StillThinking

Your looking great at the 7 month mark. I'm looking forward to seeing your 8month - post PRP pics - nudge nudge

Today I cut my hair for the first time since surgery 6.5 weeks ago, so thought its a good time to give a photo update. Couple of warnings: 1) I cut my own hair, 2) I took the photos too! I'm quite surprised it looks ok actually, much better than before the cut! Ive kept it under a cap most of last 2 weeks, but no need now - especially as its raining everyday! :cool: Im not sure if there's some more shedding to come or not...fingers crossed this is the low point - if so I'm over the moon

Pre-Op Design

Day 8 post op. The day I'm allowed to wash the recipient and massage in shower. Spent the morning de-crusting Happy enough today walking the streets with no bandana on Recipient area numbness is fading away - I think removing the crusts helped loosen scalp up. Donor area is still a little sore like sunburn - but doesn't bother me at all. Feeling good Oh - should mention that theres a stitch in middle of my recipient - where Dr Bisanga took a sample for biopsy, stitch is coming out on Monday

Post op Side/Back (March2 - day 3)

Post Op pics : Day 1, 2, 3, 4 - you can see my wrinkles come back

Post op: I felt no pain, and didn't need the painkillers provided by the surgery. Swelling of my forehead from the day of my second surgery - and became more pronounced the following day. Actually - the swelling was really firm Day 2 - like someone on these forums said - like a Klingons forehead , I massaged with strong pressure from center of forehead out every hour or so - and also in the bath, using the heat of the water to warm hands to help break the swelling up. Day 3 the swelling had reduced substantially. Day 4 swelling is all but gone. Maybe its the not going to work.. .. but from finishing the operations to now - I felt great. As of today the recipient areas are a little sore, and have red scabbing spots - like measles. The recipient area is not sore at all, it was very crusty - but this is slowly breaking down (perhaps the salt water spray breaks this up).

Here is my Pre-op photos over last 10 years, 2003,2003,2004,2004,2007,2010,2013

Just 4 days ago I finished the second day of surgery with Dr Bisanga and his team in Brussels. I have to say they are a very charming and friendly team that obviously get on well with each other - and made me feel looked after and comfortable throughout the 2 days of surgery. Surgery was split into 2 days, first day my right front hairline was implanted in the afternoon, after extraction from the left hand back and side of my hair. Then same again with opposite sides completed on day 2. I had no problems at all with lying on the operating chair for what was approx. 5 hrs per day. The anesthetic injections were not as bad as I feared, there is some pain now and then, but only for a second or two each time. Injections to the temples stung the most, but overall its quite bearable. Punching for the extractions was largely pain free - and if I felt pain, the doctor would add an anesthetic, and same for the implanting. Overall its certainly not pain-free, but I found it easier when I wasn't focused on what was going on - and let my mind wander and think about something else, music helped. Graft Breakdown: 1 Hair 574 2 Hair 981 3 Hair 434 4 Hair 26 Total 2015

Went similar to yesterdays - very glad its over with Graft counts: 2015 (1: 574, 2: 981, 3: 434, 4: 26) I've not needed the pain killers.. and yesterday slept fine. Head is 'leaking' a bit more tonight - so could be messy tomorrow morning for the maid! Stephen emailed my with some after care tips already - suggested vitamins - which I don't have with me, can buy some tomorrow. I do have some biotin + calcium + magnesium tablets - maybe I can start on those now. The biggest problem I have is - I have two very nice bottles of whisky in my bag - and I cant touch them yet...

I have a thin frontal area - diffused hair loss, although the hairline is still almost there. I'm hoping to fix up the hairline and thicken up the thinning. Your situation was closest to mine I could find - not so many of us diffusers Unfortunately my donor area on the sides was not the best - 1s and 2s, but the back had a good number of 3s. But doctor happy to go ahead considering my age (42) Dr Bisanga advised 1600 - 2000 FUE grafts, and today I had just over 1000 done. So my forhead is shaved, and one side implanted, back is shaved, one side pitted/bandaged. Longer clown hair in between I feel fine actually, blood was racing 110, but I felt calm enough. And placements were actually quite soothing in a way. Some pain - but nothing too bad. Looking forward to finishing up tomorrow - and perhaps ask about PRP - Doctor Bisanga didn't mention it - but its done you no harm Anyway - I don't want to take your thread - I should start my own with photos when I get them. Thanks for your updates, they now give me something to aim for

Hi Johnny, Looks like your growing well! I'm going for my procedure with BHR tomorrow - and its been your thread that persuaded me to take the plunge in the end. Please keep updating - its been great following your progress