Sickboy

Day 13. Sutures came out 3 days ago. Loads of little hairs in the recipient area. Scar still very visible as I would have expected, with a few little scabs still visible on it. Back to work tomorrow...will be a challenge but don't reckon it will be too bad. Apologies for the poor photo quality.....photographing the back of your own head is harder than it sounds!!!! Am v happy with where I am overall.

Hi all......am 2 weeks out frm 3020 grafts FUT, and the recipient area is now completely scab free and looking fine. There are still a fair few scabs around the scar. Am I alright to try and massage them off when wet?? I don't really want to risk stretching the scar but am I ok if I massage left to right along the scar as opposed to massaging over the scar? Also am I ok to treat the scar with bio oil while there are a few scabs on it?? Thanks.....

My doc said to do very light cardio after one month, step up the cardio after 2 months and resume weights after 3. I am going to follow that to the letter. I love working out and haven't had a prolonged break from the gym for 17 year sor so.....having said that tho I am not going to do anything to risk my HT result. Missing the gym will be a pain but I can easily get back to the level I was at previously with 6-8 weeks when I return. In the meantime I am just eating ultra healthily to make sure I do not put on weight.

Thanks loads for the comments guys. Things are looking better day by day. Can't wait to get the sutures out tho as sleeping on them is not comfortable....will update you all soon!!

I had a meeting with Dr Reddy before deciding on Dr Bisanga. He seemed decent enough although the lady I discussed the finances with at the clinic was giving it a really hard sell and seemed quite snooty....that's Harley Street I guess. Also when I mentioned a few other clinics I had been too she was quite disparaging of their work which I thought was very unprofessional.

Hi guys Am 3 days out from having 3020 FUT (7358 hairs....457 1's, 1161 2's, 1029 3's, and 373 4's) with Dr Bisanga in Brussels in the front third of my scalp . The whole thing seemed to go swimmingly...but damn it's a long day in the chair........ The whole staff were quaity there but a special thanks to the patient advisor Steve. He has been a great help throughout the whole process. Arrived in Brussels sunday night...checked in to the hotel and found the clinic. Arrived at the clinic 07:30 on the Monday and met the doctor and the team. Dr Bisanga is a v decent chap and I knew I was in good hands throughout the whole process.... I am sure most of you will know the process but first up he took the pre op photos, then shaved my head down. Then it was in to the chair, a valium and an antiobiotic tablet, and the injections began. The injections are certainly not pleasant but I just detached myself mentally for a few minutes and they were soon done. Next Dr Bisanga took the strip. It's certainly a strange feeling. No pain at all but I have to admit the noise is not pleasant....I believe Dr Bisanga said he takes the strip in 3 sections. Not sure if this is the norm but I guess different doctors have different techniques.... After that the techicians went to work on dividing the grafts while the doctor opened the channels. Again no real pain and I chatted happily with the Dr throughout the process. After that the technicians started to insert the grafts with Dr Bisanga checking back in at regular intervals to examine the work. All in it was a long day and I was pretty relieved when it was all done, but in all fairness I cannot fault the profesionalism of the team. I returned to the clinic the following day for a quick check up and to have the donor and recipient areas cleaned. They seemed very happy with the work and I was good to go. I flew home that day, and the only blip on an otherwise text book visit was a very slight bump on the head as I boarded the plane. When I got home and removed my bandana I was prett panicked to see that a graft had stuck to it and popped out. After a minor panic attack I emailed Steve at the clinic, who replied to me within 5 mins ( in the evening) to put my mind at ease and to tell me not to worry about it. I got my head cleaned up and everything looked fine. Am 3 days out now and healing up very nicely. No probs at all with donor or recipient area...although my head has swelled up like a melon, particulalry around the eyes.I know it's the norm but damn I look like a freek!!!......seems to be going down now thank god. Some before and after photos attached and would welcome any feedback. Will add some more when the stiches come out and will keep you all updated....

Sorry just found a full thread on this on one of the other forums on this site. Can't find how to delete this thread.

Hello all. Am due to have a HT next month (approx 3,000 follicles by FUT). I am a pretty regular gym goer, 4-5 times a week, nothing too strenuous, as a rule 30 mins weights, 30 mins cardio per session. I have been told that I can start light cardio at 1-2 months, step up the cardio at 2 months and return to weights at 3 months post op. Now i am not going to do anything that would risk the scar stretching, but I was just wondering what sort of timescale other FUT patients had adhered to post op before returning to excersize and whether their scar had been affected at all?? Thanks.

I am no expert but this is my understanding of transplanted hair. The donor hair is taken from the back and sides of the head. This is something of a 'safe zone' when it comes to hair. If you look at someone who you would comsider more or less completely bald, you will notice in nearly every case that there is still hair on the back and side of the head, for some reason this hair is not affected by male patern baldness. Only the top of the head is bald. The hair taken from the donor area still holds these characteristics ie it is genetically programmed not to fall out. Therefor the transplanted hair is as good as permanent.......if anyone knows differently feel free to completely contradict me...: o )

You're doing the right thing in going to the doctors. Don't panic (easier said than done I know). It could be any one of a number of things but needn't be serious, or permanent. You're doc will probably take a blood test and maybe even send you to a dermatologist for tests. I am sure they can find out what is causing it......: O )

Hi You should go go see your doctor as they'll be able to let you know if the excessive hair loss is due to the meds. I echo the sentiments re the generic finasteride. I get a 4 month supply for ?4 thru my doctor, whereas proscar is about ?30 a month........

Thanks guys!

Hi all....am travelling from the UK to Belgium for an HT later in the year and was bit worried about coming back through customs. ObviouslyI will be wearing a hat....will customs ask me to remove it??? If they do,do I have the right to ask to remove my hat somewhere relatively private??? I believe women in Burquas are not expected to remove them in public.....any idea if I will get the same courtesy???

Good luck Dutch...am booked in with Dr Bisanga in Brussels. I hear good thinga about him.....am pretty excited but a bit apprehensive too.....

Thanks Dutch........sounds like a plan. Will have a couple of weeks before returning to work so can 'fine tune' it a bit.....Am prepared to resemble Frankensteins monster to some degree but anything I can do to limit the freakshow factor will be good....

Hi all Am in the process of booking in a 3000graft FUT with Dr Bisanga for September this year. I have general thinning over the scalp and am having it thickened up, as well as having my hairline strengthened.......My question is, if I am having FUT would I be better off shaving my whole head pre-op and just living with the scar for a couple of months until hair covered it, but at least looking relatively normal hair wise, or just shaving the top of my head, leaving some hair at the back to cover the scar? The scar would not be visible but I'd look....well...... a bit weird. What do most people do? Any suggestions??? thanks

Hi Roadrunner Any news to report??? Am looking to use Transmed myself and just looking for a little feedback. Thanks

Hi guys am a total newbie here but just had a few questions for y'all if you don't mind......I have been looking in to getting an HT done all this year. I live in the UK and have seen a few clinics here all who have recommended about 2500 grafts. I have also spoken to couple of clinics in Belgium, one in New York and one in Turkey. I thought I had made my final choice to go with dr melike kulahci at Transmed in Turkey due to hearing very good reviews....and also the very reasonable prices. A quick scan of the forums here however shows a few disgruntled customers (and one total horror story). I haven't booked yet but was just about to.......can anyone shed any light on to the quality of work that dr melike kulahci is doing. Are a few bad reviews normal for a clinic or should I review my decision.Also I am looking to get FUE done, would I get better results with FUT??? My hairline is ok but I have general thinning over the whole scalp, particularly at the front. If anyone can offer any information that may help me with my choice I would really appreciate it. Thanks