Peperoni

Good man Garageland .... I hope to be where you are in about 8 - 12 months time and totally at peace with the world of hair. I looked through your profile photos and you have a really excellent result and I can see why you are so happy. It is a shame on the choices we made but like you say it was what was available at the time and we had little to go on. If we both come out the other side happy then that will be great. I will periodically provide picture updates and try not to wish the time away ... Take good care .... Pepe .....

Good man Garageland .... I hope to be where you are in about 8 - 12 months time and totally at peace with the world of hair. I looked through your profile photos and you have a really excellent result and I can see why you are so happy. It is a shame on the choices we made but like you say it was what was available at the time and we had little to go on. If we both come out the other side happy then that will be great. I will periodically provide picture updates and try not to wish the time away ... Take good care .... Pepe .....

Hi Garageland .... Thank you for the comments and yes it is a shame that things did not go that well with the Norton Clinic. It was about 15 years ago now and we make decisions based on what we think at the time. Hopefully, Dr Lorenzo has me back on the right track and I was thinking only this morning (pre-shedding) that if the final result can look like id does at the moment then I will be more than happy. Survival rate is an issue and hopefully this wont be too much of a factor in the months to come ... fingers crossed! I will update as I go along and when there is something new to show .... Thank you for writing and I do hope that your hair is as you would like it to be .... it certainly looks good in the avatar .... Kind Regards ... Pepe ....

Hey Thanks Cueball ...... That is kind of you to write ..... it certainly has been a long time since I felt optimistic about my future. I put my faith in Dr Lorenzo and feel confident he has done his best with what he had to work with. I am just hoping and preying that my survival rate is good as I like my look at the moment when I look in the mirror (for a change) ....... it would make a big difference to my life. Swimming with my 7 year old boy would be a great start ..... Thanks for writing and take care .... Pepe ....

Thanks Matt .... Time cannot pass quick enough but I have carried these scars for 15 years so another 6 - 12 months is bearable 8-) I think as we get older we become less self conscious ..... but my fingers are firmly crossed ! I will update at 5 months as I will not have a cut in between - then buzz it down and see how things are looking. Thanks for writing .... Pepe ....

Hi Rahul ..... There are quite a number of options available but they are dependent on what you hope to achieve and how long your hair is. You may want to camoflauge things with Topik or Nanogens, tattoo into the area if you would like a buzz look, excise the current scar into something smaller and more manageable or have FUE into the scar. Each of the methods has their pros and cons and will really be dependent on what you would like to achieve in relative to cost. The important thing is to find a solution that works for you and then research, research and research some more to ensure the solution meets your ultimate goal. Not knowing where you currently sit and what you hope for makes it kinda hard to advise but at least here are some idea. Regards .... Pepe ....

Thanks densedream ..... That is very kind of you to take the time to write ..... and I am excited to see what happens as time goes by. There are still 2010 or so grafts in my hairs yet to come through after my recent surgery and my fingers are crossed that all goes well.. I will be wearing my hair a tad longer than the 10 day post op pics but still very short. I am way past the comb overs, camoflauge techniques etc. and just want a simple life in my advanced 46 years of age. I had new growth coming through just at the 4 month mark too in the scalp region as I could feel the stubble so we shall see what the waiting game brings. Many thanks and kind regards .... Pepe ....

Hi Guys ..... I am just giving another update on my progress at the 10 day mark after having my second procedure. I am probably at that stage where not much will happen for a while and so this update may be the last for a while. The redness seems to have subsided in the grafted region and there is very little itching (or I am becoming immune to it) and I am very pleased with the beard area. There are no red marks and I cannot tell where the grafts came from - so that has healed really well/ I shaved 8 days after surgery and was very relieved to get the whiskers off as they were the itchiest part of my whole head. So, now I am in the wait and see stage and see if I have much shedding and then the long haul of awaiting the final results many months ahead. Many thanks to all who have had an interest in my progress and many thanks to Dr Lorenzo for his great work. Those that I have shown my scars are amazed at the transformation thus far. Kind regards ..... Pepe .....

Thanks hairweare .... I am excited to see the final result and the months just need to go by. My next buzz will be at Xmas when I can safely hit it with a trimmer and hopefully I will have 9 months behind me for the first procedure into the grafts and 5 months for the extras we put in last week. Thanks for writing and I hope all is well in your world .... Kind regards Pepe .....

Hi Flohab ..... Dr Devroye was on my short list of Dr's after having communicated a few times with the clinic. One of the reasons I did not go with him was because Dr Lorenzo was in the UK and I had read so many great things about him - both were in my top 3 too. Being able to go for a live consultation is a definite bonus and highly reccomended. If you are keen on Dr Devroye then I would certainly contact him and keep on researching as there are a number of good Dr's in Europe. Surgery is a big step and it is always worth asking questions until you get all the right answers. I beleive I made a great choice in Dr Lorenzo but would have considered Dr Devroye too if Dr Lorenzo was not available. Good luck sir .... Pepe ....

Hi Mickey .... Thank you for your kind words ...... My goal is to be able to wear a short haircut which would be about 1 cm in length and the scars are looking better after 5 days of hair growth - since my procedure last week. I think that at 10 days growth my hair will be at the length I would like to wear it and break up the scars nicely. The pictures which Dr Lorenzo kindly uploaded show the scars buzzed to the limit and we are still at the very early stage of knowing what any final results may look like. At 4 months there may be only 40% of grafted hair showing in the scars or there may be more, it is a little too early to tell. Anyway, we popped a few more grafts in last week and now it will be a waiting game to see how things progress. I will upload pictures again at the 10 day mark and see how I am looking close to the length I would really like my hair for the long term. Below are pictures at the 5 day mark ..... Kind regards to all who have posted here .... Pepe .....

Hi Mickey ..... I dont have any pictures as yet as Dr Lorenzo pops them along when he gets the chance. I only have pictures of them after two months of hair growth which does not show an awful lot - but I did see hairs growing in the scars under the microscope thingy during that consultation at 2 months. I will wait and see what photos arrive, but it may be a little early to be sent any as I only left the clinic last Friday. I will update as things become available .... Pepe ....

Hi Guys ...... For those that I have messaged in the past and knew that I was going for a second procedure in July, I am just updating the most recent proceedings. I journeyed over to the Farjo clinic last week to have my second procedure performed by Dr Lorenzo. The main purpose of which was to assess how my scars were looking and fill in the top/crown of my head. Back in March 2014 I had 3000 FUE grafts to help with fixing my scars and placing hairs into my smooth crown and top sides. The retention of those grafts were very good and the growth rate was also very encouraging. Anyway, this recent visit to the clinic allowed me to see the progression of my scars - as there was always the chance that a few more may be needed dependent on my retention from the first procedure. I have to say that I was pleased with the results and the decision was made to only place a moderate amount of beard grafts into the scars. Bearing in mind that after 4 months only around 40% of grafted hair is usually visible then it was pleasing to see that they were coming along nicely. So, the majority of work was done on filling the top and crown area of my head with grafts totalling 3000 FUE grafts. I had visited the clinic a week prior to my surgery and Dr Lorenzo took some shots with my 4 month results prior to any shaving but as yet they have not been passed on to me. So, I am attaching what I have at this time and am keeping my fingers crossed that all goes well after my second procedure and I can get to fulfill my lifelong ambition of having a buzz cut which wont scare the neighbours ..... I will update as I go along ..... but if you notice that there is some longer hair in my pictures from the second procedure - well that was left cut down with scissors as it is growth from my March procedure which is not to be buzzed until the 5 month mark. Regards Pepe .....

Lol Spanker ! I know beards are very vogue at this time ...... but once I grew mine I found that there was alot more grey in there than I ever expected ! I dont know maybe next month when I have to grow it again for a couple of days I may see how it looks with a little trimming ..... I could have a whole new image after all these procedures ! Take good care .... Pepe ...

Hi JohnGage ..... No I am not on meds and have not taken them in the past either .... I now wish I had but in those good old days not alot was published about them as there are now. I am not sure that my past FUT's have failed completely but for sure there has been some loss. I have only been without the hair unit for a few months and I may see some more growth in the areas that were previously covered by the glue. For sure though, they are certainly alot less from the FUT procedures whereas the Fue has remained better. It may be down to the quality of the surgeon too .. Pepe ...

Hi Johngage .... Wow that is quite a tricky question so I am going to try to answer you from memory .... I believe my first procedure which was strip was way back in 1998 and that was 3,000 grafts which were placed on the top of my scalp. A few of these remain as I can see the difference in the punch marks around those grafts. I followed that one up with another strip procedure a year later with the same quantity and between the two procedures I maybe have a 1000 hairs left after all these years. At that time I was trying to pre-empt my thinning crown and as such did not really take photographs as there was very little to see. I had another strip done around 2002 in Greece and the scar was much better but the results were very poor as far as I could see. In 2007 I had my first Fue session which was to create a brand new hairline (again in Greece). The results were very good but I was still losing a good amount of hair from my crown. I realised that I was not really getting anywhere and so I used a Hair unit from then until 2014. I believe that 7 years of sticking down the unit with strong glues has drastically reduced my hair transplants as they were not really allowed to breath and did not receive any daylight either. So, it is really hard to quantify what has gone on because in the early days counts were not really taken. I would say thought hairs have remained from the strip surgery maybe about 20%, the Fue I had on my hairline has probably 70% of the hair remaining. I apologise for being so vague and not having more information to hand but hope this little bit helps .... Pepe ....

Hi Spanker ..... I was not planning on any photo updates just at the moment as it was less than a month ago since my last photo update and there is very little to see that is dramatically different. I think the next big telling point will be next month when I go for the next procedure and my scalp is shaved down again. All I can say is that the crown is continuing to grow and the sides of my crown seem to be much better. I would love to be able to see the scars but holding a camera and a comb and trying to picture the back of my head has proven tricky. I will continue to post pictures as and when I can show something a little different than before. Many thanks for writing Pepe .....

Hi Chrisdav .... You are wise beyond your years ...... 8-) Pepe .....

Hi Hairweare ..... That is great news that your scars are looking so much better ! I cant really see mine as the hair has grown over them and being on the back of my head - it takes some ambidextrous fiddling with mirrors etc. I did see the growth of new hairs when I went for my 2 month check up and that was very encouraging. But, I guess I will see a better affect next month when my hair is cropped before the next procedure. We will also see if a little more work is needed ..... I will try and post pictures as and when that happens .... I am not sure if my scars do feel any different, occasionally I get a prickle sensation in my largest scar and I have no idea why. There is no discomfort nor any feeling of easing as they are not too tight but your experience is definitely great for you. Keep up the improving ..... Pepe .....

Hi Mickey85, Garageland and ChrisDav .... I think you are all asking the same questions about who performed my strip scars - well I am not sure if I can name names on here but it was a northern UK clinic (not Farjo obviously). I have to admit though that it was before FUE really became mainstream. Being relatively ignorant to how the results would be over time I blame myself for being short sighted and thinking that I would be okay. I believe in those days they used cat gut to close the strips and in hindsight it is really was not the way to go. But I guess in reality we do what we think is best at the time ...... Garageland - the next 3000 grafts will include a few more into the scars and the rest to cover areas of the scalp. The amount of beard hair taken will be 1000 grafts but that may increase dependent on how my donor area is prior to the next procedure in July. Dr Lorenzo wants to ensure that all the hair taken from my donor area leaves it consistent across all of the donor area. So, if 2000 cannot be taken from the donor area then the difference will be made up from the beard. Beard hair will go into my scalp too as every hair is precious at my stage and I really am not expecting a look that is fully thick but as long as I have a consistent covering then that is fine by me. Thank you all for your well wishes and I hope you all get the results you are seeking ....best wishes ! Pepe ....

Hi Dubhain .... Sorry for the late reply ..... I chose Dr Lorenzo after doing alot of research through the forums to see who was doing great work and what procedures they proposed. I did send out my pictures to two surgeons in Belgium and they came back with good proposals but had not really had the chance to fully examine me. The price was considerably less than Dr Lorenzo but his reputation and results swayed it for me. The big debate was over how the scars would be treated - as in body hair or beard hair. For some reason I have it in my head that beard hair is better for scars and as such Dr Lorenzo only recomended that type of hair for my scars. Also, I could easily access Dr Lorenzo without having to fly into Europe and with his good reputation - it kinda swayed it for me. Location, Procedure type and his great Reputation. Other than that I hear great things from Ferudini and others but I think I chose the the Dr who I had the greatest confidence in. Pepe ....

Hi Hairweare .... That is very encouraging to hear that your scar is looking better. Also it is interesting to hear that BHT is as good as beard hair, body hair is something that I seem to have an abundance of. I was told by a couple of surgeons that body hair was not as good as beard hair but I am guessing with all the surgeons out there then they are not always going to agree. I wonder if there is any long term benefits of one over the other .... I am also interested that you had your hair cut with clippers as Dr Lorenzo told me that I would have to wait 5 months before I could use clippers in any area that I had received donor hairs. Sadly, that is everywhere ...... So, essentially I have not had a hair cut at all. I do not think that scissors would get to the level of shortness I would like so I am just leaving it. In fairness there is only 7 weeks or so before my next procedure so I am quite happy to let it grow out. But after 5 months of my next procedure I will be hitting the clippers and I cant wait ! All the best .... Pepe .....

Hi voxman .... I wet shave every day as the five o'clock shadow look starts to expose my greying beard hair. I must admit though for the first two weeks after restarting shaving I shaved every other day. I did not need to but I thought it would give my skin a better chance to recover if it required it. But I was amazed how quickly my skin recovered and I am very pleased that nobody can tell I had any beard hair removed - even when they look up close. Pepe .....

Hi hairweare .... Yes, it is early days for me to see what the beard hair will look like on my scalp but at this point I am happy to have hair in the places which were completely smooth. Personally, I think it will be fine as Dr Lorenzo would not consider it if it was going to be a bad result. I have total faith in his decisions and I expect he will have used beard hair on the scalp before with good results - so we shall see. I am lucky to be only a few hours drive away to the Farjo clinic and I will pop in the week before my next procedure to ensure my scalp is okay - I had a touch of dermatitis after my surgery but a week of special shampoo quickly sorted it out. Dr Lorenzo Fed Exed it over from Spain within a matter of days which was great. All the best sir .... Pepe .....

Hi hairweare ..... Ah I think my hair density is finally coming to an end as I am just having another 3000 rather than 6000 grafts. I did mention to Dr Lorenzo that I was a little worried about the sides of my head losing density but he advised that at two months it was too early to tell as it takes 4 months for the donor area to recover. I saw under the microscope that alot of my donor hairs were still recovering so I shall wait and see at the 4 month mark. If I do not get the full recovery then he advised it was possible to take more beard hair as I do seem to have alot it - ahem ! So, it may be 1500 beard and 1500 scalp depending on how I look on the day of the surgery. You sure can tell where beard hair has gone in as opposed ot scalp hair .... and I am pleased to be able to feel it through my fingers too. I do believe we are in the ugly duckling phase and time does pass slowly - but we need to think of the future and for me it is the liberation from concealing and an easier life. So fingers crossed for us both ..... Pepe ....