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Hi Sean. As a huge animal lover who has a dog who is my family, I am so sorry for what you're going through. I can't imagine that any stress related to the grief you're feeling will permanently affect your grafts, so I would do my best to let the fear of that happening be one less thing for you to worry about. Stressing about your stress will just make it harder on you.

While it's true that stress can cause hair loss, it's my understanding that it's chronic stress that goes on unaddressed for extended periods of time that can take a toll... So take it easy on yourself as you navigate the grieving process, and trust that your hair and grafts will be okay. 

Sending you good vibes and healing energy during a very difficult time. ❤️ 

In addition to running far away from this clinic and heading straight to the "Recommended Surgeons List" on this forum, I also recommend that you reframe your views on how much money you're willing to spend for a procedure. The fact that this seemed so enticing to you indicates that the price is a huge determining factor for you. While I understand the temptation of wanting to save money, when it comes to a procedure like a hair transplant, believe us when we say you do not want to go bargain shopping. You'll end up regretting it later.

That said, you'll find in your research that even amongst top surgeons, the prices can vary greatly depending on a large number of factors. So it's not that "the most expensive is necessarily the best" - but it's a reminder that a low price shouldn't be the driving force behind your search for a surgeon. 

I'm glad you found this forum and I hope you take advantage of all the resources here. 

I'm so sorry you're dealing with this. If you want to give us a more complete picture, show us some photos of your scalp/hair before the procedure, post-op, and what it looks like now. I agree that this doesn't look great and the work doesn't look refined. It's also not common in the slightest to lose sensation in the recipient area, and experiencing numbness 9 months out is definitely something to be concerned about. 

As Asterix said, I would seek out a dermatologist to get their input on the numbing sensation, as well as scheduling a consultation with some highly vetted and recommended Hair Transplant surgeons from this forum. You mentioned being in lockdown, but most surgeons will do virtual consultations, and I would try to speak with a few of them about this as soon as you can so that you can start getting some answers. 

These results are incredible - which is saying a lot considering I didn't even think your before pictures looked that alarming and I wasn't even sure how much could be done to make it that much better. But as a self-proclaimed perfectionist, it appears you have gone from "great" to "perfect"... 

(*Cut to me reading that you plan to do even more procedures to get it even more perfect than it already is...  )

Hi Annie! To clarify, your primary concern is wanting to make sure that the recipient area is unshaven, and that you're less concerned with whether or not the donor area is shaved. Correct? If so, you could look into doing a combo of sorts and getting a Strip/FUT procedure (more on that in a bit) for the extractions, and doing non-shave for the insertions. This would be unconventional, but may help offset some of the higher cost associated with non-shave FUE, as strip procedures are typically a bit less expensive.

As for non-shave FUE, it's not something a lot of surgeons are doing. It's more time consuming and meticulous, so do some research and make sure you're choosing a surgeon who has proven themselves to be up to the task. I know this is something Dr. Mohebi offers, and I'm happy to help you out with any info from him if you'd like. 

As for the possibility of a strip procedure, I do think it's worth considering as an option. The biggest deterrent for most men is the strip scar, and even with the best of the best scars, it limits just how short they can buzz their hair on the back/sides. However, given that most women don't wear their hair that short, they don't have to worry about this, as your hair would almost always be long enough to cover it. (If you happen to be a woman who likes short buzz cuts, please disregard! ) 

Lastly, you mentioned that "the transplanted strip would be down the middle of my head to my forehead", and I want to make sure that's what you meant. Strip scars run horizontally from the sides of the scalp and around the back (considered the "safe zone/donor area"), and not from the forehead and down the center. Are you sure that's what the surgeon said?!

I'm happy you found this forum and I hope you get lead in the right direction to find the perfect surgeon for you. I understand how distressful hair loss can be for us men, and I can't imagine how it must be for you. Sending you good vibes and I look forward to seeing you eventually giving us positive updates! 

On 10/18/2021 at 9:23 AM, ciaus said:

 

Np, by day 10 the grafts are securely anchored under the skin to their new blood supplies. The only way you're going to get rid of them now is to have the doctor dig them back out or get into a serious blunt force or burn accident. 

 

https://www.bernsteinmedical.com/research/graft-anchoring-in-hair-transplantation/

 

Oh how I wish that "There's almost absolutely nothing you can do to dislodge your grafts after Day 10" was stamped on top of every single page in a patient's post-op instruction kit. It would save so many of us from unnecessary stress. 

Wooooow! These results are incredible. And I'm quite envious of his perfectly coiffed hair. Lol. 

2 hours ago, SeanToman said:

Anxiety is worse than the procedure itself.
Follow your doctors instructions.

As someone very prone to anxiety if I don't stay on top of it, I must say this is very accurate.

@Franklyn As you move through the next several months, do your best to stay present and don't let the negative thoughts gain too much traction. You can help yourself out by staying informed about what the upcoming months will entail for you, listening to your surgeon and following his instructinos, and accepting the fact it will take several months before you start seeing results. In fact, you'll likely soon look worse before you start to look better. We often refer to this as the ugly duckling stage, so mentally prepare yourself for that. 

I'm glad you found some relief here with this first little scare. Hopefully it will put you at ease enough so that you don't add additional stress to yourself in the months ahead.

Happy growing! 

Echoing the others in that not only is it still a little early to make a final assessment, it also doesn't seem like it was enough grafts to give you the kind of coverage you were hoping for to begin with. For instance, I had a similar amount of surface area to be covered, and I got 2,000 grafts.

That said, it's actually a very good thing that you only got 1,000 grafts since the work itself doesn't seem to be top notch - meaning that you haven't even come close to depleting your donor supply. And while the work doesn't look ideal, it also doesn't look like he completely botched you, so this could very well be a fairly straightforward repair when all is said and done. 

I would recommend looking into FUE as well, and if you go to a skilled surgeon, they would be able to place grafts into your FUE scar as well to minimize its appearance. 

I know this isn't ideal, but a satisfactory outcome seems very likely when all is said and done... So don't let the feeling of regret overwhelm you. ❤️ 

Hi Morgan! Fellow Kentucky native here. I'm glad you found this forum before jumping into any big decisions. A few quick notes to jumpstart this journey for you...

• Use the list of recommended surgeons on this forum as a good starting point for familiarizing yourself with various surgeons and the type of work they do.
• As convenient and tempting as it can be to make your decision based largely on location/proximity, don't let that be a sole determining factor. Getting a hair transplant is a huge decision, and it's best to choose the surgeon you really feel the best about - even it means a little bit of travel. 
• I'm not sure how much you know about the ins and outs of hair restoration, but take advantage of this forum and browse various threads and really familiarize yourself with the entire process. You'll want to know as much about it as possible when you start having consultations so that you can ask informed and educated questions. 
• Once you narrow down the surgeons to some of your top choices, I recommend having consultations with 2-3 of them. Most surgeons will do these virtually if you don't live close enough to go in person. Then compare the different recommendations they each have for you, ask them lots of questions, see what their concerns are specifically regarding your age (because you are quite young!), and how they'll take that into account. Then you can compare and contrast their different viewpoints. 

All of that said, the main surgeon that comes to my mind in close proximity to Kentucky is Dr. Konior in Chicago... So definitely give him a look if you want a solid place to start. 

I hope that helps gets the wheels turning - and best of luck! Feel free to reach out if you have any questions, and continue utilizing the members here. They're all super helpful and knowledgeable.

It's definitely not ideal, and first impressions are very important. As Melvin said, every clinic (or person, business, etc.) in the world can have off days, so I wouldn't let this be a complete deterrent if you feel good about everything else with them. So while it's not something I'd consider a "red flag to make you run for the hills", it is something to keep in mind and ultimately trust your gut with. I always say that there's no "one size fits all" surgeon out there, so perhaps this is life's way of gently steering you in another direction if you don't feel good about it? Or perhaps you can reach back out to them and explain your concerns, and they may just step up to the plate and turn it all around for you. I hope you get it sorted - and whoever you choose, I hope they end up giving you the type of customer service that really puts you at ease. 

19 hours ago, Billy0716 said:

Quick update. I’m now 4 weeks post op, and other than the odd stabbing pain (probably couple of times this week at most) my nerve pain has completely resolved. No idea why it took so long but I took vitamin b6 and b12 which seemed to help. I’ve still got pimples in the donor area which are slightly painful but nothing as severe as the nerve pain, and the pimples should heal eventually. Hopefully everyone else experiencing donor pain post op takes some comfort from this, as even when it lasts longer than most, the pain should eventually resolve given time. 

So happy to hear this! And yes - for anyone experiencing something similar in the future who stumbles across this thread, it's important to note that any type of "nerve pain" you may experience after the procedure (which in and of itself is also very rare) will almost always subside with a little time. So try not to fret too much and trust that it will subside. 

Here are Dr. G's 6 month photos!

Oh. And use the list of recommended surgeons on here for a good starting point. It'll really come in handy, and you'll start to familiarize yourself with what a proper hair transplant procedure should look like and entail. 

For the OP - While this isn't in any way an ideal outcome for you, I want to reiterate what others are saying in that in a way, it's a very good thing that they only extracted at most 1,500 grafts... So in the grand scheme of things, this should be a relatively easy fix and your donor hasn't been completely depleted. Keep your chin up, and use this forum now as an opportunity to research some really fantastic, ethical surgeons who can work with you to give you the kind of results you're looking for. 

It really is so unfortunate that these chains are still able to stay in business, and I really hope this turns out to be a dodged a bullet here for you. 

Lol. A nice change of pace seeing a post questioning early growth. Happy for you and hope this is a sign of even better things to come sooner rather than later. 

The redness lingered for a couple months for me as well, but it did eventually subside. Just make sure you're keeping it out of the sun. 

Here's another video as well of Dr. G documenting the first 7 days after his procedure, so you can get a more complete picture of what the first week following a hair transplant is like. I'll get some official pictures from the office today as well.  

WoW! @azza786 Looking at your latest photos compared with the ones on the first page of this thread, and this is definitely a home run. I'm so glad you were able to get this sorted - and the others are right in that the SMP really suits you. Congrats! 

While it's true that it's really hard to get a good gauge of how the end result will be at 6 months post-op, I do understand your concerns and I'd probably be asking the same questions. Unfortunately, the only thing you can really do at this point is wait it out a bit longer and see if it improves. It is possible that over the next few months you'll really start to see things change for the better - so keep your chin up and let's hope that that's the case for you. Keep us posted.

On 10/1/2021 at 6:11 PM, curiousfollicle said:

Thanks all for your input and advice. Yes, looking back now, I think it’s clear that the density should’ve been much greater. I’m unsure why many (most) of the grafts didn’t grow behind the hairline, but it could’ve been due to the equipment used. The doctor is extremely sympathetic and has offered me a full refund if I choose to not go back for a repair, so I think I will go with this route. Luckily, the donor region is still in great shape so a second surgery shouldn’t be an issue. Just unfortunate that this happened as I’m now back in the office and was hoping to knock this out when I could heal in the privacy of my home. Thank you to you all for your comments and advice. I really appreciate it. Time to go research other doctors and hopefully provide a much better update in the future. 

I'm very pleased to hear you're getting a refund and that the clinic is understanding. Having now gone through this, you'll be much better equipped this time around to thoroughly research other surgeons and choose one that will be able to give you a fantastic result. I hate that this didn't turn out the way you wanted - but am happy that your scalp doesn't look "botched" in any way and that this will hopefully be a straightforward repair. 

Yaaaay this looks incredible! So happy for you - and thanks for all the positive, informative updates.  

HIV status not be a factor in a potential patient's eligibility for a hair transplant, so them denying you saved you some leg work in determining if they are indeed reputable or not. I'm glad you found this forum and that their response sparked you to do more research. As the others mentioned, Dr. Bisanga seems like the way to go based on the options you've narrowed it down to. If you're still unsure, use the list of recommended surgeons on the forum to keep researching and narrowing it all down. Best of luck! 

I experienced this too, and like Clark St. mentioned, it ended up going away on its own after a couple of weeks. Night time was the worst - most likely due to the pressure being applied to my scalp from lying down combined with the fact that my mind was slower and less distracted... Therefore, I couldn't help but notice the tingling and jolts to the scalp.

Keep in mind that the extractions don't go deep enough to do actual nerve damage (or they shouldn't anyway), but sometimes the nerves can become slightly irritated due to all the trauma the scalp is put through. It doesn't seem to be very common, but it does happen from time to time. In the meantime, see if your doctor can prescribe you something for the pain/discomfort, and trust that it will most likely resolve itself on its own very soon. 

Holy smokes. Night and day difference! It's obvious that the person in the Before photo had work done... And yet you've transformed him into someone whose work is completely undetectable. Well done.

OP - I definitely don't want this to be a pile on, so I hope that you know that we're all speaking with the best of intentions and to not lead you astray. Not to mention, it's also important for us to point out when work doesn't look like it's supposed to so that any newcomers who are lurking and looking for guidance can get accurate feedback on what is and isn't considered to be quality work. 

Unfortunately, the work here isn't of the same caliber that we've come to expect in the hair transplant industry, particularly on this forum. And it's not conspiratorial in the slightest to point out that the pictures do not reflect the numbers you were told you received, nor is the quality of the work what we would consider to be elite. (Compare the picture above of Digi23's donor compared to yours for a visual reference.) I also speak as someone who almost got a hair transplant with Bosley and to this day I thank my lucky stars that I was pointed in a different direction. This isn't a criticism of your choice to use them at all, and I hate that they're still successful in roping guys in - but it honestly infuriates me that in this day and age with so many reputable surgeons out there doing incredible work that Bosley is still able to get away with this. I don't understand how they're still in business and I really hope you get good results from this, despite the story the pictures are telling us.

You do seem to have managed your expectations, which is always a good idea for any of us when getting a HT. And so I hope that the end result is satisfactory to you... And if for some reason it isn't and you end up needing a follow up procedure, please utilize this forum to research some really reputable surgeons and choose one who has a great track record.