Betterhair

Okay so this haircut possibly termed "the fade" has been around what 3 years now ?? Anyway, this is obviously just my take and perspective on this but it just doesn't suite us if we are say 30 and up. Sides are buzzed short then you have this plume of overgrown hair on top resembling a peacock mutation of sorts. It definitely suits kids and teenagers because they are goofy but not middle aged men. Its amazing how trends are copied and some fall into the realm of copycat just to look cool. This haircut could possibly be fueling the FUT movement since you can still shave your head in the back with no visible scaring. If you have one of these fades, don't take this post personally but it's not just me that has this viewpoint. Yes, I understand that fads come and go but when it comes to how we dress, carry ourselves and what hairstyle we choose, all of the above should be relative and appropriate to our age. With that being said you can obviously do what the heck you want but I personally will not be sporting a child's haircut. Thoughts ??

Oh yes, I forgot to mention price. Same here , if I opted for FUE I would have shelled out an additional $6-7000 for same results but probably less density. No scar? I don't wear my hair in that ridiculous style most guys are wearing. Why are these middle aged men wearing teenager haircuts. They look ridiculous. Besides, in a year or two I hear long hair with perms are coming back. Then we will all look like women :) I should start a thread on age appropriate haircuts :)

I opted for FUT and here's why: more density, statistically graft survival better than FUE, maintain thickness in donor region, can opt for FUE later, more precise hair groupings with no papillae damage. my surgeon made every recipient site and yes , techs did plant , however, some techs are the best in the business because that's what they do. The hair transplant industry has become a frenzy leading to both good and horrible clinics so one has to be very careful. Although my surgeon has great reviews and all kinds of awards and qualifications, I will only truly know 8 months from now if I made the right choice. I guess all of us "roll the dice" and sometimes we win , while other times we lose. Good luck!!

I really think once you dabble into the psychological aspect of our ht journeys it's obvious to state that many variables play into each other. One can even object or agree to the " looking glass self theory "to some extent in an attempt to understand the dynamics behind our emotions. i agree that most people will not even notice the changes at this point and with that being said, I can fly under the radar for a few months until the grafts grow. i guess I just became somewhat paranoid but I'm better now. I work inside all day so all is good.

Okay, will do and thanks.

I think you are correct here and another member mentioned styling in a way that's not too noticeable. In 3 days I will be at 1 month post op , so I don't think the hair fibers will cause issues in the recipient site. I will definitely research the hair concealer. Thanks for everyone's concern and suggestions. I will take a pic the morning I go back to work and see what you think. Cant wait for my new hair to start growing. Patience, lots of patience. since I'm on here, here is a current pic. I am no combing what little hair I have left forward. I believe if I sprinkle some hair fibers in there and spray with hair spray, it just might work. Man, I wish I could have had the crown area done as well but I will have to wait. These procedure's are expensive!! chow for now

FUT , yes you are correct. Actually the Doc went back and needed more grafts and made an additional incision on my left side. His suturing was amazing, can hardly tell but it's still red from it being just 3 1/2 weeks post op. i hear long hair with perms are coming back.

Okay, let me "shed" some more info . Prior to the surgery, I did have some hair in the recipient site. Now, instead of that I have no hair and scalp redness. I sure the heck wasn't going to get an elaborate wig which would be very noticeable. Just thinking of a slight weave of sorts connected to my high sides. My hair is medium curly, so it should blend right in. Other option is to comb the sides, and top rear into a trumplike swirl, nobody would notice that :) i will figure this out but no, I'm not opting for a ridiculous wig. I meant to say weave in the topic line.

From what I've read, the grafts are set 10 days post op. My grafts hairs are already shedding so I think a weave of some kind might have to be the route to go.

Dress code will not allow caps. I'm not going to shave my head either!

Okay, so I have a long journey ahead of me. 2500 grafts frontal and some of mid region almost a month ago. I go back to work in 2 weeks . I have had quite a bit of shock loss with native hairs and my recipient site is quite pink. Any ideas on how to "hide" this area until the new hairs start growing. I have heard of hair fiber strands but not sure if it will work. Wig??

I will say this, if you have done your research, then it's worth it. 10 years ago I took the plunge but without doing much research. At that time I thought I chose the correct place and since there was really no reference point to go on , I paid the price. dr Blaine Lehr a dermatologist ( Oklahoma City who no longer performs ht's) was the first online ad that popped up. I had my consultation and everything appeared okay . Since I did not have the knowledge I do today, my questions were limited and vague to say the least. I paid for 2000 grafts and didn't realize until 10 years later that they only transplanted around 700 at the most with only half of those taking. Yes, 10 years later I have another ht this time 2500 and it was like night and day. Your advantage is not only your research but availability to it, with more doctors specializing in the field. Getting back to my first experience with dr Lehr. His only activity with me was removing the strip and suturing the incision. Everything else was performed by techs. This 2nd go around, I research relentlessly and found an m.d. That only does hair transplants and actually makes the incisions in the recipient sites himself , which was very impressive. Statistically, you are more likely to have undetectable results today, given all the variables available currently as opposed to 10 years ago. You will be fine, good luck.

I'm telling from experience. If you find a reputable surgeon, his skills lend itself to a result that you would be looking for. Now, if you were needing a HT from back during the the 1980's, I could not make the same statement. Today's techniques are quite advanced and the artas punch or hand held are very small , therefore undetectable. Now, if you choose the FUT technique, you will have a linear scar on the back and sides.

Find a surgeon that only does HT's, since they specialize in this field , the HT will not be detectable. I just had a 2500 graft HT with dr Arocha in Houston and he had large before and after photographs displayed in his clinic for me to view. I am confident in 8 months I will have a new hairline that is virtually undetectable. Good luck !

I just had a 2500 graft procedure in Houston with Dr Arocha. Although I'm 8 months out to see total results, I must say he's good and his procedure was reasonably priced !

That's correct.

Well, I did send him some pics about 2 weeks post op . We never got on the topic of his shampoo but I remember the techs told me to use baby shampoo. Dr Arocha responded to me sending pics 2 weeks post op and emphasized to continue placing the zinc ointment on recipient and donor site. On the recipient site, he told me to use ointment 2 hrs prior to shampooing, then while I'm shampooing, I must use a circular motion to gently remove scabs. As you can see from my previous posting, scabs are gone. Hope this helps

Almost 3 weeks post op and my scalp is almost scab free. I have had quite a bit of native hairs fall out around the recipient site but no transplanted hairs have shed yet. Donor scar is healing nicely. Keep telling myself to have patience as I've quite a bit of time in front before I see results. ist pic is current. No scabs but skin is red. Next pic was about 7 days post op. I might also mention that my hair is naturally grey and therefore the transplanted hair cannot really be seen.

Well, I'm 10 days post op and my swelling is virtually a thing of the past. The 4th day had the worst swelling for me. Here is a before and after. I will also note that I called Dr Arocha's clinic on the 4th day with additional questions and he called me back the same day helping me with those questions. Very professional and stated that" we are here for you" if I had any further concerns. He also assured me that the swelling will lessen and that it's not something to be concerned about. The first pic is current, next 2 were day 4,5

Okay, it's day 5 post op and my swelling appears to be subsiding but it's still quite profound. My wife is freaking out !! I assured her that it will pass , however it takes time. Meanwhile, since I've been home bound I have had time to further research finisteride. Interestingly enough , there have been many lawsuits against Merck for degenerative life changing side effects, some of which Merck denies even exists. Anyone bold enough out there to admit they have been taking this drug religiously for many years with little to no side effects and proven hair results they wanted?

Makes sense.

TSA will only allow liquid 3.5 ounces or less. Arocha' post op kit included a very large bottle of special shampoo rinse , therefore could not take it with me. No spray but a good supply( small packets) of ointment. Right after the surgery they rinsed my transplant and donor site since I bled slightly more than average. Their post op instructions were emailed to me a week prior to the surgery. Included were suggestions on rinsing the hair each day paying attention to not scrub . The donor site however can be lathered gently horizontally. Im very careful just using a cup to rinse per their instructions. I woke up this morning and my swelling is very bad but I expected it. Onto some other info, I'm going to get back on finisteride. I'm really at the stage in my life that I don't want to continue losing hair and this drug is the "gold standard" in preventing hair loss. Arocha also promoted this game plan. Well I would take a pic of my swelling and post it but I'm afraid someone will dial 911 for me so I will wait. Chow for now everyone:)

I was, however, since I had to board a flight back home, the special shampoo had to be left behind. I was instructed to rinse my hair daily using baby shampoo with no scrubbing. As far as a spray, there was no mention of that in their post op instructions but I believe on the 3rd day, I can apply a zinc based ointment which is also used to treat donor scar site. Not relevant to your question but I might add that I tend to swell pretty horrifically in the forehead after these surgeries. Nothing helps, ice, elevation all to no avail so I'm currently dealing with that which is a little inconvenient since I can't go anywhere until it subsides but hey, a slight sacrifice for new hair so no complaints on this end, just mild venting to get me through .

Okay, Dr Arocha and his team did amazing work today 2700 fut procedure. I really appreciated the detailed communication throughout the entire process. Team was constantly asking me how I felt and too me, that's professionalism at its height. This doctor is extremely passionate about his work and it shows. Our enjoyed our historical discussions and wish we had more time for further dialogue. The tech girls were very observant of my needs and also would not hesitate to ask if I was okay and if I needed anything. Overall, I would fly down to Houston indefinitely, to discuss further options we outlined and be proactive to achieve those options. here is my post pic same day revealing frontal region.