Bucky O Hair

I am currently about 14 days postop from my FUE procedure and I was advised to not touch my recipient area for the first 14 days (just spray with saline water every 2 hours, and wash twice a day with baby shampoo/water via spray bottle...which I have diligently been doing).

However, unlike most 14-day postop results... my head still has pretty much all of the scabs/dry skin still left on my head.  

I decided to test a single area and carefully remove a few of the loose dried skin/scabs today, and each and every one of them had hair attached to them.
I will be washing my head in the shower tomorrow (which will have more pressure than my light removal of a few of the scabs today)...but if my little scab experiment is true, then I am expecting that all of my hair will be coming out with my dried skin.  Which makes me wonder...

Can your grafts actually dry out and die if you didn't use enough saline spray?

When and how do you know that your grafts are secure?

Is it normal to go through a complete and total shed of all your grafts during your first wash?

Here is a photo of what I am talking about...

Yea, I am about 14 days postop and I have the typical 'sunburn' feeling in my donor area with that 'pinching' nerve pain whenever I press into the area with my fingers.

Hoping it will subside, but it has remained the same for the past few days.  I don't recall if it was worse during the first week or not...but I'll give it a couple more weeks before I start to get concerned about it.

5 hours ago, BaldGuy said:

Most doctors tend to stop doing FUT...in a few years from now i believe that 95% of hair transplants will be done by FUE..No one will risk a nasty FUT scar anymore..

You could probably argue that we're pretty much there already.

When you look at the recommended HT docs on this forum, it seems like 9 out of 10 exclusively offer FUE over FUT.  

In my opinion, FUT will be extinct in a few more years.  

I accidentally smacked my donor region getting into my car while leaving the clinic one day after my FUE procedure, lol.  

Everything was fine.

It's all about protecting the grafts in the recipient area, and trying not to make contact with it in the first week postop. 

On 5/15/2022 at 9:26 PM, Barnan12550 said:

Thanks all, appreciate the feedback. I’m 5 weeks out from my first FUE procedure. I was just wondering if you were to shave your head completely bald later on in life(60/70 years old) if it were going to be noticeable that you had one done. 
 

I’m hoping I never do but we never know what is going to happen to our hair later on down the road. I’m so happy after my first I’m only 5 weeks in and hoping I’ll be able to have a second to fill the crown area and add more density. For me I’ll probably need to extract some beard hair. But, I have some time I have to wait in order to figure that out. 

FUE scars are something I hear about more than I actually see.

I know two people who got FUE transplants a few years ago, and they both wear short cut hairstyles on the sides and back of their head.  One of them wears it at a near-zero buzz cut level.  I can't see any scars on either of them, and I aggressively inspected their donor areas up close.

I am also a couple of weeks out of a 3200 FUE transplant, and my donor is all healed and all I have been doing in these past two weeks is shining a flashlight close range onto my donor area looking for scars.  I see nothing.  I will probably buzz my sides and back of my head (in another couple of weeks) and check again, but I'm amazed at how invisible the FUE scars are (assuming I even have scars).

I plan to get another HT for the crown and my plan is to wear it buzzed in the future, as I experience future loss.
I would never razor my head (seems like a lot of work, along with the skin irritation) so I'd like to sport a nice short stubble buzz cut...with the added benefit of a nicely framed hairline and evenly distributed stubble (despite it thinning).  My goal is to  eliminate the 'pattern' loss and the five-head that comes with it. 

I think FUEs have gotten better, especially with the variable FUE punch sizes.  A lot of what you see online (in terms of FUE scars) may also be older photos of FUE procedures done at poor clinics with larger punch sizes many years ago.

Of course, I think skin tone makes a big difference and if you have olive or brown skin, then it will very likely show scarring...but at the same time, I've seen photos of some remarkable SMP work done on donor scarring, so I think FUE scarring is a non-issue anyway.

9 hours ago, Melvin- Moderator said:

H&W, Pittella, Eugenix all have a large portfolio of cases just like yours. I would search their names in our forum. You need someone who has the portfolio of restoring Norwood 6/7s. Zarev is another good name to research. I don’t usually recommend megasessions. I prefer breaking hair transplants into sessions. Less variability. 

Would Rahal be a good option?

I am a NW5 version of what FolliceRevival's hair loss pattern.

He doesn't do megasessions and breaks things up as well.  I just did the first session of 3200 covering the front half (so far so good), and I am still deciding on the next steps to address the crown at a later date.  He seems to have great results, but curious as to why his name doesn't come up often when people ask for recommendations.  

This usually varies from doctor to doctor.

At Rahal clinic, they advise not to touch the recipient area at all for the first two weeks. This includes taking a shower with any sort of pressure from a showerhead (you are provided spray bottles to gently wash your scalp with) and saline water to keep your head moist throughout the day.  You can't even wear a hat, unless it is something that makes no contact with the recipient area.  They also don't advise you do too much physically (I assume this is because they don't want you to sweat) and they advise you stay away from dusty or dirty environments.  You're also on preventative antibiotics for a week as well.

However, after those first two weeks are done...you can touch your recipient area again, take a normal shower, and pretty much resume your normal life and can wear any type of hat.  But you're still not advised to lift heavy weights until the four-week mark (and cardio at the three-week mark).

I've seen a lot of YouTube videos from other clinics saying you can work out after the two weeks, but I'll play it safe and just wait for the four week mark.  However, when it comes to doing other activities (like mowing the lawn, detailing the car) I think that it should be fine after the two week mark.  Just take a shower afterward.

5 hours ago, mr_peanutbutter said:

@Bucky O Hair

 

apparently zarev „overharvest“ the donor but it still looks insane

Maybe "overharvesting" the donor is an overrated fear?

Are there many examples of people who have overharvested their donors, and it's been a problem?

I find that whenever you get a donor hair estimate from a HT doctor, the estimates tend to vary from doctor to doctor, which makes me wonder how subjective it is.  Zarev just takes it to another level.  

On a funny note, I have a friend who has a full thick head of hair...yet he has very oddly thinning temporal points and sides.  The sides of his head look like they have been overharvested, but he's never actually had a hair transplant and his hair on his head looks awesome.  Nobody notices, and the only reason I do is because I am a hair loss forum poster who likes to analyse everybody's hair when I see then.  Either way, I would take his situation over mine 10 times out of 10.  

It makes me wonder if having a thinning donor area matters all that much if you have attained your goals on the top of your head.

I'm sure there are photos of "overharvesting" floating around here and there, but I don't really see many (mind you, I'm not out looking for them) and the examples would probably still look better with full coverage on their heads (with thinning donor) than having a thick donor with, say, a balding crown.

It may not be as big a problem as we (in the over analyzing hair loss forum world) make it out to be.

Also, I'm extra curious if there was anyone who purposely overharvested, then used SMP to make up for it.  The examples I've seen of SMP being used to cover up FUT and FUE scars have looked fantastic.  Curious if it could do the same for masking an overharvested donor.  

4 hours ago, MaximumMM said:

Thanks for the feedback. The top pic is before btw, so not a 'result' exactly if that's what you mean!

 

 

Oh.  I meant the second photo with the shaved head.  I thought it was a postop result. 

I didn't realize it was SMP.  I like the hairline design.

6 hours ago, Sunset Dune said:

Post op instructions mentions to avoid sun exposure for the first 6 months,  is it not safe to be under the sun even with a hat on will this affect the final results?

I had this conversation extensively with my HT doc and staff.

Answer is pretty much "wear a hat" for the next 6 months.

I even bought a waterproof cap that I could wear when I go swimming in the water.  I tend to swim out for half an hour (or more) plus the water can further add to any sunburn.  From what I've read, topical minoxodil also makes you more susceptible too.  

Excellent results by the way.

I would avoid FUT and opt for the beard hair route, since you have quite a solid beard and will have plenty to spare.

You also have a pretty good head shape and could pull off a nice short cut on the sides and back (which will work well if you have beard hair grafts, and you won't have the option to wear this style if you have an FUT scar).

I'm in a similar boat as you, where my lifetime available grafts are roughly around 7,000 and I used up 3,200 for the front and am deciding on how much to use on my crown HT (that I will be planning in a year from now) but at the same time want to be mindful of future loss.

There is also the option of using SMP to mask some of the FUE gaps that may exist if you decide to 'overharvest'.  I'm actually curious to see if there are photos on this board of any strategic cases where people purposely overharvest their donor area, then mask it with SMP tattoos.  

I would definitely opt to go with FUE + Beard hair over anything FUT, simply because the linear scar may limit you with some hair styles that could work really well for your look.  

1 hour ago, duckling said:

Did Hasson and wong retire ? 😄 

No, but aren't they based in Vancouver?  They are a great option.  I didn't know they do procedures in Toronto (if that's what you're implying).

I wouldn't go with any surgeon based in Toronto, unless it is Dr. Rahal (who is based in Ottawa but does the occasional HT in Toronto).

I'd reach out to him so you could at least get a hair analysis and graft count done in Toronto by one of his staff.

They will tell you your expected lifetime graft count in your donor and hair shaft thickness.  With these numbers, you will be able to make an informed decision.

1 hour ago, BRITA-XL said:

Lol actually it’s closer to “I’m Alan Feller” which reminded me of this reveal:

It's actually "i aM alan felleR" if you rearrange the letters exactly.  ha ha.  

If this were true, then Dr. Feller is a legend.  That would be awesome.

15 hours ago, Melvin- Moderator said:

I didn’t say they weren’t, but the reality is fewer patients want FUT. Not adapting to the market is detrimental to their practice. Now, maybe Dr. Bloxham is different. I’m only speaking regarding Dr. Feller. 

I've always hated how Dr. Feller released all those hit pieces on YouTube bashing FUE.  He was a great FUT doc, but he just seems like a grumpy old-head who refuses to adapt and change, so he chooses to attack it.  I've never met him, but it's just how he comes across in these videos.

However, I have to stand up for Dr. Bloxham.  

I had a consultation with him (9 years ago) and I had put a down payment on an FUE procedure that I decided to cancel afterward.  He gave me back my down payment (when he didn't have to) and he'll always be a stand up guy to me for doing that.

FUE only.

I held off on getting a hair transplant for 10 years because I wanted to avoid the linear scar that FUT brings, as I always that 'get out of jail free' card where I could buzz my head short (in case my hair loss progresses to the point where a HT can't fix it anymore).  I also waited a bit longer because FUE was pretty early and was still using larger punches and doing small sessions only.

According to all hair transplant forums (15 years ago) it was always about getting FUT only.  Then, a few years later the best practice was to always start with FUT + a small FUE procedure for your second procedure.  Nowadays, FUE has became the standard with much smaller punches with many clinics conducting FUE megasessions (with FUT largely being extinct).

The argument was always that FUT was some "gold standard" with FUE just giving you the benefit of having no linear scar.  But, now it seems that argument has been debunked as well.

If we can get this poll responses into the hundreds, then that would be a great sample size for such an important poll that everyone always asks about, but can never find unbiased data on

4 hours ago, Blueskies3322 said:

Yeah I’m planning on getting a hair loss consultation just to get some professional input. I appreciate you being brutally honest with me but I will say I don’t entirely agree. 
 

It doesn’t really seem like the others were lying just to placate me. Also I appreciate you feel your hair looked similar at one point but from everything I’ve read on MPB or hair loss generally it’s not exactly entirely predictable or consistent across different people in terms of time line, severity, response to treatment etc. don’t think it’s reasonable to be like your gonna lose it in the same timeline as me, meds won’t cut it and you’ll need a transplant in a few years considering that. We are not the same person after all no matter how similar looking out hair may be in your opinion.

 

Still as I said I’m in the process of making an appointment for a consultation. Though actually finding somewhere decent for that is way harder than than it should be considering how common this problem is. 

Nobody here is lying to you.

But there are biases in people's responses, and everybody's experiences are different. 

The swirl on the crown of your head (also called the hair whorl) is pretty standard in all people who have hair on their heads and isn't an indicator of MBP.

Just because one person had aggressive MBP where their hair loss began at the hair whorl, doesn't mean that you will now have it start in yours.  I know a guy in his late 40s (with zero hair loss) who has the exact same hair whorl as you do, and he's had it for his whole life.

I wouldn't bother doing anything right now, because there's nothing to worry about.  

Also, be mindful that this "professional input" that you seek will likely be in the form of a hair transplant clinic's sales team who will be trying to get you to get a transplant, so I'm not sure if that will be beneficial for you.

If you still want a consultation, I would only do it with a hair transplant doctor who is respected on these boards...and I would pay the cost of meeting with this doctor directly (for an actual hair analysis) and not a consultant from their sales team.

This is a great thread that should probably be stickied

Usually 4 weeks is the safe point to start cutting your hair again.

Not sure what the best process is in terms of evening things out during the recovery phase.  I am also only a few days postop and am curious whether to just continue to buzz my whole head during the ugly ducking months...or just buzz the sides and try and grow out the hair on top to about an inch or so (since I didn't do an HT on my crown yet, and I normally use the hairs around it to help cover it up).

14 hours ago, Blueskies3322 said:

Yeah ok thanks guys. I did some looking into the medications particularly finasteride and yeah I’ll definitely hop on it when there is a clean cut sign. 
 

Thanks for all the input addressing this obsession! You’ve helped me loads 🙏🙏🙏

You have absolutely nothing to worry about.

You don't have any signs of hairloss.  I wouldn't bother taking any meds at this point.

21 hours ago, Gregg H said:

Well I am regretting it now. Going for my second transplant & they said unlikely I will get it totally fixed. If I took finasteride earlier I'd probably be just fine with 2 transplants I would certainly hope. Far less coverage needed. But Yeah it wasn't the best idea to delay it so long.

Nobody knows for sure.

I know tons of guys who are bald/balding who either take finasteride or don't take it.

It's a mixed bag of good responders, non-responders, and people who didn't progress much further despite not being on any meds at all.

I wouldn't dwell on something that's happened in the past, especially if you don't even know if you would have even responded well to it at all.  

10 hours ago, BaldV said:

hair looks fine

I agree.  

Hair looks perfectly fine.  

Bruh.  You're nuts, lol.

It looks great, especially after only about 2 months.  

A friend of mine had a HT at around the same time as you did and his scalp is still pretty red and he retained less than half the hairs you currently have on your head (and he could care less, and is going out to restaurants and bars ha ha).

You need to drop the fixation about your hairline design.  It won't matter once your hair fills in with density and when you start growing it out with some length.  You should be fixating more on what hair paste or gel you're gonna want to buy to style your new hair.