Paulygon

Thanks guys, for the support regarding anxiety.. this is something I definitely need to deal with and be more comfortable with. Good to know the 10 yr rule of thumb

Regarding lifestyle changes after a good hair transplant, have you guys watched this Bald Truth interview w/ Jotronic? I thought it was one of the most excellent Bald truth shows to date & I recommend it to anyone who has recently had a hair transplant or is considering getting one:

(link removed by moderator - see Terms of Service)

Ya can also add Bono to the list of people who had work done!

great point--

Jeremey Piven (Ari from Entourage)... I like his hair transplant.. pretty common knowledge he has had one.

Although, Spanker or BeardedOne have mentioned before it is not good to compare to celebrities because of the airbrushing and post-production work involved... still, it is FUN to do, haha.

Anyway, I used to watch his (obscure) tv work when he was going bald in the late 90s and he was looking like Dave Matthews (hair wise)... in Jeremy Piven's later Entourage days, his hair was looking pretty nice. There are some TMZ photos of him at the beach where his hair transplant strip scar was very visible... to me, a strip scar is worth it...especially if you don't like the whole shaved head look on yourself...

If I can undo my hair loss trend the way Jeremy Piven he has (& maintain it) I would be pretty happy hair-wise.

The one dude who does regret his strip scar is Joe Rogan.. he had tweeted a picture of himself with the message: "I tapped out to hair loss."

I tapped out to hair loss.

then he tweeted "I shouldn't say I tapped, because the reality is that I cheated by getting a hair transplant, and now I have a scar vagina smile of shame"

but he is the case of a guy who was trying to be a pretty boy up and coming actor in his 20s to going to an all around entertainer/comedian/UFC bulky kind of guy...

Just had my hairtransplantation at Dr. Rahals here on October 9th.

quick question-- did Dr Rahal perform the surgery himself.. or who was the surgeon that performed it?

I'm really happy about it and even now with the 5 months growth I already feel the life change that I had wished for, for so many years.

So, just make sure that you use this life change to your advantage! (The confidence it brought me has been used in business and social)

Jotronic had this awesome discussion on a radio show about "Life after a good hair transplant" - it really inspired me to continue to be more active socially and not to forget to appreciate what I've gained -- let me know what you think!

http://blip.tv/baldtruthgfq/life-after-hair-transplantation-6718942

& to Jotronic, if you read this, thank you for all you've done in this community!

I just put some pictures of my the hair-cut too, and it's without product, as I still do not use product as I'll wait with that till it is fully grown, but since the temples now have hair, it doesn't even matter about product (before I was a slave to product and the wind was my enemy) and I do not have to fear the wind anymore.

I'm really happy about it and even now with the 5 months growth I already feel the life change that I had wished for, for so many years.

Actually, the pics of your new haircut are pretty badass!

Something you said resonates with me... since there is hair where there wasn't before, you don't need to put on product... basically, same thing here, I don't care to put on Toppik nearly as much as before because I finally got hair on my hairline again...

you said you don't have to be a slave to the product or fear the wind.. haha.. yes!

I put on my Toppik much less frequently.. just on dates and stuff...

but I did buy a convertible and the wind does mess up my crown (I did not get any hairs transplanted into there.. my doc and I just planned to let the meds affect that)... and so after long car rides my lil combover on my crown gets messed up and shows the 'baldiness'.. I need to get an FUE touch up there..

anyway, I love the hair style! again, congrats!

This thread reminds me of the movie invasion of the body snatchers... how can we tell who is human anymore??? Ahhh!

true-- but this works both ways (men and our hair transplants.. women and their work..) .. how many times have you been deceived by fake breasts..thinking they are real.. until.. *you know*

this happened to me.. without getting too much into details.. i went out with this corporate chick who is a couple years older than me and clearly is more established than me financially.. she lives near the beach in Venice... third date.. I find out that 2 of her major assets physically are fake... how am I supposed to feel about that?

in my younger days (7 years ago) I would have been immediately turned off.. but this time, I quickly thought to myself--- wait a sec, don't judge--- my hair is transplanted... of course I haven't told her, & she has no business knowing unless I were to plan to wife that up which I do not.. but isn't it kind of interesting that my hair transplant can not be detected by her (she lacks the experience) but her fake breasts can be detected by me?

where I am, in Los Angeles metro.. people look pretty good... I think teeth whitening is like a default thing... we get so much work done on our bodies here...

then there's spray tans, botox... these things are pretty simple to get done.. ohh, we are soo spoiled!

I had read last year that Bradley Cooper was taking Propecia-- no-brainer to me as well.. I would take it too if I were an actor banking on my looks for leading man status..

Anyone see the US Weekly cover this week with Matthew McConaughey? He looks like he has had work done on his hair.. Any thoughts?

This is a great thread, and some great answers-- I too have been very concerned with this..

I am in a similar position as the original poster, hair loss since 16 and at 31 decided to go for the hair transplant. I got on the meds around the same week.

As Jotronic mentioned, I had the "perfect storm" of results and and very happy -- but still have the burning questions posited above....

I am expecting that at some point (rationally or not), the meds will not be as effective as they were-- and this is causing me some anxiety...

I am so happy with Future HT Doc's answer to #1, that the HT's stand the test of time

At least I can really rely on that.. I do plan on going back to my doc for future work because I do expect that I will need that "maintenance" and I do strive for perfection, or as close to it as I can get.

Hi Jimbo,

 

Let me see if I can address some of your questions:

 

1. Every "once and a while," hair transplant surgeons share "updates" of patients who return to their clinic(s) after 10, 12, or even 15 years. From what I've seen, the results of the transplants "stand the test of time" and still look dense and natural a decade down the road. While no doctor has the ability to gaze into a crystal ball and accurately describe exactly how you will age, most qualified physicians will tell you that their carefully crafted hair transplant work will mature appropriately and stand the test of time.

 

2. I'm not sure why the clinic minoxidil and finasteride studies seem to stop tracking patients after ten years. Patients utilize the drugs for much longer, so I'm uncertain why the experts wouldn't study the efficacy and potential side effects to this endpoint as well. Regardless, many patients on the forums have utilized the drugs for 10-15 years and continue to report positive results. However, I have heard some anecdotal reports that the drugs may lose some efficacy after extended periods of use (10-15 years), but the issue hasn't been objectively reviewed or analyzed. Altogether, this makes it a bit difficult to determine what will happen if you keep using the drugs for 10-15 years. You may see a slight dip in efficacy or you may see sustained cessation of the alopecia process. I think it is simply important to monitor for side effects during the prolonged use and discuss any changes with your physician.

 

Good luck.

A quick note- in 2012 I got the HT done, and gone on both Rogaine and Propecia.. To this day, I still have hair getting on my hands after every Rogaine application, and my shower drain still clogs every couple weeks with hairs. I live alone so I know the shower hairs are all my own... I feel like crap every time I see remnants of hair falling out onto my hands or in the shower drain... I don't know if it is falling out at a lesser rate than pre-2012.. but I'm sure that seeing this crap is at least partially causing my anxiety-- and there is no way to avoid seeing the darn hairs falling out...

I've heard the adage that up to 100 hairs a day falling out is normal... but when you have as few hairs as I do, I don't think that 100 # is very accurate -- that number probably pertains to people without hair loss issues...

-I promised to create this thread in response to a great topic presented by "BeardedOne".

-

Although I have had excellent results in my HT procedure (see my Before/After pics)

But I am suffering from nightmares (about every few weeks)-

where I dream that my hair falls out at an alarming rate.. in my nightmares, I have quickly returned to my previous "bald" self or am in even worse shape hair-wise than before my procedure...

I wake up from these nightmares, look at my hair in the mirror, and am surprised that I have so much hair on my scalp..

Is this common?

Does the anxiety go away... do I need therapy?

Or, is this nature telling me I am destined to go bald again?

Is it because I have gone through an extreme change from bald to "not-bald" so quickly?

Just follow the post-op instructions-- why is it that hard?

this is awesome-- just hearing that you got a haircut that you couldn't have had since high school-- that feels excellent-- i've been there pretty recently and it there's nothing like it man.. i look forward to following your progress!

Hey guys.

 

So, it's time for the montly update. Today I hit the 5 month mark, and here are the photos.

 

I got a new haircut that I wouldn't have been able to have since high school, and that is all due to the new hair. It's still a bit thinner in the right side, but I'm hoping that it will even out when the 12 month mark is hit, and as it is now, it's already life-changing for me, due to the fact that I now have had that new haircut which I'd never been able to get without the HT.

 

The hairline is getting more and more full and natural looking also. Scar is almost invisible. Looking forward to next month. Loving it!

possibly HT veterans and the regulars on this forum would be able to tell, but not the general public

 

though it depends on the skill of the doctor you choose, so it's important to choose well

my hair stylist could not detect that I got a HT.. she is very skilled and only does men's haircuts... so that says something about the quality of my procedure and about the state of Hair Restoration these days if you go to a skilled surgeon.

I concur that HT veterans could probably tell-- but that's ok with me!

to BeardedOne---

I actually DO get anxiety quite often- in the form of nightmares (that my hair is still falling out - at an accelerated rate)! (well, because, I'm pretty sure my hair IS STILL falling out-- I'm on the meds and with the surgical procedure somehow got my hair restored but I don't know if nature will catch up with me-- As Jotronic mentioned "Everything came together for Paulygon to create the perfect storm." So I don't know if its just a matter of time before that "perfect storm" goes away, and things go back to the way they were in 2012.. the nightmares are pretty bad and also seem to come every few weeks..

I wake up after the nightmare and then look in the mirror astonished that I actually do have a full head of hair.

in a way those bad dreams motivate me to have an active dating life because they make me feel like time is running out... but still I wish I didn't have to deal with that horrible anxiety..

(this is an important topic that I may need to create a new thread about).

btw, Jotronic, great analysis.. you're right about my hair characteristics - my hair is coarse and has a good "waviness" about it, which seems masks the "empty" areas.

I also get pretty expensive haircuts ($45) make sure my hair stylist cuts my hair to strategic lengths- she has been doing a good job.

I'm still impressed by your hair from when I saw it-- do you get anxiety as well?

I've also been doing the Rogaine in the crown-- and from what I've heard, that is only effective for ~7 years.. maybe that's part of the cause for my anxiety.

Paulygon you must be thrilled with these results, that's a pretty big transformation! I'm also really happy that you've had such a personal, positive change. I still get these waves of anxiety every few weeks about my hair loss, does this happen to you still?

 

Congratulations again.

crown got filled because of meds...

hair in front appears thick due to hair economics formula that the doc uses in to give the illusion of density - you can read about that "formula" specifically on my blog post that Dr Mohebi answered:

How to budget hair in hair transplantation – Hair Economy ->

Hair Restoration Social Network - Hair Loss Patient Blogs

I did not use concealer on that pic-- but I do think that my donor hair was high quality and perhaps lighting, hair style and other factors give the appearance of good density... however, I most social occasions, I do use Toppik (just not in the clinical pics I uploaded on my blog... however, in the "social" pic with the girl, maybe I do have Toppik, I don't remember)

You can check out My Hair Restoration Journal and the my pictures to at different stages Before / After Hair Restoration surgery (fyi- meds started around same time as transplant)

Hair Restoration Journal for Paulygon - Surgery Day (Pre/Post OP)

Meds WERE also involved-- just look at my signature line before you accuse me of bullshitting you.. sorry if I "overshared" by posting a picture.

Last week, walking around the airport, to find my terminal for my flight from SFO to LAX.. my eyes naturally gaze towards beautiful women. I *don't see* mediocre women anymore.

Midweek, in court, I make eye contact with the classy, good looking DA lady. She seems to like my confidence.

This is a new me.. before, I wouldn't make eye contact with women-- was too shy. You don't know the value of hair until you lose it.. but once you can get it back, then you appreciate it.

I have finally become active in dating and bought a hot ride.

To any one considering a hair transplant.. don't delay... all my relatives tell me it was the best investment I ever made. You can't put a price on confidence.. and you shouldn't waste your youth.

Here's a quote I found: "Enjoy the power and beauty of your youth. Oh, never mind. You will not understand the power and beauty of your youth until they've faded. But trust me, in 20 years, you'll look back at photos of yourself and recall in a way you can't grasp now how much possibility lay before you and how fabulous you really looked."

Anyway, with my hair back... I'm back into the dating world and trying to make up for lost time! Wish me luck! (before addressing my hair issues I was a hermit sitting in my room behind a computer the whole time)

-Paulygon

Hi All,

I just tried the Hair Now app and found a hairstyle that I liked. I was able to successfully add that hairstyle to my bald (pre-transplant) pic. Check out the results.. I think this is a pretty useful app for people who want a preview of what they can expect from a hair transplant procedure.

f you get more hairstyle on there.

Dr Mohebi, I was your patient in Oct 2012 and and am very happy with the results... but I do not see my own AFTER pic on your app.. Do you plan on putting some more hairstyles on the app - I don't mind if you use my After Result also.

(my initial plan was to add my own Post-Hair Transplant hairstyle onto my bald pic and see what it looks like, haha).

Anyway, pretty good app and I'd love to check out future versions. Anyone have any thoughts on my uploaded Hair Now generated pic VS. pics of my actual results? Seems pretty close to what I have now (post-actual transplant).. though I still think my Actual hair is better.. Thanks Dr Mohebi for the good work!

Paulygon

this is why i love these forums-- different viewpoints from experienced people...

also, i agree, your scar is pretty small.. mine is of the curved-to-ear type that 'scar5' mentioned (2710 grafts from it).

and i also think you have a ton of donor left.

You are in "no-mans land" at the moment (time-line wise), my reading is you are looking for a bit of feedback and support. You are in a good place to get support here. In your case here, I would have been appalled beyond words just a few years back that they hacked your head open - a virgin scalp none the less - for the sake of so few grafts. But as an observer of this industry since 1988 you just get used to it, the casualty rate is so high. The good thing is that it looks like a short stumpy scar. These are far less a problem psychologically and technically later on; they don't look like traditional HT scars curving up over the ears. You might get away with it and you have tons of donor left

 

Well, the final consultation is always such a dangerous place to be.

All the research you have done, all the emails, the calls, the late-night doubts, the scenarios you have played out in your head dozens of times just preparing for the various possible problems and nosey antagonists that might come your way. Finally, in the very last consultation you hear the doctor use the "bait-and-switch" tactic that HT docs/clinics are famous for.

 

In your case, it looks like they got you into a strip frame of mind and watered it down by throwing in the FUE with it. Well done doc! and rep!! Take a bow!!

 

Just as a warning to others; In the final consultation *and Im not even sure our guy went down this way, be aware of the following (and more)

 

Likely list of bait-and-switch tactics docs use at the last curtain call;

 

1) I won't be dong your procedure today. Dr. (fill-in blank) will do it. He is excellent.

2) No, the extractions will be performed by the techs today. They are better than me! (said with smile and exclamation mark eyebrows.

3) After taking a good look at your situation, I think strip will be a better choice in the long run

4) No, I won't touch the crown today. You'll likely lose a lot of hair if we do. (Pateint, "But you said shock loss is not usually permanent") Would you like pizza? Or curry? How about curry for lunch?

Dude.. Relax!

It's way too soon to be doubting the results of your HT procedure. You will drive yourself crazy if you analyze it everyday.. Just continue your life and let the hair grafts do their thing.

You posed some interesting questions, nevertheless, that for a second got me curious and paranoid- as I am looking into getting some FUE work done to target/augment 1 or 2 areas on my scalp; and I am in the same region as you (Orange County / Los Angeles). I had a consult with my physician today and brought up the issues you pointed out. My HT surgeon is Parsa Mohebi and he has done a strip (FUT) procedure for me in the past.

1) My surgeon feels that 50% is way too low (based on his experience and skill level).

That being said, I have seen sites on the next saying that for certain types of hair (ie. very curly, African American, as low as 50% is possible)- yours does not seem to fit that category. Maybe your physician was making sure to give you the worst possible outcome? In that case, I totally respect what he said.

2) Dr Mohebi also confirmed something from my experience post-transplant, which is that you (the patient) cannot guess the # of grafts the surgeon has implanted based on looking at the red scabs on your head after a transplant. Or for that matter, neither can we (the viewers who are looking at the pics you've uploaded). This is because not every transplanted graft has the scabs or dried blood on it.

3) Finally, and something I never thought of, is Dr Mohebi said that surgeons sometimes double up on grafts. For example, if the number of singles are more than what is needed for building a hairline, then they double them up to have more density.

4) Don't you need to get staples removed? Make sure to ask your dr if you have any concerns. Keep up updated. If your doctor was recommended on HTN, I'm sure you can be confident in his abilities. Did your doc's office ever get back to you - what did they say?

Also, in case you are interested in further reading , David (TakingThePlunge) had written (in 2009) a nice article regarding that 50% survival rate for certain FUE cases:

Is Graft Survival Lower with FUE Hair Transplants? | Hair Loss Q & A

Any thoughts as to how much effort one needs to put into laxity exercises before a 1st procedure?

(or are you doing FUE?)

I didn't do much of any scalp laxity exercises for the first HT.. and am wondering if I am going to regret that...

haha., bunch of comedians we have here!

LOLLL - AND another thing to add to my list of hair woes!

Spanker and 1978 Matt - thanks for the comments.

 

Also makes me think some clinics may take a single 4 hair graft and slice into into 4 single hairs.

Wait. Is this actually this possible? Can the individual hairs of a multi-hair graft be separated and moved to remote/separate locations of the scalp? I always thought they were like Siamese twins sharing the same organs and not separable without causing injury/death to the graft.