sunhead

Tommy, I'm at 3.5 months and my condition is the same as yours. Not an answer, but hope it's reassuring to know that others have the same problem!

Photo - 3 months:

Well, it's a couple of days over 3 months and I thought I'd do a quick follow up, though there's nothing much to report. A few days after I finished my first post above, I contacted a virus, and I've never been as sick in my life. I think I might have got it at the elephant park, or maybe the airline food - who knows? It lasted a month and more, and I was worried that it might affect my growth, but I won't know for a few months yet. The scar healed nicely, and about 3 weeks after the op I kept on wondering why the dissolvable stitches weren't getting washed out. So one night I started picking a small section above my ear and was surprised to see that it came off easily, and my scalp was smooth underneath. So I went round the whole strip to remove it, and washed my hair. It felt very smooth underneath. The next few weeks the strip was tender, but that sensitivity soon went. Today it's the same as the rest of my head. I had my first haircut after two months, and my hairdresser of 30 years was amazed at the condition of my hair. The redness had reduced by 50%, and he could see the scar but had to do quite a bit of lifting the hair to see it. He has seen quite a few HTs and said mine was the best of any result at any stage. This was very encouraging. There was numbness all over the recipient area which slowly reduced, and today over two thirds of the scalp is still numb. There is still a little redness - maybe 20% now, but it is covered with my combover and is not noticeable but the whole area is very shiny. I hope that goes away because I can see the scalp right through my hair whereas I couldn't before the op. Right after the op I expected the sparse cover of implanted hairs to fall out, but they have stayed in and have been growing quite quickly over the last week or two. I'm quite excited - they are thick and curly, and I'm hoping these are the beginnings of my transformation for the next 9 months! I've posted a photo but it looks just like my pre-op. Hopefully another month or two will make more of a difference. I had read somewhere that it takes longer for growth for over-60 year-olds, so let's see!

jonnnie1976, As far as payment is concerned, I made a bank transfer for the full amount (less the deposit which I made several weeks before that to secure my appointment time) a week before I left. This way you have no worries, and in a way it's a good commitment because I found the few days leading up to the surgery are the worst for indecision. For some reason I kept on reading negative comments about transplants in general - never about Dr Path though - and I had to keep positive by ignoring all the hype and rubbish written by misguided journalists and others who don't know what they're talking about. That's often what happens when you make a big commitment - buyer's remorse in advance! Because Dr Path's DHT clinic has been in business for 20 years, that's a good sign that they'll look after your funds. I paid for 4000 grafts when only 3200 (approx) were done, and they returned the overpayment within 2 days. That time was the bank's transfer time, so it was done very quickly. I have complete faith in them based on that. I can't recommend any hotel because I'm at the st/age where comfort is worth more than a backpacker room. But I can tell you that taxis are incredibly cheap, so do that rather than use the tube, unless you're a long way away of course. My hotel, the Centara Grand, was only about 15 minutes by taxi away. And it's a good thing to catch a cab after your op... you won't feel like walking 10 mins in the heat to the station, plus the stairs. As jollyfolly asked, when's your date? PS. Sorry to hear about your breakup. Women can be so fickle, but I can assure you after 40 years with the same one, their priorities become a little different - and hair or lack of it means nothing

Thanks, and thanks to this forum. Without it I'd be wearing a dead cat on my head for the rest of my life

Hey thanks. I found your thread just now and you certainly have a great example I can look forward to! I notice your new hairline contour is similar to mine, and so I wonder whether there's not much difference in the design at the front. As someone pointed out in this forum somewhere, Asian hairlines tend to be more flat across, while Caucasians have more of a peak - as a generalisation. Dr Path noted my strong side parting and put in a 60:40 graft concentration on the parting side so it would have more bulk there. And many of the grafts are pointed in one direction in some places, which - as he said before we began - if I wanted to sweep my hair straight back, I probably wouldn't be able to. Never thought of that, but it's the little things that make a good transplant. The crown will be the next interesting step in 18 month's time. It's apparently quite a complex area to transplant because the hair goes in a spiral direction, and bulk is hard to obtain. I'm not sure how much laxity I've got for that step. How are you coping with the new hairstyle? Has it grown out as you expected?

In the few weeks leading up to my current HT I've been asking a few questions on this forum. Many of the replies have very helpful, thanks! This little story is to answer a few more questions for others who might want to know more about the HT experience. I have no commercial connection with anyone mentioned here. About Me I'm a 60+ male, a NW6 with predominantly white hair. Over the years I have normally kept my hair longish but neat, in a conventional executive style cut to follow the strong side parting I was born with. There has been enough hair to give me some bulk on top, and while it has been thinning, it has definitely been turning into a combover in the last few years. But I ignored that because there hadn't been much loss in the last decade. Like most things... weight gain and hairloss... It is gradual so you get used to it. However the time was rapidly approaching when I would have to decide whether to wear a close shave or make other arrangements. The Decision Hair pieces were definitely out. Too much bother, and too artificial no matter how good they were. I'm a straight up guy and while I look after myself cosmetically with the occasional laser treatment, I wasn't going to go that far. A transplant seemed the only option. My selection was easy. Using this forum I quickly found that Dr Pathomvanich of DHT in Bangkok was not only the closest skilled surgeon, but also one of the best, with 20 years experience. I was also to find a few more interesting advantages with him as I went through the process. More about that later. Lead Up I sent the clinic photos, and based on these they suggested I would need 4000 grafts. It was to be FUT, as they only specialize in that one procedure which was fine by me. FUT seemed a better bet anyway after my research showed it produced the most follicles. I did the laxity exercises for the required 3 weeks prior, but because my arms and hands hurt after only a few minutes, I only completed 10% of the intensity needed. One of the problems too was that I let my hair grow longer to cover the stitches, and that bulk stopped me getting movement for laxity over the back. As I later discovered that reduced my graft quantity to about 3,200. The Trip I decided to spend the minimum time away, based on the fact that while I'm partly retired with an internet business, I just don't like wasted time. The thought of sitting around in a hotel room waiting for appointments and taking painkillers was not for me when I could be home working productively. So my planned stay was just 3 days. The first day for the pre-op consultation, the next for the op and the third day for the post-op. This proved to be an excellent choice because it was the minimum needed yet the most efficient for everyone else too. Pre Op The 11 hour business class flight was pleasant enough, and Bangkok was much the same as the several times I had passed through over the years. The pre-op was scheduled for an hour in the late morning, and it turned out to be an interesting time of explanation and measurement. It covered most of the areas I had researched, so there were very few surprises. I signed some forms and met some of the people who were going to work on me. The clinic is compact, using maybe half a dozen rooms on the 32nd floor of a modern high rise building, and that gave a great view of Bangkok as I was waiting for different procedures. The people I met with were warm and friendly, and I felt real good about the whole decision. In the afternoon I hired a car and driver to see the Elephant and Crocodile park at Samphran, about an hour away. It was a 3 hour trip back in Bangkok peak hour traffic, but the day was enjoyable anyway. Because I had grown my hair longer there was some flaking on the scalp, and they told me this needed to be removed for the transplant. I was advised to buy some olive oil and soak my scalp in it for 2 hours. With finding the oil in a supermarket and showering etc, that was the evening gone. Op Day After arriving at the clinic well before 8.30am, I was asked to remove my shirt and put on a gown. I signed another paper and took some medication for pain relief, antibiotic and calming - Valium I believe. The final hairline decision and marking was relatively quick, taking only half an hour or so because the options for my NW6 and parting were limited anyway. This part was done very precisely and they used several measuring systems including a laser operated cradle. The operating room was a medium sized room with a bench along one side and several 3D microscopes, and an operating table in the center. I lay face down with my face in a padded hole. It was very comfortable, and had to be because the strip removal was a 2 hour process. They explained that Dr Path used a special cutting procedure that went round the follicles rather than just cut the strip out like some other surgeons. I was to find this lengthy procedure was one of several unique procedures which made results from this clinic better than many others. They taped my hair up and shaved the strip area and the top of my head, and I had several injections in the scalp. I am needle-averse and this part was a worry - but I needn't have been concerned ... it was relatively painless. After that procedure I was asked to turn over to lie on my back, and I remained in that position for the rest of the 6-7 hours. The rest of the day passed uneventfully and quite quickly. I listened to the technicians talking, occasionally asked questions, and at several points they told me what they were doing. They asked me if I wanted lunch, a drink or go to the toilet, but I didn't want to do any of that. At one stage Dr Path mentioned there were up 15 people working for me that day. I was surprised at the number. The whole procedure was professional yet there was laughter and I felt entirely relaxed throughout. I was even enjoying it... there is some comfort in being in the hands of people who have seen it all over many years. There were no surprises and I like it that way. For the last couple of hours a therapist massaged my lower legs and feet, and that was very pleasant. Then it was all over. They put a black elastic band round my head, and I covered most of it with the baseball cap I had brought with me. They had lined the inside with surgical glaze so it didn't touch the grafts - nice touch. I caught a taxi back to the hotel and made my way back to my room. No-one at the hotel said anything to me, and I didn't feel I was standing out for any reason, that was very encouraging. I took several pills from the 6 well marked plastic pill bags at various intervals, but that didn't stop me reacting to the morphine and vomiting twice through the night. Some people do have adverse effects, and as I had rarely taken any medication in my life - aspirin being the strongest - I guess I was ultra sensitive. Post Op The following day I ordered breakfast served in my room, and then went back to the clinic at 10am for a wash and check. I was surprised at the strength of the hand shower water, but the nurse was very gentle around my head and there were no problems. Dr Path inspected me, and reminded me to be careful not to bang my head. On average he has 15 patients each year who knock their head on taxi doors and other places and lose a few grafts. He also said by the third day the grafts are usually settled in, and as an example told me about a patient who wanted a higher hairline change after the op, but had left it over the weekend to tell him. By Monday - the third day - he found it impossible to remove the transplanted follicles. This was very reassuring to me, since there has been all sorts of different opinions given on forums about this. Returning Home As expected I was asked at each Customs inspection point to remove my hat... about 7 times in all. While I wasn't worried about doing this, I was concerned the constant removal of the hat would disturb my careful placement, and I explained this to the officials. So only at one point, exiting the Bangkok airport, did I have to remove it, and I only lifted it slightly at the front. I flew business class both ways. It's a 10-11 hour trip - and of course the flight was comfortable and the pampering by Thai Airlines very much appreciated for the trip home. The Post Op Week Before the operation my worry about the first few days was the pain. But I took Panadol whenever I felt uncomfortable and there was no problem. The scalp felt a little tight - and still does a week later, but I expected that and it's not too bad at all, at most a 2/10 discomfort level. A couple of times I have looked down quickly to do up my shoes and felt a sharp twinge at the back. Ouch. Only did that twice! I had a normal sleep the first night. I usually sleep on my righthand side, and I was able to do that reasonably well without taking sleeping pills or pain killers. Over the week I showered and washed my head twice a day, dabbing on shampoo mixed with water in a plastic beaker, then patting it with a towel and drying it with a hair dryer on cold setting. I didn't touch the transplant area. They were able to keep my 'combover', and this help make the area look partly normal, though I always wore a hat when I went out in public. Stitches Out Two days ago I visited my local doctor to have the stitches removed. There are two sets... the normal stitching which dissolves over a few weeks, and 15 larger spaced sutures which need to be removed. They are spaced every centimeter or so, similarly placed to the staples that other clinics use. The letter that Dr Path supplied for removing these was very exact, and the nurse removing the stitches was so impressed at his handiwork she called in a doctor to look at them. He too was impressed with the high standard of trichophytic closure, and I was very reassured that everything was normal back there. Today I look back over the last couple of weeks with some amazement. First I'm surprised how smoothly the whole process went. And then I'm happy that all my concerns and worries were quite unnecessary. There were no problems with infection, bumping grafts out, or public humiliation. I'm wearing a cap on the few occasions I get out. A couple of the people I mentioned it to have been very interested in the procedure. In all, I would say to anyone thinking about getting a HT - not to worry. Choose a doctor from the Alliance here and jump in. Nothing about the op is as bad as you think, and in my case it has been a very, very good experience indeed. Photo shows the hair covering the graft area.

In what way? Can you explain more?

Thanks for that info. The problem is knowing whether what we're doing is enough... there doesn't seem to be any measurement for the layman.

Even though I've looked at the various videos, I still don't know whether I've got the right area... my scalp doesn't seem to be moving any further than when I started a couple of weeks ago. Got a week to go. Maybe the problem is that I'm not doing enough - my arms and hands hurt after only 5 minutes, and so I'm doing less each day than I should. How important are these exercises anyway? Will it make the difference between getting 3000 out, or 4000? Or does it means that my scalp will be very tight after the HT? Anyone done a 4000 without exercise, for example?

This is good advice, and some questions I was going to ask have been answered here. I'm due in a week for a 4000 FUT, and also booked to fly back the day after (12hr trip), and the Bangkok clinic will do a post-op clean the following morning before I board. From all I have read the next day is not a big problem for coordination problems etc. I don't have any tendency to bump or fall, so should be safe enough. I'm still wondering what kind of bandages we have to wear after the op, and whether it's different for various clinics, or are they all the same? I also read somewhere that a head compression bandage should be worn to stop swelling, but don't see anything here about that. Is that still applied?

Thanks, very useful!

Sounds like the old cover up story I know so well. There's only one way your hair can go when it has to double as a bald shield!

I'm 3 weeks away from my first HT, and curious to know whether anyone has changed their hairstyle as a result of the op? I notice there's not much discussion about this part of the process, whereas to me the end result - hair styling - should be the most interesting. And does anyone wear their hair longer as a result of a HT? I think of all the years I've had to keep my hair from blowing in the wind, and at times actually looking forward to losing it so I don't have that hassle. But I simply don't look great with short hair or a bald head, so now I've done a 180 and am looking forward to styling it again, even with all the wind problems. Maybe I will use gel instead of spray. I've always brushed from a side parting over to the other side, and my hair goes straight down at the sides. Any attempt to swish it back and lose the parting has been in vain. So what if I get given a hairline lower on my forehead and I'm able to comb it back? I've never changed my style in the last 50 years. Has anyone made this change?

Thanks, I've done the FUT research before I booked, so no problem there. My asking was for the difference in body postions for two procedures, not the procedures themselves. Hope I clarified that. Good to hear that it can be a day of relative rest

FUT. Is there a difference?

I get squeamish watching operations, so I haven't looked at any vids to answer these questions. I'm booked with Dr Path in Bangkok in about 3 weeks, getting nervous, and it would be good to put my mind at rest. 1. What position do you lie in? Is it on your back (I imagine not) or front, and do you turn over at any time? How do they get full access to your head? 2. When do you get to the bathroom if you need to? 3. Is there any time you can get up and walk around, eat or drink water? Or are you lying there for the full 9 hours? 4. I saw a pic with a patient's legs being massaged. Does the massage help any? Is it legs or back, or both? 5. Can you really lie still for all that time? What's the biggest problem... boredom, scalpel noise, cramp?

Thanks scar5 - you certainly made me feel a lot more confident. I look to this new change in my life

I've always had a high forehead and consider that part of my personality. Going for a low hairline in the front would certainly change my looks a lot - probably not in a good way.

I'm due to have my first HT done by Dr Path in 3 weeks, but one thing puzzles me. Do I get to select a different hair style from the position of the implants? If, say, my hair has a strong part and sweeps over to the side, would I be able to select a style that makes me look like Elvis? Or do the docs match my existing style and I just have to go along with it?

OK, that's interesting and encouraging - are you saying that shockloss is preventable after the HT?

Maybe I haven't found the right keyword search, but I can find very little on how the transplanted hairs survive long term, say 5 years and later. I'm aware that once you've started the whole process is a lifetime one. But is this because the natural hair needs to be replaced around the grafts, or do the transplanted hairs suffer long term shock loss according to an article I've read? It does seem we've come a long way in the last 5 years, and maybe the HT process is a lot more sophisticated and the standards are higher nowadays. But I'd hate to have patchy hair after 10 years with no donor area and being unable to shave it due to the scars. What's the long term strategy then? By the way, I'm committed to my first HT with Dr Path (Bangkok) mid August, so any explanation will not stop me continuing with it. Just wanting to know what to expect. I'm a 64 yr-old NW6 with 4000 grafts planned.

Is there any longterm effect on the hair - transplanted or normal - with hair dying? I've always read that dye will shorten the life of your hair, and I guess this might be more so after a transplant?

David, Yes, I've since spent a lot more time looking at the HT photo section, and it seems the greatest impact is at the front. Some of the pics are amazing - I'd be very pleased to get even part of some of those results. Thanks for your suggestion!

I've booked with Dr Path in Bangkok in 5 week's time, and am working out what I need for the FUT. I'm a NW6, and their assessment from my photos is 4000, starting from the front. But I'd like to have the crown filled in first. In our email discussion the clinic said most HT is done from the front first because that's where most people view us from. But of course people also see us from every angle including the back, and to me that's the part that reveals the most about balding. Anyone had the crown done first and can tell me their experience with it? The alternative is getting the front/top done this time and then the crown in 18 months. That's a long time to wait when I could have the crown growing nicely first! Of course if the clinic recommends front to back, I'll do that - they are the experts after all. I'm looking forward to getting this done, whichever way it goes. This forum has been an invaluable source of info!