jkm3

The density looks awesome. I also really like the hairline.

 

In terms of new growth, I also noticed something happening around 8 weeks post op. (tiny little hairs sprouting from the new hairline and also further up). Dr. Diep's clinic manager said this is quite early on average, but judging from your experience it does seem like his techniques lead to good graft survival which I think could only help with early recipient growth.

Thank you! I'm really excited to see how it all fills in. Yeah, I've noticed hairs sprouting as early as 34 days post op. The transplanted hair is continuing to come out. This is evident around my hairline and back towards the middle area.

What normally happens is a pimple forms (I've had hundreds of them already) and once the inflammation subsides and the pimple begins to heal, I notice a hair sprouting from that exact area. This is absolutely clear because these hairs barely surface the scalp and later emerge with a black curly tip, whereas the rest of my hair is already 1 inch long.

Hey there. It's been 1 month and three days since my surgery and most of my transplanted hair has shed. The recipient area is still a bit pink and the donor area is slightly numb and itchy still. Like the first surgery, I experienced some shock loss in the donor and crown area. This is due to the steroid injection and surgery trauma, of course. It's not that bad, but definitely noticeable. Everything grew back around 3 months after my first procedure and I'm confident that will be the case this time.

In terms of the recipient area, everything is great. I started noticing pimples developing about 2.5 weeks post op. They have been popping up to this day and I notice hairs sprouting in those areas once the pimple goes away. There's not much growth, but it's there. I noticed the first significant improvement about 2.5 months after my first procedure. However, my recipient area looked much better this time around the first 10 days. This is because I didn't allow too much crust to form by frequently rinsing (about 2-3 times a day). I don't know if this will lead to a quicker or higher yield than before, but it definitely can't hurt!

I also noticed a fair amount of grafts stay and grow along with my native and previously transplanted hair. I think that my grafts sustained much less stress than what's normally expected during surgery. Dr. Diep had at least 5 techs working to quickly process my grafts and place them back into my scalp. And of course he made every incision in the recipient area and removed every single donor graft with his magic touch. I didn't experience any complications or bleeding at all immediately after surgery and later. I'm confident that I'll have significant growth about 7 weeks from now.

Attached in this post are photos about 12 days post op, three weeks post op, and current (4.5 weeks post op).

Looking great thanks for the update.

No problem!

I'm now 9 days post op and decided to post an update for those following this thread.

I feel really good about my recovery. I no longer have any scabs on my head and my donor area is no longer numb. It is however slightly sensitive still.

I took care of myself really well up to this point. I didn't have any bleeding at all after surgery until now. I also didn't have much scab formation. The donor area healed after 6 days and the light yellow scabs that formed on my recipient area completely came off today. I didn't touch my recipient area at all until exactly 9 days post op (today). I spent just 20 minutes gently massaging my scalp while washing my hair with warm water and shampoo. Before today, I only rinsed my hair with water and Grafcyte shampoo. But I did that 2-3 times a day.

Included in this post are photos of what my recipient and donor area currently looks like.

Is this normal where someone can do more than one FUE assuming they are under 3000 grafts? Also another positive to FUE is less pain & numbness compared to FUT?

Hey Kensington! Yeah, it's quite normal for people to get more than one FUE procedure. Dr. Diep has performed secondary procedures on several of his patients. I believe there's one person who has received 4 from him already.

Dr. Diep never does more than 3,000 grafts for FUE. He feels that more than that will affect growth. Also, it would probably take more than 12 hours for such a large procedure and that's difficult on him and the patient.

I don't know too much about FUT, but it appears that healing in the donor area takes significantly longer. I'm just 9 days post op and I no longer have any open wounds; the donor area is completely healed, but it's still red and will be that way for a few more weeks. Also, my head is barely numb at this point. What's interesting is that I think I healed much quicker this time around. I was still really numb at two weeks post of after my first surgery. But this time around, it's only 9 days post op and I have maybe 20% numbness left.

That's now a excellent number of grafts in your frontal third.

Thank you, John!

Congrats, jkm3! I missed your first thread. Glad I spotted this one. I really like the hairline design, layout, and execution that Dr. Diep did for you this go around. Just the right amount of irregularity, IMO. Should turn out great.

 

The first picture of your collection (the one taken from below looking up at your hairline) is illuminating, especially comparing it to the 1-year post op photos that were taken with flash and before you discontinued Minoxidil. I can see why you would want additional density. Happy growing!

Hey Pup! Thank you so much for the encouragement. I really appreciate it!

Yeah, the forelock area was on its way out a few years ago and Minoxidil was all that was keeping it there. My hair didn't look right with a bald spot right behind my hairline.

I'm hoping it fills in well a few months from now!

Congratulations on your second FUE with Dr. Diep. The pics look excellent. This should make a substantial impact. Best of luck!

Thank you, David! I have a question for you: at what density do you think Dr. Diep transplanted my hair?

You first HT results looked amazing. Congrats on your second procedure.

 

You mention your hair is fine, what is the caliber of your hair?

Thank you! Too bad baldness is an ongoing battle, right? Hopefully my hair loss is now more stabilized and I won't have to go in for a third transplant any time soon.

I really don't have a clue what caliber hair I have. Dr. Diep doesn't provide that information. I do know that I have fine, maybe medium fine hair.

I'm 4 months post op from Dr. Diep as well, I had 2,120 grafts, in your 12 months post op photos your density looked better, are you on meds? Or was it just the lighting in those photos?

Hey there! As I mentioned in the post, I experienced a pretty bad shed after quitting minoxidil. The 12 month photos were taken in early July, which was shortly before the shed. Moreover, I had product in my hair in the 12 month photos, whereas the pre-op photos for the second hair transplant were taken without any product.

I've been on 0.5 mg/day of Finasteride for about a year and I recently bumped it up to 1mg/day. That is the only medication I'm currently taking for my hair loss.

Given that you're just four months post op, you should experience some more thickening. After my first hair transplant, I think all of my grafts emerged around 6-8 months. I did not notice any noticeable difference beyond that point.

As promised, here is a link to the thread that I will use to update my second hair transplant: Second FUE HT by Dr. Diep. 2,220 Grafts to Improve Density(4,700 grafts total) - Forum By and for Hair Loss Patients

Hello everyone!

As I mentioned in my original thread, I recently underwent a second hair transplant. Although I was ecstatic with the results I achieved from my fisrt hair transplant, I experienced more hair loss in the middle portion of my scalp after I completely discontinued Minoxidil about 9 months after my first hair transplant.

I knew that I would lose a substantial amount of coverage by making that decision, but Minoxidil had a negative impact on my skin and having to apply it every day did not pair well with my active lifestyle.

Furthermore, because my hair is very fine in texture, the density at which my hair was transplanted did not result in a naturally full set of hair. I had to use various styling options to make it appear denser than it actually was. It's difficult to see from all of the photos I posted in the original thread, but you'd understand my concern if you saw me in person. The Minoxidil shed did not reach its full effect until some time after my 12 month photos were taken so it isn't evident in the photos I included in my last post.

Here's a link to my first hair transplant thread: 2,460 FUE Hair Transplant by Doctor John Diep - Page 6 - Forum By and for Hair Loss Patients

Anyway, Dr. Diep transplanted an additional 2,220 grafts on 11/17/15 (I'm on my second day post op). With my original 2,460 grafts, I now have a total of about 4,700 grafts transplanted in the frontal third of my scalp. The plan was to increase the density behind my hairline, thicken the hairline, close in my right temple point, and increase the overall density of the frontal third.

The photos I attached are in the following order: pre-op, immediately post op, 1 day post op, and 2nd day post op.

Thank you for following my case. I will try to make time to keep everyone updated as often as I can!

Hey everyone!

I attached my 12 month photos that were taken at Dr. Diep's clinic. I also included a few pre-op photos to show you the extent of my hair loss before my hair transplant.

I'm very pleased with the results that I achieved with just 2,400 grafts. As you can see by the pre-op photos, Dr. Diep had to cover a huge portion of my scalp, yet the outcome was still exceptional!

However, I experienced more hair loss in the middle portion of my scalp after I completely discontinued Minoxidil about 9 months after my hair transplant. I knew that I would lose a substantial amount of coverage by making that decision, but Minoxidil had a negative impact on my skin and having to apply it every day did not pair well with my active lifestyle.

Furthermore, because my hair is very fine in texture, the density at which my hair was transplanted did not result in a naturally full set of hair. I had to use various styling options to make it appear denser than it actually was. It's difficult to see from all of the photos I posted, but you'd understand my concern if you saw me in person. The Minoxidil shed did not reach its full effect until some time after my 12 month photos were taken so it isn't evident in the photos I included in this post.

Finally, I'd like to announce that I had a second hair transplant performed by Dr. Diep just two days ago (11/17/15). Dr. Diep transplanted a total of 2,220 grafts. So, I now have a total of 4,700 grafts transplanted in the frontal third of my scalp. The plan was to increase the density behind my hairline, thicken the hairline, close in my right temple point, and increase the overall density of the frontal third. I will post a link to the new thread after this post.

Thank you for following my case. I will try to make time to keep everyone updated as often as I can!

Don't worry about the shock loss. I experienced the same issue and the hair in the back, sides and my crown completely grew back around 3-4 months. Ps, I also had surgery with Dr. Diep. Check out my progress to get an idea of what to expect.

Take care!

Thanks Vegetas! Good luck with your FUE. Remember, stay out of the sun, eat healthy, and try not to examine your hair every minute. I'll try to update this thread regularly.

Thanks Anon! Yeah, it's definitly a huge improvement. I appreciate your feedback. Good luck with your surgery!

Here are some photos I took in between my 8-10 month post op period. There wasn't any noticeable difference in between that time.

I just lost the entire detailed post I prepared, including the html enlarged photos (which took me a while to collect) so this post will be simple. I've included attachments below.

I will most likely undergo another surgery with Dr. Diep this Fall. The area directly behind my hairline is still quite thin and this limits my styling options. I would like to have uniform density throughout my whole scalp and I feel that I will need around 1500 more grafts to achieve this outcome.

Let me know what you guys think about the progress so far.

Congradulations on the hair transplant.

 

You can see the differences in a couple of the pictures between your thicker hair in the back and the newly implanted hair in the front. However just like everyone else commented; you have to give it some time perhaps, so far it is way better then the way your hair was before. Even if you would have to live with the progress thus far I personally believe that it is way better then what your looked like before, your head looks completely different in the front. Maybe you should ask Dr. Diep if this normal and if your new hair will eventually become as thick and close to the same texture as your hair towards the back. Anyway you look like you have come a long way and your hair is looking great man.

 

I am considering Dr. Diep as well and have already made my initial visit to him to just go over how many grafts I will need. It has been almost 6 months now and I think that I want to move forward and get this done because it has been bothering me really bad for a while now (almost 2 years).

 

I am looking at 5000 grafts via FUT. I know that you did the FUE procedure and wanted to know your thoughts along with the thoughts of everyone else on the forum on the pain level I may experience. I am a little scared but want to get it done. I have read and carried some extensive research myself amd most people have come to the conclusion that it will not hurt as bad as I think it will. I am afraid of the cutting part and what it will be like during and after the procedure, etc... All answers are appreciated...

 

Lastly I just want to say congradulations and thank you for your up to date and current post. Your hair looks wonderful I am happy for you and I hope that I grow the balls really quick to go in and get my hair done too.

 

Oh and also if anyone knows will it be ok to wear a hat for a few months after the procedure during the day I would like to cover my head perhaps..

 

Thanks everyone!

 

P.S. I did a lot of research on many of the doctors listed here on this forum and for me he is the closest to me and probably one of the good ones around and I would hate to have to travel across the world to get my hair transplant done but is there anyone else that might be recommended for FUT or would it be safe to just go ahead and get it done here..I don't know if this will be answered or should be answered on the board but just wanted to throw it out there since I will be spending some big bucks here. Thanks

Hey Anon, thanks for your feedback. I agree, there's still over 6 months left for my hair to mature.

I don't know much about FUT, other than it's usually recommended for larger transplant sessions like the one you're looking to get. I know Dr. Diep performs both FUE and FUT. His YouTube page shows that he's capable of achieving home run results with FUT as well as FUE.

I wore a hat after my surgery for the first 3-4 months! I wore it really loose for the first month. The most important time frame in terms of protecting your grafts is the first couple weeks. As for the pain, well, that's just the price we pay to beat baldness. Dr. Diep prescribes Vicodin and Valium, which helped me a lot. The donor area takes months to fully heal, but the pain is not an issue after a few weeks.

I thought about getting a transplant for about two years before finally getting one. I spent over a year following the progress of various Dr. Diep patients. His YouTube videos are what really sold me. There are other doctors out there that have great reputations, but I feel that very few of them can achieve the same density with the number of grafts he works with.

Let me know if you have any other questions. Like I said, I don't know much about FUT, but there are probably several threads on this forum that can answer any questions you still have.

looks good!

 

and the hair characteristics seem fine...

The last two pictures show what I mean by the hair texture. It might be difficult to see, but the transplanted hair is not soft like my native hair yet. As I said before, the wiry texture makes it stubborn and difficult to style.

Im not saying that I'm not happy with my progress, it's just an observation I made.

Holy cow, dude. You're coming along great! For just a tad over 5 months, this is incredible.

 

Congrats to you and to Dr. Diep.

Thank you!

Jkm,

 

The transplanted hairs appear thin and "wispy" during months 3-6, "wiry" during months 6-9, and eventually resemble the characteristics of your native hair between months 9-12. This is just a general "rule of thumb," but hopefully it helps.

Thanks for the info, Blake. Very helpful.

Wow! Huge improvement! Congratulations.

Thanks, Blake. Do you know approximately when the transplanted hair will become more like my native hair? I'm mainly concerned with the wiry texture and the way the hair sits when I style it (pops up, instead of laying freely).

I've definitely seen some improvement this past month. I recently went through a shed, which stopped about two weeks ago and now I'm seeing hair surface (could be because I switched to Rogaine Foam). The transplanted hair still has a wiry texture so it doesn't "lay" like my native hair, which makes my recipient area look thinner than the native area.

The left side of my hairline is thicker than the right. There is a pretty bad scar in that area from a past accident that required about 10 stitches. I'm thinking that blood circulation isn't as good in that area and so transplanted hairs are taking longer to sprout there. Who knows, though.

I'm pretty sure that not all of my grafts have penetrated the scalp yet. When my hair is wet, the area behind the transplanted hairline is significantly thinner and it's clear that there are gaps between the grafts. Anyway, It's still really early so I'm confident that my hair will thicken up.

I've posted more pre-op pictures this time. I wanted to give everyone a better idea of how significant my hair loss was. The first two pictures show my hair combed back (to show the balding area) & the next three are pictures of how I styled my hair prior to the hair transplant with Dr. Diep (took forever to hide my thinning frontal area).

The photos after the dividing line show what my hair looks like now, 5 months and 1 week post op (all taken under harsh bathroom light, with flash). I no longer have to worry about the wind messing up my strategic grooming and I no longer spend forever doing my hair before school and work. I'm pleased with my current progress and excited to see additional changes in the coming months!

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Jkm3 RELAX DUDE your not even at 5 months lol It looks fine. Give it past a year sheesh

Haha. It's hard not to be worried after spending so much money and having to wait so long to see what you paid for. I got you, though. 5 months is still early.

Your hair is looking good! So much more time for thickening left that I"m sure you'll see ain improvement in density. Good luck!

Thanks, David! I hope you're right.