El Nino

Space, Only you can decide if this is the right decision. You know you'll need further work so you're not going into it blindly thinking you'll be set for life. You say the meds have held your crown since May 08 - this is positive. Maybe you won't lose any more hair for a few more years and you can enjoy them. Maybe you will thin more and you'll need a second transplant sooner than expected. What is your family history of hairloss?

Hi bash, I did research Surgeons in the UK but at the time there wasn't much info and pics online. And there was lots of positive info and pics about Dr. Rahal. Dr. Rahal uses sutures and I just went to my GP for them to be taken out.

Doesn't mention anything about it on their website. They have quite a few hairloss products including 2 of the big 3 which are the only ones worth taking - Rogaine and Nizoral. I doubt they could supply you with Propecia cause you need a prescription. Sounds like a money making scheme. If you're going to start meds then only take Propecia, Rogaine and Nizoral and use them for atleast a year.

Not all the grafts start growing at the same time. You're only 4 months post op, still very early. Dr. Cooley is a great doc so I am sure you'll be very happy WHEN it's grown out.

Hi SpaceBetween, You've certainly done your research and are well prepared mentally for a HT. You've received some excellent advice and I totally agree with Thana about your hair colour - skin contrast. I bet you'll be a lot happier this time next year.

Hi Crow1, Take a look at my blog, all of my 12.5 month pics are outside and most are in direct sunlight (from the front, back and top).

Hi SpaceBetween, My debit card wouldn't work with the machine in Dr. Rahal's office. I wired the money myself through Internet Banking, but I was charged a fee (under $50 US if I remember correctly).

Hi bash, I'm from the UK and I had a HT with Dr. Rahal and I am thrilled with the result. See my blog for the details and pics. Dr. Rahal recommends overseas patients to stay in Ottawa for 5 days after the op. Just in case there are any complications and for the grafts to be set in place. I flew out on a Sunday, had the pre op consultation Monday, surgery Tuesday and flew home the following Sunday. I know this adds to the cost a bit with Hotels, Food, etc, but I wasn't willing to risk it just to save a few quid. Afterall, I'd just spent a few thousand. IMO, I think it's good to have the pre op consultation the day before. You can then go back to the Hotel and think about what was discussed and you can also read the consent forms properly. Hope this helps, if you have any questions just ask.

Hi jbkg, The paragraph below is from my thread and is why I chose Dr. Rahal; I chose Dr. Rahal because I never read a bad word about him and I read many posts where he'd gone the extra mile e.g giving patients a lift home, etc. I got the feeling he genuinely cares for his patients and you aren't just a number, and this is exactly how he is in real life. As for your second question I totally agree with what Clint69 says about anxiety. You have made an excellent choice and will be in great hands, try not to worry too much. FYI. Adrian is on holiday with his family until the 27th of April.

You have made an excellent choice, here's my story. If you have any questions just ask. http://hair-restoration-info.c...421052263#3421052263

Hey Guys, Just added some 12.5 month pics in my blog. It has taken ages to mature and I don't think it's finished yet! I'm still noticing some thickening now. I am thrilled with the result. It looks totally natural and blends in brilliantly with my native hair. Even I can't tell where the transplanted hair starts when running a comb from the front to back. Dr. Rahal really is a talented surgeon and I wouldn't hesitate to recommend him. KC

Hi Bill, I'm not sure if Dr. Rahal does anything differently, but he does include Rogaine in his Post Op instructions. This could explain the early growth. KC

Hey Guys, Just added a couple of 9 month pics in my blog. I think all the grafts have sprouted now, it's just a case of waiting for them all to thicken and mature. KC

Thanks for the compliments guys. I've added a pic of the donor area in my blog. My hair was buzzed to a No. 3 two weeks ago. I haven't got a pic of the scar itself cos I'm useless with the camera. KC

Hi Fellas, I've just added a couple of 7 month pics in my blog. The hair which came through at 3.5 - 4 months is starting to mature and thicken up now. I've felt more new stubbles the last month and I had an ingrown hair yesterday so there's more to come. I am over the moon at my progress so far and I can't wait to get to the 12 month mark. I am no longer self conscious when people can see my crown. I am really pleased I chose Dr. Rahal - he is excellent at getting good coverage and density with minimal grafts. KC

Hi FS, I would say the Rogaine Foam has helped with the early growth of the transplanted hair. It has also thickened up some of the native hair in my crown. KC PS. Not all crowns are slow - check out this one at 6 months. http://hair-restoration-info.com/eve/forums/a/tpc/f/256...711042363#1711042363

Thanks for the compliments guys. thanatopsis_awry, I am really pleased with how things are looking at this early stage (especially for the crown). With the help of the meds hopefully I'll be done when it's grown out.

Hi guys and gals, I've just added a couple of 5.5 month pics in my blog - one dark and one sunny. Apologies for not updating sooner, but my computer broke and I've just bought a decent digital camera. KC

Hi chucky, There isn't much difference from my Day 9 pics at the moment - which are terrible quality (cameraphone). I will buy a decent camera soon and then I can give the transplant justice when things get interesting. Hi Dirge, You have chosen well and I'm sure things will turn out well for you.

It would be about 47 cm2, but Dr. Rahal said the density is slightly more towards the front and less at the back. He said it would be about 57% of original density, which should give good coverage.

Hi Bill, Thanks for the kind words. I've created a Weblog and added Day 9 pics (aplogies for the quality). I will make sure to update regularly.

Hi guys, I am a long time lurker on this forum and this is my first post. I would like to thank everyone who posts here for sharing their wisdom and experiences. It was a great help for me in deciding which surgeon to choose. I am a 28 year old NW 3 Vertex with no frontal loss, and have been for about 4 years. So last year I decided to take action and started researching. I decided that there wasn't a Surgeon in the UK suitable for me and that I would travel to North America. From the pics I saw there wasn't much between the top docs, but I did notice that Dr. Rahals scars were excellent. I chose Dr. Rahal because I never read a bad word about him and I read many posts where he'd gone the extra mile e.g giving patients a lift home, etc. I got the feeling he genuinely cares for his patients and you aren't just a number, and this is exactly how he is in real life. I also got a good vibe from Adrian his consultant, with prompt replies, no pressure and a straight approach. This was confirmed when he gave up his Saturday with his family to show me a bit of Ottawa. He also took me for a few drinks to watch the football and for dinner in his home. Dr. Rahal examined my hair in the pre op consult and informed me that the hair below the bald spot was weak. The total area was 75 cm2, but because the hair at the bottom was weak he would leave an area of 15 cm2 in case I lose it - Which would leave me with a natural look. I have been on 1.25mg a day of Fincar for two days - hopefully I won't lose anymore hair. And hopefully the Minoxidil 5% will thicken up the weak hairs at the bottom when I start it on Feb 5. So on Tuesday 22 January Dr. Rahal expertly transplanted 2803 grafts into my crown, into a 60 cm2 area. He aimed the strip away from most of the singles and got the following - 1s = 188, 2s = 1758 and 3s = 857. Which gives a total number of 6275 hairs, all the 3s placed at the front and singles in the back and the doubles make up the rest. He closed the strip with sutures and the Tricophytic method. Hopefully my scar will be as good as the pics I've seen and Adrians. The whole experience was great, every member of staff was highy professional and put you at ease. I would highly recommend Dr. Rahal to anyone. For pre op and post op pics please see the Photo Album Forum or my Hairloss Blog.

For my HT experience please follow this link -http://www.hairrestorationnetwork.com/eve/showthread.php?t=152474