NC30

Solid.... I think everyone has their own personal reasons for why they did or didn't have an HT done...and those reasons will vary from person to person. I didn't want anyone to know about my HT, and scheduling another HT would take up 2 of my weeks of vacation for next year. As far as money is concerned, I definitely can't afford to have as many HT's as I would want. That money can be better spent or saved elsewhere. For me though, the money and time invested will be well worth it. Losing my hair was just a steadily downhill decline to my confidence and self-esteem. I guess for me, those 2 things were my motivation. What good would those thousands of dollars be if I had to feel like shit every time another girl would talk to me and her eyes go straight up to my scalp instead of looking into my eyes. I'm not even 6 months post-op, and things are already much better. Life feels better and more worthwhile. I know my confidence is much better because it's reflected in how people now perceive me. I don't get the eyes to the scalp anymore, I get more looks from women not necessarily because of more hair, but also because of confidence. People in general treat me differently. Other guys have many other reasons. I don't think my reason was a vanity reason, it had to do more with self-perception and esteem. Bald men can function quite well in society, I just feel that I would function better with hair. I guess everyone needs to sit down and figure out exactly why they want the HT and decide what's the best course for them. Perhaps that money would be better spent on therapy? Maybe new furniture or paying off a car loan. In my case, I honestly believe this will be one of the best investments/decisions that I will have made in my life.

dob, well, I'm glad I could help with the info. I'm actually not from gastonia, I just threw that down on the profile when I registered on this website. When I first registered, I was extremely paranoid that someone I know would read this site and put 2 and 2 together, so I just threw down one of the local cities as my hometown. I'm not completely sure if the people at the office ever made the connection between my name here and who I am since the geography is a little different. I've called there once or twice post-op, and actually, I'm going to try to stop by sometime soon since I have to be in Charlotte. Again, if you have any other questions, I'd be happy to help.

DOB, I'm 23 weeks post-op from a 1500 graft HT with Dr. Cooley (late march of this year). I've mentioned my experience with him in past posts on this message board. I try to maintain a fair and objective opinion about my experience as well as any other topics here. As far as the "numbers" go, let's see.... I was a Norwood 2/3 before the surgery. I had major thinning throughout all the existing hair on top. Seeing through to the scalp from above was very easy, but my hairline was around a NW 2/3. I had a 1500 graft strip HT, and all the grafts were pretty much dispersed through the existing hair. Before the surgery, I had wanted more grafts and had wanted to be a little more agressive, but after a talk with Dr. Cooley, I took a better look at long term plans. Also before the surgery, I knew in my head that I'd also want a 2nd HT down the road. Anyway, I'm glad I went with the number I went with as well as the placement which he recommended. As far as the day of surgery and post-op support from his office, I have nothing but good things to say. The staff and doctor were both very helpful and pleasant throughout the day. During the surgery, I experienced very little pain. The only discomfort I really had was due to my own fault. They told me to mention whenever I started to feel anything in my scalp so they could inject more anesthesia. I'm the type of person to try to not be a bother to anyone, and also to make sure that I was really experiencing pain before I spoke up. So, I felt some little stinging later on in the surgery when I had waited a bit long to mention that. Someone in a prior post said it felt like "little bee stings" and that was pretty much right. I was there from about 8:30am til a little after 5:30 or so. I cant remember exactly how many nurses were in the room throughout the entire procedure...you'd have to consult my past posts. Some nurses/techs were working with the microscopes in the back of the room while the doc and other nurses were working on my with the lateral slit incisions and placement,etc. After the surgery, the doc gave me all his personal numbers in case I needed something. It was a friday, and the office would be closed on the weekend. He was adamant about me calling him if I needed anything, although I think he does that for all his patients weekend or no weekend. As of a week after the surgery, I'd not experienced any complications. He'd prescribed medicine for pain/to help me sleep, and I'd taken one the first night just to take one, but I never really needed that one and still have the rest left in a cabinet somewhere. I had a tiny bit of swelling, but nothing noticeable to anyone else. A week after the surgery, Dr. Cooley removed the sutures in his office. Again, they were extremely pleasant and helpful. I had asked about another cosmetic detail (if you've been to his office, you know that other doctors there do cosmetic work, but he's pretty much just all HT). Anyway, he provided some cosmetic service there for no charge ( nothing major, but definitely something I could have been charged for). Since then, I haven't had any shock loss and have felt great. There have been no other complications or problems. I cut my hair down to a #2, and no one, including my barber, has a clue that I've had anything done. I've DEFINITELY noticed that when I'm talking to people they no longer quickly glance or look up at my hairline....and that used to happen a LOT. The more I look at my hair lately, the more I think I could be satisfied with this level for the rest of my life. It's not a full head of hair, but if I maintain the rest of my hair with propecia, I could definitely live with my current status.....even at this 6 month status. However, reading Uncjim's posts lately about his 8/9 month growth, I know I'm gonna be even more satisfied in the next half year. Like I said before, I'm trying to be fair and objective about the whole thing...and, in fact, I'd like to mention that I'm a person in fairly good health with no major vices ( smoking, drinking, drugs, etc)...and those factors might make my results a little better than normal. Even in my first or 2nd post, I'd mentioned that I could be furious a year from then that the surgery went horribly wrong or my hair looked like buckwheat or something. I still understand that I'm only 6 months and there's 6 more months where anything could go completely wrong with my results. BUT, I'm very confident that I'll be thrilled when I'm a year post-op. If I had to do it all over again, I would definitely go back to him. If you have any other questions, I'd be happy to email you.

Quincy... I was basically given my choice of normal sutures, staples, or dissolvable sutures. My doctor explained the pros/cons of each and made his recommendation. I think some guys opt for dissolvable sutures either for convenience of not having to go to back to a doc to have them removed, or because their HT doc is across country and they're not able to get back. Once the doc explained everything to me, I went with the normal sutures (his recommendation). It allows the doctor to remove them, there's less complications (if i recall correctly as to what he said), and it puts the removal back in the hands of a doctor who can also properly clean the area once he's removed them. I had no complications whatsoever and my scar looks good (so far...I'm not quite 6 months post-op). If I go through another strip procedure, I'd definitely do normal sutures again.

lol...thanks for the info paul148...this post coulda gone on forever...i was waiting for the end to this kahn controversy...either that or waiting for someone to say they got their HT at the Klingon Hair Institute.

Anonymous, I'm not sure if that rogaine question was directed at me or not. I had decent results with rogaine, and even better with propecia/rogaine combined. When I got off of rogaine, I shed a LOT. I started rogaine again awhile later, and just prior to my HT, I stopped again. My HT doctor told me in my consultation how stopping rogaine after using it for awhile would cause excessive loss. As long as I would be committed to the whole rogaine regime, then it wouldnt be a problem, but you cant start and stop, etc. I figured I'd had enough of the horrible itching and flaking/dandruff. I'd tried all dandruff shampoos,etc, but when I finally quit rogaine, it all went away.

Are you using minoxidil/rogaine? I had serious itching while I was using that.

4 months is a very bad idea. I think you have to first judge what the final growth is on an HT before you consider moving forward with another. Especially if you are considering adding more grafts to the area which has just been implanted. Just like the previous posts on thread....give it some time. I'm just over 5 months post-op and I believe my growth may have started a little late. It's hard to tell the start of growth in my circumstance, but regardless, I understand that it's going to be at least a year before I know the final results. Focus on the future, because once the hair comes in, people arent going to remember these couple lean months.

Thank you for taking the time to post on this topic. My HT doctor had advised me as well that taking propecia every other day was sufficient. I took it daily until my insurance stopped covering propecia about 2 months ago. It's very helpful when we can hear professional opinions as well as results from experiments to help guide us. I've since switched to propecia every other day (due to the personal costs), but as I'm currently 5 month post HT, I cant comment on its effects. Thanks again.

Skinnyvi....I am now 21 weeks post op from a 1500 graft HT. I was very thin as well before the procedure and didn't experience any shock loss. You could see a VERY clear horseshoe pattern in my head as you looked down on my scalp. Luckily, I took photos at the 3month or so mark so I know where I was at (seeing as I'd had no shock loss, it was pretty much the same as my starting point). The growth has just now started to really kick in I believe. Around 4.5 months, I was just kinda looking up there thinking that there might be growth, but wasn't quite sure. As of today, I'm quite sure that there has been definite growth. I can still kinda see through my hair in spots, but the horseshoe pattern is no longer evident. It was hard not to pay attention to other guys who are talkin about growth at 3.5 or 4 months, but everyone's growth is different. If I'd had shockloss and gone backwards some, I probably would have noticed growth much quicker...but it wasn't until recently that I really know it's coming in good. In about a month or a month and a half at most, you're probably gonna be back on here with words of relief. Unless you had an HT from a guy who works out of a van down by the river, then 2600 grafts is gonna show some definite growth. I wouldnt worry (easier said than done)...it's all about patience.

Shock loss can be very noticeable at times, there are no guarantees. Sometimes, as in my case, it seemed like there was none at all. Two weeks is what I took off and what I'd recommend. For redness, I would suggest tanning for a month or so prior to the HT. It's going to give some color to your skin to help mask any redness that might show up.

Maverick... Like the other two have said...it's way too early for any progress, and sometimes you go a little bit backwards before you can go forward. It's not likely that the propecia and rogaine would have any detrimental affect to your hair status, and if you're comfortable with both, then i'd recommend that you continue using them. They have may have been a positive factor in reducing the amount of shock loss.

Shock loss is a definite possibility, and if so, there's a good chance it will grow back. A couple questions.....who did your surgery and what method? how many grafts? were the grafts interspersed in already existing hair? where exactly on your head is the hair that you're losing?

I think Micro's assesment of the 3 sites is exactly right. The only things I would add is that even though HLH seems to have more traffic, the information/education here is more easily attained. You dont have to sort through the bickering, personal insults, delted posts, and all out wars to get what you want here. I also find the site easier to navigate.

Pastor... What do you mean by sensitive? I had my choice of regular stitches, dissolvable stitches, or staples, and I went with regular stitches. I dont recall it being "sensitive". I've had stitches before, and it felt just like any others I've had. Some doctors encourage the use of neosporin to help prevent infection, have you been doing that? If you've never had stitches before so close to a bone area (i.e. joint or scalp), then perhaps you're just not used to the odd feeling. I'm almost 5 months post-op now, and it's the same odd feeling as my other stitch experiences (not irritating, annoying, or painful...just different). With my other stitches that feeling eventually went away but took awhile. If you can, have someone look at the back to see if it looks infected.

I dont know the answer to either of your questions, but I do know that your 2nd question about any person donating to another person was recently asked before either on this site or on hairforum. A doctor did reply stating that it wouldnt work from one person to another. The only reason I didnt post prior to this is because I wondered if it made a difference if the donating person was a direct relative. The answer

I said that I felt I was safe already and am no longer worried about it, but I believe I'd also read other posts in the past where people had experienced shock loss past the 3 month mark. I'm not asking the question for myself as I am no longer worried, but because sooo many pre-HT guys are usually apprehensive about potential shock loss I'd like some doctors to post with their observations regarding the matter. It's a question that will always be asked and would be helpful for all for future reference/information.

Many posters here, including myself, have asked numerous shock loss questions as to when, where, why, etc. I'm almost 5 months post-op now and feel safe that I wont ever have original hair shock loss, but I'd sweated it for awhile. I never saw a doctor post an answer or time frame as to when shock loss may begin/end. I noticed that you said that the 1st 3 months is when it is most likely to occur. Could you give a rough estimate as to when a person may feel "safe" that the shock loss period is over or that the potential for shock has passed?

It all depends on what your NW scale is and the graft placement. I have hair coverage over a good part of my head, but it's extremely thin. I got a 1500 graft strip HT and put all the grafts within the existing hair. In my case, I took off 2 weeks from work and stayed indoors for the 1st week post-op. At the 2nd week, however, I visited family and absolutely NO one noticed that I'd even had any surgery. Other factors to consider would be FUE/FIT surgery instead of strip, as well as whether or not the doctor would require you to shave your scalp pre-op.

I cant comment on the final results of a strip HT since I'm only 4.5 months post-op. My scar is still a little pink, but I currently cut my hair with a #2 guard.

It's hard to tell anything from your picture since different angles usually tell different stories. Looking at me from the front, you wouldn't think my hair loss is as bad as it actually is. Looking at the top of my scalp, you can tell how much i've really lost and what hair loss pattern I'm headed towards. You're still young, and you seem to have a lot of hair left. I think the general consensus here would be to consult your doctor, and recommend getting started on propecia and minoxidil. Read up on other hair loss items such as avodart, nizoral, etc.

I think that Nizoral is a prescription shampoo. You probably should ask your doctor for it while you're there.

markjames... As far as spraying the grafts, I probably sprayed my head lightly at least 30-40 times a day. Not only did it keep them moist, but the water running down my head really helped alleviate the itching. As far as gently washing the grafts, there was an extensive discussion on this board regarding the best method to do so. My personal method was to fill the bathtub with lukewarm water and add some baby shampoo. (I didnt do this in the sink so as to prevent myself from accidentally bumping my head on the faucet and doing any damage.) I would then submerge my head and slowly swish it back and forth. I personally didnt want to touch the grafts so as not to mess anything up. I'm not saying that there arent other methods that you can wash your hair/scalp, or that you cant touch your grafts.....this was just my personal choice. Others have used different methods.

matthew....sorry..no.....that question was for markjames.

Just out of curiosity, who did you have your procedure with, what norwood class are you, and where was most of the work done?