobble-stone appearance. We didn't observe transient hair loss. So, authors conclude that individual hair graft technique is a new method to conceal cleft lip scar.