Well, here we grow again.

I underwent my second procedure with Dr. Paul Shapiro (3rd overall) this Wednesday. I received 1,999 grafts = 3,624 hairs. The plan was to increase the density behind my hairline with about 500 grafts in the frontal tuft and 1000 grafts strengthening the corners of the frontal third and going back towards my bridge. Roughly 500 grafts were placed in the crown.

The hair count is:
1's - 654
2's - 1074
3's - 262
4's - 9

1999 grafts = 3624 hairs

I was very happy with my prior procedure with Dr. Paul as I got a very natural hairline and received a significant improvement in density. He also fixed up some of the shoddy work from my first procedure. The aim this time around was to address some bare/thin patches in the front corners and increase the density overall. The 500 grafts in the crown should give me more hair in which to better blend with concealers.

The physiology of my skin was a big factor in preparing and strategizing for the procedure. Dr. Paul noticed in the pre-op consultation that I had small patches of psoriasis-type irritations on my scalp. I also had irritated/inflamed spots in my scar even though it was almost two years old. Dr. Paul started me on an anti-biotic and prednisone regimen the day before the procedure to reduce the redness/irritations and preempt any bad reaction that I had experienced last time (I fought off a possible staff-infection).

Dr. Paul was not entirely pleased with how I scarred from my last procedure (it didn’t really bother me as my hair covered it just fine, no one noticed it). He believes I may be the type to scar a little wider than normal. So Dr. Paul approached the donor strip differently. Instead of doing a trichophytic closer and sutures like last time (which may or may not have contributed to some irritation around my scar) he opted for staples and a double layer closure. The strip was taken right above my previous scar to get more grafts. I will be going in again for a complimentary strip revision within the next year. Due to my fair, pale, easily irritated skin type, Dr. Paul highly suggested regular checkups with a dermatologist.

This is one of the many things I really appreciate about Dr. Paul. He is not just a skilled hair transplant surgeon but he also has great experience as a medical practitioner. This makes a big difference for people like me who may have some physiological issues that could negatively impact the yield if not properly recognized before hand. I know that the patients physiology is often thought of as an easy scapegoat for bad results on this forum. But if you are with a surgeon who understands the external factors you bring to the table, you are in a much better situation.

The surgery went smooth even though I was more nervous than I thought I would be. I mean, this surgery #3 for me after all – I’m a vet now for crying out loud. Janna doing a large portion of the planting was also very reassuring. SMG really does have a great crew and I’m looking forward to sharing my monthly progress again.

Attached Thumbnails

         

       

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2008 Dr. G – presumably 1,000 grafts / 2,142 hairs
2009 Dr. Paul Shapiro – 2,348 grafts / 4,258 hairs
2011 Dr. Paul Shapiro – 1,999 grafts / 3,624 hairs

My Hair Transplant Journey with Shapiro Medical Group

Congrats and happy healing! I concur on the experience with SMG.....you had a great result with your first go around with Dr. Paul, so you must be looking forward to the results this time.

__________________
Surgery - Dr. Ron Shapiro FUT 6/14/11 - 3048 grafts

Surgery - Dr. Ron Shapiro FUE 1/28/13 & 1/29/13 - 1513 grafts

http://www.hairrestorationnetwork.com/orlhair1

Nice work, By the way what happened to Dr. Ron, I no longer see results done by him. Do Dr. Paul does most of the surgeries in SMG???

__________________
Hairline Repair + Scar Revision via BHT FUE with Dr. Feriduni on July 3, 2013
Scar Tricopigmentation with Dr. Koray Erdogan on May 3, 2013
2500 FUT (Hairline Repair) with Dr. Rahal on July 26, 2011
My Hair Treatments:
1- Alpecin Double Effect Shampoo (Daily)
2- Keratene Alphactive Retard Capsules (Once a day)
3- MOPC world Minoxidil 10% + Azelaic Acid 5% (Once a day)
My Rahal HT thread http://www.hairrestorationnetwork.co...ne-repair.html

aaron,

Congratulations! I hope this procedure addresses all of your concerns and you end up with the results you've always wanted!

Happy growing!

__________________
David (TakingThePlunge)
Forum Co-Moderator and Editorial Assistant

I am not a medical professional. All opinions are my own and my advice should not constitute as medical advice.

View my Hair Loss Website

Hariri, I had surgery with Dr. Ron 2 1/2 weeks ago. Both he and dr. Paul are doing surgeries ar SMG.

__________________
Surgery - Dr. Ron Shapiro FUT 6/14/11 - 3048 grafts

Surgery - Dr. Ron Shapiro FUE 1/28/13 & 1/29/13 - 1513 grafts

http://www.hairrestorationnetwork.com/orlhair1

Thanks for the support guys. I just got the pre-op pics and I thought I'd share them with you as well. Remember these are about 2 years post-op from my 1st round with Dr. Paul Shapiro. In the over-head wetted pics you can see the areas that needed to be addressed this round.

Attached Thumbnails

         

       

__________________
2008 Dr. G – presumably 1,000 grafts / 2,142 hairs
2009 Dr. Paul Shapiro – 2,348 grafts / 4,258 hairs
2011 Dr. Paul Shapiro – 1,999 grafts / 3,624 hairs

My Hair Transplant Journey with Shapiro Medical Group

Looking good aaron..your donor seems pretty dense,could i ask your reasoning for not getting fue?,you would have got 1999 fue no prob..reason im asking is im interested in people opinions on why they personally prefere strip to fue,i know the general opinion on yields etc but a personal opinion interests me as i said,cheers

Thanks mars. Actually, my donor density is a little below average. My reasons for going with strip this time is 1) I've already done it before. 2) I will save FUE for when I'm basically stripped out. 3) The scars aren't so bad with my hair at the length I keep it.

__________________
2008 Dr. G – presumably 1,000 grafts / 2,142 hairs
2009 Dr. Paul Shapiro – 2,348 grafts / 4,258 hairs
2011 Dr. Paul Shapiro – 1,999 grafts / 3,624 hairs

My Hair Transplant Journey with Shapiro Medical Group

aaron, good luck to you! It's no secret that I'm a HUGE fan of SMG and your previous work with Dr. Paul was world class. I look forward to being able to chart your progress with this latest surgery.

Thanks for the props TC17! Really appreciate it! Will do my best.

__________________
2008 Dr. G – presumably 1,000 grafts / 2,142 hairs
2009 Dr. Paul Shapiro – 2,348 grafts / 4,258 hairs
2011 Dr. Paul Shapiro – 1,999 grafts / 3,624 hairs

My Hair Transplant Journey with Shapiro Medical Group