SprayPaint

Thanks for all the encouraging comments. This site was instrumental in helping me decide to move forward with the procedure as well as in selecting the right surgeon for me, so hopefully these posts are helping others as well. I’ll post a 9-month update around September 15. 

Congrats on your progress. For 6 months you’re on your way to a great result!

3 minutes ago, Melvin-Moderator said:

@SprayPaint your hair looks amazing man, subtle changes make all the difference in the world. Without seeing your face I can tell that you look younger.

Thanks. The self-confidence that this process has restored is amazing. 

On 8/1/2019 at 7:17 AM, Vickykuril said:

Spraypaint I think nobody is going to believe u had some work done. Can u ask a few random people and let the community know how undetectable is dr hassons work! And congrats for ur results I have been following ur progress, hell lot of grafts used

@Vickykuril when I was at the barber earlier this week, the women in the chair next to me said she would never have guessed. My barber also has a lot of clients who’ve had HTs. He said Hasson’s work is the best he’s seen. (Albeit you get what you pay for.) 

to put it in perspective, I had a get together with some college friends I hadn’t seen in a long time, and the only thing I got was “You look younger now that you cut your hair shorter.”  And trust me, if these guys suspected a thing, they would’ve ripped into me. So guessing it is undetectable at this point. 

Hope this helps. 

Hey @ItHasToLookNatural   

The short answer is no, it doesn’t look thin. The hair is dense. Dr Hasson packed it very densely. Unless I’m 2 inches away from a mirror with harsh light directly overhead it’s hard to see through it. Granted there are times when I’m blow drying it and depending on where the gust is hitting the hair it can look odd, but once combed looks completely natural. There are a couple of spots where it’s not as densely packed as others, but I think I’m the only one who notices those bc I’ve been watching it so closely for months.   

Hope this answers your question. 

7.5 Month Update

Hey all. Below are pics taken this afternoon - day 228. No fillers, no toppik, etc. I continue to be very happy with the progress to-date. I think Dr Hasson did an awesome job.

In terms of day to day changes, besides hair length, I haven’t noticed a tremendous amount of change over the past month. Maybe things are staring to slow down. I do, however, think the hair shafts are still thickening because I wasn’t able to part my hair on the right last month because it still looked a bit too thin. But now, as you’ll see in the pics below, Im feeling better about parting it on the right. 

One thing I have noticed, is that I’m getting a little bit of shed when shampooing. Pic below are some of the hairs I’m seeing daily. I inquired with Dr Hasson’s office and was told that shedding can occur anytime for the first year following a HT. I also have trouble telling whether the shed is coming from older existing hairs or newly transplanted hairs. I was on the finestride pill for the first 6 months, then recently switched over to topical finestride. Not sure if the gap in treatment of about 12 days between the two where I wasn’t using anything may be a culprit as well. 

All in all I remain thrilled with the results. I’m swimming, working out, going out in all sorts of weather - all without having to think about my hair (or lack thereof) anymore. I won’t lie, the ugly duckling phase (~4 months) really sucked. But seeing where I am now compared to where I was only 8 months ago, it was worth every penny and I’d do it over again in a heartbeat. 

Hey @Aftermath, congrats on some incredible results. Looks like your journey was well worth it. You must be thrilled. 

Ive asked this question of others, but seeing as how you style your hair I’m assuming you use some product for hold and styling... that said, did you ever experience any minor loss in the recipient area when shampooing in months 6+ following your HTs? I ask bc recently when shampooing, especially in the recipient area I notice 5-10 hairs in my hands per shower. Wondering if this is normal or experienced by anyone else? Not sure if after a HT whether the transplanted hair is “permanent” or whether typical shedding during a shower is still normal? I’m also backing off the stickier molding clays which I’m wondering if perhaps have something to do with it as well. Thanks. 

Looking good @CosmoKramer !! Congrats. 

Question: did you ever experience any minor loss in the recipient area when shampooing in months 6+ following your HT? I ask bc recently when shampooing, especially in the recipient area I notice 5-10 hairs in my hands per shower. Wondering if this is normal or experienced by anyone else? Not sure if after a HT whether the transplanted hair is “permanent” or whether typical shedding during a shower is still normal?

Solid results! Good for you!! Still more to come, which makes it even better. Glad you’re happy with the decision and results. 👍

On 6/15/2019 at 10:23 AM, shookwon33 said:

@SprayPaint I see i see. How many mcg of biotin do you take daily? Also, was there any particular reason as to why you started the biotin on month 1? Or were you always taking it before or directly after your FUE procedure? So far I believe I am following your exact same supplement regimen post FUE as well.

I started the biotin about two months before the procedure. I only started the finestride about one month after the procedure though because of another med I was on and bc I  couldn’t take the two simultaneously. 

@shookwon33 I’m on 1.25mg proscar (finestride) nightly, along with a biotin supplement. That’s been the regiment since month 2. I didn’t take fin month 1. Been shampooing daily with organic baby shampoos since procedure. Only recently started using grooming clay to style, but wash it out nightly. I’ve stayed away from all fillers/powders like topikk as was told it can clog pores during regrowth. 

@hairlossPA I don’t have a recent pic straight on of my donor area but can tell you there is absolutely no trace of the procedure. If you go backwards in this thread near the beginning you see a pic from only ten days post-op and you can already see little to no evidence of surgery. Over the past 5 months since then it’s only gotten even better. Donor area looks completely natural. When I get a chance to take a pic of the donor area I’ll send it your way, but really nothing to see there.

5 hours ago, shookwon33 said:

wait only 5 cm from hairline to eyebrow? Are you sure? That's a super low of a hairline. From the picture i would assume it was 7 cm. The average Caucasian hairline is 7-8 cm. @SprayPaint

I measured from the lowest point of the hairline (widow’s peak) to the highest point  of my eyebrows. 2”. 

I didn’t really go in with expectations of measurements. He just drew a few options of what he thought would look good and we went with the lowest one (the thin black-dotted line, not the purple ones).  

8 hours ago, shookwon33 said:

very nice progress my friend. Do you know how many cm your new hairline is from the top of your eyebrow? Or im not sure if its supposed to be measured from hairine to the middle of the eyebrow? @SprayPaint

2 inches from the highest part of my eyebrows 

***Month 5 Pics***

Hey Fellas. Below are some photos from the 5 month mark. A few taken in the morning and then one after a haircut. No fillers or Toppik in any. 

I’m thrilled with the progress. This past month has definitely seen the most growth by far. 

My hair looks less dense and some weak spots are noticeable if I comb it the opposite way, against the grain, but hoping that’ll eventually get better as the hair continues to thicken. 

I've also included two “before” pics below from the morning of the surgery, which I frequently use to remind myself where I started. It really helps when I start to over analyze my new growth. It’s a huge change and I’m thrilled.

Absolutely no regrets at this point. 

Let me know if any questions, and of course feedback welcome...

On 5/24/2019 at 7:07 PM, HLPToronto said:

... I am only 2 months post transplant with pink scalp, some fine pimples, new hairs sprouting everyday, minoxidil and coconut oil ( baby oil finished ) ... 

Now If I put dermmatch, it might create issues on the sensitive scalp as its a concealer  

any advice 

@HLPToronto I would be super cautious to be putting anything on my scalp so soon after surgery. A natural shampoo, h2o, and fresh air were the only thing I let touch my hair and scalp for the first 4 months. Let the scalp recover and those little hairs start to grow without any junk in the way. Let nature take its course.

Just my two cents. 

For those big hair fiber users out there, my surgeon mentioned that if using them, especially during the first year of regrowth, be sure to wash them out nightly. They’re so fine that they clog pores and can actually inhibit growth. Probably cause other issues as well if not washed out regularly. 

I was a huge user of Toppik and colored sprays (hence the screen name) prior to my HT. With 20 minutes of prep time I could do a great job concealing, but always felt the more I used the more I lost. Especially with the sprays. Maybe it was all in my head, but now I’m just being cautious going forward, and if I use anything I will be shampooing it out soon after. 

Looks really good with the haircut @CosmoKramer! 

Have you (or has anyone for that matter) found a good conditioner that really helps take some of the awkward kink out of the newly growing hair?

On 5/17/2019 at 12:09 AM, flyinghotnow said:

Looks awesome. Your hair will be great by summer. Only wish I was more strategic in planning my dates.

Thanks @flyinghotnow   

Planning dates was a big part of the process for me and would recommend it to other guys as well. I knew I’d want as much time as possible before going back to the office, so purposely scheduled the HT just before Christmas knowing id just lay low during the holidays and that I’d have about 15 days before returning to work. Then with it being winter I could wear a ski cap the other 90% of the time and no one would think twice.  Now with summer approaching I just look like I got a “really short cut for summer” and will continue to let it grow over the next few months. 

@Lennney I’m a big believer in keeping the whole head really short during the first several months of recovery. I first saw @Arminius take that approach and it never looked like he was “recovering” from anything, just a guy with really short hair that was slowly getting longer uniformly. It made sense and I’m glad I took that approach. People just assumed I shaved my head on a whim and now that it’s filling in they’re none the wiser and are just like “Ah, I see you’re over the shaved head look.” And I’m like, “yup.”

Of course every guy has to decide what works for him, but for those trying to figure out how to navigate the ugly duckling phase, that would definitely be my advice.

@Lennney good luck! Will be following your progress and hoping for the best for you. 

Everything you’re describing is quite normal. I’d refrain from putting a lot of stuff in your hair / on your scalp and just let the process work naturally. Your head looks almost identical to how mine did at that stage. (Your’s is probably even better.) it’s all part of the process and the process just takes time. If you’re really in a panic, you can also always email questions to Christine at DrHasson’s office. She usually responds within hours. 

Personally though, I think you look right on track. Good luck!

4 Months. 

Starting to really see some light at the end of the tunnel!

The first four pics below are taken with and without flash, first thing in the morning. The final pics are taken later in the day following a haircut and combing the hair to the side instead of straight forward. 

The top front-right section of my head is still the weakest in terms of new growth, but considering that was also my baldest spot going into the procedure, I guess that makes sense. 

Not sure if all the hair that will eventually grow has already now sprouted?? But hoping, at a minimum, that the hair now there will continue to thicken over the next few months?

Overall, however, very pleased so far with the direction things are heading. 

Some of you may also notice I changed the title of the thread to now include Dr Hasson’s name. I had initially not identified the surgeon (although I concede that the blue background was pretty much a giveaway). As pleased as I now am with how things are progressing, I thought it only fair to pay credit where credit is due. 

As I have said from the beginning, the surgeon and his team were incredible. Dr Hasson and his tech treated me with the respect and courtesy one would hope for. He was candid and honest with me about my expectations versus the reality of the situation - and as I sit here today, I’m so glad I listened to him. 

I have nothing but positive things to say about my time with his team in Vancouver. So far, I think it was definitely worth the trip!

Looking good 👍

Congrats on pulling the trigger! Excellent choice in surgeons and your HT looks right on track. I’m sure you’ll have a fantastic result. Just be patient and give it time, and good stuff will happen. Good luck!

3 Month photos. 

Feeling carefully optimistic at this point as growth seems to have really begun in earnest. The increase in growth seen below even from the photos taken on Day 92 vs Day 100 are giving me a lot of hope. 

Obviously still thinner in certain parts than others, but overall it’s starting to happen. 

Any questions, lmk. 

On 4/10/2019 at 2:06 PM, Zinedine said:

Looking good man... how is it going? You getting those little ones coming already? 

Dont forget to update! Thanks a lot  and best of luck ; )

Will post my 3month update in about a week.