What is “Edit by Dr. Abhishek Pilani”?
Edit is Assure Clinic’s dedicated revision and repair service for patients who have had an unsatisfactory hair transplant at another clinic. Led personally by Dr. Abhishek Pilani — MBBS, MD Dermatology (Gold Medalist), ISHRS Member, DHA Licensed — this service exists because a significant number of patients who come to us have already had one or more procedures elsewhere that did not produce the result they were promised.
Repairing a failed hair transplant is one of the most technically demanding procedures in hair restoration. It requires a surgeon who can assess what went wrong, work around scar tissue and compromised follicles, and create a natural result from a starting point that is often worse than the original hair loss. Dr. Pilani has personally handled hundreds of revision cases across Assure Clinic’s 14 centres since 2015.
Common Problems We Fix
Patients come to Edit with a range of issues from previous hair transplant surgeries:
- Unnatural hairline — A hairline that is too straight, too low, too symmetrical, or does not match the patient’s facial proportions. This is one of the most visible signs of a poorly planned transplant.
- Pluggy or doll’s-hair appearance — Large grafts (multi-follicular units) placed at the very front of the hairline, creating an unnatural “plugged-in” look instead of the soft, irregular edge of a natural hairline.
- Wrong growth direction — Grafts implanted at incorrect angles, causing hair to grow outward, upward, or in conflicting directions rather than following the natural flow pattern of the scalp.
- Poor density — Insufficient grafts placed per square centimetre, resulting in see-through coverage that does not look or feel like natural hair density.
- Visible scarring — Linear scars from FUT (strip) surgery, or cobblestoning and pitting from poorly extracted FUE grafts that are visible through short hair.
- Cobblestoning — Raised bumps at graft insertion points caused by grafts placed too shallow or at incorrect depth, creating an uneven scalp surface.
- Depleted donor area — Over-harvesting from the back and sides of the scalp, leaving the donor area thin, patchy, or visibly scarred.
How Dr. Pilani Approaches Revision Surgery
Every revision case begins with an honest, detailed assessment. Dr. Pilani evaluates:
- The current state of previously transplanted grafts — which are viable, which are not
- Remaining donor area capacity — how much usable donor hair is still available
- Scar tissue extent — and whether it will affect new graft placement or survival
- The patient’s realistic goals — what can genuinely be achieved given the starting point
Based on this assessment, Dr. Pilani creates a personalised revision plan. This may involve:
- Hairline redesign and correction — Softening an unnatural hairline with single-hair grafts placed at correct angles using DSHI (Direct Simultaneous Hair Implantation)
- Density enhancement — Adding grafts between existing transplanted hairs to increase coverage, using Assure Clinic’s UFME (Ultra Fine Micro Extraction) technique for precise harvesting from limited donor areas
- Scar camouflage — Transplanting hair directly into FUT strip scars or FUE extraction scars to conceal them
- Growth direction correction — Placing new grafts at correct angles alongside or between mis-angled existing grafts to create a more natural overall flow
Why Revision Surgery is More Complex
Revision hair transplant surgery is significantly more challenging than a first-time procedure. Here is why:
- Scar tissue — Previous surgery creates scar tissue in both the donor and recipient areas. Scar tissue has reduced blood supply, which can lower graft survival rates. Working through scarred tissue requires more precision and experience.
- Limited donor supply — The previous surgeon has already used a portion of the patient’s finite donor hair. In some cases, the donor area has been over-harvested, leaving fewer usable follicles for the revision procedure. Every graft must be used strategically.
- Working around existing grafts — New grafts must be placed without damaging previously transplanted follicles that are growing well. This requires meticulous planning and precision implantation.
- Corrective rather than constructive — A first-time transplant works with a blank canvas. A revision works with someone else’s decisions — hairline design, graft angles, density distribution — that may need to be worked around or corrected.
This is precisely why revision surgery should only be performed by highly experienced surgeons. Dr. Pilani’s 20,000+ procedures and development of the UHDHT technique give him the technical capability and clinical judgement required for these complex cases.
Who Should Come to Edit?
The Edit service is appropriate for patients who:
- Had a hair transplant at another clinic and are unhappy with the result
- Have an unnatural-looking hairline from a previous procedure
- See “pluggy” or sparse areas where grafts were placed
- Have visible scarring from FUT strip surgery or poorly performed FUE
- Want to add density to an area that was transplanted but remains thin
- Had hair grow in the wrong direction after a previous transplant
- Were told by another clinic that nothing more can be done
What Results Can You Realistically Expect?
Honesty is fundamental to how we approach revision cases. During your consultation, Dr. Pilani will tell you clearly:
- What can be improved and to what degree
- What limitations exist given your current donor supply and scarring
- Whether a single revision session is sufficient or whether phased work is recommended
- Whether complementary treatments like PRP therapy would benefit your case
Some revision cases can achieve results comparable to a well-performed first-time transplant. Others — particularly where donor depletion is severe — involve meaningful improvement rather than full correction. We will never promise more than we can deliver.
Book a Revision Consultation
If you have had a hair transplant that did not produce the result you expected, the first step is a thorough assessment. You can:
- Visit the clinic — Office No 2, Remi Commercio, Opp. Chitrakoot Ground, Andheri West, Mumbai 400053
- Call us — +91 95861 22444
- Send photos via WhatsApp — +91 95861 22444 — for an initial assessment before visiting
Consultations are free. There is no obligation. Dr. Pilani will assess your case and give you an honest opinion on what is achievable.
