YoungGuy

I have a thread going here from earlier but I wanted to start a new one and describe what happened to me today. I've just had a procedure done with Dr. Feller today, in fact I just got home about 3 hours ago. Surgery: I arrived at the doctor's office about 15 min early, which gave me time to get a cup of coffee to help me wake up. I'm lucky since I live about 30 min. drive away from his office. The doctor went through the pre-op session with me which basically was me asking questions, him answering candidly. He then drew a hairline which was to be filled in. I'm lucky I suppose, since while I have pronounced hair loss on the front of my head the back & top and perfectly fine & hairy. The doctor commented that I'd be a good showcase for him, being relatively young at 27 and that the difference would be fairly dramatic. He asked whether he could use my photos for advertising, etc. and I told him to go ahead & do anything he likes with them. The surgery itself was long. I was originally to have 2,500 grafts put in, but he managed to extract more and put those in which means I ended up with 3,300 grafts total, all concentrated on the front half of the head. The doctor seems to think the results will be very nice and boy, do I hope he's right. Additional grafts mean more time spent, and I was there from 7:45 am to 5:00pm. I watched some movies during the surgery and the doc bought me lunch; still, the entire process was fairly grueling. Not painful, but how long can you sit without moving before you start to feel uncomfortable, really? The doctor's staff was very good and friendly. They were somewhat bummed at the fact that I'd had a few beers the week before surgery, which thinned the blood and made their work tough. I didn't receive the pre-op instructions and the prescription for painkillers which were mailed to me and, as a consequence of which I did a few things wrong (no button down shirt, no painkillers bought ahead of time, beer). He gave me another prescription as I was leaving and I bought them on the way home. When I did get home, I found a letter in my mailbox - the prescription and the instructions. Go go gadget US postal service... Once surgery was done, the doc took a few more pictures, gave me a prescription for Propecia and I headed home. On the way home anesthetic wore off and by the time I got my prescription filled, 2 hours later, it hurt. Boy, did it! Fortunately, the painkiller took care of it and I could think again So now I have 3 days off ahead of me before I go back to work. I'll get Propecia tomorrow and spend the weekend sequestered, sheltering my new hair. Afterwards I'll probably have to see a lot of people as nearly everyone I know has been told I'm getting it done and will want to see the result! I'll update this post in a few weeks with some pictures and try to provide an ongoing progress report. I feel pretty good about doing it. So far, so good! To conclude, I'd recommend Dr. Feller to anyone based on the initial experience, and I hope the results will be good enough for this recommendation to stand.

Thanks for posting, Island Girl - you're giving others (me!) confidence as well. I just had my surgery done today

Thanks for the help guys, I really appreciate the advice and the support. I do have two questions, however: - Where does one buy Aloe Vera? Any drugstore, or do I need to find a specialty place? - What's MSM (that I should be on to make it grow faster) and where does one get that? I'll read the replies tomorrow as I'm going to bed. 9 hours to go!

Oh, I've been doing the research for years. I've seen the pictures, I've read what folks have been saying, I know what to expect. But... I don't *know*, ya know? It sounds silly, but I guess it's the difference between watching skiing on tv and getting out on the mountain...

I'm getting a procedure done with Dr. Feller in a few days, I'm scared. Never had one done before. Don't really know what to expect, other than I'll look silly for about 6 months and after that, hopefully, better. Does anyone have any advice as to what to do for the next few months? What's going to happen? Does it hurt much? What did ya do afterwards, get a buzz cut? Wear a hat? Any info would be appreciated.

I'm getting a procedure done with Dr. Feller in a few days, I'm scared. Never had one done before. Don't really know what to expect, other than I'll look silly for about 6 months and after that, hopefully, better. Does anyone have any advice as to what to do for the next few months? What's going to happen? Does it hurt much? What did ya do afterwards, get a buzz cut? Wear a hat? Any info would be appreciated.

I'm 27. Started losing hair at 23, shaved head at 25. Here is my pic, though it doesn't show the hair loss too well. You get 3 guesses as to which one I am.

Man, I know how you feel. I've been thinking about it for 2.5 years and now that I'm getting close to deciding for it, some folks have made me take a second look which has, in turn, forced me to reconsider. Replying to ya might help me streamline my own thought process since they're similar, so bear with me. Reasons to get a HT: 1. Get laid more 2. Self-esteem That's pretty much it as far as I can see, really. I'd have put self-esteem in #1, but let's be honest. Which is more important? Hair is purely cosmetic so this is a vanity thing, but at the same time - that's very important. Self-confidence affects everything about your life. So, think about this in detail. 1. Do you get laid regularly? I don't mean beg-for-a-VD type of regularly, but if you're not in a long term relationship then do you bag 2-3 girls/year? (If you are in a relationship then stop reading. It doesn't concern you. She likes you the way you are, so what do you care if you have no hair, 3 nipples or a tail?) If you do, then you don't *need* a HT, but want one. Get one if you have money lying around, but don't worry about it too much. 2. Do you think you're good-looking? Look in the mirror, like what you see? If you don't, chalk one up for the HT. If you're generally happy, then you don't need one. How's your confidence? Have you ever gone into a bar with a buddy or 2 and played the numbers game? It's a fun game in which the buddy selects a girl for you, then you walk over, chat her up & try to get her phone number. She might tell you to piss off (rare), ignore you (less rare) or chat you two hit it off (more common than you'd think). Do you know that the fairer sex likes you and your company, at least most of the time? If you do then you don't need a HT. Remember that self-confidence is in your head, not on it. Ever been with a really hot girl and after the first month or so, when the looks thing wore off, realize that you really don't want to be spending time with her? On the other hand, ever been with an average-looking girl - few extra pounds, not your type, peg leg - and realized: wow, a diamond in the rough! If you hyave, then you know the other side of it. I'm getting wordy. Think about why you want a transplant. Be honest. Then, think about whether the reason for it is lack of hair, or something else masquarading underneath that. And at the end of it all, if you realize that a new hairline is what you really want, then hey man - good luck. And post some pictures so we can see!

I forgot about the scar... Ugh, and now that I've finally came close to deciding to get one too !! To be honest, it's like this... While I don't mind the shaved look, I've always thought of it as being kind of forced on me. Luckily, it's worked out - though, honestly, to pull it off one has to be a large guy and it's sort of forced me to hit the gym. I've gained about 15lbs of muscle in the past 2 years, so there's a good side effect, but there's another 15 to go I think. Is getting a HT bad when one thinks of it as a luxury rather than a necessity? I'm thinking of my situation as I would of driving a Camry. It's a nice car that works for me and that I like - but it would be nicer to drive a Lexus, wouldn't it? Bottom line, if I don't need one, but would prefer to have hair - would you say that it generally is worth it? How close to the good old days can you get, honestly? Thanks for the replies, folks. If nothing else, I'll probably wait another year until I've hit 170lbs and see how it goes. (As a way of explanation, I'm one of those unfortunates who can not gain weight/fat no matter how hard they try. I've been gorging on junk food & steaks since high school and was stuck at 145lbs forever, only way I managed to hit 160 was by putting on muscle through religious workout & eating a ton of protein.)

Hi folks! I've been thinking about this more & more and I think I'll end up getting a HT this fall. I do have a question though... I've been shaving my head for something like 2 years now and, truth be told, I kinda like the look. Girls don't seem to mind either, amazingly enough - I thought it was going to be the start of celibacy for me and ended up being wrong. Should I get the HT, would I be ok to continue shaving my head for the 8-10 months post-op, until the new hair is ready to grow? Or would it affect the transplant in a negative way? I decided on Dr. Feller, by the way - since he's close to me and seems to have a good reputation. Is anyone familiar with him? Is he a good choice? Appreciate the replies!