DCClinton

TIMELINE FROM BALD TO HAIR with Doctor William Lindsey - Mclean VA: *Note that this timeline was for 3500 grafts (personal experience) 7:20 AM -Arrive at the Facility 7:30 - 7:45 AM - Sign forms, take valium (muscle relaxer), and the doctor draws the hair pattern 7:45 - 8:15 AM - Strip extraction from back of head 8:15 - 9:00 AM - Dr. Lindsey will place holes for grafts 9:00 - 12:30 PM - Hair technicians place grafts 12:30 - 1:00 PM - LUNCH (ordered and delivered to the facility - included) 1:00 - 4:00 PM - Hair technicians continue to place grafts 4:15 PM - Out the Door *Time may vary depending on graft disection, implantation, whining, and going to the bathroom too many times.

Wow, how about that. The only difficulty would be modifying the drug to only target the head. You might resemble the Geico caveman after taking this.

True, its not best to look at how the strip is removed. There are some nasty videos online that show this and it can turn you away. I've seen the videos and knew what the doctor was doing; however, the valium does help in creating the "care less" effect. Just remember that a poor surgeon can cause nerve damage if not skilled; make sure you choose wisely.

How should you care for your hair: 1.) Vitamins are always a good bet; however, wait until after you heal as some may cause the blood to thin out. Your best bets are vitamin A, B, and E series for good hair growth. 2.) Your diet will determine how you heal: Prepare meals that are healthy in nature. Remember, you will be sitting around a lot while you heal, so portion your meals out well. 3.) Drink plenty of fluids: Water, Orange Juice, Pomegranite Juice, Mango Juice (you get the idea). This also helps if any medication causes bowel obstructions. 4.) Use a good shampoo without the Parabens and other toxic chemicals that cause hair to fall out. You may have to spend a little extra, but Aveda and most higher-end hair salon shampoos are nice to use. I can't comment on shampoos Mom's Organic Market or Whole-Foods sell; however, they do carry natural products as well. 5.) Ice Cream: For some reason, when my donor area begins to have a little pain, eating ice cream always makes it subside (I recommend staying away from artifical sweeteners like aspartame, just to ensure you aren't having side affects from those chemicals).

Between day one (1) through six (6), you may experience the following: 1.) Dehydration (you may find yourself drinking lots of water). I'm not an expert in H20, but any shock to the body probably starts this process. 2.) Day 1 and 2, you may find yourself a little red on top. Don't worry, by Day 3, the scalp begins to relax and cells begin to heal. 3.) You may feel tightness, numbness, and even pain in the donor area. Some of this may be from the stitches being tight and the other a part of the healing process. There are nerves that are severed during the donor area removal and this takes time to heal. (Please note: find a good surgeon as damage can be done to the nerves if the doctor is not trained in this method well). Note: You may have alternating days where you feel great, then some pain. I would do well in the mornings, then would have a little pain in the evenings. Everyone may differ. 4.) You may find that your recipient area is white and flaky after showers (especially around day 5-6). You should be able to lightly wash the recipient area; however, I understand if you're unwilling to do so (you've invested a lot up there). 5.) If you find grafts in the shower (and you probably will), it very sad to see, but you have to factor in that 2-3% loss before going into surgery. 6.) You may find your friends calling asking how they can help you out. You should enjoy everyone's concern; its not everyday that you have a life changing procedure and you can get this type of attention.

How to prepare for a hair transformation surgery: The following things should be done when preparing for surgery; especially if you live alone. 1.) I would suggest performing this in the winter time when you are forced to stay indoors and away from activities for a few weeks. 2.) Go out a few nights before and purchase groceries. You probably won't feel like leaving the house for a few days due to the doner area incision 3.) Prepare your immune system several days in advance (e.g., Vitamic C); 4.) Purchase an airplane (U-Shaped) pillow, along with four (4) regular bed pillows to so that you can rest easily on a 45 degree angle (a recliner works also). However, the U-Shaped pillow will take pressure off the neck and back of the head while you try and rest. It's common to wake up in the middle of the night for several nights following the procedure. 5.) Ensure you have your medication ready to use the first day of surgery. I had a valium early morning and a pain pill late afternoon on surgery day, and pain pills usually twice daily for about 2-3 days after. 6.) Take with you snacks, sodas, cell phone, laptop, iphone, or whatever you prefer to keep yourself entertained. I've even heard of a guy taking a conference call during a procedure. Some places provide Tv's; however, be careful because the hair tech's like to watch as well. 7.) I highly suggest wearing an old shirt the doctor can cut-off and a button-up shirt to wear home. This will ultimately depend on the doctor and how they perform the procedure. Some doctors use a spray saline solution to remove other fluids while they insert the hair, which can get you really wet. 8.) Purchase a anti-fog mirror for the shower with suction cup. This helps when washing your head so you don't damage the grafts.

Research: Hair restoration today has become a general science in which these medical facilities have popped up on every corner and performing the work isn't rocket science. However, there are several things to consider when having hair restoration; these include: 1.) Plasic surgeon vs. general doctor 2.) Shaved head or no shaved head 3.) Head Wrap / no Head Wrap 4.) Doctor performs the recipient area incisions / hair techs perform each incision. 5.) Stitches versus Staples The cost for a plasic surgeon will be more expensive based on the type of education the doctor has received and work that he does. You can expect a 3-5K difference if you are particular about scarring. I learned a long-time ago, that some things in life are definately worth the extra money. There have been many of cases of bad scarring in the donor area, so be careful on an unknown doctor or facility. Next, you have to determine how you want to be perceived in public, specifically at work. Since I am a consultant, I was concerned how I would look with a new half/shaved head. However, in my opinion, to get the most out of the procedure, I decided grafting around existing hair would be messy and uneven, especially if the old hair began to shed. Some doctors will provide you a head-wrap for the first night. This isn't essential; however, its nice to have should your donor area bleed a little (this might save you a pillowcase). Note: Some businesses are setup by marketers (yes, fancy talking salemen) and hire doctors to perform the incision on the donor area, and then hair techs who insert the grafts in the recipient area (who said you needed to be a doctor to have your own hair business). Many hair techs operate independently and travel, but usually do have the experience necessary to perform the work. However, I don't want a travelling doctor performing incisions in the donor area, but thats just me. I recommend researching the doctor and make sure that he/she isn't just a face on the Internet. The doctor should have an established location and meet/greet them in person, not just on the day of the surgery. Additionally, if you are trying to decide between stitches and staples, I prefer a plastic surgeon using a fine stitching technique over the Frankenstein method use of staples, but to each their own.