Tubs

Futher to above post - IMO this thread highlights a risk of any surgical procedure, whenever the skin is cut we are all at risk of infection no matter how clean a operating theatre is. This must have been a frightening experience for nw3inAZ and the fact he did not mention his surgeon by name possibly reflects his understanding that he could well have contracted the infection outside the clinic. For clinics the transparency of the forums is not only an opportunity but also can be a risk. Dr Alexander response appears to be a credit to his professionalism. Tubs

They are not covering up, merely abbreviating for Doctor Alexander. Tubs

You have a big improvement to your look in just four months! Congrats. to you and Farjo Clinic, look forward to following your progress. Tubs

You have obviously done your research and selected a first class surgeon - for me the research and decision stage was the worst part! You have every right to feel confident in your decision - congrats! I am one month post op. and the time seems have passed very quickly, I have absolutely no regrets and have yet to hit any doldrums, just excited about the next few months. Wish you all best for your procedure and look forward to following your progress. Tubs

Hi Whattodo I just read your other post re:AHS - really sorry to hear about your experience. You will find this site invaluable, a real community of people willing to share their experiences to help others. In the past HT's produced such poor results that there still seems to be a real stigma attached, but, subject to your own suitability, if you do your research and choose your clinic carefully you can find solution (research also keeps expectations in check!). I had my HT performed on Friday 8th August and flew back Sunday 10th August. I was happy to go out in public immediately, subject to my new best friend - the baseball cap. I planned to have 3 weeks off work post op. but had to go in slightly earlier than this. I did not keep my HT a secret, IMO this gives me a big advantage, i do not worry about people asking why I am wearing a baseball cap, if they ask I take it off, show them and explain - the reaction is fine and sometimes funny. I am now a month post op. - my wife / friends tell me I could ditch the baseball cap - the receipient area is a little "pink" but not too bad, many of the grafts have shed but my original hair has returned (was shaved in receipient area) - the scar is noticeable but only because I have had a little shockloss beneath the scar - this can be concealed with Nanofibres / Dermatch. The nature of my work means that I do not just have one office to "face" people, but I am consistent with my theory of not keeping it a secret. The only exception to this is when I am having a meeting that I do not want the "distraction" of explaining myself - in these cases I just say "excuse the baseball cap, I have had some surgery" - people appear to assume the worst and do not ask any other questions. Personally not keeping a secret has paid dividends, I have no regrets and would highly recommend this course of action, subject to own personal circumstances. I feel such a sense of gratitude for the other members of this site that posted their experiences that I would like to repay this by contributing in a similar way - if you like I could private message my details and have a chat. The key point about research is to take your time, and although my experience with Feller Medical was A1 you need to look through many, many postings check patient experiences and any choices you make should be your own. Do not rush into anything. Do not be hard on yourself regaring previous actions you will find that others have also made mistakes. All the best Tubs PS - I will be posting some one month photos later today on this thread.

Englishman - Very good line of thinking - it is a decision you have to live with and deserves to be approached as such. Keep asking questions, an open mind and lots of research is the key, I would definitely pursue the medication route and see if they stabilise / improve your current position. Good Luck!! Tubs

HK500 - Too harsh IMO -If we want to polarize the argument - the other extreme is that clinics that do not shave are willing to compromise the HT to increase business. Personally I think that neither extreme is correct, different clinics have very different views and both are doing the what they think is in the best interest of the client. Tubs

Do you know roughly the size of session you would need? - I remember reading that Dr Shapiro doesn't require shaving for smaller sessions. The following is not a negative but an observation that proves nobody can be right all the time: When I had my recent surgery with Dr Feller we had a conversation about coffee in which he stated that decaffeinated coffee tastes the same as real coffee. I rest my case. Tubs

Hi Englishman Reading your intro. reminds me of how I felt when I first found the forums - as you only found them a few days ago, keep researching and don't rush into anything, it is a big, big decision but the HT process is made easier by feeling confident that you really understand the process and have realistic expectations. I see you live an hour from London - I live on the border of Surrey /Sussex, I am one month out from my HT, if you want to see someone in the early stages feel free to PM - My "story" to date is on this LINK . I will be updating with my one month pics. over the weekend. I contacted Spex prior to my HT, he has a wealth of knowledge and is well worth contacting whatever clinic you choose (he made no attempt to sell Dr Feller when I contacted him). Best Wishes and keep reading! Tubs

Cap'n Mop is spot on with his advice ??“ do not put any barriers in the way (location or money) when doing your research. Also base your research purely on results and patient feed back, that way you know who are not influenced by any bias. I followed this mantra and received an enormous benefit from knowing I had made a decision without compromise. Tubs

Bill ??“ talk about adding fuel to the fire! Against my better judgement I feel compelled to post. I don't like posting on threads that clearly have the potential to become entrenched in dogmatic "political" views, but feel compelled to respond to Bill's comment above. I believe the above comment is unwarranted, the clinics mentioned by Spex as "great" is not out of step from the thread "name your top 5", IMO it would be difficult to rate the quieter clinics as "great" as the evidence based on a high quantity of consistent results and patient postings on this and other forums does not merit such accolade. For a forum moderator to be-little (by inference) the importance of "on-line" presence seems curious. The opinion of what makes a "great" clinic is subjective ??“ as is the word "great", but rather than include all coalition clinics, IMO the best judgement on an internet forum does come from online presence ??“ what better way can anyone suggest members formulate their opinion ??“ you can visit clinics and let them show you the "cherry picked" results but what makes the forums so informative is the postings by patients from the start of their procedure to the fully grown out results. There are many clinics recommended by this site, some are better at posting their results than others. If a clinic is underrepresented on the forum, then, if they have great results, it is only due to that clinic not effectively managing their on line presence. This is not only a lost opportunity to promote their clinic but also denies prospective clients from obtaining the enormous comfort of knowing that they have chosen a "great" clinic with consistent, outstanding results and a high volume of patient feedback. IMO most members interpret "great" as their personal view on what clinics are in the top 5 or 6. It will be good to see more postings (on this and other forums) from more clinics, and to see more participation from their patients, but until that happens the term "great" is likely to be restricted to just a few clinics. If they are all "great" why did you travel, why did I travel, why doesn't everyone just go to the nearest one on the list? The reason I feel strongly about this is because until I had been researching for some time I felt there were few options for UK guys, it was only when I realised that location should not be a factor did I seriously start thinking that a HT was real option. Different forums have different views on clinics, although the status of "great" clinics appears to be relatively consistent across the forums.

Hi Stuart Having an HT and the choice of surgeon is a big, big decision. The younger you are the more important you understand the implications of going down the HT route - there is medication that helps, it can stop, slow-down and even reverse hair loss (no guarentees). I would really recommend that do not worry about location, travel is such a minor part of the process that it should not impede your research. Like you I was extremely worried about the horror stories, but researching the forums over a few months will give you both comfort and help you make decisions on whether to proceed and which clinic to use / consult. Most of the members on this site are genuinely trying to help each other and you will find it a great source of information - I personally would avoid asking directly for recommendations and as Spex said above if you research you will find the Doctors who post many consistent results (and their patients) will float to the top of your list. I cannot tell you how much of a comfort it is to have done the research and feel confident of the decision. All the best Tubs

In my previous email, I originally drafted a paragraph about the importance of research, however you do appear to be looking at the Doctors that have shown great consistent results. Below is a link to all Coalition surgeons, showing location. Shapiro Medical is in Minnesota. Coalition Surgeons Tubs

Hasson and Wong are top drawer, however the quality of their website is irrelevant (although I do agree, it is good!). Tubs

Spex - Thanks for posting pictures. Healing well, many of the grafts now shed, really pleased with how the scar is healing. I will post some updated photos at the weekend. Tubs

Great pictures Richie - coming along real nice. Tubs

Interesting about the tendon / ligament issue. I suffer from plantar fasciitis (the tissue between the heel and ball of my foot), I guess it might help that too. Thanks again. Tubs

Thanks for reply. I am using it at the moment, once my pre-HT hair has obtained a reasonable length, I presume I could stop taking it for a couple of months and start again when the HT starts to pop through? Tubs

Once HT hair has sprouted, wouldn't it help all hair grow? If MSM only helps existing hair grow I am going to boycott it on the grounds of discrimination! Tubs

Thana - how about "Judiciously, Jonathan"? Tubs

My wife just removed 72 staples, no problem at all. Stings a little bit but really nothing to worry about. Picture below taken a few minutes after removal of staples. Tubs

Relax, Witch Hazel is used in some hair products to add body, there would be a few law suits flying about if it caused hair loss. I am using it in gel form on my receipient area. Tubs

Blood tests - no problem my GP arranged these and I paid a small fee. Staples - Due to have them removed on Tuesday, I am currently on holiday in the UK but called my brother in-law (he is a plastic surgeon) and asked him if he would remove them - he said yes but suggested that they are so easy to remove (with the tool Dr Feller supplied) that it would be a wasted journey, he suggested my wife could easily remove them. I'll report back on Tuesday! Tubs

Fenderplayer I am on day 9, the staples do get easier to sleep with, I took Tylenol before I went to bed for the first 5/6 days, I think this helped to take the edge off discomfort. I now sleep normally with staples in. Tubs

For strip surgery - an on-line quote is based on an estimated number of grafts. The actual number of grafts is not actually known until the the procedure itself, therefore the price may vary accordingly. Most people would like "as many as possible" on the day, however if you only required / wanted a specific number then I would assume the Doctor can come very close to that number. I would suggest you check with individual clinics when you have a consultation. Tubs