wylie

You certainly cannot say one procedure outweighed the other in the side by side comparison photos, and that is exactly as it should be. The artistry was the same, the results were almost identical. You'd need more than those pictures to say one is better, they both look great.

But it is nice to see how they were made and how each incision reacted after growing out. Very interesting comparison.

Check out the "patient reviews and photos" of Dr. Alexander, he is geographically close by in Phoenix and has posted his results for the world to see, it is precisely this type of research you need before choosing anyone.

If money is not an issue, then perhaps flying somewhere for a consultation over your remaining year before you can proceed can find you not only the perfect surgeon, but the perfect plan.

This forum will be a huge help, thats for sure. Look around, send some pics., but a person to person consult and further research is necessary before making any plans to do this.

I've heard all the horror stories about Bosley surgeons but none about Bosley personally.

He may be a skilled HT surgeon and your work would be on par with the coalition doctors but, then again, as few people have EVER defended Bosley himself or his doctors, I think that you are taking an unnecessary risk unless you research him more. Furthermore your impatience can compound this issue (now or next year) so I advise you to GO SLOW.

If you have ANY trepidation or are unsure of this doctors results or have not personally seen some of his work I would not touch a HT with him with a 100 foot pole cause I know about his marketing, not his work.

Red flag. Big time.

If price is not an issue, you need some consults with coaliton doctors. And you better plan on next year.

There was an out of state vendor visiting my workplace earlier in the week, and he had outstanding characteristics for an undetectable HT. Yet I spotted his, almost immediately (no one else did, nor did I hear any murmurings, and I was attentive)

The guy had thick, bushy hair that he combed straight back. It revealed a artifically created front hairline (that could easily be made invisible in the hands of any coaliton doctor) and I could see the frontal work was not good at all, yet it was his hair characteristcs that let him get away with this.

To the trained eye, it was detectable, to the untrained eye, people never noticed that his front hairline was created by some doctor (he had no balding in the crown, and if he did, it was completely covered by his swept back hair on top)

You take someone like that, and one more session of small grafts right at the hairline to take away the unnaturally straight line it had and you could pretty much say that this guy would be undetectable to the trained eye as well.

So to say that you can "spot" someones HT is so subjective as to the individual.

Alot of it is simply hair coloring and hair thickness. This has alot to do with concealement. Dark, thin hair on a pale complexion is your worst nightmare. Lighter colored, thicker, curlier hair is your friend. I have to dye mine lightly blond, not that its any big deal (kind of cool after you do it a few times, I guess, and the look is good) but sometimes its simply the art of camoflauge, and sometimes you simply cannot conceal the obvious.

It's definitely a case-by-case basis as to detectability.

Wishing you a Hairy New Year!

Originally posted by dhuge67:

I would rather get it fixed through surgery than rely on iffy medications that don't seem to provide any real benefit for me, one of which causes sexual/prostate (haha i'm 22 talking about PROSTATE issues)/hormonal issues.

Well, you can ditch the Propecia if it has side effects, byt dont rule out Rogaine not working, if it keeps what you got, its working, and once its gone in the crown, its gone. So keep that and it will always help a denser hairline looking as it should, and maybe try the foam (I have no problem applying liquid once a day and I think thats all the more applications necessary)

I'd be interested to know what Dr. Feller has suggested. Do you have any pictures of your head not shaved? I'd like to see what you look like with your hair grown out.

I made the same mistake, more than once, and I am just now hoping like hell it can be fixed, its a question of donor hair available at this point and doctor ineptitude no longer is my concern (actually, it was not when I first got butchered, either, but should have been)

I'd say you are surely repairable and would be looking just fine after Dr. Feller properly camoflauged your previous work. Thats what I'm trying to have done and at the hairline it can probably be fixed, past that it will come down to creative styling.

I would definitely get on Propecia and Rogaine as Bill suggestged because another HT could lead to shockloss if you dont. And let us know what Dr. Feller suggests is your best bet, I'd like to know.

You will have to be the ultimate maker of this decision. First off, can you afford to get a HT? You can get spectacular results from the right surgeon, provided you dont mind being conservative with your hairline and you dont mind spending more money in the future (because you will see him again, its almost assured)

I was 23 when I started and had no such rational thoughts, just jumped right in and filled in a receding hairline. And the results were terrible.

Thankfully, those types of surgeries can be avoided today by choosing carefully, and by the technology available that was not back in the early 90's.

So, you will likely have the cost of keeping your prescriptions filled for the rest of your ife and likely will want future work done after your first session. Are you ready for this? These are questions you need to know must be answered before you even start.

In this respect, find a conservative look you are pleased with by careful consultation with your doctor and then you can make an informed decision.

And alot of questions you have can be answered right here as well so there is no reason to go into something unless you are completely sure its the right thing for you.

If you have any trepidation along the way after you've done enough research, then a HT is not right for you and perhaps accepting thinning hair would be best in the long run.

You can always change your mind at 30.

Originally posted by blowdry:

the prolong redness could be from a shampoo that you are using. Your scalp may not like the shampoo and its irritating the area.

Try a soothing shampoo like H&S or better yet H&S intensive care....fyi

Thats a good point, and likely the cause of redness. I never had tenderness in my incision area weeks after my HT but using Revita one time left it sore for an entire day.

You might consider something like Johnsons Baby shampoo, or even working Dial anti-bacterial soap into a good lather and using it along with a gentle conditioner...

Sounds like a plan. What airlines are we all flying on, and where will you be booking our rooms at?

I need a vacation but have been unable to afford one since dropping three large on a HT, but thanks to your generosity I can afford to visit Vegas and make some new friends!

Will you be providing a small stipend to cover gambling as well?

Whatever your cost may be, just think of the advice you will receive from a bunch of drunk guys with HT's.

In a word: Priceless.

Slightly OT, but an outside vendor came into work today and I spotted his HT as soon as I saw him. I dont think anyone else did. He had very thick hair, which he combed straight back, and the transplanted front was unusually bushy on top. His hairline was perfectly straight which was the giveaway, and I could have stolen long glances at his hairline but tried not to. I wouldnt want that done to me in those instances where I'm not hiding under a hat.

But, when I did look, I could see gaps all along in the hairline which showed his doctor wasnt the best. However, with his characteristics he could have something undetectable.

All this guy would need is one session of small hairs along the hairline and you would never know.

However, to the trained eye, it stood right out.

Thats all I have to add to this thread.

Wow, thats an amazing transformation.

Thanks for posting those pictures, its nice to see results like these.

Reviving this cause I found pics of this surgery:

Start of surgery

Prepping flap recipient area

Tissue expander

Flap installed

Removal of previous hairline

This came from a Mens Health article on this surgery.

More here: http://www.bevhills.com/news/2005/12/01/hair-loss-cure-found/

Originally posted by PLEASE GROW PLEASE:

Wylie, Maybe I would just rather have a womans hands touching me then a mans as long as they are just as qualified. One thing is Dr Konior told me that he places a nice portion of the grafts but not all,depending on size. He sais after awhile his hands get tired.

So you must have had a small procedure otherwise you also would have had techs planting grafts on you,no matter who you paid. So yes its normal for the docs to get "handoff" the insertion.

Very true, and a good point.

I have limited donor hair and my procedure was much smaller than Steve's. If I did something as extensive as his then no doubt this would have happened as well.

Most of my grafts were tiny ones, but in the four hours Dr. Konior did all the graft placement.

I only wish I had enough donor hair left to come out of a session looking like Steve does.

Congrats to a fellow Land of Lincoln'er...

Originally posted by PLEASE GROW PLEASE:

I personally would rather have a girl handling my grafts then a man. A mans hands are bigger ,stronger and rougher and less steady then a womans and those grafts are delicate. Have you ever tried to thread a needle ? I have and cant but every woman I know could whether she sews or not.

That explanation does not wash with me.

However, it is entirely subjective to ones viewpoint, and there is no doubt in my mind that these assistants do excellent work, their patients reviews back that up.

But my doctor placed all grafts and I'm happy, as that is what I paid him to do.

Originally posted by BeHappy:

synthetic hair transplants are illegal in the USA because of the problems and complaints that were happening as a result of having it done. I looked into doing this as one of my options because it was still being done then. It was banned right after that. They attach hair (could be real or fake) to tiny aluminum (or similar. Maybe plastic) tips. Sort of like putting a small piece of metal around the end of the hair and crimping the metal so the hair stays on it. Then they make the slits in the donor area and put the hair "grafts" in so the metal ends are in your scalp. After a few days the healing of the holes they made will grow around and over the metal tips, so they can't come out.

 

You end up with several thousand little pieces of metal/plastic/whatever they use in your head. The hair doesn't grow because it's fake, so it's always the same length. Over time natural occurrences such as combing your hair, strong winds if your hair is being blown around, shampooing your hair, etc slowly makes the implanted hairs come out, many times leaving the tips lodged in your head. After maybe 2 years you need to go back to do an overall fill in to replace all of those that fell out. This includes surgically removing any of the pieces that remain lodged into your scalp. After you do that a few times your head will be so scarred... and you have to continue going back for a refill every few years forever. You'll also have to deal with small infections on an ongoing basis because of having 4000 little pins in your head constantly. Your body doesn't like that and will keep trying to reject them. That leads to pain and stinging when you try to comb your hair or when someone puts their hands through your hair.

 

Nearly everyone who was going through this process eventually had them all removed for one reason or another (money, infections, pain, etc). Then you are left with a bald head full of scars which makes it harder to have a real hair transplant which you should have done in the first place.

 

Did I convince you not to go this route yet?

Fascinating, thanks for sharing that info.

Hard to believe that this type of surgery is allowed anywhere, even harder to believe that someone would go thru with such a thing.

Originally posted by EmuSteve:

Old plugs?! Huh?

Pictures 5, 6 and 7 do look like old plugs. They are pre-op pics.

Very strange, as I know you've never had a HT before.

Either way, looking good now, congrats!

P.S. - I've heard so many people rave about Dr. Shapiro's hairlines yet he is not pictured, but there are two technicians working on you.

Is it normal for Dr. Shapiro to "hand off" the graft insertion to his assistants?

Wow, used Revita for the first time yesterday and it made my incision from three weeks ago tender, and after waking up this morning, it is still tender.

This is strange, because after the staples came out over 10 days ago I have experienced zero tenderness in this area.

So, this is not necessarily a bad thing, but something to keep in mind after getting a HT.

I'll use it again after a few days and see if tenderness returns.

I heard this exact same scenario when I had work done three weeks ago, the tech said she was visiting family in Miami and her cousin brought over a friend who had work done (didnt say by who) and his hair grew straight back (apparently he was very pleased with this look) but she did not like it at all, said it looked unnatural (patient likely didnt know any better but will someday)

To answer your question: Yes, the direction of growth of the grafts is determined largely by surgeon skill. You will probably need to post pics. here to find out for sure if your grafts are growing properly (I really cant tell you much on this other than some members here have complained of this when they were not satisfied with their results)

Bunty, please keep us updated with your progress. At a minimum 6 months, optimum around 8 to 12 months. I can understand being impatient, but on larger sessions, its best to wait longer. I'd opt for a minimum of 8 months, and preferably 10 months to even a year

What concerns me about your question is that if you seriusly have concerns for your physical well being while under local anethestic, what about the doctor performing your work? A qualified surgeon will not allow you to become ill or sick from a HT and if you have some medical condition I hope you have ALREADY made this clear.

It sounds as if perhaps you are "going under" (using gas for sedation) and that should never be necessary for a HT in my opinion.

How is your first session coming along?

Originally posted by hairbank:

Bushy -

 

Hey, kudos to you, Spex and the rest for setting up meetings like this.

 

For anyone in the area, even if you had to drive 4-5 hours or so, if you're considering a HT or want to compare notes...............I'd highly encourage you to meet with these guys. I'd love to have had an opportunity to do this before getting any HT's.

 

You know.............it would be really cool if we could set up some meetings like this across the U.S.............maybe in metro areas or something and ask any forum members or other that have had HT's to join in? I'm 3 1/2 hours from Chicago and less than 2 from St. Louis..............anyone want to try and join in with me that is from the Midwest?

 

If there is enough interest I'd be glad to organize a meeting somewhere in the Midwest!

 

Way 2 Go, Bushy!

If you decide to organize something in the Midwest, I'd be interested in attending. If anyone near the Chicago area ever organizes something I'd also be interested in attending. It could prove to be a valuable learning experience for anyone considering getting work done so anyone is invited.

Midwest chapter of hair geeks? Great idea!

My own personal take on hairpieces are they work on some but not on all. Anyone who is young and in college seems like the perfect opposite of who would be advised to travel this route of wearing one of these. Again, using hair loss drugs such as Propecia and Rogaine and keeping it cut short is best advice. Youth is always spent chasing hair and sometime the smartest route is to wait, (not borrow money for something that is not going to be a smart financial decision as well as a mistake)

Either way, good luck, choose wisely, and be creative with styling what you got, getting a HT is a much bigger investment you can consider when your finances improve someday.

If it works on one, it can work on all. Whats $129.00?

I'll have to look around eBay and see whats out there......