Lennney

Looks fantastic!

I agree: Conservative hairline it is not! Conservative is in regards to density, but density after the 1.5 centimeter initial hairline. I am on finasteride now, and I plan on staying on it long term. No ill effects in last 75 days. Never considered the hair contrast bit. Perhaps I should try dying my hair if the results don't come out as expected. Hope you follow along to my 12 month mark, and give your final take then. Good to have input either way!

Thanks! I think it's key for success. There are many, seemingly one-time cases where positivity had extraordinary health benefits. At the worst, positivity won't harm anything. At the least, I lift my mood.

So, this is my update at the 75 days post-op. I feel like the growth is pretty good for this point in time. I'll try to update every 15 days or so.

Looks like it is coming along as expected. The scabs should essentially fall out on their own, so don't worry about getting them off. Happy growing!

Those are well thought out answers, thank you for sharing. I meant those to be generic and applicable to anyone considering doing anything for their condition. I think two weeks would be plenty. I also work in an office setting, and I wore a hat. I ended up not really addressing it with those outside of my friend group. The friend group I showed and answered questions, but told them I would appreciate them not telling the office, as the area is healing, and I don't want to put people off. I kept them updated, so they know I didn't feel embarrassed. I think they felt the trust and honored my request. I also told my boss after I came back. He has been supportive, and it would ultimately be his decision for me to take off the hat if it didn't fit his definition of "business casual". As long as you fit the dress code of your work (read: not told to remove hat) there should be no issues. Your boss won't make you take it off, and your friends won't embarrass you in front of others by mentioning your hat. I feel like month #3 or so I will no longer wear the hat. I do not recommend telling people about the "skin reaction or whatever." Logically speaking, once they eventually find out, you'll have to face those questions again from people you essentially lied to. You're better off not telling them anything, eventually they will stop asking. I don't know your budget, nor who you are communicating with. For me, the most important aspect I stressed was the RIGHT procedure from the RIGHT artist with a CONSISTENT track record. The return on investment for me is great, since it may open doors I would have otherwise missed or if nothing changes for my situation, I feel better for many years. As long as you are confident with your doctor, you'll eventually find ways to finance it. Biggest issue is timing. *** If you have the timing do it. If it is relatively inexpensive, you can always put it on a credit card or take a small personal loan from the bank. ***TIP: I used the time off from university combined with my SO's time from work during the holidays. We called it a holiday trip to Great Wall and Taj Mahal (we traveled west) when I went to Chandigarth India for the procedure. It's best time since you're likely approved for holiday leave at that time, 2-3 weeks off isn't unheard of for a trip to (for example) Turkey (since it is less desirable with the global tensions and not as much historical appeal as other travel locations). Tell people you're going to Greece instead. Visit Greece if you haven't! Take just 2-3 days to see sights and the rest to fly to Turkey for procedure. You'll have pics and experience of traveling to see historic landmarks! I know several tricks to find cheaper airfare (takes patience and checking) but the additional cost of, say, $1000 USD (180 for round trip from Athens to Istanbul, 200 for 3 days of hotel/AB&B, 300 for tours/tickets and 300 for spending money while you're there) you can have a trip you'll always remember in addition to your surgery. Get creative. Use google flights "Explore destinations" to find cheapest airports to fly into/ out of. My point is, I refused to think of my trip for HT as a pure HT trip. It's 25+ hours of travel, for what, an operation? It would be a waste to at least not see the (in-country and neighboring) foreign lands and culture while you're there. HT is a life changing procedure. Traveling, for a small additional cost, can give you global perspective and once-in-a-lifetime experiences.

Like Bonkling above you had said, the redness can last quite a long time. I wouldn't be surprised if my fair skin stayed red for 6+ months. If that is the case, I plan to style my hair to make it less noticeable. I wear a hat everywhere at the moment. I've shown about 50 people in total so far. The people I show are friends and colleagues. I sympathize with your concern over the redness. I scheduled my procedure precisely when I had 3 weeks off for recovery. It is a little jarring how red the skin is (and how it won't go away) initially. I've come to terms with it. It really helps to have a supportive SO who doesn't react differently to me. I have events coming up that are formal dress and very public. I can't wear a hat there, so that may be my abandon hat moment. My advice for you: 1. Try the finasteride. I didn't and wish I would have known about it in my early 20s. Maybe I could have delayed a HT. 2. It is important to put a value on a HT. What is it worth to you? Financial cost of procedure, time cost of awkward recovery period, emotional cost of missing events/ fielding awkward questions. 3. What do you stand to gain? Self confidence that will manifest in all social interactions. Removal of the anxiety/emotional burden of balding. If you're single, it'll open up more dating opportunities for you. (In my case) Not being age discriminated for entry level jobs post college. Whatever else applies to your case. It could well be that you have little benefit from a HT. It also could remove any self-imposed hair-loss barriers that open you up to the world. Weigh 2 vs 3. 4. Choose with conviction. Either way, own your decision and know it's best for you. If you get a HT, don't feel ashamed or embarrassed. It is the best choice for you. When people ask "why" I tell them, "I considered it for a long time, and I felt it was the right time for me. I've always been concerned about my hair loss. I am fortunate to be alive at a time when baldness is treatable with a permanent and "natural" (my own hair!) solution. I am happy to answer any questions you have." - The questions then don't focus on my choices (since I addressed them from the start) but focus on "does/did it hurt, How long is it good for, How long does it take to see results, How much?" By taking control of your situation, you take the power out of the tough questions. Your friends and family will support your decision if you present it as a decision that was best for you! Always happy to answer any questions!

Thanks for feedback! I too hope that there are enough grafts. I've heard on this forum that Dr. Bhatti is more conservative than some other docs here, so I am not surprised to hear that. Given that I am just under 30, I am glad to have a sizable reserve of donor hair for future thinning/balding. I have at least another 2700 grafts for the top of my head when I need it (and I will !). I know my temples have more space between each graft, but I am not so sure the density is off on the hairline. I look at the early photos of the hairline, and it seems about as dense as it can be. Dr. Bhatti definitely put the majority in the first half inch (1-1.5cm), which will hopefully be enough to create a dense hairline. I know I've seen other members post the 12 month pic and they complain about density, particularly in the initial hairline. They complain about it being too "thin" so it still seems like they are thinning (can see through the first layer). I think the dense front area + the fact that the hairline starts lower on my head will mitigate any density issues. Anyway, I am excited to be on this journey. Each week is better than the last!

It is at the two month mark. I do have fairly light skin, so I think it is coming along as expected. I saw other members have redness well into their 3rd month. I'm just following the post op care of applying J&J mineral oil and evening minox. I haven't addressed it with doc.

Hello! I just posted updates on a new post in the "results" forum. I think it is a more appropriate place to post monthly updates. I will keep notifications on for both. I just feel that this is more for answering questions about my experiences. If you're interested in following my results, I just posted them!

And todays actual update: I am updating at the two month (55 days) mark. I had some free time this week, so I got a haircut today. I saw someone else post updates before and after his haircuts. I like that idea of no surprises. This way it is easy to see how the hair actually grows from one phase to the next. I took a shower before BOTH sets. No oils, no medicines: just air-dried hair post shower. Before haircut and after haircut. *In case order I selected is messed up, dark jacket is after haircut.*

1 Month update

1 week post and 2 weeks post

Hello, I am making this post to create a tracker. I wrote about my experience/background in a previous post. I am going to try to keep the two somewhat separate. If you want to learn about my journey, visit the other post here. I will try to keep updating anyone interested on this post from March 5th 2019 going forward. Before and immediately after:

I did a lot of lurking myself before creating an account. I am very proficient in planning and getting tickets for airfare. If you haven't gotten tickets yet I can send you a private message on how to look for cheaper tickets. LAX to DEL is the ticket you want to buy. Then buy a separate ticket from DEL to IXC. It is substantially cheaper than LAX to IXC. I didn't get any attention. I wore the medical covering you get - think the ones doctors wear in surgery. I looked swollen getting into the USA, but they still let me get a rental car. I kept myself composed and acted like I normally do - so people think I'm just an ugly dude with a scalp condition. I had to remove my head covering in China. Dude looked at me real quick to see if I had anything dangerous that his wand couldn't read - and let me go. No issues. I was most worried about China honestly. I kept my medical cover and used it for 2-3 weeks when I went out shopping or to a dental appointment. USA is pretty conservative when it comes to asking people about deformations/medical issues, so I wouldn't expect strangers to ask you without you referencing it. I've shown my head to people around my office, and to other friends. The don't connect my head to a HT. They don't mention anything about the color either. I think it has to do with being polite and trying to not offend me (when they think it may be a medical condition like dandruff or something). No one asked, but my prepared answer was: "I had a medical procedure done recently." You get paperwork from Darling Buds that states you had a medical procedure that alters your appearance and.... A prescription for Finasteride/ minoxidil. I stocked up on Fin since I heard it was pricey. I bought an additional 300 days worth - (60 5mg pills which I split into 1mg). Darling Buds mended my prescription to reflect the stocking up I did - and I appreciate it. I checked all of the meds and kept the docs on me. No issues with India, China or USA customs. I usually travel light. But we checked a bag with the souvenirs and the meds. I mostly checked it due to the post-op-care-necessary saline 1liter bottles. If you can avoid it, just travel overseas without checking a bag if you can. Only concern is traveling with so much Fin... X-rays seeing that many pills may earn you a search/questions. I wear a hat everywhere. I'll probably suddenly stop in the coming weeks. I recommend staying for at least 2 nights (to ensure there are no issues), but it's your business. Dr. Bhatti told me that if you remain in the Chandigarth area, he will provide transport to the clinic to do the maintenance. He told me there are those who do ~1week or more recovery and take advantage of this service. Basics for India: Bring toilet paper just in case. I brought 1 roll for every 2 days. I ended up using a roll between us every 3 days. Hotels have some TP, but it's not enough, and it's not very luxurious. Wear light boots that cover ankle. There may be mud or whatever, and a 20$ pair of boots was worth it. A couple cheap button-up dress shirts. A smog mask on Amazon will serve you well. I had a bad sore throat in Delhi after a day trip to Taj Mahal. I was too proud to wear the one my SO got... I regret that decision. Chandigarth has much cleaner air, and we were in nice hotel most of the day. I too like the hairline. I like the temples filled in! I think it looks better with rather than without. Joel McHale doesn't have the temples done, so he tends to brush his hair forward to cover that area up. It's hard to find a picture of him from the side, perpendicular. It isn't flattering. I didn't mention anything about the temples, but Dr. Bhatti drew it in on his own. If he hadn't, I would have asked to do something about it. It does seem like that's his signature for a HT. I love the design, and I can't wait look forward to seeing the results.

I initially hoped to travel to Chandigarth from Los Angeles on my own. I initially planned to only stay for the minimum 2 or 3 days post op. So about 7 days: 1.5 travel to, 2.0 travel back, 1st day consultation and the rest surgery and recovery. My SO demanded to go (worried about my health), so we went together. We ended up doing a layover tour in Beijing (Great Wall, Forbidden city, Tiananmen Square) and Taj Mahal Agra fort in India. It gave us a "reason/excuse" to tell people we didn't want to share HT with, and it was a great experience to see two world wonders. That's back story, but to address your 1st question: No. As an English speaking male who has done traveling abroad before, India was not scary. ALSO in Chandigarth Dr. Bhatti has his own drivers! Not only is Chandigarth safer than Delhi, but you don't worry about logistics (after you book one of his recommended hotels) when you're there. If you ONLY go to India for procedure, I recommend going alone. I can answer specific questions too. But that's what you care about. Relating to your second question: In my experience: 1-2 days post op is not ideal but I did it. Here is the timeline: Day 1/Day of arrival to IXC: I arrived at Darling Buds at ~1:30PM (I arranged this time prior with Dr. Bhatti) to do the consultation. Day 2: I arrive and start pre-op and operation. We finish ~6pm. Day 3/Post op day 1: Replace bandage dressing on donor hair after shower and clean transplanted hair. Day 4/PO2: Same as above. I also left Chandigarth to Delhi at 12pm this day. I also flew out of Delhi 12 hours later at 3AM "Day 5". We got a hotel in aero city and slept for 8 hours before our 30hour trip began. I also washed my hair right before we left hotel, and followed post care instructions. Day 5/PO3: 3 AM flight from Delhi. Show up early. We got stuck in security for 3 hours and nearly "missed" our flight. Your scalp will be dry from so much air travel, but Darling Buds team told me to just be mindful of applying saline spray every 2 hours. Tip: If you bring another person, they can sit between you and the other passenger, so you don't have to get up/ spray them with your saline solution. If not, get aisle seating. Happy to help and answer questions!

Hi, I had the same concern. I used a combination of 2 pillows and a reclining pillow (similar to that one) for about 10-14 days. After about 7 days did I allow any pressure on my temples, where I also had a transplant, but I still babied it. I also researched this forum about the question, "How long must I wait without fear of recipient area rubbing (I assume LOSING transplanted hair) against the pillow?" The answer is 9 days is pretty much clear of any danger to the transplanted hair. Knowing this, I still held off for a few more days. Best of luck.

I forgot to mention. HT was done 9 Jan 2019 at 8am Chandigarth time.

4 weeks/1month. I don’t know which format is better. Weeks are more accurate while months make me feel better. My hair is getting a bit patchy on the temples and parts of my scalp. I know me sleeping on my sides doesn’t help keep the transplanted hair, but I know members advocate that after 10 days the HT is “locked in”. I’ve seen members loose most of their HT hair in the first 3 months, and I’ve already accepted this destiny. I keep my expectations low, but I do keep my spirits up – This is the best time in my personal and professional life to have this procedure done. This is what I want, from the artist I wanted. I am happier now than I was before. Feel free to ask questions. I genuinely appreciate feedback. If there is something you recommend, or see something I can benefit from, please post it. I got 90% of my information from honest members like yourselves, including the unmentioned redditor. Someone like myself could read this and decide to start their HT journey. I want to make it easy for men to lose the stigma against cosmetic surgery by understanding what to look for in a doctor and what a GOOD or BAD procedure looks like. Thank you for your contributions. I hope the donor area is "discolored" due to the hair dye of the transplant. I will get a haircut in 2 weeks, before my next update. I will know for certain if it's my head, or if I've been thinning rapidly at the crown/top.

Two weeks post op. I was just finishing up a full scale molt on my head. I showed a few people, and it didn’t register with me at the time. One asked, “Yeah, I can see the HT, but what’s the white stuff on your head?” It was after I told him that I kept my hat on for shedding reasons. I realized after the fact he was referring to my scabs that float above my head HAHA! Nothing crazy to report. Just that my head was red. I know that the redness stays for months, so it is what it is. I’ve already at that point resigned to the ugly duckling phase… Even before it begins. I had since started the Fin and minoxidil. I also took photos 1 week out. 1 week post op first, then the two week ones.

SKIP TO “*******************” FOR RESULTS LONG BACKGROUND STORY WARNING My journey began when I saw the reddit post: https://i.redd.it/0k9i3r8myk001.jpg . In the comments, I found the link to a poster (who I won’t link, but you could find it yourself) who mentioned that results like Elon had are not only possible, he had one. I went down the rabbit hole. I saw the results that are possible, and common. Quick background: My hairline was receding since I first noticed it at ~15. It wasn’t bad, but I never felt comfortable with my hair short. I noticed acceleration into my early 20s, but I knew it was too early to do anything about it. All of the common advice was to let it develop, and worry about it then. I researched HT when I was 22/23, and google showed me horror stories of 19-year-olds mutilating their scalp with an aggressive hairline and constantly adding more after the fact. I resigned to waiting and seeing. After a few years, the recession stabilized when I was 25/26. I had not known about this site, and so I tried to use Nioxin and minoxidil from Costco, hoping to permanently slow and possibly reverse the hairloss. It didn’t do a great deal. Minoxidil did function like a hair product that kept a shape. I was content to brush my hair to the side, and as long as my SO said I looked fine, I didn’t think much of it. I was never in denial about my hair loss, but like I said, it didn’t seem that bad. My view completely changed when I was at a tailor for a suit. Looking at an angle in that 3-pane mirror, I saw myself from the side. My hair looked like it was drawn on top of my head, rather than coming from my head. I felt vulnerable and embarrassed. I decided to seriously look into a HT. After researching FUE vs FUT, I saw the clear benefits of FUE (very similar to LASIK vs PRK in my opinion) I researched the most recommended doctors, and contacted him. Long story short is: He wanted to do a mix of FUT & FUE. I told him I only wanted FUE. He insisted but conceded. He gave me the quote for 2500 grafts. I view HT as a permanent body modification. Anyone that has ever gotten a tattoo knows that it isn’t the price you pay for a tattoo, it is the artist you get the tattoo from. No one brags about how much they spent, it’s about who the artist was. After brooding on the uneasy feeling of “convincing” an artist of my perspective HT to do an art piece he didn’t want to do, I researched more FUE-only doctors. This is the search that led me to Dr. Bhatti. Long story short again: He told me I needed ~2500 grafts as well. I was contacting both doctors in May 2018. I know that great artists are in high demand, and before I asked if he was available (NOT how much it cost). I told my SO that I was willing to pay double (my local price) for an artist whose portfolio I could see, and whose name I could trust (thanks to this site) if he had availability in Dec/Jan 2019. I was planning on using this time away from college to take a “vacation” where I could get the surgery and recover. Dr. Bhatti said he was available during early Jan, and I immediately booked an appointment with a deposit. Dr. Bhatti’s quote was less than the first quote I received. This was a bonus, not the reason I went to Darling Buds. Obviously I chose to go abroad for the procedure due to costs. I don’t want to compile “unnecessary” costs. I want to be clear that it was a choice of artist. I watched airline prices, and eventually booked my tickets. Booked Lax to Del in September for $456.31 and Del to IXC for $78.01, $534.32 USD round trip total. I am pretty good at finding deals, and am happy to write a post about it if enough ask, if it hasn’t been posted elsewhere. I’ll skip the common details most posters make about travel etc. When I arrived to Dr. Bhatti’s office, I felt that I was at a safe and clean environment. I thought it was all very professional and systematic in following the procedure of bloodwork, paperwork, etc. I really appreciated the one on one time with Dr. Bhatti in drawing my hairline and him giving me time to reflect (no pun intended) on the new hairline. I thought his hairline was ABSOLUTELY natural, and matched completely what I thought would restore my ~12 year old self’s hairline. I told Dr. Bhatti that I was considering lowering it further, (because why not?!). After years of hearing forehead and balding jokes, I think we all get a little defensive and never want to be in that same position, if we can avoid it. HT seems to be the best place to ensure it doesn’t happen again. So I told him what I though, and he said it may not look natural, but he would do it if I wanted it. He told me to consider it, and he would redraw the hairline the next day, the day of the procedure, and we would decide then. I showed my mom what I was considering and she said that I should go with the marker, Dr. Bhatti’s proposal. I arrived the next day and in full conviction, happily chose Dr. Bhatti’s recommendation. ************************************** Single: 271 Double: 1268 Triple: 1013 Front transplanted: 2193 Left temple: 186 Right temple: 173 (I am happy to have it broken down to me in that manner. Temples exposed expedited my HT journey, so it is nice to see how many went to that mission.) I always followed the post care instructions Dr. Bhatti’s office provides. The procedure didn’t hurt. When I felt uncomfortable, I told Dr. Bhatti. He then gave me more local antiesthetic. Side note, I only took a few of the pain pills for post op. My scalp was numb, and I didn’t need it. I had no issues in the 3 days post op. I flew on the 4th day. My face swelled during the air travel, not too horrifying, but pretty bad. I was worried about being questioned by US customs when I arrived in LAX. No problem. I was worried about a rental car I rented later in the day, again, no issues. I didn’t take photos. The swelling went away gradually, but was gone after 3 days, no problem (I expected this thanks to this site! I always checked on here to see if others had similar issues). Picture curation is mostly chronological (I hope). Orange Line is "generally" what I was thinking. Just a rough idea of an "aggressive approach" I ultimately did not pursue. Last photo is 72 hours post. Didn't take a post donor pic due to not trying to make myself contort as well as not making my SO look at the carnage!