Parasol

You’re taking a big risk here if this is your plan. I realize medication is not for everyone, so understand I am sympathetic to this, but my case is an excellent example of what can happen 10 years post transplant without taking preventive meds.

@Melvin- Moderator I think he authorized Dr. Rahal to discuss the case in this reply above.

I see the results are actually shared on @Doron Harati’s Facebook group. Very nice! No wonder you’re so thrilled. I would be too! Doron, can you reach out to Sharon and ask him to post them here?

@Sharon I’m glad you had a good experience and that it was life changing. The pics don’t seem to be showing up. Can you edit the post and add them so we can see?

On Hair Loss Experiences, his thread title says Sait Bircan.

Hey buddy, just wanted to check in and see how everything was going. Have you seen any progress?

It’s important for me to document this here. I feel like if I did for my last two surgeries, I wouldn’t have even needed this one (because you guys would have motivated me to stay on the meds). I also believe surgery should always be a last resort. Lots of users thinking about their first transplant don’t often understand the risks. I see here and on places like Reddit, people asking about shockloss of native hairs, not taking Finasteride after a transplant, etc. If anyone can read my journey and learn something and get a better understanding of what can happen, that would be a big win in my book. It’s hard for me to understand why I’ve healed so differently this time around. Perhaps it’s because I’m older now, and heal much worse than I used to. HDC said because of my physiology and how sensitive my skin is, and because the surgery was so much larger than my last ones, this is why I’m healing this way. Personally, I agree with them, and think we saw signs of this early on based on how I responded to the post op head washes. Here’s a photo from 5 days post op, when I was still in Cyprus. You can see bruising all throughout my back hairline and temples, along with a yellowish bruise that turned into that scab. These are also the areas that happen to be the most shocked now. From what I can tell my donor looks really good, and from what I can see the strip scar looks decent too. It’s hard for me to say why the back healed better than the front. Yes sleeping was tough! At moments, it felt like, how is it possible to not touch the top or the back?!?! I ended up sleeping upright in a chair with a flight pillow that was thin enough to not touch my strip scar, and slept like this for about 2 weeks post surgery just to be sure I didn’t harm either recipient area.

My donor surprisingly healed pretty well. But my recipient took a beating and shocked out big time, so it’s important to keep in mind that we all heal differently. Looking forward to seeing how everything’s coming along. The work looks great and the design is phenomenal.

Boy I sure hope so. I have a very important trip in October and pray everyday I look relatively decent and healed by then.

Excellent hairline design. It’s perfectly age appropriate. And the less surface space to put grafts into, the better. If I had it to do all over again, I’d have chosen something like this. The work looks very clean. How are you healing? Could you share some current pics?

I appreciate the support, Doron! You’ve been with me the whole way and it means a lot!

Quick 10 Week Update Although my head still looks beaten up and battered, I can see quite a bit of improvement between this update, and the last one I posted two weeks ago. My left temple especially seems to be sprouting quite a few new hairs. And my midscalp appears to be thickening up too. This morning I did wake up to some blood on my pillow. It seems I must have scratched an in-grown hair (or pimple) in my sleep. The clinic doesn’t want me to scratch these so I’ll have to keep an eye out going forward. Otherwise, I’m hopeful my hairline and the bald scab area will start sprouting hairs at some point. If they do I think a great weight will be lifted. Time will tell.

I realize that nothing anyone can say can make you feel better, but I just want you to know, I’m roughly 10 weeks out from my own surgery and am having very similar thoughts to you. If someone could invent a surgery where the hair didn’t shed after implantation, they would be the richest person in the world, because the hardest part is waiting and wondering “what if?” The good news is, not only are you still early, but you definitely seem to have some hair sprouting! Not only that, but you went to arguably the best clinic in the entire world, one that I believe will support you, and stand behind their work. You set your self up for the absolute best chance to succeed. I hope you at least find some comfort in that. I’m 3 surgeries in, and believe me, the hardest part is always the second guessing and having the patience to let the process run its course. Try your best to hang in there and keep us posted.

Excellent result! No wonder the patient doesn’t think about his hair anymore. Thanks for sharing.

Hey Rolandas. I just want to say thank you for all the hard work you do. You are a positive force in an industry that takes advantage of desperate people; one that all too often ruins people’s lives. I’m about two months post op on my third surgery, and your channel has been a great comfort and educational source since you started it last year. I’m especially enjoying this most recent batch, where you’re documenting your post op recovery. The information is invaluable. Anyone considering a transplant, and anyone that just got one should follow along. This is round three for me and I’m still learning new things from you! Congratulations on your second procedure. The work looks impeccable and you’re healing really well! I look forward to following the rest of your journey!

Wow Doron, this is an incredible result. He looks very happy too, which says it all. Thanks for sharing.

Wow you basically have a final result at 6 weeks hahaha. Congratulations. This is incredible. Finger’s crossed you don’t shed any more. Seems like this might be the case.

Pretty nice improvement from last month!

8 Week Update I have to say, emotionally this has been a very tough time. I guess I worry whether or not, even in extreme cases, if I’m healing ok and look normal for this stage or if I will ever look normal again. I am doing my best to stay distracted though. I’m happy to have gotten this done and just need to stay strong. I have a very good support group, thank goodness, and am getting used to wearing a baseball cap in social situations. On the plus side, when I zoom in on the photos (on my phone where they’re not as compressed), I can see a bunch of shorter hairs breaking through the surface. I doubt it could be new growth at this stage, but possibly some of my shocked native hairs coming back? There are also lots of blonde hairs that the camera can’t capture, and a few pimples too (which I think is a good sign?), so hopefully this moment in time will be a distant memory in a few more months. I’m still applying 5% minoxidil foam twice daily and have been for the last month, and am also still taking 1mg of Finasteride daily.

Incredible interview, @Melvin-Moderator! What a great, informative video. Thanks for setting that up!

Each clinic will have their own opinion on minoxidil. 2 weeks prior seems to be most common, but of course, ask your surgeon. It would be highly unusual for a clinic to ask a patient to stop finasteride, at least with my research. I can’t personally think of any reason why any doctor would require this, but again, each clinic has their own pre- (and post) surgery requirements, so it’s best to ask them directly.

Hi. Any update?

In my case, after the extractions and incisions, as the grafts were getting placed in the recipient incision sites, the grafts kept “popping” out. This meant in order to secure them, the techs had to put them in multiple times for the grafts to be securely anchored.

I had a lot of popping during my most recent surgery too. It was non-stop, basically. I specifically asked my clinic if that would impact the survivability/yield, and was told that it absolutely would not. I’m only 6 weeks post-op so I can’t comment on how it turned out for me, but I’ll be curious to hear Dr. Bloxham’s opinion on whether this was the reason, and if so, how you guys can overcome it for the next time.

I appreciate the support, everyone! Although this is my third transplant, this is the first time I’ve had any issues with post-op recovery, so I want you all to know it means a lot. I just heard back from HDC. They said what I’m going through is nothing to worry about, and that this is just my body’s way of healing after having such a big procedure. They want me to continue to rest and take it easy, and try my best not to worry. They said they expect the bumpiness and redness to clear on its own over time, and at the moment they don’t want me to treat the recipient area at all (so no aloe vera, which I specifically asked about, or healing creams or anything like that).