Peperoni

Hi Manchester ..... Yes, you are in the waiting phase now and it can seem to take forever. It is good that all your scabs are off and now it is just a case of letting the head settle down and recover from the shock of your surgery. I did find that the scabs and grafts vastly reduced the look of the scar until they healed and the shedding started - so you are right on track. When I went for my 2 month check up I thought that there was not much going on until I saw under the microscope thingy they have there and Dr Lorenzo could show me the new hairs growing in the scar. So, if you fel you have not got that far in 2 months do not fret as there may be more going on than you think. Good luck and keep growing sir ... I have every confidence that you will get a good result ! Pepe ...

Hi ManchesterAK ..... Thank you for the message and I shall hope to answer some of your questions ..... With regards to the visibilty of my scar, I found that it actually looked better from the start as the scabs on the grafts sort of diffused the scar itself. It may be that you are not used to seeing your scar so much if you had longer hair prior to your procedure but I am only surmising on that. Also, from the initial close shave when the hair begins to grow it will visibly create a stronger contrast with your scar. There is also a possibility that you may have started to shed a little from your scar as it it usually starts around day 15 but can be earlier or later depending on the person. Alot also depends on how the grafts take into scar tissue, Dr Lorenzo explained to me that until you see the results of your first procedure then it will be difficult to tell how your scar tissue has reacted. I can say that my right hand side was particularly dense with scar tissue and fortunately that has reacted fine to the grafts so I have every hope and belief that your scars will be fine. I would very much doubt that you have damaged your scar grafts by sleeping on them as the hair bulbs do take quickly. A little shedding may have occurred which differs from person to person in severity and duration so I would not worry too much at this early stage. Itching is good sir and it means that you are healing. I had some itching after my first procedure which was calmed down by continuing to spray with water so it may be good to get your saline bottle out, fill it with water and give it a good spray when you are itching. Also a couple of paracetamol may help too. It is difficult to say how long the itching will last as every person is different in the length of time it takes to heal. Once you are at the month stage you should be pretty much back to normal and feeling fine. If you follow the post operative care plan (and you should be in the massaging stage already) then you will find that many of the scabs will be falling off and your itching decreasing. Do not go at it too hard but a gentle massage to loosen the scabs and if they are stubborn then let your shampoo rest on your scalp for about 3 minutes. I did follow the post op care plan to the letter and was ever so gentle with my scalp for probably longer than was necessary but my two first procedures contrasted greatly in recovery, My first procedure I shed very little and itched considerably and yet my second procedure I itched very little and shed quite a lot. I would not worry, you seem to be coming along fine and a couple more weeks and you will be right as rain. I do not believe that you have damaged any grafts unless you have banged your head so just let your recovery proceed. There are good times and tough times ahead when you are willing things to happen but you are in good hands and I am confident you will be happy ..... I have never taken any meds and kinda wish I had done but the time I came to think about it, it was a little late for me. I have attached a couple of pictures (not very good ones) of my scars, which are kinda tricky to find now. Happy growing sir and best of luck ...... Pepe .....

Hi Wibbles (what a great name) Yes I do remember you from the clinic and it was good of you to get in touch ..... It was quite a journey through 2014 but I am happy with the way things have turned out.Considering where I came from then I am very pleased with the results, My scars were the priority and I feel that they have come out excellently and the coverage on top was more than I expected - so I am a happy bunny. Hopefully, your journey is on the right path and I would love to hear how you got on in PM. (So as not to overload the thread). Thx so much for writing and my very best regards to you ... Pepe ....

Hi Pma ..... Thanks for the message .... I dont really think that there are any new hairs coming through as I seemed to hang onto alot after the procedure was done. So, when I look in the mirror all I seem to see is what it was like at the 5/6 month stage. With regards to thickening of the hair then I believe that is happening at the moment albeit very slowly. I am at the 7 month stage after the second procedure and so I may wait another month until I am at the 8 month stage and do some more pictures and then finally at the 12 month stage. Personally, I am not sure it will get much better as there seems to have been little change over the last month. But we shall see ...... I will update if there seems to be any significant improvement or if I get to see Dr Lorenzo in the forthcoming months when/if he comes to England again. I have to say though ... combing my hair in the morning never gets old .... 8-) Have a great weekend and thx for writing ... Pepe .....

Hi Wylie ...... Thank you for your kind words and yes it is amazing what a beard can do. I used to curse having to wet shave every day and now I am pleased I have a good beard ! 5000 beard hair is alot and wow ! Mind you it is amazing how quickly the face heals and you cannot tell anything has been removed my beard. I am pleased that you have managed good repair work too and hopefully you are as delighted as I am with your results ..... Thx for writing .... Pepe ....

Hi Hairweare ..... I am so sorry for the late reply but I did not get a notice that anybody had written on my forum post. To answer your question, 2000 beard hairs were used over the two procedures. 500 from each side over a total of 4 sessions ...... I hope you are well ! Pepe ....

Why Thank You Splitting Hairs I certainly feel like I have come long way in the last 11 months or so. My life is completely different to how it was and I am thrilled with where I am now. Dr Lorenzo has done a fine job in my eyes and I cant thank him enough. Thank you for writing - it was a very kind thought ! Pepe ...

Hi Pma ...... Thank you for your kind words ..... I feel sure you will get a great result and you already have a treatment plan in place already. I like the way Dr Lorenzo sees the bigger picture and has a path marked out for his patients. I was not thrilled to hear I needed two sessions and would have preferred it all done in one but I now see the wisdom in his decision. Mine was a complicated case and we had no idea how bad my scar tissue would be to work with. But I am very pleased at where I am now considering what he had to work with in the first place. Yes, sadly the ugly duckling phase is a little difficult to live through but when you turn the corner and growth/maturity of hairs starts to kick in you will be pleasantly surprised. In my case I hardly shed after my first procedure and growth seemed really great but that was due to the geography of the placement on that procedure. After my second procedure I shed alot on the top of my head and yet seemed top have less shock loss but still with good growth.Everybody is different and sadly there is no exact science on how each individual heals/grows after their procedure. I think after 6 months now since my last procedure there is pretty much no new growth that I can feel - but hopefully the hairs are maturing and getting thicker. Good luck pma and thank you for writing and I feel sure that you will see some great results as the months tick by ..... enjoy the journey sir ! Pepe ....

Hi Pma ...... Thank you for your kind words ..... I feel sure you will get a great result and you already have a treatment plan in place already. I like the way Dr Lorenzo sees the bigger picture and has a path marked out for his patients. I was not thrilled to hear I needed two sessions and would have preferred it all done in one but I now see the wisdom in his decision. Mine was a complicated case and we had no idea how bad my scar tissue would be to work with. But I am very pleased at where I am now considering what he had to work with in the first place. Yes, sadly the ugly duckling phase is a little difficult to live through but when you turn the corner and growth/maturity of hairs starts to kick in you will be pleasantly surprised. In my case I hardly shed after my first procedure and growth seemed really great but that was due to the geography of the placement on that procedure. After my second procedure I shed alot on the top of my head and yet seemed top have less shock loss but still with good growth.Everybody is different and sadly there is no exact science on how each individual heals/grows after their procedure. I think after 6 months now since my last procedure there is pretty much no new growth that I can feel - but hopefully the hairs are maturing and getting thicker. Good luck pma and thank you for writing and I feel sure that you will see some great results as the months tick by ..... enjoy the journey sir ! Pepe ....

Thank you Garageland .... I will keep on updating up until my 12 month mark when hopefully my final result will be in. It was very kind of you to write and I love how much support their is on this forum. I have had Private Messages and I am pleased to help others too .... I am amazed at how far I have come and I have chatted with some great people on here. All the best sir ! Pepe ...

Thank you Mickey .... That is really kind of you to take the time to write ... I am not really experiencing any new growth at the 6 month (I dont believe) but hopefully the hair is thickening out now and maturing. Sadly, I missed my 5 month check up and a chance to look under the microscope as my wife had an accident and I had to look after her. Interestingly I did lose a hair about a week with a little skin attached and it was only about 5 mm long so there may be something more happening that I cannot see or feel. July will be my final result I reckon so fingers crossed up until then. Have a great day .... Pepe ...

Ok nemack I shall look forward to your message ... Pepe ....

Thanks hadenough It has certainly changed my perspective on life hopefully it can encourage our young Italian friend on here !! Fingers crossed for him Pepe ...

Wow Johnny I would seriously wait until you see how your donor area recovers. Having a procedure so recently will give you no indication of what your donor area will look like when it is recovered. There may be some shock loss now and it will undoubtedly look thinner at this time but once it has recovered you may feel very differently. Also, leg hair has not got a great success rate and if you need work doing in the future you may be transplanting leg hair from the donor to where it is needed most. I would seriously considering leaving it be and seeing a) how your donor recovers and b) consider if you are likely to need more work on your scalp in the future. Like so many of us on here, you need a little patience ... Grow well my friend ... Pepe ....

Hi and sorry for interrupting into this thread but I have been reading it with interest. I have had similar results to yourself and been left scarred very badly. What prompted me to write was your point about having tattoo pigmentation into your scars and all over your scalp. I have considered this in this past and I realised that it would need continual touching up over the years (more expense) and that you have it well into your latter years when you probably could not care less if you had hair or not. Like yourself I was left very badly scarred with a pretty poor result and no monies to get it fixed. I did not attack my surgeon in any way as it was the early days of hair transplantation and like so many others I took the decision based on what little knowledge and information was available. Anyway, since I had no money to get it fixed my next best option was to wear a bonded hair unit which served me well for almost ten years. Yes, the unit cost a bit and you have to go get it cleaned every month or two but it gave me back my life and allowed me to swim and enjoy a normalish life. In the meantime I was saving money to get my scars fixed and it took quite a while but I got there in the end. I did alot of research and finally found a great Surgeon who I had faith in. The point here is: I made a decision I thought was right at the time and was wrong, I found a temporary solution which helped me through the dark times and had my eyes set on a final goal. Finally, my goal has been reached, I do not look back and wonder what could have been, I made my choice and had to live with it. I got through those years with a solution that was not permanent and am now feeling better - so plan for the future and set your goals to achieving what you want in the end. It took me a long time but I am happy now and have accepted that nobody can achieve absolute perfection but they can get you to near where you want to be. I have attached some pictures to show you what can be done with scars with the right surgeon and that there will be solution for you if you can start looking forward. It is terrible what has happened to you and I would not wish it on anybody, but you need to start putting as much energy into positive thinking as dwelling on that past. Best of luck my friend ..... Pepe .....

Hi Hairweare ..... Wow you are certainly more eloquent than me when summarising what has gone on. Yes, I kinda figured that my case was going to be quite problematic from my very first consulation with Dr Lorenzo and at one point was afraid that little could be done. But so far down the line now that I am completely amazed at what he has managed to accomplish. I will be rooting for you and your end result and keeping my fingers crossed that you will be delighted as I am with the final result. Thanks for all your messages of support and encouragement .... Have a great 2015 and keep on growing ! Pepe ....

I would not worry too much. When hairs shed they can have various attachments to the hair. Most common is type A but B and C are just hairs that that have shed in a different state of growth. I shed a few hairs with bulbs on the end and was alarmed at first but my surgeon put me at ease. As mentioned, try not to analyse everything that sheds from your head as the hairs can look different each time. After my first procedure I shed very little but shed much more on the second procedure due to the area where the hair was placed. Everybody is different, but I see nothing wrong with what you are shedding. Keep the faith and all will reveal itself in good time .... Pepe ....

Thank you Hadenough ...... It seems a long time since I managed to feel hair all the way through the comb and actually have something worth styling. I feel better that the hair units have gone and life is so much simpler. Having to be always conscious of how your hair looked every time you went out is something I will not miss for sure. Thank you for writing and have a truly great 2015 ! All the best .... Pepe .....

Thanks Ej ..... Yes, I can see the light at the end of the tunnel .... Good luck to you and have a great 2015 ! Pepe ....

I believe so Fue ...... I dont think I could have found a finer surgeon to make the best of what I had ..... he is excellent during the procedure and afterwards. His aftercare has been great and answered all my emails really quickly ! Roll on 2015 .....

Thanks Guys ...... Yes I am thrilled with the progress so far and very happy with the transformation ..... Fue 2014 ... that is with 6000 Fue over two sessions with alot of work done to my scars on the back of my head too ...... I did not expect to get quite so much hair and so the idea of a buzz cut may seem like a daft idea now. We shall see, Thanks for your kind words ..... Pepe .....

Hi Guys ...... I apologise that I have not had much to report on for the last few months but I have let my hair just do its thing and let time gently roll by. In answer to some questions I received (and no notification from the forum by email) I did have Sebaceous Dermatitis which was little yellow areas around the new hair follicles and tended to scab a little. Anyway, Dr Lorenzo flew me some Clobex treatment shampoo over from Spain as you cannot get it in the UK and everything cleared up. With regards to cutting my hair, the 5 month mark was the time I could use clippers on my hair as advised by Dr Lorenzo, but after 3 months I am fine with scissors. Anywhoo, I am now at the 5 months stage after my second procedure and having sent the pics to Dr Lorenzo for review, then I thought I would pop them up on here also. They are side by side comparisons of where I came from in March of 2014 (first procedure) to where I am now at the end of 2014 having had the second procedure in July. I am dying to see what my scars look like but seem a long way from buzzing down my hair to have a look at the moment and the wifey is not great trying to multi-task with a comb and a camera. I hope to see the hair thicken out some more as the shafts mature but dont feel that any new growth is left to come out. I am very pleased with the results and once I can find a suitable hairstyle to compliment the new growth I will be a happy bunny indeed ! Hairy New Year To All ..... Pepe ......

Hi guys .... Quite an interesting debate going on here. I think most of the posts here have some element of truth in them, there may be disappointment by some, life getting in the way for others and a certain amount of selfishness. People do tend to take what they need and then move on without a care for others. However, there does come a time when a poster really cant add much more to what has already been offered. I have a thread going and I have not posted for quite a while as I am in that stage of where there is really nothing much to see that would add to my thread. I am in the waiting stage and being a scar patient then I cant really see anything until I cut my hair down short and that will be quite a few months away already. I asked my wife to try and take pictures and she has not done a great job so I am keen to see what is going on as much as anybody. Also, there comes a time (usually after a year) where the final result can pretty much be seen and the poster has little more to show. For me, there will come a time when I realise my final result is in and I will post the pics and then have nothing new to show. I wont waste time (mine and others) posting pics of the same thing. I will probably drop by now and then and still continue to reply to private messages but wont know until then if there is much more I can offer. There are some great people on here and admittedly a few lurkers who will never really add to the forum. Such is life I guess ..... Pepe .....

Hi Dubhain .... Wow the scars are looking great after only 4 months. The redness has subsided and the hairs are looking healthy and thick already. I have noticed in the last week that I have some new hairs coming through and being around the 4 month time frame like yourself - then you may also see some more hairs coming through. I was looking to buzz my hair down at the 5 month mark as per instructions, but since I have some new growth appearing at the 4 month mark, then I may leave it a while longer to let them get established. I am itching to see how my scars are coming along, but patience is the key for me and so I will wait until I believe no new hairs are coming through. If I feel okay about a reasonable coverage, then I may not even do the buzz, but I cannot really see that will be the case. We shall see ..... Keep growing sir ! You are looking great already and I feel sure you are going to be over the moon when all is said and done. Regards Pepe

Hi Johnny ....... Thank you for your message and I do apologise for not updating sooner but there is not too much to see at this time. I am 2 1/2 months post my 2nd procedure and I am currently in the ugly duckling phase. I had alot more shedding this time around and also I have been blighted with subaceous dermatitis which is proving tricky to get rid of. It is alot better than it was but still there is some residual infection in some of the follicles. I would love to know how the scars are coming along but I cannot see much with my hair at its current length - so I will finally get to see how they worked out when I can buzz it down at the 5 or 6 month stage. Once I can get some decent pictures together and my infection has cleared, I shall post them on here as a 3 month update. Take good care .... Pepe ....