burned1

Saw this the other day, drawn by my daughter:

I always had a hat in previous pictures. Cool!

Likely I was sitting in the next room with Dr. Wong!

It was probably 6 months after my HT that I "shed" the ballcap. Now, I wear one if my hair doesn't get washed for a day or two. Really, I love the improvement I got. Numbness is virtually all gone, the scar is unnoticeable and my confidence is way up. I am going in on Wednesday for my second and final HT, to give me a bit more fill. Sorry to hear about your problems- it might have made me worry a bit. My Doc did a fantastic job. It can definitely be done correctly.

I pretty much had a combover-the scaring wouldn't look right shaved. I started contemplating a really high-end tatoo that would have shown the skin peeling up and the brains below...and every once in a while regret that I didn't do it.

From age 2 until the surgery kinda sucked. For the reasons previously listed. It gave me a reason not to be too prideful I suppose.

I don't know the count left. Really, I didn't do much scalp stretching initially, plus Dr Wong was worried about blood flow in the scarred tissue and we planned a two step procedure to ensure the transplanted hair would be viable. Maybe for some, having a thick mane of hair is important, I was/am just trying to make it look normal, a little hair thinning would look very normal to most people and not even make them look twice. I have had some very awesome, attractive girlfriends in my past who didn't really care about the bald spot, but it was always so unnatural to me. That was the real final product I was looking for, normal. Dr Wong did a great job on the first go-around and I second guessed whether I should even do a second procedure. I decided a bit more (maybe another 2000-2500?) would make it completely unnoticeable to most people. We will see.

I wanted to give everyone my one-year update. As I looked back at my previous blog posts and this update, I almost forget what my life was like before. Constantly wearing hats, uncomfortable when the situations that required formal (and hatless) attire. I think I have worn a ball cap twice (since my hair came in fully) and both times it was kind of weird. My wife, who thought it was normal to see me in a cap, was really surprised to see me with a hat on. She said it didn't look right....

With my new hair and confidence, I took my dream job of teaching at a local high school. It was funny that I was sitting with my back to a door when another teacher walked in looking for me. She didn't see me, but one student standing near me said, "can't you see the guy going bald"? Previously, it would have bothered me, but now it was actually funny. Going bald? I think it's the other way buddy.....

I am making one last trip to Vancouver in a month for a second and final surgery. No plans for big numbers as the initial 2500 made such a huge difference, I am just hoping for a little more density and better fill at the top where there is less hair to cover. So with. I started with:

And as of 1 year:

I will post back up at the 3 month point of my second surgery to update this again.

While my wife knew of my hair condition (scarring) from the get-go, it was tough to come out and express the lack of self confidence I was feeling. It felt like admitting a vulnerability or weakness. I finally just put all the documentation together and sat her down, talked about how I felt and what I was considering. She was extremely supportive, all the while stating that if it needed to be done, it was only for my own mental well being- she was happy with me the way I was. You will likely find that your spouse will show the same support. Be honest about the way it makes you feel, since minimizing it will only make it harder for them to comprehend the need for it. After our talk, there was such a burden lifted from me. I hope it will for you as well. Your spouse should be your main support network. I also agree that it will likely make your marriage stronger, if you allow your spouse to support you during this time.

Also, I had my own HT done at H&W a few months back. They are a class act and made it easy! Best of luck!

You can take a look at my blog for the back-story, here: http://www.hairrestorationnetwork.com/burned1/blog/1526/

but I wanted to throw out an update of my progress. The orientation isn't the same, but you get the idea. The hair is coming in and I am simply pleased beyond belief!

Here is the starting point, I lived with this scar for almost 38 years:

Here I am at 3 months. Very early and the new hairs are still popping up:

I failed to include the surgeon's name in the title. Dr Wong performed this and I am very grateful for his significant skill.This is such a life-changer for me. I look forward to what the next few months bring!