Hi Gang!
OK after been up most of last night trying to understand the mystery of navigating through blogs, forums and creating profiles Ive finally mapped my progress on hair.transplant.network.com and going to to attempt a post!
A quick thanks to the powers that be, like many others I've been a silent observer for some time but taken a lot of comfort from this site and patient experiences.
In Summary
My exceptionally high forehead has upset me since school and exasperated by development of a pair of fine cowhorns at the tender age of 19 did nothing to help. Generally my hair is reasonably thick and so over the years I have put all efforts to hide my forehead with a long fringe and dreaded wet & windy days
They say we all have a mid life crisis, some of us go round the world, some of us try extreme sports, some of us buy a flash sports car. Well for me at my 40th year, I decided to do something about it.
I got a hair job!
Here's my experience
Despite a mass of research last year I was scammed by a UK surgeon, I paid for 1000 grafts and received less than 20% with results counted and seconded!
This year well away from the UK I paid for and received 1900 grafts and If the contrast between surgeries is a measure then I'm off to flying start.
Immediately Post Op
Day 1 - 11 hours surgery (including brief lunch and paperwork etc)
Day 2 - 8 hours surgery (including brief lunch and paperwork etc)
I was comfortable during the surgery, there was no pain with the exception of some discomfort during injections. If you have a laptop you need to take it or you are going to be bored! My only other comments would highlight the importance of mental preparation, you need to be focused from the second you leave your door until you return. For me two days of anaesthetic combined with reduced sleep seems to play a few tricks with the mind.
With regards to the journey home I used the euro-star wearing a bandanna, this made me somewhat paranoid as I looked pathetic although security never asked me to remove it.
From hear on in I take 3 weeks off work although I could of done with three more, nothing physical as the doner heals within a week and is unnoticeable to the untrained eye, I'm also banging the house around in a few days and under cover of a baseball cap back pumping the guns down the gym in a week.
However the recipient whilst clean, healing well and almost pain free is very red. I have my hair blended in the weekend before work but it has never looked so thin, my fringe, concealer and nanogen are the camouflage, there's no doubt people noticed some redness but I doubt very much they know what I have had done. An X girlfriend texts to say I'm receding grrr!
For me week 3 - 6 are by far the worst, I knew this was coming and its bad, the duckling phase is a good analogy. I take comfort by spending hours looking through hair loss forums.
I have to point out I believe post op redness is overlooked, I agree I probably have a worse than average case even though I have darkish skin and dark hair, however I just can't see how if you don't have native you would pull a hair job off?
9 Weeks Post Op (Today Sat 06th October)
With regards to activity, there's a few hairs that never shed and grew a bit (maybe) a few dark stubble hairs that don't seem to know what there doing (perhaps) and a few little blondie's sprouting through (I think) Whatever somethings going on.
This week has also seen the redness finally start to lighten, although as you can see from the pic its still there.
Think i'm over the worst of it and feeing better. I continue to like to thank women's concealer and nanogen.
Right. now need sleep.....Thanks