multiplier

With my first procedure, I had some numb spots for over 6 months before they slowly subsided. Pain in varying degrees for at least 3 weeks.

It would depend on the rate of my hair loss. I'd probably get an HT doctor to do some miniaturization tests and evaluate where my hair might be 5-10 years in the future and go from there. Replicel could be 2 years out. Or it could never reach the public. For my money, it's better to just pretend it doesn't exist for the time being. People have been saying cloning & other cell-based solutions were "right around the corner" for over 20 years.

Bottom line: nobody knows.

I'm so jealous of you Joe! *shakes fist* So does the doctor say your donor area is "done" or is there an estimate for the remaining grafts (assuming you want more surgeries)? Is your density considered above average?

Curious - why are your objections to FUT so strong that you would "never do it"? Almost daily on this forum are photos posted people who get FUT with good results. I also don't understand your friends who had FUT and then opted for FUE ("never again") - what's the point? The scar is already there. The "damage" is done. Might as well yield all you can via FUT excision, and then go for FUE once the donor area is taxed, no? Let's face it - most people getting these surgeries (apart from the most statistically ideal candidates) aren't going to be magically transformed into looking like their teenage selves. They'll look like they have more hair. Sometimes it will look fuller, sometimes it will merely give the illusion of being "thinning", which can be accented with concealers. But to me, both of those options are better than fretting about it and wondering forever what might have been.

I'm coming around to this idea myself. I say that because after taking Propecia every day for these past 12 years, only this year did I suddenly experience sexual side-effects throughout 2011. But on top of that was extreme stress (collapsing sex life, divorce, high-profile job, tight finances, living in NYC, bailing out of NYC) which, psychologically, cut my libido in half and caused tightness of the penis and urethra - worrisomely similar to Propecia's side effects. So after reading the horror stories, I became obsessed that it was Propecia causing my issues, even though multiple top urologists and endocrinologists told me it was likely stress-induced prostatitis.

Well, even after my first MHR procedure back in 2000, I kept up with various forum discussions about different HT doctors who came and went, but Shapiro's always floated to the top and was always mentioned with utmost respect. Same after his brother Paul came aboard. So I think I kept that in the back of my mind. And here, 10 years later, the clinic is still producing solid work with a great reputation most doctors would envy. That is not an easy thing to maintain in an industry that can be controversial. Not to mention, the Shapiro team of techs are not fly-by-night people, they are local, experienced, and very involved with the procedure. I think both Shapiro brothers are very careful and thoughtful about their work and that credibility is obvious when you meet them in person. They look at the big picture, they take a comprehensive view, they analyze your density scientifically. They're pretty forthcoming about traits that make you a good (or not good) candidate.

Thanks man, that's a relief to hear. Like most people I wish I could get everything done at once and get it over with, but I'll be patient these next 9 months or so before I come back to Shapiro for another pass.

Thanks a lot guys. @aaron: meeting you in person at SMG, post-op, and seeing your progress definitely helped me make up my mind. I've never been under any delusions that it would take a few surgeries to get me where I want to be (this surgery only focused on the frontal third), and I'm already wishing I could fast-forward to next summer for the next procedure It was really a relief to deal with a doc who considered every angle and every contingency that would determine my future progress, rather than the nonchalant assembly-line treatment I felt at MHR. I was also pleased to hear that stretching exercises made Dr Paul's work easier. I'd been pretty diligent about them, but somehow I always thought they were just a formality.

One dumb question - how do I create a hairloss Blog like others have? I thought I did it last night in my Valium haze, but think I screwed it up

As promised in this thread, here's a summary of my experience at SMG yesterday — I arrived at 8:30am for some preliminary paperwork. Afterword, I followed Dr Paul into his office to discuss specifics, take photos and outline our recipient area. What he told me were things I'd already come to terms with years ago: donor density is moderate and, ultimately, 2 procedures spaced apart would be ideal in order to first clean up the large scar from my previous MHR surgery in 2000. For now, we'd be focusing on the frontal third. I told him since I was 36, I actually enjoyed the grey streaks and receded hairline as being appropriate to my age, and have actually received compliments along those lines. So we agreed to be economical about graft placement and avoid lowering the hairline or filling in temple points. In short, I'm a candidate, just not a 5-star candidate, and my goals are realistic. In the surgery room itself, I had a beautiful view of some lakes and was surrounded by very friendly techs who put me at ease. First we used magic markers to indicate graft placement and I took a Prednisone, antibiotic and Valium. The next while was spent getting multiple injections in the forehead and donor area. The pain was very minimal, nothing more than light pinpricks. A handheld vibrator was also applied during the shots which distracted me, mentally, from the injections. I numbed incredibly fast which the techs and doctor said was a good sign. After another Valium, I turned over on my stomach and the actual extraction took place, the part I'd dreaded the most. I thought I would feel pinching, pressure and a scary sound almost like velcro ripping. But what I felt was… pretty much nothing. I joked with the techs to distract myself, and before I knew it, that part was done. Everyone worked like a well-oilled machine. One of the techs said she'd been doing it for 20 years which also put me at ease. I was even invited to stand up and look through the microscopes at how the individual grafts looked which pretty fascinating. Back in the chair, we fired up a bunch of seasons of Curb Your Enthusiasm and Arrested Development on the TV which are always guaranteed to put me in a good mood (especially on Valium!). Dr. Paul began making incisions strategically all over my recipient area which was, like everything else, mercifully painless. Thanks to the various tumescent/anesthetic injections, the sensation was that I was wearing a tight plastic hat and my brow felt a bit tight. Colored dyes were also placed throughout the recipient area to indicate how grafts would be distributed: 1s, 2s, 3s, etc. I believe I dozed off for about 45 minutes soon after. At lunchtime, they brought me a Chinese meal and I couldn't believe how fast time was passing. My forehead and eyelids felt a bit thick from the injections and pills, but I felt nice and numb. Dr Paul then spoke to me about yield. As I mentioned in the previous thread, the only letdown is that due to my average density, existing (unnecessarily large) scar and some previous shockloss exacerbated by Accutane, we would have to settle for about 75% of the yield we'd shot for -- 1400 instead of 2000. This is because Dr Paul chose to minimize the height of the scar this time (while widening it) in order to make it easier to excise more uniformly in the future. So 9 months from now, it should be easier to extract 2000-2500 from the improved scar, rather than try to do it all at once and end up with a larger, stretchier scar. As I said, a letdown at first, but part of the larger strategy. Brick by brick. So from 1:00pm to 4:30pm, the techs took turns splitting grafts and placing them accordingly while Dr Paul supervised. We joked around a lot and occasionally I played on my iPhone to pass the time. It was a little tough to sit still so long, but worth it. Before I knew it, my suture was cleaned up and my recipient area was looking clean. As someone who worries a hell of a lot, I felt surprisingly good. Overall, the SMG approach to surgery was a lot more communicative, precise and forward-thinking than the experience with MHR 10 years ago, and if I'd known it would be so different, I would've pursued surgery with SMG a few years back. Feeling especially thankful for the HRN forums right now, too, for everyone's support. Right now I'm back at the hotel, feeling fine, icing my forehead every once in awhile and applying Graftcyte every half-hour for better healing. Will try to visit some museums in downtown Minneapolis today while sneaking some Graftcyte during bathroom breaks. I feel strangely proud of myself for breaking from the jobless, wifeless, New York-less existence I recently stepped out and beginning to take control over stuff like hairloss which was affecting my confidence. It's a first step to rebuilding as a single person and moving forward. I'm keeping my fingers crossed that in 8-9 months things are looking good and I'll be ready for the other procedure to cover the mid-vertex and crown. Once that's done, I hope to be rid of the Toppik-caked combover I've had these past few years and have a decent hairstyle, even if it's not super dense, which in all honesty, it never was, even in my youth. I appreciate everyone's encouragement so far. Let me know if you have questions. --------------- Strip size: 1.2cm width x 17cm length & 1.0 cm width x 9.5cm length 1’s- 331 2’s – 846 3’s – 216 4’s – 18 Total: 1411 grafts, 2743 hairs ---------------

Also again: @hairmee, would you mind posting a few photos so we can see what we're talking about? It makes all the difference.

Also: what Capelli said.

@hairmee: what do you consider to be your greatest regret if you went with an HT procedure? That it wouldn't look natural? That you'd need more than once procedure? I'm referring to this: Obviously you might need 2-3 surgeries to reach your goal. But is that the end of the world? I just got surgery with a clinic (Shapiro) that, prior to today, spent a ton of time talking with me about my current state vs. the future state of my hairloss, and how to manage that accordingly. That is the mark of a good clinic. And a lot of the recommended on this board are willing to do the same for you. I still can't get a handle on what worries you so much about the procedure when there are at least 10 world-class docs on this board producing fine results that would, maybe, only be detected by men who've had the procedure themselves, and often, not even then!

I would agree that flying the day after post-op is more ideal so that you can still be in the vicinity of the clinic the day after surgery just in case you need to see the doc face to face for any unforeseen reasons.

@Capelli: Sounds like your goals are realistic and the reputation of your doctor is stellar. Best of luck on the procedure and keep us posted.

Thanks, I'm glad to hear that Capelli. I think it's common with people who have average density and previous procedures with inferior docs to need to start smaller at first. But Dr Paul was quite detailed about why this was and what will be different next time. I plan on returning in 9 months to get the coverage I'll need. Like I said, I don't expect miracles. Hell, I don't even mind using a bit of concealer now and again. I just want to get away from the patchiness / scalp visibility I have now when my hair is short. I'd write more, but the 3 hours of sleep I managed last night + the 3 Valiums I've had today are making me feel loopy

Surgery went quite smoothly today, especially considering how nervous I was and how my luck has been running lately. SMG ran like a well-oiled machine. The only downside is that because of the size of my previous (MHR) scar and the shockloss around it, I was only able to get around 1400 grafts because much of the work was spent shrinking the old scar to a manageable state rather than excising it. My second procedure next year according to Dr Paul will yield something much greater like 2500, which is fine, I can wait, but I was slightly bummed at the circumstances, which weren't SMG's fault anyway. Overall, an amazingly smooth experience which I will blog more about with pictures either tonight or tomorrow....

Just what I was hoping to hear Thanks Hal and everyone. Will update again tomorrow evening.

I appreciate you guys' support - seriously. It has been a shaky year for me and it feels stressful to be going through this surgery in the midst of it, but I feel like it's now or never. I'm in a new town and I have 6 weeks off work so there won't be a better opportunity to lay low and get through the ugly phase. I will post again tomorrow with a write-up... Thanks for the kinds words and encouragement.

Here goes nothing. As it says in my bio, I'm 36, experienced hairloss for about 10 years. Got an FUT at MHR in 2000 of about 800 grafts. Been on finasteride all of that time except part of this year when I've been on/off the meds because of side effects which I now believe to have been stress-related. I do use Nizoral and Rogaine foam. In any case, I've cut my hair short on top in preparation for tomorrow's surgery and am seeing it for the first time in all its thinning, non-Toppik glory. The plan with Dr Paul Shapiro is to do around 2500 grafts tomorrow and another 2500 in about a year. My density and laxity is about average. So yeah, I'm feeling a bit nervous. In the past year, I've moved, changed jobs, gotten a marriage separation, changed jobs again, and now I'm getting this surgery. I'm hoping it all goes well and in 6-8 months gets me halfway closer to my goal. I'm not expecting miracles. I'm just trying to stay positive that the procedure and yield will be good. Any encouragement is appreciated. I will update again tomorrow with pictures.

(It's The Sun. It's fake.)

That sounds pretty unusual. Can you elaborate on this:

See a doc and get on Propecia + Rogaine if you really see evidence of thinning. But boy, I think most people on this board would kill to have the amount of hair you have, so count your blessings