aaron1234

20 hours ago, bostonguy said:

Thanks aaron1234, how long did the doctor leave the sutures in for your scar reduction procedure?

I forgot the exact time frame, but it was about 7-10 days.  

24 minutes ago, hairyharry said:

I was hoping there was a natural and healthier alternative.

Same, but there isn't.  I remember trying Saw Palmetto years ago before jumping on fin 🤦‍♂️what a waste of time (which is invaluable when trying to fight hair loss) and money.

Of course you can get a HT without fin, it's just a more risky endeavor.  The enjoyment of a successful transplant could possibly be more fleeting without it.

On 7/4/2021 at 8:59 AM, hairyharry said:

I've read (and been told) that there are other alternatives, such as regular PRP and laser hats. Are these valid alternatives to finasteride and minoxidil? 

Absolutely not.  

On 7/4/2021 at 8:59 AM, hairyharry said:

My hairline is mostly gone and very little hair left on the crown so I wonder if there is much more I could loose anyway. 

If you think it can't ever get worse, think again.  Your crown doesn't appear to have dropped and you still have your lateral humps.  Don't underestimate the importance of maintaining the native hair in these areas if you go down the HT route. 

On 7/4/2021 at 6:16 PM, SD1984 said:

What are the odds in your guys' minds that the neck hair recedes up and I'm left with a legit Dr. Phil horseshoe by the age of 55?

The good news is that you are 36 and you haven't lost your crown or lateral humps yet.  The bad news is that you are only 36 and you could still lose them.  You may not reach Dr. Phil's level of loss, but you don't need to to be in a bad situation.  Not being on fin is more or less daring mother nature to see how far down the NW scale she will take you.  Have you tried lower dosages or alternate days?  You still got a lot of native hair to preserve, so at your age it will only get worse unless you get serious about fighting it (topical fin?).

@BeHappy did a great job listing all of the factors that go into scar healing.  Widening a pre-existent scar is always a risk with subsequent FUT's, but if it does widen you can always get a scar reduction.  I had a scar reduction after my 3rd FUT, which was planned beforehand with the doctor, and it certainly helped narrow the stacked scars I had at the time.  Also, some patients have had FUE put in their strip scars which has reduced their appearance.  So if it does widen, there are options.  

Do you have immediate post-op pics to compare with where you are now?  

Well, the hair from my donor region had more of a wave to it when grown out longer, more so than the native hair on top which grew straight, and it kept that characteristic when transplanted.  I guess that doesn't necessarily equal "wirey" transplanted hair, but may be an example that donor hair may behave in a different manner.  Either way, it eventually matures and settles down.

17 minutes ago, dtap said:

Why does transplanted hair get wirey? Thats very weird

1) Usually because it's recovering from the trauma of surgery.  2) Sometimes hair characteristics from the donor area differs slightly from the recipient area.  Could be one or the other or both.  

Just now, JP28 said:

One question for you, with that kind of length would the fut scar be visible on wet hair? 

If you have great donor density it might not be visible at all when wet.  On the flip side, if you have average or low donor density the scar can still be seen when the hair is wet, even with longer hair styles.  Totally depends on the patient.  For me I do avoid swimming in broad daylight. 

They were unified in their response that transplants do indeed thin over time.  Dr. Bisanga says, "If you can keep your hair transplant good for 10, 15 years then you should be happy."  Every patient should keep this in mind and this is why "max grafts" (i.e. FUT + FUE) is my motto.  

I think FUT was the right choice for your case, even if the sutures get super irritating this next week.  It looks like you have a really strong donor region.  Did Dr. K mention anything about that?  Everything is looking great, make sure to keep us posted with your progress!

Love it! 😎

3 hours ago, hybonix said:

I guess I got lost in wanting more and more hair after the procedure.

Ha, join the club! 😂

It is looking perfectly natural and the grafts yielded well.  I think it's normal to want more density with transplanted hair, I still do after 7 surgeries!  Just keep in mind that it is an improvement you are after, not perfection.  

You will need to find a sweet spot in length for the transplanted hair.  For me after a hair cut my hair looks thinner the first week.  It grows a centimeter or two and looks full again.  Definitely experiment with products and find a stylist you trust.  I went to the same one for 10 years before my recent move, almost $100 a cut.  

I don't think you need more than another 1-2k grafts if you wanted to beef things up in the front.  You definitely don't need another mega session, so it would be a cheaper surgery.

This is right on track to becoming a great result. 👌

On 6/26/2021 at 7:04 PM, SD1984 said:

 Very unfortunate, but most people probably wouldn't have that drastic of a change in transplanted hair.

Dr. Wong said it is almost a certainty that the transplanted hair will thin down the road.  

Great result!  Would love to see some immediate post-op pics for context.  

@uklex0608 Looking great!  Do you bleach your hair or does it naturally have blonde highlights?  It was reminding me of some of the old school H&W patients. 

On 6/24/2021 at 1:29 PM, Rolandas said:

Considering Oral Minoxidil is been used to bring back to life some hair after Chemotherapy, I'd say it's safe to assume it's much more powerful than topical.

Now that is interesting, I wasn't aware of this.  

Removed multi-haired grafts from the hairline heal similarly to popped zits.  Some people have visible scars from acne, others don't.  

This is a great illustration in how to deplete a donor area.  I'd much prefer a strip scar that stretched.

By keeping your eyes on the prize.  Also remember that it doesn't take 12 months to look better than you did pre-op.  Expect the first 2-3 to months suck, just part of the process.

In the "Men's Gallery" section of the Van Scoy website, they don't distinguish between patients who have had HT's or who are wearing a system.  It's pretty obvious that a handful of them are simply wearing systems.  There are no immediate post-op pics or even graft counts.  Steer clear. 

6 hours ago, deeznuts said:

I think you should wait until summer starts next year if you're a teacher. Heal up for a couple months and hopefully even get through a decent chunk of the ugly duckling phase

Yup, right after school gets out in late May-early June.  And take a little more time to research in the meantime and don't let price or proximity be the deciding factor.

16 hours ago, MartinDubravka said:

1. One HT is usually not enough and most likely you will need multiple HTs as baldness progress. You may also run out of donor hair.

Mostly true unless you are a NW2.

16 hours ago, MartinDubravka said:

2. Hair density after HT is much less than natural density and most HTs are see through under light. 

True, which is why Fin is so crucial in preserving as much native hair as possible.  See through transplanted hair can be remedied if styled in a manner that layers the hair to shield it from overhead light/sun.  This may or may not be the patients preferred style.  

16 hours ago, MartinDubravka said:

3. You need to be on long term medications which has some potential side effects for the rest of your life to maintain your hair and slow down future baldness.

"Need" is relative, but for those with remaining native hair medication becomes more important.

16 hours ago, MartinDubravka said:

4. Transplanted hair might not be permanent and might thin out with time.

Dr. Wong confirmed this in a recent interview with Melvin.  Nothing is permanent. 

16 hours ago, MartinDubravka said:

5. Transplanted hair most of the time need special care, certain length, combing, styling products and sometimes concealers to look good.

This is patient dependent, but I will say that investing in a talented stylist also helps.  

16 hours ago, MartinDubravka said:

6. HT scars could be obvious if you shave your head or cut your hair short.

True with both FUE and FUT.  It's a trade off.  You want more hair?  You'll have to accept scars in exchange.

16 hours ago, MartinDubravka said:

7. Transplanted hair might not look exactly like natural hair especially when it’s short.

Depends on the skill of the surgeon, but transplanted hair does need to have a certain length to appear more dense.  In fact, after haircuts my hair looks thinner for about a week, then it looks more full as it grows out.  

Already looks much more natural.  The scars from the hairline punch-outs are gone.  They heal like popped zits 😝