bennyt89

About 1 hour ago this wasn't there. The spot in the centre left, I got back to

The hotel took my bandana off and there it was... this wouldn't be a dislodged graft?

I have another check up with my HT surgeon tomorrow morning so at least if it is he could rectify it (hopefully). But just find it weird, I didn't knock my head or anything.

So tomorrow is the big day, after about 6 or 7 years of patience, research and preparation I'm finally here. Just starting this post as a placeholder as I am very intent on keeping regular updates coming through. As I've found the same threads from fellow patients so crucial in my own research to get to this point. And will be leaning on you guys for support throughout the journey no doubt. I've come off a 36 hour flight to Brussels so apologies if I start rambling

Just a summary of my story so far. I'm 29 years old in a few months, at about a NW2.5 borderline 3, first noticed MPB when I was about 19. After worrying about it off and on for a few years at 22 I booked a consultation with a HT Doctor who happened to be situated in my city, I went in and rather than speaking to her directly I was speaking to a rather pushy sales rep. However in my emotional state I was looking for what I wanted to hear, which he happily provided in the form of FUT surgery. Luckily I had the common sense to go away and research first and I came across this forum, safe to say I couldn't really find anything positive about this particular doctor, had I gone with her this most likely would've been a thread about a scar repair job than a first HT. So I decided to put that idea to bed for now and go down the Fin route.

I stuck with Fin permanently after that and it really helped slow the hairloss to a crawl. That combined with some careful styling and hairspray I was a pro at being able to give the appearance of a pretty impressive head of hair. However it's getting harder and harder now, and I'm not the type that suits the bald or receding look. My goal is to basically get my hair to a point where I'm not constantly worried about how it looks and if I've covered up my receding temples properly, and I can be more flexible with styling options.

Through my research I came across Dr Bisanga and was impressed with his body of work and plenty of positive reviews. Swooping who is one of his reps has been incredibly helpful, I've been conversing with him off and on for the past 8 or so months and he's always been there to answer any questions or concerns, which apart from the quality of work from Dr B was a major factor in my decision. At this stage it appears I'll be somewhere in the vicinity of 1,600 (conservative) to 2,000 (aggressive) grafts to restore my temples and very slightly lower my hairline.

So here goes nothing, I'd be lying if I said I wasn't nervous. But I feel like I've done all the right things in terms of being patient on the Fin, doing my research and picking a reputable surgeon.

TL;DR - 29 year old, NW2.5/3, been balding slowly since 19. Been on Fin 6 to 7 years. HT with Dr Bisanga tomorrow.

Pics to follow once available.

wash your hair the morning of your procedure and do not use any styling products - if this bothers you, just wear a hat to your clinic - your head will be shaved for an FUE procedure anyway so you won't be looking so great post op anyway

They shave your entire head?!

I'm just getting temple work done. I thought it was just the donor area that gets shaved ?

I have my HT scheduled for this time next week. On my pre op instructions it states to not use any styling products the day of the surgery for obvious reasons.

But should I cease to use these leading up to the surgery at all? I like to use hairspray to style my hair. I'm planning on giving my hair a good wash a few days before the HT and on the day of also. Is this OK?

Not sure fun is the right word, but maybe it would be interesting to hear different users recollections of that fateful day and how much of a blow it was for them. Also maybe what Norwood level you were at the time..

For me I was 19, a fellow colleague (who was about a NW4 at the time), was copping a bit of heat from the other guys about his own MPB, I guess in an effort to deflect he pointed at me and said, "don't worry you'll be here in a few years, just look at that hairline". And everyone was like "oh yeah!". I remember it feeling like a punch in the stomach, looking back it was stupid as I was at most a NW2 and I'd happily go back to how my hair was back then. But from then on I was always in some degree of worry about my hair.

Thanks for acknowledging Bill, now I feel like less of an asshole

And not to say there arent clinics that actually do things the right way. The ones you would expect like the H&W's, Lorenzos, Bisangas of the world have a body of work you can clearly reference. Which was one of the main driving factors behind my own choice of surgeon for upcoming HT.

I just feel that everyone should be held to the same standard I guess.

Not sure if I'm an asshole for calling this out, but after seeing a lot of these floating around and MPB sufferers in vulnerable emotional states trying to find the best surgeons I feel it's something that needs to be addressed or regulated better.

I would say more often than you should see, these before and after photos aren't really consistent in terms of important factors like lighting and hairstyle. In some cases it's blatantly obvious, the before photo appears to be in the harshest light possible, hair combed back to expose thinning and recession..then the after is in more favourable lighting and hair combed forward making it look thicker. In my book that's borderline false advertising on what has actually been achieved.

I've spent years perfecting the art of hiding my receding hairline to make it appear like I have a good head of hair, so I know how much of difference styling can make to coverage and thickness. I guess all I'm trying to say is there a way to get more consistency in terms of before and after shots posted by clinics?

Mods: feel free to move to another sub forum, felt this one was appropriate.

Sometimes hearing other people just telling you to be patient and don't rush is frustrating, as you want to address things ASAP. But take my story as a small example of how things could potentially go pear shaped when you're making emotional decisions... I made my first post here in 2012 as a 22 year old who was an emotional wreck, due to what I perceived at the time to be the beginning of the end of my youth with the onset of MPB (at the time I was a solid NW2, what the hell was I thinking!). I was so so close to signing up to a HT but felt like I needed to do my due diligence first before putting any deposit down, and boy am I glad I did.

Coming across this forum and the wealth of knowledge and support from its members made me reconsider jumping into a HT so young and unsure of what future MPB I had in store, not to mention this particular doctor I was about to sign up with was pushing for FUT and had a less than stellar reputation. Would've been a terrible mistake with a scar to boot.

On advice from the forum I restarted Fin which slowed everything to a crawl, fast forward to now I am 28 and my hairloss is around a NW2.5 (slowly heading towards a 3). Now I'm at a stage where my hairloss has stabilised, I've been patient and done my research for 6 years on top doctors and now have a procedure booked in Belgium with Dr. Bisanga for FUE.

So advice for the young guys, play the long game. Exhaust your other options first before making this big decision. At the time I thought I would be potentially saving my youth and my 20's where I could have potentially ruined that with a botched HT, now I've had fun in my 20's I'm positioning myself to have a prosperous 30's hair wise as well

Benny,

 

I think you should take the advice from the earlier posts. You have just committed to a surgery which you have most probably invested alot of your time, energy and resource.

 

If you have the capacity to stay another few days to rest and recoup then you should do so.

 

It is difficult to assess how you will feel the following day after surgery, every patient is different. Also your grafts are still at risk and your head will be sore and and you may feel other discomfort too.

 

I personally insist that long haul patients stay at least 3 nights following surgery.

 

It's not rocket science, just plain old common sense!

Isnt 3 nights right around when swelling would start to appear (if you're prone to it).

I guess no one including me can anticipate what's going to happen. At this stage I'm thinking of pre booking a hotel+flights package deal to leave +1 day after. I'll assess how I'm feeling that day and if it's obvious I'm not comfortable to fly I will just skip the flight and book a one way ticket back later in the week.

I think you need to either travel the morning after OP before any swelling kicks in or wait 4-5 days for it to go down. But everybody reacts differently. My swelling was not too bad but it did go down between my eyes so I looked very weird. Not sure how swelling would impact the passport cameras for facial recognition. I would email your surgeon and they will give you the best advice.

I can't speak directly to Dr Bisanga himself, only through one of his reps.

However they advised flying +1 day after surgery in the afternoon should be ok for a 20 hour flight.

Duuuuuuuude......Stay 5 - 7 days. Seriously. I swelled up on day 3 like crazy. I had 1000 grafts at the front on Friday, rested Saturday and Sunday with not too much swelling and went to work on Monday thinking nothing of it based on what people said. By 9 AM I was feeling awful, and my fellow coworkers were approaching me with extreme concern based solely on my appearance - not like when you have a cold or even the flu type appearance, but like you are having a brain aneurysm or stroke and are about to drop dead in 30 minutes. I remained at work until the end of the day, my eyes were swelling like crazy, and I went home and just swelled up. Horrible feeling. But also it became quite apparent at work that something serious was going on, and later on people were easily able to figure out it was a HT.

 

In any case, yeah, like Spanker said, just chill. Take a week in Belgium. If you're feeling well go out and visit the medieval town of Brugges and other places.

 

But even if you don't swell, you don't want to risk damaging the grafts in your scalp by immediately hopping on a plane all drugged up. Just hang and chill in Northern Europe a bit - eat lots of Belgian chocolate.

A week seems a bit excessive. I guess the reason I want to get home sooner rather than later is for recovery purposes, if there is swelling and other nastiness to deal with would rather do it from the comfort of home and familiar sorroubdings rather than a hotel room.

And I didn't realise there were impacts on the grafts from flying?? Something to do with the pressure?

Wow!

I'm going in for a HT myself in about a month, in Belgium though with Dr. Bisanga. We have somewhat similar MPB patterns and I would absolutely kill for a result like that. You should be very happy, I know I would be

Thanks for the advice guys.

I don't mind staying an extra day or two. I was more concerned with flying with any kind of swelling as I'm sure that would be hell on a long haul flight. And my understanding was that swelling tends to occur on days 3 - 5?

I just want to avoid that happening. If it's even true?

I'm talking Belgium -> Australia. The flight is anywhere from 17 - 20 hours so definately long haul.

After FUE is it ok to fly this distance 24 hours post surgery. Or should I wait another day? (Or does it even make a difference?)

My original plan was to have surgery, rest that night, hopefully check in with the clinic in the morning for a quick check and possible wash and fly in the afternoon.

Does anybody have experience in how this applies to HT's, and if there is any way around paying it?

I read in another thread that if you have an acceptable doctors note you can get a refund on this tax? Not sure if anyone can verify this.

Given the Australian dollar is very weak against the Euro this is putting a massive dent in my budget (almost an extra 3k).

I went through Brussels airport security with the bandana on and nobody asked me to take it off. They didn't even take a second glance.

Thanks Baldrick. Slightly off topic but did you leave Brussels the day after surgery like a lot of people recommend? Or is it worth staying an extra couple of days just in case?

Be mindful of TSA during travel, it would be acceptable to cover your head with a bandana, or to be wrapped by the doctor's office before you depart for the airport.

 

I did so in one occasion in order to avoid having to get a private room and explain myself, I had a doctor note and a wrapping around my donor area to dissuade TSA from asking me to take off my bandana or hat, which they are prone to do.

What does TSA stand for? I'm assuming airport security.

Given it's only temple and minor frontal hairline work, I was planning on just leaving my hair long-ish on top and just letting it sit without wearing a hat when I go through all the airport screening. Not sure how realistic that is.

I'll be going through Brussels airport as well so not sure how strict they are. I would imagine a bit more lax than the USA

I'm taking the plunge in about a months time. So getting everything organised logistically, however I'm looking for suggestions on what to take away with me.

So far apart from my usual luggage I'm planning on buying a fairly loose fitting cap to wear on the plane for the journey home, and also a neck pillow as well.

Its FUE with only 2,000 grafts so relatively minor in the scheme of things. But any other items I should take with me?

Don't overthink it. If you want the procedure then go for it, if you feel you're moving up one norwood over 12 yearsish then I think you can answer your own question. If the time and finances (and for any potential future procedures down the track) are there then get off the forum and book a procedure rather than wasting more time. I think you were looking at Bisanga so no issues there.

Already booked and paid for in February

You always hear one of the main pieces of advice before diving into HT surgery, is waiting for the hairloss to stabilise. Obviously a guy in his early 20's who's got aggressive hair loss that shows no signs of slowing down wouldn't be a good candidate right.

But what is the definition of stable to you? Is it the hairloss just stopping in its tracks completely or would slowing down to a crawl be a more accurate description?

I started on Fin when I was 20 years old, at that time I was a solid NW 2. Fast forward almost

9 years later and I would describe myself as a NW 2.5 who is heading towards a NW3 within the next 3 or 4 years. Is that stable?

Age old question , reason I posted here is becuase I have upcoming HT booked with Dr Bisanga for hairline work and want to know if it's something I should consider.

Is this a bald/thinning spot or normal crown? (I can only see from certain angle and this was fairly bright light)

Should I be requesting to have this addressed for my upcoming procedure?

It's been there for years and seems to come and go depending on what haircut I am wearing at the time, so I don't know.

As a sense of perspective, any short-term indignations while your transplanted hair gradually grows in are worth it, the indignation is brief and quickly forgotten by the gradual progress towards a restoration.

 

No one will remember a few bad hair days you had as the change is so subtle, you yourself will look back at old pictures of yourself and be amazed by the transformation.

So get it done earlier then ?

I'll preface by saying it's a bit of a unique one and definitely what I would consider a first world problem, so not complaining just seeking others opinions. I've decided to go ahead with a HT with Dr Bisanga, so trying to decide the best time to do it. However timing wise I am currently 3 months into a 12 or so month travelling adventure overseas, currently riding a motorbike through Vietnam.

My ideal situation would be to get the procedure done and then when I go back to work mid to late 2018 the effects would pretty much be complete. Originally I was thinking of getting the procedure done in the new year in January. As I would be back home at that stage over the Christmas/New year holiday with my family. I could fly to Belgium have the op and recover at home for a few weeks, then head back out again. But now I'm not so sure, if there are any complications then I'm stuck at home, and the longer I'm at home the more money gets chewed up (I have a mortgage that still gets paid every month).

At the moment my hair is manageable styling wise, I can hide any receding hairline with some carefully planted hairspray and styling so it's not having a huge impact right now. Really not sure what to do, thoughts?

I'm assuming from doing the math that you're 28. Your hair looks great as it is - it's important that I say that first as it's the truth of the matter. But with that said, I think if your goals are to fill in the temples just a bit and strength your hairline, then you'd be a good candidate for that.

Thanks Matt, I'm very fortunate that fin slowed any hairloss I had down to a crawl. For me my goal is to just not worry about my hair anymore and be able to have the flexibility of styling it how I want within reason, without constantly having to fix it to hide the receding hairline.

"Respectfully, is a Norwood 1 age appropriate for the entirety of your life?" "Most men naturally recede to a 2 by mid life, whether they experience baldness or not."

 

It makes sense to be cautious and economical, but look at a guy like George Clooney's hairline which is actually lower than Benny is looking for. Look at Tom Cruise and Brad Pitt's hairline. These are men approaching their sixties, with borderline perfect, and almost juvenile hairlines.

 

It's a valid question to ask, but I've NEVER seen evidence that a perfect hairline at even 60 looks silly, and that's 30 years of a perfect hairline for this guy. I'm not talking about transplants, I'm saying that in my entire life, not once have I thought a man's hairline looked "too youthful" or perfect. Can you honestly say you have? Who makes fun of the 55 year old with a perfect hairline? No one. Cosmetic surgery can do more than make you look like "average", so why settle for it?

 

In this case he's a had a sustained strong response to fin and is prepared to keep it up, and a strong donor area and no crown loss. Not a high risk patient.

 

That aside, probably best to just let Feriduni do his thing and see what he suggests.

Thanks, I'm not looking to get a juvenile hairline 5cm below where it currently is. To be honest my front has only slightly receded in the past 7/8 years, only looking to bring it down slightly and thicken it up if possible.