Scalp reconstruction closes defects of the scalp after skin cancer removal, injury, burns or infection, and treats patches of scarred, hairless scalp. The scalp is thick and inelastic, so even modest defects cannot simply be stitched shut.
The aim is stable cover over the skull and, where possible, hair-bearing skin placed so that the repair is hidden. Hair can only be redistributed, not created, and grafted skin stays bald.
What Scalp Reconstruction involves
The method depends on size, depth and whether the membrane covering the skull (pericranium) is intact. Small defects are closed directly after wide undermining and scoring of the tough galea layer to gain stretch. Medium defects use rotation or transposition flaps: large curved cuts let hair-bearing scalp swing over the gap, sometimes with a skin graft on the donor area at the back. Where pericranium remains, a split skin graft or a dermal substitute followed by a graft gives quick cover. For planned correction of a bald scar, a tissue expander is placed under the neighbouring hairy scalp and inflated over 6 to 10 weeks before the scar is cut out. Very large or irradiated defects need a free flap joined by microsurgery.
Who is a good candidate for Scalp Reconstruction?
It is planned once any cancer is fully removed or an injury has stabilised.
- You have a scalp defect after skin cancer excision with clear margins
- Bare skull or an unstable, repeatedly breaking-down scar needs durable cover
- You have a bald scar from a burn, injury or surgery that you want replaced with hair-bearing skin
- A child has a large congenital scalp lesion needing staged removal
It is usually not the right choice if:
- Cancer margins are uncertain or infection of the skull bone is untreated
- You cannot commit to weekly expander fills over 2 to 3 months
- You smoke heavily
- The remaining hairy scalp is too thin or scarred to donate tissue
الخيارات التقنية
- Primary closure with galeal scoring: Defects up to about 3 cm.
- Local rotation flaps: Medium defects; keeps hair over the repair.
- Skin graft or dermal matrix: Fast, simple cover for older or frail patients; leaves a hairless patch.
- Tissue expansion: Best cosmetic result for bald scars covering up to about half the scalp; needs two operations.
- Free flap: Large, deep or irradiated defects.
- Hair transplantation into scar: A later refinement for narrow scars with a good blood supply.
ماذا يحدث خلال علاجك
Operations range from 1 hour under local anaesthetic for small flaps to 6 hours or more under general anaesthetic for free flaps. The scalp bleeds freely, so a firm head dressing and often a drain are used. Hospital stay is from none to about a week for microsurgery.
الإعداد لرحلتك
Plan for 1 to 3 weeks; longer for expansion in Istanbul. Your surgeon reviews photographs and your medical history before you book, and you meet in person the day before surgery for examination, marking and consent with a professional interpreter.
- Stop smoking and nicotine at least four weeks before and after surgery; it is the single biggest avoidable cause of wound problems
- Tell the team about every medicine and supplement you take; blood thinners, some herbal products and hormone treatment may need to be paused on your doctor's advice
- Arrange for someone to travel with you or to be reachable, and keep the first days at home free of work and lifting
- Book a changeable return flight; your surgeon confirms when you are fit to fly
التعافي والنتائج
Staples or stitches stay for 10 to 14 days because the scalp is under tension. Do not wash the hair for the first 2 to 3 days, then wash gently. Some hair near the incisions may shed temporarily from shock loss and regrow over 3 to 4 months. Numbness behind the incisions is common and improves slowly. Wear a hat in the sun. After cancer, regular skin checks continue.
- Back to everyday activity: 1 to 3 weeks
- When results show: Cover immediately; hair regrowth over 3 to 6 months
- How long they last: Permanent
سياسة السلامة والمخاطر والتنقيح
Blood supply at the edges of tight scalp flaps is the main concern.
- Flap tip necrosis or graft failure
- Wound separation from tension
- Temporary or permanent hair loss along scars
- Wide scars and altered hair direction
- Numbness of the scalp
- Expander infection or exposure requiring early removal
- Bleeding or haematoma
Every written proposal arranged through Clinic-Y states what the clinic covers if a correction is needed. Ask for it before you book, not after.
Cost of Scalp Reconstruction in Türkiye
Clinic-Y does not publish a single price for Scalp Reconstruction, because the honest figure depends on your case. What moves it:
- Size and depth of the defect
- Method: graft, flap, expansion or free flap
- Number of stages
- Hospital stay and anaesthesia
Send your photographs or reports and you receive written, all-inclusive proposals from suitable teams, side by side. Reviewing your case is free.
الأسئلة المتكررة
Will hair grow on the repair?
On flaps of hairy scalp and expanded scalp, yes. On skin grafts, no.
Can a hair transplant fix a scar instead?
For narrow, soft scars it can work. Thick or wide scars have too little blood supply and are better excised or replaced first.
Is tissue expansion practical for a traveller?
Only if you can stay 2 to 3 months or arrange for a local doctor to perform the weekly fills.