leftygolfer71

Living room

Not sure why it's uploading sideways. Mine are normal on my PC.

Rahal Guest House

Starting to feel better - swelling is going down.

I'm 4 days post OP and still at the Rahal Guest house. I couldn't imagine recovering in a hotel room. This place has been amazing and the Rahal team is great!

If you come see Dr. Rahal, don't bother going anywhere else but the Rahal Guest house!

I'm scheduled for a 4000 FUT procedure next week with Dr. Rahal and I just want to thank everyone who answered my questions\concerns! I had many times when I considered not going through with it, but in the end I'm SO glad I made the decision to move forward.

I will keep everyone posted throughout the entire process!

ESPN weighs in...

Touche' :-)

You do not need a ht! :-)

I wear a hat golfing, but I also wear a hat everyday...looking forward to ending the hat merry go round. :-)

How in the world are you going to properly line up a putt with hair in your eyes?

Ha! I dont know how I missed this, but I guess I will have to wear a head band because Im done with hats!

"If I were in your shoes, I'd probably tell her after the procedure. You'll avoid any urges she may have had to talk you out of it and, if she cares about you, she'll share in your excitement and anticipation. "

Ive decided to tell her after the procedure when it comes up. I dont know her well enough where I feel she would understand the pain I have gone through all these years - and I agree that a lot of people still think "barbie doll plugs" when they think of transplants...

Thanks guys for all the great suggestions!

I guess a couple of months of dating isn't a very long time. All the same I'd tell her before you get it done. Seems unlikely you'll be able to hide it afterwards and you'd end up with more problems trying to hide it than just being honest from the start.

 

Seems entirely likely she will say you don't need it - and of course she's right: you don't need it. I think most people who care about someone else would advise them not to get an elective medical procedure.

 

Let us know what you decide to do. And good luck.

Thanks!!

I've been dating someone for the last couple months and everytime we go out I almost always wear a baseball cap and I hate it. She's never mentioned anything about my hair loss and I dont think she even cares because she's seen me without a cap.

I'm scheduled to have my HT at the end of Oct and I dont know if I should just do it and not tell her or tell her before I get it done? I have no idea how she's going to react, but I have a feeling she might say you dont need to do it.

What would you do??:confused::confused::confused::confused:

I dont see a lot posts from guys who had their HT 5 or more years ago?

I've read a lot of info online about guys seem to be unhappy after 5 years post HT??

I know a lot of that is because of not seeing a good Dr., but is it because of unhappiness?

I'm booked with Rahal in October, too--when are you there?

Last week of Oct! You? PM me.

I'm nervous, but at the same time excited knowing my appointment is getting close for my HT with Dr. Rahal. It's amazing how booked he is. It was either Oct or March! :-)

How many out there are Rahal patients and how happy are you with the results?

I'm not sure about your original question, but I do know that your how girlfriend's mother looks is a pretty good indicator of how she will turn out...

HAHA...thanks!

So my dad is in his 70's and probably a Norwood 6 and as I CLOSELY consider my HT with Dr Rahal, I'm struggling with the scar and having to take Fin so I want to see what other's think of of question??

Thoughts??

Hey Lefty,

 

Good question.

 

Like Squatch said above, we tell patients "3 buzz" and you're good. This means you can shave down to a 3 guard before the scar is somewhat visible. However, most guys now do a "fade cut." This is where they start at a 1-2 at the bottom and/or in front of the ears, and "fade up" to a 3-4 where the incision line is located.

 

I don't want to make it seem like I'm skirting the issue, however. If you have surgery, you will have a scar. If you do FUT (FUSS or strip) you'll have the linear incision line. FUE, you'll have the puntuate dots in the donor region. And, your own physiology does play a role in how you'll heal. However, I find most people are "normal" healers, and we can safely say the following:

 

-The 3 guard rule holds true

-Most of what we see really does fall into the "pencil line" or "marker line" category. You may stretch 1-2mm if you're body has a tendency to heal with some hypertrophic properties.

-The scar could be slightly larger after multiple procedures.

 

Here are a few interesting examples:

 

I think Dave's (our moderator) most recent photographs of his scar are great for several reasons:

 

1) He had 2 strip procedures, and it's a good example of what a good donor scar that's slightly larger from multiple procedures looks like

 

2) It's rare we get to see someone this shaved down (as he was going in for an FUE):

 

 

And here's a good example of a gentleman I had come in for staple removal a few weeks ago. He's going to heal up beautifully:

 

 

 

(note: the circular red areas around the scar are from removing the staples a few minutes before)

 

Here's another one on a gentleman who underwent 2 surgeries (you can see the line at the top of the exposed area):

 

 

Hopefully this helps. I read your other thread. And it's very normal to be nervous at this stage. Keep asking these type of questions. It will make you feel better. And remember not to "pull the trigger" until you're 100% ready. And, most importantly, remember the trade off: more hair!!

Thanks a lot! I really appreciate it! This make me feel much better!

I would not recommend at HT at this point to anyone either. If I could undo what was done, go back to my older more natural looking hairline, and get a full refund I absolutely would in a heartbeat. Also, the hairline looks very different for me, Im having much trouble getting use to it, cause I've never had a rounded hairline like that at anytime in my life. So to me it doesn't look like "me". It's a strange feeling walking past a mirror. I'll pass final judgment in another year or so following my HT. as I'm just over 2 weeks out. I'm now more self conscious and embarrassed of my hair than ever.

 

It's my own fault for jumping into this to hastily. I'm chalking it up to a midlife crisis. Hindsight is always 20/20 and now looking back I can clearly see my expectations were likely not realistic, and my knowledge of post transplant hair care was very very lacking. Now after educating my further, I can clearly see the mistakes I likely made. Now I'm stuck. Stuck a weird place. So now what am I going to look like as I continue to lose native hair. I will look SO BIZZARE!! I've take a situation in which I was indeed self conscious about my appearance, and in 5-10 years time, likely made it 10 times worse.

 

I've even considered the possibility electrolysis of the implanted hairs as a future option to undo parts of the HT if needed. But that will be more money and further trips to a doctor. I still can helping feeling that I should've just left well enough alone.

 

But I jumped in, I booked the date, and gave my down payment very quickly. After they required a 10% down payment I just convinced myself to go through with it no matter what and to suppress and ignore the doubts I was having (after all I didn't want to forfeit my down payment). I was just too naive to know what I was getting into. I just thought it would help me look at little more youthful if I got a little of my hair back. Looking back I wish I would've just cancelled the surgery, forfeited the down payment, shaved or buzzed down my head to a close cut, and accepted the natural aging process with dignity. That's what I SHOULD have done.

 

And because I refuse to take Finasteride, my future happiness with my HT is very much in jeopardy. I'm going to have some very difficult decision on what to do with myself in 5-10 years as my native hair loss continues. Im not sure what the heck I'm going to do? but now I've forced myself into a position in which I may need even more HT. To be honest, as the days press on from my HT I grow increasingly more regretful of my decision to jump into a HT. It seriously may become the most expensive, biggest mistake of my life!!

Wow, this is leaving me really bummed out! Is anyone really happy with their HT's??

Just wondering how visible is an FUT SCAR say a year after a transplant if done by a good Dr.?

Thank you all for your replies - very helpful!!

So I have my HT scheduled (I'm going to a world renowned Dr) and I guess I've been reading so many bad reviews about HT's and the fact that I'm 44 and a NW5 scares me. I read this below and I guess this is my biggest fear...Any thoughts?

" Also after 5 or 10 years if your baldness progress to become norwood 6 or7 and your donor area is already depleted, can you still shave your receipient and donor area ? or at least can you wear what is left very short (assuming the operations was FUE with small punches 0.9 to 0.5 mm)"

Am I just being paranoid, is this doubt normal??

Thanks! I wish it was my average golf score. It was the year I was born - I'm a 6 handicap.