LondonHTseeker

OK, so tomorrow I'm going to see the surgeon for steroid injections - if he agrees that they are appropriate. I hear Dr Feller's advice that they are unlikely to do much at all, but I figure it's worth trying just in case. I'm a little concerned by Dr Charles' suggestion that it's too early for the injections, but I've googled it and haven't seen anything advising against steroid injections into a scar at 3 weeks. If anyone knows of a reason why I shouldn't do it I'd be grateful to hear it.

They can sometimes dissolve scar tissue, which might stop the scar from becoming thick and stretching.

Hi Dr Charles, the operation with Dr Feller was three weeks ago tomorrow. Why do you recommend waiting please? I was thinking it would be good to catch the scar early before it thickens up and stretches too much but then I'm not a doctor so I may be wrong.

P.S. Hope the hurricane hasn't been too damaging for you Dr Feller...

Thanks for the information there Dr Feller. I understand it's physiology and my scalp's propensity to form keloids, that's what I thought (I knew it was no fault in the scar closure). I'll give the steroid injections a shot, can't do any harm as I've had a lot from this surgeon before in a different scar elsewhere on me and it gave some good results. Thanks for the figger wagging there Shampoo mate, but in my opinion a few careful steroid injections from a quality plastic surgeon is hardly 'reckless'.

Because I know about steroid injections from experience and I think they can help here.

Hi peeps It's been a while since I posted here. A couple of weeks ago I got my third strip surgery with Dr Feller in New York, around 700 grafts into the hairline. It went smoothly and now I'm just waiting out the result. Thing is I can tell that my body's screwing up the donor scar again, because since I took the staples out at 14 days the scar has been thickening up and is probably in the process of stretching. I'm due to get steroid injections into the donor scar on Thursday from a plastic surgeon on Harley Street here in London. I know this surgeon and he's trustworthy. Does anyone know of the effectiveness of steroid injections for this issue? I haven't asked Dr Feller yet; I figured I'd just come straight here and ask. Thanks.

Hi there, I'm posting as I've received a notification email from the forum about this topic. I don't come here anymore because I've sorted things out with Dr Feller and I'm going to schedule surgery with him when I'm able to; but I've had to put it on the backburner for the moment. Nobody ever comments on my hairline though so it's not as obvious as the direct sunlight photographs here make it seem. Hope everyone is well. I'll let the forum know when I get the operation with Dr Feller, and I'll post pictures. I'm sure the next op will sort it out. Cheers.

Thanks a lot, all the best with your hair growth.

Congrats on getting successful surgery with Dr Rahal, but plenty of excellent results from Dr Feller have been posted here. I see no reason to think Dr Feller and his team are not on a par with Dr Rahal and his team. I remain satisfied that Dr Feller is one of the best and I'm confident that Dr Feller can sort me out with the next surgery. It's probably best this thread dies now because it's kind of losing its perspective and I'm wondering whether I should have started it at all; but it has provided much useful advice and I'm grateful for that.

It clearly states it on the copy of the consent form with my signature on that I've had emailed to me by Spex. To be honest I'm surprised I signed it, but I cannot remember anything about it so I don't know if I verbally verified that my face wouldn't be used in any publication or I just rushed through and signed the thing. I asked Spex via email whether a lot of people object to that clause but he said that faces are blocked out (although the consent form doesn't stipulate that they will be). P.S. The consent form may well be different for Dr Feller's patients now because I'm talking about one from five years ago. It may be a bit more refined now as regards consent for photos to be used.

I've discovered that everyone signs a waiver for their photos to be used when they sign the surgery consent form with Dr Feller, so technically he did nothing wrong.

The simple answer is I really have no idea why I didn't get more grafts in the second sitting, but it wasn't due to money. Thanks for the good luck wishes. I'll keep this place posted.

I'm planning to go back to Dr Feller once I get the money together because it's the best deal, even with travel costs added on, and I'm sure Dr Feller can sort it out for me. I'll let the forum know how it goes when I get the operation.

Thanks for the example Dr Feller, it's helpful to know that such fill-in procedures can achieve impressive density. I hope to be able book the surgery with you before too long. I'm confident you can solve the density issue.

Ahairdown: The pattern of my hair thinness at the front makes it possible to gel it into shape with the hair behind and minimise the appearance of it being thin, luckily. But it would be great to have it thick again. I'm trying to arrange an appointment with Dr Farjo but I can't even get a call back from them at the moment, obviously they are very busy which doesn't bode well if I wanted to get a transplant with them anytime soon. I guess all the top clinics are booked up a few months in advance.

Hi Jessie. TBH I don't understand why you'd put your life on hold for what looks to me like a full head of hair, I'm sure most people don't give your hair a second look. So far as your comments about people using the forum as leverage hopefully you don't mean me. I've made every effort to be reasonable to Dr Feller on here. Good luck with your next HT, I wouldn't imagine you need more than 1000 grafts to thicken up the hairline though - unlike me.

Just seen your photographs, it is a similar surface area we've both had to cover. Good luck with your hair growth.

I've just read that sometimes grafts can't be densely packed enough in one session because they can pop out of the incision holes if placed too closely together, depending on scalp physiology, so with all these kinds of variables and my thin texture of hair, the result is understandable. Ahairdown, I'm 35. Money is the issue for me, which is why I've been negotiating with Dr Feller. Thanks for the hair thickening spray advice to give the illusion of more density, but that in combination to the gel I use would be a truly horrible combination! I once knew a guy who used spray on hair on his bald spot - not a good look on completely bald areas...

Definitely an excellent result, congrats. Temples are a nice touch also.

Thanks for the comments, guys. Things still seem quite a long way from working out for me on this yet though. It's actually bothering me more now since I've registered here, something to do with focusing my attention on it I guess. Ahairdown, what do you mean about placement of the hairline, out of interest? I guess you're suggesting I should have gone for a higher hairline then lowered it on another visit? Personally I think the low hairline is good, it's just the density that blows, maybe I should have had more grafts in one sitting...

When I compared mine and Corv's results earlier in this thread it seems I didn't appreciate the difference in area we've tried to cover. My transplant area is bigger, I think. Hairgirl's coverage is looking good though. chavtastic I see what you're saying. I'm not in a position to judge what the history of the forum is because I'm a newcomer here. But Spex has been arranging the solution with me through emails instead of on the forum, by being the go-between for me and Dr Feller, so in evaluating Spex solely on his posts here you're getting a one-sided view which misses his behind the scenes work with me. The aftercare is there for Dr Feller's patients, my mistake in that regard was that I went incommunicado for a few years.

Looking good there Hairgirl - excellent coverage. Hope it continues to go well for you.

Thanks for the words of support there Spex. Ahairdown: The first strip was 1250 grafts, second was 2000. I've been vague about this because I couldn't remember before. Earlier in the thread Dr Feller said the grafts were mainly ones. TC17: I much prefer my hair now compared to before surgery. Although the hairline needs thickening up, with a bit of styling most people don't notice this; which is why I've given it so long, I've had other stuff to do and it hasn't been top of the agenda. If it had been first on my to do list I would have contacted Dr Feller years back. chavtastic: Spex has been genial and responsive to me, relaying Dr Feller's thoughts via email efficiently and politely, making very clear that he wanted to help. It wasn't my intention for this thread be a reputation harmer for Dr Feller and I don't think it is. I just needed feedback, as I wasn't up on the technicalities and needed a range of advice - for which the thread has been very useful. I'd have to be a pretty churlish sod to be ungrateful to Dr Feller, especially in view of some of the horror stories I've been reading here. I mean how about the horrific plug surgeries of old, in comparison to that kind of butchery my result is a miracle. It is now apparent to me that the main source of what has been my dissatisfaction with the result comes down to some slight miscommunication between me and Dr Feller at the time of surgery, which I compounded by being incommunicado for so long after surgery (which is obviously my fault only). While I see your point taken in the context of some relatively minor things Dr Feller said regarding me which required me to defend myself (although I understand he was slightly frustrated), it's untrue to suggest that customer service and patient satisfaction are disregarded by Dr Feller and Spex. Also, the surgery staff were very pleasant and respectful. I once won 30 000 pounds from a surgeon for malpractice and that experience is a far cry from what is happening here, there is no comparison.

Here's the post I'm referring to.