gs1207

Today marks 2 weeks since my procedure, so I wanted to post an update on how things are coming along. A few things I’ve noticed: Most redness has subsided other than the side area’s above my ear. Pretty much all of the scabbing is gone. However, the recipient area is still a bit dry and flaky. I’m unsure how to safely deal with this, so I’ve been trying to use natural products. Mainly coconut oil for the dryness which does seem to help a little. Haven’t appeared to lose many of the grafted hairs just yet, but they do seem to be firmly in place. I have noticed an increase in shedding outside of the recipient area. Could be due to the procedure, or the fact I’ve stopped oral minoxidil for the last couple weeks during recovery. The donor area is doing well and the scarring isn’t visible with my hair grown back to a 2 guard length roughly. Curious to hear any of your thoughts if you got some. Should be a pretty slow few weeks to come, but I’ll post an update in 1-2 months when the recipient area has shed.

Hi all - just two days ago on April 8th I decided to undergo my first hair transplantation procedure. It was something I’ve been looking into for a while and I want to post my recovery here as this forum is something that has been invaluable in doing my research, finding the right clinic, and ultimately making the decision to move forward. I hope I can pay back even a fraction of the help I received from you all. Background: 28 year old male Started researching doctors back in 2021 after multiple meetings and reviews I decided to choose Shapiro Medical where I was paired with Dr Josephitis A big point for me was the priority they put on being conservative and building a hairline that will age well as I’m still on the younger side, so it’s likely at some point I’ll need a second go around… if only to fortify anything that I may continue to lose. The results I saw from SMG and working with Matt Zupan was all the validation I needed to feel confident in my decision. In order to slow further hair loss I’ve been on Finasteride 1mg for the past 3 years and have seen good results with no noticeable side effects at this point. I’ve also been using oral minoxidil 2.5mg for the past 5 months. When first starting I measured my blood pressure pretty frequently with no noticeable changes, however I did seem to experience slightly more growth in body hair elsewhere as the oral tablet does not focus on the scalp like it does topically. I was on and off with topical min prior to this, but I found it difficult to be consistent. I also take a daily multivitamin and use DHT blocking conditioner and shampoo. The Procedure I arrived at Shapiro Medical at 7am Monday 4/8/2024 and first met with Dr Josephitis to discuss the hairline we would agree on. I was pleasantly surprised to find his version was very close to my expectation going in, so it didn’t take long for us to find something we were both comfortable with. In my pre-op pictures you will see a poorly drawn white line that depicted roughly what I was aiming for. After this I was brought into another room where the back of my head was shaved. I decided to keep some native hair on top to cover the recipient area after it heals. Still not sure if I’ll keep it or buzz it off I’ll have to wait until around 2 weeks and see how it looks. I was then given Valium and brought into the operating room. The technicians were all very kind and did everything they could to make me feel comfortable which I really appreciated. My head was then numbed and Dr Josephitis began with the incisions to my recipient area. I took a quick bathroom break and we then went straight into the extractions on the back of my head followed by a couple more bathroom breaks, and then the extractions on both sides of my head. Throughout the whole process the techs were really so great, consistently making sure I was pain free and comfortable. Once the extractions were all complete I had my lunch break that was ordered for me in the morning and then we went right back to work. A group of technicians began implanting the grafts into my recipient area. Around 4pm the whole procedure was finished. Dr Josephitis showed me the work and made sure I was happy with the result. The rest of team helped prepare me for post op care, scheduled a wash the following morning, and just like that I was off. Pre-Op Photos: Post-Op Photos: Conclusion: Overall I was very pleased with the entire process. From working with Matt Zupan who was always available to help, to working with Dr Josephitis, and all the technicians to even the front desk, everyone was extremely kind and helpful. I am pleased with how the hairline came out. Dr Josephitis and I agreed to address the sides as well as the frontal hairline to help frame my face a bit more and I think it was a good decision. It’s difficult to tell right now how exactly it will turn out, but I’m curious to hear all of your honest thoughts positive and/or negative. I will do my best to post updates soon around the 2 week mark and the subsequent months to follow!

Any reason for choosing the hybrid approach of Dr Shapiro doing the incisions for placement while Dr Joe performed the extractions? Curious if one is preferred? I understand Dr Shapiro is more experienced, but was that a decision you made? I have a procedure scheduled with Dr Joe for next year but I don’t believe Dr Shapiro will be involved, so curious to hear your thoughts. Thanks, and good luck with your results!

Would you be willing to share a rough estimate of the type of pricing you got? I too am very interested in Dr Konior because of his impressive results, but I’ve heard it’s more of a session based pricing model rather than a cost per graft estimate. I know you get what you pay for and of course because of his reputation and work I don’t mind paying a premium, but if something around a 1200-2000 graft session would cost $35,000 that would be at the least $17 per graft which is no small fee even for the best of the best. I have a very similar case as you, so was hoping you might be willing to share. Also great post, and big thanks for sharing!

Thanks @Glasswing this is truly helpful. Appreciate u sharing!

Any progress since your last post @Glasswing? I’ve found your thread super helpful!

Thanks again Dr. I’ll definitely be in touch!

Thanks for the insight that’s really helpful! Assuming I can keep my hair relatively in check using Fin and taking good care of it/myself, given my current level of hair loss, would it be a somewhat safe assumption that I could get an FUE initially and likely have enough donor for 1 maybe 2 more procedures if absolutely necessary? I understand there are many variables at play, but curious to hear your opinion. This would be in the event my crown really goes or the hair behind what was already transplanted becomes a noticeable issue.

Thanks for your response. Yeah the temple points are receded as well which definitely makes the whole hairline seem worse in my opinion. However, they looked this way before Finasteride. Since taking it they haven’t improved but haven’t necessarily gotten any worse either at the moment.

Hi all, I’ve been thinking about the potential of a hair transplant for almost two years now to address my receding corners. I’m 26 years old and about a NW2 (pictures attached.) I started noticing some hair loss in my early 20s but not much until around 23. I’ve schedule multiple consultations with Surgeons in my area for January (predominantly NY area) and one doctor gave me an estimate for around 1600-1800 grafts to fill the corners and try to build a fuller hairline. I think this is reasonable given my current situation. I’ve been taking Finasteride for about 15 months and so far I haven’t noticed a ton of further hair loss. I do have some MPB in my family but no one is completely bald. I have to imagine I’ll see some level of loss down the road so I want to go with a conservative approach to build a “mature” hairline that will look natural into an older age. I’ve heard that for younger patients FUT is a good decision as it can leave you with more donor supply for future HTs but I like to wear my hair short in the back and sides with a fade. I also have a scar on the side of my head that I got from a rugby game when I split my head and had to get staples. The scar was repaired decently but left a bump on the side of my head that causes concern given an FUT scar could do the same but much larger. Would really appreciate hearing what you guys think. If I were to go with an FUE given my current situation could that put me in a bad spot down the line? Ive included some rough estimates of where I’d like the hairline to be… is that a reasonable request given my age? Any feedback would be amazing. Thanks guys!