harryforreal

Actually, this is Spanker's words regarding the outcome of the transplant. Spanker does not actually say it is great. When taking an hour to type a well thought out response at 2 in the morning, remembering exactly what others have posted sometimes can be a bit tricky. Sorry if I misrepresented your sentiments, Spanker!

I agree with the above comment. I also think the fact that others have stated on here that the results look, "Great!" illustrates a clear difference in aesthetic acceptability. Moreover, the suggestion that the onus of patient satisfaction falls ultimately solely on the patient is morally and ethically abhorrent. It is a simple thing for a doctor's office to say, "This is what you can expect: a lower hairline that is thinner in density than the rest of your hair and may not prove satisfactory, especially in direct or harsh light. A second procedure may well be required to fill in the density towards a more satisfactory outcome. Some patients have expressed concern over coarse or wiry hairs or even a pluggy hairline. Or, conversely, you may be totally satisfied with the outcome on the first try. Here are some photos of various outcomes." I left my initial consultation with a brochure that promised a natural result with reassurances from the doctor with no mention regarding aesthetic limits of hair surgery. I went home and tried to find out more info online but didn't see much that I found applicable to my situation at the time (I think there's much more info now online) and so felt fairly comfortable after my consultation with the doctor and the brochure. Even if I had found more info online, I'm not sure I would have known what to look for in contrast to now that I've been through 2 surgeries. As a final point, when someone like Spanker, whose opinion and input I generally value greatly, says this is a great outcome, where do novices seeking out information find similarly experienced people who can provide a counter to say, "It's a good outcome, but look here and note the aesthetic limitations, so consider this before you undergo the procedure." For me it is not a satisfactory outcome. It's a good transplant, but aesthetically it fails to satisfy. I will say HT0416 that Dr. Konior has suggested using nape hair to soften hairlines - a somewhat controversial position as others feel that nape hair is not as reliable as hair from the standard donor region. Still, I think it's worth considering. At the very least, added density I do believe will improve the aesthetic appearance, but I think you will still be disappointed by the coarseness/caliber of the transplanted hairs at the hairline unless you can use soft hairs like nape hair.

Just had my 3rd micro needling procedure 4 days ago, and my skin is looking flawless. Your higher hairline looks so much better than that low, thin, horrid result you got. Get some micro needling or other skin texture improvement treatment and you'll be very happy!

I have uploaded photos that are better resolution than yours but with an older iPhone than yours - perhaps it is not a question of the phone camera but how you are uploading the photos? I have similar concerns as you, and have also asked Dr. Konior for input in another thread.

Finasteride meds first. Surgery LAST resort. Refer to Dr. Bernstein's website for photos of the efficacy that finasteride can yield on the hairline - quite impressive, and a damn lot cheaper and easier than a HT.

Yeah, I'm in total agreement with Shera. If you were visiting Brussels for a business trip and expected to be done in a day, yeah, no need to stick around if you want to get home for comfort's sake. But this surgery is no small matter - even though prior to it I didn't think it would be such a big deal. My principle concern with flying for so long while doped up is that you have to support your head and maybe the drugs cause you to fall asleep (I mean, 20 hour flight, I'm sure you will sleep!) and while sleeping while drugged up you brush your head against the seat the wrong way or something and damage your grafts. But, yeah, since you mention the pressure - considering how much suffering I experienced once the swelling became severe, I can't imagine that additional pressure from an airline cabin would be good at all. Belgium is certainly not the most interesting country in Europe, but there are some interesting things to see there - and taste. You're not going there for the sights and tastes, though, so stick around for the sake of your grafts if not your level of discomfort and if you get a chance, take in some sights on top of it all. What do you have to loose? Except your grafts, of course....

I have written extensively in several threads and one in particular about my persistent redness and the success I had with V-Beam laser in reducing that redness. I have also posted photos and still don't understand why more isn't stated with regards to the redness. I have to leave for work now, otherwise I would point you to that thread. But I do believe the V-Beam is very much worth considering if the redness still persists.

I agree completely with Gasthoerer's analysis, and in fact my HT surgeon added 300 more grafts later on at no cost to try and reduce the pluggy look caused by multi-unit grafts. Even so, while I remained awake during the second procedure, and watched the doctor target single grafts or try to divide double grafts into singles, I STILL ended up with multi-unit grafts in the revised hairline! But I agree with your philosophy regarding nape hair, Dr. Konior - at least that's what I felt at the time which is why I pressed my HT doctor on the use of nape hair. Are you commonly using nape hair in the hairline? Is that your secret at such great hairlines, Dr. Konior? I am of course just kidding a bit, as I know artistry is never dependent solely upon a single criteria! But it is reassuring to hear you say I have options, and if Chicago were closer - and not so freaking cold! - I would be interested in further discussion at your clinic so as not to take over your thread. I have considered some extractions or electrolysis, but I am worried about how the skin would look afterwards. The photo you provided of debunking definitely looks better, though! Have you published the results of the two patients in the two thumbnail pictures? I would definitely be interested in seeing the final result. A couple last questions, and then maybe I should just schedule a time for a consultation, but what do you use for your FUE extractions, and then once extracted, do you examine the FUE extractions under a microscope to insure that the extractions will be singles? I mean, I watched as the FUE extractions were placed in a holding solution and then sorted in a tray based on singles, doubles, etc., but still these multi-unit grafts ended up in the revised hairline. Also, are you using implanter pens to implant the grafts? I have been truly shocked at how beat up (bumpy and red) my recipient zone was after my transplant and have wondered if the type of implanting tool might have made a difference. Beyond my concerns regarding "wooly" hair, I have serious concerns about my forehead looking like "plucked chicken skin" in the recipient zone! Thank you, Dr. Konior for your responses! And Gasthoerer, at this time I would prefer to not publicly name the clinic where I had my transplant done. It is true I have not been especially pleased with the outcome, but there are simply too many variables for me to cast public aspersions onto the doctor and his clinic. In any case, when I first agreed to the procedure, there wasn't much information or examples of the doctor's work available in the public forum; now, however, there are multiple examples of the doctor's work online and, since my initial procedure, on this forum, actually. Also since my initial procedure and subsequent revision, my standards of hair design have matured significantly - most certainly because of my own personal experience. To this degree I can say I have been continually impressed with Dr. Konior's published work - at the very least Dr. Konior's aesthetic sense is appealing to my aesthetic sense. But clearly there are differences in approach - as evidenced by Dr. Konior's willingness to employ nape hair versus my HT surgeon's reluctance to use it; also I suspect there may be a difference in price. Therefore, given these variables in patient needs and goals, I don't feel it fair to publicly name my HT surgeon within the context of this specific discussion. I hope you understand.

You definitely helped this man, Dr. Bloxham. Good job. And, yes, sometimes the sales pitch can be quite enticing when first consulting, such as a reduced "sale" price per graft for the next two weeks.

By the way, Dr. Konior, I do have pics on this web site. Below is the link to my album, linked to picture 8 of my photos, because I think picture 8 shows well the contrast between the thicker, transplanted hairs on top versus the softer, lighter hairs on my side: Hair Restoration Social Network - Hair Loss and Transplant Photos

Duuuuuuuude......Stay 5 - 7 days. Seriously. I swelled up on day 3 like crazy. I had 1000 grafts at the front on Friday, rested Saturday and Sunday with not too much swelling and went to work on Monday thinking nothing of it based on what people said. By 9 AM I was feeling awful, and my fellow coworkers were approaching me with extreme concern based solely on my appearance - not like when you have a cold or even the flu type appearance, but like you are having a brain aneurysm or stroke and are about to drop dead in 30 minutes. I remained at work until the end of the day, my eyes were swelling like crazy, and I went home and just swelled up. Horrible feeling. But also it became quite apparent at work that something serious was going on, and later on people were easily able to figure out it was a HT. In any case, yeah, like Spanker said, just chill. Take a week in Belgium. If you're feeling well go out and visit the medieval town of Brugges and other places. But even if you don't swell, you don't want to risk damaging the grafts in your scalp by immediately hopping on a plane all drugged up. Just hang and chill in Northern Europe a bit - eat lots of Belgian chocolate.

Thank you for replying, Dr. Konior, It's a bit late so I'm not thinking as thoroughly as I normally do, so I may leave something out. I have asked previously of my HT doctor about the softer nape hairs, and his response was that nape hairs were not stable for long term and that they had a different growth rate from other hairs - a longer .dormancy between growth and rest stages? But, yes, if I were to complain about my HT, the darker, thicker, coarser hairs - even when singles, is not something I was expecting. I regularly pluck these darker hairs from my hairline in order to soften my hairline like it used to be - I actually keep the plucked hairs in sandwich bags labeled by month to see if the constant plucking has reduced their caliber, coarseness, kinky-ness, and possibly lighten them a bit. I THINK it might have affected them some, but it's difficult to say, and if the hairs are a wee bit lighter and less coarse (and less kinky), I can't say it's because of plucking - could just be the passage of time. But in any event they still don't look like or act like the soft hair I once had along my hair line - and perhaps it is unrealistic to expect transplanted hairs to have such soft characteristics. The test for me is if I hold the plucked hair strand up between my finger tips, does the hair strand fall back down around my hand or remain standing up? Native hairs almost always fall softly, while many transplanted hairs almost always remain standing. But on the other hand, I actually wonder if my FUE procedure could have caused the donor hairs to become darker and thicker and kinky - a sentiment commonly expressed in general following both FUT and FUE hair transplants, and I would be curious to know your opinion about this. The concern about hair transplants resulting in transplanted hairs becoming more coarse and kinky, is it possible? Does it or can it really happen this way or is it simply that the hairs from the donor region generally are thicker and darker? I swear my transplanted hairs are thicker, darker, coarser, and kinkier than my native hairs. I don't like the "wooly Einstein" look at the front of my head! In a vain society looking like an airhead Justin Bieber is better than looking like a brilliant man sadly! In any case, while I'm confident that grafts can be implanted into my hairline and they will grow, I'm not confident that adding more will soften my hairline - just the opposite. My concern is that adding more grafts at the front will further add "wooliness" when ideally I would like my hair to fall softly about my face like it once did. That being said, I have been admiring your hairlines on this forum for several years for their soft and natural look! And sorry for hijacking the thread, but when you specifically mentioned "using an FUE punch for micro-debulking plug-type grafts with the selective removal of the most contrasting, higher-caliber, darker-hair follicular units from those grafts," it resonated with me. I mean, I was on a date, and my date specifically reached up and touched the darker, coarser, wooly hairs in my hairline. Not happy.

I would agree with your assessment. But Spanker you had FUT, correct? Does Konior do much in FUE? I do like his hairlines - very natural. I mean, let me qualify my question. I know Konior does FUE, but does he prefer FUT/strip? I consulted once with a coalition doctor who officially did both, but in private consultation stated strongly that best results were obtained with FUT/strip.

Yeah, 100 free grafts isn't going to do anything. Don't go back to this clinic.

How do you avoid "higher-caliber, darker-hair" contrasts when moving hair from the back/sides of the head to the hairline? I feel this is the biggest problem with my hair transplant, along with multi-haired grafts.

I did the same thing as LMC, rushing into a hair transplant without fully understanding it, with the same thin results. I think a natural higher hairline that is dense is way preferable to a lowered hairline that looks thin and artificial. That being said, I am reticent to FUE out any grafts because of pitting and scarring. I have written in other threads that I have found micro-needling good for smoothing the skin. I have had 2 micro-needling treatments thus far and have purchased another two.

Do you mean the native hairs from the donor region? What I can say is that my forehead was smooth as a baby's ass at my hairline all my life. I loved running my fingers back and seeing the soft, wavy hair and curls fall about my face and smooth skin. After the transplanted hairs were placed in my hairline, the skin was very deformed, both I think from the trauma of the implanter pens as well as thicker hairs growing through the skin "pushing" outward as the hair shaft passes through the scalp. To me it looked like plucked chicken skin once the feathers were removed. The only option afterwards was to comb my hair forward to hide the chicken skin texture as well as the redness. But I can say I definitely say improvement in the skin texture with only 1 micro needling. That was very obvious to me. But even so, the thicker, transplanted hairs are much more noticeable where they exit the skin than the very small and soft vellum hairs.

Redness was a problem for me for years.

I'm not a fan of hairline lowering. You can look at my pics and tell me if you like it.

Spidey, yes, I do believe that the hair root and shaft cause some skin irregularities. Having spoken specifically about the thicker transplanted hairs, I believe that the thicker growing transplanted hairs contribute to skin irregularities. I also should say that I didn't pluck my first hair until probably 3 years after my hair transplant procedure - so I was completely hands off the first 18 months based on what everyone said is the time it can take for a hair transplant to completely heal "in the worst case scenarios". After that, the first thing I did was get the cortisone shot, and I started using silicone gel for bumpy texture (prior to my first micro needling). I have often wondered if using implanter pen "crams" the hair graft into the skin in such a way that the hair graft isn't as long and slender as it is in it's native location. The "crammed" hair graft, as such, causes a kinky curl to develop and maybe the puncture of the pen and such creates a wider opening which leads to a thicker shaft growing - or maybe like a tube of tooth paste harshly squeezed the hair shaft comes out thicker from the follicle. But I have no evidence to explain the thicker, darker hairs. I do feel like the quality of the hairs has improved some - but it's hard to say. I still pluck on a regular basis. I store the hairs in sandwich bags with the month labeled on it. I figure one day I can examine the first plucked hairs and compare them with recent plucked hairs to see if there is any improvement when placed side by side.

I hope my photos have provided some helpful insight for people seeking assistance with lingering redness. For me it always looked worse under fluorescent lighting - a trip to Home Depot and looking at bathroom mirrors was a horror trip. These days, because I reduced and virtually eliminated the redness with V-Beam and also reduced the bumpiness with micro needling, I feel much better about things - especially with almost daily plucking of thicker, black ugly hairs. I hope these days that by plucking the thicker hairs that eventually they will soften up a bit; but going on 6 years I don't know. In retrospect, I would never have gone off of Propecia/Finasteride, after which my hair recession and thinning really progressed. Even after this, I would have tried the Propecia/Finasteride and also other non-surgical options such as Minoxidil before surgery. But hair surgery seemed like a really great "drug free" alternative. WRONG. Finally, if I did opt for surgery, I would have just done the little spot at the center of my hairline where you can see it was thinning inward. This was my primary concern, and it was the doctor who suggested lowering the whole hair line - which having grown up watching Bradd Pitt and his hairline on screen was a temptation I just couldn't resist. Despite what others may post, it's not just about transplanting hairs and then watching them grow. I feel sometimes that some persons are so desperate for hair on their head that they sacrifice other considerations - namely how natural does it look? What is the TOTAL aesthetic goal??? No one transfixes on naturally thinning hair or even a bald hair, except for the person losing the hair. However, EVERYONE transfixes on an unnatural looking hair procedure. For me the biggest issue REMAINING is the quality of the transplanted hairs. I've put the redness behind me, and the bumpy skin texture is improved enough to not be obvious unless pointed out - and after two micro-needling procedures I'm going to have 2 more micro needling procedures to get even further improvement on the skin texture. Best wishes to everyone, and Jay, I hope you can get some relief. I feel very good about the V-Beam. But it is not sooo expensive that you couldn't try a small patch before treating the entire area just to see if there were any adverse effects. Sincerely, Harryforreal

And these 2 photos show a shorter, curly, thicker black transplanted hair I plucked versus a long hair I randomly plucked from my donor region. Clearly the hair transplant procedure affected the quality of the transplanted hair. No where on my head are the native hairs as dark and thick as this transplanted hair.

February 9, 2016. I am posting these 3 photos out of chronological order because I wanted to point out as a side note how dark and thick the transplanted hairs are compared to the native hairline hairs. On this date the hairs had grown back just enough to get a good view of the thickness and darkness - essentially black. This has been a big issue for me as my hairline is more of a honey/caramel blonde/brown. Moreover, the transplanted hairs were so thick and coarse, they are closest to my chest hairs in color, size, and coarseness. It has looked very bizarre having a row of thick, black, coarse hairs with a funky curl to them in front of my lighter and softer native hairline, especially highlighted previously by lingering redness and a bumpy texture. ***NOTE: the bumpy texture is much improved in all of these photos because I did the micro-needling treatment BEFORE the V-Beam treatments.***

February 20, 2016.

January 31, 2016 - two days after 2nd V-Beam procedure.