win200

My heart really goes out to you, and this is such a useful cautionary tale for other young people thinking about transplants. You'll get some good suggestions on here, but the best thing for you to do is to visit, in person, a fantastic surgeon who does lots of repair work. They'll have the most informed feedback on your options. I would highly recommend Ray Konior in Chicago. He's completed some phenomenal repair work, but is also highly recognized as one of the most professional and highly ethical guys in the business. He would never steer a patient wrong, and he'll have your best interest at heart every step of the way. I would reach out to him soon.

Also, were you taking a DHT inhibitor at the time of your procedure?

Also wanted to point out that Dr Bernstein still uses the Artis Robot for FUE procedures whilst the top FUE surgeons and Rahal have discontinued its use citing that its not as effective of a manual process. Not sure if it means much, but another datapoint.

I would never let someone use the ARTAS robot on me. Never.

H&W are peerless. But they're also known more for megasession work, which isn't what you need. You'd be remiss if you didn't consult with both Rahal and Konior for a FUT procedure. They're both widely considered to be superior to Bernstein, Shapiro, and Harris. Bernstein is also EXTREMELY expensive.

Hi win200,

 

We recommend waiting at least 4 weeks after your procedure to use any concealer, to avoid any risk of infection. One month after your procedure, you can use any kind of concealer or foundation, just make sure to wash it off completely at the end of the day. Powder foundation will be a better option as it causes less clogging of your pores, but you can use liquid if you prefer.

 

Please let me know if you have any other questions, we're here to help. We will be keeping in touch with you lots after your procedure as well and can answer any questions that may come up!

 

Best wishes,

Thanks, Kamila! Can't wait to see you guys.

Do you usually recommend against wearing a baseball cap in the few days after the procedure? I have a party to go to 9 days after my procedure, and I was hoping to throw a hat on over the grafts.

Almost certainly natural parting. While many people have that natural whorl, many people don't, and instead their hair separates in a sort of colick that leaves some scalp exposed. I've got an area the size of a dime where my scalp shows through, but there's no miniaturization and the area hasn't expanded at all in ten years. Worth keeping an eye on, but I think you're fine.

Ah, good to know. There goes that idea. Thanks for the heads-up, David.

Awesome stuff, thanks! That Meshkin result is really incredible. I'm over three years out from my first procedure, and I really can't tell any difference. I might have lost a LITTLE more hair behind the grafts at the hairline, but who knows. When you stare at it everyday, you really lose the ability to see the differences over time. I think the one upside of being significantly bald (i.e., NW V+) is that there isn't much risk of the results deteriorating greatly over time.

Some docs have discussed the phenomenon of transplanted areas thinning over time due to miniaturization of the donor hair rather than the native hair. I've started paying a lot of attention to the safe zone in 40 year old and up guys, and thinning there is pretty typical. A NW V guy just doesn't have the same, dense safe zone of a NW II, so stands to reason that if you transplant when you're a II and you're headed to V territory, your transplanted grafts will thin, too. I don't think this is discussed enough.

Hi all,

I've got an upcoming procedure with Dr. Rahal next month, and he'll be placing roughly 2k grafts into my hairline. He'll shave me down, of course, and I've just accepted the social awkwardness that comes with the first few months of recovery. However, I have to go back to work two weeks after the procedure (enough time for the grafts to fall out), and I was hoping to use some makeup to cover some of the redness while I'm at work. Is there any problem with doing this so soon after the procedure? I'll ask Dr. R about this too, but thought I'd post here as well.

Thanks!

More of this, please. Seeing great, immediate results is fine, but I think it's important for patients to see how transplants look over time, and what holds up and what doesn't. I know it's easier said than done given that people tend to vanish but it needs to be reinforced that when a 25 year old gets 3,000 grafts for a NW II, that's a LIFETIME decision.

Yup. Happens all the time. Seriously, don't be freaked out by anything you see over the next few months--you're gonna look ROUGH. I wasn't prepared for the ugly duckling phase, and I freaked out because I thought my procedure was a botch job. Turns out that at ~8 months it looked incredible.

Infected FUE extraction sites?

Personally, I would do it, but I'm aggressive. I'm in a similar situation; 32, had a 1,450 graft procedure, and one side is assymetrical and looks a little pluggy. It drives me crazy and I'm fixing it with Dr. Rahal next month. If you're maintaining, I'd say go for it. You have a ton of native hair left, so you're not an aggressive shedder and the odds that you're destined for a high NW at this point are low.

Hi Win,

 

I don't think that's too off topic!

 

I think it's likely just the way you heal. Scar tissue is generally 'hypo-pigmented' (lighter in color) compared to the rest of your skin. However, I've seen it heal pinker, slightly darker, the same tone, et cetera.

 

I've seen some people lighten slightly darker scars with vitamin E. You should ask Dr Rahal what he thinks about it during your next procedure.

 

Congratulations on the next case! I look forward to updates.

Thanks, Blake! I'll be making a separate thread for my procedure soon.

Don't mean to threadjack, Blake, but I have a somewhat related question. I had a 1,450 graft procedure in 2012 that produced an OK scar; not pencil-thin, but not "stretched" looking (maybe 2, 2.5mm?). What's unusual, though, is that the scar is still very pink. Does that signify anything to you, or is that simply just how some folks heal?

I'm particularly curious because I'm going to Dr. Rahal in four weeks for a 2,000 graft procedure.

This is really astounding considering where you started from. Just confirms Dr. G as one of the best out there.

Really nice result, and good strategy. Some people will probably balk at this procedure, but it's only 863 grafts and he has a ton left if things go south later. Well done.

I'm gonna to at Rahal's starting 10/6. How long are you sticking around for?

I'm nervous, but at the same time excited knowing my appointment is getting close for my HT with Dr. Rahal. It's amazing how booked he is. It was either Oct or March! :-)

 

How many out there are Rahal patients and how happy are you with the results?

I'm booked with Rahal in October, too--when are you there?

Me and you think the same, coverage over density, you have great donor density I'm jealous, I've done close to 4,000 grafts and I think I got maybe 1,000 left max, but I got probably 2,000 beard hair. Let your hair grow to two inches you'll see a huge difference.

 

Take a look at this video, look how thicker is hair looks in the beginning once he cuts his hair short u see the difference in density.

 

(Link removed by moderator - We no longer host any discussion that reference this doctor)

Holy crap, did you see that guy's scar?? The surgeon went WAY out of the safe zone... he took it to the bottom of the nape hair--which looks like it was already thinning.

My payment plan was all in CAD. For the record, the folks at the front desk were super helpful with my payment questions when I called.

Dr. G is the man. You're gonna have a great result.

Probably not a bad idea to postpone, but I'd get in to see Gable and chat with him anyway. He's honest and engaging, and he'll give you a clear picture of where you stand and the risks/benefits of a transplant. There's no obligation to move forward if you chat with him, and I think it'll help you create a game plan for the next five years. You're lucky to have one of the world's best HT surgeons in your back yard; I'd take advantage of it if I were you.

:cool: win200 speaks the truth!

Ha! I try. This one's really a no-brainer, though.

And to OP, keep us posted on your progress. I'm from Seattle, too, and it's really surprising that we don't have a top-notch hair doc in our region. But Gabel and H&W are among the very, very best, so consider your self lucky. I've met Victor Hasson and Steve Gabel both, and they're outstanding guys. Gabel in particular has been extraordinarily generous with his time, and he's an outstanding guy--as honest and thoughtful as they come. Really can't say enough positive things.

You need to get to Hasson & Wong immediately. Avoid AHR at all costs. Also, consult with Dr. Steven Gable. He's one of the best transplant docs in the country and is based in Portland; however, he regularly conducts consults in Seattle.

You have three top-notch doctors within a 3 hour drive; there is no reason to get butchered at AHR.

First, you haven't given finasteride enough time to kick in. Remember, these drugs first have to re-jigger your endocrine system and suppress your DHT conversation, **then** the DHT suppression has to catch up with your hair. It takes months, and 8 months is not enough time to evaluate the efficacy of finasteride.

Second, you should **not** have dropped finasteride when you picked up DHT. This means that there could be a period where the finasteride efficacy has ceased but the dutasteride has not kicked in. My non-medical-professional advice is to get on dut while you're still taking finasteride, and then drop finasteride after a couple months.

However, it makes sense to take only fin at this point. It's the milder, gentler drug. Dut is very, very potent and the side effect profile is much higher.