In the Strip Surgery (FUT /FUSS) after removal of the hair bearing strip of skin from the back side the gap is closed by stitches or by staplers. Well the suture mark or linear scar due to this remains permanently in the donor area and very often remains visible if the hairs are kept short or the scar becomes wide.
This linear scar does not grow the hair and therefore the scar visibility of this hair less line is more with wet hair, oiled hair or short hair. Trichophytic closure is a special technique of closure of the gap. The advantage of this closure is the linear scar of stitches will grow the hairs though it and therefore the line has a better concealing capacity even when hairs are short or wet. This is because the technique brings the hair roots ( Follicular Units) under the stitch line; as a result the hairs grow through the linear mark.If done properly, and the outcome successful, the hair growing through the scar will camouflage the typical straight linear appearance of the scar. What this means is that the scar will still be present but less visible. The quality of the scar may also improve with this closer.Generally, after the fourth post-operative month, trichophytic closure yielded better cosmetic results than subcutaneous closure.
There are 4 methods which involves trimming off the upper edge of the incision and then closing the wound in such a way the hair near the edge can grow through the scar. The skin is de epithelized to less than 0.5 mm so as not to damage the sebaceous glands and stem cells close to bulge and remove the burial of epithelium ( Best executed by Dae-young Kim technique) 1. Upper edge (Marzola) 2. Lower Edge ( Fretchet) 3. Lower edge ledge ( step) shaped trimming ( Paul Rose) 4. Both upper and lower edge trimmimng (Kazuhito Yamamoto)
Well some times because of partially cut Follicular Units at the edge of the wound cyst formation may be a problem in this closure. If due to fibrous skin or tension on the wound the scar line become wide the Trichophytic closure becomes ineffective in its purpose.when the hair is growing through the scar during the healing phase, there may be more inflammation and discomfort, ingrown hair, itching, scabs, numbness, pain, peri-lesional redness and edema as compared to the standard closure.It is a good policy to prefer not to use a trichophytic closure when it is anticipated that you will need several strips harvested over the long term, preferring to use the trichophytic closure on the “final” procedure.
It is not likely that the person will be able to shave their head without any apparent difference between the strip site and the non-scarred skin in the area. The reason for this is that the scar tissue is still somewhat different in appearance from non-scarred skin and there is a subtle but definite change in the direction the hair that grows through the scar making the scar line stand out from the surrounding scalp.It becomes very difficult sometimes to use this technique when the pt. has had previous work and we are struggling to obtain enough grafts and still be able to close the incision without excessive tension. Since you have to overlap the incision by 1-2 rows of follicles, there has to be enough elasticity to safely close the incision. If there isn't, the patient must decide what is more important too him, more grafts or a trichophytic closure. the trichophytic closure transects hair follicles this results in no better than a 60% survival rate in the donor area scar. It kills hair. It has been also claimed that the trichophytic closure is a sales tool for strip surgery for those who do not want to offer FUE.
