FoyKohler

Thank you!

Hi - I was thinking of having another procedure living on east coast was thinking of traveling to west coast but could be complicated with work and family obligations ...

Is there a short list of "best and brightest" practitioners on the east coast

Thank you -

Any thoughts on Hasson & Wong?

This is potentially awkward - I have used the same surgeon for several procedures and I'm contemplating another procedure

I have total confidence in my physician, who is reputable and local to me (Northeast US) BUT this is elective surgery and I'm paying for it and I can afford it and I can afford domestic travel to see the best surgeon - not sure who that is?

I was thinking - this may be my last procedure, I want it to be my best - if the best doctor is in Chicago or LA or Miami I can afford a plane ticket and a stay in a hotel

I'm sure I'm inviting some marketing responses from people in the business but can anyone provide a short list of the 1 or 2 or 5 most acclaimed surgeons in this field - hopefully those individuals are in the US - I have an ample supply of donor hair but again I want to make sure that I'm working with the best in this industry, and also do some price shopping that I haven't been able to do because I've gone with one provider

Thanks - F Kohler

Yes I'm talking about generally washing hair not immediately after surgery which I know has different protocol - FK

Hoping that I can get answers to some long-held Qs;

When showering (talking well after procedure not post-op - last procedure was 1 year ago), and applying shampoo and conditioner - should application be light or vigorous?

Vigorous application of shampoo and/or conditioner stimulates scalp and you just hear all kinds of good things associated with that, seems to cleanse the scalp more, but seems to dislodge a few hairs, light application doesn't do that but is that missing out on some scalp contact

I'm not talking about scratching the scalp we all know not to do that

I also get the fact that hair that comes out in shower grows back (probably) - just wondering what people do

My hair doctor advised a more vigorous application

Thoughts?

Not trying to hijack this forum how do we post new threads - I want to but can't figure out how to do it - sorry can anyone help?

Thanks for these great replies -

I'm 3 months removed from surgery I just mean generally - will towel drying cause hairs to come out or fall out or is probably OK once hair has been established?

Related to my last post - do members typically towel dry their hair, in the recipient area or donor area, either or both?

Of course I don't do it vigorously but I lightly towel dry my hair after showering, before I comb it -

Is this recommended?

Thank you! FK

Does this type of washing cause hair loss or can our hair typically withstand it?

Thank you for your reply -

Hi - Really hoping for some insight here -

Ever since I got my first HT I've taken a gentle approach to washing my hair, almost like a soft patting -

My surgeon advocates more vigorous washing, with fingertips, to remove dead skin etc. - not scratching of course

I must say I haven't noticed any increased amount of hair in my hands when shampooing - I feel as though I lose 5 hairs in the morning shampooing (that I notice) regardless of the method - patting or more vigorous rubbing

So I'm using my fingertips when washing, not scratching - but certainly more rigorous than the patting I've practiced in the past

Bottom line - help! What should I be doing? I have dry skin sometimes even on my scalp and I'm just trying to get my shower routine straight here -

My wife saw me doing the fingertips thing and she felt it was too vigorous

Thank you for any insight you can offer - FK

I feel like I have a daily anxiety attack about all things hair, scalp, etc.

OK within the last 72 hours I've noticed dry skin around my front hairline, starting at the top of my forehead, now starting to enter my front scalp

I haven't changed my routine or anything, I shampoo once per day, condition on Wednesdays and Saturdays - I used hairspray for 2 days 2 weeks ago my Doc told me not to so I stopped - I don't think that's it

I live in the Northeastern US we definitely have air issues and my skin is dry all over

Real question - will this impede growth, hair retention, I had my last transplant on 1/8/15

And what can I do about it?

Wondering if dietary - I'm losing weight from diet and some exercise

I feel like a small hair came out w/ a graft this morning in the shower but overall I'm not experiencing any loss

Really I'm just trying to stay on top of it and not let this situation become threatening to my hair transplant

Thanks and Help please - FK

Thank you for your advice and reassurance!

According to my doc the hairspray contains alcohol which is bad for grafts and new growth

While were on this subject should I be worried about using any particular shampoo or avoiding certain shampoos?

How advisable is it to use hairspray after H/T

I had my last transplant on 1/8/15 my doc says avoid (which I'm totally good with) but I see other people advising it's OK

I understand hairspray contains alcohol and that's a problem

Interested in hearing other perspectives

Thanks Foy Kohler

I have had two HTs - where they cut a strip from the back of your head and apply grafts to front and back - what is that procedure called?

I like my results from #1 HT still awaiting the results from #2 (had it on 1/8)

Can I ask what shampoo / conditioner regimen I should follow?

But also - do these things ever fail, does all the hair ever just fall out - I lose a few in the shower and I don't see evidence of loss but I see hairs around the sink and sometimes I just have this irrational fear that having hair again is too good to be true and that the procedure will just fail altogether - does it ever happen?

FK

Thanks Squatch - where does this anxiety come from - I was bald from like the age of 34-44 and never really cared too much about it, now going back to that seems to evoke abject fear - I'll just try to relax

Thank you Tamagochihandler for your reassurance -

I'm still kind of kicking myself these transplants are huge events you would think we could abstain from sex, hot tubs, alcohol, exercise, being in the sun, or the cold for a period of time - everything seems to have settled down, I just have this attitude that I've written off baldness and if I have to get a hair transplant every year or every other year so be it - I'm 46 y.o. I'll keep this up until I'm 60 and then to hell with it - I'm not going back to being bald so if I screwed things up I'll just get another one, dammit!!!!

Thanks I love the support this site has to offer - FK

Friends -

I just completed a second HT on 1/8/15, on Sunday (2/1) I was grilling outside and sat in my hot tub, I live in the Northeastern United States - it was cold -

I was in the hot tub for maybe 45 minutes - I didn't submerge my head

I grilled outdoors for maybe another 45 minutes - going inside periodically to warm up

I didn't wear a hat - I don't like hats and I don't my hair getting tangled in there

Ok so I ran my hands through my hair over the sink afterwards, not pulling or scratching, just ran through and saw a few hairs fall out in the sink, I did it three times a few hairs came out each time :confused:

In the shower last 2 days I've seen maybe 10-15 come out in my hands while shampooing

Couple of questions - first, is cold weather a problem and does it cause permanent damage to hair? Did I do permanent harm or did the cold dry weather cause some loss that will regrow?

Second, are hot tubs a problem?

Most of the hair shedding is longer established hair, not the little implanted grafts

Finally, losing hair in the shower - even 1-10, freaks me out - even though my doctor says we lose 50-100 per day and it's normal - intuitively I know that we shed hair but can someone just put me at ease?

I was remarking to my wife - the only thing worse than losing your hair is losing it twice - I had a great doctor and paid almost $20K for two (2) HTs, do these things ever not take or fail or are they pretty much surefire?

In other words - can I just stop worrying about all this stuff?

PS - I love my results thus far

Having an anxiety attack can anyone put me at ease?

FK

Thank you for your thoughtful reply, glad that you beat the cancer I have stopped even the occasional cigarette smoking but have been thinking about having a cigar at some point, obviously two HTs cost me quite a bit of cheddar nothing is worth hindering the results or progress of the procedures - have a good one -

I think we all agree that smoking cigarettes likely inhibits the benefits of a HT, does anyone have any insight on whether the occasional cigar poses any problems?

Thanks - FK

Can I butt in and ask what these things are my doctor didn't recommend them:

Boots Ketoconazole Shampoo once per week

Wellman Tricologic one tablet a day

I'm taking propecia daily and shampooing once per day, conditioning twice per week

Thanks

Great topic - I recently had a HT and on Day 5 after my procedure my wife "took care of things" for me with minimal exhilaration on my part, I didn't last very long, however my heart rate certainly increased, I don't think I even perspired - then of course AFTERWARDS I thought about checking to see if this was OK, and I was shocked to see doctors on the internet advising patients to abstain from sexual activity for 10-14 days and I thought "Here we go . . ."

So I checked with my doctor's right hand assistant and he thought this was a non-issue - I didn't have any grafts pop off, that was one concern I read about on-line, as for the blood rushing from your head to another part of your anatomy - they dismissed that -

I think sex is more problematical than masturbation because there is physical body movement and the risk of possibly dislocating grafts which haven't fully attached themselves, I was 5 days removed and lying virtually motionless on my back - so my grafts were never at risk

Does blood flow and an elevated heart rate create risks? Only a doctor could say for sure, but mine wasn't concerned

I had a minor sunburn after my first HT (not a sunburn just redness/pinkness) and it killed me that I even put myself in that position - if I had it to do over again I would not have engaged in even this scaled-back sexual act, it's unnecessary, most of us should be able to abstain for 2 weeks to protect the results of a very expensive elective medical procedure - but I crossed the Rubicon looks like you did too, I tend to worry about everything and I'm not worried about this you probably shouldn't be either - FK

After having two transplants I feel that I could write a book on the "Do and Don'ts" following a hair transplant and I just might . . .

This one is a pet peeve of mine because I felt that I wasn't adequately warned of avoiding a sunburn . . . then when I rec'd a minor sunburn (really not a sunburn at all, just pink/redness after about an hour of exposure) I called my doctor and his staff seemed panicky about it - it's not a good thing

I can tell you that 6-9 months removed from my "sunburn" my results are good and I think we all agree my grafts and growth were not adversely affected

Someone here said avoid the exposure either way - that's good advice - we all should be covering up in the sun

I read somewhere about a gentleman who went on a fishing boat, in the direct sun all day, blisters, major sunburn, and he was only days removed from the actual procedure and his doctor wrote that he was largely OK

If the graft areas are discolored that may be indicative of something - I didn't have that, nor did I have blisters or peeling

But I rubbed aloe vera all over my head afterwards and my doctor's team told me not to do that [?] so I didn't do it again

I think the takeaway is that the sunburn would have to be pretty bad to have negative impact

I'm writing under a pseudonym to conceal my identity - I'm not a doctor however, everything I'm writing is strictly anecdotal

Also spray-on sunscreen can be applied to one's scalp for "hat haters" at least consider that option

Still, when in the sun wear a hat! It's good for hair and health - I'll write more as time permits because I really want to share my experiences with this fascinating subject - my experiences have been wondrous - Ciao - FK