matt3480

Looks good! You have really fair skin it seems (can tell by how much the contrast is versus the red under the eyes).....I think a lot of what you were perceiving as being "scarring" was still just a hint of pinkness from the procedure. I know there is a term called post-inflammatory erythema or something like that (you will find a lot of people who had acne use this term). Basically, it's where the skin still looks like it is red or where it looks like it is scarring after the acne itself has disappeared.....but the redness for whatever reason takes MANY months to disappear....many times over 6 months. It does go away though and it's not a scar.

Anyone?

Haha Blake, I figured! Thanks brother.

Once the grafts are in after say, 2 weeks, is there anything negatively you can do to affect yield or is there anything you shouldn't do? I assume you obviously want to be careful in the sun for a few months and not get the area sunburned. However, anything in terms of tight hats, scalp massages, shaving your head, etc?

Just wondering if anyone felt aloe vera on the recipient area sped up healing (especially the redness)? Or should I leave the recipient site alone?

I think if you just started fin 7 weeks ago....you might be surprised about what it does for you after a year or so.

Interesting, never thought docs charged for a consultation.....but it makes sense why they would. I think it helps to have someone in the office (other than the doctor) pre-screen the apps to gauge interest and whether they are a candidate.

You just won't find many.....it's not even about the fact it's been 3-5 years but because the people are happy and don't care to post anymore. Look at the people who got bad transplants 20 years ago....trust me, you still hear from them now on here (but that's because they are unhappy and obviously their original issue with hair loss was never correctly fixed). It's a testament to hair loss advances since 20 years ago. Most of the people on here have been bogged with hair loss issues mentally for YEARS AND YEARS.....once this issue gets done, I would feel most want to put that part behind them and just live normally and forget about that past part of their life. They really don't want to spend one more minute on it. I'll be here to check in on my progress occasionally for the next year (since I just got mine) and to help a few others as I was helped when I first came here.....but you won't catch me back probably after a year. You would be surprised at the amount of people who post great results at 6 months and then disappear....they just put it behind them quicker. It's just not odd, trust me. There is nothing further to update really after 12-18 months. Your result won't be any better at 24 months or 48 months than it is at 12 months. I know for a fact there are a few people on here who have been around several years....just do some searching of threads from back then. Matter of fact, most of these people have had multiple HT's because the first one was so good. It doesn't necessarily mean people are going to come back and reply....it's like a part I put for sale 5 years ago and forgot to take the ad down...and then I get an email here and there asking if it's still for sale, I don't even bother replying. Trust me, 6 months ago a HT was the absolute LAST thing I ever was going to do. Had the cash, just wasn't going to risk it. That being said, it's honestly the easiest thing I've ever gone through (even easier than my wisdom teeth). I did the research. The doctor is 98% of this decision. I never had to doubt my doctor's skills or expertise and that took a lot of stress out of this decision. I spent more than I originally planned but don't feel the least bit negative about it.....because I know it's all about quality and not price. The hardest part is the wait after it's done because you know it's going to look great. Listen, anyone can fix your knee if you tear a ligament....from an NBA ortho surgeon to the guy at your local hospital. Neither is going to be any better....the knee is going to be fixed, end of story. HT is not that way....it's plastic surgery....800 people in the USA can harvest grafts and plant them.....but only a select few do it well and have the end result come out like a Van Gogh. I get messaging me asking how much I paid for the HT as like the only question. Would you rather be 80% happy for 15k or 100% happy for 19k when it comes to hair? I'll take the 100%.....I don't care about the $4k.

I think you are being a bit sensitive. BUSA hit it right on the head. You aren't going to see many of those people posting here because 3-5 years later they have moved on with their life. It should have zero impact on any decision you make. If you owned a BMW and sold it 5 years ago, would you still be posting on BMW message boards today? Mmmm....probably not. Dude, it's the Internet....NOTHING gets swept under the rug in any aspect of life anymore.

Wanted to chime in here since I just had a FUE with Dr. K. I get the impression he does more FUT's but that is because it makes more sense for most of the patients he sees regarding their goals (most patients want to keep cost down and they want to get as many grafts as possible since it's probably a stand alone procedure...not to mention they wear their hair longer and aren't worried about a scar). Also, keep in mind he does the extracting and planting in FUE....so it's probably an easier procedure on him, too. That's a LOT of labor.....and he is VERY meticulous. He wouldn't do FUE if he couldn't it top-notch. As for pictures (or lack of) for his FUE results, I get the impression most of his patients are word of mouth referrals from past patients (and what better form of marketing is there than word of mouth)? Just because Rahal does 10 FUE's a week doesn't make him a specialist anymore than anyone else. Dr. K does one surgery a day....and I saw a quote from him by another patient that he would rather "turn out one Ferrari a day than 3 or 4 Fords". Dr. K seems VERY humble.....especially when he is one of the founders of the Board of Hair Restoration, has published articles/books on hair transplantation, and is on the board I believe at Loyola Medical (one of top medical schools in the country). The guy literally has no wall space left because of all the plaques/awards/accomplishments (and he will tell you he didn't really want to hang them up but others thought it would look good). He just isn't that guy who feels the need to post every single picture of his work to get patients in the door......when we've all seen pics and know what he does. Do you see Ferrari or Bentley posting ads to come buy their cars? Um, no. You know what the gold standard is....they don't need to talk you into it or market their cars. I'm not saying doctors, etc. who talk on the forums have hidden agendas....but make no mistake, it is their form of marketing. Like I said...the fact that not only are most of Dr. K's patients word of mouth but that he is like 3-4 months booked in advance tells you something. I literally have never read one bad thing about Konior...this tells you something in this age of internet/forum chatter. I think the worst thing I've read were posts dated from like 2003 that simply said he wasn't doing solely hair (he was doing plastic surgery, too, way back then). 2youngforthis....you said it. If you are younger and probably more apt to wear your hair short....he will recommend FUE. If you wear your hair longer, he will recommend strip. It's cheaper, it's faster, it gets you more grafts in a day.....that being said, if you want to do FUE...he is all for it and ready to put in a 15 hour day if need be (my FUE was literally 15 hours I think....and it was last second change of plans....meaning morning of surgery). I'm sure there are a lot of good doctors out there....but I'll go with someone who has the credentials he has, who does the work himself, and has the results he has. Like I said, I might not see Ferrari ads in the local paper....but I do know if I were to get in one, there would be no better quality.

You look like you have good caliber hair....and that gets you so much further with less grafts than normal people with less caliber hair. So, yes, in short....you have plenty of options and can do even better than those pics. Get on some FIN....save up $$ and get to a reputable doctor and they can work wonders with you.

Might want to go to your normal doctor, have him run some blood tests....it could be something there that might be reversible. Your body is still growing and evolving and dealing with hormones at your age. You are really young to suddenly go from what you consider full hair to 60%. Thyroid issues, vitamin deficiencies, etc. most definitely can make your hair fall out quickly and suddenly (great thing is those issues are reversible). Remember, with fin, you will occasionally have sheds but it will grow back....so try not to worry too much about that aspect. Most sheds start at 4-5 months, too, so that sounds normal. Great thing is you caught it early, so I think in a year you might really like what you see based off the FIN alone. You definitely are in the age group where you can be a great responder....but yes, FIN is going to take a year. You should post some pics.....it's funny, I really started to get down about my hair when I was 19 because people think even the slightest recession is abnormal for that age (meaning a NW 1.5). Thus, I started wearing hats religiously. Looking back now....I would kill to have my hair that I had when I was 19-25....because it was so much better than I had now (prior to my HT). Trust me man......I finally decided to do something about this the last 6 months getting on Fin and doing the HT...I don't have the greatest caliber hair...but I'll probably go from a NW4 to barely noticing hair loss at my age now. In other words, there is hope for you...you just have to come up with a plan, it's not going to be an overnight fix.

I was real real afraid to do anything with the scabs, too. Studies have really shown that the chances of grafts coming out with hair or scabs lost are 0 by day 9 and the chances are really really slim anyways after day 4-5). I started to lose some scabs probably on day 6-7 while sleeping. Dr. Konior said to wait 7 days post-op to remove them. I waited until day 9 or 10 and removed them in the shower because they were getting itchy and I just knew they were ready to come off. Get in the shower...soak your head and the crusts for several minutes. Then take your index and middle finger and rub in a circular motion. Even using light light pressure, you will notice some come off. As long as you don't see any blood (which I didn't.....and the chances, again, if you seeing any is about nil by day 9-10), feel free to rub a little harder to remove some of the more tough ones. Don't use your fingernails and scratch them off. Just use light to medium pressure. You will probably notice 25% of them still might not come off the first time. That is fine. Next time you take a shower, go back to work on those ones using the light/medium pressure. Repeat each time you shower until they are gone. I would say 75% came off that first night in the shower where I touched them and then the other 25% the next day in the shower. No blood, no nothing.

Yeah, I'd be careful with the Accutane. I had really bad acne in high school and went on a heavy dose when I was 19 (35 now). It knocked out the acne cold....but I really wonder if that contributed to starting my hair loss. It couldn't have helped. I think that stuff was fairly newer at the time.

Thanks brother!

Exactly....he left that alone. Yes, I never even thought of the widows peak....brilliant idea.

Needless to say, I look like a clown right now. I'm swollen, I have the top part of my hair a bit grown out since he only took (and thus only shaved) from the front part of the sides (he left that area untouched last time on purpose). I have the hairs falling out from my first procedure....I have my sides shaved all the way down....so take it for what it's worth.

OK, update! Dr. K did my temple points today and they are going to look fabulous I think. At the end, he had about 50 extra grafts left so he suggested putting them right in the middle of the hairline to create a bit more of a widow's peak....great suggestion by him. It in effect lowers the hairline a bit and makes it look even more natural than the rounded part I had before. Brilliant surgeon.....amazing what literally a 50 graft difference can make! I'll get my final numbers next week in terms of grafts, etc. I think today he did about 600-700. Pics coming....VERY HAPPY. If you are considering Dr. K, stop....just go to him. There is nothing to consider in my opinion.

I'm about 17 days post-op from a 2,075 FUE and my crusts fell off last week. I had a thicker amount of crust at the front of the hairline. Question, were your guys' scalps smooth once the crusts fell off? I have what seems to be some minor bumps/different texture from pre-op in the temples (and of course the redness and numbness) where the heavier crusting was. I had Konior look at it today and he wasn't concerned and said it was normal healing. Just curious how long it took for that area to go back to the smooth texture of how it was pre-op? A lot of my hairs (especially in the temples) just started shedding the last day or two so I just noticed it more now.

If they shaved you, just let it air dry. They shaved me basically down to a 1.....so it takes 5 minutes to air dry tops.

Wow, if you only need 2,000.....I would almost just opt for FUE. It takes so much uncertainty out of the equation (meaning having to worry about how you heal, how the strip is going to be closed, etc.). No treatment is scar-free. That being said, I would say in most cases that even bad FUE scars are going to look better with a short haircut than a good FUT scar. Will the FUE scars be 100% undetectable? Probably not. Will it be 90% undetectable at a 2 guard and 100% undetectable with longer hair? Yes, should be. With a FUT....even the best closures and healing probably won't allow you to cut the hair down to a FUE size....and again, there is the uncertainty of how you will heal...whether you will do something to stretch the scar over the next YEAR, etc. I think FUT is great for those who need a lot of grafts. However, for smaller jobs (2k-2500 or under)...I think FUE is the choice. Man, I just had my 2000 graft HT a couple weeks ago and basically feel 99% healed and the donor area is pretty much unnoticeable (and this is at a 2 guard at most). I was going to do FUT until literally a last second chance at my consultation the morning of surgery....I just can't imagine having to deal with the scar and healing for several months and worrying about whether any little movement over the next year (since scars can stretch for that long) is affecting the scar.

I've heard if you are real aggressive with keeping the grafts wet the first couple days that it will significantly reduce crusting overall. That could a myth. Either way, the crusts aren't a big deal....I just washed mine out late last week and hardly any hairs came off. Someone suggested rubbing gently with 2 fingers in a circular motion after they are soaked in the shower for a few minutes and see what comes off. The ones that don't come off that first time with gentle circular rubbing....just keep trying each time you shower, all will eventually come off after a couple days. I think 75% of mine came off after the first time and the other 25% the next day.

Not much new to report. Post-op instructions said it was OK to start gently massaging off the crusts 7 days after. I waited a couple days later just to be safe. I just used a very gentle circular motion (while my hair and the crusts were soaked in the shower) and they all came off within 2 days of showering and doing this (no blood, very few hairs came off, too). Still a bit red as expected...especially at the hairline...but that has improved since the crusts came off. Had a little bit of pain start last Sunday when touching a spot or two in the donor area. I was initially a bit concerned as the outside looked healed up (no scabs, nothing). Was a bit hard to sleep Tuesday and Wednesday nights because the pain is on the back of your head....so really uncomfortable obviously lying down and putting pressure on that exact area. Emailed Dr. K (who was very quick to reply) and he recommended ibuprofen, which has worked great for the pain. Slept pretty good last night! I've done some searching and this can happen (overreactive nerves...plus he had to numb me a second time towards the end)....nothing really to worry about...it seemed to subside within a couple weeks in most people (Dr. K said it still could take up to 6-8 weeks as it's soft tissue). The schedule is to get the temple points done next Friday.... These are pics from today of the donor and recipient....donor looks normal from afar (can still see some of the red dots if you are 2-3 inches away as seen in one very close up/enlarged pic). My hair probably isn't any longer than a 1 guard now (as that childhood scar seen in the pic of my donor is completely invisible when it's a 2 guard length).

That pic was taken from above....it wasn't the greatest angle. You have to remember one's juvenile hairline started at the upper most wrinkle (when you wrinkle your forehead). I only have the width of my index finger between where that juvenile hairline was and where the hairline starts now (which is about a half inch). They say normally a mature hairline recedes about 1-2 cm at the lowest point of the hairline (and normally 2-4 cm at the temples) from where the juvenile hairline is. Not sure if I said.....but I'm 35, not exactly a teen anymore. I think it's about 2.5 to 2.75 inches from the top of my eyebrow to my hairline now...and that's pretty normal for guys from what I've read (distance from top of eyebrows to hairline should be 1/3 length of your face....and my face is about 8 1/8 inches from lowest point of hairline to bottom of chin). I think the temple point reconstruction will also help with this perceived distance....it will give a better depth perception to where my hairline is versus my eyebrows, etc. That being said....I wouldn't mind exploring lowering the hairline maybe a centimeter sometime next year after the growth has come in, but I think the hairline was well placed here for the initial pass.

OK, some new pics....just taken. A lot of the scabs came off last night while I was sleeping it seems. On the downside, due to this, the urge came back to itch A TON last night (but again, I obviously didn't). Most of the scabs are still right at the hairline where he seems to pack them a bit closer....but that area got a lot better from last night, too. Donor area is just about unnoticeable and it hasn't even been 6 full days....if you knew to look for small red dots and were directly in light and inches away, you would see them. I'm imagine within a couple days they will be undetectable from up close, too (once red goes away and hair grows a tad). I'd definitely going to have him through some grafts into that Nike swoosh scar when I see him again....