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?

Mark: Why have you not resumed coloring your hair? Aren't you about 8 weeks post-transplant? It should be safe to color your hair by now. JW

Endoftherope: Regarding your comments on Propecia and penis size, this is a forum and you have a right to present your position so people can make an informed decision on whether to take Propecia or not. However, here are some problems that I have with your conclusions. First, taking Propecia does not totally eliminate DHT from your body. Propecia works by inhibiting the enzyme 5 alpha reductase. This enzyme is responsible for the conversion of testosterone to DHT. However, taking Propecia, 1mg. finasteride, each day lowers serum DHT levels by 60% - 70%. It does not wipe DHT from the body. Thus, people who take Propecia still have DHT in their blood and bodies. However, at a much lower level. So even if DHT drives the penile spongy tissue to grow, how can you say for sure that the DHT in the blood of a Propecia user is not adequate or sufficient for a healthy penis. What serum levels of DHT are necessary so that penile tissue will grow? Will a 10% reduction in DHT levels adversely affect penis health? What about a 30% reduction? What about a 60% reduction? Since Propecia does not eliminate DHT from the body but only reduces it by 60%, before you conclude that people who take Propecia may be adversely affecting the health of the penis, I think that you have to point to a study on humans which establishes the minimum level of DHT that is necessary for a healthy penis. Without that, your conclusions do not have a scientific foundation. Second, are you aware of any clinical studies on humans that establish a link between Propecia use and penis health. I am aware of the study that you posted regarding giving finasteride to rats. However, I am not aware of any human studies. The rat study was posted and discussed on another board about 2 years ago. I was very concerned after reading the study because I had just started taking Propecia. I was so concerned that I made an appointment with a very reputable and respected urologist in the city where I live. (I live in a large city so I did not go to some country doctor). I showed the urologist the study and told him I was worried because I had just started taking Propecia. He read it and he then laughed. He stated that I had nothing to worry about and that Propecia was completely safe. He told me that the rats in that study were given huge amounts of finasteride, almost 100 times more than is ingested when humans take Propecia. He also stated that you can not extrapolate rat studies to humans. His comment about extrapolating rat studies to humans resonated with me recently when I read about the study of mice that were given Resveratrol, the ingredient in red wine. The mice were obese and on a high fat diet but they lived healthier, longer lives because they were given huge doses of Resveratrol. They were given a dose of Resveratrol that was equivalent to a human drinking 100 bottles of wine a day. Even the author of the study stated: "All of us who practice medicine have learned that we can't leap from studies in the lab, particularly in lab animals, to what will happen in humans." So other than the rat study on finasteride and penile health, can you point us to any human studies performed by doctors that establish a link between Propecia usage and penile health? As far as your anecdotal evidence that Propecia usage shrinks the penis, here are my thoughts. One side effect that some Propecia users may get is that there is some inhibition of nitrus oxide production. Nitrus oxide is necessary for an erection. Thus, some Propecia users may not get rock hard erections because of insufficient NO production. . Because of that the penis appears to have shrunk. Thus, is it a question of the penis appearing to shrink because of insufficient serum DHT or is it a question of the penis appearing to shrink because of insufficient NO production which results in softer erections. If it is the latter, than the answer is to increase the production of NO and not to discontinue Propecia, especially if it is working and halting hair loss. Viagra and other drugs stimulate NO production. L-Arginine, a natural supplement, also stimulates NO production. Before someone discontinues Propecia because their penis appears to have shrunk, they should try Viagra or L-Arginine. Finally, can you point to any reputable, respected urologist who subscribes to the theory that Propecia usage can shrink the penis? If propecia does play havoc with the penile tissue, wouldn't there be a few respected urologists out there alerting men to that side effect? Once I hear a respected urologist espouse your views then I will give your views more credence. Until then, I don't see how you can extrapolate rat studies to humans or rely on anecdotal evidence to link Propecia usage with penile damage. I have taken the time to post this long response because I am afraid that some of the newer and younger readers of this forum may be scared off from taking Propecia because of your post. Propecia has helped many men and can help many men with hair loss. To some men it is a miracle drug. I think anyone on the fence about taking Propecia from reading your post should be given the other viewpoint.

At the end of September, I had a hair transplant with Dr. Jerry Cooley in Charlotte, North Carolina. Many other people have posted here about their great experiences with Dr. Cooley so I don't want to spend a lot of time repeating what has been said before countless times. However, Dr. Cooley is one of the best hair transplant surgeons in the world. He is also a genuine nice guy. He is passionate about his work. He cares about the final result as much as his patients do. My Background: I am in my early 50s. I started losing my hair when I was a sophomore in college. Some people are able to maintain their self-esteem, self-confidence, and joy of life in the face of hair loss or baldness. I was not one of those people. I had the type of face that I looked great with hair but ugly without hair. Thus, when I started losing my hair, my friends teased me. The girls who I was able to attract with hair didn't want to have anything to do with me. Consequently, I lost my self-confidence, self-esteem and joy of living. When other people were building self-confidence, I was developing self-doubt and insecurity. My hair loss caused low self-esteem and depression that affected every aspect of my life. I did not go bald all of a sudden. My hair loss was the very slow but steady hair loss. In some ways, it is harder to die a slow death than a quick one. In the face of depression and self-doubt, I did struggle on and I found some type of life. I married and got divorced. (My insecurities and depression the reason for the divorce) I married again and I had children. I found a career as a low level banker. But my hair loss/baldness was always the backdrop of my life. It cast a pall over my life. The best analogy that I can give is instead of living life in living color, I was living life in black and white. Over the years, I tried to find the solution to hair loss. I spent thousands of dollars on gadgets, lotions and potions. I spent money on the "Helsinki Formula." Any of you old guys remember that one? I bought a scalp massager. I bought an electro magnetic acupuncture gadget that sent out a small shock. I faithfully shocked my follicles every night for 10 minutes. I shelled out $600 on the Laser Comb. I spent a good sum of money on the Luftek method. I bought and tried various lotions and vitamins too numerous to remember. I even paid $20.00 about 20 years ago for a booklet that would reveal the secret to grow back hair (i.e. buffing your fingernails). However, nothing worked. I would buy or try a new pill, lotion or gadget. I would have hope. I would convince myself that this is the thing that is going to grow back my hair. After trying it for months or even years, I would come to the realization that it wasn't working and I would become more depressed, despondent and bitter at life. The Turn-Around: When Propecia first came out I was intrigued by it. However, I read horror stories on the Web about how it will lower your sex drive, shrink your dick, screw with your hormones and make you feel weird. Consequently, I did not take it. However, I saw a Dateline NBC program in November 2004 about 5 guys from Miami who were trying different approaches to fighting hair loss. Two guys were taking Propecia and after 6 months their results were impressive. None of them had any side affects. I started reading comments from several doctors who strongly believed that side effects from Propecia were a self-fulfilling prophecy. In other words, if you started taking Propecia worried about side effects and thinking that you would get them, than you would probably get those side effects. I started taking Propecia in December 2004. In about three months, my barber stated that he saw little hairs coming in all over the large bald spot in my crown. Six months later, my crown was filled with hair. Now almost two years later, I do not have a bald spot any longer. I have re-grown the hair in my crown and I have maintained a bridge of hair that I had separating my front from my crown. The hair in my crown is not thick, teenager hair, but it is hair nonetheless. The hair in my crown covers my crown and it continues to get thicker each month according to my barber. IF YOU ARE LOSING YOUR HAIR AND YOU ARE NOT TAKING PROPECIA, GET ON PROPECIA. I should have started taking it years ago. I can't believe I was such an idiot to believe all of the horror stories about side effects. I have had no side effects from Propecia. None whatsoever. My doctor who prescribed it stated that if I did manifest any side effects, he would work with me to try to eliminate those effects. For example, if I was taking it in the morning, I could switch to taking it at night. Or, I could reduce the dosage to .5 mg. instead of the standard 1 mg. per day. Or, I could take it every other day instead of every day. Thus, I went into taking Propecia confident that I would not have any side effects and knowing that if I did, my doctor would tweak things so that I could still take Propecia and eliminate the side effects. Plus, I have met several men who have been on Propecia for years and they have maintained their hair. The assertion that Propecia loses its effectiveness after five years only applies to people who have taken Propecia but were not good responders. People who take Propecia and are good responders continue to maintain and grow hair after 5 years. The one negative thing about Propecia. It did not grow one hair in my bald front. The Hair Transplant: With my spirits lifted from the great results I was having with Propecia, I started looking into hair transplants to restore my front. I can't thank Pat enough for this site. I am so glad I found this site. I read every post on this site for a year and a half. I made extensive notes about Docs, density, recovery, etc. I was then ready to take the plunge. I visited 3 Coalition doctors including Doctor Cooley. I was so impressed with Dr. Cooley that I decided to go with him. I got over 2700 grafts in my frontal area. Before the procedure, Dr. Cooley and I discussed my hairline and density. I wanted a mature hairline with a slight recession at the temples. However, I wanted dense-packing in my recipient areas. I got 2700 grafts, which should give me a density of 50 follicular units per cm in that egg-shaped area on top and in front. In the temple areas, the density is slightly less. Dr. Cooley also gave me a slight transition zone in front so it looks natural and I don't have a wall of hair where my hairline begins. Some Insights and Comments: The transplant took 11 hours. Dr. Cooley is meticulous and conscientious. He has one tech helping him place the grafts. However, he places most of the grafts himself. He places all of the grafts in the critical hairline area. I did not feel any pain whatsoever. The hardest part of the whole procedure is just lying on your back for 11 hours while the grafts are being inserted. I checked in with Dr. Cooley the next day before I returned home. He gave me a treatment where he puts a rubber cap over my scalp attached to a hose attached to oxygen. He sprayed a copper peptide solution on my grafts, put saran wrap on my head, put a cap over it and I was on my way home. I cannot say enough positive things about Dr. Cooley and his staff. I would recommend him without reservation. I know that that are other good docs out there but in my opinion, Doctor Cooley is one of the best. It is almost like arguing over who is the best wide receiver in the NFL. Is it Marvin Harrison, Tory Holt, Terrell Owens, Hines Ward, Steve Smith? People can make an argument for each one as being the best receiver just as people can make an argument for a certain doc as being the best transplant doc. However, if you are balding or losing your hair and you live in the Carolinas or even on the east coast, you should at least visit Dr. Cooley and see what he has to recommend. He has no ego whatsoever. He is one of the best transplant docs in the world and he is a genuine nice guy. For the next seven days I followed Dr. Cooley's post-op instructions. On the night of Day 7, Dr. Cooley told me to gently shampoo my graft area to get rid of the copper peptide residue and to get rid of some of the tiny scabs that were attached to the hairs in the transplanted grafts. The scabs were so tiny that I did not even think they were scabs. I thought they were fat hairs. I gently shampooed the graft area. Dr. Cooley told me to stop if I saw any blood. I gently shampooed and every minute I asked my wife to look if there was any blood. No blood whatsoever. Thus, according to Dr. Cooley, if there was no bleeding, the grafts were firmly secure. I got rid of some of the tiny scabs. Once again, these scabs were so tiny that I did not even think they were scabs. I went to work the next day and no one noticed a thing. I got the sutures out after 14 days. The donor area is slightly pink but hair is growing through the scar because Dr. Cooley used the tri closure method. It is now slightly more than three weeks after my transplant and I look exactly as I did before the transplant. As I stated above, I have a good amount of thick hair in the bridge between my crown and front. I just combed that slightly forward when I went back to work and it covered up my small transplanted hair. However, all of the small transplanted hair has fallen out and I look no different than I did prior to the surgery. What's Next: These next 3,6, 9 and 12 months are going to be the longest of my life as I wait for the hair to grow and the final result to become evident. As I stated above, over the years I have become the epitome of self-doubt and insecurity. So, of course that is also going to affect my thinking with regard to my hair transplant over the next 3, 6, 9 and 12 months. Will I have enough density? What will the final result look like? Will all of the grafts survive? Was I gentle enough in shampooing the scabs off in the recipient area on Day 7? Did I do anything unknowingly over the first couple days post-op to compromise the grafts? Dr. Cooley said that I had fine hair but I had good density and he was surprised with the number of 3 hair follicular units that I had. He said that I would be really pleased with my result. Then again, what is Dr, Cooley going to say? That I will look bad. (See that self-doubt and insecurity is still there) Pictures: I am essentially computer illiterate but I will try to post some pics within a few days. A Word of Thanks: As I stated, my research into hair transplantation consisted of reading each and every post on this forum for the year and a half before my surgery. Thus, I want to thank everyone who has posted on this forum. I also owe a special thank you to Robert, Ifloss, ThinkingAboutIt, and Mark H. Thanks for responding to my private messages and for your words of support and encouragement. Last, but not least, there are no words to express the depth of my gratitude to Pat, the founder of this forum. If it were not for Pat, I would have never known about ultra refined follicular unit transplantation and the Coalition Docs. I would have probably gone for my transplant to some butcher close to home and be on the verge of suicide now. Questions? If anyone has any questions, feel free to ask. It may take me a while to get back to you as I am swamped at work right now.

It has been said before on this forum and I'll say it again. "Don't let geography dictate which doctor does your hair transplant." If you choose a doctor simply because he is close to where you live, you are missing the whole point of this forum. I will be traveling 500 miles for my transplant and many people on this forum have traveled across the country to get a transplant by a particular doctor. Read everything on this forum and then come up with a list of 2 or 3 top docs. Go to visit them no matter where they are located.

I had also purchased the Laser Comb a few years ago. I religiously used the Laser Comb for over a year. I used it three times a week as directed for 10 -15 minutes each time. At the end of the year of use, my hair had not improved one bit. It even got a little worse. I then started taking Propecia. I have been on Propecia now for almost 20 months. Propecia has worked wonders for me. It has filled in my large bald spot on the crown and thickened my hair all over. While I do not doubt that the Laser Comb works for some people, it does not have the track record of Propecia. Stick with the proven treatments.

ifloss: Your results after 6 months truly are amazing. I can't believe how much hair you have. And you still have 6 months to go before you achieve your final results. From what I have read on this forum, you are only 50-60% there. There is still more hair to come for you. I am scheduled for a transplant with Dr. Cooley in September and after seeing your photos, I am glad I chose him. He did fantastic work on you. I can't wait. JW

Stillhere: Who did your transplant? Who was your doc?

Robert or Pat: Would one of you please explain the difference between standard follicular unit grafting and dense packed ultra refined follicular unit grafting? On another thread, there was some discussion about these two methods; however, I am confused as to what the difference is between these two methods. Furthermore, when I consult with a hair transplant surgeon, what questions should I ask to determine whether he or she truly does dense packed ultra refined follicular unit grafting? Just asking the question: "Doc, do you do ultra refined follicular unit grafting ?" may not get me an honest answer. Furthermore, some docs may think that they do ultra refined sessions when they really don't and respond in the affirmative. I would really appreciate your help with this. What is ultra refined dense pack grafting and how can I be sure a transplant doc uses this method?

Robert or Pat: Would one of you please explain the difference between standard follicular unit grafting and dense packed ultra refined follicular unit grafting? On another thread, there was some discussion about these two methods; however, I am confused as to what the difference is between these two methods. Furthermore, when I consult with a hair transplant surgeon, what questions should I ask to determine whether he or she truly does dense packed ultra refined follicular unit grafting? Just asking the question: "Doc, do you do ultra refined follicular unit grafting ?" may not get me an honest answer. Furthermore, some docs may think that they do ultra refined sessions when they really don't and respond in the affirmative. I would really appreciate your help with this. What is ultra refined dense pack grafting and how can I be sure a transplant doc uses this method?

I have one word for you - "Propecia" Since you are only 19, you have a very good chance of re-growing the hair that you have lost and/or maintaining all of your existing hair.

I don't want to burst your bubble but most reputable hair transplant docs would tell a 20 year old with your type of hair loss to try Propecia for at least a year. Dr. Bernstein, a very well-respected and reputable HT doc, states that he sees many young men in their 20s who want a hair transplant. He advises against a hair transplant and tells them to come back in a year. After a year, many come back to his office and they don't need a transplant because the Propecia has worked so well. Why don't you at least give Propecia a chance for a year. I am in my late 40's and I started taking Propecia one year ago. I had a large bald spot in my crown. That bald spot has filled in and my hair is getting thicker in the crown and on top. If if works that well for me at 40 something, think what it may do for you. Why don't you at least consult with Dr. Bernstein, Drs.True and Dorin or Dr. Feller to at least get a second opinion? Theya re not very far from PA. What do you have to lose?