I would like to share my hair transplant story. I had a surgery done few days ago and I received around 4,000 grafts, mostly on top of my head. Some hair were implanted towards the back of my head as well as I'm also developing a bald spot over there. But the receding hairline and the thinning on the top was my major concern at this point.

The initial consultation was around a month ago and the fact that Dr. Cotterill was able to see me on a weekend made things easier - my fiancee wanted to attend the session with me. I found Dr. Cotterill very pleasant and informative and I felt comfortable proceeding with him. I had a consultation with another company earlier and I did not like their sales person. It seemed like his agenda was talking about himself a little bit too much. I was much more comfortable meeting with an actual doctor who was able to give expert opinion and recommendations on the spot. After we got back home, the decision was more or less made and we picked Dr. Cotterill.

The surgery itself was rather easy. I did require quite a bit of freezing not to feel anything but other than that minor injection pain, I did not feel much at all during the operation. I was basically watching movies the entire time, which was 7 hours. I got Valium and some other medication that I forgot to calm my nerves. I expected to get around 3,500 grafts so hearing that they went all the way up to 4,000 was a pleasant surprise.

After the surgery was done, I headed home - which is fortunately very close. I rested the rest of the day and did need Percocet to keep the pain under control. The day after was much easier, but the donor area was still sore and I split a Percocet pill in half to control the pain. Now, the top of my head feels mostly 'tight' which is not exactly surprising considering the entire top is more or less technically a one giant scab now..!

I will post some progress shots and my thoughts. If anyone has any questions, let me know and I'll be more than happy to answer.

Here's a picture of me before the surgery and a day after.

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Day 4 update:

I'm positively shocked! The grafts have started growing hair and I feel an even stubble across my recipient area. Sadly, I'm fully aware that I will lose everything until it starts re-growing back in few months, but at least I feel good knowing the roots are working. My paranoid mind plays tricks on me and I had moments when I worried I might be one of the few cases with no change whatsoever after spending a small fortune..!

My hair tends to grow quite a bit faster than average person's anyways so perhaps I will see results early. Or maybe not..? I'm just trying not to overthink the issue and be patient, but I'm sure anyone who has done a HT surgery knows how I feel.. I just can't wait to see the final result..!

Congrads on your hair transplant. I have heard good things about Dr. C so I am sure you will be happy with your result. Now be patient!

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My Hair Loss Website - Hair Transplant with Dr. Hasson

I assist H&W with translation when needed and available.I am not a rep, I am a full time real estate agent. My comments and opinions are 100% mine.

Thanks! I'm surprised he's not really reviewed here as he's right up there when you search for HT surgeons in Toronto and seems to have been for quite a while and must've done tons of surgeries. His list of achievements is pretty amazing..! What I like so far is that he's pretty much over delivered his promises so far. So, feeling very optimistic about everything, but of course at the end of the day only the end result will matter. I'll keep everyone posted..!

Just a quick update - can't wait for my stitches to be removed tomorrow. I feel like the back of my head has been shaved and a piece of duct tape has been put on - squeezing my skin and making it feel 'tight'. Uncomfortable, but not unbearable. The ends of the cut feel 'bumpy', like there's liquid inside them. Perhaps I have a mild infection in my cuts, but nothing that feels serious. I'll discuss it with my doctor and let you know.

The top of my head is getting increasingly itchy and I resists the temptation of removing the scabs myself LOL! I do have regular business meetings on a weekly basis and I can't wait to look 'normal' again. Wearing a cap - not exactly ideal...

I just wish the next week or so would fast forward and get me back to my normal look. I will post more shots when the scabs are off and I look different.

Mike,

Congratulations on the hair transplant procedure! I hope you'll continue updating us on your progress. Good luck!

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Blake (Future_HT_Doc)

Forum Co-Moderator and Editorial Assistant for the Hair Transplant Network, the Hair Loss Learning Center, the Hair Loss Q&A Blog, and the Hair Restoration Forum

All opinions are my own and my advice should not constitute as medical advice.

Well, the stitches are off now and most of the scabs have fallen off. As I left the doctor's office, I was hit by this "that's it!?" feeling! Meaning, it's all done now - hard to believe. All I need to do now is wait. Only restriction now is, no weight lifting for a week.

In hindsight, this was an incredibly easy operation. I've had couple of others earlier (other parts of my body) and they both more or less crippled me for a while. The only inconvenience my HT surgery caused was that I've been wearing a cap in the public for a week and will continue to do so for another week or so. Wow.. not a big deal AT all.

My hair growth is faster than average person's (which I believe is around 1/2" per month, please correct me if I'm wrong). My graft hair has grown from zero to approx. 1/3 inch in 7 days. I know they're likely to fall off, but I'm glad to see they're enjoing the new 'soil' and getting all the nutrients they need to grow in the future..!

Just want to give you an update and two photos. The top of my head has healed incredibly fast. Almost all the scabs fell off in the shower today, I'm now 8 days post op. The scar in the back is of course more noticable, but if you don't know to look for it, I doubt you'll really notice it.

In the second photo, you'll see the new grafts growing hair really nicely. Well, at least I'm going to enjoy seeing them grow until it's time to say a bitter good bye for couple of months

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Pretty soon the worst part is going to start. It will probaly test your patience but rest assure many people that have gone through a transplant have gone through it. You will probaly be red in your area you recieved your grafts because of the lightness of your skin. This is normal and it will go away with time.

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My Hair Loss Website - Hair Transplant with Dr. Hasson

I assist H&W with translation when needed and available.I am not a rep, I am a full time real estate agent. My comments and opinions are 100% mine.