PluggedIn

Dang dude. You went from comb over to come over.

11 hours ago, hybonix said:

This is a big improvement and your hairline has been lowered. By Month 8/9 you will see how it looks with it grown out. However, this is looking really nice!

Thank you kind sir! It's crazy how I'll feel really good about it then basically 5 minutes later feel like it's lagging. I see some thin hairs with a very small amount of pigment sprouting up so hopefully reinforcements are on the way.

6 hours ago, hybonix said:

It's looking really good! That's a nice hairline design which is natural and it is lowered. Out of curiosity, may we please see a picture of you head-on before the hair transplant? I would like to compare your 6 month result with that picture.

Sure thing, is this helpful?

Pulled back indoors

Thanks for the words of encouragement guys!

Month 6

Hello folks, halfway there. Some days I feel like I've made great progress, some days I feel like I'm behind. I'm looking forward to the clarity these next couple of months should provide.

I got my hair cut so everything is more even and it feels good to look more or less natural. Felt like everyone was staring at my short band of hair in the front.

If this is truly the halfway point and I end with double the current result I'll probably be happy.

Wet hair

Harsh direct sunlight. Doesn't feel like I've made as much progress as this picture illustrates so maybe there's some shadow play with the sun but it's certainly encouraging.

You know it's a great transplant when you stop blurring your face! Seriously looks awesome. Went from having almost nothing up front to a dense frontal third. Don't worry about being able to see through the very front in harsh light. Even with a full head of hair if the light catches it right you can see through like the first cm. Especially with straight hair.

2 hours ago, Rynomite13 said:

It’s coming along great!  I struggled most at 4-5 month mark, but started seeing better gains and major improvement at 6-7 months!

That's awesome, hoping for the same. Still seeing some hairs pushing through.

5 month update! Thickened up a little since last update, hoping next few months are the big ones. Straight on in most settings it looks  solid. Not too great in direct sunlight but it's very early. Last pic is a before and after so far. Before is May of 21. How do you folks think it's progressing? (I used the before pic to block out my face so don't accuse me of being an "after and before" guy lol)

4 minutes ago, Balding Bad said:

Hey @hybonix, @PluggedIn, or anyone else for that matter that has had their procedure with SMG. I'm just wondering if you guys had an in-person consultation prior to making your decision or was it all just over-the-phone consults for you?

Over the phone, it was about an hour conversation.

Donor definitely looking better. I wonder if the patchiness is more an illusion of the skin being a different color in that area since it's healing rather than actual shock loss. In 2 months you're gonna be shocked at how different you'll look. Hang in there!

44 minutes ago, Balding Bad said:

Awesome, thanks for sharing. I'll be sure to comb through your thread! (pun intended) 😜

EDIT: Oh, you know what? I've actually gone through your thread already. Haha, how 'bout that! Your progress is looking great by the way!

Thanks my dude!

29 minutes ago, Balding Bad said:

When did you get your operation and how many grafts did you get? Aside from the communication snafu, how was the overall experience for you?

Here's my thread with more details, but overall it was great. Dr. Joe and I were really in sync about pretty much everything from hairline design to future planning, it was a natural fit. Dr. Ron was nice too, came in to see me to check on everything the next day when I was back for a wash. At this early stage I'm very happy I went there.

Looks like Diep agrees with me. 

1 hour ago, Legend007 said:

I’m neutral on diep ,  he has good density n volume from his transplants .. he has a theory to why he transplants that way and it provides the patient good coverage with a high graft survival rate. so he won’t be changing his technique Any time soon ..

 

but it’s true, you can spot his technique is different than the other doctors..

but really tho , the guy has great coverage ,, sometimes people be too nit picky and not appreciate what has actually grown .. .

Diep definitely gets good yield. My issue is with the rows. Hair doesn't grow like that. Hair transplants need to replicate nature. In addition to the unnatural appearance, the rows don't provide as much coverage. Imagine yourself in front of a corn field. You're able to see straight through the gaps. Now imagine the corn was planted more randomly, like our native hair, this would reduce the see through effect.

Until he changes this technique I don't see how you can justify going to him at this price point coupled with the fact there are plenty great surgeons in the area.

3 hours ago, Balding Bad said:

Oh wow, sorry to hear about your lack of better customer service...but I guess ultimately in the end, the hairline results is what matters most!

I think this communication situation is more a fluke than the norm. I actually like the results so much, at least so far, I'm thinking about going back sooner than I thought lol! I've been falling in love with myself in the mirror the last few days 😍

55 minutes ago, hybonix said:

I got my graft count a couple days after I requested them. Additionally, Shapiro emailed me surgery photos and pre-op photos about 3 - 4 weeks later. My assumption is that they are getting super busy as more people are traveling now since Covid is waning. More patients and more volume for the clinic. Apparently lots of Vikings players also go to SMG since they are so close. Anyhoo, I would call the receptionist again and remind them you have been waiting for 4 months and would like the official count if possible. 

Odd, as the consultant was super attentive to me and coached me many hours... I just think they are getting way too busy now and have much more volume in patients at this point in time. I am glad your transplant is going well though and look forward to more updates.

Maybe they were so attentive to you they forgot about lil old me

JK, but I should clarify they did give me the graft count, then they said they'd contact me, which they haven't. I'm not too concerned about it I think you could just chalk it up to being very busy. So far I'm glad I gave them the benefit of the doubt.

2 hours ago, JohnAC71 said:

Surprised, they are normally very good. But yes ultimately results matter too 👌

Wasn't too impressed with their consultant either. I actually thought about canceling a few times because he didn't seem to be attentive enough to my needs, he was a nice guy though, came in to check on me during the op, so feel bad kind of trashing him. I did the surgery because their hairline design is incredibly natural, very soft with subtle irregularities, and they have a great reputation. 

1 hour ago, JohnAC71 said:

I have followed them since being a member here, so about a decade. Always been Impressed and they have always seem to have given really good support before, during and after ! Can’t even remember seeing a poor result. And just about every single clinic has the not so great results. 

I actually haven't heard from them since the surgery 4.5 months ago. I asked them for a breakdown of the grafts which they gave me and told me their consultant would be in contact next week. Haven't reached out to me yet. I'm sure if I had a concern they would address it promptly, but the lack of communication afterwards was a bit disappointing. It was one of the reasons I stayed in the states. Oh well, it's the results that matter, I seem to be maybe slightly ahead of schedule at this point. In their defense they mentioned they were very busy.

Mine was about 6 months

Today marks 4 months since my procedure! Feel like there's been some good growth since my last update. Donor seems okay too. Still feel good about the direction it's heading.

8 hours ago, aaron1234 said:

The fun is just beginning for you.

That feel when you're 3 months post op

Thought I'd share a photo that may be helpful. This is to demonstrate how light and shadow play can make your results seem more impressive. This photo was taken today, slightly more than 3 months since my procedure. Compare it to the photos I posted today and the difference is quite drastic. Imagine if a clinic shared this photo and said "this is our patient after 3 months" who wouldn't want to go to that clinic? 

For those who are in the research stage be mindful of different lighting. I'm going to use the same lighting in all of my updates to try to give the most accurate representation of how I'm progressing.

Hi folks, here is my 3 month update. Noticed hairs sprouting a couple of weeks ago and I already feel I look better than pre surgery with the thin band of hairs framing my face. Definitely excited to see how things progress over the next several months. The ugly duckling phase sucks, you pay a bunch of money because you feel bad about how you look just to look worse for a couple months, but you just have to keep telling yourself it's for the best.

I wonder if the issue is the grafts are placed in neat rows. I could see that having a see through effect in certain lighting. The grafts were extracted that way too. 

Do you have any pre op pictures you could share with us?