Cuttlefish

Hi All, I joined this forum about 5 years ago. I started balding at age 22, and considering my family history I was (and probably am) headed for the horseshoe look at some point (NW 5 or so). Well being the young buck, I refused to believe it. I kept my natural hair for a long time with Rogaine (Scalp Med worked wonders too for a while), and the gambit of other hair loss prevention products. I had always wanted to get a hair transplant as well, but the price was always the mediating factor. Well in February of 2015, I finally had saved enough cash to get that transplant. I chose a very good surgeon out of 5 that I went to see(recommended by this forum) and plopped down my 12K and got 3100 grafts via FUE. The research from this site was absolutely invaluable. 7 months later, I was so happy that I had done it. My new hair started to come in, and as I was on Propecia, the crown filled in nearly perfectly. With the addition of Toppik (ardent toppik user for nearly 10 years now), my hair looked amazing. I love styling it, I loved feeling like "myself" again. People complimented me that I looked really attractive, and my confidence took a HUGE jump up. By the end of the first year, I could style my hair in a suave to the side look, and I looked damn good. I hadn't felt this good about myself in years. I was still taking propecia, and tolerating the side effects, and decided just about 15 months after my transplant to take some time off the drug. I noticed about 4 months later that the crown begun to re-emerge and the top hair started to thin again. Not nearly as bad as it was before, but noticeable. I immediately started back on propecia, and within about two months, I noticed that the hair started to come back again...much slower this time. That was nearly a year ago, and I'm now 29 months removed from surgery, been on propecia a majority of that time (with the 4 month time off exception)....and within the last three months...my hair has FALLEN OUT. It has thinned out so much now on the top, that I think perhaps only some of the transplanted hairs are left. I think even some of the transplanted ones fell out. Even my donor area is starting to thin. I can't style my hair really at all anymore, without a LOT of product and it just kind of lies limp on my head. When I do find a style that I like, in the right light, you can see the toppik sitting on my scalp. I've read a lot of accounts of hair transplant recipients having a procedure, then magically at the 2 year mark, it all seems to fall out and they look worse than before. This has kicked off a set of depression that I can barely contend with.I don't like to go out in public anymore, and I avoid social situations at all costs. I can't stop looking in the mirror and checking to see if anyone can tell. Without toppik in, you can most CERTAINLY tell that I had a procedure done....and it looks bad. I'm still on propecia and still using toppik, but I may have to bite the bullet and just buzz/shave it down and embrace the fact that I will be unfuckable ever again. I'm sorry for the rambling post, but I'm literally nearly in tears writing this. Has anyone else had this happen to them, where two years in or so, it all seems to fall out? I got a new job about four months ago which has been horribly stressful (very poisonous work environment) which I feel may have kick started this. Any guidance that anyone can offer would be helpful, I'm literally desperate. :(

Dr. Blake Quick question, as someone who underwent a 3100 FUE procedure themselves, I am curious to the MFUE. I'm very happy with my procedure and am thrilled with the results that I'm achieving so far. I'm a class 5 with the dreaded "fine haired" donor hair characteristics so I know that I can only achieve so much with a HT. However, I'd like to opt for another procedure if possible. When you and Dr. L have done the MFUE on previous FUE patients, what were the tissues samples like regarding the previous procedures scarring? Did the MFUE offer some flexibility with the tissue samples and still allow the surgeon to "cherry pick" good grafts? Or has the result been the same as if another FUE was done? Would you say that MFUE (in your experience) offers some flexibility on previous FUE patients? Or would you advise them to stick to the procedure that they started with in order to maintain hair symmetry? I apologize if I'm not phrasing the question correctly, I'm simply trying to see what my options are. Again, very happy with my procedure and my chosen surgeon, just curious is all.

Excellent work Dr. L. Question, would you ever offer someone the PRP/PRFM to someone who may have had a transplant with another doctor, but would like to try to increase density or thickness of the hair shaft? I've been classified one of the dreaded, "fine-hair" donors, and opted for FUE. I am on medication, but would like to see what I could do to maximize fullness. Thoughts?

Invictus2012 I had a procedure with the same surgeon and noticed the same thing around the 2-3 week mark. I'm currently 11 weeks post OP and the issue has resolved itself. I def feel it was temporary shockloss, it was a first a little scary because it was really bad on one side and not the other. Hang in there, it will take care of itself. Kudos too for choosing such a good surgeon.

Kensington, I went to a doctor outside of the area. I went to Dr. Michael Vories of Carolina Hair Surgery. Tremendous experience, and I'm at 7 weeks post OP now. I haven't gotten around to posting pics yet, but I will soon.

Hello HRN Folks, Well....I've done it.....I've done it...I've done it...I've done it. After 10 years of wishing, wanting, waiting, endless research and a lot of talking myself off the ledge....I finally went forward with my hair restoration procedure. I'm currently just about 7 Days Post OP and getting ready for the long road to recovery, and the final result. Here are the stats: Doctor: Dr. Michael Vories of Carolina Hair Surgery. We did the surgery in his Charlotte office. Length of Procedure: 2 days. Day 1 1500 grafts. Day 2 1600 grafts (this day was focused solely on the hairline.) Graft Count: 3100 grafts (I don't have the particular breakdowns. I'll email the doc and see if I can get them posted here) Focus: Frontal forelock, rebuilt hairline and adding additional density as we move toward the back. NW Scale: I was a NW V merging onto a VI. I started using Propecia about 5 months ago, and that has made a HUGE improvement to my hair. Experience minimal side effects at first, so as opposed to taking the pill every day. I changed it to taking a half a pill every other day. Side effects disappeared and hair loss seems to have stopped and slowly reversed. My crow was dipping down the back of my head, not only has that stopped, but the hair has thickened up and it almost looks full now. Native hair has really thickened up too. I'd say I'm still a NW V...but its looking like it might be on its way to a light NW V...or high NW IV. Medication: Propecia (1/2 pill every other day) Toppik multi-vitamin and Rogaine once a day right before bed. Photos: I'm currently resting at a relatives house, when I return home and can download the photos I have, I'll be more than happy to post them. Rest assured dear readers, I have plenty to share and eagerly await your responses. Experience: My experience with Dr. Vories was nothing short of excellent. I had a consultation with him back in October, via WebEx and I found him to be a knowledgeable and straight forward surgeon. Since I had just started propecia at that point, he suggested a 3000 graft procedure, with the focus on the hairline and frontal forelock, then to re-visit in a year to see how I reacted to the medication. After plenty of thought and deliberation I decided to go ahead and do it. I had opted for the FUE procedure long ago to avoid the strip scar, also I liked to cut my hair very short. Due to the fact that my hair is very fine, and my donor area was classified as average, I felt that this procedure would be my best option. His Charlotte office is actually just over the South Carolina line in a town called Fort Mill, which is no more than 10 minutes from the Charlotte airport. I flew in on a Sunday night, had the procedure on Monday and Tuesday. Rested on Wednesday, and flew out Thursday morning. The procedure itself was nerve wrecking for the first few minutes, mainly because I didn't know what to expect. I arrived at 8 a.m. Monday morning and had a quick meeting with Dr. Vories. We went over paperwork and what to expect, and then he lead me into the procedure room. There he took pictures, and drew the hairline, and the areas we wanted to focus on. After that, one of his techs took me to a stylist chair where I was shaved down and lead into the chair. I was given a mild sedative to relax me, and keep my blood pressure down. Then for the next two and half hours I lay on my stomach, with my head turned to the side, where Dr. Vories proceeded to extract the grafts. The nerves I felt for the beginning of the procedure, quickly faded away as the sedative took effect and I spent the entire time half sleeping or just dozing off. The only slightly painful part of the procedure occurred at the juncture where Dr. Vories had to inject the donor area with a numbing solution. The initial injection was slightly painful, and Dr. Vories let me know that I would feel a little pinch, which I did. He had to do this a few times as the entire area had to be numbed. By the third shot I didn't feel anything. The rest of the procedure was painless. We broke around 12 or 1230 for lunch, which was provided by Dr. Vories patient coordinator, Mike Frame and then afterward it was back to the chair for the insertions and placements of the grafts. This time flew back quickly as I watched a movie on a huge 60 inch flat screen TV and I was done by 3. Mike Frame gave me a ride back to my hotel and I rested for the rest of the night. Day 2 was nearly exact repeat of day 1, with the focus being on packing the hairline. After the final part of the procedure, I had another meeting with Dr. Vories and he gave me my post op kit and post op instructions. The kit contained a washing sponge, shampoo and an instruction booklet. I was supposed to not let anything disturb the grafts for two days after my surgery, with the exception of a spraying a saline spray on them every hour. Then on the third day after my surgery would be my first wash day. The wash would really be a mixing of the shampoo with water in a cup, pouring it over my head gently and then dabbing it with a sponge. The flight home was easy, I wore a medical cap over my head to ensure that the grafts would not be touched, as well as putting gauze over the donor area so people didn't get scared when they saw me walking thru the airport. Honestly not one seemed to take any notice of me...lucky I guess. The next few days was rest, rest and more rest. The nights of the surgery and the first three nights afterward I had to sleep with my head elevated. This was rather irritating because I have a slight case of sleep apnea, so lying flat is much better for me. I found the best way to make this work (advice for all those looking to have this done) get one of those travel horseshoe pillows and sleep on the computer chair of the hotel. Or pile up the pillows on your bed and lay back. When I got back home the first day back passed relatively easily, I did my first wash and spent much of the day just sitting in a recliner binge watching Netflix. Dr. Vories did give me some pain pills, which I have had to resort to a few times. I was also prescribed a sleep aid as well which has helped a lot. The pain has started to kick in over the weekend, about 4 and 5 days post op. Its not horrible pain, but more aggravating than anything else. It feels very much like a tightness on the donor area, and stretches up into the recipient area. I've found that applying an ice pack to the donor area really helps. Last night I had my first full good nights sleep, and I noticed I woke up this morning feeling much better, the pain is much more manageable and the scabs on the donor area are starting to fall off. The hair in the recipient area appears to be growing slightly, which is a sight that I haven't seen in nearly 10 years....exciting stuff. I can't wait for the final result. Lastly I cannot speak highly enough of Dr. Vories. His laser focus, thorough approach and truly wonderful bedside manner made this whole experience well worth it. He always checked in with me during the procedure to see how I was feeling, and if there was any pain. He always made sure I was comfortable and I've called him a few times since the procedure and he has always quickly responded to me personally. I cannot recommend his staff of clinic high enough, obviously we will have to wait until the final result. But my experience with him was wonderful. Also big thanks to the people on this form for providing the resources for such endeavors, I would be lost without you guys. Pics will come soon and I will happily try to keep everyone posted on my progress. Until next time -Cuttlefish

Kensington Dr. Lindsey does do FUE, he will tailor either approach to your level of hair loss.

Hairyjoe, I'd like to jump on the wagon as well. I had a consultation with Dr. Lindsey about 10 months ago. Although I ultimatly ended up going with another surgeon listed on this site, I found Dr. Lindsey an absolute pleasure to speak with. He has all the qualities that you want in a surgeon, he's blunt, honest, reasonable as well as easily accessible with a great personality to boot. My choice with going with another surgeon was in no way a reflection on how I feel Dr. Lindsey's work is, which I believe is stellar. I had made a choice and I stuck with it. But I can def say that my research grew leaps and bounds when I had the pleasure of meeting with him. He will challenge you to seriously consider the surgery, and challenge you even more to evaluate your expectations which is what you WANT a good ethical hair surgeon to do. He truely has his patients best interests at heart, and out of all of the results posted on this site from him, I can only count ONE patient who seemed to have a negative experience with him (in all honesty I believe it was due to the patients expectations rather than the doctors good work.) I believe Blake is right about good cases coming in waves. Being a patient of a doctor on this site myself, I had nothing but a tremendous experience with my chosen surgeon. I however am not really falling over myself to frequently post on this website about it and constantly remind people about how glad I am I got the procedure. Life gets in the way, and since I've tackled the hair issue, I've kind of moved on. If you are considering a hair procedure, it will be worth your weight in gold to have a consultation with Dr. Lindsey. There is no high pressure sales pitches or tactics, he will give you honest blunt responses and he will NOT want you to give an answer right there and then. He will actually ask you to take some time and think about what you two discussed. What else could you want from a good consult? Call him, you won't be dissapointed.

Hello HRN Folks, Well....I've done it.....I've done it...I've done it...I've done it. After 10 years of wishing, wanting, waiting, endless research and a lot of talking myself off the ledge....I finally went forward with my hair restoration procedure. I'm currently just about 7 Days Post OP and getting ready for the long road to recovery, and the final result. Here are the stats: Doctor: Dr. Michael Vories of Carolina Hair Surgery. We did the surgery in his Charlotte office. Length of Procedure: 2 days. Day 1 1500 grafts. Day 2 1600 grafts (this day was focused solely on the hairline.) Graft Count: 3100 grafts (I don't have the particular breakdowns. I'll email the doc and see if I can get them posted here) Focus: Frontal forelock, rebuilt hairline and adding additional density as we move toward the back. NW Scale: I was a NW V merging onto a VI. I started using Propecia about 5 months ago, and that has made a HUGE improvement to my hair. Experience minimal side effects at first, so as opposed to taking the pill every day. I changed it to taking a half a pill every other day. Side effects disappeared and hair loss seems to have stopped and slowly reversed. My crow was dipping down the back of my head, not only has that stopped, but the hair has thickened up and it almost looks full now. Native hair has really thickened up too. I'd say I'm still a NW V...but its looking like it might be on its way to a light NW V...or high NW IV. Medication: Propecia (1/2 pill every other day) Toppik multi-vitamin and Rogaine once a day right before bed. Photos: I'm currently resting at a relatives house, when I return home and can download the photos I have, I'll be more than happy to post them. Rest assured dear readers, I have plenty to share and eagerly await your responses. Experience: My experience with Dr. Vories was nothing short of excellent. I had a consultation with him back in October, via WebEx and I found him to be a knowledgeable and straight forward surgeon. Since I had just started propecia at that point, he suggested a 3000 graft procedure, with the focus on the hairline and frontal forelock, then to re-visit in a year to see how I reacted to the medication. After plenty of thought and deliberation I decided to go ahead and do it. I had opted for the FUE procedure long ago to avoid the strip scar, also I liked to cut my hair very short. Due to the fact that my hair is very fine, and my donor area was classified as average, I felt that this procedure would be my best option. His Charlotte office is actually just over the South Carolina line in a town called Fort Mill, which is no more than 10 minutes from the Charlotte airport. I flew in on a Sunday night, had the procedure on Monday and Tuesday. Rested on Wednesday, and flew out Thursday morning. The procedure itself was nerve wrecking for the first few minutes, mainly because I didn't know what to expect. I arrived at 8 a.m. Monday morning and had a quick meeting with Dr. Vories. We went over paperwork and what to expect, and then he lead me into the procedure room. There he took pictures, and drew the hairline, and the areas we wanted to focus on. After that, one of his techs took me to a stylist chair where I was shaved down and lead into the chair. I was given a mild sedative to relax me, and keep my blood pressure down. Then for the next two and half hours I lay on my stomach, with my head turned to the side, where Dr. Vories proceeded to extract the grafts. The nerves I felt for the beginning of the procedure, quickly faded away as the sedative took effect and I spent the entire time half sleeping or just dozing off. The only slightly painful part of the procedure occurred at the juncture where Dr. Vories had to inject the donor area with a numbing solution. The initial injection was slightly painful, and Dr. Vories let me know that I would feel a little pinch, which I did. He had to do this a few times as the entire area had to be numbed. By the third shot I didn't feel anything. The rest of the procedure was painless. We broke around 12 or 1230 for lunch, which was provided by Dr. Vories patient coordinator, Mike Frame and then afterward it was back to the chair for the insertions and placements of the grafts. This time flew back quickly as I watched a movie on a huge 60 inch flat screen TV and I was done by 3. Mike Frame gave me a ride back to my hotel and I rested for the rest of the night. Day 2 was nearly exact repeat of day 1, with the focus being on packing the hairline. After the final part of the procedure, I had another meeting with Dr. Vories and he gave me my post op kit and post op instructions. The kit contained a washing sponge, shampoo and an instruction booklet. I was supposed to not let anything disturb the grafts for two days after my surgery, with the exception of a spraying a saline spray on them every hour. Then on the third day after my surgery would be my first wash day. The wash would really be a mixing of the shampoo with water in a cup, pouring it over my head gently and then dabbing it with a sponge. The flight home was easy, I wore a medical cap over my head to ensure that the grafts would not be touched, as well as putting gauze over the donor area so people didn't get scared when they saw me walking thru the airport. Honestly not one seemed to take any notice of me...lucky I guess. The next few days was rest, rest and more rest. The nights of the surgery and the first three nights afterward I had to sleep with my head elevated. This was rather irritating because I have a slight case of sleep apnea, so lying flat is much better for me. I found the best way to make this work (advice for all those looking to have this done) get one of those travel horseshoe pillows and sleep on the computer chair of the hotel. Or pile up the pillows on your bed and lay back. When I got back home the first day back passed relatively easily, I did my first wash and spent much of the day just sitting in a recliner binge watching Netflix. Dr. Vories did give me some pain pills, which I have had to resort to a few times. I was also prescribed a sleep aid as well which has helped a lot. The pain has started to kick in over the weekend, about 4 and 5 days post op. Its not horrible pain, but more aggravating than anything else. It feels very much like a tightness on the donor area, and stretches up into the recipient area. I've found that applying an ice pack to the donor area really helps. Last night I had my first full good nights sleep, and I noticed I woke up this morning feeling much better, the pain is much more manageable and the scabs on the donor area are starting to fall off. The hair in the recipient area appears to be growing slightly, which is a sight that I haven't seen in nearly 10 years....exciting stuff. I can't wait for the final result. Lastly I cannot speak highly enough of Dr. Vories. His laser focus, thorough approach and truly wonderful bedside manner made this whole experience well worth it. He always checked in with me during the procedure to see how I was feeling, and if there was any pain. He always made sure I was comfortable and I've called him a few times since the procedure and he has always quickly responded to me personally. I cannot recommend his staff of clinic high enough, obviously we will have to wait until the final result. But my experience with him was wonderful. Also big thanks to the people on this form for providing the resources for such endeavors, I would be lost without you guys. Pics will come soon and I will happily try to keep everyone posted on my progress. Until next time -Cuttlefish

Thank you for sharing Newbie, I've just booked a 3000 graft appointment with him in Feb. I'm nervous, but excited, how's the shockloss? Has it set in badly yet for your native hairs? Are you using rogaine/propecia? What made you finally settle on Dr. Vories?

Thanks tercex, who did your procedure? Do you have a pic of your scar?

Hello All, Junior poster here inching ever closer to pulling the trigger on a hair transplant. For a refresher I'm a NW5 verging onto a NW6...sucks being 31 and having the look of a 50 year old. I've had consultations with Dr. William Lindsey, Dr. Michael Vories and just recently a consultation with Dr. John Diep. Nothing but wonderful experiences with all three of them, and with the help of this forum I am confident that I will find myself in the hands of the right doctor. I'm aware that for a successful result, the FUT method would be much more optimal (of course there are those on this forum who say that if I am a NW6, best option would be to skip the transplant all together, and do my best Stone Cold Steve Austin impression). My question is to everyone who has gone with the FUT procedure....what will my scalp feel like after the strip is removed? I've read reviews from patients that range from "I had a light sensation of tightness for the first few months, and then the feeling returned to normal" to "I can't feel water running over my scalp when I shower anymore". Do you lose sensation forever in the donor and recipient area? Do you have a tight feeling on your head forever? I understand that every patient is different and that no one can predict how one's body will react to trauma, but I'm curious for everyone's experience so I can at least have some sort of gauge. Current graft calculations are as follows to give you an idea of what I would be working with. (this is also what the surgeons were willing to preform on the first go around) Dr. William Lindsey = (FUT method) 2800-3000 allows for minimal scar and option for a second procedure. This will address the hairline to just about mid-scalp densely packed. Dr. Lindsey is confident that he will leave me with a "likely" good scar and very little trauma to the donor area. Potential second surgery would address from the mid-scalp to the top of the crown. Dr. Michael Vories = (FUE method) 3000 grafts with a possibility of a little bit more. Since I've just started on Propecia about a month ago, he'd prefer to have this case done first and wait a year to see how well I re-act to the medication. He theorized that we focus on framing the face, and go to just past the mid-scalp section. If Propecia is successful, we can do a second round in a year. Dr. John Diep = (Recommends FUT method) 4000-5000. He characterized me with extensive loss (I can't argue with that), but he states that a one time surgical approach on the higher spectrum, will provide full coverage. He then stated a concentration of density on the frontal forelock from the hairline, to just past the mid-scalp section would provide a huge result. His words of "lets get it all done in one day, so you can be done with this and move one" really struck a chord in me. Any input from any of my fellow HRN posters here would be most welcome. Thanks all,

Hey All, So I had a consultation with Dr. William Lindsey about two weeks ago, and am on the verge of calling him to set up the date for a transplant. During the visit, we discussed that 2800 grafts densely packed would create a new hairline and a thick mid-section via FUT. This would also leave enough donor area for a second procedure to address the rest of the mid-section to just about the top of my crown. I'm confident that my final result will be extremely pleasing and am happy I will be in the hands of such a talented doctor. I'm reaching out to everyone to try to get some first hand experience of the dreaded....shock loss. I'm really worried about it for a couple of reasons. I've got extremely thin hair that I've neglected for about three years, and relayed solely on the Toppik concealer to cover up. From age 22 to age 26 I was an avid minoxidill user, with great results...even regrew some hair at first. Then when I discovered Toppik, I got complacent with my hair regime to the point where from age 26 to 29...I didn't use anything. My fault and now I have paid the price for it. Hence why surgery is the option now. Dr. Lindsey stated that I would have a tremendous amount of shock loss in the recipient region and my worry is that I would look like a cue ball if this happened. I've got pretty diffuse thinning and am on the Norwood V or VI scale. I have enough native hair where I can still conceal it very well with toppik and it still looks full and thick....with the exception of the hairline...that takes a LONG time to get right, but I can still manage it. So my question is to they who have dealt with this beast. How bad can shock loss get? Can it make you completely bald in that area? Like shiny bald? Does Propecia/Rogaine combo assist and saving the native hairs? I've heard varying reports on when it sets in, when can you usually expect that? Has anyone used toppik to help with shock loss? Also what are some of the excuses people have used to explain when it happens to co-workers or family when they ask? Any input would be great folks. Thank you and happy growing to all

Future: Thanks for reading. This whole process has been full of anxiety, and new discoveries about what I think about my appearance. Dr. Lindsey's honesty and straight forward approach is exactly how I want to go about this endeavor. I immediately ruled out Dr. Kiely, as I agree with your assessment of the doll's head look from Micro-grafting. Dr. Schreiber is appealing me to because he said he would be able to cover the frontal area, mid-section and crown. Although I believe he would be able too, the result would probably be cosmetically, not that much different from how I look now. Although I've read rave reviews of his work on a couple of Patient experience websites, I haven't comes across anyone on this forum who has seen Dr. Schreiber yet. Dr. Lindsey's statement of "First go around we hit the front portion and re-build the hairline....and I'll pack the #$%! out of it" seems like a good starting point....I'd love to pack the #$%! out of the hairline...as I haven't seen it since I was 22. Future, just for more research purposes, what other doctors would you personally recommend within a 4 hour driving range of the DC metro area? Spank: Very true about trying the shaved head look, while I haven't gone full on Stone Cold with a razor yet, I've cut my hair close enough to the scalp where I don't like the way it looks. It adds about 8 to 10 years on me, which I'm not very comfortable with. I think I fall into that area where my head is a little too big and pronounced to look good bald...but that's just me. Your advice to look into Hasson and Wong has resonated as their mega-session approach is really appealing. As many have stated on here before, I'm not letting distance or price be a factor here. I'm more than willing to fly anywhere (within the US...I don't want to go too overboard:D) and pay whatever price (again within reason) in which I can achieve good cosmetic results. Currently I use toppik everyday to thicken up the hair, and while its been good, my hair has thinned to the point now where when I put it on, you can kind of see the fibers fighting to stick to whatever hair is left. I figure by this point its time to try a different approach.

Hey all, First time poster here, and like many of you I'm beginning the long and eye opening journey of hair restoration. Upon my visit to a few doctors, I believe I'm in the Norwood V to VI range. I'll post pics at some point. Right now I'm trying to get myself to temper my expectations in regards to coverage and what I can achieve with a hair transplant. Currently I do minioxidil 5% twice a day, plus a vitamin supplement (terrified of the side effects of propecia, but slowly breaking on that one if I'm considering a hair transplant). I've seen three doctors to try to give myself the best possible options when it comes to choosing the best surgeon as one thing I've heard from many HT patients is RESEARCH, RESEARCH, RESEARCH. So being close to the DC Metro area, I figured I had a plethora of doctors to go and see, and get information from. The main factor in these visits is I wanted to look for consistencies from all three doctors that I could use to help make my best judgment. I first went to go see Dr. John Kiely in the Towson area (very close to home ). I booked an appointment with him about a month ago, and saw him a week later. Very nice older gentleman, who had an easy going manner, and a good amount of information. He classified me as a Norwood VI, and showed me a lot of photos of patients with similar hair pattern to mine. I am a MPB sufferer and being 30 years old, I think my loss pattern has stabilized enough to where I have a good idea of where it will be in 10 to 15 years. After that, who knows. Dr. Kiely uses an older method called "Micro-grafting", I believe its the original version of FUE. He said for the cost of about 3k we could do a session that would yield about 600 follicles. After the visit (which was very informative...no cost either) I decided to see if I could research further. I then found a doctor not much further away in Lutherville by the name of Dr. Jeffrey Shcreiber. First off, let me say, he's got a FANTASTIC OFFICE! Really helpful and courteous staff, and Dr. Schreiber himself is a pleasant and very positive doctor. He gave me a very in depth look at what my hairloss has progressed too, and he also echoed Dr. Kiely's comments about being a Norwood VI. He guestimated about 2500 grafts would create a new hairline and help add density to my middle and crown area. We joked pleasantly for a while, and he gave me a rundown of what to expect after the surgery. I had some concerns about propecia and shockloss, both of which I fully expect will have to happen for this to work, and he was very honest with me about what to expect. He said that I may experience some shockloss, but he didn't think it would be a too bad, he also said that there are side effects to propecia, but it varies from person to person and that only I can judge. After the exchange I met with his patient coordinator who gave me the cost outline for either FUT or FUE (FUE was obviously more, but not by much and he also uses a Neograft tool for it). If anyone in the Baltimore area is considering a HT, I would recommend going to see Dr. Schreiber just for the experience itself. Great and easy going guy, nice manner, and very informative. My journey was going well, I've been given some great information so far, but I wanted to get a chance to meet a third doctor to round it out (everything sounds better in three's). So after extensive research, one name kept coming up over and over again. So later in the month, I booked an appointment, gathered my things on a half day off from work, and made my way to the hallowed hills of McLean Virginia to go see the man...the myth...the legend...Dr. William Lindsey. Upon deep research (mainly thru this form) I've constantly had Dr. Lindsey's name come up as one of the top Hair Surgeons to see. I've read a lot of his blogs, comments and videos and figured he would know what he was talking about. After navigating my way thru hellish DC traffic (no seriously....its hell) I found myself in his very small and cozy office. Dr. Lindsey himself came out to greet me, sporting a cast and a crutch (he had ankle surgery earlier). Immediately I found him to be very pleasant and very easy to get along with. We sat down in his office and showed me a lot of pictures of patients. He specifically showed me the transplants of patients who's hairloss was similar to mine, his guess right off the bat was that between 2500 and 2800 grafts would provide adequate coverage for the front portion and a restored hairline. He also theorized that a second transplant would be necessary to cover the mid-section of my scalp, then stating plainly "and when we get to the crown...I'd say lets stop." He characterized me as having fine hair, which means that a FUT procedure would yield more results and would allow greater graft survival rate. My initial fear with FUT was obviously the scar on the back of my head. But when explained that FUE would not be good on a patient like myself (Dr. Lindsey plainly stated I have a big head...and I couldn't agree more), FUT would be better for coverage and a dense packing approach. After this, Dr. Lindsey took me to the belly of the beast and let me see an actual procedure being preformed. I got a chance to speak with the patient as the techs were placing grafts in his hairline. A cheery and funny fellow who was obviously feeling the effects of the anesthesia, but straight forward none the less. We then went back to the office and he fielded questions from me for more than 30 minutes. His straight forward, pragmatic and no-none sense approach was something that I really appreciated. He really challenged me to think about this and reminded me that "No one ever died from going bald". But also, should I want to move forward, he would be more than happy to take my case and provide me with the best results he could. So I've done my research guys, and I've thought about this long and hard...my question to the group is, what should a Norwood VI expect when it comes to a HT? Anyone out there had great results? Bad results for that? Out of the three I think I will go with Dr. Lindsey, not discounting the other two, specifically Dr. Schreiber. Anyone else think of things I may have missed? Sorry for the long winded story, but I kind of just got into it .