swayzedo

Hi Willit, your comment has made me a little more cautious about returning to a routine so early because in my first week post op I had crazy big headaches that I think were down to the occipital nerve pain and the back of my head still feels a little nippy if I'm resting it on the back cushion of a couch or I stroke the back of my head against the grain of the hair. Even now after applying my aloe vera gel and massaging it in the back of my head has a very, very dull throb. Mind you I did a few pull ups yesterday and didn't feel anything but then again I didn't really push I wasn't doing sets or anything. I only really do bodyweight in my HiiT routine bar a barbell plate for core work on the floor and some ankle weights but they will be out the window for the time being I think. Proper resistance days I think I'll definitely leave for a while. I'm not sure, I think I'll give it a try on Monday but if I feel the slightest inkling of anything going wrong I'm going to stop. I'll report back on Monday with a verdict.

Thanks for all the great advice guys. I was going to do a break in session tomorrow which will be day 15 post op and start again full on Monday but I think I'll wait another 3 days and do a half speed/effort session for a week just to get back into the mental routine.

Thanks for the advice, I just wasn't sure because there is a difference between a brisk jog and HiiT training but both can be called exercise. And it's not T25, I do my own version depending on what body part I think needs some work but I did that and Insanity last year and I do incorporate some movements from it into my routine. Great workout though, a little unnecessarily brutal sometimes I think so that's why I prefer to do my own as I know my body pretty well now.

Went really well and looking back it was no big deal, the first week post op was worse. I'm 14 days tomorrow and things seem to be on track so just waiting for shedding at the moment. I'll be doing a full write up once I get the pictures of the day from the clinic and other updated images. The actual hairline design is more curved that what I originally wanted but I have to say I'm digging it and I feel better that it was played safe. Can't make a full judgement until it's grown in but so far it's 10/10 from BHR and staff!

Hey folks, coming up to 14 days post op and I am absolutely bored out my skull. Even on my days off work I enjoy/endure a good workout routine and I'm really wanting to get back in to it. Dr Bisanga said 2 weeks is enough time for an FUE procedure and I can go back to it after that and I have to say the grafts seem very secure, the redness has all but gone and it even looks like it's growing but I'm maybe erring on the side of caution and giving it another week or until shedding starts. I do a pretty brutal 25 minute High intensity interval training routine most mornings before breakfast and a week before the procedure I was just getting the hang of a new routine (in other words I was able to make it through the whole thing without nearly dying) and I don't want to lose that edge. What are your experiences about going back to a routine after this amount of time? Any issues that have cropped up? Thanks all!

Not a great deal to share but I might as well. Still waitig on the op day pics from BHR and then I'll do a full report! Last week ws MURDER!!!! I was unlucky enough to get nerve pain in the back of my head (1 in 6 chance) and little did i know that occipatal nerve pain can simulate the exact symptoms of a migrane so not only did I have a very nippy back of my head but screaming headaches as well. Add to this the fact I was on edge all week for fear of bumping the grafts and being all scabby didn't help. Anyway since day 8 I've been able to wash my head with baby shampoo and the difference has been great. The headaches have pretty much gone (stil a few here and there) and all the scabs from the recipiant area have fallen off leaving a purply pink scalp undernearthbut I think that's fading fast. I will say that the hairs don't quite blend in with my natural hair but since they are going to fall out soon and re-grow from new I'm guessing they will look more natural then. No shedding yet bar one or two hairs coming out so patiantly waiting on that happening. It looks like the hairs are growing but Stephen the BHR rep said it was just the dead hairs being pushed out the shafts so it's sad that my new hairline will have to go before I can enjoy it again. I'm getting my head buzzed down next week for sure. It's still very long at the top and although I tried to get away with a 90's style udnercut with a pony tail the fact that the front is also shaved defeats the purpose so beats get it all off. I've shaved my whole face yesterday as well and I'm going to have a race between my head by growing a beard from now on. Trouble was that without any kind of facial hair I forgot I look like a chinless potato so the sooner it starts to grow in the better. Thinking back to the procedure itself. it really was nothing and was over in the blink of an eye. I'm actually considering getting some other work done if and when I can afford it. I had horrible acne when i was a teenager and it left me with a few pock marks on my face and a few years ago I had a patch of dermatitis on my face which the doctor foolishly gave me steroid cream for so after a few years ofl lashing that on my face it's made my cheeks sag a bit which has made the pock marks even more noticable so perhaps some sort of surgical lift to stretch it out a little becasue when I lift my cheeks up with my figer everything goes away and looks great. If anyone reading this has any info on such procedures in the UK then please fling them my way as it would be good to research right now. But back to hair, I guess it's just a waiting game now and it IS a bit frustrating knowing that I'll have to shed first before growth but hey, that's the game!!!

Thanks all. Just had my second wash there and much crust was removed. Scalp is looking a healthy pinky purple and the hair has got softer but I expect it to start going soon. I'll get some pics and progress up as soon as I get the procedure pictures from the clinic. On a side note, Chris Barrie had said that when he wore the Ace Rimmer wig he felt like a completely different person, more confident and heroic. If that's any indication of the psychology of hair and what it can do for your mind and well being then it's a good lesson and one that's made me very glad of my procedure.

Thanks guys, it's good to be reassured. Ace Rimmer has the best hair the galaxy so I couldn't resist!

Hi all, I'm day 8 post of and just had my first real hair wash under the shower and I was allowed to massage the recipient gently with betadine shampoo and then give myself a once over with baby shampoo. Feels great to be able to do that but my scalp there is still very flaky and as I was looking in the mirror I just stroked the area slightly to try and dust off a few flakes which came away on my fingers and I looked at it and there were hairs in them. Now I'm no expert but a hair sticking out a half wet white flake looks a bit like a hair and a graft to my untrained eyes. I'm not overly concerned as I expect shedding to start around this time but just to be sure other things aren't falling out. Thanks!

Well I'm day 5 post op and honestly....it feels like 3 months!!! Time is passing so slowly it's horrible, especially as I'm bored out of my skull with no excercise to do and a month off of work. I think I just want this week to be over as I'm constantly on edge for fear of bumping or accidentaly touching or scratching the grafts. On day 8 I'm allowed to go under the shower and gently massage the recipient area with special shampoo so not only will I be somewhat out of the danger zonebut it will get rid of the crusts on my scalp which have been itching like f**k the last few days. At least if I can even do the old trick of tapping gently when i get an itch it will be fine but this zero contact has me eating my fist. Another thing that's cropped up that I was hoping to avoid is nerve pain in the donor area. It's ok most of the time but really seems to flare up after applying cream and massaging and it gets pretty nasty last thing at night, so much so I have to pop painkillers to be able to get to sleep. Funny thing is that it's not actually painful in a traditional sense, more of an extremely uncomfortable tingling that gets nippy sometimes. Last night I could feel it starting and it actually spread through my whole body but the painkillers kicked in and went to sleep and was fine in the morning. I really want to buzz my whole head down as well becasue the doc only shaved a patch at the back and at the front and left the rest long which is quite tickly on the back of my head if I don't keep it pinned up and is quite messy when applying cream. Wearing a baseball hat instead of a bandana would be good as well as I feel a bit chemo-ish with it on, especially as today I tried to buzz down some of the longer hair at the sides and made a complete patchy pigs arse of it. I don't think a cap will be allowed for a few weeks yet though I think I've watched every film known to man in the last few days, I'm even re-watching the Nolan Batman trilogy as we speak just for something to do even though I watched it very recently. My flat is also ridiculously immaculate as I think I've just constantly cleaned to keep busy I do actually have a few creative projects that I could do but I know that if I don't have at least 80% of my attention on my grafts I'll unconciously run my fingers through my hair or scratch and when I'm engrossed in composiing music or making a video game I need to focus on it and t's just too dangerous right now. Well that's my rant over for now. I'm quite chuffed with how the hairline looks, I just wish it was hair rather than scabs that make it but once this week is over and a bit of contact is allowed I'll feel safer and after 2 weeks I'll start to get back to somewhat of a normal life. Until next time.....

Smashing thanks! I'll probably give it three weeks just to be safe but it's good to know the general timeframe!

Hi folks, I'm 3 days post op from my 2 day session with Dr Bisanga and his team and I'll do a full write up and progress thread once I get the pics through from the clinic but I have a question... Being a rock guy I had very long hair going in to the clinic, it was nearly down to my belly button if I stretched it out (and a few good Samson and Jesus jokes were cracked by the Doc which made me laugh!). Anyway I was originally all prepared to have the lot buzzed off but the Doc (I always called him "Doc") said it wasn't necessary and only shaved the back and a bit at the front which is all cool and apparently it's what they do with female patients but to be honest it's ended up being more hassle than it's worth. Even my best attempts at tying it up always result in a few clumps falling down and when applying the cream to the donor area it all gets a bit messy. Anyway I'm just going to bite the bullet and buzz the lot but I'm wondering when would be a safe time to do this as at the moment I'm letting absolutely nothing near my precious grafts except what the clinic said is safe because I'm very aware of this first week and letting the grafts anchor. I'm thinking two to three weeks will be ok but just to check with more experienced people. Thanks all!

Maybe we are all melding into one, like some sort of hair transplant Borg collective. And the doc will be getting an earful tomorrow. He got my hairline shape bang on in the consultation but I have a phone loaded with pictures and image urls to show him about what I like in graft placement. I feel like there has been a switch flipped in me as If to say I'm past the point of safe return so just bulldoze in to it!

Awesome, look forward to the photos and happy growing!

Ok the above post is me but I've been logged in as someone else? Strangeness!

Thanks for the reply's guys and the great advice, defo a few things I missed. The Doc pretty much got the shape of the hairline bang on in the consultation first time and I have a few things to say about graft placement at the front (I'd like it nice and staggered) but aside from that I'm all cool to go. I'll have my phone on me if I need to reference. It's great to know that everyone has the same thoughts as me. Your story about the taxi ride Campbell is exactly what was racing through my head today so it's very comforting to know that no-one is alone in terms of feeling the same beforehand.

Well folks, I jet off to Belgium on Tuesday morning at 6am to have my procedure done with Dr Bisanga and the BHR team on Wednesday and Thursday. I think the realisation has just hit me tonight and the nerves are well and truly kicking in. As far as the procedure goes I'm feeling confident about it and I'm just hoping I'm a good grower. Anyway I think I have everything sorted. I have my travel pillow, a good book to read and a good deal of ready euos as I've no idea how much hotel meals or room service is. I just wanted to ask if anyone has any last minute pieces of handy advice that they could chuck my way before I leave that might ease my week a bit. I have to say it's totally crept up on me but true to my promises to myself I've been watching lots of films featuring guys with cool hair (Kurt Russell & Hugh Jackman are my personal faves) and pausing to looks at my consultation pics and if my hairline turns out the same as the one Dr B drew on my head in the photos then I'll be a very happy chap indeed and yes I'm toying with the idea of going outside with Wolverine hair when (or if) it grows in. It's strange sitting in my flat alone on the cusp of this week typing this, almost surreal and like it's not really me that's doing this. Maybe it's normal, maybe I'm just a weirdo but either way I think this is going to be a life changing week whatever the outcome. I'm sure it will be a positive one but I'm also preparing for a worst case scenario at the back of my mind to be realistic but my brain keeps going back to how good it will be. Well that's about it! The next time I post a a topic on here will probably be my first post op pictures and then lots of moany blogs about waiting and having a cold head and missing my long hair. See you n the other side!

Yes delancey, will PM you the video now.

You're absolutely right! Sorry I just had an attack of the what if's there and yes I have seen an unnatural case from BHR (like I say, usually older ones from around 2008ish) but for that one I've seen tons of amazing one's too but I need to keep reminding myself that any result from Dr Bisanga is going to be a zillion times better than what I have right now. I actually had a bit of a panic attack last night from worrying too much during the day but all cleared up now and I feel quite ready to forge ahead knowing I'm in good hands!

Thanks for the reply! I know I'm just being daft but it's good to hear fresh opinions in the run up!

Hey folks, I may be just be getting paranoid but I'm two weeks away from my procedure with BHR and Dr Bisanga and I'm getting nervous. To calm myself down I did a search looking for any bad reviews of BHR (I had done this previously my research and found just one which wasn't worth taking note of but just to be sure!) I couldn't find any on the net but I came across a thread that said there were lots of unhappy clients in Europe that had gone to BHR and it just got me very jittery even though it was just some guy making a comment. Don't get me wrong I have good faith in Dr B and his team and it's quite nice I couldn't find any bad reviews online but has anyone else heard anything bad about the clinic? I'm not really looking for dirt but more reassurance that I did pick the right clinic and I know I can get an honest answer on here. It's probably just 'transplant wedding' jitters but still. I've seen some amazing results come out of BHR that I'd be overjoyed with but also some ones that I didn't think were so great although the not so convincing ones seem to be a good few years older Thanks folks I didn't think I'd be like this but I guess the countdown has begun!

Well I'm having to write this blog from Firefox again as something seems to be blocking it on google chrome but doesn't matter! So, I'm just over three weeks away from my procedure and the emotional pace is beginning to gather. It hasn't helped that I've not been well at all the last few weeks. I started to suffer from panic attacks (at least that was the best diagnisis the doctors gave) last year but they went away after a few months but recently I've had similar symptoms and am feeling a little stressed about it all. Even a few weeks ago I looked in the mirror and honestly I looked like death. It's as if my whole face had just disintegrated and drooped which i can't understand becasue my diet has been perfect. Better then perfect in fact, although I have been smelling amonia in the mornings before my workout which apparently is a sign of amino acid breakdown due to lack of nutrition and I'm (for now) attributing that to my intermittant fasting that I've been doing so I'm easing up on that from an 8 hour eating window to a 12 and see if it takes the edge off. Food allegries could be a thing too so cutting out nuts and dairy to see if that makes a difference. I did make the mistake of going on a very high fat/protien & low carb diet and I stuck to it for a whole month and by the end of it I was having spots, tiredness and eventually problems with my heart beating way too hard (not fast just hard). This was before I discovered metabolic typing of course so putting a few more carbs in helped a lot as I seem to be a mixed type and mediam oxidizer who needs a bit of everything. Any back to hair, as I have probably said before I'm not releshing the fact that is a 2 day procedure and I'm a little concerned that the final price will be made on the day as I just can't say ok if it's over a certain amount as it's taking all my and my families money to even meet the 2000 grafts that was quoted to me so if it's 2200 or 2400 that the end result needs then I'm not sure what I'm going to do becasue the money just won't be there. On a positive note I think I'm going to be happy with my result. yes I have seen some results that I think "Eeech that looks like a hair transplant!" but I think this is down to the persons hair thickness rather than the clinics techneques as people with thicker hairs tend to look out of place when transplanted to the very front. Dr B said I have medium to fine hair (More fine) so I'm taking this as a positive as it may look better at the front instead of tree trunks bursting out my skin. Even though I've been leading an extreely healthy lifestyle the last few months I'm taking myself out for a drink and some social interaction for the last time this weekend and then it's back on the wagon as I want to be in perfect health for the procedure to maximise healing potantial. I don't really have many concerns about growth, I've always thought my hair grows really rapidly but then again this is subjective. At this point my biggest feat is that I'll be replacing one worry with another. Instead of thinking "can people see my receding hairline!" it will be " Can people tell it's a transplant?" This is all down to how I think it looks of course becasue as an artistic person I'm very critical of the way things look in terms of shape and natural behavior. Sometimes I look at a hair transplant and think it looks fake but then again I've not been used to a naturallly broad hairline for such a long time that I can't remember what looks natural and what doesn't so it may be my paranoia acting up and f course the hair is just one part of it, styling is also a big factor which, and I do say so myself, I'm quite good at (as are most men with hair loss). Well that's about it. I hope that I can kick whatever is eating me right now in time for the operation as it's no fun looking and feeling 60 when you're only 36!

Well that's it, I'm booked in for my surgery with BHR on the 18th and 19th of June! I'm still quite surprised at how soon it is I thought the clinic would have been booked up for months in advance but I'm very happy about it becasue the sooner the better in my view and if all goes to plan and I get a good yeild and good growth then I could possibly.....and I emphasise the word possibly, have a decent enough growth by Christmas to maybe venture out again. A big thanks to Stephen the UK BHR rep who have been pestering for a good few months now and has answered every question with both speed and patience. I must admit I'm not particularly looking forward to a 2 day surgery for my 2000 grafts but if that's what the doctor thinks is best I won't argue. It's really just becasue I get homesick very easily and it's an extra day away but it's nothing in the grand sceme of things. So yes, Phase 3 is now under way. All the scout work has been done and I know the score about travel and a little of my way around Brussels(around the Clinic anyway!) Of course I've been spending my time lookng at videos and pictures of BHR results and yes there are a few which I don't like but on the whole all the results seem to be excellent. The way I am looking at it is I'm going to get a good result with Dr Bisanga and then it's up to me and my styling skills when it all kicks in and since I've managed to do quite a good job at being presentable with the hairine I have already I think with all the extra bits filled in it'll be a breeze to make look good. Just today I walked to the shops thinkng "No-more wearing this damn baseball cap when I'm just out the shower, no-more fearing that gust of wind on the way to a night out and no more dreading getting caught in a rain shower with no hat to wear!" It's strange, paying all this money so I don't have to think about my hair but it's the peace of mind knowing that I will look good TO MYSELF! That's the only reason I'm doing it, so I can look in the mirror and say "Yep, that's me!" and live life with that in mind. I couildn't have doen this without my family though as they have helped me foot the bill. A big gesture indeed seeing as we are neither rich or particularly well off but happiness within one's self comes first and I think it helps that I'm not one for expensive tastes or fashions, cars etc so when I asked for help with this they knew that it must have been something that really was upsetting me. So yes that's it, I paid the deposit and the first payment yesterday and will be booking my flights and hotel soon to get everything stabelised and it's just a waiting game until the big day(s). In a way I wish it were tomorrow but the time will fly in as it did before my consultation and once it's done I just need to bide my time, but I have plenty to keep myself occupied so again I can see it flying in. It won't be much of a summer socially, a shame because it looks set to be a good one but I'll have plenty of happier and hairier summers ahead of me so the sacrifice wil be worth it!

Thanks will be updating regularly now the ball is rolling!

I did indeed. It felt like two demons slayed in one swoop of the sword!