OttawaGrrl

I'll just echo everyone else's assurances Buba. You're in terrific hands with Dr. Rahal and his staff. Pain control won't be a concern, but if you happen to have a high tolerance for codeine meds (Tylenol 3) as I did (due to using it for a few years for electrolysis and laser facial hair removal) then discuss that with Dr. Rahal. But unless you have an unusual tolerance like I had/have, you'll be prescribed a dosage appropriate to control any pain. And though I can't recall just how much prior to the painkillers and local anaesthetics it was (10-15 mins?), they gave me some Valium well enough ahead of time to make me very relaxed and comfy well ahead of the first needle. Here are some tips in addition to those others have given: wear extra-warm and dry socks to keep your feet warm given being immobile for quite awhile can make one chilly in the extremities, wear loose and cozy sweatpants or yoga pants or the like, for comfort and lack of seams to dig into you over time spent in the chair, and in my opinion, definitely go buy one of those U-shaped travel pillows that people use when flying (they sell them at Canadian Tire and I think The Bay, not just at the airport.) That pillow will help make you even more comfy while sleeping upright post-op, as it keeps the donor area from touching anything while you sleep (don't bring it to the surgery, it's for after.) But Dr. Rahal may well have already suggested that, of course. All the best! Just relax, settle in and let the pros do their job. And...big shout out to you, from one Ottawan to another.

Thank you very much mmhce! That was very kind of you. *blush* No need to apologize for the question you asked - it's a very good question. Here is the answer to the best of my understanding: to the extent that hair loss occurs from here on, it should tend to follow a pattern that is simply reflective of my aging over the years. In other words, natural thinning with aging will occur as it would with anyone (as I understand things), but "male pattern" alopecia was arrested some years ago at the outset of my gender transition. We begin our process by being prescribed a combination of estrogen (female sex hormone) and powerful anti-androgens (i.e. testosterone blockers, either spirolactone or androcur.) The anti-androgen meds typically reduce our serum testosterone levels to normal female range or to undetectable levels and therefore with the T gone from our systems, further hair loss is arrested very quickly. For quite a number of us though, we'll still continue to lose a little bit of hair despite the heavy-duty anti-androgens and therefore we use Propecia as a backstop. Drugs like androcur and propecia function differently in how they arrest hair loss (one at the systemic level, one at the follicular level), and so it's not uncommon for us to take both. Then, once one has had genital reassignment surgery (vaginoplasty/labioplasty) the source of any remaining major supply of testosterone is of course removed (you may now cross your legs and cringe gentlemen, lol) and so testosterone-driven hair loss tends to cease entirely and at that point most of us cease all anti-androgen meds including propecia. But in some cases, the small amount of testosterone produced by the adrenal glands (I don't have ovaries to produce any) is enough to cause some continued loss, so one will continue to use propecia. I still use propecia myself, out of an abundance of caution. As an aside, on occasion, following the genital surgery, a trans woman can experience truly catastrophic hair loss due to the stress and hormonal changes. I'm told this can happen to women after they give birth on occasion too. Fortunately, the hair tends to come back eventually in those cases. This happened to a good friend of mine, and while it was devestating at the time, she is now back to her old thick head of hair. I hope this answered your question. Don't be shy (anyone) if there are other questions, though I'm mindful of not wanting us to stray off topic from the hairloss area. But that said, I'm always game to answer questions, because there are so many false and negative stereotypes out there about people like me, and I'd much rather spend time giving people accurate info than have them rely on some of the utter garbage one can find on the web or on TV etc. Thanks again for your sweet comment and smart question!

Thanks very much for the kind replies Eman, Mike, Petchski and Bill. I am indeed totally thrilled, and it's encouraging to hear that others agree it was high quality work. All my best to you all. and a special thanks to you Petchski, for saying I don't look 40. I'm going to take that as "you look younger", even if you meant otherwise. thanks!

Thanks for your replies guys. I managed to find the photos Dr. R. sent me previously, and I had some taken this evening at home, to show where things stand today. Being not the web-savviest of people, I did this the easiest way (for me) and put up a series of photos on PhotoBucket. Just follow the link below, then click the little "slideshow" link at upper-right when you get there. Link to OttawaGrrl's HT photo series on photobucket I am just so happy with my results, and now I don't fret or stress on windy days, or about being seen with wet hair that droops open on the empty spot anymore...it's been a complete success to my mind, and it's been a real confidence and self-esteem booster. If I had three thumbs, they'd all be raised for Dr. Rahal. I hope you find the photos helpful, in whatever way you may. DISCLAIMER: these photos of me are incredibly horrid and show me in various stages of lack of makeup, hair not coloured, acne outbreaks and other skin issues, eyebrows of tragedy and pretty much anything else that could make a woman feel awful about a photo. It's like a pick of the worst pix of me *ever* and I'm thoroughly embarrassed about them, but I am posting them for the benefit of those interested in exploring hair transplantation, be they non-trans men or women, or trans women like me (btw, trans guys, i.e. those travelling from female to male - wear the male pattern baldness from their testosterone injections like a gender-signifying badge of honor and none of them that I know would ever dream of getting HT done...thought some of you might find the irony of that a bit amusing. I guess everything depends on one's perspective. I'm trying to undo the damage that unwanted testosterone wreaked on me for years, on the other hand. Ahh...but I digress.) Good luck to each and every one of you in reaching your goals. But always remember: human worth, value and beauty all come from the inside, not the outside. Folks like me learn that pretty quickly.

Hi there. I just thought I'd pop a post up here as it seems like an excellent information resource for people who are considering hair transplantation to correct hair loss issues. In particular, I thought I'd post here because I didn't see much in the way of information directed specifically to transsexual or transgender women, though I know many of us have had hair transplantation procedures done or are considering HT. So...my own situation and how I went about solving it: I'm a 40 year old trans woman living in Ottawa, about 5 years out from transition now and 'post-everything' surgical, including having had two different facial feminization surgeries performed (1. brow shave in 2005 and 2. Dr. O's Forehead III w/ scalp advance in 2007 ??“ both of which involved incisions along the full length of my hairline. While fantastic in achieving what they were meant to achieve, the combined effect of those surgeries caused an uncomfortable degree of permanent hair loss (thinning) along my hairline, which in addition to there already being some pre-existing recession ('W-ing') of my hairline that occurred in my late teens/early twenties ??“ all added up to my being unhappy with my hairline and wanting it corrected. Based on some word-of-mouth recommendations and then some confirmatory research, I chose to go with Dr. Rahal in Ottawa. I felt comfortable making that decision and have never regretted it. I have been just thrilled with every aspect of my treatment by Dr. Rahal's. I was out about being trans to he and his staff and about that being the reason for my needing the transplantation. I was treated with the utmost respect, courtesy and professionalism at all times, without even a hint of tension or discomfort. I don't have to tell other trans women out there that this is often not the case when dealing with health professionals or their staff who aren't familiar with our medical circumstances. Two thumbs way up! So??¦what can I say? I am 100% satisfied with my experience, and more importantly, with my results. I cannot find a single bad thing to say about Dr. Rahal, his staff, my experience, or the results. I've had *many* surgeries now, in Canada and in the U.S., and my experience and outcome with Dr. Rahal right here at home in Ottawa has been simply outstanding. To the technical stuff: I had my surgery on April 1, 2008. I'm embarrassed to say that I forget the exact number of units that I had done but it was around 2000, either just above or just below that figure. I see Dr. Rahal for a routine follow-up later this week and I'll get the number and post that info in a reply to this thread, along with a series of photos that I plan to ask Dr. Rahal for when I see him, in order to show my progress from pre-op to date, 9 months post-op. They will tell a very happy story. I can now wear my hair pulled back in a ponytail! I think that says it all right there. I got him to send me photos earlier and I seem to have misplaced or deleted them. eep. So, stay tuned, and I'll get them posted as soon as I can. Again though, to sum up: I was absolutely thrilled with my experience and results with Dr. Rahal. I can't recommend him highly enough. out, OttawaGrrl

Hi there. I just thought I'd pop a post up here as it seems like an excellent information resource for people who are considering hair transplantation to correct hair loss issues. In particular, I thought I'd post here because I didn't see much in the way of information directed specifically to transsexual or transgender women, though I know many of us have had hair transplantation procedures done or are considering HT. So...my own situation and how I went about solving it: I'm a 40 year old trans woman living in Ottawa, about 5 years out from transition now and 'post-everything' surgical, including having had two different facial feminization surgeries performed (1. brow shave in 2005 and 2. Dr. O's Forehead III w/ scalp advance in 2007 ??“ both of which involved incisions along the full length of my hairline. While fantastic in achieving what they were meant to achieve, the combined effect of those surgeries caused an uncomfortable degree of permanent hair loss (thinning) along my hairline, which in addition to there already being some pre-existing recession ('W-ing') of my hairline that occurred in my late teens/early twenties ??“ all added up to my being unhappy with my hairline and wanting it corrected. Based on some word-of-mouth recommendations and then some confirmatory research, I chose to go with Dr. Rahal in Ottawa. I felt comfortable making that decision and have never regretted it. I have been just thrilled with every aspect of my treatment by Dr. Rahal's. I was out about being trans to he and his staff and about that being the reason for my needing the transplantation. I was treated with the utmost respect, courtesy and professionalism at all times, without even a hint of tension or discomfort. I don't have to tell other trans women out there that this is often not the case when dealing with health professionals or their staff who aren't familiar with our medical circumstances. Two thumbs way up! So??¦what can I say? I am 100% satisfied with my experience, and more importantly, with my results. I cannot find a single bad thing to say about Dr. Rahal, his staff, my experience, or the results. I've had *many* surgeries now, in Canada and in the U.S., and my experience and outcome with Dr. Rahal right here at home in Ottawa has been simply outstanding. To the technical stuff: I had my surgery on April 1, 2008. I'm embarrassed to say that I forget the exact number of units that I had done but it was around 2000, either just above or just below that figure. I see Dr. Rahal for a routine follow-up later this week and I'll get the number and post that info in a reply to this thread, along with a series of photos that I plan to ask Dr. Rahal for when I see him, in order to show my progress from pre-op to date, 9 months post-op. They will tell a very happy story. I can now wear my hair pulled back in a ponytail! I think that says it all right there. I got him to send me photos earlier and I seem to have misplaced or deleted them. eep. So, stay tuned, and I'll get them posted as soon as I can. Again though, to sum up: I was absolutely thrilled with my experience and results with Dr. Rahal. I can't recommend him highly enough. out, OttawaGrrl