active34

When I returned to the gym after my surgery, I wore a baseball cap, which I had never worn beforehand. Many people questioned my wearing a cap, but I told them that I had fallen down my stairs and received a mild concussion! I think they "fell" for it until I stopped wearing the cap about six weeks later and had little prickly hairs growing around my forehead where I had been shiny bald. Everyone there keeps glancing up at my forehead, but nobody has had the guts to say anything further.

Justin- Great results! Your hairline now looks much different, so I'm sure that people suspect you had something done, but most people who hadn't seen you in a while probably just can't nail it down. That's the typical reaction that I've experienced. Did your close friends or co-workers know when you had the procedure?

It looks like you went through some pain at the time, but your results look great!

Adam, It seems that the level of numbness in my recipient area varies from time to time and with the time of day. I've tended to have some feeling return at night over the past couple of weeks, but, in the morning, it's almost totally without feeling. Also, some of the feeling has returned to near normal in my recipient region closer to my sides and forehead. Also, more hairs seem to be popping up daily.

Yes, you could wear a hat beginning the next day, but you'll have to be careful for a few days not to disrupt the grafts while putting on or taking off the hat. Also, if the back of the hat rests on your donor region, it can hurt for a few days. Overall, I found that it was best to hibernate from the public for about five days after my surgery, and then I started to go out while wearing a hat. Also, a very helpful piece of advice that you don't usually receive is to plan to wear button-down shirts for at least five days after surgery. The grafts are very delicate these first few days, and even your shirt slightly rubbing against the recipient area could disrupt the grafts or cause some bleeding. I lost a graft on the day following my surgery in this manner.

I just received my first order of Toppik. I'm trying to conceal my scar area from my surgery less than 3 weeks ago. I notice on the back of the can it states that you should apply Toppik Fiberhold Spray after the Toppik powder. I did not notice this when I ordered. Is the spray really necessary? Thanks for advice!

Good luck! Plan to take it easy on your trip for a couple of days afterward. Maybe put on a big straw hat, sit by the pool, and sip some margaritas.

Great site, Pat! I especially like the interactive FU graph estimator.

Fortune- Were you hoping for a complimentary face lift in addition to your hair transplant?

I've seen pros and cons of both scattered around, but I'd like to get some general input about which you guys think is best. Megasessions obviously offer more FUs per procedure. This is less costly than multiple sessions. However, I've heard that more FUs result in a longer and wider donor scar. Repeat surgeries usually rely on the original smaller scar area for additional donor hair. Do you guys think it's best to go with as many FUs as possible in order to avoid going through a second procedure (as long as you don't become greedy), or can better results with less scaring and fewer post-op problems be realized with smaller and, perhaps, multiple sessions?

I've seen pros and cons of both scattered around, but I'd like to get some general input about which you guys think is best. Megasessions obviously offer more FUs per procedure. This is less costly than multiple sessions. However, I've heard that more FUs result in a longer and wider donor scar. Repeat surgeries usually rely on the original smaller scar area for additional donor hair. Do you guys think it's best to go with as many FUs as possible in order to avoid going through a second procedure (as long as you don't become greedy), or can better results with less scaring and fewer post-op problems be realized with smaller and, perhaps, multiple sessions?

Okay, Matthew - How much can you bench? Maybe that was the problem. :-) Seriously, though, I've been told that as long as you don't do any type of an exercise that flexes the skin on the back of your scalp, you should be alright after the staples/sutures are removed. How long do you think I should wait?

Two reputable doctors highly recommended on this site both told me that weight lifting would be fine as soon as the staples or sutures were taken out. Think about this logically. If you say that you can stretch your scar by laying on your head while lifting, then those of us who have lifted regularly for a while should have excellent scalp laxity, and, therefore, small scars. :-)

I figured this thread would yank a few chains! The other doctors whom I consulted -- all highly regarded on this forum -- did not drop their knives to talk to me or to answer my emails. Phone consults were scheduled several days or even weeks in advance. Emails were answered during the evenings -- most likely after their patient work was completed. Also, docs who are alone in their practices do not necessarily have surgeries scheduled every day. Shapiro, for instance, has several surgeons in his practice, so it's highly unlikely that each one of them would not be performing a procedure on a given day. Please do not start to infer that if a doctor has time to personally consult with you, he must not be good or he has too much time on his hands. Maybe I should have asked Matt Zupin at Shapiro if I could have scheduled another consultation with a doctor. However, at the time, I just assumed that was not how his practice was run.

Hey Guys, I know that there have been almost all positive posts about Shapiro on here, but I am questioning some things that I'm wondering if anyone could address. First, it seems that his practice is being run similar to that of a hair mill. You talk to a consultant over the phone for a "diagnosis." Secondly, some glossy brochures are mailed to you. I will state as well that some brochures detailing Shapiro's credentials are also mailed. There are other well-praised doctors on this forum who personally respond to emails and who, themselves, conduct consultations either by phone or in person. What are your opinions regarding these issues?