BicFighter

Well it's done! I had my first hair transplant surgery over two days starting Aug-6 with Dr. Vories. We transplanted 1,800 grafts into the frontal 3rd on day one and used the other 1,600 grafts to finish up my left temple on day two and fade backwards from there. My main goal was to restore my hairline so I would always have the ability to frame my face. Even if I decided to keep my hair short because it lacks density I would love to have that light hairline. I will add a full write-up on my experience within the next few days but I'm spent after using this evening to create a blog and document my journey. I'll just say that my experience with Dr. Vories clinic was overwhelmingly positive. Now the real test of patience starts. Here's to a great result over the next 6-12 months! Feel free to take a seek peek at the progress: BicFighter's Hair Transplant Journey (3,500 Grafts with Dr. Vories on Aug-6/7 2013)

Thanks all for the encouragement. Johnny - glad to have a hair buddy through that awkward stage. I'll have to keep up with your progress. I have up to five weeks off from work. I hope I don't have to drain all my vacation time but I want my head back to where it was before I left. If all goes to plan, my transplanted hairs will have shed and it will be a slow transition to "hairdom" without anyone knowing 6 months or so down the road.

Here we go! I've been a long-time follower of this forum and I want to start by thanking the community for the countless waves of support and information you've provided to those who are new to this. When I started following ten or so odd years ago my hair was just starting to thin. I originally found the forum to see if there was a new "cure" for male-pattern baldness anywhere in sight. While I've been disappointed to see the next big non-invasive advancement fall through year after year (thanks for dropping the ball, science community :confused:), I was still given some hope through the satisfied members of this community. So here I am in my late 20's with my first procedure on the horizon with Dr. Vories in South Carolina. I've done my research; weighed the pros and cons of the different extraction methods; had consultations with a few different surgeons and now I'm finally ready to go through with (let's be honest) one of the biggest decisions of my life. I'm a NW 3/4 working my way towards a NW 5/6. I'm aware that I'll likely need another procedure down the road but I'm on finasteride daily and feel that my hair loss has at least slowed to the point that I can get ahead of it. I've also been using rogaine foam for the last 5 months and it's helping. Side note, I actually started and stopped using it in my early 20's because I couldn't stand the chemical smell of the old stuff. It wasn't until earlier this year that I discovered that they finally came out with a non-scented formula (I think all the way back in 2010). Sensitive noses rejoice! Anyway, as mentioned, I consulted with a number of recommended and coalition surgeons. My only distance limitation was that my procedure would be done in the States or Canada. My first consultation took place when I was 23. It was for a strip procedure but I ultimately decided to wait due to my age and for financial reasons. At 25, I decided to shave my head. That was always my planned solution due to the history of baldness in my family and I've been young enough and lucky enough to have a nice shaped head to make it seem elective but the look has just gotten stale. It wasn't until I made my second consultation earlier this year and I was required to grow it out that I discovered where my level of baldness was at. I had mixed emotions. On one hand, my thinning has progressed enough that I finally know where I'm heading. On the other hand, my thinning has progressed enough that I finally know where I'm heading :eek:. So I had two more consultations before deciding to go with Dr. Vories. FUE was a big driver in my decision since I prefer to wear my hair short and both he and his clinic have been very responsive to all my questions. We're shooting for 3,500 grafts over 2 days in early August. I haven't really seen any Dr. Vories first-hand experiences from members in this forum but I'm impressed with the results the clinic has shown. And since, from what I can tell, I'll be the first forum member to chronicle my experience from start to finish, just think of me as a pioneer (and not a guinea pig por favor). Alas, here it goes. I'm 2 weeks out and both excited and NERVOUS! I fly in from California on Monday, have the procedure Tues/Wed, and fly back out on Thursday. Wam bam thank you ma'am. Stay tuned for pics. They'll be coming!

Looks good, Dr. Lindsey. Can I ask why the patient only opted for 2700 grafts when he had so much area to cover from the start?