JW

I have had two procedures with Dr. Cooley and my results are amazing. He is one of the best in the world in my humble opinion.

I went to Dr. Cooley for my two transplants. Dr. Cooley DID NOT shave my recipient areas. All redness was gone and no one noticed a thing by Day 8 post-op for both transplants.

Does it take longer for transplanted hair to grow and thicken after a second hair transplant as compared to the growth time-line after a first transplant? For those of you who have had two or more transplants, what has been your experience as far as the growth time-line after your second or third transplant as compared to your first? The reason I ask is because I have had two transplants. My second was about 8 months ago (about 1500 grafts in front and 1000 in crown). It could be my imagination but it seems as if the growth and thickening from my second is coming slower than it did after my first (2500 grafts only in front). I do not mean to imply that I am not seeing any growth or thickening. To the contrary, I am seeing improvement. My hair is looking thicker and fuller but it does not seem to be coming in on the same time-line as it did after my first. To illustrate what I mean: I recently got a hair cut and my barber (who knows I had a HT) commented that the grafts I had transplanted in my crown at my second HT about 8 months ago are now about 3/4 of an inch long and sticking straight up. After my first HT at the 8 months mark, all of my grafts had grown in and my transplanted hair was several inches long. I realize that growth times vary widely from person to person but has anyone experienced slower or delayed growth after their second HT as compared with their first? At what month did you notice the most improvement after your second HT? I am a little concerned and I am worried that my second may not turn out as successful as my first - unless the slower growth time-line is normal. Any thoughts?

Does it take longer for transplanted hair to grow and thicken after a second hair transplant as compared to the growth time-line after a first transplant? For those of you who have had two or more transplants, what has been your experience as far as the growth time-line after your second or third transplant as compared to your first? The reason I ask is because I have had two transplants. My second was about 8 months ago (about 1500 grafts in front and 1000 in crown). It could be my imagination but it seems as if the growth and thickening from my second is coming slower than it did after my first (2500 grafts only in front). I do not mean to imply that I am not seeing any growth or thickening. To the contrary, I am seeing improvement. My hair is looking thicker and fuller but it does not seem to be coming in on the same time-line as it did after my first. To illustrate what I mean: I recently got a hair cut and my barber (who knows I had a HT) commented that the grafts I had transplanted in my crown at my second HT about 8 months ago are now about 3/4 of an inch long and sticking straight up. After my first HT at the 8 months mark, all of my grafts had grown in and my transplanted hair was several inches long. I realize that growth times vary widely from person to person but has anyone experienced slower or delayed growth after their second HT as compared with their first? At what month did you notice the most improvement after your second HT? I am a little concerned and I am worried that my second may not turn out as successful as my first - unless the slower growth time-line is normal. Any thoughts?

I had my transplant with Dr. Cooley. I went back to work on the eighth day after my transplant. I work in an office with a lot of people. I had people sitting across from my desk. By Day 8, I was completely healed. No one, and I mean no one, noticed a thing. I had 2800 grafts placed in my front and I had virtually no hair in front to cover the new grafts. Some Coalition doctors, such as Dr. Cooley, has a post-op course of care that results in patients healing very rapidly. Also, you do not have to shave the recipient area with Dr. Cooley. He works around existing hair. If you go to Dr. Cooley, you can be back at work in 7 days completely healed and no one will notice a thing. There are probably other coalition docs that have similar regimens to Dr. Cooley as far as quick healing. However, I can only speak for him.

Dr. Cooley who is fabulous and skilled hair transplant doctor also does eyebrow transplants. I saw some photos of his eyebrow transplant work and it looks completely natural. He did my hair transplant procedure and I recommended him to a family member who needs an eyebrow transplant. You should schedule a consultation with Dr. Cooley to learn more.

I am also a patient of Dr. Cooley. I echo and second all of the superlatives that have been said about Dr. Cooley and his skill and artistry. I had my first procedure with him over two years ago. I was a Norwood 5. I had 2500 grafts placed in front. What Dr. Cooley did with just 2500 grafts is amazing. I went from bald to having hair. My barber says that my transplant looks totally natural and it is the best cosmetic job that he has ever seen. My barber told me that if I had come to him and had not said anything about having had a transplant, he would never have suspected a thing. My hair is not see-through. It is full and thick looking. Not teenager thick but 50 ish thick. Dr. Cooley made my hairline age appropriate and left some recession at the temples. This past summer I ran into an old friend from college. I had not seen him in years. We had dinner together and he blurted out during dinner: "So you kept all of your hair." I told a half lie and said that I use Propecia. That is how good my hair looks. Dr. Cooley can work wonders. He took me from bald to having hair. He has changed my life. He is a perfectionist. In my opinion, Dr. Cooley is the best of the best. I am getting a second procedure from Dr. Cooley in December. I trust him totally. I would not even consider another doctor.

I posted this on another thread but but I will repeat it here because it is also relevant to the discussion here. I have been taking Propecia for about three years. I have been taking it everyday. It has worked great as far as my hair. It stopped my hair loss and it regrew considerable hair in the crown. Unfortunately, I have recently been experiencing some minor sexual side effects that I am worried may increase in severity. I have been thinking of modifying my Propecia usage to taking 1 mg. every other day or taking a half of tablet (i.e. .5 mg) every day to try to eliminate these sides. However, I am concerned that if I switch to 1 mg. every other day or a half a tablet each day, I will start losing hair. I am between a rock and a hard place. I don't want to risk losing any hair but I would like to eliminate these sides. Can someone explain in more detail why taking Propecia every other day is just as beneficial to the hair as taking it every day? I am trying to think through this logically. In that regard, Propecia lowers the DHT levels in the blood and in the skin. Are there studies that show that taking Propecia every other day lowers DHT levels in both the blood and skin by the same percentage as every day usage of Propecia? Here is the other thing about Propecia and sexual sides that I do not understand. Lets's start with the premise that sexual side effects from Propecia such as loss of libido, erection problems, etc. occur because Propecia lowers DHT in the body. It has to be the reduction in DHT that causes sexual side effects. If the sexual side effects from Propecia occur because daily use of Propecia lowers blood levels of DHT by let's say 65% and if every other day usage of Propecia results in the same reduction in DHT levels, i.e. 65%, how can every other day usage of Propecia eliminate the sides? It would seem only logical to me that if every other day usage of Propecia eliminated the side effects that is because every other day usage does not suppress as much DHT, and, as such, the greater levels of DHT in the blood are what make the erection stronger, etc. In other words, if every day usage of Propecia and if every day usage lowers DHT levels by the same amount, what is it about the every other day usage that eliminates the sexual sides? What am I missing here?

I would like to add my two cents to this issue. I,too,have been taking Propecia for about three years. I have been taking it everyday. It has worked great as far as my hair. It stopped my hair loss and it regrew considerable hair in the crown. Unfortunately, I have recently been experiencing some minor sexual side effects that I am worried may increase in severity. I have been thinking of modifying my Propecia usage to taking 1 mg. every other day or taking a half of tablet (i.e. .5 mg) every day to try to eliminate these sides. However, I am concerned that if I switch to 1 mg. every other day or a half a tablet each day, I will start losing hair. I am between a rock and a hard place. I don't want to risk losing any hair but I would like to eliminate these sides. Can someone explain in more detail why taking Propecia every other day is just as beneficial to the hair as taking it every day? I am trying to think through this logically. In that regard, Propecia lowers the DHT levels in the blood and in the skin. Are there studies that show that taking Propecia every other day lowers DHT levels in both the blood and skin by the same percentage as every day usage of Propecia? Here is the other thing about Propecia and sexual sides that I do not understand. Lets's start with the premise that sexual side effects from Propecia such as loss of libido, erection problems, etc. occur because Propecia lowers DHT in the body. It has to be the reduction in DHT that causes sexual side effects. If the sexual side effects from Propecia occur because daily use of Propecia lowers blood levels of DHT by let's say 65% and if every other day usage of Propecia results in the same reduction in DHT levels, i.e. 65%, how can every other day usage of Propecia eliminate the sides? It would seem only logical to me that if every other day usage of Propecia eliminated the side effects that is because every other day usage does not suppress as much DHT, and, as such, the greater levels of DHT in the blood are what make the erection stronger, etc. In other words, if every day usage of Propecia and if every day usage lowers DHT levels by the same amount, what is it about the every other day usage that eliminates the sexual sides? Please Grow Please, Bill, Anyone. What am I missing here?

I had my procedure with Dr. Cooley and I wholeheartedly recommend him. I have no regrets whatsoever. Best decision I have made in my life. You should at the very least have a consultation with him. You have nothing to lose by having a consultation with Dr. Cooley. Feel free to PM me if you have any specific questions about Dr. Cooley.

I had a 2700 graft procedure with Dr. Jerry Cooley in Charlotte, North Carolina about 15 months ago. I am posting my before and after photos. The after photos were taken at the 13 month mark. I am completely satisfied with every aspect of my experience with Dr. Cooley. I am thrilled with my results. Pat has stated several times on this forum that he would trust any Coalition Doctor to perform his hair transplant. However, in my opinion, Dr. Cooley is the best of the best. His skill and artistic ability have given me hair in the frontal section of my scalp. My barber is amazed at the fullness of my hair. My hairline is natural and age appropriate. Anyone considering a hair transplant should at least have a consultation with Dr. Cooley. Do not let geography determine who performs your transplant. Let me provide some background information. Three years ago, I was a Norwood 5/6. Another hair doctor with whom I had a consultation gave me that classification. That doctor recommended that I use Propecia for at least a year before considering a transplant. He recommended Propecia for three reasons: (1) to stop any further hair loss; (2) to possibly re-grow some hair in my crown; and (3) to strengthen my existing hair to prevent shock loss from a procedure. Propecia worked on all three counts. It re-grew a goodly amount of hair in my crown. My barber was amazed at my results from Propecia. Propecia also thickened my existing hair. However, Propecia did absolutely nothing for my barren and bald front. I re-grew no hair in front. As my before photo makes clear, I had just a few wisps of hair in my frontal section. Without any hair in front, I looked old and bald. Let's face it. The hairline is what frames the face. It is the foremost physical feature that people notice about us. After being on Propecia for 20 months, I decided to take the plunge and have a procedure to restore my hair in front. However, during those 20 months that I was taking Propecia and considering a transplant, I educated myself on hair restoration. I read every single post on this forum. I made extensive notes and put those notes in various subject files such as "Shaving The Recipient Area," "Density," "Lateral vs. Sagittal Slits," "Post-Op Care," "Graft Survival Rate," Etc. I made a list of questions to ask Coalition doctors during my consultations. I had personal consultations with three Coalition doctors. I traveled many miles for these consultations. Do not let geography dictate the doctor that you chose. However, I chose Dr. Cooley. It was the best decision that I have made in my life. Not only is Dr. Cooley a skillful hair restoration doctor but he is a genuinely nice guy. He strives to get the best result for each patient. He is passionate about his work. My procedure was a breeze. I felt no pain or discomfort. I had the procedure done on a Thursday and I was back at work the following Friday. I was completely healed with no scabs or redness. (Dr. Cooley has some special post-op procedures that speed up the healing.) The procedure changed my life. I am not bald anymore. I have hair in front. I am more confident. People tell me that I look young for my age. Women who want not even give me the time of day three years ago are now initiating conversations with me. I am not saying that a transplant makes your life perfect and causes all of your troubles to disappear. Having hair does not solve all of your problems. I still have bad days at work. I still worry about my financial future. I still get depressed over things. However, I feel that I am now living life. I enjoy life more. Baldness had cast a pall over my life causing me to be depressed and miserable most of the time. I am not like that anymore. Life is good. What's Next For Me? Dr. Cooley gave me what I wanted. He restored my front with 2700 grafts. my procedure was a stand-alone procedure. I am satisfied with my hairline and my density. You have to remember that I am 50-ish. If I was 30 or 35, I would probably not be satisfied with my density or with the height of my hairline. But I am over 50. Very few men over 50 have a teenage hairline with thick dense hair. I have a better head of hair than most men my age. I do not need another procedure. However, I have been infected with the virus known as "hair greed." In that regard, Dr. Cooley told me that I still have 5000-6000 donor grafts available for additional procedures. Thus, I am going to have a second procedure with Dr. Cooley in 2008. I want to keep a lot of my donor grafts in reserve in case I need them for the crown down the road. Thus, I am leaning toward getting 1500-1700 grafts in my front to slightly lower my hairline and to give me more density. Let me leave with these parting thoughts. I wish that the new technology - Propecia and ultra-refined follicular unit transplantation - had been available 20 years ago. I painfully regret that I had to live the past 25 years of my life as a bald or balding man. I wish that I could turn back the hands of time. I wish that I could be 25 years old with the hair that I now have. My life would have been different. It would have been better. I would have had more self-confidence and self-esteem. I would have looked better. I would have been more successful. I would have been a better husband, father and friend. Over the past 25 years, I wasted so much mental energy and emotion over my hair loss. I could have directed that mental energy into positive things. There is nothing that I can do about that now. I just hope that my experience can be a lesson for anyone out there who is balding. Don't waste another day. Don't live one more day depressed and angry over your hair loss. See Dr. Cooley or another Coalition Doctor for a consultation. The procedure is painless. You need only take a week off from work. You will have hair. I look forward to your questions or comments. Feel free to PM me if you would prefer.

Jase: I haven't posted in a while but let me throw in my two cents. Two and a half years ago, I was a Norwood 5/6. I was referred to as "bald" by people. I had a large baldspot in my crown and essentially no hair in front. I began taking Propecia in January 2005. By September 2006, I grew back the hair in my crown. It is not thick teenager hair, but it is cosmetically significant hair. I got a transplant of 2800 grafts placed in the frontal third of my scalp from Dr. Cooley in September. I am about 7 months post-op and I am ecstatic. By using Propecia and getting the transplant for the front, I now have hair all over my head. Just this week I had a chance meeting with a woman that I hadn't seen in over 20 years. See complimented me on how good I looked. She made a comment about me still having all of my hair. I almost choked. If she had seen me 2 years ago she would have been looking at a bald man. My advice is stick with the Propecia for another year and see how much hair you get back with Propecia. Then get a transplant with Dr. Cooley, Hassoon and Wong, Shapiro or another Coalition surgeon. Propecia and a HT with the right doc will change your life. It has changed mine. I will post an update with some photos soon.

How long after a hair transplant would it be safe to start using an inversion table? Anyone have any thoughts on that? I wouldn't want to do anything to compromise the grafts in the recipient area or to compromise the healing of the donor area. Bobman, if you are out there, when did you start using an inversion table in relation to your hair transplant?

About the woman writing to GQ about her husband's penis shrinking,I will reiterate what I said in my post above. Does Propecia cause the penis to shrink or is it really a case of a Propecia user having softer, weaker erections from taking Propecia. Softer, weaker erections could make it appear that the penis has shrunk. I have no doubt that Propecia can interfere with the production of nitrus oxide. Nitrus oxide is needed for hard, firm erections. Viagra increases nitrus oxide production in the body thereby resulting in hard, firm erections. L-Arginine also does the same thing. Thus, anecdotal stories of Propecia shrinking the penis don't carry a lot of weight with me because of this. One other point: The optimal dosage of finasteride to shrink the prostate gland is 5 mg. That is what the prostate drug Proscar contains. Yet, Propecia, 1 mg. of finasteride, is not the optimal dosage for shrinking the prostate. Propecia is not prescribed for men suffering from BPH (an enlarged protate) because it does not do a good job in shrinking the prostate. This tells me that while 5 mg. of finasteride suppresses DHT levels to the extent that the prostate does not grow and even shrinks, 1 mg. of finasteride does not suppress DHT levels to the degree necessary to shrink the prostate. If 1 mg. of finasteride does not suppress DHT levels to shrink the prostate, then how can it supress DHT levels to shrink the penis? Endoftherope, are you out there? Am I making sense or not?