NC30

eric123, I think she said that she couldn't find the scar by just feeling it, and the only comment from the barber was that he saw new hairs coming through.

This is just a quick thought and it may or may not be a good idea. Some of the FAQ's are answered with somewhat standard information but still perhaps leave you wanting a little more information. What if you provided a link to a particular thread or threads on this message board about the topic? A detailed thread that offered a different number of opinions or experiences about that particular FAQ. That would give the reader a feel of how actual guys feel about a particular subject. For example, many guys will choose sutures, dissolvable sutures, or staples based on past experience and whatever is best for their situation. A link to a detailed discussion might provide the reader additional insight into the topic. On a side note...it's been a couple months since I've posted or been reading on the board. Have I missed anything good?

You're right....it's incredibly tough to deal with it at such a young age.....those are definitely some of the greatest years of your life. I'm not sure if I were 20 again that I wouldn't be seriously contemplating on gambling on an HT and hoping for the best in the future.....especially with the potential of hair multiplication recently. It's a definite tough call to make, and when you factor in girls, it makes it that much harder. There's no shame in admitting your vanity about your looks....I don't think there's a single person here who can say they had an HT and that vanity didn't play a role. Good luck with your planning.

Unless you post photos or at least tell us to what degree you are thinning/balding, then there's no way to answer your question. Regardless of those, you're possibly stepping into a dangerous area here. Dr. Epstein has probably done you a favor by telling you to wait. If Dr. Epstein's assessment is correct, then the kind of doctor that would operate on you would be lacking ethics. I'm sure if anyone looked hard enough, they could find a number of doctors to perform any procedure they wanted as long as they had the cash. Those doctors aren't going to be concerned about your long-term hair loss. Again, please post photos or describe your current hair loss situation.

I've only had one HT, and if I recall correctly, I was given the option of sutures or dissolvable sutures (I can't say for sure whether my doc offered staples as an option or not.). Anyway, convenience (specifically dissolvable sutures and not having to get them removed) and pain were not a consideration in my ultimate decision......I wanted the best choice for the healing and appearance of my scar and specifically told my doc my thoughts on the choice. He then recommended that I have normal sutures. As far as pain or discomfort goes, I never experienced either. I've had stitches at different points in my life, and this was really no different. I slept well, I didn't even notice they were there, and my only concern was to make sure I didn't harm the sutured area. The only incovenience was the drive back to the doctor's office (which I didn't mind and actually wanted him checking everything and making sure it looked okdidn't mind at all), and just a slight pinch or two while he was removing the sutures. As far as the outcome of my scar, I can still cut my hair to a #2 guard without it being noticed. Like Rugger said..each doc is going to have his preference, and each patient as well. I'm with FM (forum moderator)....as long as you are comfortable with your doctor's skills and abilities to provide you with a tiny scar, then the whole staple/suture probably isn't such a large concern.

There needs to be a definite balance of the two, and a skilled HT doctor should be able to find that range. But if I only had two choices, I would take the more conservative doctor. Someone who is overly aggressive may give you results which look great for a few years, but down the road look incredibly unnatural and possibly ridiculous. If he got too aggressive, your donor supply could be depleted and you would be left with no other options but to sport your unnatural hair for the rest of your life. If a conservative doctor is "too conservative", then there's still hair to work with should you decide that you want another procedure. This doesn't necessarily reflect the doctors you've mentioned, I'm speaking in general terms.

It could be a furuncle. If it is and is left untreated, it could turn into a carbuncle (which is a more complicated and stronger version of a furuncle). I'd have it looked at just to be sure.

Brando.....the saran wrap also works to provide a greenhouse effect to keep the scalp/grafts moist. I rarely went out on the first week after my surgery. I ran all my errands prior to the surgery. If I did go out, it was only late late at night and only to walmart. On the 7th day I went to get the sutures removed and flew home to visit family out of state the next day. I wore a hat on the flight home and during the car ride home (my family NEVER sees me wear a hat and my mom kinda wondered about that). I took it off when I got home , no one noticed a thing, and I never wore it again. You should be fine at 5 days, and the saran wrap thing is easier than you will think. If your girlfriend is used to seeing you in a hat, and you can absolutely get away without taking it off, then you should be fine.

I'm not familiar with your area at all, so I can't make any specific suggestions on places to go. When I got my first cut after my HT (about 4 weeks post-surgery), I just went to the next city over where I didn't know anyone, and I went during a slow time. I got my first cut with a #4 guard. I wasn't going to mention my scar to him at all, and I had a story prepared about it anyway. I don't think he was going to mention it or don't even know if he noticed it, but I ended up telling the story anyway.

The doc recommended normal sutures for the best results with my scar. I figured the trip back to Charlotte was worth it.....and I'm VERY happy with my scar. I think socialdrinker made the same choice, and his results, while still fresh, are pretty good as well.

I kept a towel just hanging around my neck, and I got a very small spray bottle from walmart. Anytime I started to itch, I'd spray water onto my hair, and the running of the water down my head took care of the itching. My doc also gave me some stuff for itching, but I never used it once.

I think it's going to be different from person to person depending on thickness of hair, color, quality of scar, etc. I can't recall how long I waited to finally go to a #2, but it was definitely awhile. I didn't get my first haircut til maybe 5 weeks post-op, and I'd gotten my previous haircut about a week before my HT if I recall. I was paranoid about anyone discovering my HT, so I was content with keeping my hair longer than normal for awhile after my surgery. I believe I started with a #4 and just worked my way down to a #2 eventually. There was no hurry on my part to get down to the #2 (I was more focused on my future hair growth and my lack of shock loss), and I think it was a few months before I eventually tried it.

Like Socialdrinker, I have a #2 guard haircut. Any shorter and I believe someone would notice. As a cop, I wear mine short all the time. In contrast to HairBeThere, I get my haircuts during my days off. If for some reason, someone's able to see my faint scar, I'd rather someone of the general public (who I have no connection with) discover it rather than someone from work. If someone from work saw it, trust me, I'd never hear the end of it.

Western-star.... I'd visited Epstein's site before just out of curiosity, and I'm sure when I was researching before my first HT that I saw pictures of his....I just couldn't recall any of his photos at the time I wrote my response. I did, however, remember many positive posts regarding his abilities.

Or perhaps maybe the office has had problems in the past with prank callers? Or perhaps the girl who answered the phone has had problems with guys who won't take "no" for an answer and repeatedly call her place of work? Or perhaps she has a jealous boyfriend/husband which tries to keep tabs on her, and she thought it was very suspicious that 2 callers in a row with the exact same questions were very suspicious? Does Epstein work in an office entirely by himself? Does he work in an office which does other procedures except he's the only dedicated HT surgeon while the other doc's do other services? If so, her not being able to answer too many questions wouldn't bother me. I could probably come up with a lot more scenarios, those are just the first few that come to mind. I don't recall any pictures of Epstein patients, but like eastend said, there's been many former patients with positive posts about him.