aaron1234

6 hours ago, hairman22 said:

my facial hair thickened naturally when I was 29.

 

It will probably thicken a bit as you get older

Yeah, same for me.  2k scalp grafts for a beard transplant is not a prudent use of a finite donor supply, especially for a 27 year old. 

Miraculous result! 😮  @Dr. Felipe Pittella Do you see any purpose for this patient to try finasteride even though he is already a NW7?  Also, does the short length on the sides and the back contribute to the homogenous look for the donor area?  Again, beautiful work!

Don't bother with HT's or even SMP... just shave it.

43 minutes ago, hairyharry said:

I'm scheduled for an FUT with Cooley.

Wise choice.

Thanks for the pics.  It appears you have advanced loss but your donor is of high quality (no retrograde from what I can see), so you are probably a good candidate for either FUE or FUT.  @NARMAK is right that FUE will have a more noticeable impact on your overall density in the donor region.  If it were me I would do a FUT megasession (3-4k grafts) for your first round.  Check out Hasson & Wong for sure...

It's hard to tell you which way to go without pics because every situation is different.  All the advice you've been given above is sound.  

If you have advanced balding and you're open to getting multiple procedures then FUT+FUE should be considered because it will yield you more liftetime grafts.  If you're really bald you'll want every scalp graft you can get (plus, HT's can thin over time and you may need to go over the same area multiple times). 

If you hate the idea of having a linear scar and/or like to cut your hair very short on the sides and back, if you don't have an advanced pattern and you don't think you'll need/have multiple procedures, then FUE for sure. 

Get on finasteride, or dutasteride, or oral minoxidil and see if it helps.  But yeah, you are not a great candidate for a HT.

You're more of a NW3, but at least you have a solid crown.  Whatever you do, don't base your decision on cost or social media presence.  Do some research on this site and consult with multiple docs in person before making a decision.  

Thankfully, I never had to fly right after a transplant.  However, I did stay at hotels post-op and you really have no choice but to say f*** it.  You can always wear a loose fitting hat, but I was always too cautious to risk dislodging a graft.  The nice thing is now you can wear a mask (thank you Covid!) and sunglasses.  No one is going to recognize you.  How many days are staying in Vancouver?  I'd recommend 3-4 at least. 

Damn, those results are Spanker-esque! 🙌

Edit: Also, wise approach with the FUT for round 1, especially since you'll be quitting fin.

Of course, you can get an HT without being on fin... but the risk of permanent shock loss goes up, losing your native hair after the HT which necessitates another round within a year or two becomes more likely.

I wouldn't do 3k grafts in one procedure, but they could be right that you have that many scalp grafts left.  Maybe a 1.5-2K graft procedure and then reassess the donor after your the FUE.  Are you addressing your crown with the FUE?

2 hours ago, anotherhairlosssufferer said:

It's too easy to compare to other great examples like @aaron1234 and @1978matt. 

Remember we both had multiple procedures to get where we wanted to be.  

This is a successful first go around, no question!  Hairline is natural with its placement and irregularities.  You went into this procedure with a lot of native remaining in the mid-scalp, and as you're not on fin I have a hunch you'll be playing catch up as your hair loss progresses.  Heck, I'm on fin and I'm still playing catch up but my pattern is more severe than yours.  

Either way, you started off your HT journey on the right foot.  It may take a couple procedures (or more) to achieve the desired density in the frontal third. 

4 hours ago, Melvin- Moderator said:

The ugly duckling phase is upon me 😭😢

The ugly ducking phase is much shorter in duration than after the first couple of surgeries.  Just wait, you'll see 😉

Furthermore, as most HT docs now admit that transplants can thin over time patients needs to keep that in mind in their longterm planning.  

2 hours ago, 1978matt said:

I've had nearly 13,000 hairs moved in total: 8000 FUT and 5000 FUE.  The FUE resulted in the most noticeable change in the donor area. 

This is 100% right.  I noticed a bigger difference in my donor density from 1k grafts FUE than the six strip surgeries I underwent beforehand.  I don't regret getting FUT before FUE one bit.  Max grafts!

The words "hair greed" are overused and misused.  In your case it was without a doubt "hair need".  You're fortunate that you have a beard of a greek god.  😎 The work looks impeccable and can't wait to see how this grows in over the coming months! Congrats!

1 hour ago, hybonix said:

It would be cool if I could get some video of the procedure. Maybe a collab with @Melvin- Moderator? Haha

That's a sweeeet idea!

I don't think your hairline mockups are overly aggressive.  Since you comb your hair to the right (I think, unless your pics are flipped?) you may want to drop and fill in the left side of the hairline, more so than the other side since it is covered with the way you style it.  The area behind the redline - you could be more aggressive on this side.

Work looks great, looking forward to following your progress!

Man, those strip scars...  😟  Fingers crossed for you this round!  If it works out well then perhaps you can go back to Eugenix and put some beard grafts into them.  

Eugenix in India.

Add me to the list of those trying out oral minoxidil, starting at 1.25 mg.  I tried the topical version many years ago and my scalp had an allergic reaction to it.  I've been on oral min for 2 weeks now and have felt some slight chest tightness and tingling in my feet.  Going to keep on it unless the sides get worse.  

1 hour ago, mmaldo5001 said:

So im asking myself. Whats in 10-20 years? When my hair starts really thinning out? To a point where its just looks horrible.

Get another transplant. 🙃 ... says the guy who's had 7 HT's.  In the meantime, are you on Fin?

1 hour ago, HT8235 said:

Trying to trust the process as I know everyone goes through the ugly-duckling phase and I'm confident in the surgeon I chose, but hard to look at how I looked pre-op

It always gets worse before it gets better.  Everything looks normal at this stage.