GoneTodayToo

Having just had 2000 grafts with Dr. Vories last Friday, I can attest that Dr. Vories is amazing. I loved his staff, and he was one of the nicest guys I've ever met. I cannot tell you how happy I am with the choice I made. Congrats, lax, you look great!

Awesome work! Dr. Vories is a pro, for sure. Just had a great experience with Dr. Vories and his staff last Friday and got 2000 grafts myself. I am just excited to see what is sure to be an amazing result.

Well, I just did some searching and there is a bit of a debate about when one should fly home. Some have even suggested it is BETTER to fly home the day after--after stopping by the clinic to make sure everything is okay--because of swelling that will set in usually on the second day after the surgery. No one wants to travel with facial swelling, and you may look so unwell that that they may chose not to let you on the flight.

Thanks for the advice regarding not bumping my head--I am very clumsy... just yesterday I bumped my head on my desk trying to retrieve a dropped pencil. I will also think twice about bending over and may just bend at my knees. It would be better for my back that way, also. I do plan to ask the doc about my plans and get his advice, of course, but I was also looking for some advice from patients. Regarding my diet, of course I have been successful at losing weight before the HT, but I wanted to make sure I could keep it off while recuperating and I am unable to exercise. Of course, again, I will ask the doc about when I can do what: walk, run, lift weights, etc. And just by the by, I've seen a great deal of data that men (specifically) are more likely to both lose weight and keep it off by replacing meals with shakes.

Sooo... No advice at all?

Amazing result! I am also getting 2000 grafts from Dr. Vories next week. I cannot wait, and I hope that my result will be as good as this happy fella. He looks marvelous!

Hey guys, So, after years of wanting another hair transplant--I've been lurking on this forum off and on from nearly ten years--I am taking the plunge again next week. Some might recall that I've been losing my hair since I was 17. That's not bad considering I've still retained a great deal of hair, and I am now 35, nearly 36. I have officially been losing longer than not. In 1999, at the age of 20, I had my first hair transplant. Although it wasn't completely botch, it was not a good job and not nearly dense enough. Also, I was not happy with graft placement, as the grafts were all placed to grow straight up from the scalp. Luckily, I do not feel that any of the grafts need to be moved, but merely disguised. I am scheduled to have my second surgery with Dr. Vories in South Carolina next week. I am excited beyond belief. Typically, I am not an impulsive person, but I am finally in a position financially and personally to make this happen. I feel confident with Dr. Vories and the FUE procedure. After consulting with the doctor, we agreed upon 2000 grafts to be placed in the frontal third. I am continuing with both fin and minox, as I have for nearly a decade. I am overjoyed and confident with Dr. Vories. I know that he and his staff will give me great advice for after care, but I wanted to 1) share the new with you all, as I have been a part of this community for so long, and 2) I wanted to see if perhaps there are some fine points or questions that you did not think to ask about after care from FUE. Of course, I know about after care from my first transplant and the staff at Carolina Hair Surgery gave me a packet with great information, but it never hurts to hear great advice more than one once or twice! Some of my primary concerns are: 1) I've lost some weight prior to the surgery and I'd like to keep it off, of course I am aware that I will not be able to exercise strenuously for up to two weeks or more--any idea about when I can begin doing what for exercise, i.e. light walking versus jogging versus weights?, 2) Given I cannot exercise as much, I am considering cutting my calories, not drastically, but maybe replacing one or two meals a day with a protein shake instead--any thoughts?, and 3) Given that I will need time to recover and will start back to work soon after I return--I'll start with some light meetings the week after, and then I'll start back to a more-regular work schedule the following week--I will be returning on a flight back to Texas early in the morning after the surgery, so I was wondering if there is anything I should be concerned about leaving so quickly after the surgery. I wouldn't think it would be a problem--I am hypo-sensitive to pain; I didn't take the sedatives offered by the clinic at my last FUSS surgery and drove myself home pain-free right after with no problems. However, who knows, FUE is new to me. Thanks in advance!

Wow! Awesome work. I have similar loss in the frontal area--not really any loss in the crown--to this gentleman. This certainly give me hope for my future HT.

Is anyone else as tired as I am about hearing the old "just shave it all off" line from people with hair or even women you know wear wigs/extensions? Well, I guess I should just start with the people that have hair that give you the shave it advice. I've shaved my head a few times over my eighteen year journey with hair loss, and let me tell you that most of the people that tell you to shave your head don't really care about your situation. Once, I heard two women in the office talking about how I should just shave my head. So, one day, I did just that. Then, later, after I had shaved my head, I could hear them talking about how bad it looked and that it was sad and obvious I did it because I was going bald. The truth is that there is a known prejudice against bald and balding men. Sorry to say it, but I think most of us are here because of this prejudice. We get jobs less often, we get promoted less often, and we get dates less often. We're not considered as attractive as men with full heads of hair. And before any positive thinking guru comes in with a sunny, "it's all in your mind" defense, there are really scientific studies to prove that what I am saying is all objectively true. Now, I'm not necessarily a pity-monger. I don't feel that sorry for myself. I just don't think that "shave it all off" is necessarily a solution. I also don't feel like shaving your head is embracing your baldness. I think shaving your head is just another form of hiding from the problem. Maybe it seems officially sanctioned because it's "natural" and unlike using a hair system or having an HT--in fact, I think that's it: society sanctions it, at least seemingly. Maybe it's just that shaving your head seems to put you in control, but in fact you would still be in control if you used a hair system or got an HT. Maybe it's Dunning-Kruger Effect: people with less skill believe themselves to be highly skilled and highly skilled people believe their skills easily attained--so they believe they have the solutions to problems that they don't. Possibly, it's a combination of the above. At any rate, I am tired of hearing this as a "solution." It's not embracing your baldness to shave your head; it's still going to an extreme to fight your baldness while pretending you don't care. It's all too easy to shave your head and forget that you were losing you hair. Then, there's the women that wear wigs and have extensions that belittle bald and balding men. I just don't get that. I do understand that society has different norms of women,and women must look a certain way to please society, but come on... Sorry about the rant, but we all need one from time to time, don't we?

I have to admit, I've been focused on critical theory in the humanities lately, so I haven't kept up with the latest in hair regrowth science. However, what about treatments to degrade DHT receptors making hair balding resistant? I seem to remember a few companies working on these technologies. Actually, gravity has long been thought a cause of hair loss. Obviously, there have not necessarily been complex theories as Ustuner's. There have long been "anti-gravity" devices that have marketed themselves based on this "benefit." Of course, these devices are not "anti-gravity" at all, as it is impossible to negate Earth's gravitational field while on Earth--if you're wondering about astronaut training equipment, these are simulators... they simulate weighlessness only, not anti-gravity.

Well, yes and no. The thing is that we know precious little about genetics. In fact, most of what we think we know today will be proven wrong tomorrow. Only a hand full of years ago, we still thought it was all about heredity only, then we discovered extation and epigenetics. We've always suspected that the environment can change DNA, and now we've discovered that things like exercise can have an impact. So, if someone suffering from hair loss may think that they can count their relatives with or without hair loss as a guide, they are mostly incorrect. It would be more correct to say that judging ones hair loss by the pattern of relatives with hair loss may be a possible factor for determining one's possible future pattern at a similar age--read that again: ONE factor. One factor out of how many? Several dozen... at least. Then again, with the tricky nature of genetics and our limited knowledge, it may not be a factor for you, but it might be one of those factors for someone else. It's cold comfort, I know, but it's a little more accurate than someone saying either one's family or personal history of hair loss is or is not a factor in determining something about future hair loss in the individual.

I really do appreciate the support. I am, indeed, going ahead with an HT. I am not sure which doc I want to go with, but I will most definitely go with one recommended by this network.

Thank you for all the feedback. I really appreciate it. To reiterate, I am now 35-years-old. I've also been on finasteride (now dut) for over a decade. I know that I am lucky in some ways, but not others. It makes it even more appealing for me to get an HT--I could have an even nicer head of hair with a good HT, and I can ask the doc to think somewhat more aggressively about the HT knowing that I have stabilized, am on meds and rogaine, and have maintained a lot of hair for my age. All that aside, can I ask people not to use the term "like or as a crutch." That phrase is pretty offensive to those with mobility disabilities. It implies that they are just not trying hard enough to walk. If you break a leg or a hip, you, too, might need crutches... at least for a while. Also, while I know that I can get into a funk (boy, was I in one in Ireland, and depression is common in those with ASD), autism can compound many problems. Social issues and impairments are common with autism, and hair loss can make those issues even worse. I am not nor have I ever said that hair loss is easy for anyone, but for some with other issues (both like and unlike my own), it is even more difficult. We have to be careful not to universalize our perceptions of the world. That is to say, simply because we have one experience of the world, it does not mean that others do not experience the world--even the same stimulus--in the same way. Oh, and I got back from Ireland last August. This thread is a little older. Still, I thank all of you for taking an interest in it and giving me feedback.

Actually, I had my first surgery in 2000. At that time, he was still performing the same old "singles in front" in an actual line... The only reason I didn't get off worse is that when I saw the horrible, sparse placement of the grafts, I didn't go back for the second session. I still do not believe, not even for a second, that I received 1,000 grafts. Still, I think you are right, I got off easy. However, it isn't because he took any extra care, or because he was using top-notch techniques. Even at 20, I was wise enough not to go back. As far as hair transplants, I am still moving forward with more. I don't believe that my poor result from the first surgery was the result of a bad physiology, but on account of a poor surgeon with outdated techniques. The placement was truly terrible. It seems like people reading my posts are not getting that I'm actually 35-years-old now. I know, it's a little weird to be my age and still in college--it's because of my autism... While I know that the age one starts balding is not necessarily the only consideration for what level of baldness one will stabilize at; however, I've been losing hair since I was 17--I've literately been balding longer than I've been alive. I'm on dutas and minox, and I have been since my early twenties. That, plus my father and his father never reached the upper levels. My father's in his early sixties and still a NW 4. Of course, that's not the only factor, but it is one factor. I feel I have stabilized, and considering my pattern despite 18 years of hair loss, I am doing relatively well. I have accepted that I have lost hair, but I don't have to accept that there is absolutely nothing I can do about it. If nothing else, I can get a good HT and have my hair match my face--I am aware I have a very young-looking face, which actually makes my hair loss even more noticeable.

What do you mean by "causing hair loss"? In fact, if you are noticing an increase in shedding, this is indicative of the shampoo working. This "hair loss" is not likely to be permanent.

I have Level 1, or Asperger's. Still, there are certain things that I find really hard to do, like talk to people on the phone--especially when I don't know them...

I really don't want to sound as if I'm just whining, but it's really hard for me to talk to people via telephone. It's just one of the many difficult things about being autistic. Having that, plus hair loss has made my life that much more difficult. Really, I don't want to whine, but I just needed to get that off my chest. It's even more difficult when I manage to get myself to call, and then I get told that I'll get a call back but that call never comes...

Well, I still haven't heard from Dr. Arocha's office. It's okay, because I have time yet. I know this seems strange to say, but I am not a terribly emotional person but I've still had problems approaching others here. Certainly, not worrying about my hair loss would have allowed me to enjoy it more here. But I've still been able to relax a little bit and enjoy the sights--the other distraction is the finals coming up! Hopefully, I'll hear from Dr. Arocha's office sometime this fall. I plan on making a trip to consult in Austin (or for the transplant in Houston) as classes let out for the fall. Thank you guys for your continued support. I guess that most of us would not have willingly signed-up for this odd little "balding brotherhood", but here we are. Thanks, guys!

Thanks for the support, fellas. I don't know if I could go to India--being autistic, it was all I could do to gather the strength to go abroad here to Ireland. Plus, getting a cheap HT was not a good idea the first time. Although I am sure if the surgeon you recommend is recommended by the HT network, he must be good. Still, I am skittish now... well, even more so than usual. The original doctor who performed my first HT was Carlos Puig. I would advise not going with him. Firstly, they performed the surgery when I was only 20--they didn't even advise me to wait to see if and when my hair loss would stabilize. They didn't offer any medications, either. Also, I had a minor infection and when I was having the stiches removed, the nurse told me that I should "have that checked out!" I had surgery there and I should have it checked out elsewhere? What? Also, the transplant was never satisfactory. The transplanted hairs all grow straight up from the scalp--I think you can see them in one of the pictures. They tried to then sell me 1,000 more mico-grafts behind the sparse, picket fence mini-grafts. I wisely declined. They were also doing a scalp reduction (yikes!) in the next room. They had four surgeries booked for that day.

Yes, I have brought DHT blockers since I cannot get my off-label stuff through customs and I have foam minox and spectral minox, also I have the caffeine hair tonic--it's not my first time at the rodeo, if you can tell. I'm just tired of it. I think it's gone on long enough. I feel like I've been robbed of half my life--it's hard enough to approach someone when you have Asperger's and to be balding and have had an obvious bad transplant before... well, it's almost impossible. Still, I am trying to enjoy my trip--I wouldn't even be here without scholarships (it's my first time abroad) and having worked and saved for a year. The irony is that, now that I can afford to go abroad, it conflicts with my savings for an HT, and I cannot fully enjoy this trip because (coming full circle to the time I started losing my hair at 17) because of hiding the bad transplant. Still, today was lovely, I just wish it was one less thing I had to worry about. I mean, I cannot even shave my head and forget about it because of the scar and the weird little hairs at the hairline because of the previous transplant.

Uhmm... I am on several medical treatments for hair loss, including a DHT blocker. I'm not sure, fueonly, that you are aware that I am 34 and have been balding for 17 years. Also, I'm not sure if you caught it, but I've had one procedure before. I'm sorry, I wasn't looking for advice so much as sharing my story. I know quite a bit about hair restoration now from these forums. I've been around here for since at least 2005. This just happens to be a new account as I cannot remember my old one. Still, I thank you for the sentiment.

I've been losing my hair since I was 17-years-old. I actually started the process when I was away from home at a summer camp in Rhode Island. And now, as I am a graduate student helping teach students in Ireland, I cannot help but once again feel the sting of hair loss--made worse by the fact that my fin. is off-label and I couldn't risk bringing it, so I am on vitamins until I return home. It's not that, considering I've been losing my hair for half of my life (I am now 34), my hair loss is that bad. I am still a NW III, but I hate the fact that it is so obvious. My problems are compounded by the fact--as I discovered I had autism when I was an adult--I returned for my undergraduate degree when I was 28 and now everyone I meet is a young man with a full head of hair. I feel like I've been cheated out of half of my life! And I only have the promise of more money in the future. I am still, for now, a starving grad student. And I cover my shame--once again on what is supposed to be a life-changing trip--under hats and covered in concealers. I know that some pop ex-psychology students (even here) will give me the "you are not your hair" speech. I know I am not my hair. But, being autistic, I can barely speak to people without having to worry about their gaze slowly reaching my ever-expanding fore(five... or six)head. I know, I know... They aren't looking. Except, of course, they are. I've even had professors openly make fun of me, and one even felt so bad she gave me a "scholarship" of $50 when she discovered I am autistic and have learning disabilities. I just wish, out of all the things I have to worry about, I didn't have to worry about looking like a full with cream and fuzz pasted to my head in an attempt to cover up my hair loss and the horrible, badly placed $3000 (I saved for 8-months and then got a $2,000 loan from my parents) hair transplant from a hair mill (BIG mistake) when I was 20-years-old. The result was awful. I supposedly got 1000 micrografts, although I sincerely doubt it was anywhere near that many. And the placement had them grown straight up from the hairline. I asked my roommate at the time what they looked like, and he said large ants with the scabs--that is how far apart they were place--and then like a picket fence of a hairline. So here I am in this beautiful place, and I cannot even enjoy it. What am I to do? I have been saving up (student loan money--bad idea, I know) so that I have what might be enough for a small HT with Dr. Arocha (I live in Texas, and I hear he's a excellent surgeon). But God love me, I am just too scared to be disappointed again--although part of that could also by the autism talking. But damn it, I'm tired of hiding. If I don't have the courage to show people I know what I really look like, then I can at least show you all here, no matter how hard it is. I've never told anyone this entire story. I've never even typed it anonymously online. Hopefully, at least someone will relate to my story.