pkipling

Yep. This is totally fine. The surgeons at Parsa Mohebi Hair Restoration suggest that by Day 5, the grafts are secure and you can start washing normally. We also suggest that you apply warm/soapy suds to the recipient area and let them sit for 10 minutes or so to soften up any scabs (and prevent others from forming).

That said, every surgeon has their own unique set of protocols for this, so it's always best to discuss with your own surgeon first. (Your surgeon should've given you a clear set of guidelines to follow post-op for you to follow btw if you're second guessing.)

I think there are general rules and guidelines in place, but each surgeon is ultimately going to use their own unique understanding of the situation and the patient in front of them to ultimately do what they think is best... And even though that may vary from surgeon to surgeon, it doesn't necessarily mean there's a right and a wrong way. 

One example that comes to mind is how different races/ethnicities tend to have different shaped hairlines - but that doesn't mean there's going to be a textbook Caucasian hairline, Asian hairline, etc. " Formula" for them to follow blindly. It just means that the doctor will work within different parameters, but ultimately make a decision on hairline design based on the patient in from of him and what he thinks would most suit that person. 

Dr. Mohebi has mentioned to me that hairline design is one of his favorite aspects of the procedure, and he personally views it as its own art form. And just like with any type of art, you have the "rules"  - and then you have "creative expression", so to speak. 

7 hours ago, Yan bio said:

I'm actually asking about the timing of sprouting and hence growing, not rate of growing, and I never used the term "definitely"

I'm asking whether that happens in the majority of cases. I've read somwehere that the midline (sagittally speaking) there's less blood supply, so that would make sense.

Any thoughts/ideas anyone?

 

I've never heard of this... Nor have I ever seen it being brought up as a point of concern for people - which leads me to believe it's not a thing, and definitely not a thing in the "majority" of cases. 

So in a simple answer... No.

This is shaping up to be a home run! It looks incredible, and I'm super happy for you. 

I'm also amazed at how fast your hair seems to grow - which may be working in your favor as well. 

There aren't typically a lot of medications you need to take after a procedure. I think different doctors prescribe different medications, but it usually involves antibiotics to prevent infection and pain pills to make things more comfortable the days after the procedure. The pain medications are definitely optional though, and whether or not you take them would depend on your pain tolerance. I took a few of them the night of the procedure and the day after, but didn't need the entire prescription. 

I'd run this by your doctor. There might be liquid alternatives, but if not, ya might just have to cut them in half - or get creative and grind them up and drink with juice or something. 

The name brand's are almost always gonna be significantly more expensive - and at least in the US, there shouldn't be any difference at all between the name brand and generic. Who's to say for sure though. 

If you want name brand, another option would be to get Proscar 5mg and cut it into quarters. The name brand is still more expensive, but you're getting 4 months worth out of a 30 day supply doing it this way. Looks like it's around $160 on GoodRx, which would be about $40/month. An option if you can't find the standard Propecia at a good price. 

By this point, your grafts are quite anchored and secure. Different surgeons have different protocols for how to care for your scalp post-op, but Dr. Mohebi actually recommends that after Day 5 you start soaking the recipient area with warm water/suds from the shampoo and gently rub them until they come off. I'm not sure what Dr. Bicer recommends, but it's worth considering if they're irritating you. 

I don't know of any restrictions on coffee the day after a HT, so I'd say go for it. I would/did. Your surgeon will give you a list of Dos and Don'ts regarding the procedure anyway, but I doubt that would be in there. (Some surgeons have random rules and guidelines that seem to come out of left field though sometimes, so ya never know! Lol) 

These results are sooooo good! I hope this works out well for him the in long run given his young age. 

On 9/21/2022 at 10:47 AM, GoliGoliGoli said:

This is something I've had on my mind lately. I have a pretty active dating life and just recently started hanging out with one girl pretty regularly. HT is scheduled for Nov 8th so I guess I'll either just tell her or ghost, because can't really make a 3-4 month excuse!

Lol. Oh man Goli! Please don't ghost! I understand the temptation and that it'd be easier to ghost than to be upfront - but there's also a middle ground. You don't have to be completely honest if you don't feel comfortable with that, but you could also give a vague reason and let her know you need to take some time to yourself for some personal matters so that she's not left wondering what happened. Psychologically, that can be a very rough experience for people on the receiving end of that. 

I recommend being upfront and honest about the HT, because I assure you the vast majority of people don't judge men getting a hair transplant in the slightest...  Especially if you're confident about it and don't see it as an issue yourself. And who knows, it could lead to a very beautiful relationship. Buuut if you're not up for that, just don't disappear on her. We need to collectively be mindful not to let our own insecurities and self-doubt allow us to knowingly inflict pain on others - even if it seems like the easy way out.

8 hours ago, rambo man said:

Thanks Gatsby. I know 100 hairs is about normal I just wondered if some days slightly more than 100 hairs would also seem normal? If I haven't washed my hair for 3 days then I see well over 100 just in the shower alone. would that be normal? Plus upon ruffling my hair I always see 2 or 3 each time

If you go 3 days or so without washing your hair, it's completely normal to see more hairs shed in the shower when you get around to washing it. It's likely that you're not shedding more - but that you're seeing the accumulated hairs you've shed over the course of 3 days. Especially if you're using hair product, a lot the hairs you're shedding are gonna stay there until you give it a good wash or brushing. 

Our hairs also go through various cycles when it comes to shedding, and it's normal to see more shedding at some times than at others. As long as it's staying fairly consistent over time, I wouldn't be too concerned. 

I don't know the solution for this type of thing, and haven't really seen this addressed here a lot tbh. The work/hairline itself looks great, and if it weren't for the tenting, I imagine it'd be a home run result.

I'd be curious to know what the surgeon had to say about this and if it's something that consistently shows up in his work or not. Have you talked to him about it? Does he see the issue? Does he have an explanation? Does he think it's fixable? So many questions...  

That said, it doesn't look that bad if I'm being honest - and I can't say for sure if it's something I'd notice unprompted if I saw you in person. It's definitely not ideal, but it also doesn't scream botched when I look at it. If it really bothers you, it might be worth at least a consultation with another surgeon to get their input - or at least get some firsthand feedback from the surgeon who did the procedure.  

Not to be the lone dissenting voice, but I totally understand why you'd want to address this - and it doesn't seem that outlandish to me for you to do so. I understand the arguments on both sides, but the surgeons you've mentioned are quite reputable and don't strike me as the types to take you on if they felt it was unethical. There are sound arguments for why you should and should not get a procedure - and I don't think there's a definitive right answer in this case. The main point of concern for me would be if you're currently in the midst of ongoing significant hair loss? If that's the case, I do understand wanting to wait and see how this current phase ends up and where it eventually settles next. Have you addressed this with the surgeons you mentioned? Did they give the recommendation before or after the current hair loss progression? 

That said - here are a few of my thoughts/arguments as to why it doesn't otherwise seem crazy to me for you to want to move forward with this:

Yes, your hair looks great and there are many men who would be thrilled to have hair like yours and wouldn't want to risk messing with it. But just because other people have it worse doesn't mean your situation isn't worth addressing if it's important to you... And given that they're recommending a very conservative approach paints a different picture here, it adds to why I don't think it would necessarily be a horrible decision for you. 

You're also not that young - and getting a hair transplant at 32 isn't the same as getting one at 22. 

Hair loss is progressive and even with medication, it may never stop completely. So just because it hasn't stabilized 100% forever doesn't mean that you're on track to be a NW6. 

As for setting yourself up for potentially needing more procedures in the future, I think that's a general rule for every single person getting/considering a hair transplant. We should all expect to need at least one followup procedure in the future. It's great if that doesn't turn out to be the case, but also shouldn't be a surprise when/if that happens. 

I agree that you should bypass the dermatologist altogether - especially one charging $1,800 for a consultation 😫 - and focus on finding some hair transplant surgeons you want to meet with. 

As for consultation fees with HT surgeons, there are many reasons it's become more common for them to charge for them - one of the main reasons being that it's way easier for patients to simply not show up for a consultation if they don't have anything on the line. This is problematic not only because the surgeon ends up wasting their very valuable time, but also because this keeps other patients who would love one of those appointments from being able to meet with the surgeon sooner. Most of the top surgeons have a pretty long waitlist, and they have limited time available for consultations. Charging a nominal fee for the consultation (that I believe almost always goes towards the price of the procedure should you decide to book with them), is a very fair way to mitigate this. I understand the mentality of not wanting to pay for a consultation, but whether or not a surgeon chooses to do this isn't indicative of anything other than they find it's the most efficient way to run their practice both for themselves and their potential/future patients. 

I just wanna say that with your current hair in as amazing shape as it is, refining the temples is going to look soooo good. You're in a very fortunate position. 

As for the number of grafts, I echo what was said above about once they see you in person, even the original estimate could change - assuming these were virtual consultations. My initial estimate would've been around 600-800 or so depending on how densely they pack them, how many singles they need, etc. 

I know that can seem like a long time to wait, but it really is worth it in the long run - and as it usually goes with life, it'll be here before you know it. 

You could also ask him if he has a cancellation list he could put you on. I'm not sure if you live close enough to be able to get one on short notice if someone cancels, but if so, it'd be worth a shot. 

That said, there's no "one best surgeon" out there, and there are a lot of qualified surgeons who could be just as good of a fit for you who may have slightly shorter wait times. Point being - you may have other options, but also don't be completely deterred by the wait time if you feel really confident that he's the best surgeon for you. Better to wait longer and make a really confident choice than to rush into something you don't feel as good about. 

I've never had to use them personally, but have friends who do and am always amazed at how impactful they can be. I appreciate this post as well because I think most of us don't consider using fibers as a very valid way to supplement a hair transplant and to help improve that illusion of density we're all after. 

Temples can definitely be tricky, so it's good they're being upfront about that. Are they saying they don't think you need temple work at all, or that you're not a good candidate for temple work based on your hair?

If you want a second opinion in LA, you could schedule a consultation with Dr. Mohebi. I'm not sure how many consultations you've had, but it's always nice to have 2-3 with some of your top choices so you can compare the different recommendations and see which one you feel most at peace with. Happy to help you set that up if you'd like!

Omg! Your results look AMAZING and I'm so happy for you! Truly. The results look sooo natural. 

This is looking great! Be patient with the redness, as that can definitely take longer to heal for many of us. I think mine lasted for 4-5 months or so, but once more hair grows in it will conceal it a bit more. This looks on track to be a remarkable transformation. 

Amazing early progress! And this is just the beginning. Very happy for the positive impact this is gonna have/is having on your life.  

On 9/20/2022 at 11:10 AM, HortonC said:

Thank you. How many months did it take for your donor to more or less fully recover from the shock loss?

I would say by months 8-12, the donor started to look more even and to the point that I was satisfied. It's still never going to look like an untouched scalp depending on how short I cut, certain times of year, etc., but it's satisfactory to me and I don't think anyone on the outside would notice anything out of the ordinary.  

@Melvin- Moderator I always seem to forget just how advanced your hair loss was, and it always amazes me how incredible your results are. Next level transformation for suuuure. 

I can do a pretty low skin fade without things being noticeable, and can do the entire sides/back with a 1guard as well. The funny thing is though that every barber I've had and every single friend I've asked when I cut it that short insist that they don't see anything alarming or noticeable about my scalp. However, I sometimes get it cut and look at the back and I can notice that I had work done - even though nobody else seems to think so. 

The point is that we also need to keep in mind that those of us familiar with hair transplants are going to be much more inclined to notice anything out of the ordinary than your average person... So while certain haircuts may be "off limits" from a technical point of view, it seems some of us may have a few more options than we realize in regards to it being inconspicuous to the average person. 

I think this can still turn around - and it's not uncommon for the donor to look like this early on. Mine continued to improve over the course of the year, I imagine due to shock loss, as well as the growth cycles of my hair taking a while to get into a rhythm again. So definitely don't worry or panic just yet, bc this doesn't look that alarming to me.