the B spot

I think that is unlikely. 2 entirely different extraction methods. When the extraction via fue is done with properly sized tools, the extraction sites actually shrink down. There is no tension on the extraction sites. Removing a section of tissue via strip creates tension. How much tension is a combination of the individual and what the doctor removes. Interesting posit for sure, but I think with FUE what you see is what you get...your scarring will be what it is and not a result of any long-term stretching. Take Care, Jason

Looks Great S!!!! Like Bill said, the waiting game begins! Your going to look great man...but I am taking bets on when Severn books his next session to hit his temples/hairline...hair greed is a mutha' for sure =) Cheers! Jason

This can happen occasionally. I would just contact your doctor and explain what is going on so he/she can help you out. Jason

hmm, never even heard of that doctor Really? Dr. Bisanga runs the BHR clinic in Belgium. Does very nice work, clear presentation as well. If your considering beard hair I would certainly check him out. I have not seen any of his beard hair results however, but there are just not a lot of them floating around. Jason

Absolutely Bill. After speaking to Dr. Ron and finding more about Dr. Knudsen, I hope that is the case. I would be nice to see some of his work displayed. Take Care, Jason

Yeah, Dr. Bisanga seems to be doing some realistic beard hair transplants. 800 is about the max I could expect...I do have a fairly dense beard, but my beard hair is only slightly more coarse than my scalp donor so in my case, I think it will look good spread into my existing work...I would not want a whole section of beard hair however. Jason

Guys, just wanted to bump this thread up and mention a conversation I had with Dr. Ron Shapiro yesterday. While Dr. Ron feels it is always a good idea to research accordingly, and not let travel be the sole determining factor, Dr. Ron has known Dr. Knudson for many years, observed his practice in person and is believes any patient, especially Australians should be more than comfortable choosing Dr. Knudson. Dr. Ron feels he does state of the art work, has modern facilities and excellent staff which allows him to do refined work. I personally have never really seen much of Dr. Knudsen's work, so I always tell people to do research, research, research and I guess this could be construed as negative toward Dr. Knudsen...which it was not intended to do. Take Care, Jason

Sunner...tough to tell from your photos....I would do a search for a chap named Spex...he works for Dr. Feller and lives in the UK...he can likely help you out. Cheers, Jason

Scalp reductions are barbarian. Should only be used as a last resort, much like BHT. If you have the money to try BHT, then go for it. Other than extreme repair, I am under the impression no Coalition doctor performs these procedures. Again, not a good idea...the scalp always stretches back. Jason

Well, the fact is this was touted by a couple of doctors a few years back...those of us who challenged this notion for the profiteering, unproven practice were basically attacked as shills...until it just fell by the wayside like so many "next great things" and those supporters moved on where such things are OK to announce, then never deliver. =) For the low, low sum of uh, double the cost, the doctor would take out a graft, then go get a graft from your body and put it in the extraction site. Never worked. Body hair has been hit or miss and behind the scenes a failure, aside from a few positive results. Dr. Mwamba has used some acell matrix from the bladder of pigs to promote healing when donor restocking. I'm not sure how it is coming along. I believe BHR has performed some beard hair to gapped donor sites 6 months after FUE surgeries to restock, but again, white dots in the donor vs facial scarring. I am all for trying new things out...but the industry tends to rush things into full fledged "Savior Mode" before seeing where the chips really fall. We just have to keep asking questions and looking for results. Cheers, Jason

LMS, I hope people are not getting angry with GIR---he is presenting his results that he is unhappy with. Dr. Feller is presenting the results based on the cosmetic illusion we seek to achieve. We need to remember he is a repair patient as well..not as an excuse, but a fact. I think your right about how if this was a different doctor, we would be reacting differently....but I think that IS the point...Dr. Feller posted this thread asking opinions and we know Dr. Feller takes care of his patients. Plus he has a history of being transparent with his work, not just showing A+ results, but more realistic work as well. If it was some no-name clinic or a clinic with a poor track record, we would know that poor physician skills and a poor approach in general all led toward this result...but because we know Dr. Feller (or any other doctor that is regularly represented online) we can take his word on the matter, give an opinion positive or negative, still support GIR if he is unhappy and still believe Dr. Feller will 100% take care of the situation. In that vein, we as the educated can look at the work, offer feedback and know that the situation will be amicably, and properly resolved. I believe if this was poor work, we would say it was poor work, no problems. I believe several posters chimed in on another thread where a guy got 2500 grafts and was displeased with his results to date, and justifiably so...the difference is the clinic in question will 100% take care of the patient and do the best to clear up the issue. I'm not asking for a "soft-soak"--in fact, I tend to be quite hard on those clinics or others seeking to use the internet, but dislike being put on the spot..which is why I try to talk about topics that are not as sexy and more realistic in nature. But I think a clinic has right to build up some credit and be taken at face value...we as patients want explanations and in this instance we're getting it. Until then, we need to be supportive of GIR and supportive of Dr. Feller and lets help get GIR to the result he is looking for. Take Care, Jason

Not much growth, just the beginning as you have stated...the hairs you see coming in now, will continue to thicken and grow in the coming months, just as those appearing at 7 months will look thinner until they mature. It can take up to 24 months for a HT to fully soften and mature, but at 3 months your fine....just sit back, relax and stay out of the damn mirror!!! Take Care, Jason

This is NOT pointed at GIR whatsoever...but I want to point out that a hair transplant is an ILLUSION for most of us. There are always variant degrees of density/coverage that can be achieved...but we do not want to "look" bald. For some that is an absolute full restoration of their loss...they represent a certain smaller percentage of us balding fellows. (the lucky bastard contingent =) For others, it is the illusion of density, coupled with product, artful styling, and a proper hair cut to achieve this, but water and mussing out hair is the enemy. Yet, for others, it is simply the appearance of hair, lower see through density, but not bald. To the point at hand, In this instance, GIR is being shown with optimal hair combed to achieve the illusion I spoke about vs the harsh reality of having thinning hair. I believe it is hard to truly quantify this situation via photos. My personal opinion is that Dr. Feller achieved the disguise of the previous poor work, but GIR is unhappy with the density behind the hairline. It may be that growth was compromised due to the scarring in the recipient area...an all to unpleasant reminder of why repair work is exceedingly difficult. At this point, I would just like to see GIR and Dr. Feller sit down and figure out how to go forward, perhaps meeting in the middle and reach a satisfactory conclusion that properly uses GIR's remaining donor to achieve his realistic expectations. We all know Dr. Feller cares for his patients and I expect nothing less than a satisfactory ending here. My opinions, of course. Take Care, Jason

I believe TC is calling you a weirdo hairshare Of course, it does take one to know one!!!! LOL. Anyway, your right Thana...obviously with a younger patient, we will approach them as if they will be a type 5-6, with a type 5-6 available donor...this changes as you age...so it is always good to work backwards from what the future "might" hold vs working solely from what the patient "wants" today....balance. Dudes, seriously...I feel like a Banzai tree right now.....where the hell did I put that photo of Phil Jackson

Hey M1-- Wow what a great write-up! I tell everyone that once you meet Dr. Ron you feel like you've known him for 10 years...Matt and Janna are great as well. No matter how many times I hear what a great experience someone had at SMG, it always makes me feel good to hear it again. Obviously, it the final result is what matters, but having great, personalized care makes it all the better. On a side note, if Dr. Ron excised your existing Bosley scar and took a 1cm wide strip, you would yield less grafts than prevously because taking out the non-hair bearing scar tissue at the same time will impact the overall amount of hair contained in the tissue removed. Happy Growth! Jason

Hmmm, interesting. Over the course of the last 5-8 years, our notion of the "safe zone" has been challenged repeatedly. There are still those who believe you can only take 2-2.5cm X 20-22cm long and that is all. I disagree. I believe the donor is a moving field, that is different for each patient, and can change as you go age. A 25 year old vs a 40 year old with the same level of loss can be approached very differently. If you account for future loss, taking into consideration all the present factors such as age, current level of loss, progression, ability to use meds/topicals, available donor, quality of the individuals hair, and most importantly...the patients wants vs needs, you can safely transplant most patients and manage to meet or exceed expectations. You must be aware of patient expectations as well. There is some risk, however, as with all surgical procedures. Again, HT's are not for everyone. Cheers, Jason

James, I disagree with this part of your statement..my inclination is if your uncertain, just wait. Waiting is NEVER wrong. (But I 100% understand your enthusiasm!!! =) With that said, I am very happy to hear of your experience. Your tale of success is what getting a HT is reminder of the positive impact a great result can produce. Thanks for sharing some of your journey with us, and I hope you will share some of your photos with us as well!!!! Happy Growing!!! Jason

Hey Severn, glad to have you my man! I think your right in your assessment. I too (a long time ago) narrowed my choices to Dr. Ron and Dr. Wong. My final choice is obvious, but I think Dr. Wong does excellent work as well. I believe you would have been fine with either doctor. Anyway, we're glad you decided on SMG and I look forward to following your journey and seeing the results. BTW--Country Inn is the best place to stay in Minny...be sure to check out the free breakfast joint right off the foyer before you go in. Take Care, Jason

Righto Bill...just pointing out how LLT has been marketed as FDA approved, and as a cure/proper treatment program, vs how Dr. Feller has presented PRP. I believe there is no comparison at this point. Thanks, Jason

Hang in there Plunge! Let us know how your meeting with Dr. A goes. Sometimes you just get less than optimal growth, through no fault of anyone. Obviously this is a problem, but I believe Dr. Alexander will take care of you. Chin Up!!!! Jason

Beard hair is so intriguing to me. I know it grows. It is a robust and hardy source of donor. However, there are texture issues in addition to the facial scarring. that lead me to be more cautious, like yourself. I think for me, under the jawline would work but only to get 4-500 grafts at most. I would not want to be on my face or too far down my neck due to the scarring aspect. Those who have had beard hair taken have reported very little scarring, as you have but you have to wonder with 1000-2000 grafts being taken out of the face region, what the future holds. I think your right to back out...I would take it slow and really think about what you want and why you are doing this. Take Care, Jason

JimJohnson may have a purely healthy skepticism regarding PRP. But the LLT reference is not valid. LLT is FDA approved and is touted as a "Cure" for baldness along with Rogaine/Propecia. Most of us do not believe that is the case. PRP is being offered as a "Chance"--it is expensive, experimental and I believe Dr. Feller has already stated this, in addition to letting any patient interested in it know this as well. Guys, I agree with LMS that we should continue to question the industries practices and procedures, but let's be fair and make the debate about the efficacy of PRP (which we do not know at this point) and not personal. I personally would not spend 800 bucks for PRP...but honestly, there are guys who have 800 bucks and it is no big deal to spend it on a chance. If you start from the basis that other than finance, does a treatment harm a patient? What is the potential for harm? Is proper disclosure done? Does the patient understand? If these factors are laid out for an adult, then there is no issue. Again, I go back to LLT--it was the same issue BEFORE FDA approval..once it was FDA approved and being mass-marketed as a solution, as opposed to an ADJUNCT treatment that may or may not help, that was the problem. Same for PRP...it is a adjunct treatment, that may or may not work. If any doctor was claiming PRP was a baldness cure and selling it as such, we would all be up in arms about it. Debate and skepticism are healthy and sorely needed even today...look at the NeoGraft thread for an example of that. My opinion is we should focus on PRP benefits/drawbacks and leave the personal spin out of it. My opinion, of course. Jason

Theoretically, yes. In actuality, probably not. At some point, you will notice gaps or experience white dots. This may occur at 3500 grafts or it may occur at 7000 grafts. No one really knows for sure....which is why we feel 3-4K might be about the average amount of FUE grafts you can take from the donor before bringing dealing with the factors I listed above. Most of us have different density throughout our donor as well. Say 85 in back and 60 on the sides. So while you might get 30 in back, you might only take 12-14 per cm on the sides. So, for most average guys, we can get 3-4K safely, no noticeable gaps or scarring. After that is is purely individual. Again, this is what we at SMG believe, so we are not stating it is THE way... others have said you can take 6-7-8K of FUE from the donor as the norm. Cheers, Jason

EDIT...Maxxy might be right in that IF a small amount of grafts could be used to lower the other side a bit, it would be less drastic than the process I suggested.

Tough issue mate. The problem is, where do we put the grafts we take from the hairline? Some would say you should have never used that many in the first place, so this is tough. Maybe we could go right behind the hairline and take a small strip out and pull it up a bit to achieve symmetry? Then we would have to put those grafts back somewhere. I dunno, I know your not happy, but I personally would wait and see how your baldness progresses. It may be that as you age, at some point we could do a small brow lift, bring your hairline up a tad, then use the grafts to target other needed thinning spots. My advice is to just to wait it out a bit. Take Care, Jason