Capelli11

Thanks Sean! Your hair is looking amazing too!!! I am sooo glad I did my temples...they make such a huge difference and are coming in very nicely and it really is framing my face! You going to see Rahal in May when he comes to NYC?

You are in good hands with all of them. I can only personally speak of Dr. Rahal as he did my HT...he is amazing and a true artist. He is also great at FUE. When it comes to a HT...you can't pick your doctor based on price...they all charge similar prices give or take...don't try to bargain shop when it comes to a HT...bc you will wind up paying a ton more in the end to fix a bad job. Just something to think about. Looking back...I spent a lot of money on my HT...but how much does happiness cost? Sounds corny but it really is true.

wow...what a nice difference...you must be sooo thrilled!!! Congrats!!!!

Well it is officially 4 months!!! Wow…what a journey thus far…and it really has just begun!!! I have really seen a lot of new growth this past month…typical Rahal result in that the growth begins way before the infamous 4 month mark. My hairline is coming along nicely...getting thicker every week and it really hasn’t started the growth phase yet! I don’t really need toppik anymore but I still put a little on to just touch it up and make it a little thicker. But I must say…it takes seconds to do in the morning vs. a long time literally drawing on my hairline…now since I have actual hair at my hairline…a few sprays does the job…it is SUCH a WONDERFUL feeling to not have to put a pound of toppik on! I am now obsessed with my hair but in such a more healthy way…in that I can’t stop looking and feeling it now vs. looking at it constantly in a negative light watching my hairline go bye bye! I am now not afraid to leave my house to go run errands and not feel horrible…ironically I have lately received a handful of compliments that I look younger than my age…perhaps ironic…but I have never received such compliments prior to my HT…MBH (Must Be the Hair)!!! That is my new acronym!!! Lol I can’t believe how my hair is growing and everyone who knew I had it done are amazed at what it looks like now…night and day…and they think it is finished…when I tell them this is literally like month 1 of growth…they are shocked to think it could possibly get nicer! As far as my scar goes…scar??? What scar…I have been to the barber and get a #5 and it is perfect…you really can’t see it anymore…so much that I don’t even think about it anymore…and to think I worried soooo much about the scar issue…for those who are worrying like I did…try not to think about it…believe me in the beginning you look at it and are like OMG…but after a few months it is gone and you are too focused now on your new hair! I have very slight numbness on the scar and sometimes some tingling but nothing to bother me. Having such amazing early growth has raised my confidence so much…I now have 1 less thing that holds me down…and to not worry about my hair is such a huge weight off my shoulders because I became obsessed with it for so many years. Check out my pics…The last 3 pics I posted a few collages that I made also showing how my hair has progressed from months 2 vs 3 vs 4. The top is 2 months, bottom left is 3 months and bottom right is 4 months...when you look at it in this light you can really see the differences!!! One final note…I owe this all to Dr. Rahal…for those on the fence you HAVE to consider him…his results speak for themselves! It literally is the best decision I ever did for myself. He is a true artist and I can’t wait to show him my results when he comes to NYC!!!

Looks like a nice improvement. I think you should try to grow out your hair to really see the improvement...keeping it short doesn't help. Reason being you need to find your sweet spot and that usually is when you grow out your hair a little longer. Nice results regardless!!!

No prob. I would speak to him over the phone and not utilize this site to communicate with him. This site is best used for us the users...to research and see results. I would give him a call and handle it that way behind the scenes. If you need to email me you def can to let me know how it goes. I wouldn't worry in that he is a skilled surgeon and has produced a lot of nice results. However, if you have hung around this site enough you could perhaps make an inference that 1,200 doesn't seem like it would be enough to give you what you may want. Again this is my opinion but you can see based on researching that this could be the correct one. Hope I helped.

I obviously don't know what he said and/or saw during your consult with him so I'm not second guessing him as he is in fact the surgeon...however...just judging from other crown pics and procedures...1,200 is not enough to cover a spot like yours...you will pretty much need to go back for more. Again...unless he said your donor area isn't good in that he can't harvest more.

Hair Restoration Journal for El Nino - Pre Op and Post Op Here is his website in case you couldn't find it...it shows his progression with his first and second HT...check it out. You can see how perhaps 1,200 won't give you a lot of coverage/density...you will probably have to go back for at least a second procedure.

http://www.hairrestorationnetwork.com/eve/160880-dr-rahal-2597-grafts-crown-my-2nd-hair-transplant-may-09-2011-a.html Here is a link to a patient of Dr. Rahal's. His spot is a lot less than yours and he had a lot more grafts...he had 2 procedures...follow his case and you will see how your graft count could compare to his. Hope this helps.

Some doctors are more conservative than others...also some patients are conservative and don't mind going back for a second procedure to increase density vs. having one larger procedure. Which category would you think you fall under? Are you looking for some coverage so you don't see the bald spot? Or are you looking to have greater density in that your spot is nearly not as noticeable?

Dr. Feller is highly regarded on this site so you chose well. I don't personally see 1,200 grafts being enough to fill that section. I would say at least 3k grafts based on what I have seen on this site. The crown area is known as the black hole of grafts...meaning it takes a lot of grafts to cover that area. Search around for other patients that have had their crown done and you can notice how many grafts they needed to cover it. I have seen at least 3k give or take to give it real good density and/or coverage. Did the doctor say you didn't have good donor hair available? Is this your first HT? Also...are you on Propecia and/or Rogaine? If not, you should consider it.

In a nutshell...it is all about putting your head in the hands of a skilled surgeon. The best surgeons on this site can do mega sessions...which is what this case is and means a larger session...1,200 is not considered a mega session. May I ask what doctor you are going to? Also based on your question you may want to research this site more in that there is such a wealth of information available that you will become an expert in choosing who you should go to. It sounds like you should be able to get more than 1,200. Again, it is all about choosing a skilled surgeon who can help you out. Hasson and Wong who did this persons head are one of the best in this industry. If I were you I would consult with them and/or visit their website for more cases like this so you can compare your personal situation to their patients.

I tried to get as many face to face consults as possible. I literally flew across the US to go see a doctor and then drove 10+ hrs to see another doctor. The rest I did online consults with. I personally wanted to physically meet the doctor whom i was having my HT with prior to booking it...obviously if you live in another country this is near impossible considering costs and other factors...so in that case you would have to do online consults and also a phone call. Where there is a will...there is a way...if your serious about this you will find a way to consult and make it happen...that is exactly what I did...because remember this is a life long decision and don't let some small geographical obstacles stand in your way!

Matt gave you a great head start with your research...I had the same questions you did prior to my HT...what I recommend and what I did was research it on this site...everyone literally has that question and through research on this site you will become an expert...you can go in the search bar and type in some searches.

I would see as many dr's as possible...this way you can compare what they say...I would imagine eventually the majority of dr's analysis and recommendations will be pretty close. I saw a lot of dr's before my HT...I had some range of estimates too regarding graft count and also how many procedures I would need to have...some doctors wanted to do it over 2 procedures and other doctors said they can do it all in just one procedure which to me was more ideal for obvious reasons. Keep getting estimates and also feel out the doctor to see if you feel comfortable and you like him. At the end of the day see his results because that is what determines a good HT doctor....results don't lie. I think picking a doctor is like picking a girlfriend...you don't know they are the "one" until you meet them and then suddenly it all seems clear and the decision is easy. I would stay with only doctors who are recommended by this site.

wow what a transformation thus far...great results...this is going to be a great end result!!! Big change from 3 months...congrats u must feel great!!! I am right behind you as my 3 months was in early March. Keep us updated!!! Good stuff!

I agree in that it is a case by case basis...at the end of the day you are the one that has to live with the hairline design. I have been to a ton of hair consultations and each doctor had their own personal hairline design that they drew on me. Obviously everyone would love a hairline like when they were 18 but you have to be realistic. There are many variables that u must weigh in...such as age and overall balding pattern, if you are on and/or willing to take meds, family history and future potential loss pattern. With that said I too wanted the straight across hairline in that I didn't really want a recession...so Dr. Rahal and I were able to design a hairline that suited me personally...we didn't lower the hairline (as it def receeded upwards) but simply brought in the corners and made it fuller all the way across. You can see what I mean when you look at my post op pics...it was EXACTLY what I wanted. Again you have to live with it and also factor in any future loss because you don't want to design a great hairline and then lose your other hair and not have enough donor area to cover that...it is up to the patient as well as the HT surgeon. There are many different schools of thought as to how low and/or recessed a hairline should be but at the end of the day you and your surgeon have to design a hairline that suites you NOW and will suite you in the FUTURE. If you notice you will see great hairlines "straight across" in only NW 3 ish patients vs. say NW 5-6 patients that have a lot more area to cover so their hairline appears to be receeded and this is a great look for them...again to each their own! Let me know if you have any questions as it appears that you had the same inquiries as I did with regards to hairline design.

I have been using the Revivogen Bio Cleanse for many years...at least 5 years even before my HT. I think it is great...I originally used it in conjunction with the Revivogen topical product for hair loss...but later stopped it and kept the Bio Cleanse shampoo though. It is great and leaves your hair feeling soft and really nice. It cleans it really well and your hair feel very fresh afterwards. I definitely recommend it. I have been using it after my HT too.

Hey Matt, Thanks for your comments. My frontal third was pretty thin esp at the corners so it def has improved as there is a nice shadow of hair now which in and of itself is a huge improvement as there is no true recession anymore...still thin at this point but at least there is a hairline forming! The shockloss I spoke about is not true shockloss...i just think that some hairs probably haven't grown back fully so that could be why the scar is slightly visible bc it is a #5 clip and i have heard that people can get away with a #3 and/or #4 clip so i gather that this will occur as the scar heals and the hairs come back. I must say too that the ugly duckling stage wasn't that horrid for me thankfully...i didn't worry too much about my looks knowing that the finished result would be great based on Dr. Rahal's other patient results.

Thanks guys! Much appreciated! I got my first official hair cut today...I have been buzzing my sides by myself the last month or so with a number 4 clip and you were able to see some of the scar on the sides...nothing crazy but u could see it somewhat. So the sides were growing out pretty badly and I decided it was finally time to go to my barber and test it out...so I went today and he used a #5 clip and he didn't say anything...you could slightly see the scar line but not too much...I gather you can slightly see it because I am only 3 months out? I gather it becomes less and less as time passes on? The reason you would see it would be bc of some shockloss I guess as I don't have real bad shockloss but some hairs are probably still not growing as fast as the others hence why you can see it? It did tingle as he buzzed my sides with the buzzer for a few minutes afterwards but I guess this is natural at this point.

Thanks guys...I am gonna def stay on Fin and also Rogaine as it really makes my hair feel thicker as it acts like a mousse and makes my hair easier to style...added bonus I guess! lol.

Hey everyone, Well I am at the 3 month mark and for the most part am out of the ugly duckling stages thankfully! Hairline: I can def see some hairs growing in especially at the corners of the hairline but they are sparse at the moment...there is still a lot of space in between each grown hair as I gather this is normal and as the months continue hairs will grown in between them...any comments are appreciated on this based on your experience. It is a nice feeling to actually see your hair growing instead of seeing it fall out...def a better feeling! So my hairline is taking a little shape but I gather come month 4 and probably closer to month 5 is when I will really start seeing some growth...again comments are appreciated on this. I am at the point now basically where I was prior to my HT...pretty much all my original hair has grown back and now mixed with the sporadic new hairs makes it look a little bit better. Applying Toppik (which I do only for special events and also interviews) is great because I don't have to use as much and it really makes my hair actually look amazing compared to how it looked originally with Toppik...mainly bc i can now use those new hairs as my hairline and it doesn't look fake as before i didn't have them to apply toppik to. Scar: I had a little shock loss on each side of my scar but never anything crazy that couldn't be covered up with some Toppik if/when I needed it. As you can see in my pic, the scar is clearly not visible esp at the length it is at now which is prob like a 5 clip give or take. I would like to cut it with a 4 but a few weeks ago when i cut it with a 4 the scar was noticeable somewhat but I attribute this to some shock loss that will hopefully subside in the upcoming months. Tightness: All of my tightness has subsided for the most part and there is just some numbness here and there mainly around the scar area but nothing that I can't tolerate and/or bothers me. Working out: I started working out again a week after my 2nd month going slowly at first but now at month 3 I am at a good workout pace doing about 70 percent of what I used to...as I am trying to be a tad on the conservative side when it comes to certain exercises. It was def nice to get back to the gym and start getting back to how I was prior to my HT. Propecia/Rogaine: I have been on Propecia now for about 10 months and up until around say 7-8 months I didn't feel like it was doing much but I would say in the last month or so I have noticed my crown thickening and not seeing a little thinness anymore in the mirror which amazed me...plus loosing less hair in the sink too...and my hair feel overall healthier and fuller. Also I started Rogaine Foam 3 weeks after my HT so been on it for around over 2 months and I don't mind applying it plus I am thinking maybe this is the reason why my crown looks better? Perhaps the synergy bt Prop and Rogaine. I actually like the way my hair looks and feels after I apply the foam as it acts kind of as a mousse and my hair feels and looks thicker...so i don't mind it anymore I actually prefer that look! lol. As always I would appreciate your comments on my pics and hopefully I am progressing nicely and my hairline will fill in and become more of a line in the upcoming months.

You made a great decision to go with Dr. Rahal...his practice is like a very well oiled machine...everyone from Rahal down to the people implanting the grafts were extremely professional and very friendly...the after care was amazing...i felt like a King when I was there and they gave me a ton of after care products when I had to do it myself. You are going to look great and his work with clean up the previous work too so no worries! If you have any questions let me know! Keep us posted and congrats!!!

I was scared too going into the whole thing because their are risks involved but I also told myself there are risks involved by not going through with it as I obsessed with my hair getting thin for sooo many years and it held me back so the risk was that if i did nothing how would this affect me going forward? So i felt that was an even bigger risk than going through a HT...the next step was feeling confident in my surgeon and having ZERO doubt in his abilities...to the point where I was not nervous at all...quite the opposite i was sooo excited sitting in the chair getting it done! This stems from confidence in the surgeon...you will know it is the right doctor for you once you meet them for a consult and/or phone consult. If there are some negative/bad reviews out there perhaps reach out to those people to pick their brains more as there are always 2 sides to a story or just consult with more doctors with better reviews...have you consulted with H&W...Dr. Rahal and SMG? They are great doctors with great results and reviews. Also read my write up about Dr. Rahal and that should take you through the whole process so you can become better aware of what is actually done. Let me know if you have any other inquiries!

The fact that you are questioning your surgeon tells me that you are not confident in him and to me that is a big no no...when I picked my surgeon I was beyond confident in him and never looked back...that is how you should feel...granted you can be nervous in general which many are but you should never be nervous in your surgeons abilities and/or results. With that said perhaps you should do some more research and get confident with your surgeon who ever that may wind up being. Also don't go for a surgeon simply by the price bc you will pay for it later on if they don't yield the results you want and you will pay a lot more to try to fix it. As far as "Dr. Shapiro" goes...never heard of a Florida doctor with this name...do you perhaps mean Dr. Shapiro in Minnesota? As they have a great reputation and go by the name of "SMG". Bottom line...take your time with this and feel confident in your doctor...we are all here to help you out if you need more help and/or advice. Hope this helps.