Sparse

Just in the past 4 days, almost all my grafted hairs have shed - I'm now more bald than ever! (Hopefully just for a couple of months). I'll try to put some new pictures up this week to show the new status quo. Have you shed yours, as well?

John, you and I were there at H&W on the same day! Congrats on the nice-looking work (and huge number of grafts). Also, if you get a chance, please post something that shows your new hairline from the front, as the existing top-down views make it difficult to really get a feel for it. Happy growing!

It's amazing how quickly you seem to be healing - e.g., very little redness/scabbing at Day 3. And the surgeon definitely brought the temples and hairline forward in ambitious fashion. Hope you wind up with a great result!

Maybe for your 2nd procedure?

Based on the 3 post-HT pics shown, it looks like you've had a very strong result, with a marked improvement in appearance. It would be great if you could add some pictures of the top and crown, and provide more details about the surgeon and procedure (with more pics post-HT, 1-month, 2-month, etc., if available . . .)

Good luck with the appointment!

Thanks, Mane! Happy growing to you, as well. And I'd be all too happy to change my forum handle in a year or so if events warrant! I could be "the-artist-formerly-known-as-Sparse" (represented merely by a symbol of hairy awesomeness).

In the back, the scar runs just barely above the occipital ridge (the bump on the back of the head), so it's well below the crown. The pic of my staples in the Gallery is a little misleading, maybe, because it's shot from below - which makes the scar placement look somewhat higher than it really is. I'll try to take another pic soon from a straight-on angle to give a better feel for it. Unfortunately, I've been getting a little shock loss on one end of the scar (near the left temple), which is going to make it harder to camouflage on that side. Again, I'll try to get a shot of that posted within the next few days.

Thanks, Bill. I guess the next two or three months are supposed to be pretty rough ("doldrums" and all that), but I'll try to keep my eyes focused on the long-term payoff!

I definitely don't want to discount your frustration - it's entirely understandable given the result at this point - but for what it's worth I can still see some clear improvement from your pre-HT pictures. Also, as you know, results can continue to improve up to 12-14 months post-HT, so there's at least some cause for holding out hope. Best wishes, Sparse

Thanks, Teach! I'll be thrilled if I can have some new growth to admire at the 3 month mark like you do . . . Right now I'm trying to figure out what to do on Thursday when I have to head back into the classroom and lecture to 300 undergrads. It might look goofy to lecture with a ballcap on, so I'm thinking about just using some concealer to hide the donor-related shockloss on the sides, and possibly to sprinkle some fibers over recipient hairs in the front. Any advice?

His technique is second to none! In fact, some of the leading HT surgeons out there have studied under him at some point . . .

Thanks, Raphael. And good luck to you in your upcoming procedure with Dr. Rahal!

Thanks, Severn. I agree about the donor area in back (pretty amazing that the scar is already just about undetectable there just 16 days after I shaved down for surgery), but I should point out that it's a lot easier to see the donor scar on the sides - mostly due to a bit of shock loss. I'll try to remember to put up a pic soon to show that angle.

Yeah, apparently Merck has had a patent on the topical for years (along with some supportive clinical trial data), but they never developed it.

Thanks. I tried propecia but had a horrible reaction - incredible irritability and mental fog - even at .5 mg/day. However, Dr. Hasson said he knows a local guy in Vancouver who's able to compound propecia as a topical for H&W patients, and I'm probably going to try that route (once I get some data on the topical's systemic absorption rate).

After three years of research and deliberation (and saving), I finally scheduled my HT procedure with Dr. Hasson for this past July 28. It was an extraordinary experience overall, and I was immensely impressed with Dr. Hasson and his entire staff - they were friendly, caring, compassionate, and extremely professional. Even though I've mostly been just a lurker on this forum, I never would have had the courage and confidence to follow through with the HT had it not been for the knowledge and encouragement of this virtual community. So please accept my heartfelt thanks. For anyone who's interested, I've just posted a blog with some pre-post pics, and I'll plan to update it regularly in the weeks and months ahead: My Hair Loss Website - Hair Transplant with Dr. Hasson

Have you had much numbness or loss of sensation in your scalp since the procedure? If so, how much has come back by the 3 month mark?

At just 3 months, your hair is already noticeably thicker on top than it was in the pre-op pics. Imagine what the next 6-9 months will bring! By the way, thanks again for all your help answering my questions last month before my procedure with Dr. Hasson. (I'm now at Day 17 post-HT, and bracing for the onset of "the doldrums"!)

As I mentioned in an earlier post, I'm 7 days out from a HT procedure with Dr. Hasson . . . and I'd love to get some advice on hats or other head coverings to wear around town this week. I actually bought a do-rag to wear on the flight back from Vancouver the day after surgery, and while it had the advantage of allowing pretty good airflow to the head (and minimal pressure on the scalp), I just don't feel comfortable wearing a do-rag around people I actually know here in town. (I'm a 46-year-old university guy, and I just can't pull that one off.) I bought a couple great new ballcaps before the HT (and have some old trusty caps that I've worn for years), but I've been afraid to wear any of them this week, as it looks like they'll all put a bit of pressure on the recipient grafts - especially in the temple area - whenever I put them on or take them off. Does it seem wise to hold off on any sort of reasonably decent fitting cap for the time being, or am I being over-cautious? Just for backup, I also have a cap that's at least one size too large (it's 7-5/8 and I'm between a 7-3/8 to 7-1/2), but it looks almost comically dorky - like it's about to slip down over my ears! I'd rather not look like a doofus for the next week, but I'd still prefer that to the thought of damaging any recipient grafts. As always, your advice is greatly appreciated. Sparse

As I mentioned in an earlier post, I'm 7 days out from a HT procedure with Dr. Hasson . . . and I'd love to get some advice on hats or other head coverings to wear around town this week. I actually bought a do-rag to wear on the flight back from Vancouver the day after surgery, and while it had the advantage of allowing pretty good airflow to the head (and minimal pressure on the scalp), I just don't feel comfortable wearing a do-rag around people I actually know here in town. (I'm a 46-year-old university guy, and I just can't pull that one off.) I bought a couple great new ballcaps before the HT (and have some old trusty caps that I've worn for years), but I've been afraid to wear any of them this week, as it looks like they'll all put a bit of pressure on the recipient grafts - especially in the temple area - whenever I put them on or take them off. Does it seem wise to hold off on any sort of reasonably decent fitting cap for the time being, or am I being over-cautious? Just for backup, I also have a cap that's at least one size too large (it's 7-5/8 and I'm between a 7-3/8 to 7-1/2), but it looks almost comically dorky - like it's about to slip down over my ears! I'd rather not look like a doofus for the next week, but I'd still prefer that to the thought of damaging any recipient grafts. As always, your advice is greatly appreciated. Sparse

Thanks, Maxhair, for the thoughtful advice - very helpful.

Any thoughts?

Hi All, I had my scheduled HT with Dr. Hasson last Tuesday: he managed to harvest 5500 grafts (thank God for laxity exercises), and the procedure lasted from 7:30am until nearly midnight! Since I'm a NW4-5 with pretty coarse hair, I'm hopeful that number of grafts should give a nice final result . . . time will tell. Overall, it was an amazing experience - can't say enough great things about Dr. Hasson and his superb staff - and I'm grateful to have found my way to H&W, in part through the information provided on this forum. However, I've got a few post-HT questions today: 1) It looks like I've already started shedding the odd graft here and there - especially in the temple region. Is this within the realm of normal for Day 6-7? (I'm pretty sure the grafts have been shed - extruded - rather than irretrievably lost, since I've been told that damaged follicles usually bleed when they come out, and I haven't seen that.) 2) Since I've had temple work done, I was advised to sleep on my back (not sides) for 5 days to help protect those grafts from unnecessary friction. Would there be any advantage to staying on my back for a few more days just to be safe, or is it already completely safe to go back to sleeping on my side tonight? 3) Related question: by Day 6-7, are the transplanted grafts already so well established that they're more or less safe from harm (barring some sort of massive trauma . . .)? 4) I saw that Bill used Aloe vera gel on his scalp after his last HT . . . can anyone offer advice on that front (benefits, brand, application procedure, etc.)? 5) I'm starting to get lots of dry skin on my scalp today - in both donor and recipient area. Is there any benefit (or risk) to washing my hair twice a day? Anything else I might try to help? Many thanks in advance for any help you can provide! (Please feel free to weigh in on any question above - no need to hit them all.) Best wishes, Sparse

Hi All, I had my scheduled HT with Dr. Hasson last Tuesday: he managed to harvest 5500 grafts (thank God for laxity exercises), and the procedure lasted from 7:30am until nearly midnight! Since I'm a NW4-5 with pretty coarse hair, I'm hopeful that number of grafts should give a nice final result . . . time will tell. Overall, it was an amazing experience - can't say enough great things about Dr. Hasson and his superb staff - and I'm grateful to have found my way to H&W, in part through the information provided on this forum. However, I've got a few post-HT questions today: 1) It looks like I've already started shedding the odd graft here and there - especially in the temple region. Is this within the realm of normal for Day 6-7? (I'm pretty sure the grafts have been shed - extruded - rather than irretrievably lost, since I've been told that damaged follicles usually bleed when they come out, and I haven't seen that.) 2) Since I've had temple work done, I was advised to sleep on my back (not sides) for 5 days to help protect those grafts from unnecessary friction. Would there be any advantage to staying on my back for a few more days just to be safe, or is it already completely safe to go back to sleeping on my side tonight? 3) Related question: by Day 6-7, are the transplanted grafts already so well established that they're more or less safe from harm (barring some sort of massive trauma . . .)? 4) I saw that Bill used Aloe vera gel on his scalp after his last HT . . . can anyone offer advice on that front (benefits, brand, application procedure, etc.)? 5) I'm starting to get lots of dry skin on my scalp today - in both donor and recipient area. Is there any benefit (or risk) to washing my hair twice a day? Anything else I might try to help? Many thanks in advance for any help you can provide! (Please feel free to weigh in on any question above - no need to hit them all.) Best wishes, Sparse