YoungGuy

Speaking of which, does pot interfere with growth after a ht? Because if it does, that would SO suck...

I may be way off, but I don't know if cutting one exactly into 4 pieces is that important, as long as you end up with having taken 1 pill over 4 days. Personally I don't really sweat getting exact pieces for that very reason. Could anyone with more info/experience weigh in?

Rafael, I'd recommend you soak the scabs in water while you shower and rub them off with your fingers. Be gentle, but don't be overly cautious as at 2 weeks the grafts are already in and won't be removed by this. 2-3 showers and scabs'll be gone; by now they're ready to go anyway.

Speaking of this, actually - I'm about 6 weeks in and have just started going back to the gym. I plan to take it easy for a month, then go back to my normal routine. Is it too soon?

What's the general procedure here - did you tell people (friends, family, coworkers) that you did it? I see some who have, and some who go to some lengths to hide the fact. I actually think that it's a good thing to let everyone know. My opinion is that once you've had the surgery, it's tough enough on you as it is, between worrying about whether it will take, healing and waiting for growth. No need to add to that worry about being discovered. I was really surprised at the amount of emotional support folks gave me. Matter of fact, once I made the appointment and let folks know what I was planning, a friend of mine decided to do it as well! Plus if everyone knows, you can ditch the baseball cap way earlier without worrying about looking silly since most everyone you interact with is in the know already. Speaking of baseball caps. Boy, once the hair grows out I will take all my baseball caps, then buy a few more, and I'll burn them in a ritualistic way while chanting something weird. It's a closure thing

What's the general procedure here - did you tell people (friends, family, coworkers) that you did it? I see some who have, and some who go to some lengths to hide the fact. I actually think that it's a good thing to let everyone know. My opinion is that once you've had the surgery, it's tough enough on you as it is, between worrying about whether it will take, healing and waiting for growth. No need to add to that worry about being discovered. I was really surprised at the amount of emotional support folks gave me. Matter of fact, once I made the appointment and let folks know what I was planning, a friend of mine decided to do it as well! Plus if everyone knows, you can ditch the baseball cap way earlier without worrying about looking silly since most everyone you interact with is in the know already. Speaking of baseball caps. Boy, once the hair grows out I will take all my baseball caps, then buy a few more, and I'll burn them in a ritualistic way while chanting something weird. It's a closure thing

Icing seems benign - I say, as long as it doesn't hurt, go nuts. I didn't ice myself and had some swelling around my neck & jaw. I was kind of hoping it would last a bit so I could freak out friends & family, but it went away overnight & spoiled my joke I'd say it depends on each person & the doctor really...

Speak for yourself. I want to transplant a patch of fur directly onto my nipples. Then I could walk around with my shirt off going "YEAH BABY, YEAH!!!"

Mark, Just google "norwood scale" and you'll find out what NW you are. And I agree with everyone here - 1,000 will not be enough for ya, but if it's a reputable doc performing the ht then it may be a good start. Most people prefer to get larger sessions, though, simply so they have to through fewer surgeries.

Jersey, If you want to see what you'll look like in a month, take a look at my album: http://www.hairrestorationnetwork.com/eve/showthread.php?t=154413 I had a ht with Dr. Feller 5 weeks ago, 3,300 in the front 1/3rd (exactly the same as you). The original plan was to do around 2,500 but the techs managed to get more hair out of the strip.

Week 5 for me - top still a little numb, right side quite numb. It's normal. Travel tip - pick up one of those wraparound travel pillows at the airport before you board, it'll really help!

I think we're all narcissistic at heart. I definitely agree with the fact that we make a lot more of this than anyone else does. I'm now 5 weeks post op myself and we all know that this is really when one looks the worst. Here's the kicker: I just started dating someone this week. I don't think one can get more convincing proof that ya don't look as bad as you think you do. And yet I wear a cap as much as I can. Weird, unnecessary, and still - it's stronger than all of us and I completely understand why the guy Middleson mentions does what he does. In the end, a ht is something you do for yourself, nobody else. Personal decision that makes us happier with ourselves. We can get all the proof that we don't look terrible that we want, but in the end it's that nagging feeling in the back of our heads that we try to kill.

Updated with before and right after pictures.

Oh yeah - there will be some pain. It sucks. You will see a big difference with the stitches out. For me, at about week 5 I feel no discomfort in the donor area anymore, but I do feel a good amount of itching in the recipioent area. Ya get used to ignoring it

Thanks for the comment Bill. I actually received my pre-op pictures today so will hopefully get to post them tomorrow!

Folica, I hope i didn't offend there - I was purely joking and meant nothing by it. In either case, my apologies Being 49, however, is good news for you in the sense that your hair loss pattern is most likely well-established by now; doctors will be able to give you a decent idea of what can be done which should make the decision much easier. If you haven't done so yet, I would definitely suggest you get a consultation with a reputable physician, even if it's an online one. For an online consultation you will need front, top, & back pictures of your head. It's usually free, doesn't obligate and may help come to a decision. I had one 18 months before I decided to go through with it and it really helped me.

I read a description of it on these forums. Apparently the interviewer came from a marketing background so he focused not on what's best for the patient but on which of these methods make the most money for their purveyors, as well as how they're marketed/sold. The HT part was not the best as he had 2 docs from Bosley on the show and a patient Bosley butchered as a showcase. Yuck.

I know what you mean - I took about 3 years to make up my mind, 2 of them lurking here. Probably a good thing too since I'm only 27 now, a month after taking the plunge. What I did initially was just shave my head. In fact, shaving my head was what definitively showed me that the reason I want hair is plain old narcissism since girls seemed to like me shaved more than before. Go figure. My point is, don't rush. What's another year or two going to change, really? Let's be honest, you're married, you have no need to attract women anymore. So the only reason to get a ht is yourself And if it's for yourself, you can afford to take time to be sure!

1st HT. 3,300 FU with Dr. Feller. I will post my pre-op, immediately post-op and scar pictures as soon as I manage to get a hold of them. In the meantime, I would love any comments. How's it looking compared to others? I haven't experienced as much shedding as most people here have after a month, is that a good thing or bad? Update: Attaching my 2-month pics. I may be going nuts, but I swear I see hair growing where there was none before. The pre-op pics show that area being smooth, so I'm cautiously optimistic. Update: 4 month pictures up. It's growing! Aha!

1st HT. 3,300 FU with Dr. Feller. I will post my pre-op, immediately post-op and scar pictures as soon as I manage to get a hold of them. In the meantime, I would love any comments. How's it looking compared to others? I haven't experienced as much shedding as most people here have after a month, is that a good thing or bad? Update: Attaching my 2-month pics. I may be going nuts, but I swear I see hair growing where there was none before. The pre-op pics show that area being smooth, so I'm cautiously optimistic. Update: 4 month pictures up. It's growing! Aha!

I don't know much about the doctor in question; however, as far as being put to sleep I can say from experience that it's really not necessary. You will likely get a local anesthetic and a valium (or two, if you ask for it!) to calm you down. What you will feel will be some pressure, no pain whatsoever. The worst part of the procedure will actually be sound (you will hear the cuts being made, it's just plain WEIRD). Bring an ipod and you will be fine.

The cancer thing, from what I've read, is basically this: you get a much smaller chance of getting prostate cancer, but if you do manage to get it anyway, it's likely to be more malignant. The FDA figures it's worth the risk I guess, I agree. Numbers for the study are here: http://www.ishrs.org/articles/finasteride-prostate-cancer.htm

Haha - I'm only 27, so not sure where I am on the hormone scale. But after a month of 1/4 Proscar daily, hormones are raging as always. Bah!

I second that. People have died from online meds that were not made properly, had the wrong active ingredients or too much of the correct ones. A lot of these "online drugs" are made in basements and barns. Some of the lucky folks got drugs with no active ingredients at all; lucky, because at least they didn't get hurt. Try proscar instead. It's much safer.

No smoking before/after a HT? Doh! Why hasn't anyone told me! It's a month after for me and I'm still smoking! Is there any proof it can affect the hairs? I know there's a lot of other reasons to quit, but I won't unless it affects the transplant. I'm what you'd call an unrepentant smoker - I smoked for a few years, quit for two, then picked it up again. Why? Because having thought about, I realized that I *like* smoking. I enjoy the distraction in the middle of the day, I like the act of it. We all have to die of something, don't we? Still, if there's any studies done about smoking & hair restoration, please do send over some links