# Why does no hair grow where I got stitches? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [July 8, 2007, 2:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-does-no-hair-grow-where-i-got-stitches/410926 "2007-07-08T02:01:03Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 13\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![pool](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pool/32/4152_2.png) [@pool](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pool)\ **Post date:** [July 8, 2007, 2:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-does-no-hair-grow-where-i-got-stitches/410926/1 "2007-07-08T02:01:03Z")
I recently shaved my head and discovered an area where no hair grows. When I was in elementary school a fellow student and I raced to the same urinal and I slammed my head right into the wall. I received two stitches in this area. ---
**Author:** ![running\_coach](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/running_coach/32/15836_2.png) [@running\_coach](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/running_coach)\ **Post date:** [July 8, 2007, 3:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-does-no-hair-grow-where-i-got-stitches/410926/2 "2007-07-08T03:05:39Z")
I would guess scar tissue. ---
**Author:** ![SlickRoenick](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/e68b1a/32.png) [@SlickRoenick](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SlickRoenick)\ **Post date:** [July 8, 2007, 3:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-does-no-hair-grow-where-i-got-stitches/410926/3 "2007-07-08T03:27:38Z")
[QUOTE=runner pat] I would guess scar tissue. [/QUOTE] What is it about scar tissue that prevents hair? ---
**Author:** ![Sitnam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/6a8cbe/32.png) [@Sitnam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sitnam)\ **Post date:** [July 8, 2007, 3:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-does-no-hair-grow-where-i-got-stitches/410926/4 "2007-07-08T03:29:14Z")
[QUOTE=SlickRoenick] What is it about scar tissue that prevents hair? [/QUOTE] Destroyed hair follicles. ---
**Author:** ![SlickRoenick](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/e68b1a/32.png) [@SlickRoenick](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SlickRoenick)\ **Post date:** [July 8, 2007, 3:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-does-no-hair-grow-where-i-got-stitches/410926/5 "2007-07-08T03:32:19Z")
I take it that follicles don’t grow back or reproduce when skin heals? Does science know why? ---
**Author:** ![1010011010](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/1/ea666f/32.png) [@1010011010](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/1010011010)\ **Post date:** [July 8, 2007, 3:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-does-no-hair-grow-where-i-got-stitches/410926/6 "2007-07-08T03:42:18Z")
Skin is a more complicated organ than most people realize. It will no more regrow “good as new” than an amputated finger or limb. Rather than having a highly organized matrix of specialized tissues, what fills the gap is a jumble of cells. ---
**Author:** ![panache45](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/panache45/32/64_2.png) [@panache45](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/panache45)\ **Post date:** [July 8, 2007, 3:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-does-no-hair-grow-where-i-got-stitches/410926/7 "2007-07-08T03:43:38Z")
[QUOTE=SlickRoenick] I take it that follicles don’t grow back or reproduce when skin heals? Does science know why? [/QUOTE] Why would you think they would? If the follicles were destroyed, why (or how) would new ones appear? ---
**Author:** ![SlickRoenick](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/e68b1a/32.png) [@SlickRoenick](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SlickRoenick)\ **Post date:** [July 8, 2007, 3:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-does-no-hair-grow-where-i-got-stitches/410926/8 "2007-07-08T03:46:58Z")
[QUOTE=panache45] Why would you think they would? If the follicles were destroyed, why (or how) would new ones appear? [/QUOTE] Mitosis or meiosis? I don’t know, i’m stupid this way. I don’t apply biology and anatomy in harmony. I’d be the worst doctor ever. Just asking ---
**Author:** ![Cub\_Mistress](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/ea666f/32.png) [@Cub\_Mistress](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cub_Mistress)\ **Post date:** [July 8, 2007, 1:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-does-no-hair-grow-where-i-got-stitches/410926/9 "2007-07-08T13:12:36Z")
[QUOTE=1010011010] Skin is a more complicated organ than most people realize. It will no more regrow “good as new” than an amputated finger or limb. Rather than having a highly organized matrix of specialized tissues, what fills the gap is a jumble of cells. [/QUOTE] I learned in Physiology class that scar tissue has no sebaceous (oil) glands or sweat glands, either. This can be a real issue with large areas of scar tissue such as from a large burn. It also doesn’t stretch properly. You’re right, skin is very complicated. ---
**Author:** ![smiling\_bandit](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/e9a140/32.png) [@smiling\_bandit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/smiling_bandit)\ **Post date:** [July 8, 2007, 2:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-does-no-hair-grow-where-i-got-stitches/410926/10 "2007-07-08T14:27:22Z")
The scar tissue probably didn’t "destroy the hair follicles. A few were ripped away with the skin during the accident. The tissue knit together (aided by the stiches), but the edges of the cut includes a thin strip of pure scar tissue, which can’t “regrow” the hair and whatnot. ---
**Author:** ![Sapo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ec9cab/32.png) [@Sapo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sapo)\ **Post date:** [July 8, 2007, 2:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-does-no-hair-grow-where-i-got-stitches/410926/11 "2007-07-08T14:41:31Z")
Brevity rules the thread. ---
**Author:** ![Alice\_The\_Goon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ed8c4c/32.png) [@Alice\_The\_Goon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Alice_The_Goon)\ **Post date:** [July 8, 2007, 8:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-does-no-hair-grow-where-i-got-stitches/410926/12 "2007-07-08T20:48:10Z")
When my youngest son was a toddler, he had skull surgery. They made an incision going over the top of his head from one ear to the other. They did a zig-zag cut, because hair will never grow on top of the scar, and it’s easier to hide that with a zig-zag cut rather that a straight one. Not that he really cares- he likes his hair cut really short and the scar is rather visible. He thinks its cool. ---
**Author:** ![1010011010](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/1/ea666f/32.png) [@1010011010](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/1010011010)\ **Post date:** [July 9, 2007, 3:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-does-no-hair-grow-where-i-got-stitches/410926/13 "2007-07-09T15:06:13Z")
[QUOTE=Alice The Goon] They did a zig-zag cut, because hair will never grow on top of the scar, and it’s easier to hide that with a zig-zag cut rather that a straight one. Not that he really cares- he likes his hair cut really short and the scar is rather visible. He thinks its cool. [/QUOTE] I can definitely see how that might be cool looking to a young person. Are these a bunch of small zig-zags or a handful of fairly large ones? Or do you have a picture? > [@Cub Mistress](#): > > It also doesn’t stretch properly. That’s because there’s no organization or alignment to the collagen in scar tissue. It’s really just a chunk of tissue put there to plug the hole. I remember reading something a while back about the treatment of burn victims that involves laying down a sterile gel template in the hopes that it could give the regrown skin tissue more structure.