NervousNelly

dhuge67, Good to hear from you. I hope that all is well and this time you will try to listen to our advise. If you are looking for a great doc at a reasonable price relatively in your area go to Dr. Feller or Dr. Rahal. NN

Gentleman, It is very likely that as we age a certain percentage of us are going to thin in the donor area. This is a fact. Look around at many men over the age of 60. Hopefully we don't thin so much that the scar becomes obviously visible, but for some it will happen. This is realistic. Yes some of the recipient hair will also likely thin and fall out as not all hair in the donor area lasts forever. That is a stretch used in the marketing of HT's. But not all is something to panic about. As the hair thins on top it will thin at a natural rate as the donor area thins and will all be a natural look. It would likely look strange if the donor area thinned and the recipient didn't. Just thought I would chime in and shed some light of reality on the topic. Ofcourse there will be a lucky few that never have any thinning of donor or recipient. Just hope that you are one of them. Again this all is reason why waiting as long as possible before getting a HT is a good idea and not jumping into things at 21. NN

Just a suggestion Bill-- With 15-20 people on at one time and occasionally several of us typing at one time it does become a little chaotic. I would hate to see the docs stop coming if things get a little unmanageable. Is there something we can attempt to do to limit this? Anyway of a pecking order according to how are names are listed on the logged on area? Or something like that? I'm not used to the chat sites so its all new to me. Ask Bspot what happens on those sites where he meets the 14 yr old girls? NN

Red, Why don't you send a PM to the member Nobuzz. He has had experience with plug removal and thinning. He might be able to give some help in that manner. NN

I'm at 6 weeks and hangin in there. Duldrums do suck but I can see that there is hope. The donor area is starting to thicken a little as it is taking less time to camouflage things. I still am holding on to approx. 30-40% of the grafts. I assume that they will all go but am still making efforts to maintain. They are starting to lengthen and thicken a little though. Who knows? I still have not had anyone notice a thing which is pretty cool. I essentially accomplished everything that I was hoping for in that regard. I think though that my previous scar (approx. 8cm couldn't be removed--too low) stretched slightly or it is just the thinning of the donor area that made it slightly more visible. One day I hope to have scar repair but it is not top priority. Not going to bother posting photos as there really is not much diffent to see. My wife tells me that I essentially look just like I did prior to surgery, but I believe there is an overall thinness to my hair do to shockloss and areas that were shaved. That will all come back in time. NN

Pushing nailed it. We all heal differently and you have to keep in mind that it is a pretty invasive type of surgery. Several small incisions were made to your scalp and it is always unpredictable as to how someone might respond. NN

You have made a great decision. That's like choosing between a Ferrari or a Lamborghini. Can't go wrong with either. Best of luck and keep us posted on how things go for you. Ask for the "Gorpy". I would love to see someone show him up. NN

Notgoing2gobald, I understand what it is that you are saying and I appreciate your opinion. In a perfect world I agree with your philosophy, however, this is a serious surgery and there are risks involved. A larger session does increase the risks. Also, you too are making an assumption that his current native hair will eventually fall out. You can't make a statement of certainty like that. I have been losing my hair for 20 years and am still a NW 4 and I know others that were NW4's for over 30 years. It is a possibility that his native hair had unecessary strain put on it as less FU likely would have provided phenominal results. Nonetheless, toj is ecstatic about his results as he should be and I don't want to take that away from him. I'd rather not continue this debate under his thread. The decision was his and I will respect that and wish him the best as I am sure his results will be awesome. Dr. Wong is superbly skilled and given time, toj will be a posterboy. NN

Pushing, Things look great. I believe that things will remain frizzy for awhile but slowly start to eventually soften. What a dramatic change though. Must have felt great to point out your HT to that guy and his wife. I can't wait to be able to do that. I personally believe that it is nice to help others by showing them that a quality Ht is possible. I think that if I had known sooner I would currently look like Jotronic. LOL NN

Steve, I'm not saying to not seek out the truth. I just believe that people should understand the possible complications, but seek out the success stories and go with those surgeons. NN

I do have to admit that most of the work I have seen from Dr. Rahal is of young men with receding hairlines, but he always seems to hit the mark and is capable of achieving great densities. I beleive that his experience with Dr. Armani has served him very well. Once again great results. NN

MM, This is tough for us to comment. I personally don't believe that it looks any worse, but agree with Bill that it certainly doesn't look like much of an improvement. We will benefit from more photos, but this case is somewhat baffling. It is possible that you did lose more hair and that propecia doesn't work for you and therefore this is the result. Possibly without the HT you would be a NW 5? Hard to say exactly. NN

Guys, I believe that it is very important for all of us to research the hell out of everything prior to a HT, but to dwell on the negative is not healthy. What we all can't lose sight of is that this is a serious surgery. Things will happen unfortunately that are unpredictable for the surgeon. Even the best of the best likely have some cases where things don't go according to plan. I can think of some cases that involve some of our coalition physicians. It happens. Even the best cardiac surgeons encounter complications. Do lots of research. Find a good, reputable doc and if you want to go forward with things then schedule your appt. If you don't want to take a risk (although very small) then don't pursue a HT. Anyone telling you that there is absolutely no chance of anything going wrong is lying to you. Just in other cosmetic surguries, there are many that are ecstatic with their results and some that would never recommend anyone go ahead with things. In the hands of a top physician you will lessen odds of complications, but they still do exist unfortunately. Lets point that out to people, but try to avoid scaring people also. NN

That says it all. Any chance you can show us some photos? Most of us love to see Dr. Rahals work. NN

I had a girlfriend once that saw the donor scar and asked about it. I was so nervous and sat her down and acted like I had this huge ultra secretive thing to tell her and after taking about 30 minutes to spit it out she said "oh" and that was it. She didn't even want to inspect my head or anything. It was the wierdest thing ever. We eventually broke up and I don't beleive that she ever said anything to anyone because it was no big deal to her. Hopefully she discussed other things about me with her girlfriends. NN

Bill, As I mentioned to you, it would be cool if more members checked the chatrooms regularly. People can log on and turn the musical icon on and minimize things and return to the regular forum. When someone logs onto chat site you will be notified with a "ding". Cool feature so that you don't have to wait around. It is a great way for newbies to get quick answers. NN

morenewhair1, You have to tell her dude. Getting a HT is stressful enough and the last thing you want is to be avoiding her or staying in the dark, etc. Just fess up. Did I ever tell you guys that story of when I had this hot chick back at her place a week after my first HT 17 yrs. ago. She was the type that wanted to rub her hands thru my hair, etc. Oh I digress. I'll save story for another day or you can search posts as I think I already mentioned it--good story though. NN

Donna, I'm glad for you that you have achieved some great results after a very testing period. We all respond differently to surgery and nothing can be predicted unfortunately. It's too bad that you didn't get the emotional support (or little support period) that you should have after mentioning your complications. I'm sorry to hear this. I think that sometimes things become somewhat routine for many healthcare/cosmetic facilities and they forget that what might be day to day for them is very concerning to the patient. I know that I had personal e-mails from both Dr. Shapiro and Janna and it was very comforting to know that they were concerned with my well being.(Matt on the other hand was off spending his commission. --I'm seriously kidding--don't anyone run with that one. He's is very thoughtful and kind and always there for any questions) The bottom line Donna is that there are some pretty bad stories in this industry unfortunately, and you have gotten thru the worst of things and are now going to reap the rewards. This should be very exciting for you. If you get the chance we would love to see your transformation. Take care, NN

Thanks Everyone. It's very hard to believe that I have actually managed that many posts with my schedule, but I am that type of personality that puts 110% into something. I have actually come a long way. I was certainly very nervous about getting the procedure done because I was not wanting to make any mistakes again. I did what I believe everyone should do and that is to research the hell out of things. This is a decision that you will have to live with forever and shouldn't be taken lightly. My recent posts have calmed a little more as I have realized that what we argue over so often is just a matter of opinion. In many cases there is no right/wrong answer or best/less than favourable approach to things. All of us will have different needs and respond differently to hairloss aids and surgery and many of the top physicians have their own approach. The primary purpose of this site should be to educate and console those suffering with hairloss issues. I am doing my best to keep this in mind and attempting to now avoid the trivial debates. I hope that we all can keep this in mind. Many on this forum have become like brothers/sisters and I appreciate that relationship. There are many good people here, all willing to help. That's pretty cool. Take care, NN

Ofcourse with actors it is always hard to assess because many times they will wear a hairpiece or have hair "added" just for the specific role that they are in. I think that Anthony Hopkins has had work done because he always has a hairline yet very sparse everywhere and his crown looks like that of a NW6-7. Even in Silence of the Lambs he had his hair slicked back and nothing in mid to crown area. If indeed he did have a HT it is very age appropriate and natural. NN

Hey Bill, Maybe Dr. Epstein should have a lesson on posting? I would have to agree with Spex and Dr. Hasson that it is more ideal to shave the recipient area, but many people just can't do it. Therefore, these people have to plan accordingly and expect that shockloss might be more of a factor. It is just a balancing act. I shaved a portion of my recipient area behind the hairline which allowed Dr. Shapiro to plant a little denser there and still gave me the option of covering it with frontal hair. Remember there are options. Different things will work for different people. Nothing should be cookie cutter. NN

Gorpy, Sounds strange, but I really analysed all of your photos and looked at Dr. Keenes website and photos and was trying to assess things with your HT and her artistry. Firstly, I truly believe that she angled the frontal hairline grafts in more of a unique pattern than what might be typically done with other top physicians. I liked your close-up photos that detailed the angles placed. What this does for you is 2-fold. 1. It provides a more creative look than generally seen and adds a softness to the hairline. 2. It staggers the hairs in such a way that it increases the look of density or at least limits the see thru appearance. It's like looking thru a forest. If all the trees are standing straight up you can see thru it; whereas if some are leaning or falling, it is tougher to see as far thru. Simplistic way of looking at it but you get the idea. I have a couple of questions for you: 1. Did you have a lot of input with what you were trying to achieve? Did you bring in a photo? Did you tell her how you hoped to style your hair? 2. The kicker for you seems to be the addition in the temporal areas with the second HT. Was that your idea or hers or a collaboration? 3. Because many of the frontal hairs are angled as such, does it limit your choice of hairstyle? Could you part on the right? I realise that you had a post that showed what dramatic changes 1000 fu could make, but as I stated then, I think that your 1st HT hadn't fully matured. The extra 1000Fu did however make a great change, and if the growth timetable follows the 1st, you are only going to get better. I know it is a little bizarre that I would spend the time to analyse things with your transformation, but since most here agree that your HT is among the best we've seen, I wanted to understand why it is. Ofcourse hair characteristics are a huge aspect as well and you do have good characteristics for a refined, soft look, but not necessarily density. Dr. Keene hit the mark on all levels. I thank you for such a detailed history of your process as it really will help many of us to become more educated. Take care buddy. NN P.S.--Wow. I didn't even realize it, but this became my 1000 post. Couldn't have picked a better topic than the Gorpster (a mathematical, mexican eating, tequila drinking, woman magnet, Jotronic stompin, pimp status individual like yourself. )

Very very impressive. Love the unique hairline. Dr. Keene did an awesome job on the temporal angles and softness of the frontal hairline. Many of the top docs in my opinion don't vary the hairlines much and things start looking cookie cutter. This is an example of near perfection. Not bad for an old SOB. LOL I can only hope that soon I can flash my results and they can compete with yours. The bar has been set high. Take care, NN

Anthony Hopkins must have had some FUE work done. He has a hairloss pattern of a NW6-7 but still has a decently outlined hailine. This is not typical in a normal hairloss pattern but his hair does indeed look natural. Any word on who did his work? NN

Anthony Hopkins must have had some FUE work done. He has a hairloss pattern of a NW6-7 but still has a decently outlined hailine. This is not typical in a normal hairloss pattern but his hair does indeed look natural. Any word on who did his work? NN