Hair Transplant Staple Removal

Removing The Staples

Removal of the surgical grade stainless steel staples used to close the incision is relatively easy. A friend or family member can do it at home. Your doctor or most clinics should also be able to assist you if a friend or family member is not an option. If enlisting the help of a friend or family member for removal at home, it can be advantageous to take a warm shower and hydrate the donor area prior to removal. The moist softened tissue around the staples make removal easier and more comfortable in most cases.  In the end, the process is not very time consuming and each patient’s experience will vary. For the most part it is simple with minimal discomfort. Topical anesthetics are not necessary and offer little if any benefit. For those rare cases where removal involves a degree of pain, it is short lived and once the staples are removed, the area feels instantly better.

With the provided staple removal tool:

• Slide the two prongs of the tool under the exposed part of the staple.
• Ensure that both of the bottom two prongs are under the staple. If one is under and one is over, the resulting crimp in the staple will make it much more difficult to remove and could require additional tools. Do not attempt to squeeze the handle unless both prongs are under the staple. In the correct position, the top single prong will be above the exposed part of the staple with the two prongs under.
• Make sure the exposed staple is as parallel to the scalp as possible, if one end is higher, slightly adjust to a more parallel positon before squeezing the handle.
• Squeeze the handle. This releases the staple.
• Lift the staple up and away from the scalp

Many patients ask why staples instead of sutures? As with most any surgery, the skill of the doctor is one of if not the most important factor is producing a good scar. However, all others things being equal, staples will result in a better scar than sutures for a number of reasons including some of the following:

1. Sutures can cause an inflammatory reaction that can result in more scarring, staples do not cause this reaction.
2. If sutures are too tight or improperly implemented, they can cause additional scarring perpendicular to the linear scar referred to as cross-hatched stitch marks or a “railroad track scar”. This does not happen with staples.
3. Staples distribute the force by which the incision is held together over a greater and more uniform area. The more surface area of the wound that is precisely joined together, the less effect tension will have on the resulting scar causing it to stretch.
4. Staples can be left in longer without risk of increased scarring. The longer sutures are left in, the greater the chance of a “railroad track scar”