jimcraig152

How did you feel in terms of your personal safety? I've looked up travel to Reynosa and read through discussions of gunfire, along with the presence of the Cartels. Do the Cartels leave Dr. Nader's business and patrons alone? Honest questions. Not trying to stir things up.

Hey hey Mickey! That strip scar is looking spectacular. Looks like you did the gentlemanly thing and removed your hat as you entered the room rather than that you've had any work done. I see the tissue is rebuilding too. The indentation is evening out with the rest of your scalp. SMP isn't going to be in your future after all brutha! As for Minoxidil, I use 1% Nizoral 2x on MWF. Johnson's Baby Shampoo 2x on the other days of the week. I use both sparingly too. Like just a dab of the stuff that barely covers one finger tips. Amazing how much lather I can work up with that amount. Before any medical treatments on my hair, I always had dry flaky scalp. Sometimes, I would see larger than cornflake size patches of skin being held through strands of hair to my scalp that I'd pick out. But even with 2x a day of Minoxidial foam, that shampoo regimen has changed things around for me. Give it a shot if the oils fail you. As for the ugly duckling phase, at day 56 (exactly 2 months in) I was a the absolute bottom depths of ugly duckling phase. Slowly but surely, started climbing out of the depths of that despair. Check the photo strip below. Month 3 for us HT patients is like winter ice beginning to thaw before heading into spring. Excited for you. Thanks for the update!

Pain will get better. For me, the pain apex was all throughout week 2 and 3. Pain registered at about a 4.5-5 on a scale of 10. Felt like being too close to a campfire that I could not move away from. I did lose some sleep over it. In week 4, the pain subsided to a 2 on a scale of 10. Somewhere in the 2nd month, the pain disappeared and subsided to numbness. Seems tolerance for pain and experience varies from person to person. Helps to have the tools handy to deal with it though. For pain, best to keep it at bay than to deal with it after onset. So inoculate yourself with pain meds as prescribed by Dr. Konior. Have aloe vera gel handy too. Provides instant cooling relief. This is the stuff I used. Decided on a brand with a saucer dispenser because I just wanted to heap it on with my hands. I'd imagine any aloe vera gel 98% or better would do. But I found the best pain relief, once you are able to, is a quick cold shower or cold head rinse under a shower head. My swelling was extensive too. But it didn't cause pain like a real bruise does. My eye was swollen shut from day 6 to day 14. Actually, the expansion fluids passed from my head and pooled down into my manhood which sucked and was shocking to see. But there was no pain from that either. No ill effects after my body passed the fluids either. Grit your way through the first few weeks. Buckle up for the ugly duckling phase, and you'll be rebounding before you know it.

Interested in knowing if you have any donor area pain. So if you can, speak about any pain in what areas you are going through as you provide updates.

That hairline Dr. Reddy gave you doesn't just exude naturalness, it is natural. Still astonishes me to see how each graft is inserted perfectly in relationship to each hair and to your natural hair. Angles are perfect. Direction is perfect. Not a single hint of artificial work having been done. Remarkable work, exciting to see, and definitely happy for you brutha!

Your donor gets the same reaction that I gave @MagnificentAl, "2120 extractions? From where? Your body parts clone growing in the bacta tank?" Thanks for the details on your procedure. I always wondered how much time must be put into the extraction process to produce that untouched-Like-a-Virgin-look. 5 hours for 2120 FU' excisions; from 8am-1pm. Sounds about right. Similarly, the best hair transplant I've seen since I've been on this forum is @timcfc's 1200 FUE procedure from Dr. Reddy. He mentioned that they started extractions from one side at 10am, broke for lunch at noon, then extracted from the back after lunch. So 2.5-3 hours for what must have been around 700 units. Then they came back and extracted the remaining 500 or so units from the other side after they implanted those grafts later in the procedure. The uncompromising benefit to the patient is obvious. You both could wear 90's boy band mushroom cuts and no one would even dare to say you've had a hair transplant by looking at either of your donors. You and @timcfc win the "Most-Desirable-Virgin" Donor award (presented by Adriana Lima): Another thing I've noticed about Dr. Konior's work is that he achieves high density with far fewer grafts. In comparison area-wise to other surgeons' work, your procedure looks closer to 2500 grafts. In looking at @MagnificentAl's procedure compared to mine, we have very similar hair loss patterns and area-wise, things look similar. His procedure was 1700 grafts, mine was 2332. So I think it evens out dollar-wise if you go with Dr. Konior over a less expensive surgeon. Of course, quality-wise it is a landslide if you get work done by Dr. Konior. Natural placement of hair grafts is a huge huge huge benefit for transplant patients, in particular during the early recovery months. Trust me on that one. You'll suffer through the ugly duckling stage, but as you rebound from it, you'll just look like you have naturally thinning hair. If you cut your hair length all around low to match recipient length, you'll just look like you have a buzz cut. When you go to the market and you notice the cute girl looking at you, you won't worry if she is staring at your hairline or not. Makes recovery that much less painful. I expect you are in quarantine like the rest of us. When you are rebounding from from that stage in the March time frame, hopefully the rest of the world will start to rebuild and we can return to normal about that time. So when you do return to your professional setting, no one will be wise that you've had any work done. They will just think you look great! I had no idea you were in Chicago. You stated that you drove home and you've visited the clinic for follow-up care? You mean all this time, Konior was in your backyard, and you didn't consider him? Like I said, as a brother in the struggle, I'd just want the best for you. But damn, you lucky sonuva.......managed to get slotted in with Konior. You should have went out and bought a lottery ticket the moment the bandages came off to harness all that good fortune. Congrats. Will follow your procedure closely.

Hey, @Skyb, my bad bruh. What I said was out of line. Even if that was my thought, I shouldn't have said it. We may be on the other side of the fence on this subject, but we are brothers in the struggle and aren't too different. After Melvin stated to keep on the subject, I was wondering why you were inserting your results into the discussion. Now I realize you you were doing exactly what you said you were doing: providing positive feedback. Thank you for that. I've deleted that statement. Your hair is enviable brutha! Anyhoo, Dr. Diep's work is polarizing. We might not all agree on that. But @Melvin-Moderator's work isn't. And we all unanimously agree on that. He is a good dude and has a fantastic head of hair thanks to Dr. Diep. He needs a break from this thread. And shoot, I need a break from this thread/forum myself. The Holidays are around the corner. We don't need to be carrying any further negativity into these times. If I am stirring that up, that isn't what I want or am about at all. I am logging off for a couple of weeks. See y'all later.

Hey Melvin. You're a good dude and due a break as I stated a while back. You got it.

Oh, and thanks for pointing out how much Dr. Nadimi charges. If I ever have to go in for repair, she is on my short list.

There are elite surgeons that farm out the work to their techs. Those techs are highly skilled and keeps the surgeons fresh and well rested to perform the more meticulous grafting work. Hasson & Wong farm out the excisions to the their techs. Those techs though, have transection loss down to 2%. Setting the bar. But rather than look at it as being a must that the surgeon does both, I've come to realize what's more important is that the fundamental goals of the patient are achieved. So as I've said, humility. The ability to reject one's own ideas as being invalid and to accept new ones. I've long since thrown out those conclusions. Of course, having the surgeon do 100% of the work still has its advantages. Here is what I believe those fundamental goals are for the patient: With any surgical hair restoration, the primary goal is naturalness. If paying the higher premium for FUE, the primary goal is less visible scarring to allow for shorter hairstyles. The secondary goal is low transection loss (5% or less), as higher transection loss leads to more visible scarring. If choosing FUT, the primary goal is to maximize donor supply. The secondary goal is to minimize the linear scar. The tertiary goal is cost savings. How the goals are achieved, does not matter. What matters is that the goals are achieved. The fundamental goals for the clinic/surgeon are different. I'll touch upon what I think that is with my next update. I am a big fan of Nadimi's work. Every time I look at her work, it is if Mother Nature guided her hand with the grafting and she wins the "Like A Virgin" award with her donor management. One word of caution, her hairlines are on the conservative side. Put in a bit of work before hand and really gain an understanding of where you want that hairline placed. Dr. Diep on the other hand, places hairlines exceedingly well. Just look at @Skyb's work.

It is a beautiful day. Sorry brutha. Didn't mean to upset you. Nice hair, like I said.

It's a dice roll. Nice hair. Your experience with MHTA isn't what other people got. Here is potentially why......... The next day, brings two new surgical patients (too many by a factor of one) and numerous consultation patients through the doors of MHTA. With a long day ahead for each patient, a finite amount of hours in a day, and MHTA's staff, Dr. Diep included, not being robots thus deprived of rest, some unfortunate circumstances are going to arise. Comprises taken and mistakes are inevitably going to be made. It's a dice roll.

There have been a few fellow Dr. Diep patients that have reached out to me that I am in dialog with here in PM and elsewhere that are in a state of utter rigor mortis. And since someone else brought up the subject of anger, I thought I might address it openly. Within me, the furious-type subsided about the 6th day after the procedure. I didn't know enough then to combat the immediate aftermath. My musings then have since been thrown out. I am in a different more peaceful place now. But everything is relative and where those who have expressed their despair, you are not dismissed; not by me. Hair loss is a painful subject. So should any of my brothers and sisters in the struggle that see further pain being added to their own or anyone else's suffering become more unsettled with anger? The answer is here..... “If you're not angry, you're either a stone, or you're too sick to be angry. You should be angry. Now, mind you, there is a difference. You must not be bitter. Bitterness is like cancer. It eats upon the host. It doesn’t do anything to the object of its displeasure. So use that anger, yes. You write it. You paint it. You dance it. You march it. You vote it. You do everything about it. You talk it. Never stop talking it.” -Maya Angelou End of Week 16 Update: In preparation of the impending self-haircut, I am checking out how low I have to cut my hair. I just want a blend with my transplanted hair to me natural hair for the Holidays where I need to come out of the COVID hermit shell. This is the area I want to blend into: At an 8-guard, barely any recipient hair gets nicked: At a 7-guard, things should be just right. I'll be even more careful with the sides and the back because the scarring is pretty visible now. I'll post pics after the cut next week. I think I will wear the hair low through the 6th month so that natural growth doesn't overtake progress that would be shown in my pics. Then months 7-12, let it grow to styling length and trim as needed. Of course, I can always evalucept things as there is no telling what the future may hold.

You seem like a very pragmatic guy, as opposed to being a critical thinker. That is not an insult. It is an assessment. Each half the world falls on either side: pragmatic thinking vs. critical thinking. Being as such, pragmatic people tend to lean heavily on reputation in the decision making and sentiments. And it is next to impossible to change a pragmatic person's mind. You've met Dr. Diep and think how can a surgeon and such a nice guy do anyone wrong right? Good God, I so wish you could have seen this thread. Read just the title of the URL to get an understanding of what it was about. It was started by another Dr. Diep patient about 2 weeks after mine. If you could have only seen it, your understanding of decency would turn. You would ask instead "What decent doctor could ever do this and then deny it?" If that thread ever comes back, and all that saw it are hoping that it does, you'll ask yourself "Did I really go to that surgeon?" That thread would be all the exculpatory evidence needed to render your accusation of me as being a shill for other surgeons (which I could flag you for, but I won't) to be fodder. Then rather than the crusade against the haters you think you are on, your sentiments would turn to guilt of being one of the lucky ones that nearly became a victim yourself. Go see for yourself what another recent Dr. Diep patient, @Tentpole91, feels regarding that subject. Because he like I, saw that thread which you didn't, and bear that guilt. The subject of that thread isn't a middle-aged man like you or I. He is in 20's. He hasn't even reached the prime of his life yet. And you would be outraged if you saw it and disgusted by Dr. Diep's denial of it. That young man is lurking this thread now and your baseless accusation levied against me might just give him the impetus needed to return. I've only been on this forum for 3 months. Go look around at other Dr. Diep patient threads that came before mine. Some will praise Dr. Diep. Others will not. Aside from those differing sentiments, you'll find the only difference is that they aren't as thoroughly documented as mine. COVID-19 times allows me to be thorough and prolific, but none of my critiques of Dr. Diep are new. They aren't echos either. An echo is sound bounced around from one original source. They are new testimonies. Sadly, the story is the same. I am on no mission to shut down anyone's business. Because I would feel even more guilt if I did. Like anyone else here on this forum suffering from hair loss, it is about helping everyone else. Look man, you are probably in your second day. You shouldn't be fighting any fight now, least of all with me. I want what is best for you. I am a brother in the struggle just like you are. I have never told anyone not to go to Dr. Diep. Particularly you. As a matter of fact, I applauded you for absorbing the information that was conveyed here and demanding them of Dr. Diep. Now, I really want to know if he has taken the criticism (your demands) and done something with it. My end goal I've quoted for you below.

Never was Dr. Diep not nice to me. And never have I said a bad thing about his personal disposition. If you find otherwise, please correct me. My criticisms of Dr. Diep are stated below. Please start your thread. I would like to see if he has taken the criticisms and done something with it. I want to be able to heap praise on someone. Believe it or not, I too am a positive person. You can see that for yourself in other areas on this forum where I've been. Also, criticism isn't the same thing as negativity. There is a difference.

I did. Below are the answers I received. Another patient raised similar concerns and near had their appointment canceled after being in queue for months. I am glad you had a pleasant experience. That certainly was not the experience that I or others received. As mentioned before, the Dr. Diep's work is polarizing. I also stated that Dr. Diep is likely watching and didn't doubt that you would be fine as a result of your participation in this thread. Tells me that Dr. Diep is hearing the criticism and is doing something about it. And as I stated here, doesn't matter the criticism. What matters is what is done with it. As for the anger thing, I'll address it on a whole with my next update. Please start your thread. There are a few questions I have and things I would like to see. I hope you have the pictures I asked you to take.

Sadly, being Asian, I have no body hair to speak of. Living vicariously through you @mustang!

You're able to brush your hair at 4 months. The realization of that is just incredible. In your first photo, you look like a hair model. A sign of good things to come with the other side.

Barren scalp between the rows is observable to my eyes. I feel they could have benefited from natural placement or interlocking to alleviate the visibility of barren scalp. So it is very fair to wait the full 12 month term to come to a conclusive review. I've cited BLM's results early as as encouragement. I am just not there yet. Where I was 3 months ago and where I'll be 9 months from now aren't real now. One exists in memory, the other in imagination. Of course I know where I've come and where I should end up being. But I am in the moment now where I need, should, and can only be. I am putting in the investment to be as consistent and thorough as possible. Coupled with being a critical thinker, what I post may be off-putting to those happy Diep patients. But they are in a different place. They aren't here with me in the here and now. Those that understand that are with me in the moment and appreciative of the effort. Being that I am a critical thinker, along the way, I am going to push those goal posts back. But I'll also have the humility to reject my own ideas and accept new ones if need be. Certainly, what I am doing is different than all that have come before me. Dr. Diep's work is polarizing: polarize - cause (something) to acquire polarity polarity - the state of having two opposite or contradictory tendencies, opinions, or aspects In general, Dr. Diep's work isn't outrage: outrage - an extremely strong reaction of anger, shock, or indignation There is a huge difference. However, there are confirmed cases of high transection loss. And one case of very high transection loss along with Dr. Diep's response to it that did set off outrage. Agreed 🙌.

The goal of FUE and why you pay the extra premium is less visible scarring allowing for the flexibility to wear shorter hairstyles. How this is executed by a particular surgeon on a patient by patient basis varies widely as you know. Dr. Konior has put on a clinic with your donor. I couldn't even see excisions even from your early posts. I am like "1600 units excised? From where? Your spare body parts clone growing in the bacta tank?" I didn't even know your donors were extracted asymmetrically until it was just mentioned. I didn't even believe it until you confirmed it. Remarkable. This calls for a new award: The Most Desirable Virgin Donor Award presented by Adriana Lima. It is going to be a long time before someone else wins this award.

Hi @Flash10, Thanks so much for the supportive words and thoughts.. The people could use an update over at your thread sir!

The "Mafia Protection" comment was my attempt at being funny. I was building a joke after reading this post from some time back that still tickles me when I think of it: I was out of line and offensive. I apologized then and apologize again for it now.

Thanks @BDK081522. Eloquently put. At the end of any journey, one wants to be able to pragmatically answer affirmatively these types of question: "Did I do it right?" "Did I make the best use of my time?" "Did I get my money's worth?" "Did I help people along the way?" But like anything, it is a process. Along the way, critical actions must be taken. Investment in time made. Critical decisions. Other patients chiming in do so with their pragmatic conclusions. That's something I can't do yet. But what I can do is show the journey I am on through my critical lens before I reach that conclusion. Along the way, there is going to be discussion reflective of my present journey in that moment. Those discussions may shift later on. Contextualized in that moment however, the validity of these discussions have their place and are welcomed. Whereas juxtaposing these same discussions against the experience of others' that have since passed can be cataclysmic. Many of the things I've talked about early in my experience I no longer agree with. I have called these things out. If you are going to comment in my experience thread, I am going to respond with my contextual opinion. I haven't attacked anyone in my time on this forum. So I don't know where this flagging/reporting of my posts comes from. If you don't like what I am saying, perhaps you may feel I have some sort of agenda against you, I don't. Everyone has something they want to share, to say. I get that. But this is my experience thread. For which, I am the only authority of my own experience. If you have a different view, put in the same level of effort that I do and express it accordingly in your own threads. Why flag an opinion stated in someone else's experience thread? All you are doing is making Melvin's job harder. I think I've come pretty far in the time I've been here. I have received lots of flack along they way but that is ok. In keeping with Melvin's desire to focus on the positive, there have been many more people that have responded to me with gratitude, here in this forum, elsewhere, and particularly in PM. I was given the highest of compliments by another member which I would like to share with you all: Now that..........isn't this why, after all, we are here? This isn't Facebook or Instagram. I am not here for likes. With that said, my next update will be in the next 24 hours.

@anotherhairlosssufferer I'll check my math again. If I am wrong, I'll correct it. EDIT: To be clear, graft survival and transection loss are two different things. Dr. Diep does two things well: Hairlines placement Produces excellent yield (graft survival) Believe it or not, even I was slapped around for giving that praise for Dr. Diep. But just take a look at the donors of Dr. Diep FUE patients. Then take a look a FUE patients of other doctors of similar graft amounts. You'll notice the difference by eye test. If you saw this thread before it was taken down, you'd have no dispute that the transection loss was at least 45%. Did you see what @Noodles123 said? His paper work showed 1500 punches. His procedure was 1200 grafts. 25% transection rate loss. I have never told anyone NOT to go to Dr. Diep. Earlier on, another member had decided to go to Dr. Diep and I provided him support as to what to expect. In the end he went to Dr. Shapiro and based upon the care he was given and his early results, I couldn't be happier for him. As a brother in the struggle, I want the best for you. This thread is about my experience. Make of it what you will. To quote Bruce Lee, "Absorb what is useful. Discard what is not. Make that which is uniquely your own." I can't walk in your shoes.

I've only bestowed the "Like A Virgin" award to Konior and his disciples and @yalla8's surgeon. But all were deserving. This is my experience thread. My review will come later along with final judgement. I am just being honest as I go. But the subject of Dr. Diep's work is polarizing. I get singled out because I am thorough with my honesty. Everyone else has their own threads and can sing the praises of Dr. Diep all they want. This isn't the defacto thread on the subject of Dr. Diep. There is a search function on this forum. Indeed those are pics from less than 6 months. But below are some pics from patients that reached full term. The row placement allows scalp to be easily visible between the rows. Regardless of how things will look after 12 months, the primary goal of surgical hair restoration is naturalness. Human hair doesn't grow in rows. Not sure why there is an argument. The row placement limits the aesthetic results and the hair styles the patient can wear. Some get lucky and the rows work out, some don't. It is a dice roll. I am fine. Like I said, I like how I look now and look forward to the final results. Still, it doesn't give Dr. Diep a pass.