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.

Pelo, thank you for the kind comments. I agree that it would be much better if I did not have to contend with the scarring. That is the one revelation I have come to after finding a cost effective FUE option with Dr. Bhatti. I would encourage everyone to consider this particular point before their first procedure. Regarding the # of grafts in my crown -- I am not sure exactly. I would guess around 800 grafts, but if Dr. Bhatti has this detail handy -- along with the # of grafts used on my forehead and the # placed in my FUT scar area I would be most interested to confirm how we divided up the 2928 total grafts. I will post some additional close-up pictures of the donor area soon for you to see. Best, Jim (midnightio75)

It is a good question as no procedure is worth compromising ones long-term health. With a hair transplant there is definitely bleeding which occurs and it is definitely worthwhile to ask the surgeon about his/her safety and sterilization procedures. For all 3 of my HT's I have taken the 'quick HIV' test the morning of the surgery. I would not want to put the doctor or the staff at risk, just as I expect that all of the instruments, etc are properly sterilized so that I am not put at risk. Regarding the autoclave it should be the same item used in the dentist office to sterilize the instruments.

Hi everyone, It is hard to believe 30 days have already elapsed, but I just took some updated pictures to share. It is difficult to get perfect shots with the correct focus and lighting. I normally take 50-75 pictures from various angles and then sift through them to select the best ones. With one month time post surgery, with no hair trimming yet, I am interested to ask for Dr. Bhatti's general thoughts, and being free to comment on my particular patient details. Also, can you also describe variables such as hair thickness and skin color/complexion and how this affects and influences hair transplants in general? I know that I have thin hair and a fair (white) complexion which may present some challenges. One other question -- Since grafts (besides body hair grafts) are harvested from the rear of the scalp, is it correct that this hair is genetically programmed to continue to grow through my lifetime? Is this always true? Or is this hair also subject to changes due to aging? Best, Jim

Good news -- I have confirmed that Dr. Bhatti has permission to post in this thread. I have invited him to post any comments/thoughts he has about my progress. I have asked for unbiased feedback (good or bad) to evaluate my progress over the course of the 1-year I will actively update this thread. In addition, I welcome any readers who have questions about my procedure to post to this thread and hopefully Dr. Bhatti can answer them directly. I would hope to learn a few new things myself. Cheers!

A short note. I am back in the States now having wrapped up my work travel along with the side-trip for my HT with Dr. Bhatti. I have been a little self-conscious going out in public as for once, with my hair still cut short, I can fully appreciate how much loss I really have. The contrast between the dense areas on the sides of my scalp compared to the much thinner center and crown area is really quite obvious. I see now that when my hair was a regular length I could fool myself into thinking I had a fair amount of hair remaining. With that said, it is interesting as when I was very young and saw relatives balding I always said that if it happened to me I would just shave my head. The reality is that by my mid-twenties I reconsidered and decided if I could replace hair with a HT I should do it while I am still young to reap the benefits from an early age. At this point I see that I will have a few months of 'transition hair' as I go from the buzz cut back to a regular hair length, during which time I expect to still be a bit self-conscious. And then I will have the additional months as I await the new HT's to begin growing. Thus, I still have a journey ahead, but the 'hard' part is behind me. Separately, I wanted to say that I emailed Dr. Bhatti recently to see if he would be interested in making a post or two in this thread to comment on my progress and offer added insight from his point-of-view. He responded that he would do this but first needs to receive approval from the board administration, etc. I too do not want to do anything that would be outside the boundaries and spirit of this forum, or be construed as commercial or conflicting with other HT doctors who are approved on this forum. For me it seems like a great opportunity to gain more insight on my progress with honest feedback from the doctor's view and share it with others following my case. I have additional questions I would like to ask, so we will have to see if this is something that can be permitted in the near future. I will end by saying that for so many of us information and 'real world patient cases' are so very helpful and the real lynchpin when it comes to making the decision to get a hair transplant or not. All three of my HT's have been down abroad, so I have not had the luxury of going in for a consultation and asking various questions, and then thinking about it further. I have had to make the decision a few months in advance, and the first-person consultation is only a short period in the morning prior to starting the surgery. The more information that can be shared in a forum like this is invaluable and each one of us that does make 'the leap' and shares/documents the experience is paying it forward and helping others decide if it is a path they too want to choose.

Hi everyone, Here are the 15-day pictures to update my progress. I have let my hair continue to grow out. I will occasionally have some itching still in the rear scalp donor areas, but nothing substantial and I assume it is simply a result of the scalp healing. I will post next with a '30-day update'.

Thanks all for the continued words of encouragement. I am also very encouraged by the hairline. From a few feet away and further, the front hairline is much more defined. I like the look. It makes me contemplate keeping my hair short! I am curious to see how it looks over the next 4-8 weeks, if more of the graft hairs will fall away before regrowing, etc. @GNX1 - I do not yet have any plans for another procedure. As this was already my 3rd HT (2 previous in Bangkok using FUT), I would love for this current almost 3,000 graft HT to get me 5+ years of results. It may be wishful thinking, etc. so I will just take it month by month for now, and looking forward to 9-12 months from now to check the results. For Dr. Bhatti I 100% agree that these types of 'real world' reports as Johnny24 posted are so very helpful to show what Dr. B is able to do at his Darling Buds clinic. It is amazing that he can offer the FUE procedure for a lower cost than most other clinics using the FUT procedure. Fortunately the results are in the pictures. Even after I factor in the time and travel expenses the total cost for this FUE procedure is an exceptional value. To answer your question about 'body hair grafts' -- Yes, I was very keen on doing this to gain additional grafts. Unfortunately, when Dr. Bhatti looked me over he found I do not have enough chest/body hair for this. I could have taken hair from my underarms but I demurred after the thought of needing my full scalp to heal, plus having graft sites in my armpits to contend with healing for the next 7-14 days. I also did not have enough facial hair. I asked about hair from the 'nape of my neck' (rear hairline) but Dr. Bhatti told me that the scarring would be visible in this area. Lastly we talked about hair from the pubic area. I was assured that it would straighten out over time. But I demurred on this option as well because I did not want to have the additional recovery/healing time in this area. But ask me again in 9-12 months and I may wish I had done it and picked up the additional grafts. Lastly -- I promise to keep posting regular updates. I have set reminders on my calendar for the next 345 days to snap pictures and post them. It will be helpful to follow my progress, for others as well as myself! @MagnumPI - For the FUT scarring -- Yes, this is one thing I never fully appreciated or knew about. I thought over time the scars would disappear, etc. by having a very skilled HT doc. Unfortunately FUT scarring is a real reality and at this point I would encourage anyone who has not yet had a HT to strongly consider FUE for this one reason alone. It does not leave the highly noticeable scalp scarring which makes it difficult to ever cut ones hair short.

Apologies for the posting delay. Attached are status pictures from Day 7 after the procedure. ** I have included some very close-up shots of the graft areas as requested. I have noticed very some minor aches in the donor area, and sensitivity to cold temps/wind while outdoors, but otherwise all is well. I also have some minor rear scalp itching, which is alleviated with circular finger massage of the donor and graft areas. Applying some of the J&J hair oil provided in Dr. Bhatti's care kit is also helpful. I do have the common 'numb scalp' feeling in the graft areas. I know it will take some time for the feeling to be fully restored. In all, I think I have healed quite quickly. The crusts were pretty well gone by Day 7. Due to how the grafts are harvested, FUE seems to be a good deal easier for the recovery process and being able to 'get back to a normal daily routine' more quickly than I was able to previously with FUT. Plus, there are no stitches to remove or dissolve.

Hi Stinger, Good questions. 1. I was unaware that there are both motorized and manual punch procedures. I know Dr. Bhatti used the motorized system, but I did not have any discussion about the merits between the two. 2. Yes, the punch size: .8mm Harris blunt punch 3. I do not know if an 'acell solution' was used. The one thing I do note (and shown in one of my pictures) is that when I saw the grafts on the second day when transitioning from laying down to the upright chair for my crown grafts is that the grafts were in a floating in a 4-chamber 'petri dish' with a clear-pinkish liquid. 4. I did not get (or request) any type of density calculation for the graft results. 5. Dr. Bhatti did all of the punching. Dr. Bhatti also did all of the scalp incisions. The two parts he did not do were: - pulling/plucking the grafts from the scalp - inserting the grafts into the incision areas Remembering some details from his website, this was his top level of service. He displayed several other options, at a lower per graft cost, which varied depending on the punch machine as well as if one of technicians did more of the work. I felt the cost per graft was already reasonable enough and stayed with the top level option. Hope this is helpful!

I wanted to post some updated pictures to show how the grafts look as well as the donor areas. 4 days have elapsed: - for my forehead grafts - for the right to middle scalp side of the donor area, where we harvested 2000+ grafts 3 days have elapsed: - for my crown grafts - for my FUT scar grafts - for the left side donor area, where we harvested 900+ grafts A general update is that I feel great. I am performing the 2x daily cleaning regime Dr. Bhatti carefully outlines. My first donor area is healing nicely. The second area (3 days elapsed) still has some 'blood clots' visible, which have not dissolved yet during the saline and shampoo cleaning I perform. I have been using the saline mister throughout the day, every 2-4 hours, or sooner if I have an 'itchy' feeling. While sleeping I use the blue towel Dr. B provided in the care kit and I have been trying to be careful in how I place my head on the pillow to avoid disturbing the grafts -- though ther is no 100% way to avoid it since I also have the grafts on the left and right sides of my scalp to repair my FUT scars. I do not find any further bleeding. I have begun wearing my usual pull-over shirts, but am very careful when they go on or come off. Overall the recovery is going very well. Much easier than with the FUT surgery recovery with the incision and suture aches that I recall. The only trade-off I note is that with FUT the donor area is isolated to the long strip. Where as with FUE the donor area is spread over the scalp, so the shaved appearance and the 'red marks' are certainly noticable. But with my current progess 3-4 days after, I think in another few days the donor areas will look quite natural. In short, looking at the pictures you would expect a good deal of pain and discomfort. The reality is that the only real pain was during the procedure when receiving the numbing injections, and a few areas where we had to apply more during the procedure. Which you will have with either FUT or FUE. The after surgery feeling is different. With this latest FUE procedure I could forget that I had anything done until I look in the mirror. Which so far has been a very pleasant surprise! I will update again around Day 7.