There has been a lot of discussion between which yields a better (finer/thinner) scar-- staples or stitches.
Well, after my latest HT, I've experience both stitches and staples in the donor area. My opinion, hands down is for me staples resulted in a much better scar. A lot of your top notch surgeons are taking from plastic surgeons and offering staples to their patients.
The removal, as some say is more painful-- is overblown in my opinion. Matter of fact, I had less problems with staples than stitches being removed.
Here is how you limited the discomfort of removal. Ice your donor area 20 min. prior to removal and keep ice pack on the area has the stitches are removed going across the incision.

If offered, take the staples everytime-- it will be your best option.

Smoothy,

Staples are being favored more and more over sutures due to the fact that the metal does not allow for stretching generally speaking. It is sometimes viewed as an extra precautionary measure to hold both sections of the scalp togethor after the strip is excised.

I knew of one HT surgeon who always used staples on patients who would have more potential for a raised scar or wider scar. Possibly laxity was an issue too. I think alot of folks opt for the sutures or melt-away sutures if they traveled far to get their procedure done or it's just more comforting in one's mind that thread was used to close the area vs metal staples.

If staples were used on the traveling patient, they can be removed by another doctor quite easily and it does not have to be another HT surgeon to remove them. I'm with you Smoothy, whatever produces the best result.

i have discussed staples as an alternative to stiches as stiches resulted in a stretched donor area during my first ht

one thing that i am concerned about is the small staple holes that it potentially could leave. i see this on some guys heads

a doctor also told me that its almost impossible to sleep with them in your head to for those two weeks but yes, i'm sure that those two weeks are miniscule in the grand scheme of things.

i would opt for staples too but these are my only concerns.