SuperC

This is understandable, but even though the regret is not all that likely, it might help to reframe your mindset about it all. For example, I don't expect to have great hair for the remainder of my life. I'm 38 years old and my procedure will have been completely worth it if I can just get through the majority of my 40s without constantly worrying about my hair. That alone is priceless for me. I just want some nice photos of me to look back on, and if I never need a touchup or a bit more work done, I'll consider that a bonus. Also completely understandable. I don't believe anyone who says they aren't nervous as the date approaches. I have generalized anxiety disorder and and prone to catastrophic thinking and panic attacks. For me, the best course of action was to become as familiar with the entire process as possible. Read about every detail of the procedure. Follow tons of threads on this forum. Ask tons of questions, especially to your surgeon. Know exactly what to expect so that you don't have to wonder, because for me, uncertainty is where my anxiety kicks in, filling in the blanks with the scariest thoughts. By the time my number was up, I'd done so much research that I felt like it wasn't my first time having a transplant performed. There were zero surprises and I was able to keep my anxiety from getting the best of me. If you've chosen a reputable doctor who you feel confident about, and you know what to expect, then your nerves are just nerves and not a sign of anything worrisome.

The vast majority of transplant patients have no major concerns and regrets and so we don't hear about them. They are out living their lives and probably not even thinking about their hair most of the time. Becoming one of them involves taking a risk and spending some money, but if you do enough research, the risk can be greatly minimized. Taking meds can slow the loss, and some people are fine shaving their heads. If these options aren't enough for you, and the thinning and/or recession is bothering you the way it bothers most who end up on this forum, then I'd say you're far more likely to regret doing nothing than taking this risk.

Nope. You're just shedding. It's going to happen for several more weeks until nearly all of the transplanted hairs are gone, then they will slowly begin to reappear in the months that follow. Be gentle with your scalp, but don't lose any sleep over it. They grafts are nice and secure by now.

You're fine. Transplanted grafts are typically 100% secure after about 10 days. You won't lose grafts 3 weeks after your procedure, but you will begin the shedding phase, which is completely normal.

Talk to a medical professional.

Wait 5 more months.

Please name the clinic.

No one doing proper research would choose a clinic based only on post-op photos. It's results that matter, and since many users stop posting updates once their results are looking good (or even not so good), what's left behind is a thread without much practical use for anyone. Thanks for including this information. If it were up to me, it'd be required in every post title on this subforum.

The punches seem clean to me, and mostly reasonable spaced out. Not the smallest punches, but it looks normal to me. I think the scarring you're seeing now is to be expected. You've got dark hair and fair skin. Removing any single follicular unit from your first photo and replacing it with a light-colored extraction scar is going to result in a noticeable contrast when your hair is cut this short.

Based on the photo you've provided, I would consider this normal, but not ideal. It'd be helpful to see some donor photos from just after the procedure, to see what the punches looked like, as it's possible that follicles surrounding the extractions were damaged, causing permanent loss around each extraction.

I went to Dr. Rahal last year and I'm very happy with my experience and results. I felt perfectly comfortable at the clinic in Toronto. They've taken excellent care of me and their post-op care and responsiveness is outstanding, so I never felt alone or concerned during recovery. 1,100 grafts seems a bit low to me, but you can always decide on more that day, or even down the road if necessary. Achieving similar results with fewer grafts is ideal, certainly, but I was more concerned with needing a second procedure later and wanted to avoid that if at all possible. There's no way to guarantee this, but I personally felt better going with a higher graft count. I can't speak for Dr. Couto, but he seems very popular on these forums and his work generally looks good to me. I'm sure you'd be fine going with either surgeon, but to reach a decision, it may be time to weigh other factors such as cost, convenience (travel, etc.), and your comfort level with each surgeon after speaking with them. I'm not sharing the details of my journey publicly, but if you have any specific questions or want to see my progress photos, message me in private and I'll be glad to share.

Hey @Bucky O Hair It's been another 5 weeks or so. Any change?

I'm ~6 months post-op after a 3,000-graft FUE procedure with Dr. Rahal and I'm very happy with my result at this point. I know there is more to come, but I stopped checking for new growth over a month ago. I feel as though I got exactly what I was expecting, if not more. I wondered about this a lot before scheduling my procedure. In my opinion, Dr. Rahal is simply underrated on this forum. Like many other highly-skilled surgeons, he just doesn't have the enthusiastic following that a select few surgeons do. This means he isn't recommended quite as often as I'd personally expect, at least not on this forum. I have to assume that most of his patients come from places other than HRN, and so we don't hear about them here as often. This can also give the sense that a higher percentage of his cases are "disappointments", since unhappy patients are more likely to discover this forum while searching for feedback about their concerns, compared to happy patients (again, amongst those who did not discover Dr. Rahal through the forum to begin with). That's my theory, at least. I don't currently plan to share my full experience or photos publicly on this forum, but if you have any questions or would like to see my progress so far, feel free to message me in private. Note that it's not Dr. Rahal himself, but a representative, who posts here.

Research surgeons, not clinics. At $0.65 per graft, there's probably no reason to continue considering any surgeon at this clinic.

Very impressive work. I think you're going to be very happy with the result. Also, can someone explain the light-colored "scabs" on each graft in the post-op photos? Is this something some clinics do, perhaps to control bleeding, or do some people's scabs just lighter in color when they're fresh? I've always wondered about this.

I experienced a lot of anxiety surrounding this decision as well, and probably "over-researched" a bit, as you put it. It helped me to simplify the decision by focusing on a few key factors. Does the surgeon generally produce good-looking results when treating the area(s) in question? Some surgeons do great hairline work, but mediocre crown work, for example. Find someone who is highly-skilled in the areas relevant to your situation. Are the surgeon and clinic known for good communication and post-op care? If you have questions or concerns after the procedure, will you be able to discuss them with the clinic? Will the surgeon review your photos and provide feedback? I didn't want to be like the people I see asking the internet for medical advice because they went to a clinic where post-op care and communication are poor or nonexistent. Are you comfortable with the travel required? I was not willing to travel abroad for my procedure. Are you? If so, you'll have access to the best surgeons in the world. If not, then your selection obviously is more limited, but still may include some excellent surgeons. I don't recommend traveling anywhere you're not reasonably comfortable. Is the surgeon within your budget? For most of us, the cost of the procedure is a major factor in the decision. As long as you can afford your preferred surgeon, I wouldn't think any more about the money aspect. It's not worth going with your second choice to save a bit of cash. Were you able to consult with the surgeon directly? How did that go? Talking directly with the surgeon should leave you feeling more comfortable and confident in them than before. If this isn't the case, I would reconsider selecting that surgeon. I chose a surgeon who seemed to produce good results in the area I needed treatment, and who was within my price range and travel distance. This was true of a few surgeons, and so I consulted with them and chose the one I felt the most comfortable with. Regardless of how much research I did or how confident I was in my decision, actually booking the procedure was not easy for me. I filled out the forms and then did not submit them, multiple times over the course of a few months, thinking I would find some new information that would help me become 100% confident and schedule the procedure with little to no anxiety, but that never happened. I think the best you can do is make a reasonable decision, cope with the anxiety however you can, and hope for the best outcome. And honestly, any reputable clinic is very likely to produce a good result, so just by not going to a "hair mill", you're already doing 90% of what you can.

Would you mind sharing some photos from just before/after the procedure, and maybe some progress pictures around 3 months, 6 months, etc.?

This doesn't seem to be too uncommon, so I wouldn't worry about it. I'm nearly 6 months post-op now and still have a little bit of numbness. About a 1" circle at the very top of my scalp, just behind my recipient area, is still completely numb. Nerves are weird.

Have you consulted with Dr. Sahar Nadimi? She works at the Chicago Hair Institute alongside Dr. Konior. From what I read, the experience and quality of work will be similar, but the cost will be a bit lower and you'll likely get in a little sooner.

I was allowed to take anti-anxiety medication before my procedure and that helped a lot. I'm not good with pain and I normally struggle to sit still for longer than a few minutes, and I was super chill for 10 straight hours with my meds. Even fell asleep for a bit during the procedure. Ask your surgeon if you're allowed to take anything beforehand, or if they can provide something. Also, if you've not already found a medication that works for you, perhaps your doctor can help you find something ahead of time so you can go in feeling confident and as relaxed as possible.

I genuinely think being mindful and overly cautious makes us more likely to bump our heads, unfortunately. The night before my procedure, I was a bit anxious and thinking a lot about how careful I'll need to be for the next few weeks, and moments later I accidentally hit my head on a nearby lamp. Quite hard, in fact. Luckily this was before the procedure and not after it. You'll be fine, even if you bonk your head again. Just try to take it easy for a few weeks and you'll be in the clear in no time. Oh, and the work looks good, by the way!👌

I wouldn't worry about it. Lots of people bump their heads during the first two weeks of recovery, and I don't think I can recall a single one where the results were affected by the incident. Generally speaking, no blood, no worries, but you may want to contact your clinic and see if they have any concerns or advice.

It's more of a comfort thing than anything. I stopped using it around 4 to 6 weeks post-op. That's when I no longer felt the tenderness or dryness in my recipient area. There's no harm in using it as often as you want, but if you don't feel the need, that's fine too.

Then maybe it's worth the risk for you. It's definitely not for me, but that's our own call to make.