Hairfree

I have been getting excellent advice from Hairbank and Bill. They both know what they are talking about. Originally I was going to get a HT from one of the conservative Docs. When I did more research I realized that I needed more grafts to achieve the results I wanted. I ended up going with a doctor that was willing to do more than 3000 grafts on me.

Gorpy, Hahaha I was laughing at "The Head Density Estimator" line in your profile. Its a nice title for you! I am glad that you added that.

Most of the (80-90%) hairs fall out within 2-4 weeks after the HT. Its a normal process. After they fall out its at least couple months untill new growth. When the hairs fall out it does not mean you lost those grafts. New hairs growt out of the grafts that were placed in the scalp. The hairs that did not fall out stay in and keep growing!

Hey guys..thank you for filling me in. So far the puss has cleared up and no more pimples. I had about 4 pimples total. I just put light pressure on them with a warm damp towel. My grafts are continuing to fall off. So far I have been walking around at work with no hat. No one has been staring at my head so far..I hope not too many more grafts fall out!

Hey guys thanks for your input.. So far no more pimples. The ones that I put pressure on did not return and so far the scalp looks clean. I started to use shampoo with natural oils in it and its been great for the scalp. Today I have no dryness or flaking. I am noticing that some grafts are jumping ship. I found some on my pillow. I can tell that my grafts are getting thinner in the area. I will post pics later this evening..

I have to go find that Aloe shampoo. Right now my scalp where the grafts are looks flaky and dry. Should I be putting pure Aloe on it? Also, I found three small pimples in the areas where the grafts are. I popped them gently and put light pressure on it. It had some light bleeding. Is that normal for someone on Day 17? Should I be alarmed? Who brought up Brokeback Mountain??? Nervousnelly...is that your favorite movie??? Haha giving you a hard time back!

I am not 2 1/2 weeks post op. I am starting to see some light shedding and I found about 3 small pimples with lil pus in the area among the grafts. I put pressure on them and it popped easily and bleed very little. Is that normal? Why am I getting pimples? Is it from the VIT E oil? Or is it because the grafts are dead and causing them? I am a bit worried here. Has this happened to anyone?

I am not 2 1/2 weeks post op. I am starting to see some light shedding and I found about 3 small pimples with lil pus in the area among the grafts. I put pressure on them and it popped easily and bleed very little. Is that normal? Why am I getting pimples? Is it from the VIT E oil? Or is it because the grafts are dead and causing them? I am a bit worried here. Has this happened to anyone?

Bill, So far the grafts are hanging in there. I do not want to see them go away Can I use super glue on my scalp to keep the grafts on? Just an idea?? Haha just kidding. I will have to post some new pictures. The redness in area is gone and I had my sutures removed yesterday by my family doctor. It went pretty well and the doctor was very impressed with how the sutures were done. She said it was neat! Rahal did a nice job. I assume she don't get many HT patients coming in. lol

Good post guys. I learned a lot on this forum and all of your experience and advice helped me decide which doctor is best for me at the time. One thing that everyone has to keep in mind is that if a doctor won't do mega sessions (3500 grafts or more) it don't mean that that particular doctor isn't as good as others. For example, Dr. Charles and Dr. Epstein have excellent Ht doctors and most cases they do not go for mega sessions. However, I know that Dr. Charles does place many of the grafts into the incisions himself and they both have great skills in creating hairlines. They have their own good reasons why they don't do large sessions. Bill can do a better job explaining that part than me. You have to ask yourself. Are you looking to do this in one pass or with multiple HTs? Everyone's case is different.

GoodtoGo, I had minimal swelling. By Day 3 it was around the eyes and around day 5 it was all gone. Everyone has a different reaction. In my case I did a good job making sure I slept at 45 degree angle for first 5 nights and I think that kept the swelling away. What doctor are you considering? How many grafts you looking to get? Let me know your thoughts on my PM.

I agree with Bill above. The finasteride will help to strengthen your existing hairs. I just started on the finasteride a month ago and had my HT 12 days ago. My case was different from yours, I had extensive loss in my front 1/3 and losing my existing hairs in that area didn't matter. It can't hurt for you to wait up to a year and see how you respond to it.

Thanks guys! Gorpy - I have used Minox before with good results. I think my hairloss might have happened much faster at a younger age if it wasnt for Minox. I started using minox when I was 22 yrs old. It definately helped me to thicken up again and slow down the loss. When I stopped used the Minox over a year ago the hairloss really picked up and thats when I got to the point where I decided to go for the HT. Anyway, my scalp is pretty sensitive to the Minox. I used to get flaky skin from it. When I restarted using it a couple months ago before the HT I noticed new hairs growing and an improvement from using it. I think that I might be able to get some new regrowth and maybe speed up growth of the new hairs by using it. I might go and give the foam a try. Everyone has been saying positive things about it. I am going start using it in a few days. I am now on Day 12. The pink in the area is now all gone. I am going to continue with the Aloe for a couple more days and then Minox time! I will start light and slow with the stuff. Thank you everyone for your advice!

Maybe they will grow the follicles in a dish and then insert them into the scalp in the same manner they do today. Anyone know about how this may work?

If stems cells are injected into the scalp how do we know the new hairs will grow at the proper angles? What if they grow out funny? Part of being a HT doc is the ability to place the grafts at the proper angle to achieve a natural look for fit within someone's hair style in some cases. Can anyone explain?

Hi! I am now 11 days post op. All of my scars are gone. When should I start up with the Rogaine? Some people say 7 days and others longer. When is it safe to resume with minox?

Hi! I am now 11 days post op. All of my scars are gone. When should I start up with the Rogaine? Some people say 7 days and others longer. When is it safe to resume with minox?

Bill - Hey! Thank you for stopping over with the wife to check the HT out. It was good to see the two of you and to hang out for a short bit. How was the dinner for your wife's Bday?

Hairdini, I just had my HT 10 days ago. You can see my pics in photo album under Dr. Rahal. I recieved 70cm2 at the hairline and then it decreases to 40cm2 behind it. I recieved a total of 3500 grafts. Now, I am even wondering if I should have recieved more grafts. I guess its hairgreed! In my opinion, I think if anyone goes too thin there is a greater chance for an unnatural look. It will look sparse and Im not sure how 35cm2 at the hairline will look. Most HT docs will go for a high density hairline and less behind it. It creates an illusion of a full head of hair. I can also see how an ultra thick hairline can look unnatural but I think in that case it would have to be a poor hairline design (straight across, too low, not mature hairline -depending on age, temples round, etc.). There are a lot more factors than just the density for an unnatural look. Dr. Keene is excellent with hairlines and you won't have to worry about that part. If you get good density you can make this HT a one time shot and not need to go back again in the future. Some people's natural density is about 95cm2. From looking at your pictures you are a great candidate to have awesome results from a HT.

Aloe shampoo! Where can I get that stuff? I am about to leave work soon and need to get the Aloe. I will look for the shampoo too. Thank you for your update MRJB! What kind of haircut are you walking around with now? Is it noticable? I might lose the hat on Monday and report to work with my ultra short buzz cut. It all depends on the pink in the area. So far the pink is improving and its not as noticable as before. My Scar is itchy. I cant really see it in the mirror. Someone else told me that it is red. I am going to get the sutures taken out by my family doctor on Wednesday. Can't wait!! MRJB- Im glad that all is going well for you on Day 24!

Goodtogo - Dr. Rahal was great. He made it a very comfortable experience. Let me know if you have any specific questions. Don't be afraid to PM me. I plan to keep posting my pics. I live in the Philadelphia area.

I am now 9 days post op. Im looking at all the new grafts on my scalp. Its pretty neat how they are now in areas where I had no hair before! Now I am prepared to watch eventually fall out and wait for new growth. I was just wondering why they fall out??? I even read about how some people are able to retain 50% of them grafts post op. I know its rare for that to happen. Anyway, does anyone know what the factors are for why they fall out? Is it the drugs (propecia), what we eat, number of days scabs are on, shock, etc.? It would be cool to hear a doctor or tech explain the process. Look forward to hearing everyone's responses!

I am now 9 days post op. Im looking at all the new grafts on my scalp. Its pretty neat how they are now in areas where I had no hair before! Now I am prepared to watch eventually fall out and wait for new growth. I was just wondering why they fall out??? I even read about how some people are able to retain 50% of them grafts post op. I know its rare for that to happen. Anyway, does anyone know what the factors are for why they fall out? Is it the drugs (propecia), what we eat, number of days scabs are on, shock, etc.? It would be cool to hear a doctor or tech explain the process. Look forward to hearing everyone's responses!

Bayer - Good question! It just emailed Bill the same question. I saw the Aloe lotion at Walgreens and almost bought it. Im glad I didn't. Bill said its the green stuff. Im going out today after work to get the Aloe and start on it. I think you can leave it on as long as you want and apply it twice a day. Im only guessing. I will find out. Will let you know..

I am now on Day 8 - After taking everyone advice on this forum I started to massage my scalp on Day 6 to work the scabs off. I took long showers and applied a lot of VIT E oil on it to keep it moist. I would also dip my head and hold it under water in the sink for 5 mins 2-3 times a day. This morning I noticed a large amount of scabs were starting to come off and were just hanging on by the grafts. The scabs were very oily from the VIT E and this evening I soaked my head in the sink for 10 mins. After that I got in the shower for another 10 mins and massaged my head and all the scabs just came off easily. I did not pick at the scabs or use my finger tips. I just used the end of my fingers and massaged gently. I think the Vit E made a big difference. It is now neat to see all the grafts embeded into my actual scalp. Before I couldn't see them as well because I had a scab helmet! Tomorrow I will start applying Aloe to the scalp to work on the pink.