VelvetGold

I haven't posted anything in a while. So I took a few pictures yesterday. One of them features a bit of a... war wound... that's just me picking at a scab out of boredom. I do feel, however, looking at the donor site, that the technicians could've done a more evenly spaced out job than this so it doesn't look like tiny 1 inch mosters had tried to hack away at my head using tinier axes.

Thank you to EVERYONE who provided feedback n reassurance. The difference between yesterday and today is night and day. From Anxiety to Assuredness the journey is CLARITY...literally too 🤣😜 24 HOURS APART...

Oh damn! And my mom has been ony case ensuring that head is WELL PROTECTED against probably even a strong gust of wind. Probably the reason why I might end up keeping almost all of my grafts. But I do know what you mean about low BP n heart rate n being emotional. There's a LOT to be written abt the emotional journey that comes with HT. N not just during the ugly Duckling phase bit even the days leading up to, during n after the procedure. Honestly! It takes a community of really supportive ppl like urself n others to keep from spiraling down a rabbit hole of angst.

Thank you 😊. It means a lot coming from a professional too.

Thank you so much! I love how you took the time to explain it so well. I was panicking, just as you said, and was even thinking to live with the dead skin in case it was a good thing but OMG it seems so unsightly. I'm feeling a lot more at ease abt this. Dealing with scabs from the donor area was easier. This was just traumatic almost.

Really? OMG that's a relief n music to my ears. So, you're saying that by now the hair is anchored enough to not fall out in a simple wash?

Hello everyone Day 9 since my transplant. I have this alarming question. So I've been washing my hair every day as instructed by the surgeon with the spray ans the shampoo. I'm a but scared abt the washing process. When I rinse off the shampoo I get a lot of flakes coming off. I can't quite decide if I'm rinsing of dead skin n scabs or am I yanking out the transplanted roots n losing any chance of ever having hair again. How do I know for sure whether I'm doing the right thing or ruining a good thing? Any help? I've also added pics of what fell in my sink once my head was dry n tried to brush off some of the "debris"

I tried their shampoo and conditioner. Not worth it. Their conditioner is better but only by comparison to the shampoo. I think one of them has that one ingredient that makes it feel like your scalp pores is chewing on menthol but other than that it doesn't actually do anything.

SEVEN DAYS... later 😊 The good news is mybhead doesn't quite look like it's been through a shredder anymore... or even like a picked carcass. The bad news... it's only Day 7 of a very long journey and I don't already have a lush head of hair like Andrew Garfield 🤣🤣🤣

The 3 week result is AMMMMMAZING!!! I hope mine is at least halfway as good as that. It fills me with hope.

Seems like around 6000. I had 5000 and even mine didn't look ANYTHING like that. Sure mine looked like a warzone but this is a Tarantino's wet dream!

Fortunately, this is my first and hopefully LAST transplant. I've had enough grafts in the most important area put in for this lifetime. Maybe I'll have another one with 1/3 the amount of grafts. I want the numbness to go away so soon it's laughable.

Yeah, mine feels semi numb. But not nearly as numb as the recipient area. It honestly feels like I'm wearing a tortoise shell on my head.

I would suggest just stick to essentials like food and water. I spike to another gentleman who said his coffee intake until the day of the surgery left him rather weak and out of sorts that they had to turn it into a 2 day procedure vs 1 day as caffeine is a blood thinner apparently. Then again, clarify that with your doctor.

Yes, 100%! My contact n Dr Yaman himself repeatedly stressed to me at least 4 times that I was to get off any coffee, smoking or alcohol for a week before the procedure. I was asked multiple times if I had any issues with BP, STIs etc etc. I was even advised to stay off coffee, smoking n alcohol for a week or so after it too. Thankfully, I detest the taste of coffee, I hate the smell of tobacco and I'm a teetotaller so none of that applied to me. I was like "cool, so business as usual for me"

DAY FOUR... The natural coloring has mostly returned. Still can't feel much oor anything at all in the recipient area.

Cool. I'm 40 too but I started to notice the most significant reduction in my lush hair at 34. By the time I was 38, I was styling it n positioning my head in a way that wouldn't show the meager vegetation. Alas at 40, it's been unbearable while being surrounded by 30 n 20 year old with gravity defying towering hair or 40 year olds who look like they're older n "uncle" like. I'm too hyper for that. This procedure was for me to worry abt one thing less during my performances.

Are you committed to Yaman? While I did in fact go to Yaman and I found his staff to be quite good and kind and him to be a pleasant person, and he is in fact quite ethical too in that he recently gave an unhappy client a full refund, I hope you've done enough research. My decision was based on availability, affordability and accessibility. Keep up the research if affordability is not an issue. Remember, his staff has maybe 1 or 2 ppl who speak enough English. They heavily rely on the translator Ihsan and his reservoir of patience n compassion for communication. I think he did a passable job with my hairline. On the sides it feels like the template for the Batman suit ears but I can see it might blend in as the hair grow. He kept the hairline deliberately asymmetrical bcoz I told him about how I style my hair and he took that into account while designing it. He does the PRP himself (highly recommend this as it accelerates the healing process) and preps the pores for planting himself. The other stuff is done by his staff. I liked his company the best bcoz he was quiet and focused and I loved that. His staff on the other hand, is quite talkative and one of them is quite...umm... European in her compassion in that she is very objective n doesn't know how to be gentle. That's what I heard another guy say. The most reassuring thing is when Dr Yaman comes in to inspect the work, he places a hand o ur back or your arm and it feels like everything in life is good. I know. Weird but it works. I dont know if I have 10K+ grafts. Perhaps it's a thing he says to ppl. But if I do, I might need them for the parts that he did not touch. Good luck.

100% yes. I'd carried extra with me but he remained at the originally quoted price. I was surprised bcoz that was at least 500 grafts more than planned. In all possibility I now no longer have a donor site 😜🤣 who knows. The next 3 months will tell. My original quote was 4000/4500. I was apprehensive abt that too. But after we met he said I had enough to donate if I chose...which is stupid, I know 🤣. I chose not to take Minoxidil or Finastride so I got a whole lot of multivitamins and multimineral tablets with biotin, saw palmetto, gingko B12 etc etc. As much as I were losing hair, they realized upon shaving I had hair, it had just thinned out while a lot had disappeared leaving gaps. I know what it's like to be on those Minoxidil type tablets. UGH! Besides libido, I even suffer creatively in music, art n even holding conversations sometimes.

Recent HT patient here. Day 2, really. Just wondering, how long is the recipient area, in case the crown and hairline, supposed to feel numb to the touch?

It's kinda like a donut shaped pillow that ppl have around their necks in flights, but smaller so that the head is elevated at 40° angle.

At some point I'm going to compile "lessons learned" in a separate topic but for now this will have to do. Most clinics, especially those Tutkish ones, will tell you that all you need are 3 to 4 days from consultation to the day of ur first wash n ur done. You could even travel that same day. NO!!! Not quite. Here are some of my lessons learned: 1. Pack light, really light if you're traveling specifically for the surgery. 2. Pack a travel pillow (the donut shaped one). It's great for both before and after the procedure 3. Budget at least 2 days AFTER ur last visit to be travel ready. Believe me, ur wits n blood flow hasn't quite stabilized yet. 4. Be prepared, you're gonna have a few brain farts and blank out moments. 5. There maybe a fever after the surgical procedure. It's part of the joys...beauty is pain! 6 a. Don't be in a hurry. If you must have a connecting flight, make sure there's at least a 2 hour layover. Flights get delayed all the time n the airports are too MASSIVE to cover in a reasonable time with your sanity intact. 6 b. Don't be hero in a rush. Opt to be the last one to get up from your seat in the plane to get your overhead luggage. Remember, your freshly shorn head is in the way...ALL THE TIME 7. Passengers will find a "tactful" way to look at your head...again and again. Especially if your behind them. Remember, you'll never see them again, n probably noting the same state. 8. That hot flight attendant you think you have a chance with? Let it go. It's not gonna happen. Unless they willingly go out of their way to be nice to you.

The day after the bandages were removed. After a relatively less painful night... Looks like a war zone.

Day 3! First wash and then off to departures on way to Canada. What most posts don't prepare you for is the emotional journey you undertake during the whole process. I've had to feel each feeling and thanks to the kindness, patience and understanding of the staff specifically Ihsan, a lot of fears, concerns and doubts were put to rest. The biggest surprise comes when u see how nonchalant n matter of fact people around in the hotel are. Because some of them have seen this before. Others who haven't, stare for a couple of seconds n then look away. Remember, we'll never see them in our lives again, so you do you. Thanks to my mom's travel pillow, I was able to sleep much much better than Night 1.