Shamrock

Thanks for those pics Spex. What kind of scarring (if any) will this guy expect to have in the areas below the current hairline?

Rival718 its going to depend on what type of transplants you had and how many there are. If you are not interested in repair work, Ive read about some guys getting the older plugs and minigrafts punched out and sutured, but Im not sure about how much scarring there will be. There is also laser hair removal, which sounds like the best option to me. Best to call some of the top docs on here to get an opinion. Here is a recent topic discussing this.

http://hair-restoration-info.c...66060861/m/500109634

Sorry Bro, but when I zoom in on the second pic I can totally see the lace, and where the hair is tied into it (black dots). Im glad that you are happy with it, and most people would never know the difference. BUT, there are some that will recognize it, and we know that human nature is to gossip. In my opinion its not worth the humiliation. I used to wear one as well, once I started getting a few eye drifters looking up at my hair, I knew I made a horrible decision. Not only that but the maintenance and the smell after a couple weeks if you are an active person is unbearable.

Cool man, how many sessions did she think you'll need? Also how much $ is it per session?

Would laser hair removal be an option, or is there too great of a risk killing surrounding hair?

Aska, have you inquired with anyone about removing your grafts via fue? How many grafts are you wanting to remove? Also please update us when you have costs narrowed down and which route you are going. Im sure there are quite a few guys that are curious just in case they need to go down this path.

Thanks

Looks great, very similar to my pattern and amount of grafts. I wouldn't worry much about the donor area. I had a bit of shockloss at the 2 month point and its now starting to grow back at 3 months. Here are a couple pics of it:

http://hair-restoration-info.c...=338105853#338105853

Wow, this guy must be very pleased. I cant imagine the hell he's been through with those plugs. Very nice improvement. Does "hairline excision of plugs" mean a brow lift was performed or that the plugs were cored out individually?

Looks really good man! Did you have any 2's in the very front of your hairline or were they all 1's?

Hans Weiman does mostly hair systems and laser therapy. But they also run a PAI medical franchise out of their BASEMENT! I went there to have my sutures taken out after my surgery with Dr Rahal. I asked them about their procedure and the tech told me how their grafts had 10-15 hairs in them. Sounds like they still use mini grafts to me. Also just do a search "PAI medical" on this site and you'll find some info.

left side

Thanks Glenn, I havent really had any other problems with the rest of the scar, i'll add a couple more pics.

I am 2 months post op and I have a dime sized spot that has no growth and just wondering if this could be a section of my scar stretching or just shock loss. Ive attached a pic, could I get some opinions please?

I think I would have just had the plugs removed and just lived with the scars. The hairline looks very nice now, but something about the top down shot looks unnatural to me. Maybe he just needs another pass.

What is the magic number, or sweet spot for the amount of singles that go into a hairline to make it appear natural or soft?

The all lace systems are better as far as appearance, but are still detectable in my opinion. Google image search "John Travolta hairpiece" and you'll see what I mean. Im sure he has access to the best available

Bald,

I have been wearing a system for a few years and just ditched it for a transplant. I would highly recommend against getting one. They are a big pain in the a$$ as far as maintenance. First they have to shave your head and they glue it to your skin. You can imagine the smell that permeates from trapped oil and sweat under your system. You then go get it reattached every 4 weeks. You also have to change tape on the front of the system about every 4 days or else the glue melts into the lace of the system and looks horrid. Next you will get stares from some people. Most wont recognize it, but some will inevitably so whats the point of even having one?

Plus I always wondered, what are the long term effects of having medical grade glue on your scalp for years at a time? I doubt any long term studies were made on that.

I was close, I just talked with Adrian and he said the donor density based on the strip was approximately 150 grafts per cm.

Thanks for the comments everyone. Like I said I was surprised by the final number but Dr Rahal reassured me that with the high density in my donor area, I have a lot left for further loss if needed. I dont remember for sure, but when he was going over the specifics and post op instructions, I think told me donor density was around 140cm2. Is that even possible?? This was after 7 hours in the chair though and I cant remember everything, so I can check with Adrian and see if he can get me the exact number. During preop went went over family history of baldness, hairline design, and finally the plan was laid out for 60-65% in the the hairline and then going to 50% behind the hairline.

I am 32 and starting propecia and rogaine foam next week per Dr instructions. I had a great experience there, his techs were very accommodating and skilled. Dr Rahal even gave me and my girlfriend dinner to take back to the hotel.

Eman and Mane, thanks for the encouragement before my surgery. I ended up leaving the day after surgery and just wore the blue surgical cap. I did get a few stares in the airports, but I was never was asked to remove it. Just one guy in Ottawa airport security asked me if I was a doctor, haha

Yea I was a bit shocked when Dr Rahal told me the final numbers. In the preop and online consultations he aimed for around 3000. He also told me the scar from my previously minigraft job back in 1996 was too high and he couldnt remove it.

Had 3888 grafts with Dr Rahal on my frontal 1/3. The doctor mentioned I had very good donor density (above 100cm2) and laxity. I previously had 100-200 minigrafts in my hairline 13 years ago.

The haircount was:

singles - 832

doubles - 1735

triples - 1283

quads - 38

Mane,

Thanks for the write up. I love to hear the details of the surgery. Hope all goes well for you. Do you plan on staying in Ottawa a few days or heading back home immediately? Also does Dr Rahal have you wear a surgical cap or headband?

Just a quick update,

I have decided to go with Dr Konior in Chicago. Im scheduled for June 3rd and Im really looking forward to it. Thanks to everyone who gave me their input. I really wish we had a forum like this back in the 90's. Tons of great info and lots of genuinely helpful people. I will update after I have my surgery.

Congrats kaounis,

About how long did your procedure take? I am scheduled with Dr Konior in early June for almost the same amount of grafts.

Thanks everyone for your feedback. I value it greatly. Im sure a lot of you former repair guys know exactly how I feel and what im going through. Ive had some online consultations with top docs on here and they have validated everyone's opinion of around 2000-2500 FUs. All have said the minis could be camouflaged no problem. I also think I have a surgeon narrowed down now.

Oh and I plan on starting propecia or proscar soon, and burning the hairpiece ceremoniously when im completed with repair.

I found out the butcher (Robert Thomas) that hacked up my head at 19 yrs old was killed in a car accident a few years back. Now I would never wish death upon anyone... but it may have been karma biting him in the ass for ruining thousands of peoples lives...

While waiting on a surgery date, do you think that dermatch, toppik or nanogen would work with my case, or are the mini grafts spread too far apart in the hairline?

Thanks