D_Matt_I

I I haven't actually scheduled anything yet. That's just what the receptionist said when I called. She said it was a few months to see "one of the ladies" or 3-4 to see Dr. Cooley. She didn't give me a specific time for how long after that I could schedule the surgery, just said several more months. So like you said, maybe that actually means a year...

I looked and can't seem to find my before pictures. I think I had them on an old phone. (I changed phones a few times since then and apparently didn't upload them). 🤔 I'll keep looking and post them if I find them.

Thank you. Melvin's probably right about just being patient, but I'll ask my doctor about the aloe vera too. If he says it's OK, I'll give it a shot. I figure, as long as the doc thinks it's OK, it won't hurt to try...

Thank you for your suggestion. I cancelled my appointment with Bosely and called Dr Cooley's office. It will be a few months before I can get a consult and then several more months before the surgery, but it's definitely worth the wait to have a good result. Dr. Phipps with Bosely may be great too, but without seeing any pictures or even being able to talk with her before the surgery, I just feel really uneasy about it.

Thank you for your feedback. Very helpful. Dr. Mike Vories did my first surgery and he did a great job. From a couple of pictures I posted in a different thread, Melvin said my hairline looks pretty good. I agree, but I'd really like to make it look more natural. So I think I will go with his suggestion and make an appointment with Dr. Cooley. Dr. Cooley's name has come up twice in my extensive online searches and, with Melvin's endorsement, I feel confident that he's the best choice.

Here are pictures of the top of my head at 8 months vs. 12 months post surgery. I

I didn't even think of logging in from my phone... duh, lol. Showing my age... Here are a couple of pictures of my current hairline. Opinions/comments welcome, especially as to whether you think it looks good as-is or if you think it makes sense to do another surgery to make my hairline more natural. Sometimes it's hard for me to judge since I've been told that I can be overly critical of myself. Somewhere (on an old phone?) I have some pictures showing the top of my head at 8 vs 12 months post FUE surgery with Dr. V. I think they will help demonstrate what I was saying in my earlier post about my slow growth. I'll post them as soon as I find them...

Sorry for the delay...the pictures from my android phone aren't showing up in my gmail. I don't have the right connector for phone to PC and my PC doesn't have wireless internet. I'll post pictures as soon as I figure out a solution...

I don't think you need to worry. Dr.Vories is an excellent surgeon. I am probably overly picky. I'm at work right now, but I'll upload a couple of pictures when I get home.

Does anyone have any experience or opinion about using Base Labs Piercing Aftercare Spray to help reduce redness after an FUE transplant? It's a saline-based spray that also contains aloe vera, rosemary, tea tree oil, allantoin, Vitamin B4, sodium hyaluronate, and benzalkonium chloride. I used it after a skin laser resurfacing on my face and it seems to have kept the redness down. I'm wondering if it might work for redness after a transplant too? I'm scheduled to have my 2nd FUE transplant at the end of June. I had a lot of redness that persisted for about 3 months after my first 3900 FUE transplant 2.5 years ago. So I'm trying to figure out what I can do to reduce the redness this time... Thanks in advance for any feedback.

Has anyone had an FUE transplant with Dr. Angela Phipps in Raleigh NC? I am scheduled for an 1800 FUE transplant with her at the end of June. She's a doctor working with Bosley, but I don't have any pictures of her work. It's my second FUE (first was 3900 FUE 2.5 years ago). I'm looking to add some thickness to the top of my head and to make my hairline look more natural (currently a straight hairline), so I'm most interested in knowing if anyone has an opinion on the naturalness of hairlines from her work. Thanks in advance for any feedback.

I feel your pain and my heart hurts for you (seriously). I can completely relate... I was a Norwood 4 in Jan 2018 at age 48 when I had a 3900 FUE transplant with Dr Michael Vories in Charleston SC. He does exclusively FUE transplants and had more than 15 years of experience at the time I did the surgery. I was healthy, lean, exercised, ate a good diet, was on dutasteride, used hair thickening shampoo, took vitamins, zinc, biotin, etc. (not Rogaine). Even with all that I still had some shock loss, redness through 3 months, mild folliculitis, and at 5 months post-op I had a lot less growth than you see in pictures on-line. The top was the worst. Even at 8 months post-op it was still patchy, thin and bald in some spots. I talked to Dr. Vories and he said some people heal slowly and to try to be patient. I didn't take it out on him, but OMG the frustration I felt at home! It took 9-11 months to see results that other people usually get in 4-6 months. So hang in there. I know it's disheartening right now, but I really think you will see more growth over the next 6 months. Please give an update in a few months to let us know how it's going. It would be helpful to me (and probably others) to know how you are doing. Right now I'm at 2.5 years after my first 3900 FUE transplant and I'm going for a second 1800 FUE transplant at the end of June with Dr. Angela Phipps in Raleigh NC to fill in the top (still a bit thin) and to try and make the hairline look more natural. (I have a nearly perfectly straight hairline which I think makes it obvious that I got a transplant). I am really dreading being an "ugly duckling" over the next year... crossing my fingers that maybe it will be better this time... Thanks for sharing what's going on with you. It helps to know I'm not the only one who has had to deal with disappointing results at 5 months.