salami

Izzy,

I had a procedure with Dr. Dorin exactly 4 weeks ago. I also did not want to have the recipient area shaved.

Here is a before and exactly 2 weeks after photo, which is the day I went back to work. My hair does look a little thinner in the after (I also had a little sunscreen on which gave it a slightly thinner texture), but no one had a clue I had anything done.

For FUE, the donor area will need to be shaved to some degree. Take a look at this recent post where Dr. True did the extractions from 2 separate areas to help minimize the shaved down appearance.

http://www.hairrestorationnetwork.com/eve/161518-dr-true-1301-hairline-fue-pre-post-op.html

If you wear your hair long, this method may work out for you, but it is definitely something to discuss with every doctor you consult with.

Regarding shaving the recipient area (without starting an argument about it), some doctors feel that it is a critical part of the process, while others feel that it is not necessary. You can search this site for varying opinions on it.

I do feel it is critical that a doctor discloses this information before accepting your deposit. I know all too well about this (but that's a topic for another discussion).

These are a few of the doctors that always shave some portion of the recipient area:

Rahal

Hasson & Wong

Lindsey

Feller

A lot of recent results from SMG show that they also tend to shave the recipient area, but may be able to accommodate you, especially for a smaller procedure. Definitely check with them.

Many of the other doctors recommended on this site typically do not require shaving the recipient area, especially for smaller procedures.

Their policies can change, so definitely discuss this during all of your consultations.

Nice!

Love the 2 tier extraction. (That could probably sound weird out of context).

It would be cool to see 1 and/or 2 week donor pics (if you have them) to see how this approach panned out.

NewHair,

Shouldn't you take a break from posting, and get back to doing your scalp exercises.

Seriously, best of luck to you. I'm sure it will be worth the wait.

logo,

I know exactly how you feel. The scar from my first HT (14 years ago) was raised, and that always bothered me.

I had a second HT just over 2 weeks ago, and the doctor removed the old scar when taking the strip.

I told him that I was concerned that this scar may become raised as well, and he recommended that I come back in another month or so, as opposed to the usual 4 month follow-up.

Some people scar this way. This may be temporary in your case, but I would recommend discussing this with your surgeon, or visit a local dermatologist or plastic surgeon to have a look (if your HT doc is not local).

Mick,

I completely agree with your description of Dr. Dorin. He is a world-class surgeon, and a very good guy. I just had a procedure with him 2 weeks ago, and he was very caring and professional, both during the procedure and in my post-op visits.

I already had a scar from a prior procedure, so I did FUT, and had the old scar removed in the process.

If you do a forum search, you should be able to find a lot of results for Dr. Dorin.

Here are a couple of other links/searches you can try:

Patient Sites for Dr. Dorin

Google site:hairrestorationnetwork.com dorin

Dr. Hasson is very highly regarded, and for good reason. You didn't say where you were located (I'm guessing the NY area based on the doctors you mentioned), but most people will tell you to not let travel be an issue. Another top surgeon that is closer to you (albeit not that close) is Dr. Rahal in Ottawa. I think he comes to NY on occasion to do consults.

Can you post some recent photos, so we can get a better idea of your situation.

Mick,

I believe this is him:

http://www.hairrestorationnetwork.com/eve/161214-dr-dorin-1508-frontal-fut.html

bonkerstonker,

Thanks. I actually really appreciate your honesty. I'm sure you're not alone with those thoughts.

While my old scar was actually fairly thin, it was raised, and that bothered me. Dr. Dorin said that he will take extra precautions (additional follow-up visits, possible cortisone injections, etc...) to help ensure that it lies flat.

I also have some cobblestoning/pitting from my previous procedure that I was looking to camouflage.

I was relatively happy with the results from the procedure I had in 1997. It's not until I went off Propecia last year that I really noticed significant thinning (and the cobblestoning), and decided to take action. I'm since back on it, and my hair loss seems to have stabilized again.

If I could do it all over again (where have we heard that before), shaving my head would have probably been the way to go, but I don't really regret having an HT at age 22 because it definitely increased my confidence at that time.

Also, another Dr. I consulted with was ready to take me on as a patient without hesitation.

Here is another picture taken directly before my procedure. You can see that my native hairline is still somewhat intact, and helps to give me some coverage on top (yes, if the hairline goes, that will be tough).

I am hoping that this procedure, while relatively small, will help reduce some of the "see-through" effect. When this fully grows out in a year or so, I will reassess and take it from there.

Excellent result with only 2500 grafts in that size area. Well-placed, age appropriate hairline, and very nice use of available grafts.

When you post more photos, can we see more from the top and behind. You mentioned that the grafts were placed mostly in the frontal area, but it would good to see the contrast between the transplanted and non-transplanted area.

Thanks.

Thanks orlhair1!

So far, so good.

You should be able to find several shampoos at WholeFoods that are SLS and paraben free. Look for brands such as Aubrey Organics, Avalon Organics, Jason, and Burt's Bees.

Wallgreens may carry some as well, particularly Burt's Bees (as I have seen their products in the larger pharmacy chains).

maxxmill17,

By SLS, I believe you are referring to Sodium Lauryl Sulfate.

This site seems to suggest what you are talking about:

Shampoo Causes Hair Loss -- The Effects of Sodium Lauryl Sulfate (SLS).

Obviously, since it's on the internet, it must be true.

Personally, I use this SLS free shampoo. It doesn't exactly foam up as well as SLS shampoos, but it has a nice all natural ingredient list.

multiplier,

Thanks for your reply.

I knew there might be some questioning the graft count as low.

There were a few factors at play here (a couple based in my request):

1. I don't have a large donor supply, and 3,000 would have been a very significant percentage of my available donors. My hairline is still somewhat intact, and I need to keep some in reserve if that starts to go.

2. I asked Dr. Dorin to excise my old scar. This was in an area that was lower in the zone. If he went higher (in a completely virgin donor area), he probably could have gotten more, but then I would have had a second scar (a trade-off that I was willing to accept).

3. I asked Dr. Dorin not to go too high on the sides with the strip, because even at normal length (I grew my hair a bit longer for the procedure for better coverage for when I go back to work), I have poor density, and there is a decent chance that the scar (regardless of how thin it is) might show through.

With all of this being said, we probably could have gotten a few hundred more grafts, but no where near 3,000.

So, I guess you can say I went a bit conservative. We'll see how it looks in about a year, and I will re-evaluate the need for an additional procedure at that time.

TakingThePlunge,

Thanks! I will do my best to provide updates.

Thanks Corv. Those are just estimates, but pretty much in the same ballpark.

Either way, I'm not one of the lucky ones with 8-10k in reserve.

I should probably conserve a few for the hairline if it starts to go (it's a bit sparse, but it's still there).

Thanks Dutch!

Corvettester,

Thank you as well!

Actually, both Dorin and another doc originally said I would have a second scar, as my previous one was too low. When Dorin did the final evaluation just before the surgery, he was able to excise it, and take the strip completely from the area above it. The scar is still near the bottom of the "safe zone", but I'm glad to only have the one.

Dorin estimates about another 2,500 - 3,000 in the tank...then on to chest hair! :eek:

Hello everyone. I had a transplant with Dr. Dorin yesterday, June 21st. 1,464 grafts strip.

This was my second procedure. My first was in 1997 with a Dr. in NY named Joel Kassimir (unknown # of grafts, but probably in the 500 range).

Dr. Dorin and his staff were great. Went back today for a follow-up, and they said it's looking very good.

Dr. Dorin was able to excise my old scar, leaving me with a single scar (which I greatly appreciated).

Here is a before and immediately after photo. I know this won't give me a completely full head of hair, but I think it will be sufficient to give me much better coverage up there.

Now the healing and waiting begins.

Here is the breakdown:

1,464 grafts

516 singles, 899 doubles, 49 triples

2,461 total hairs

I agree with with what everyone has said, but I would think that females might be more sensitive to having their recipient area shaved as part of the procedure.

I know that many of the top docs do this (and feel that it is imperative to getting optimal results), but it is something that a woman would want to make sure that she is comfortable with before undergoing a hair transplant.

Mattj and Spex,

Since you represent a couple of docs that are in this camp, what has been the female response when they are told about the recipient area shaving?

Thanks mcloud....and thanks for the tip about the chicken parm sandwich. Maybe they should add that to the pre-op instructions.

Definitely post some pics of your progress when you get a chance.

The youtube link you posted is private, so I can't access it.

Nice update Corvettester.

I have a procedure with Dr. Dorin next week as well. I had 2 consults with him, and I concur with everything you said about him.

Good luck with your second procedure.

I started taking Propecia in 1997 at the age of 22. I stopped it about a year ago after reading some of the recent disturbing articles about the side effects. After about 6 months or so off, I started losing hair fairly rapidly. So, I think it had definitely been working to maintain most of what I still had.

I have since started taking it again, and I have noticed less hair falling out in the shower.

Thanks for posting this Dr. Wesley. Please post more examples of your work.

It would great to hear from some of your patients on this forum as well.

mcloud,

Congrats on the procedure with Dr. Dorin.

Can you post some updated pics when you get a chance. I'm curious to see how the healing is going.

I'm going to see Dr. Dorin myself in 2 weeks....14 years after my first HT (with a different doc).

Best of luck to you!

UncleJesse,

I'm glad you're happy with your results, as you should be.

I firmly believe that this was an anomaly for Dr. Dorin, and is not typical of his work.

I have had 2 consults with him (coincidentally the second one was the day this thread started...yes, I did bring it up), and was very impressed with his results, attitude, thoroughness, and professionalism.

I have also been in contact with several of his patients who are not only very happy with their results, but also the professional manner in which they were taken care of.

I applaud Dr. Dorin's candid response. I look forward to seeing him next month, and I am fully confident that he will do an outstanding job for me.