pkipling

I don't see any reason why you can't use hairspray, especially if the surgery was done back in early January. Does your doc give a reason why? And does he want you to avoid hairspray permanently, or just until a certain amount of time has gone by?

Seriously? That's ridiculous- people need to lighten up.

Right? Geesh.

And David - Though your followup response was very thoughtful and a very kind gesture, I'm sure most people on the board understood exactly what you meant to begin with. I sure hope so anyway.... :cool:

And yes - fantastic results, Dr. Cooley. I'm sure the gentleman is thrilled.

While the LiveStream isn't available to be viewed any longer, it will be featured in the documentary we are in the process of making, showcasing Marc's journey.

For those interested, here's a still from the LiveStream. I took a short video as well, but it's not allowing me to upload it here on the forum.

I have updated the details of Marc's surgery here.

Here's an update on Marc's journey:

Marc successfully had his surgery on February 27th, with a total of 2,249 grafts. A little less than half of the surgery was done using ARTAS (978 grafts) and the remaining 1271 were done manually. Hopefully, some of you took advantage of the LiveStream to get an inside look at the operating room. And if not, the footage will be used in the documentary that is in the works highlighting Marc's hair transplant experience.

The specific details of his grafts are as follows:

Total grafts: 2,249

Ones: 489

Twos: 1182

Threes: 555

Fours: 23

Hairline: 250

Front: 1350

Top: 649

I'll update with pictures soon!

Thanks Brenton! Just to get an idea, for the first 72 hours did you sequester yourself indoors and take it easy/careful or did you basically do your normal routine but with a hat on?

 

Also, how careful do you have to be? I've heard that on the day of the surgery one has to wear just a button shirt to avoid having to lift a shirt over one's head. Did you have to do that post surgery as well? And are you literally walking around in a "bubble" making sure no one or thing can graze your head for 3 days?

 

I know these questions are pretty nitpicky, but these are all the things I need to have a grasp on before hand to carefully plan this out.

I laid pretty low for the first couple days or so, basically because it was nice to have an excuse to be lazy for once. I had my surgery on a Thursday and then just took it easy through the weekend. I even meet up with a couple friends on that Sunday after my surgery for brunch and just wore a hat to cover it up - and of course being very careful and putting the hat on very strategically so that I wouldn't even risk damaging anything. But my routine didn't change that much. I still had to cook, walk my dog, etc. the days immediately following surgery and there was never an issue of thinking I had messed anything up.

The way I looked at is this: Be careful and follow instructions from your doctor and take precautions not to even risk accidentally hitting the grafts, but don't make yourself crazy. You don't have to lock yourself away in a padded room or refuse to leave the house - you have to go to the doctor the day after anyway for your followup. I took an Uber there the day after mine and then drove myself home, if that eases your mind at all.

The button up shirt, is a good example of just being smart and minimizing your risks - or if you want to wear a t-shirt, just make sure that it's stretchy/flexible enough to be able to put on without hitting your head in the process.

Honestly, as long as you're careful you should be just fine. And don't stress. Your body will be dealing with enough as it is, so try to just relax and take it easy for a couple days and don't over think it. :cool:

By the 11th day, I don't really think you have any need to worry whatsoever. Shampoo away.

And now the fun begins... Just be patient, as it should just now be starting to grow for you. I was fortunate to have a lot of growth early on, but it just varies person to person. Keep us updated with photos.... And have fun!

Hey man. Thanks for coming clean. I did the same thing recently and it really is a good feeling. First off, regarding the hairline: Did you meet with Dr. Mohebi? Hopefully he gave you an optimistic report and this is something you guys can tackle. I'd really love to see you have the outcome you'd like.

As for the other stuff you mentioned, I want to add that my sister's fiance is completely bald and he makes jokes about it all the time, and I wonder sometimes if it really does bother him. Regardless, he managed to snag a wonderful, beautiful gal who loves him regardless of his hairline (or lack thereof). So don't believe that your hair loss is destining you to a life of heartbreak and loneliness. Confidence and personality are much more important than that.

Greatdane is right. One way to make up some ground for being bald is to get in really good shape. This alone will increase your confidence which automatically makes you more attractive which automatically opens the door for the ladies to get to know you. And just think of all the bald guys out there in the world who live happy, productive lives married/dating a wonderful woman. So you're not doomed.

Also, out of curiosity, what types of girls are you looking for that seem to always reject you? Are you only interested in the 9s and 10s? I ask that because I believe us men tend to be very visual and often miss the forest for the trees when it comes to the ladies. We focus so much on the 9s and 10s that we overlook the often better, smarter, funnier 5s and 6s, for example. And in a lot of ways, it would make sense. How harshly we judge ourselves is often a reflection of how we then judge others - so if you have a really poor self-image, that subconsciously gets redirected onto the women you interact with. You only seek out the ones who will affirm the negative ideas you already have about yourself. Just some psychobabble thoughts for you - for whatever they're worth.

Keep us posted on what you decide to do - and on that date I'm sure you're gonna have soon enough (with or without a new hairline).

Any way we can see the video if we missed the live stream?

Not to my knowledge.

I did take a few pictures though and a video that I'll upload to give you an idea.

At Dr. Mohebi's office, we advise that it's safe to use regular shampoo and wash both the recipient area and donor area thoroughly as you did prior to surgery after day 5. There are always varying answers on here by different people/doctors and some tend to be much conservative, but by day 10 you are definitely safe to do this. I think everyone will be able to agree on that.

I would say one of the main things you can do is to start taking Finasteride if you're not already.

Also, eating healthy and maintaining an overall healthy lifestyle will help build your immune system and overall look and feel of your hair. Look into some different supplements you can take as well. There a lot of different combos out there and they vary from person to person - no magic formula. Me personally, I take Saw Palmetto, Choline/Inositol, and Biotin daily in addition to the Finasteride.

The scalp exercises and holding off from exercise post-surgery would only be applicable if you're doing FUT.

Good to hear the surgery was a success. I hope that means your health is a-okay.

And how was your hair affected after all?

Very great results. And very rewarding for you I'm sure to be able to help her with such an important part of her transitioning.

Thanks for your suggestions.

 

Yes its a correct observation that i have been suffering from Dandruff. I try coconut oil treatments twice every week. But its not helping at the moment.

 

Fin: I am planning to take a 1mg Fin tablet every alternate day atleast for a few month and increase the dosage to 1mg daily. I will also start using Rogaine Foam starting with once every day. Do you think that will stabilize/promote hair regrowth to my type of hair loss (diffused hairloss?)

Try the Apple Cider Vinegar a couple times a week on your scalp as well and see if that helps resolve any problems for you. It really does help mine a lot when it gets in bad shape. The hot showers are what really cause the damage for me though - but I just can't turn the temperature down in the shower. It's a painstaking 50 degrees here in SoCal - which might as well be below zero for us California crybabies - so I need my hot showers. :cool:

As for the Fin/Min combo, I don't see why it shouldn't help you. Only way to know for sure though is to try it out, which you're doing. Take pictures frequently so you'll be able to properly observe whether or not it's working for you. And keep us updated with your progress.

I assume he shaved his native hair, not the transplanted hair. Still, I probably would have shaved pre-op just to avoid an accident.

You are correct. However, the reason I didn't shave it all pre-op was in hopes of being able to style my hair around the recipient area. Then when I saw the horrible haircut post-op and how impossible it would be to style, I decided to go ahead and shave the rest of the native hair so that I could at least look in the mirror. I still used a pretty thick guard so that the actual clipper itself didn't even get close to the recipient area.

I will add that this was done with the approval of my surgeon who insisted that it was okay for me to do this at this time (after day 5).

that wasn't too bright. u shud wait at least 10 days to ensure the grafts have taken. in fact, its recommended that one shud not shave their head till 30 days out.

While many surgeons are much more conservative with this number, I think waiting 30 days to buzz your head is overkill. I guess for some people though the extra layer of comfort they get from being extra cautious is worth it to them, whether or not it's necessary. :cool:

pkipling, I'm with you man. I'm planning my procedure now and I'm super paranoid that something will graze or hit my grafts within the first 10 days. I went so far as to research arm restraints to prevent itching my scalp, but that winter gloves idea is pretty good, haha.

 

Is it just the first 3 days that we really need to be concerned with? I keep reading about 10 days being the window before the grafts are set.

 

Also, during that initial period, did you ever accidentally touch/scratch/bump your scalp with your hand or your hat or anything? I'm wondering how strong of a touch would have to occur to cause grafts to be damaged. Does it have to be a strong strike to the head or can it be as gentle as bumping your head into the ceiling of your cushioned car roof? I'm guessing it's somewhere in between.

I understand the paranoia for sure, but yes, the first 72 hours are the most crucial. After day 5, the grafts should be completely secure and you're safe to start washing your hair just like before. Many people are much more conservative with this number and will tell you to wait until day 10 (or even 14 in some cases). There's absolutely no harm in being extra cautious and waiting 10-14 days if that eases your mind, but I do believe that the first 3-5 days should be your main concern. Get through that first 72 hour hurdle, then you can breathe a little easier while still being extra careful the remaining days.

I was very careful with the hat that I wore right after surgery, making sure that it never had the opportunity to touch/damage the grafts. I'm not sure of the impact necessary to damage them, but I would think as long as you're being extremely cautious, you won't do anything to screw it up. And don't drive yourself crazy stressing about it either. The stress alone won't do you any good. Odds are in your favor that you'll be just fine if you're careful and smart about it all. You can drive yourself crazy with the "what ifs".

And yes. Sleeping was the most stressful time for me just because of the kind of sleeper I am. The gloves worked like a charm.

So would you say that after day 16... not much can go wrong?

 

would it be safe to say that my life can return to normal now and wait for the results now?

Yes, I believe you can relax a little. The first 72 hours post surgery are the most crucial regarding the grafts, and you're well beyond that. We tell patients to be gentle with the grafts for the first 5 days (washing with a sponge, no running water over scalp, etc.), but after that you can start washing your hair normally as you did prior to surgery.

I know it's difficult to relax and not stress about it, but you'll be better off for it. Just stay out of direct sunlight, keep your scalp clean, and sit back and relax while the waiting game begins.

Make sure you share your updated photos with us. Happy growing!

So it looks like they've decided to keep the cameras rolling longer than they had planned. They're nearing the end of the day and seem to be placing grafts at the moment.

So the Live Stream is up and running! Go check it out. It's really cool to be a fly on the wall right now.

Dr. Mohebi is currently getting the recipient area ready and then they're gonna move to the other room to start extracting.

A couple months back, Dr. Mohebi held a contest to provide one lucky patient with the opportunity to receive a Free Hair Transplant at his office. To refresh your memory on the contest and its winner, Marc Richter, you can see that thread here.

The documentary Dr. Mohebi is making is under way, and tomorrow is the big day for Marc. He'll be undergoing surgery first thing tomorrow morning, and Dr. Mohebi has decided to Live Stream a portion of the surgery to give us all a look inside the operating room.

You can check out the Live Stream by going to Dr. Mohebi's website tomorrow morning, Friday, February 27th, from 9:00am-Noon, PST.

For those of us who have had surgery before, I think it'll be cool to see the experience from an outsider's perspective. And for those of you who haven't had surgery, it will give you a sneak peak of what you'd be in store for.

I'll keep everyone updated on the status of the Live Stream should anything change.... And keep my fingers crossed for the Live Stream Technology to be on our side.

No I am not saying that and am not privy to that kind of information but it looks kinda like it might be a system from that photo. He may of course just be blessed with great hair and looks.

Gotchya. I thought maybe this was one of those "common knowledge" things that everyone supposedly knew and I was just none the wiser. I'm always the last to know these things.

Google does love to talk about his supposed hair system though, so maybeeee. Regardless, it looks great. I'm impressed either way. :cool:

Guys wearing hair systems tend to brush the hair forward in such a way to cover the hairline like Enrique is.

 

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Ummm... Are you saying that Enrique wears a hair system?!? I never knew... #shocked

Gonna crawl back under the rock where I foolishly believe all these celebrities really are perfect....

I can't speak on the Doctors you mentioned personally, but I just want to say that I commend you for taking action in restoring your hair and for coming to participate in the forum. It's a very male-dominated industry, and female hair loss isn't something we see on here very much - so welcome aboard, and we look forward to your updates and your progress!

I don't foresee it being a problem. I think you see most guys with transplants combing there hair back simply because that's the way guys style their hair in general - with or without a transplant. I leave mine down sometimes and it works just fine.

Let's be honest, you just want to be cast in my next project...

Busted. If you need a faux keyboard player for your band, I'm your guy.

Btw Voxman... How's the heart?