Papillion

cheers guys, Not exactly holding out for further advance but I guess it would be like handing back free money Spreadlocks Goodluck (although I assume you are through it now) Perhaps feeling abnormal roundabout now, things do improve.

Hi thoughts. A fellow Yorkie I see...just goes to show that nowadays transplants are not exclusive to people on telly etc (unless you're on telly ofc) but is appropriate for the man on the street. I welcome your comments and thanks, in all honesty I'd like to think Im not a greedy man, Im happy with things right now, its a real tidying up of what can be a real mess when people start loosing their hair. If I were to get further growth then it would be much like waking from a long coma (in more ways than one) to find 15-20 years worth of unopened birthday and Christmas presents at the end of my bed, haha. Good luck.

Hello and thanks both. I have just looked back at the pics pre-surgery and was actually shocked how bad I was. I'll look for my camera it's somewhere (these 5 months post pics are grainy mobile phone pics and don't really do it justice) Just to add, I think there wont be anyone who would argue something needed doing but what the 'pre' pics don't really show is the feebleness of the hair, it wouldn't stand up under its own weight and as tragic as it sounds I was into comb-over territory I'm of the belief that there's a culture change going on now, past stigmas of transplants are eroding quite rightly too but I'd just like to say to anyone wary of surgery and stigmas, I wasn't vain per-se, I'm just an ordinary northern guy in the UK who had a growing personality problem as a result of hairloss. It was an affliction I guess, but I'm not about to go around showing hair off now, I just wanted to be more accepted and 'normal' I guess. Its a sorry story suffering, as you can imagine by the pre op pics, if somebody farted in the room my hair would be all over the place, its got strength and thickness about it now and definition. Nor am I out of the woods, I intend to have another once I've given it a bit more time to asses, there was a considerable area that needed work and over 7000 hair were moved, Dr. Feller still ran out of hairs required, and I know he wouldn't waste a single one.

Hi, (Background) I have no vested interests and speak independently. For those interested I'd like to post a quick r?sum? of my situation and experiences. I happen not to be the sort whom either spends time, or posts, on forums in general. Hair loss is by definition a personal issue and I've tended to find it makes people rather fickle. Add to this a band of people with vested interests and a culture of non to limited improvements of the past I decide to stay away from the tickle tackle. That said I did my own research and came to the conclusion that the time had come to take affirmative action and have a transplant. My situation was to some extent unique in that I had a combination of problems that made my hair the bane of my life. As a child I briefly had a problem that resulted in me picking away bits of my scalp which created scars where hair never grew back. To add to this I always had very fine hair and as I grew older started to thin too. (anything else ffs?) In reflection I'm unsure as to whether I'm a result of my hair (becoming retracted from society or whether Id have still gone self employed and almost misanthropic anyway ) either way I found myself concentrating on work rather than being the life of the party. It goes without saying I was temperamental about my hair. I was equally frustrated at the fact I had to go through loads of almost idiosyncratic procedures to give my lackluster thinning hair some support to make it act a bit more like other people's seemed to act.:rolleyes: I didn't particularly keep up with advances in hair tech due to the acceptance that there were lots of unscrupulous types with nothing of substance to offer. How many times can you honestly say things have improved in your own circumstances? From my experience it all goes in one direction, you almost become expectant of no or little improvement. (Action) I can't honestly recall where I first learned of Dr. Feller and Spex. I realised though that there had been a real shift in surgery results and that if I was serious about getting the best job I could I had to leave the UK and go where, dare I say, the areas of cosmetic surgery is more developed. (there are no doubt people screaming at the screen now, you can have the debate all you like, I wanted results) I don't know enough about the industry to know with certainty who is 'top dog', I believe that it will always be a subjective matter, but needless to say I was satisfied Dr. Feller had at the very least served his apprenticeship and I liked the findings of my research. A lot must be said at this point for Spex. It would be understandable for individuals thinking about surgery to believe affiliations to surgeons would mean the ubiquitous 'sell' that tends to come from the unscrupulous. Simply not so, with the relationship between Spex, the clients and Dr. Feller. It is difficult to emphasise without sounding biased, how professional and honest the relationship is. You only actually know the situation after you've been through it, at which time you realise its all genuine. Spex really does give you the honesty and guidance and Dr. Feller really does offer you as good a job as you can expect from anyone (if not better?) and the whole situation pulls together all wanting the same thing as the client.....a satisfied customer. Dr Feller certainly knows his apples, he has worked to improve the industry and is surprisingly approachable. As mentioned, my situation was a personal one, it was a surreal experience to have within minutes of arriving at his surgery, the very issues that I had spent my life attempting to cover (both metaphorically and literally) explained to me. To say I felt relief to be at the hands of somebody who understood the situation and would do his utmost to improve things for me would be an understatement. We were of slightly different persuasions politically, but I would find it hard to believe there are people who wouldn't get on with the man unless they have some kind of issues or their own agenda. He is intelligent and seemingly can talk about all subjects with a welcoming persona. To dwell on his character does his expertise, and application of his team a disservice. He has clearly spent time thinking about the whole process and makes sure it runs smoothly. His team are friendly yet professional. I brought them chocolate,..... smarmy? I don't think so, why wouldn't you appreciate every cog in the machine? (Conclusion) I am now 5 months post surgery (Jan '12) and am very happy with the results. I'm told that I am still in the recovery period and potentially more growth may occur. In truth I'd take this right now. Having hair that is by definition thicker (from the back of the head) in places that I had little is great. To think of an analogy I'd say it was like putting on a warm coat in winter, it just makes styling etc an experience I can't recall for a very long time suffering. It has also drastically changed my day to day routine. The number of products I use has been culled and windy days are no longer a concern Would I recommend Dr. Feller to somebody who had the same problems as me, I certainly would. In my opinion you want to give yourself the best chance of dealing with the issue satisfactorily and I believe Dr. Feller is that person. I took the opinion that had things not turned out as well I'd at least have known I'd done everything I could under the circumstances, happily being on the other side I can say this has become a turning point in my life. (ok that sounds sycophantic, but it's hard to give an honest account and not be seen as being disingenuous when even small improvements feel like minor miracles.) If you are in the UK and daunted by the whole thing then Spex is your man pure and simple. Yes its a commitment flying to and from America, but who are you doing all this for? It should really become a template to dealing with hairloss. A simplicity of following the actions advised by Spex in a step by step format. It could very well become, 'those who suffered and those that went to Dr. Feller' *That's not to say there aren't other doctors who also solve people's problems with hair loss, but I am happy with the important decisions I made.