540Oak

On 1/17/2024 at 9:16 PM, Gatsby said:

12 MONTH UPDATE 

Ive just had a cut and color/blow dry from my hair dresser. Considering where my baseline was two years ago from where I started from I’m over the moon. When it comes to my gratitude to this forum and all the members I’m genuinely lost for words. I never believed that I was a HT candidate even when Dr Sethi accepted me as a patient. In fact two weeks before the first surgery I actually rang him up and canceled it. But he talked me through all the obstacles and reasons why it will work. This is why I always state that the most important thing to look for in a hair transplant surgeon (after the research) is communication. Many thanks to @Melvin- Admin for who I believe runs the best hair loss forum. The biggest of thanks to everyone else. I’m off to the Phillipines tomorrow so I will update this thread with photos of my hair at the beach, in the water, wet, dry and otherwise. And most importantly, to everyone else who is young and worried about going bald for life, then don’t make my mistakes that I did when I was young. Learn from my mistakes! That would be the greatest compliment I could ever get. You do not want to live a life from 18 full of scars, hair pieces and ink (did I mention scars? 🤔). But right now there is still plenty of life in the old dog yet! Thank you to everyone who has followed my thread and has been so incredibly encouraging and supportive along the way. 🙏

 

Hi Gatsby,

Thanks for being such an inspiration to all us "baldies"!  You give me so much hope that a NW6/7 like me can get rid of "piece" and have hair 1 day.  Personally I have some other priorities so I am still a few years out on this.  Your and @Zoomster result are awe inspiring!  And also, I was researching SMP (as you might remeber) but I am going to straight for the HT now.  Thanks so much!

I still can't believe the results!  A true inspiration for us all!

On 7/18/2023 at 5:49 AM, Gatsby said:

I found shaving my head when I had SMP to be incredible liberating after living with a hair piece for nearly 25 years. I think SMP is a far less permanent option than surgery and for sports and the outdoor life a perfect one. Just do your research with SMP as you would if researching for a hair transplant. 👌

So very sorry for the delay in responding Gatsby!  Thanks for your valued opinion and once again I am very happy for your great result!  take care!

On 1/28/2022 at 3:17 AM, Gatsby said:

Firstly, I apologise for the length of my thread. But this is literally the 'abridged version!' It was eight days that changed my life for good. I could have written a novel on my experience with Dr Pradeep and the entire Eugenix team. Melvin's experience is not unique or a result of any special attention. I spent time with many patients who had surgery with other doctors and they all were treated to the same hospitality as I was and Melvin. 

Secondly, thank you all for the kind words and support both prior to and after my surgery. 🙏 It's this forum and everyone involved in it that made my journey possible. I was actually really weighing up the whole thing and even as close as three weeks out I had huge doubts about going through with this and I was going to cancel. I thought I got lucky getting out of my past with SMP. The fear of risking everything felt quite real the closer I got to the date of surgery. Thank God I stayed the course and pulled the pin. I arrived home late Monday night and went back to work Wednesday morning. I'm currently at work now as I type. Their were two people who I work with here that were so happy for me and with my results as I had told them of my whole story. They were delighted for me. Their were two other staff who I don't think really knew that I had anything done at all. I think the SMP has fooled a couple of people at work and I won't be saying anything unless they ask. I guess they will think that I've just decided to stop shaving my head over the next few months (sans the Ugly Duckling Phase).  There are two people I especially need to thank. They are Karl Whelan and Rahul S Raichand. I feel like I am some sort of a love child of there's! 🤣 It was because of these two people (and JT) that really made me think that I could be helped surgically. 🙏 I'm at work so I don't have photos here on me to post. Today is less than six days since my beard extractions and I have had my first shave. My face is only ever so slightly red but not enough to be noticeable. I've been applying Vitamin E cream to it. The scabs have pretty much disappeared now. I have been washing my scalp with Dove conditioner twice a day for the past two days. 

Dr Pradeep has remained in touch every day this week and to put another cherry on the ice cream on the cake he has said that I still have another 400 odd scalp grafts and 500 odd beard grafts left in the bank! None of this has really sunk in yet still! All I know is that I have gone through some kind of transformation not just on the outside but on the inside as well. 😊 🙏

Hey Gatsby, so happy about your result, it looks awesome!  if you don't mind answering how much did it all cost?  ATM I cannot do that hair transplant for various reasons (not only cost related)  so I am really considering SMP to get me out of my piece.  As I get older I am fairly active, so I am finding the piece, while looks good most times is a real hindrance in my fitness journey.  So I am looking at SMP and then will consider a HT at 55ish.  Did the SMP cause any issues for the doctors?

Any any other thoughts or recommendations?

Again, congrats, the result like Zoomster is awesome!  

4 minutes ago, Xanadu said:

I considered it. Then, to prepare for SMP, I shaved - and got such a scare that I quickly dropped the idea of SMP....

ah, so you shaved and just went with that?  Wish I has balls to do that!

2 hours ago, ciaus said:

 

Hi @540Oak I appreciate what you're saying about getting honest feedback, its something we all want after moving our hair around with a transplant or covering the scalp with SMP ink.

Hope you don't mind me trying to give you some of that here. I'm looking at your avatar picture and I'm assuming that's a self portrait of you? If that assumption is correct, I find your hair style and length a bit bold for someone that prefers no one noticing that you've had work done or a hair system. It strikes me as someone who is obviously addressing their hair loss and is not concerned with others knowing about it. Seems a shorter length and more conservative styling would probably conceal the work better.

But that's just one fellow hairloss suffer's personal opinion. And I think this is also an interesting illustration of how differently we can see ourselves compared with how others see us.

Thanks Ciaus, that's quite an astute observation. 

I have my hair like that for a few reasons..

1. I feel like hair off the forehead with some body frames the face, more so for people like me with a round face like moi!
2. I am still stuck in the 80's when I used to do my "real" hair like that 

I am not looking for attention TBH but I am at the point that after 25 years of wearing a piece I really dont care if people know.  I have told mostly all my friends.  In fact, some of the people at the gym that I've gotten know (gym friends) I am almost want to tell them..two of them are skin bald like me 🤭

I just dont want people to see me bald 🤦‍♂️

PS I've updated my profile pic on how it really looks.  That was old pic, taken at home.  It was a bit "bouffant" as my wife would say.  I dont go out with it like that.

I am strongly considering getting SMP.  Has anyone got it and then regretted it?  Feel free to to send me a private message.  

Awesome results and your are located in Toronto!  At this point, I have been looking at travelling to the US and UK as I havent found any clinic local with great work, UNTIL NOW!  I will review your work and reach out!

1 hour ago, Zoomster said:

Thanks @540Oak..have you thought of a possible HT / SMP combo ?? 
 

It’s something I’m considering for donor enhancement mid next year ..

I have Zoomster..at this point I am considering SMP first then a HT but I keep chickening out TBH.  The thought of removing my "system" and people seeing me with a bald head freaks me out!  In fact, lately in the gym I have a number to folks tell me that I have great "hair" for my age 😵 I can't tell if they are making fun of me or actually fooled.  So going from that to a bald head is not something I look forward to even with SMP.  Also sometimes I think with SMP you can tell.  I dont want a bad tattoo on my head!   So I am conflicted and basically frozen with inaction.  In fact, I have twice booked a SMP session, paid a deposit and then chickened out!!  FML 

Zoomster what can I say, you have an awesome result!  

TBH I am still sitting on the fence on between SMP and Eugenix.  I am NW7 and I see a number of these cases with failed HT's on the SMP sites.  I am not sure why these have failed but congrats you a great result.

has been said many many times, you have an awesome result!

On 9/16/2021 at 12:33 PM, Zoomster said:

Hi Guys 

Just to let you know i attended a wedding on day 6 post op without headwash and pulled it off no problems ..the donor was in really good nick and recipient very neat ..the 3 pics with glasses on were 5 days outside post op ...

I bumped my head on day 6  ( yet again ) against a door frame within the castle we were staying in ( door height only 5 ft 5 ) ..there was blood but Doc assures me no grafts were not lost ...

I’m also sending on a video of today day 11 ..I think the Doctor has done an amazing job on the crown area using around 400 grafts ..

I’ll be out and about later where I’ll attach a pic or 2 in normal lighting ..

I’ll update again on month 1 

PPS ..have a look at that crown with the use of only 400 or so grafts ...I’m having trouble uploading video so this edit is today day 11 ...

Z 

 

Ive been offline for a while am just catching up Zoomster..your results continue to amaze!!!

@Zoomster awesome results keep coming!  thanks for sharing and giving the rest of us NW7's hope! 

As you know I am following a similar path.  In prep for a HT next year, I am on finisteride.  I am .5mg per day, up from .25.  I think I did have some mild effects but they are gone now.  next month I am looking to up it to 1mg per day.  I know you are not a doctor but curious as to why you are taking 1.25mg 3 days a week?

transformation is amazing!!

@JohnAC71 a few things

1. Primarily I really want to get rid of this "system" ASAP.  I have been wearing for almost 25 years.  I am over it not to mention Ive had a few comments where people have called me out.  So if I get a hair transplant I will have to shave my head and go with the skin bald look and wait for it grow (growing/shedding etc).  Basically everyone will know I was/am bald. So SMP will look like I just shaved my head or at least fool the people that made the comments - LOL! 

2. I am NW7 underneath all this hair 😊 so I am not completely sure how a HT would turnout although I have seen some awesome results from Eugenix on NW7's. So I am going to try SMP and see how it looks and how I feel.  I might just NOT get a HT, but TBH if Stallone can do it at 65 than so can I 😁

3. India has one of the largest breakouts of COVID so I think there a TON of restrictions, so not sure how the climate is there at the moment...

True but I'm not confident on how I will look..🙄

All good points Melvin!  Bezos has a decent look I would say.  As best as you can get IMO (and he's got a hot GF 😁)

It's better, than he looked before, though I might add SOME light facial hair like The Rock..

In any case, as you said, there is only one way to find out and that's by doing it 😖

With a hair system, you can change it but once I remove the "rug" and do the reveal then there is no going back which is shy I am leaving the option of Eugenix as the next option if I don't like the shaved/SMP look.  I just know I need to get rid of the piece..I need to be FREE!  

3 hours ago, ciaus said:

Unless you look alot/exactly like Travolta, how he looks shaved shouldn't be a major factor on whether you should shave your head.

There's

-the genetic symmetries of your facial features and head/ear shape

-how much you personally like the way you look shaved

-how much others like the way you look shaved

-and appreciating the importance of the differences in how we are being viewed - 2 dimensional pictures are not as accurate as mirrors, 3-dimensional video is not as accurate as being viewed in-person by another person. -Don't put so much stock in pictures and videos.

Alot of times people report not even recognizing movie stars in-person because they have 'photogenic' facial features that the cameras emphasize, but that our own eyes do not.

Great point @ciaus!

At the moment I am wearing a “hair system” but am leaning towards getting SMP in the near future. I considered just shaving my head but after looking JT after removing the hair system, it doesn’t look good IMO. I mean, to each their own. I respect everyone’s level of comfort, but I personally believe in being the best version of your self..

What can I say, your results continue to astound!   Thanks again for documenting so much of your journey with us and inspiring others to take that step..

On my side of the fence, I going to go with SMP for now as I need to get rid of this hair "system" pretty quick.  I got called out by my staff recently (we were drinking..) 😌.  I think because I am +15 years older than them but have the most hair (2 are bald..) so at this point they think something is not right...

Anyway, I am going with a place in the US but the borders are closed so I need to wait until they open up but I need to get of this hair system and fast.  However, I still plan on going with a HT from Eugenix but looking in the next 3 to 4 years..

Merry Christmas Zoomster and the best for New Year to your family!

still an amazing result!

5 hours ago, Zoomster said:

Good man ...get yourself a pill cutter and split it into 4 quarters of 1.25mg each ...try taking only 3 times a week MWF ..should do the trick just fine..while helping to limit the risk of undesirable sides ..ive had none that I’m aware of dosing in this way

The slight insanity ,paranoia and OCD was already present before starting Fin 😎

Good luck with it 

Z

thanks, that's exactly what I am doing following your previous advice.  

PS it might be a placebo effect but it's been a few weeks and when I took my "system" off to clean it up and shave my head I could swear I had slightly more hair and they were ever so slightly thicker.  Could be wishful thinking, but hey here's to positive thinking  😁

Looking awesome Zoomster!!

PS picked my prescription of Proscar and started taking it a week ago....Step1

Awesome results!

As of others have said, your results are amazing and continue to get better and better!  Provides hope for us "NW6/7's" 😊