mav23100gunther

Brother - the best advice I can give you is get on Finisteride ASAP and stay on it for he rest of your life in conjunction with a Rogaine regiment. If only I had gone on Fin in my mid twenties when my hairdresser first pointed out that my hair was thinning. She recommended I start using Nioxin shampoo, which I did, but if only I had done more research back then. Unfortunately denial crept in until a bad break-up 2 years ago had me looking in the mirror and realizing that I was screwed on top.

Which day is your surgery? Are you going to spend some time in Vancuover in the days before your surgery?

It usually starts on day 2, but I was an abnormality as I was swelling badly on day 1 when I woke up. It was gone by day 3. It was pretty bad, but quite frankly I didn't really care what people thought.

As long as Dr Hasdon allows flying the next day (I believe he does), I think you will be fine to leave. Book a flight for the late afternoon/evening so that you can go back to the clinic for post-op cleaning first. If you take a cab to the clinic and the airport, then you shouldn't have to do too much walking. I would just advise you to pack very light so you are not having to lift a very heavy suitcase and risk stretching the scar. Try get a seat at the back of the plane so that you are not at risk of getting your head knocked by mistake by the asshole sitting behind you (it happens), and be extra careful when they walk past you on the way to the men's room. Otherwise you should be fine.

Take the sedatives/Valium bud, they really help during the surgery. My surgery with Rahal ended at around mid-afternoon and I was pretty groggy and fatigued. I could move around if need be, but was pretty out of it. When I woke up the next morning, I was actually fine. Even though I was on the painkillers because the back of the head hurts, I was able to move around as normal. So much so that after the post-op cleaning was able to drive to the train station and jump on a train to Toronto. The other patients at the guest house seemed fine the next day as well. The 2nd patient from my surgery day even drove back to Montreal the next day - no problem. Like Home says, you want to be taking it easy and not walking around/exerting yourself too much, but you won't be too groggy or fatigued by the next afternoon. I say that because seeing you are getting a mega-session, and I suspect your procedure will end much later in the day/night than mine did, so you may get some carryover. You shouldn't have any trouble getting back to the clinic the next day for cleaning though.

Yes, if choosing FUT, I personally prefer to go with larger mega-sessions so that you limit the number of times you have to get a strip cut out. I know others make a case for more smaller sessions. Pros and cons to both. Yes, depending on your donor and scalp laxity, patients going with H&W seem to be able to get in the higher numbers. When I consulted with Dr Hasson, he thought I had around 7,000 to 8,000 grafts remaining after my 1st procedure with a diff surgeon that took around 2,000 grafts. Dr Rahal, estimated around 4,500 to 5,000, so yes, H&W seem to get more than other strip doctors. In your case, I like Hasson over Konior For FUE, I wouldn't use a North American surgeon. The best FUE surgeons are actually in Europe for around 3 Euros a graft and less. Look at Feriduni, Bisanga, Lorenzo, Erdogan. You may want to consider Erdogan as he routinely performs larger FUE mega-sessions of 5,000 grafts in a single visit.

Thanks Ersko - likewise for you. This is the hardest part as we try navigate through the 2nd and 3rd months post-op.

Remember, the final aesthetic result is still months away, so what you think is sparse now will look much tighter in a few months as it matures. I think it looks great at only 6 months.

As per Dr Rahal's instruction, as I had previously used minoxidil, I was able to restart again at 14 days post-op, although I am only applying it once a day as it has worsened the redness of the recepient area which was fine until I restarted it. If you were not using minox prior to the surgery, then the instructions specifically state that you must wait a couple of months before using it, I think it was 3 months.

Yes, I picked FUT as my procedure of choice, but researched and consulted for both FUE and FUT as I will eventually switch over to FUE once I am stripped out. One of the reasons I picked Dr Rahal over Dr Hasson was the fact I can switch over to FUE with him at a later stage. Unfortunately, the top FUE surgeons aren't on the west coast. Believe it or not, they are actually in Belgium and Turkey at a much cheaper price than NA, although I think Konior, Shapiro, and Rahal are gems in North America. Good luck mate!

Lol - this is the 2nd time I've heard the name Dr Slusher now on this site. The other guy seemed to have a good result. Keep us posted, maybe this guy is a hidden treasure, or maybe not. I heard he doesn't perform any part of the procedure though, is this true?

I'd say $7,000 to 10,000 for FUE, maybe even more - FUT is cheaper. Hasson and Wong post prices on their website.

Nope, you are going to have to travel my friend. Just take the train up north to Portland or Vancuover. Amtrak has a nice ocean route along the coastline. Unfortunately Dr Hasson is the gold standard for FUT strip. That clinic only recently started offering FUE, so they lack experience and have to still prove themselves. I wouldn't get an FUE with him at this time, but FUT is a completely different story. He ended up in my top 2.

Likewise I researched the best surgeon in New York, although I sadly got my procedure performed by a New York surgeon, and then only realized my mistake after the fact. I switched to Dr Rahal in Ottawa Canada for my 2nd procedure. Who would have thought that the best hair transplant doctors are not in New York. Likewise for California I am afraid. See my story http://www.hairrestorationnetwork.com/eve/181957-dr-rahal-2-245-graft-procedure-fut.html

I hate to admit it, but the day I find myself downloading the hairreastorationnetwork app onto my iPhone is the day I realise that I need to make a change and get a life. No offense Pat, Bill, and Dave, but that's the truth. I love this site, maybe just a little too much!!!

I'm yelling at you big time mate. Pick up your phone and cancel the procedure 1st thng in the morning. Everyone on this forum now knows that Bosley and Zeiring to a lesser extent is the biggest joke. A year from now you will know too. When I 1st started researching for my 1st procedure, I also had Bosley and Zeiring on my shortlist. Thank goodness I quickly found my way and ran far far away. This is a very tough and unforgiving industry, and HT procedures are extremely difficult and require a very very specialized skill. If you choose the wrong surgeon you can get screwed up. The best advise you will get from me or anyone else on this forum is to cancel your procedure, and consult with at least 5 additional clinics that are highly rated. Can I suggest you start with Dr Ron Shapiro at Shapiro Medical Group in Minnesota. You can submit pictures online and then call up the clinic and speak with Matt Zupan their patient consultant. He will give you an hour and pound you with information. I also suggest doing the same with my own surgeon of choice, Dr Rahal from Ottawa. He is knick named the hairline King, and if you research enough, you will see he produces the absolute best hairlines in the world. Don't just take my word for it, it's all online, just use google "best hair transplant surgeons in North America". I also suggest Dr Raymond Konior in Chicago, Dr Feriduni in Belgium and Dr Lorenzo in Spain. These are the best FUE surgeons out there. Are you sure you want FUE over strip FUT? If you are open to FUT which is the gold standard in my opinion, then definitely consult with Dr Vctor Hasson of Hasson & Wong. I guarantee all of the above are way way way better than anyone at Zeiring or Bosley.

Hasson has always been a hairline King. Like I've said previously - Dr Hasson is a bad man! Very very good result so far, nice to see such a positive result from that clinic in one of their inaugural FUE procedures, and looking forward to many more.

Yeah, definitely be prepared to travel.

Thanks buddy, yeah it's a different story when you are the one going through the ugly duckling stage. I definitely want to buzz the sides ever so slightly to even it out, but the hair is only now hiding the scar and it still feels very tender, so I'm going to try putting off going to the Barbar for as long as I can. Maybe another week or two. Under harsh lights the top looks bald as hell, so I get a glimpse of what I would look like as a NW7 with side hairs grown long - YIKES!!! Unfortunately my elevator at work is mirrored on the inside with harsh lighting, so I can't seem to escape having to stare at myself in the mirror multiple times per day going up and down 28 odd stories. I am going to try experimenting with Toppic on the top and see if that can make it look more balanced and buy me some more time before I have to go to the Barbar, but am trying to hold off on that as well to allow the recepient more time to heal. Will ask the Rahal clinic when I can start using Toppic again. The after care from Rahal has been phenomenal by the way. Kamila, my patient care advisor has been constantly checking in and has been super helpful in everything, including evaluating my pics to vetting my choice of shampoo. Using the Waterman's grow me shampoo. I have avoided evaluating the scar. It worries me and feels more painful than the first procedure where it healed to A+++. I dunno why, but I just got a bad feeling about it, so have decided to just let it heal and will get Dr Rahal to check it for me at the 6 month mark. If I try to check it myself, I think I would just drive myself crazy. Other than that, slight shock loss on the donor consistent with the 1st procedure and as expected, but it looks okay. How are you coming along now that you are in the fun stages? Seeing any activity?

Did you switch the Fin from brand name to generics or maybe generics to a diff brand of generics?

Do not go with Varona - Zeiring is a chain similar to but not as bad as Bosley. Rather search the top doctors on this site and be prepared to travel. I also think 1450 grafts may be on the low side. You have some more research to do young Skywalker

Attached is a picture at the 1 month mark. The sides have grown in much quicker than the top, and as the days go on I am trying not to panic about the possibility that it never grows back to what it was immediately pre-op - lol. Crossing fingers that everything is fine. Will not be posting any more pictures until the 4 month mark unless anyone specifically wants to see a monthly update. Just let me know, I'll be around.

Let it go Stig, you won that bout by a knockout. HairJo stood no chance once he started to compare the practice undertaken by Dr Feller with that of Dr Ron Shapiro. When I consulted with Shapiro Medical, I was absolutely given a choice between the three surgeons there. Dr Ron Shapiro is a true professional and deserves way more respect than this. It is like comparing Peyton Manning with Ryan Leaf - absolutely ludicrous. I suspect that this topic has run its course. I really do wish Dr Bloxham all the best, and hopefully they are fully transparent with all their patients way in advance of any surgery date like they stated they are. I'd even hope it's transparent before any consultation date too.

I don't get this, looks Ike you had alot of hair and coverage before. 3,800 grafts seems excessive. I get that the hairline needed some work, but where else did it go?

Spot on Dr Feller. It's funny that you mentioned this. After my first procedure in NY where I researched and chose the best surgeon in NY, I was on a high for the first few days and was excited about what the result would look like. Then as I was laying around recovering, doubt started to hit me and I started to wonder why I only researched the best surgeons in NY and not in the US or even the world. Immediately I was back online researching and quickly realized that the 2,000 FUT grafts I just had done were not going to be nearly enough, and there were clinics like Hasson & Wong out there that could have got me 4,000 plus grafts in one pass. Regret immediately kicked in and I wanted to kick myself. At that point I vowed that I would get it right for the 2nd procedure. I wouldn't say I completely wrote-off my 1st procedure, but definitely lowered my expectations alot. After my 2nd procedure with Dr Rahal, I hit that same high, but then at moments in the week after surgery when stating at the work in the mirror, started to wonder how different it could have looked if I had gone with Dr Hasson or Dr Shapiro, or maybe Dr Hasson could have gotten a extra couple of hundred grafts from the strip. Not saying I have any regrets at all, but it's very easy to start 2nd guessing even though I researched like crazy and am delighted at the work from Dr Rahal. I quickly snapped out of those moments, because it's really silly and I am getting a Rahal hairline. Also for the 2nd procedure after coming off the high when I stopped taking the painkillers, I did suffer from depression. I very rarely every suffer depression, and was having these nightmares about my ex-girlfriends and reliving the break-ups. I suspected it was because of the anti-biotics (had to take 1 every 6 hours - Cephalexin Keflex), and once I got to day 10 and stopped, I returned back to my normal self. I am now convinced it was the anti-biotics that caused the depression. It's weird because I wasn't down on the HT, was over the moon about the transplant but walking around depressed. I do have a better appreciation now for people that suffer from it as it really is a dark dark place.