badger_01

Sorry, that you're not having the most positive experience. I know it takes a lot just to have a procedure. so its very discouraging when you don't get the results you expect. If you chose a forum doc, they have pretty good track records, and I would suggest that you at least approach him to see what he thinks about why this wasn't as successful as expected.

I don't think you're worse off but I don't see much improvement. I guess its possible you lost some of your native hair, while the transplanted hair came in. Contact your clinic and see what they have to say. Good luck! For what its worth, we're all here to help you take the next step.

Looking good Drew. The new hairline really frames your face.

Thanks for the encouraging words! I am very excited with my result. Dr Gabel and I talked about addressing my hair loss in two steps, but he suggested that I wait a few years to address the crown, since I'm only 32. I achieve a very natural look with toppik and dermmatch on the crown, and I seem to be maintaining pretty well on propecia, so I'm not in a hurry.

markymark,

thanks! I'm really thrilled with my results. I honestly don't recall how much thickening happened between 15 and 18 because I stopped thinking about my hair after month 12. I do remember clearly that at month 8, my hair was much thinner than it is now, especially on the left side, and I saw a drastic improvement by month 12.Good luck and I hope you achieve the results you're looking for.

Thanks guys! No grafts in the temple points or in the crown. My plan is to have another HT but Dr Gabel and I have decided to wait for a few years. I'm pretty happy with where my temple points are, and dermmatch and toppik do a great job in the crown area.

I have finally updated my blog with pics from my 18month follow-up visit to Dr Gabel. check it out and let me know what you think.

its so nerve wrecking..I was in constant fear that I was going to kill my grafts! You'll be fine. Relax and grow well.

Bill,

Good to be back! I visited Dr Gabel last week and he took plenty of pics and a video. I'm expecting a DVD with the pics from him any day now.I'll update my blog as soon as I have em.

Agree 100% with youngsuccess.Stop reading, pick up the phone and make an appointment with your doctor. If your doc says your fine and its MPB, we're here to help you figure out what's next.

You'll be fine! I had exactly the same experience when I had my HT.I was outside for a very short time at about 6 weeks. No adverse effects. What you really need to watch out for is redness since that hair has not been exposed to alot of sun. Even at 6 months when i went out without a hat a few times, I noticed redness. At 18 months, i have no lingering effects from any of that. Good luck and good growing!

Yeah..that was just a regular pic of me. Dr Gabel took a bunch last week, so I should have some new ones up soon.

Congrats on your result! Its already great, but as hairthere and Ian have pointed out, you still have a ways to go and you can expect more thickening to come. I'd expect to soften considerably over the next year for an even more natural look.

Glad you had a positive experience. Now the hard part is to be patient. Lay low and take care of the grafts. Good luck.

Congrats on your decision stardog. You've taken a big step and chosen the best! You will have a great result. Good luck!

Thanks for the kind words guys. I'm really thrilled with my results and can't wait to get the crown done, though Dr Gabel feels we should wait a few more years since I'm only 32. I used dermmatch and toppik at the back and it looks quite natural, so I'm fine with waiting.

@aaron : I noticed alot of thickening between month 8 and 15. I was happy with my result at month 8 but looking back at my pics now, I see a HUGE difference between then and now. This was something SPEX always stressed on. There is alot of thickening that comes with the grafts maturing.

@Tao : Glad you had a positive experience with your HT! I can identify with a lot of your feelings except that I dont think I could have lived a happy life with a balding head. I have always been an outgoing friendly person, and for the couple of years before my transplant I was so concerned with how my hair looked that I became kind of introverted. I would even pick seats in a room that weren't directly under a light for fear of my hair looking thin! My hair was always on my mind. Its nice not to think about that stuff anymore

Congrats on your decision! You've picked a great doc and will have a great result!

Personally, I chose to lay low for a week after my surgery. I was paranoid about bumping my head or having my hat rub against my grafts. So, if it were me, I'd stay home. Plan a trip for 6 mos out so that you can u can have your doc check out your progress and enjoy the city! Good luck!

All reputed docs have their technicians cut under a microscope. When I had my HT, Dr Gabel let me into the room where they were cutting my grafts so I could look through the microscope. Its amazing the amount of detail you can see.

The oil helps prevent crusting. I used mineral oil. My advice would be to listen to your doc and keep the area moist with your spray bottle. If you notice crusting starting to develop, then mineral oil will help.

Yeah..I had swelling too for a couple of days after my procedure. Like youngsuccess said, sleeping with your head elevated (I actually slept in a recliner for 3 days) and carefully applying ice will help reduced your swelling.

Haircare99,

I think there are 2 parts to your question.

1. Will meds help prevent future hairloss ?

Several members including myself have seen their hairloss stabilize or even improve through the use of meds. In fact, most HT doctors will suggest that you get on meds atleast 6 mos before your transplant to minimize shock loss, and continue meds after your procedure.

2. Will the transplanted hair fall out with your other hair ?

The answer is NO. The transplanted hair is yours to keep !

Your native hair could continue to fall after your transplant and it is possible that you will need another transplant in the future.

It does feel swollen for a little while after surgery. I buzz cut my hair (#1) at around the 1 month mark and I needed to use a little bit of dermatch on my scar so that it wasn't visible. you should be ok with a #5.

I didn't notice a burning sensation in my balding areas before or after surgery. I have to say that wearing a hat does feel different (better)in the areas that I used to be bald or severely thinning in.

I haven't posted on this forum for a while and that's because I hardly think about my hair these days (and it feels great!). But, this forum (Bill, Spex and few regulars in particular) really helped me keep my sanity during the agonizing wait of the first few months, so I'm going to try to be more regular and offer advice to folks going through their HT journey now.

It has been a little over 18 months and I'm ecstatic with my results. I went in to see Dr Gabel this morning and he took plenty of pictures that he will post soon. I have put up a recent pic of myself on my hairloss blog and though it isn't good enough to critique the great job that Dr Gabel did for me, its an indication of what my hair looks like today, for anyone who is curious .

I'll end with some advice that I read so many times before I decided to take the plunge and get an HT, but cannot be stated enough. An HT is a serious surgical procedure and should not be taken lightly. The 6 month wait after surgery is the hardest part! In the end, the results far outweigh the agony of the journey. I heard this several times on this forum and it sounds cliche but getting an HT was one of the best decisions I've ever made!!

Like Spex pointed out, very few surgeons can achieve 5k grafts in a single session without significant scars.

I would also encourage you to get out of the "one and done" mindset. Most people, even those happy with their transplant, choose to have more work done at some point.Restoring your hair isn't quick and easy (but worth it!).

Personally, I felt more comfortable having more donor hair available in case I did not achieve the result I desired. I chose to address the front and mid section of my scalp in my first procedure and the crown in my next procedure.

Having said all that, H&W do achieve incredible results in a single session, so I would have no hesitation getting 5k follicles with them (assuming your donor characteristics allow that).

Nice work Dr Gabel. This patient's procedure was done a few days before mine and I remember looking at his post-op pics. What a great result! Congratulations