horses12

Dr. Vogel and his staff are the best, you probably talked to mary and they will gladly answer any questions you might have, i had my first ht in jan 2011, about 2000 grafts, i was nervous about the procedure because i work with the public and had seen so many bad ht plug looks, i took off work for 6 weeks but went back after 3 weeks no one noticed, then after 4 months the hair started to come in, it looks so natural the hairline was perfect because it looked nature, i went back jan 2012 for another ht this time had around 1200 grafts, i was alot better this time knowing what to expect went back to work after 2 weeks, i am a 5 on the norwood so with the first ht and 1/3 and frontal done, second ht i asked the doc to fill in the back v and refine the lines between the edges, it is starting to fill in now, i plan to go back in sept for follow-up and hope to have another to fill in more in the crown area in jan, if you need to see or talk to me ask mary and i will gladly see you so you can see in person

Hi coach went back for 2nd ht on jan 26, had great experience, went over expectations. I'm nor 6, 1st ht addressed hairline and frontal three, doc vogel did fanastic job with 2000 grafts, had this done in feb 2011. I'm in my 60's and have limited amount of grafts, so this time doc could get roughly 1500 grafts, what i wanted was basically a reverse of a frontal third, so i had a u-curve in the back of head with destinct lines between hair and no hair. So i used the 1500 to bring up the u-curve and break up the lines on each side to make it a gradual transition between hair and no hair, doc had some left so he filled in behind hair line, what i could see it looks like it is really going to help. After this i'm going to have a fue done to fill in more areas. I have been on meds for over a year and this has help alot, last time i took off 6 week from work but went back after 3 weeks this time went back after 10 days and no one knew. I owe alot to this site and the info and what to expect on the ht journey. I will be uploading pictures on 1st and 2nd ht i had trouble uploading but will be checking with bill on process. Pictures are worth a 1000 words. Also can't thank doc vogel and his great staff enough. Also i have been to a couple of parties and alot of friends have noticed a hugh difference, they just aren't sure they think i'm just letting my hair grow longer and look alot younger, the only thing is i didn't have any hair before to grow longer. The ht process has changed from the plug look to you really can't tell. Well now comes the hard part the waiting but i've got one month down

Coach glad everything turned out great. I told you it is the waiting that is the hardest part of ht. I had ht with dr vogel in feb with 2000 grafts to frontal and hair line. It is amazing what a difference. I'm a nor 6 level and going back in 10 days for another 1500 plus procedure. Can't wait. Will have doc post first procedure plus the one coming up. Again glad it turned out good for youlllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllll

im alot older than most of you so i remember rogaine being the magic liquid that was going to cure baldness in the 70's,then it was said to be only good in the crown. in the majority of cases it never gave the results it advertised. then propecia was the magic pill to grow hair, it help stabilized the loss and grew new hair mostly in the crown, it was a definite step forward in the hair loss story. then came the laser comb approved by fda helping at least 90% of the users, i was in the 10% it didn't help, it was amassing how many people were in that 10%. through it all the ht process has gotten better from the corn rolls to the fut to the fue, right now it is the only process that can give you results that make a real difference. i remember matt lauer of the today show talking about university of penn growing hair on mice and this was the miracle that was maybe 4 years ago. i think if i was in my 20's i would wait to see if the new miracle 4 will work, i hope they do. for those seeking info on the ht process, as all the senior members have had ht, many more than one time and can give info to help those that are starting this journey as they have traveled it. i am sure they know what losing your hair can do to you, i can not thank this site enough for all the info i got and knowing you are not alone in this ht journey.

i agree try propecia to stabilize the hair loss.you love your bf and see his hair loss,however they say half the solution to a problem is seeing you have a problem, your bf doesn't see it as a problem yet.if he goes down the ht path he could have to have more than one procedure, the saying "one and done" is very seldom the case. so it is a commitment that takes time and patience.right now he is doing this for you, if this goes wrong how will he feel or better yet how will you feel, he could look worse. i heard when you use rogaine you could lose more hair in the beginning before it takes effect.is there anyway you could post some pictures, nothing could take the place of an on site consultation, but this would be the next best thing you will get alot of good advice. first thing is, it has to be his decision, next question is yours what if he says no.

im a junior member but this is a great site to get info. in my opinion i would get on meds, propecia, etc for the crown to stabilize the area. also your age will play a part on what you do. you only have so much donor hair and your hair loss could progress over the years. i think on the crown being 3" x 3" i would convert to cm. i think there is about 2.5cm per inch so multiply 2.5 x 3 to get 7.5cm and then multiply 7.5 x 7.5 to get cm2.giving 56.25cm2 now come the density, you start at about 90 hair per cm2, you can go to about 50 hairs per cm2 before you start to notice thinning.now the number of grafts you would need in the crown will be less than the number of hairs, i.e. 2 hair grafts, 3 hair grafts,also if you go fue your expense goes up and your yield will probably be lower than fut procedure. but please check will others on this site that have probably forgot more that i know. but you made your first right decision by checking with this site. good luck

hi coach you are in the"what the heck was i thinking when i got a ht phase" it is the waiting for results that is the hard part of ht. i had mine with dr vogel in feb started seeing results in 4/5 months even better than i could imagine. your hair could be thinner than before ht mine looked thinner but than it started to fill in i'm a little over 7 months and couldn't be happier. i was worried about my hairline but it came out great. i will be getting another ht hopefully in feb to work on crown. so relax you should see results very soon. going back to dr vogel in oct for follow up.will have dr vogel post before and 8 month follow-up.

Yes they are, i don't have any pictures to post i tried to but i'm not that smart. However when i see dr. Vogel i will ask him to post my pre-ht and 8 month follow-up.all i can tell you is be patient, there are days you will wonder if it was worth it usually starting 1 month thru 4 months. But i can tell you it is worth it. I think my worse part was thinner hair 1 to 2 months after ht and pimples, but it cleared up.my hairline is natural and i swear i look younger.

Coach glad to see everything ok. Everyones ht is a little different, so you might see hair shedding, pimples ( i used warm compresses and aloe). You could look like you have less hair than before ht. This is all normal.you are going to be looking in the mirror at least three times a day looking for new hair. In about 2 more months you should start to see the change for the good. You are entering the hard part now the waiting. I'm at 5.5 months and it is going great better than expected, going back to see dr. Vogel in oct for 8 month follow up. Will probably have another ht in feb.

relax grafts should be fine. i know you are anxious and super careful but all your answers for your questions will be found on this site.now comes the hard part the waiting, the ht procedure itself was the easy part, next step should be shedding, and pimples (good sign) slowly losing the redness. in the end it will be worth it.

The bottle of saline lasted about week think i used it 3 times a day, but you can make your own i think it is in your instructions, also the aloe was in a small container just applied small amount if you run out can get more at a drug store. Just follow post op instructions and you'll be fine. I was nervous thinking about all the bad ht you can see from a mile away, but the new procedures and this site take away all the worries. The only thing i can tell you because i'm 4.5 months ahead of you is the ht itself is like a day at the beach compared to waiting to see the results, but it is worth the wait.good growing.

hi coach had ht with dr vogel in feb great experience had same pain first couple of days in donor area but it will go away you will probably go back in 10 days to have sutures out will probably see mary and dr vogel and they will tell you how you are doing. i was very careful the first week with the recepient area as i didn't want to do any damage. you feel better after the sutures are out. i think you will find the ht procedure easy compared to the waiting for the results. i went back to work after 3 weeks no one noticed, the hard part is the waiting for the results, should start seeing something in about 3/4 months. you will get pimples(good sign) the red scalp should start to go away. I'm at also 5 months and am starting to see a big difference, you will probably go back in 8 months for a follow up. good luck and good growing.

i'm a new member justing having ht 8 weeks ago, i can only speak for myself but what i have always read on this site is that they 100 per cent agree with you, especially with a young patient, they always recommend meds to at least stabilize the hair loss. the threads i have read is that the docs on this site will turn away or try to dissuade a young patient from doing a ht because of the finite amount of hair they can use and maybe not seeing where the hair loss pattern is going. also that is why you are so highly recommended on this site along with the other docs because you think long term and trying the easiest path for the patient. i do have a question though i have heard med are very helpful with a young patient but what if you are a n5 or n6 and in your 50's but still have mini hairs would that hair come back if your on the meds

i had my ht 8 weeks ago, the procedure for me was pain free except for some minor pin prickes from the meds, but you could have hit my head with a hammer and i would not have felt it. i didn't have a mega session only 2000 fut, it was on the second day minor pain in the donor area it hurt but took med and was ok, i didn't have staples i had the tri closure, i couldn't sleep good for about 5 days not from pain but scared to death i would do something stupid like scratch my head. let me add to me the ht was a day at the beach compared to the w a i t i n g for the results, the shock loss the ht hair falling out you could actually look worst than before the ht the pimples thank god for this site because what people said would happen did happen so i was prepared can't imagine what people went thru with old procedures and no one to share the experience

I had alot of the same questions about the same age. I worked at the job were i couldn't wear a hat and dealt with the public in a casino. The new procedures for ht are different than those from the 80's and 90's. You really can't tell if you have a ht. I originally took off 6 weeks from work praying that would be enough time but went back after 2 1/2 weeks as everything was fine. First you won't have to worry about hair lost shock since you are vi. When you first get the ht, my worst part of the procedure was the pin pricks from the numbing med, and that was only for a few seconds. You will probably swell up in your face in the fore head and around the eyes starting 2-4 days, you will wonder why you ever did this. You won't be able to sleep right for the first week because of the donor area and you are afraid anything you do will cause the grafts to fall out. You will have minor pain in the donor area none in the recipent this can last until you have the staples or stiches out. Make sure to see how your doc closes the donor area hopefully using the newest method. After 2 weeks you should be fine the grafts will be set you can wear your work hat. The reason they want you to bend the knees is for the donor scar so you don't pull on it. Next after about a month you will lose the donor hair and be back to where you started. Next comes the worst part the waiting for the new hair to grow this could last 3-5 months from the time you had ht this is another time you will wonder why you ever did this.this is where i'm at i'm at 7 weeks and like they say it is the waiting for the results that is the hard part. If i could give you some advice it is to maybe do the first procedure in canada as they will start in the front and hairline i think this is the crucial area and this has to be right and then using thailand for the top and crown.this will give you more time to research this doc.also if something happens you will be right there in your home town .i wouldn't go to a ht doc that i wasn't completely sure of as your face and hair is the first thing people will see. It is because of the plug look they did in the 70/80's that people can't tell we have had an ht today it gotten that much better, good luck on your ht journey.one more thing you will probably need 1 year between each ht this is for the scar in donor to heal also check to see how many scars you will have, you should still end up with one instead of three separate ones.

Isn't the number of hairs transplanted more important that the number of grafts as the doc can have a three hair folicle and make it three single grafts. So instead of paying for one three hair graft you are paying for three singles. I know you need singles for the hairline but shouldn't you have alot of double and triple grafts for back filler. Is it possible if you get a ht with 3000 grafts you could get more hair at a lower cost than 4000 grafts that have been sliced down to alot of singles

Don't have your answer but also to add to his question is there a better time to have a ht. I have heard hair grows faster in the summer than the winter, so would it be better to have ht in the winter so that 5 or 6 months later the hair would grow faster since its summer versus having ht in summer and hair coming in slower in the winter. Hope this isn't a dumb question

had a ht will need another one later on down the road for the top and crown.i'm in the shedding phase on the lst ht and wanted to know if you have shedding again in the lst ht area when you have the 2nd ht. also does the time between hts help the lst ht not to shed again. the longer you wait the stronger the hair is in the first ht.

Had ht with dr vogel 3 weeks ago so far better than expected. It was my first time and had seen the nightmares of earlier ht's that you could see from a mile away. I orginally took off 6 weeks from work and hoped this would be enough time. The doctors office and this web site assured me i would be ok after about 2 weeks, still i was nervous about it, keep seeing rows of plugs with everyone looking at my head. Well got the ht and my head looked like a mess did everything the doc said about taking care of head and little by little the scabs dropped off and the redness disappeared. So after 10 days wearing a hat went outside. Stopped by saw my daughter still with had on she kept looking at my had and i'm thinking she can see thru the hat and see my ht. Each day my head got better and on 14 day got stitches removed, doc said still had some scabs and said to get a little more aggressive, so i did. Now to me everything looked ok but the test would be my daughter so went to see her minus the hat. And she didn't say anything did look up at my head i knew if i got by her i was ok. Started going everywhere without hat went back to work 17 days after ht no one noticed feel great now just waiting for the next stage, but even if no hair grows at least no one knows i tried, and the doc said i will be very pleased and you know i believe him. Thks to this web site great info you can trust. Sorry no pictures i know a picture is worth a 1000 words i will try and post them

Had ht on 2/17 so far so good. I was worried about people seeing i had a ht as i work in a public place. But was assured with the new procedures that it would be okay. They were right i had approximately 2000 grafts to the frontal section and i'm going back in 8 months for evaluation for the top and crown. I went to dr. Vogel in baltimore and can say he and his staff are very professional. They are honest and don't sugar-coat the procedure or outcome. I had very little pain took tynenol and pain was only in donor area. Some history i'm 65 yrs old am a 5v on the scale. I guess i waited because of all the bad ht i had seen and didn't want people to keep staring at the hair plugs. But times have changed and it is truly impossible to tell with a good surgeon. If i could give some advise to the young it would be to be realisic and plan for future losses. If you look at the repair ht from years ago the plugs are still there with hugh bald areas, so this must be hair they lost over the yrs since their procedure. So plan ahead knowing the donor area is limited stay on the meds the prices have really come down think of what your head will look like in your mid 40's and not now. Don't look for the next cure as rogaine and propecia were suppose to be it but they can aid in slowing the process that's another reason i waited for that cure, still waiting, i think it will come thru gene therapy. Will post pictures at a later time. Right now i'm happy that i don't look like i had a transplant and can now wait for the hair to come in. I can recommend dr vogel and look forward to my next ht with him and his staff

Thks for all the good info.

Two part question, if you have more than one fut do you have a scar for each procedure, ex two ht two scars, also since propecia usually is good for the crown area and the donor area usually comes from that area and is moved to the frontal area or top wouldn't this hair be benefited because it originally came from the crown area and propecia would treat it a crown area hair

thks for your response, would scalp exercises increase the elasticity of the scalp?

How do ht doctors determine how many grafts are left in the donor area if they tell you not many are left how do they know since you still have hair also when the ht doctor makes the slits for the grafts and the tech places them if there are some left over (not enough slits) do they "piggy back" them and does this effect the follicle

I. am going to have a ht with dr vogel in 10 days they say after scabs fall off in about 2 weeks you won't be able to tell I had a ht. I work at a business where I can't wear a hat and interact with alot of people. Is this time frame about right. I know everyone is different but just trying to get an idea, I took a month off from work.