midnightio75

About 13 months have now elapsed since my procedure and I wanted to post a final picture update to complete this thread. I should have done this a week ago as I had my hair grown out to the longest length to date, but I have cut it short again. I want to thank everyone for the positive comments along the way and I hope following my personal experiences have been helpful.

It sounds like you are referring to the long area (from ear-to-ear) on my rear scalp where it looks like there hair missing / a whitish line? If so, Yes, this is absolutely the result of the FUT (strip technique) surgery which I previously had twice in Bangkok, Thailand. It seems results will vary depending on the individual -- your skin color, type, hair density, etc. For me the FUT scar results are quite noticeable. The take-away here.... strongly consider FUE if you have not yet had a HT procedure as you might too end up with a visible, ear-to-ear scar. Not to mention the aching that occurs during the healing process. FUE looks more painful, but it is not, and the healing time is less, the pain much lower, and there is no noticeable scar.

Hi Guys, Thanks for the inquiries. I have not posted any updates since July as I felt my hair growth had plateaued. That said, attached are some recent pictures. I have been keeping my hair cut to a shorter length. The transplant with Dr. Bhatti has definitely built a solid frontal hairline for me which is nice. I wish that I had enough donor hair to fill in the density on the top and crown area of my scalp + repairing my two FUT scars... but I do not think I have enough donor hair. Let me know if I can answer any questions!

This is my 6-month update post with progress pictures. (pictures were taken on the exact date, but the this forum post is 3 weeks delayed). I have let the hair continue to grow, with no haircut. The thickness of the sides is certainly still in sharp contrast to the entire frontal & crown area. With 6-months elapsed, I do now see and feel a noticeable difference in the amount and thickness of the hair along my front hairline. This is where we placed the most focus during the entire first day of the procedure. My present feeling is... I am unsure. I see the results of the procedure coming to fruition. But with my hair loss still so significant, I may cut my hair short again, to better balance the thickness of the sides and the sparse coverage on top.

Hi HARIRI, I selected the premium option. I would expect every visitor from abroad would go with it since the added cost is negligible and we all want to achieve the best results. Though in fact, I think I would have also done well with the standard package. Prior to arriving I was also interested in the body hair option as I felt my donor hair supply might be a challenge, and the cost of per graft from Dr. Bhatti was very reasonable. Though in the end, we did not use any body hair grafts as I guess I am not as 'hairy' as I thought! Cheers

Hi Everyone, This is my 5-month update post with progress pictures. It is 12 days overdue :-). As mentioned in my 4-month update post, I have had thoughts about keeping a short hair length and I had cut may hair short again about 3 weeks ago. Since them, I have let it grow without any changes. My present plan is to let it grow to my normal length and see how it looks. I feel I can now see hair growth in the frontal area of my scalp. Dr. Bhatti had concentrated my work on the frontal area (rebuilding the hairline) and also in the crown area. I do not yet see noticable density of new gowth in the crown area, though this is my opinion. As always, I have included a variety of pictures and close-up shots to show my results and progress.

This 4 month post-surgery update is a little overdue. I reached the 3 month mark and let me hair grow out to a more normal length following close 'buzz cut' from the surgery. I felt that my appearance was the same as pre-surgery -- which would make sense as I come to understand that 3 months is the mark when hair growth will begin. I had an event to attend and I just made the decision to go back and cut my hair short. It exposes my two FUT scars from my previous procedures in Bangkok, but I felt better doing this. I think I really attribute it to two things. 1) I have never had my hair cut so short as prior to having the FUE procedure. And I found that it really did not bother me -- aside form my FUT scars being exposed. You never really know how you will look until you do it. 2) I did not feel that there was yet much new growth on my crown area yet, and left with looking as I have for the last few years VS going with a short hair length, I did the latter. I am happy with my defined frontal hairline. I am still experimenting with the hair length. If it gets too long the density and dark color of the hair on the sides and rear of my scalp is a sharp contrast to the lighter color and less density on my crown and front scalp. I think I will need to keep my hair cut quite short. And maybe try to get more sun to darken my skin color a bit. All-in-all I am going to monitor my hair growth over the coming months and decide if I want to grow it out again -- or keep it short. The one key 'take away' I will note -- as I have before -- which is before you allow a doctor to perform a FUT (scalp strip) procedure be sure you are well informed about the lifelong scar(s) which will result. My two FUT procedures definitely gave me more hair and more years of looking 'more natural' -- but if I had the option presented again -- I would have waited until I could do a FUE procedure because you will always have the option to cut your hair short if you desire without worrying about any unsightly FUT scar(s). Another 'take away' which I have become more open to understanding is that once you start loosing hair, the surgery options that are available will definitely restore some hair -- but you will never regain the natural appearance you had before nature took effect. There is no means of restoring ones natural hair density with the current technology. Thus, you can add hair with FUE/FUT but it will always be a balancing act to maintain a 'natural' appearance. For me, I have a lot of hair loss area, and there is no way I would have enough donor hair to fill it all in. I am content to know that the transplanted hair already in place provides me with more than I would have had otherwise without the surgeries. But it is unrealistic for me to think that I can ever regain the hair I possessed at 18 when I am now 37yo! I am still curious to see how things develop over the next 5 months as the FUE transplants emerge. More updates to follow. Cheers!

Belated update! These pictures were taken March-20th -- so this is my 3 month (+ 1 week) update! I have not noticed any hair falling out thus far -- if it has it has been unnoticeable, which is possible as my hair is quite thin and the length has been so short since the HT. A separate note: I am not taking any topical or oral hair growth meds. Looking at the pictures myself, I would say I am back to where I was pre-HT surgery in December. As my hair length is about the same and I see the same frontal and crown thinness, etc. At least this is my present opinion. I am hopeful that in the coming 3-6 months I will see the fruits of the 3000 grafts. Stay tuned!

8 Week Update All of these pictures were taken on Feb-14, so this is a true 8-week representation of my progress. I still have not had a haircut since the procedure. Several pictures were after showering with the hair still damp. I obviously see a lot of difference in the density from the sides of my scalp compared to the top (front to crown) in these pictures. That said, I believe at the 12-week mark any shedding should cease and new growth should begin. I will update again for around Mar-14!

I would not fret too much about India. I have only visited twice for a few days each time. The only issue I had on either trip was when exiting the airport (Delhi and Mumbai) it is a bit confusing to find the public taxi stand. It is all too easy to end up in a private car and pay $50-75usd for a ride to the hotel, when a very very modest 'taxi' will cost about $5-10 from the taxi stand where you give them your hotel address and they give you a ticket voucher. If that is the worst issue to be found, things are good! Exchange some dollars for rupee's when you arrive at the airport so you have some spending money. Have an open mind and make sure you budget enough time for the various travels so you don't incur any stress and you'll be fine. You might even look into booking a city tour or something similar when you are there. I did it in Mumbai and spent a half day doing some site seeing with a dedicated guide. Best of luck and enjoy the delicious Indian food while you are there -- or opt for any of the many Western chain eateries.

$100 sounds liked a really good rate. I received picked up a 10-year multiple entry Indian Visa for more than double the cost ($215usd) from MD Visa Plus Expediting Passport and Visa Applications -- which might be an option if you think you may travel back to India in the years ahead. Country India Purpose Tourist VisaType India- Multiple Entry, 10 Years ServiceType Regular AdditionalNames TotalNumber 1 ConsularFee $166 ServiceFee $49 ShippingFee $0, Prepaid Airbill or Envelope Enclosed TotalAmountDue $215 Payment Credit Card

Hi Shane! It's great to see your results. It is curious about the front area that has shed sooner, but I would feel certain it will all balance out in the coming months. I have been looking at my hair and waiting for the shedding to commence. I do not see much thus far. I was really curious what the beard hair donor area would look like. I do not have a dense enough beard to warrant using beard grafts myself, but it looks amazing. I cannot even tell where the extractions are located! Looking forward to seeing your progress. Cheers, Jim

MJ0101, It is great to see your post and pictures and hear that you had a very positive experience. You almost hit 4000 grafts! I noticed one thing that's funny, is that for the 7-10 days after the procedure I REALLY liked the appearance of my hairline. As the grafts are in and healing, the front hairline is really defined. I found myself looking in the mirror as I did the cleaning/washing regimen and admiring my new hairline. Glad everything worked out well. I waited too late to book the Altius hotel, and when I called (no online booking that I found) they were full for the first night. Interesting to hear that you opted for the land/car route from Dehli to Chandigarh. I had to overnight in Dehli, and with the time spent at the airports, 5 hours is not out of the question. For me the best plan would have been taking a car upon arrival into Dehli direct to Chandigarh so I did not have to overnight in Dehli. Then flying out after the surgery since I would be catching a connecting flight in Dehli out of the country. Keep posting your progress pictures and we can compare notes!

Hi Adam1, I would love to follow your progress and learn more about using body hairs. That was a key item which attracted me to FUE (in addition to hoping that the scarring would be minimal). The end result for me regarding body hair was Dr. Bhatti said I did not have enough. I could have taken some hair from my underarms, but I contemplated the healing process for both it and my scalp, and backed away. Dr. B said I could maybe get 400 grafts per underarm, but he was not pushing it. I asked about pubic hair grafts (after a chuckle) and he said that was possible, and that the hair would straighten out after being transplanted. But again, I thought about the healing process/discomfort and knowing I had more traveling ahead, I backed away. It sounds like you have more body hair available so that it would be great to follow your report in March. Plus, as you said, you too have had multiple FUT procedures so I am guessing your available donor area is lessening the same as mine. Regarding your question about why Dr. Bhatti did not blend my crown hairs, or distribute them over a wider area, I am not sure. I am guessing due to the number of grafts I had available, and Dr. B mentioning that hair transplants are also about creating the 'illusion' of hair and making it look like there is more when there is not, could be the reason. I too would like to be able to cut my hair with a 2 or 3 guard at some point in the future, so I could very well have the area between my forehead and crown look more barren if I did so. Hopefully Dr. Bhatti can add his thoughts and describe the approach he took with my HT. Lastly, your question about filling in the entire scar. It came down to the # of grafts available, and it was not something I pushed for, as I was not sure how good the results might be and I would hate to waste grafts on the rear of my head. In retrospect, this is something I should have talked with Dr. Bhatti in greater detail to find out what options I had, and how well we could repair my FUT scars (I actually have 2 distinct scars as my FUT doctor did not run the second one along the existing incision line). Again, if I could achieve a result where I could cut my hair with a 1 guard and not have the noticeable FUT scars showing, I would 100% opt for it. In addition to doing FUE procedures, if it is possible torepair FUT scars with good results it would be great if Dr. Bhatti considered adding this as an additional service or option. I value repairing FUT scars as much as I do transplanting new grafts because I know as I age I will mostly likely see my hair thin again, and I foresee keeping my hair cut short. When Dr. Bhatti reads this, could you please estimate if it would have been possible to make my FUT scars hard to detect with a shaved head? Would it involve the FUE procedures to punch holes in the scar area to 'break up' the scar lines -- or would it involve more traditional plastic surgery techniques?

Here are some additional pictures for Pelo taken today, January 27th 2013. I tried to get some close-up views of the donor area, but I'm not sure how well it shows what you are interested in seeing. However, I DO find that I seem to have more WHITE hairs than regular color hairs! At 37 years old, they are really coming in strong! I have not had a haircut, etc since the procedure.