corvettester

Joe, did you say Vancouver was in North America? coz last time I went to Vancouver from Seattle I had to cross the border into Canada.

Sparky,

Did you sleep through your 1st grade geography class?

Had you gone to Mexico, you'd still be in North America!

Mexico and Canada are both members of the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA). Why? Because both countries are in North America.

His question was for the top three FUE doctors in North America, not northern America or northern USA.

Corvettester

Bill,

Your contribution and dedication to HRN is invaluable and unquestionable. However, as an HT patient and forum member, I find it very troubling that Malloy is being accused of "highjacking" this thread or any thread for that matter.

I cannot understand how a doctor is allowed infinite praise by his supporters, but only limited criticism by his detractors. The same standard must be applied for each.

For example, Spex, among many others, constantly praises Dr. Feller, yet he has never been accused of highjacking any thread... and I'm glad he hasn't. I appreciate his opinion.

However, I also appreciate Malloy's contributions and find his opinion and experience a refreshing take on the uniform praise of coalition doctors. He should be allowed to post his experience as often as he wishes without fear of being denounced as vindictive, vengeful or disingenuous (or litigation).

I agree with Estwald that Dr. Feller's response can only be viewed as a notice to any and all detractors to remain silent or else! I found it very intimidating and provocative. In my eyes, there is nothing Badluck or John Malloy said that is as damaging to Dr. Feller's reputation than Dr. Feller's own words and threats of litigation. The HRN does not exist for the benefit of Dr. Feller or any doctor for that matter, it's for the patients!

To me, the HRN is the last line of defense for potential patients against questionable practices, predatory salesmanship and low standards of less than optimal doctors. The HRN is supposed to be "Created By and For Patients." Let's not forget it. The credibility of the HRN depends upon the freedom of patients such as Badluck and John Malloy expressing their experience and opinion and I applaud them for it.

Corvettester

Hey guys,

Can someone direct me to the source documenting the 5% failure rate. I had never heard or read that before. In fact, I had no idea it was that high!

I remember reading somewhere that only about 1% of HT patients were physiologically incapable of responding to HT. For me, I consider 1% chance of failure rate to be "rare" but 5% is not rare... that's 5%!

Where can I find credible sources documenting this?

You Only Live Once,

Hey dude, thanks for posting the new pics, they're much more revealing then the others. The profile views really show your hairline proportions much better than the previous ones. Do us a favor with your next update, include a pic of your hair wetted and combed back so that we can get an even better idea of how far back your temples go and their ratio to your hairline.

Although I know that it's impossible to distinguish between the grafted and native hair, the density looks great for just one month.

Also, I think I was wrong in thinking that you had lowered your hairline significantly. With the new photos, it appears to me that you weren't so aggressive with lowering it, just restoring it to the original, and getting aggressive with the density and the temples.

In fact, the more I examine the twenty year old pics with that of the present day pics, it seems that your recession wasn't so bad after all, but rather you had a thinning problem and the temples. Does that make sense? I'm just going by the photos on this thread. It's hard to be sure from the pics. Either way, it's looking really good now.

Stay Gold Ponyboy,

Corvettester

I was confounded and dismayed by some of the hostility directed towards Badluck by certain posters. Nobody is above criticism, not even Dr. Feller. If Badluck had terrible results, then he should be allowed to voice his thoughts and feelings on the matter in his own words.

Badluck shouldn’t have to sugarcoat his poor results either, lest he offend Dr. Feller.... “less than optimal results” is nothing more than an equivocation. It was clear from all his posts that he was gentlemanly and respectful. I thought that this is what the forum is supposed to be about. We rely on these reviews to make informed decisions.

Give Badluck a break! I think that reaching out to him is more appropriate than denouncing his claims and basically calling him a liar. What can the community gain from that?

Corvettester

Bill,

You made the right decision to allow this thread to stay posted and give Badluck the benefit of the doubt. It was not only the reputation and credibility of Dr. Feller that was at stake, but also that of the Hair Transplant Network.

Corvettester

With that hairline, you'll be golden.

Upon reviewing your photos, I now realize what a relatively small area you're having covered with a relatively high number of grafts. That's awesome! After it all grows in, you probably won't even be able to tell the difference in density between the native and grafted hair.

I haven't seen many cases like yours here, you're definitely unique. I'm really interested to hear more about your experience with dense packing in the frontal third. Keep us posted on any major shock loss and long-lasting pain.

My decision for not taking Propecia and Rogaine is this: because it appears to me and my doctors that my recession has stopped, I may simply have a matured hairline that only looks so bad because of my already high hairline.

I went in for my first consultation over a year ago at the age of 27 (not an uncommon age for a man's hairline to be matured) and I haven't noticed any more loss since then. At the initial consultation, at the behest of Dr. True, we decided to wait another year to see if it got any worse. It didn't, so we went for it.

However, I will monitor it closely and if I continue to lose hair, then I will give the meds a second thought. Thus, I’ll probably have to make a decision on it in the coming two years, but I’ll always have to remain vigilant in monitoring it.

Even if it does continue to recede, I will still be very hesitant to take meds. I'd rather do another HT than take meds. And if I had to choose between taking meds my whole life or being a NW6, it'd be a tough decision for me. As you can see, I have personal and philosophical issues with taking meds for extended periods of time but that is really beyond the scope of this forum.

Thanks for the input everyone!

I know that it's generally impossible to predict future hair loss for an individual; however, based on what we've all seen from others, is it reasonable to make a guess? From what I've seen here on the HTN, it seems like most of the men who become NW5/6 begin balding very early in their life. I read stories where they talk about being a NW4 when they were 22 or earlier.

Thus, is it reasonable to conclude that my chances of becoming a NW5/6 are slim considering the following facts: I'm currently a NW2/3. I'm 29 years old. Only history of MPB is my paternal grandfather. I do not and will not take Propecia or Rogaine. The rest of my hair feels strong and healthy. I'm otherwise a healthy individual.

I'm asking for two reasons:

First reason, I'd like to know how much of my donor hair I should invest in my hairline and frontal third. I've already had 1,696 grafts added to my hairline, temples and temple peaks, although none in the frontal third (by frontal third, I mean the area in the front of my head, just behind the hairline, but not the actual hairline or temples).

I'm thinking that I will add more to my hairline, temples and frontal third if the current HT doesn't give me the density that I want. So would it be crazy to double up and put another 1,600-2,000 grafts in the frontal third and also dense pack the hairline and temples?

The doctors initially estimated that I have around 8,000 potential graft available. After using 1,600 in my first HT, another 1,600-2,000 would equal close to half of my donor supply.

The second reason is that given that I refuse to take meds for the rest of my life, are the chances really so great that I'll progress into the NW5/6 levels which would require massive amounts of grafts to cover up? I mean, If I still have 4,000-4,500 grafts available in my donor area, shouldn't that be enough to cover up future balding or at least create the illusion of density considering that my hairline and frontal third will already have been taken care of with the first two HT?

They say that most men invest most of the grafts in the hairline and frontal third because that gives it the greatest cosmetic improvement. This is definitely the most important for me too. And just because I'm a NW2/3 now, that doesn't necessarily mean that it's going to get worse. Therefore, should I really be worried about progressing into NW5/6?

Let me know what you think and why. I've included some pics so you can get an idea of my situation. Bear in mind that I have always had a very high hairline. So what you see in the pics is how my hairline and temples were restored to their original. You can see plenty more of pics on my hair loss website or profile.

I guess I should clarify that, yes, I clearly have MPB. I have no illusions about that. I'm probably a NW 2/3. However, I'm hoping it stays that way. If it goes further, I'll just continue chasing it with HT until I run out of donor hair.

But Just because I'm a NW2/3 at age 29, that doesn't mean that I'll necessarily progress into a NW5/6 by the time I'm 39. I may get thinner on top or I may not. There is really no way of knowing. Either way, I'm just not into taking medication for the rest of my life.

Correct me if I'm wrong, but from what I've seen on the HTN, it seems like all the NW5/6 men started balding early in their lives and by the time they're my age are already a clear NW4. Sure, I know that nothing is certain, I'm just trying to be optimistic.

The rationale behind not needing Propecia yet is that I have no family history of MPB and that I may only have a maturing hairline. I'm 29 years old and the recession started about 3 years ago. However, it's a wait and see approach. We'll be monitoring it very closely. I'm hoping it's only a maturing hairline, but I'm prepared to accept the fact that I may have MPB. I feel like the pics make it look much worse than it really is, but maybe that's just me lying to myself?

I've always had a high hairline so it has always made me look like I either have a really big forehead or a receding hairline. Even when I was a teenager, people would say that it looked like my hair was receding when it clearly wasn't. So hopefully, that is what it is, just a maturing hairline. If not, I'll still try to stay away from meds. I'd rather get another HT than go on meds. I don't like meds at all.

The idea of having to take Propecia for the rest of my life depresses me to no end.... especially considering that I just know that I'll be one of the few who get ED from it. I get ED from any and all meds... including alcohol. Yep, if I want to get laid, I better not have had even one drink because it just does something to me down there. It's always been that way for me.

I couldn't tell how much of your hair was native and how much was coming from the HT because you don't have any pics of your native, pre-ht hairline posted.

If I understand correctly, Dr. Path made you shave your recipient area. If so, I think it's coming along well. From what I'e seen on here, you're right on track.

Yes, I saw Epileptic Skeptic's update too... awesome results! However, I think his results are atypical. I mean, just 5 months out and he already has a full head of hair? I'm happy for him, but I'm not expecting that for myself (just hoping I could be so lucky).

I even mentioned ES to my doctor today as I was getting my stitches removed. He told me that some folks are lucky, but in general, don't expect much until the 8th month. I think you're going to have a fantastic result though.

Do us a favor and post some pre-shave/pre-ht pics so we can see how much density you originally had on top.

Good point. I hadn't seen the pre-HT photos. But still, even with your native hair considered, you have one hell of a result! Congratulations, you're cured!

10 Days post-op from 1,696 FUT with Dr. Dorin.

Just got my stitches removed... basically painless.

Aside from that, everything is great.

No swelling.

No shock loss.

No bleeding.

No pain, just a discomfort in the donor area if I lay on it (I'm a side sleeper anyway, so no worries).

I'm sleeping and showering normally.

The recipient area is going well. The redness has subsided about 80% now so I figure it'll be back to normal in about a week or so.

My native hair covers the recipient area so it's impossible to see any of the redness from the surgery.

Doctor told me I don't need to be on Propecia as of yet; however, we'll be monitoring the situation closely.

Here are the pics from today. Sorry, I completely forgot to have the donor area photographed... next time! Let me know if you have any questions.

Very impressive for only 5 months growth. In fact, that's probably the most growth I've seen on HTN patient hair loss journals 5 months post op. I'm used to seeing that much around month 8! Congratulations!

First off, thanks for keeping us updated.

Your hairline looks great! I like the idea that you want to restore you hairline to the one you had when you were 20. I'm ultimately going for the same thing. I've seriously considered the warnings against restoring youthful hairlines, but I have to respectfully disagree, at least in your case and mine. You cannot tell me that Brad Pitt, George Clooney or Tom Cruise (just to name a few) don't look great with their youthful hairlines... and they're all in the late forties!

I think it's awesome that you got 3,000 grafts just in your frontal and temporal area. You're going to have a hairline of the gods! I'm opting for the same thing, just not all at once.

The shock loss and redness is to be expected after a megasession like you had. My doctor warned me about that. He said that the larger the session, the more trauma to the head, therefore, the greater the risk of shock loss and a longer amount of time healing. It's possible that you may be red for three months. However, look on the bright side: your native hair is dark enough to minimize the redness and you have the benefit of having it all done at once.

I'm glad your still paranoid around the donor and recipient area.... you're not alone! I'm 7 days post op and I'm super paranoid too... I'm still sleeping upright, just in case. My girlfriend, with her delicate touch, is washing my scalp and applying the ointment too.

I'm particularly interested in your progress because we are both about the same age, had our HT within a month from each other, and both had our HT done exclusively in the frontal and temporal area. Only major difference between us, judging from your pics at least, is that it appears to me that I have more temporal loss than you, but that you have more frontal loss than me. Our results will be so interesting vis-a-vis one another.

It's funny too because I originally would have opted for dense packing like you; however, my budget made the decision for me. I didn't want to wait another year to save up enough for a dense packing session. If I need it in a year, I'll go back for a second HT. It won't be any more or less expensive for me.

How many FU/sqcm are you going for? How many do you have in your native, non-receding area?

Anyway, you're looking good dude. I'm sure I'm not alone in keeping track of your progress.... keep us posted. This is freaking awesome!

5 days post op. So far, so good.

No swelling at all.

No bleeding from the donor or recipient area at all.

After the first wash, there were not more blood crusts in the donor area (my girlfriend cleans it each night regardless).

No lost grafts that I can see (I check my pillow each morning).

No significant pain, just discomfort in the morning after a long night's sleep... to be expected.

Recipient area is healing quickly and nicely. I'd say the redness has subsided about 25% from immediately post op. The blood crusts are going away smoothly.

Itchy feeling is minimal. I'm able to resist scratching for the most part; otherwise, I gently pat my head where it itches.

I haven't bumped my head or had any accidents, though I have had a few close calls. I'm super paranoid about that!

Only major complaint is having to sleep upright and be so careful. Luckily, the Vicodon helps put me to sleep and the Ambien helps keep me asleep. Last night was the last night that I was required to sleep upright. However, I plan on sleeping upright a few more nights just because I'm paranoid. I don't want anything to happen to my precious little grafts!

Here are a few pics I took this morning with my iPhone. I took a few under fluorescent light and a few with natural light coming in from the window. Not the best quality, but it's all I got for now. I'll post some high quality pics when I get my stitches removed in 6 days as my doctor's office has a high quality camera with good lighting. This will have to do for now.

Yes, I live in NYC.

If you look at my profile pics or on my hair loss blog, I posted photos of myself as I usually wear my hair which is combed forward. I'm certain this will cover most of the recipient area. However, as I understand it, my recipient area should only be red and/or scabby for a couple weeks.

Dr. Dorin told me that by the time I get my stitches taken out, or at least shortly thereafter, you won't even be able to tell had I any work done in the recipient area. The holes they poked were so tiny, I can't imagine it taking more than a couple weeks. The technicians who inserted the FU's told me it'd only be a week to ten days! That's encouraging!

I'll be sure to post plenty of pics in the coming days and weeks. I'm greatly indebted to everyone here and the HTN website. It's been an invaluable resource for me.

I just got 1,696 FUT from Dr. Dorin today. It went really well and exceeded my expectations. I'll give a full review later as I'm still a little out of it.

We had originally planned on 1,500 - 1,600 but he ended up harvesting 1,696! 577 Singles. 949 Doubles. 170 Triples.

He brought my hairline down to the length that I really wanted, filled in my temples and create strong, pronounced temple peaks just like I wanted too! Best part was that we didn't have to shave any of my native hair on the hairline (over course, we had to shave around the donor area).

I couldn't be happier with the procedure... now for the results!

Here are some pics from today.... I have more in my profile and hair loss journal so check them out too and let me know what you think.

This forum is an excellent way to meet people. I'm new here and I've already met three people. So just ask around and I think you'll find that there are many friendly members who'd be glad to help you out.

Why did you decide on FUE and not FUT? I'm 29 and I'm getting FUT tomorrow.

Everyone I've spoken to so far has said that only a small percentage of people are good candidates for FUE. Also, they say that FUT has a higher success rate of the transplanted hair growing. Look into it...

Go to a consultation and speak with a coalition doctor. Good Luck.

Do you have a high hairline to begin with?

I'm getting my first HT tomorrow with Dr. Dorin! I'm so psyched! No way I'll be able to sleep tonight.

You can check out my profile to find my hair loss journal... it still isn't showing up in my signature... I'm looking into it.

Never mind. I finally figured it out. It was my service provider.

Sorry for clogging up the threads. Now if I can just figure out how to delete this post all together.

This will be my first HT.

I will definitely keep HTN updated as it's been such an invaluable source to me in my final decision to undergo HT. I'll be sure to create a hair loss journal and frequently update it with plenty of pics.