Old Baldy

Hair_boy: I just read most of your thread that is now closed.

I am not trying to be mean or condescending here but I sincerely believe you are not a good candidate for an HT.

You are not mentally ready for one IMHO.

You trashed two seasoned HT surgeons who gave you information relative to your concerns. (IMHO, these two surgeons are honest decent men from my reading up on them over the years. They are not the type of surgeons who are out to decieve you just to make a buck IMHO.)

Every now and then we see posters who are somewhat overly skeptical about HT's. That's ok (and a good thing) but you go way too far IMHO.

In fact, you go so far that you give the impression that, relative to getting an HT, you are in an unfavorable state mentally in your quest to determine which doctors to go to and which procedures you should go with.

HT's are not perfect and there are definitely variables that cannot be nailed down with one hundred percent perfection.

Until you realize that, (i.e., on a more realistic basis), you should not get an HT IMHO.

I don't mean this in a condescending way because I DO understand your concerns. But you are too suspicious and untrusting right now to go forward with an HT IMHO.

Good, than I should have GREAT growth.

Geez, I'm getting more pimples than I had as a kid.

I got so many that I used my dog's benzoyl peroxide shampoo yesterday to soak on my head. Then I coated the little buggers in neem oil.

It helped just like it helps my big dog when he has his occasional flare-ups!!

I know it ain't a bad thing but GEEZ!!

And then this site says this:

http://regrow-hair.org/whey-to...-strong-and-shining/

Good quality protein is healthy for you but curing or causing MPB..... come on now??!!

All that whining Predator and you appear to be coming along FASTER than normal!!

Edit: I just slapped another dose of vitamin C on my head Predator.

Yes, that's different Canadian.

You'd have to probably cut short the rest of your hair to look right and tell them you had an HT.

I'd bet most people would be interested rather than critical. In fact MOST people IMHO!

But I understand. Personally I'd go, but it's a personal choice.

I mean, you could say "yes, I'm vain and scalp inspections will be allowed at the end of this speech". I'd bet people will laugh and you will be inspected.

I'd go.

But I don't mind people knowing I had an HT.

You could see my shockloss at the donor site with both HT's I've had but I just tell people I had an HT if they ask what is "up with that".

They get all interested and I can't shut them up. (I kind of like the attention! Especially from the females. )

The VAST majority of people probably didn't notice anything though. (In my recent HT, no one has said anything.)

One man asked me once, "why the heck did you do that?" I told him, "because I'm vain for Pete's sake". He laughed, then looked at my scalp closer, then we went on to other discussions.

(And he was a high level executive where I worked. He really didn't care IMHO. Most likely he appreciated my honesty. We remained friends at work until he retired and still email each other alot. So, my point is, he didn't really judge me one way or the other in the final analysis IMHO.)

That is all there has been to it for me. No big deal and, from all I could tell, most people could really care less.

I kind of wish they cared more!

FWIW, I was a NW5 when I got my first HT at 51 years old. It was about 2,250 grafts and that isn't enough to make enough of a difference IMHO.

Medications and topicals probably got me another 1,000 "grafts" if you get what I mean. Oh, maybe 1,500 more, hard to say.

(I waited WAY too long to do something about MPB. I thought everything was snake oil because that is the generation I grew up in. Everything was a joke and a fraud in my time the way I remember it as a kid. As a result of my snake oil attitude, I rejected minoxidil and finasteride when they came out. I don't reject them any longer though.)

Anyway, 3,250 grafts aren't enough for a NW5 IMHO. But it ain't bad if you don't mind having a thinner, old man type of balding situation IMHO. (The women I know all laugh at me and say "you look fine just the way it is....you're nuts going for more". So, I guess I'm just greedy at this stage in my life. [The guys I know just say "you're ugly either way".] )

I got another HT with 2,810 grafts three months ago. We'll see how that goes.

Most likely I'll go for a third to finish it all off and get pretty thick hair on top (i.e, (1) thick for my age and (2) thick compared to where I started as a NW5, not "Elvis" thick though).

A NW5 is pretty bald and I've read over the years that you'd probably want at least 5,000 grafts at that level of baldness. FWIW, I think that is correct.

Plus, like I said, I'm greedy also!

IMHO, medications and vitamins, etc., last FAR LONGER than the expiration date. Especially if you store them a a cool, dark place.

Fifteen percent down payment and the balance immediately after the surgery.

Wow!! You're no longer a bald man!!

That's interesting you guys. You guys never were asked about hair styles.

Like Celeb says, it is important for the surgeon to know how you generally style your hair IMHO. (And if it is unrealistic to say so.)

My second HT doctor (Dr. Arnovitz) asked up front how I combed my hair. When I told him, he said "that's ok, we'll work with that style and you should be fine using that style".

IIRC, my first HT, the doctor was interested in my hair style also but I can't remember well enough.

(I know one thing, both HT doctors transplanted hairs in such a way as to create the illusion of density based on the hair style I told them I was going to use. The 2nd HT isn't even three months old yet, so I'm still awaiting the outcome.)

Therefore, I always assumed all HT surgeons want to know how you are going to style your hair. They both did for me.

My assumption is the first HT surgeon would have said something if my chosen hair style was stupid.

I say this because the 2nd HT surgeon gave his opinion right up front before any procedure was to be done. And, like I said, the first HT surgeon definitely discussed my hair style with me. I just can't remember how "deep" we got into that discussion. My guess is we probably covered it the same way as in the 2nd HT.

Edit: In fact, just before both surgeries, even the "head nurse" asked again (i.e., I assume just to make sure about the hair style I was going to use).

From what I've read, the hair loss from maleria pills is temporary. And that's if you'd even get hair loss with such a short duration of using the medication.

In the military, soldiers suffered from hair loss sometimes but they were on the drug(s) for a LONG time.

Nothing to really worry about IMHO. Have fun!!

Oh yes Joe, PRK is the older surgery. Can give better results IIRC. You know, one of my buddies might have had PRK because he took a little longer to heal, etc. I'll have to ask him.

Now eat your spinach salads Joe!! Good for the eyes and hair. (Toss in some carrots and tomatoes also. Maybe a little chopped parsley, good stuff!)

Top it all off with some Omega 3 oils.

You can look it up Joe!

Edit: Joe, my distance vision is great but I have that old man reading glasses "ailment". Did the clinic say they now have a procedure to treat this old age ailment? Or is that still wishful thinking? (I called a clinic a couple of years ago and they said "sorry, nothing available for that problem".)

This link is about 1.5 years old.

http://www.dentalplans.com/articles/18434/

You got your HT's before getting your eyes fixed!!??

Joe, Joe, Joe... what's the matter with you?!

(A few friends of mine have gone with the laser surgery and they all see good. Good luck.)

Now if only they could fix my old age need for reading glasses!

IMHO - heck yes you can sleep regularly now. You could have done that a few days ago IMHO.

For me it was the donor area both with regular closure the first HT and with the trichophytic closure the second HT.

However, I did get recipient area shockloss both times also. Just not as extensive.

I GET SHOCKLOSS from HT's!!

Edit: The second HT is only 10 weeks old, so we have to see how that shockloss goes.

Originally posted by Predator:

I just wonder where all this is going. The usual solution to lawsuits is that one party is adjudged as having right on their side and the other has to pay. The other solution is an out of court agreement. The harder the frontline gets the harder it is to reach a simple solution. Is anyone even trying to reach a simple solution. You will forgive me if I presume on your site and I am most certainly not a Armani agent but it all seems to be getting unnecessarily out of hand..

I think it is good for us to know when there is the possibility of a quid pro quo between posters who praise a clinic and the HT surgeon.

I mean, it's just common sense isn't it?

Yes, I think there is a difference also.

You're going to be a non-bald man pretty soon IMHO!!

Thanks for the info. mmhce and glajo!! (You also maxxy, I missed your initial link.)

I see the Dr. Bernstein article has been out for almost 10 years now yet some HT surgeons don't appear to know about it based on Dr. Feller's post.

There's no excuse for an HT surgeon to not know about controlling bleeding and the proper amount of epinephrine to use.

I mean, you are correct, in that, reputable HT surgeons should know about these things, and have appropriate reference books/articles.

But you read what Dr. Feller stated. That ain't good IMHO. There's no reason for that type of mistake. And it is a mistake that can directly affect graft survival. Inexcusable!

(Sorry for the religious adjectives, didn't mean to offend anyone.)

Edit: Interesting about allowing smokers to puff a little during surgery to control bleeding. Never knew that either.

Thanks again for the info.

Dr. Feller and Dr. Lindsey:

Are there instructional papers available to HT surgeons on how much epinephrine should be used?

Also, are there "manuals" for the pros to refer to regarding HT procedures?

You know, technical stuff that lays out the basic procedures, medications, etc?

If not, maybe you guys could prepare one and sell it to HT surgeons? (Or give it to HT surgeons? )

I wonder if too much epinephrine was used in John's procedure (i.e., the member who posted the thread entitled "butchered")?

I mean, something like the amount of epinephrine to be used should be standardized shouldn't it? And, all HT surgeons should know about it.

It's kind of irritating to an ordinary Joe like myself that this kind of stuff isn't known by all HT surgeons. It tends to make me think it is still the "Wild West" out there if you get what I mean. And, it shouldn't be the Wild West for Godsakes.

Edit: I just found this book is available from reading redkun's post - "Hair Transplantation", edited by Walter Unger and Ron Shapiro, 2004, Marcel Dekker Publishing.

Now, why in the world would an HT surgeon not have this book, or books like it, and MEMORIZE them?

Sorry for the rant guys but, Jesus Christ, some HT surgeons DON'T know how much epinephrine to use??!! And improper dosing can lead to graft death!!?? My God!

If I was like that on my job before I retired, I would have been fired on the spot. And should have been fired for Godsakes!

Originally posted by Raphael84:

Bill, Old Baldy,

 

Thanks for your remarks. This was the answer that I felt I already knew. As I say, my situation is difficult to change 100% immediately but for sure, the sooner the better. Could you guys or anybody else maybe recommend any products to help with any scalp inflammation?

I edited my post for you. Maybe I'll try and get some old articles also, if I can find them.

I think smoking is overblown as to detrimental effects on a HT. But obviously it's best if you never smoked. (This is just my layman's opinion from reading though. So I could be wrong.)

Bill is absolutely correct when it comes to scalp health IMHO.

Just like you want fertile soil to grow plants you want good scalp conditions to grow hairs IMHO.

I never realized how bad my scalp condition was until I started reading up on MPB. Treating my ridiculously unhealthy scalp condition had to help a little, if not alot?

Our DHT ravaged scalp is home to inflammation, microbes and other "flora" that should be treated.

There are many, many things you can do to help your skin get healthier. The simple ones are medicated shampoos, oils, copper peptides, Retin-A and vitamin C. Anyone can use these things very easily.

Overtime, my scalp changed dramatically. The first time I used Folligen I thought there was a forest fire up there. Within one month of the stuff I mentioned above, I could use Folligen full strength. And my hair got healthier growth also.

As you can see, I'm a huge believer in getting your scalp as healthy as you can.

No, no Predator!! Now you just hang in there.

Your scalp looks fine to me (i.e., in the photos) and you know it is too early for results.

For itching I am a strong believer in using oils and copper peptides to help.

My favorite oils are rosehip oil, neem oil and emu oil. The best for me is neem oil but it is stinky for some guys. I find neem oil to be very soothing, but so are rosehip and emu oil.

Oh heck, any decent oil will help IMHO. Some guys like olive oil.

Just get one of those oils, and maybe try copper peptides, to help with the scalp itch, healing, etc.

Just give it time. Your scalp looks healthy to me FWIW.

Da**, I wish you were right here, I'd put a few squirts of oil on your head!!

Edit: I forgot to ask. Do you have any ascorbic acid (vitamin C) lying around? If so, crush a tablet, mix with a little water, then "slap" that concoction on your scalp and it will help your skin regrow collagen.

It will sting at first but it is one of the best things you can do for your skin. You can "look it up" Predator! It's cheap and very effective. Just use the vitamin C and water concoction immediately. You listen to Old Baldy on this one.

(Cosmetic companies have spent a fortune trying to make a stable derivative of vitamin C [i.e., so it can mimic its actions in a form that doesn't degrade fast like vitamin C does]. Vitamin C is really one great treatment for your skin. )

You have to remember Predator, you went through surgery. Minor surgery but surgery nonetheless.

Another edit: I just slapped some vitamin C and water on my scalp.

I think, in Canada, you get a credit for medical costs exceeding 3 percent of your gross income.

So, at $60,000 per year income, you'd start getting a credit once the cost exceeds $1,800.00.

However, I'm a U.S. citizen and am not sure on this one. I'm only going on memory from what other Canadian posters have said in the past.