Donor area looks patchy - Will it recover?

GraftCounter

I'm 6 weeks post-FUE (3500 grafts) and my donor area looks really patchy and thin. There are visible gaps where they extracted follicles. I'm worried they over-harvested. Will this fill in over time or am I stuck with a thin donor area? Has anyone experienced this? The clinic says it's normal but I'm not convinced.

BaldNoMore

My donor area looked terrible for the first 3 months - very patchy and thin. By month 6 it had filled in significantly. At 1 year it looks completely normal. The key is to give it time - the donor area goes through its own recovery process. Don't panic if it looks bad initially.

MedStudent

If it's still patchy after 6 months, you might have been over-harvested. I had this issue and needed a second procedure to fix the donor area. Get a second opinion from another surgeon. Good clinics should never over-harvest - it's a sign of poor technique.

GraftCounter

Hey there! I had a similar concern when I had my hair transplant a few years ago. My donor area also looked patchy for a while, but it did eventually recover. It took about 6-8 months for the hair to fully grow back in that area. I was worried at first, but my surgeon reassured me that it's a common part of the healing process. Just make sure to follow your post-op care instructions and be patient. If you're still concerned, it's always a good idea to follow up with your surgeon to get their professional opinion. Good luck!