SuperC

The "pompadour" hairstyle is just popular right now. It doesn't mean the transplanted hairs weren't angled properly, though that does sometimes happen depending on the clinic. And yes, the way one's hair is styled affects the illusion of density significantly. With this particular hairstyle, the hairline is on full display. This is one reason why many hairline restoration procedures use more grafts out in front, along with grafts which have follicles that contain 2 or more hairs.

The only poor night’s sleep I had post-op was the very first night, but that was because I had terrible nausea and was up all night vomiting. Practice sleeping in the recommended position ahead of time so you know what to expect.

This comment is not helpful. Please be more sensitive in threads which are specifically about discussing anxiety. That said, no surgeon produces optimal results every time. I've spent countless hours reviewing the work of dozens of "top" surgeons (all the ones this forum seems to swoon over) and all of them had cases that didn't go so well. In additional to skill and expertise with different types of hair loss patterns, there is also the matter of ethics and integrity to consider. At the end of the day, selecting a surgeon is a leap of faith. While some will throw money at the situation, and others will travel to the other side of the globe to _save_ money, I am going with a reputable surgeon who is ethical, within my budget, who specializes in my hair loss pattern, and who I won't have to fly half way around the world to see again for touch-ups, a second procedure down the road, etc.

I don't have an ideal hairline in mind in terms of design. What works for someone else doesn't necessarily work well for me, and I'm no artist. That said, I did try to find some examples of the general idea and posted them earlier in this thread, but I assume you've seen those already. I plan to trust Dr. Rahal to advise on an androgynous design, while I focus on communicating my concerns and goals. No longer considering strip. I understand the pros and cons and have decided on this path.

We got it working, but thanks for the advice! I think the settings change just took a minute to go into effect.

Done. Sorry for the trouble. I don't see any other settings to change, but I'll keep looking until I hear back from you.

It should be enabled now. I forgot that I'd disabled my inbox due to receiving spam. Sorry about that.

I think 3,000 grafts can go a long way. I'm confident that you'll have plenty of options to get the results you're after. I'm self-conscious too. I wear hats at all times because my hair just always looks bad, and I tried the bald look and am not into it. I figure this is my chance to have a head of hair that I feel good about, and if it doesn't work out, I'll just keep wearing hats! 😅 Is Rolanda another forum member? I'm not familiar with the name. But I can sort of picture what you're describing, and it sounds like a few grafts near the crown is a good idea. 100% agreed! Gradual changes are definitely the way to go where possible. A hair transplant is kind of a mix between gradual and sudden, I think. If friends and family see the initial recovery phase, obviously that's a major change. But once the scabs are gone and the original hair begins to grow back, the growth of new hair comes in very gradually. Anyone who knows us well will realize at some point that we've had work done, but it won't be like showing up in a wig one day. 🤣 You're absolutely right about getting comfortable before moving forward. It takes me a while to find what feels right and to establish some reliable level of confidence after making changes to my appearance. This procedure will no doubt be the biggest challenge yet in that regard, but I think I'm ready for it. Makeup and skin care have both been a huge part of my new routine, for sure. It's all a lot to learn, and subtlety is key (especially for makeup), but it's definitely helping overall. Thanks! It does feel good. Lots of ups and downs, but overall good. And my hair is okay for the most part, just the hairline itself. I was looking at old photos and found one from 2007 where my entire head was buzzed down to a #1. I was 21 years old then and my hairline was basically the same as it is now, so hopefully I won't suddenly experience further loss as I age. I'm on Finasteride (1mg/daily) now, though, just to help ensure that. In your other thread, you offered to share some photos and I didn't see your message until today. Sorry for not replying. I'd be interested in having a look if you don't mind sharing.

Please do! Mine is a few weeks after yours. I'll be looking for all the inspiration and confidence I can get. 😅 This is a brilliant idea. I will probably do the same thing, now that you mention it. The surgeon should have as much info as possible to design the proper hairline. This makes sense to me. Have you talked to the doctor about that plan specifically? Do you find it difficult to make significant style changes? I ask because I've made major changes myself in the last two years, and there's certainly been some mixed feedback along the way. 😬 But it's been quite liberating for me, and was very long overdue! And as you said, the hair is just part of it, but definitely an important part.

This is it exactly. My hair is getting quite long now, but I really can't pull it off unless I wear a hat or headband to cover the hairline area. I do enjoy wearing such things, but it's less fun when I feel I have to. 😅 That would be awesome! The very idea of being able to have bangs feels out of reach right now, but who knows! Nothing wrong with uncommon. That's what makes us unique. Also, this is why I'm not planning to have any temple work done, even though my temples are quite "soft" or "weak" (not sure the right term). Not too far receded, but definitely not pointy or prominent in any way. I sure hope so! Do you have a procedure scheduled already? Let me know if there's a thread I can follow. I'd love to see your progress if you choose to share it. I'll probably be creating another thread in a few weeks to cover my experience, and then update it over the next year or so with my progress.

I wish we wouldn't treat surgeons like rock stars or professional athletes. Every surgeon, patient, and situation is different, and every procedure comes with a unique set of circumstances and challenges. The most highly-skilled surgeons will make mistakes, just like some "hair mills" have produced excellent results, all the while what we see on this forum is a tiny, tiny fraction of all cases. I'm not suggesting we pretend that all surgeons are equally capable, but perhaps it'd be better if we refrained from putting any of them on pedestals (or the opposite) and simply continued to share our first-hand experiences and help keep the official recommended surgeons list up-to-date.

Side note: I have provided hairline examples earlier in this thread, but noticed the image from this comment has gone missing. Should I repost it, or can it be recovered somehow?

@Rahal Hair Transplant I appreciate the followup. I did schedule my procedure for next month, so that's set, but I haven't spoken with Dr. Rahal directly as of yet. I'm not sure doing so would calm my nerves much, and it seems like details beyond what we've worked out so far (approximate number of grafts, pre-op requirements, costs, etc.) are generally figured out during the pre-op appointment and the morning of the procedure. That said, if there's any benefit to an information session with Dr. Rahal himself at this point, and he doesn't mind taking the time, I certainly wouldn't be opposed!

@Melvin- Moderator Bump, in case you missed my reply.

@Rahal Hair Transplant Thanks for the photos. That looks like fine work. Are any of the examples from @zx_toth? That is what I was looking for initially, though the more examples I can see, the better.

Incredible result the first time around, and the photos from the second procedure look promising as well. Has Dr. Rahal's process or the overall experience changed much since 2015? Also, do you have any post-op photos of the donor area?

Forgot to follow this topic so I've only just now seen the updates. Very nice results! Makes me optimistic for my appointment in July.

I'm going through the same thing and my transplant is still a couple months away. My plan is to focus on trusting my past self. They did a bunch of research and made the best decision they could. Future me will be nervous, but that's okay. It just means you're doing something big for yourself, and that would be a little scary for anyone. Looking forward to see how it turns out and what your experience is like (if you choose to share it here).

I'm interested in seeing how things are looking. I'm booked with Dr. Rahal this summer.

I would like to see this video. Will it be public again soon?

It's more about avoiding hard edges and sharp points. Feminine hairlines just tend to be more soft and rounded, and I want to aim more in that direction. I'm not sure what this means in practice. Perhaps rounding of the temple connections, implanting grafts in a more even distribution (e.g. not significantly more dense up front)? The "how" is for Dr. Rahal to decide. Finding examples is tricky, but I'll try! I really like this one, because similarly to the image I attached in this comment, it is soft and maintains some of the "M-shape" I have now. I still want to look like me, after all. 🙂 This image also seemed like a good way to visualize the type of change I'm going for. It is soft and rounded. No points or hard lines. Obviously my current hairline is far more receded than this "before" picture, but again, I'm just communicating the idea, not providing examples that I think perfectly reflect the reality of my situation or expectations. 🙂 Let me know if these help express my goals. It would be nice to have some appropriate examples handy when I arrive at the clinic.

Can we get an update on this? 🙂

Update: I've scheduled my procedure! It's a couple months out, but I completed the form and put down my deposit. 😁 I was reading back through TorontoMan's thread here and it was this comment that really had an impact on me. If Dr. Rahal can manage to improve upon an already incredible head of hair, I am confident that what I've got will be a walk in the park for him. I don't expect the same results, obviously, but I feel as though what can realistically be done for me is very achievable by Dr. Rahal. Thanks for everyone's input on this thread. I'm more than happy to continue the discussion if anyone is interested, as I always appreciate more input. 😊

Okay, I think I understand. This sounds like excellent advice, but I'm not sure it applies to me within a 1 year time frame, considering I've not actually noticed any change in my hairline in over a decade. In other words, I'm not sure I will ever be able to say finasteride is working for me, but more hoping that I won't be confirming it doesn't a decade from now. 😂 Does that make sense? Sorry if I've missed your point.