Sir Fivehead

I've had permanent shock loss in the donor area. It's had me so bummed out, I stopped updating my blog months ago. It's better than it was, but it appears to be permanent at 11 months out. I actually just finished emailing Dr. Keene to see what to do about it.

I asked this question on another thread a while ago and didn't get too many responses. Some said that most people couldn't put their finger on it. However, I just don't believe this, especially if you haven't seen someone for a long time. It may be gradual if you see certain people on a consistent basis. What about friends or family that haven't seen you since before your procedure after a year or so? 1993-2008=no hair, 2009=hair? I have been quite anxious aboout this myself, as I've been hiding under my hat for the last 6 months. I have had an especially difficult time due to shock loss that is still coming back (as well as some pinkness still lingering), so I really haven't had an opportunity to reveal the "gradual" return of my hairline to the public. Eman, what specifically have your friends said, and how have you responded? I've been toying with the "meds" explanation. Will people buy it? Any others have any stories that they could share with us? I really don't want to be out in public with a bunch of people I know and have one of them say, " Dude, did you get a transplant??". That's my worst fear!

Exactly, balody! It's the same ol' look, day after day. After 15 years, I was ready for a change as well. I think as we get older, our expectations change as well. I'm not looking for a hailine of a 16 year old. I'm comfortable with having thinner hair on my head. I just don't want a shiny scalp! Would I have been happy back in my early 20' with what is possible to achieve? I highly doubt it. So yes, I agree that most young men should wait. It is incredibly difficult at that age, becuase that is precisely the time when you feel you need it! But as others have stated, your priorities change as you get older. I have gone through this procedure for my own satisfaction. It wasn't so I could bag more chicks (and believe me, I still did plenty of that when I was younger with some not-so-great hair). Unfortunately, the younger you are, the more important it seems. Also, when you get older, the money usually isn't nearly as big of a hurdle as when you're young. Ahh, the cruel irony...

WolfmansBrudda, I commend you for looking at your hairloss problem and making the best of it. I actually did the same thing for a long time. I shaved down with a 0 or 1 guard for about fifteen years. I actually have been happily married for the same amount of time. I had looked into hair restoration back in the early nineties before I had gotten married. I was actually turned away because the Dr. said I was too young (23) and asked me to come back in five years so we could see where my thinning would level out. At the time, I was devastated! However, it probably ended up being a godsend, because I went to the Beverly Hills Insitute to look into getting the Flemming/Meyer Flap procedure. Chances are that I would be very unhappy right about now if I would have gotten it done back then. Anyway, after approximately a one year imprisonment by the Scare Club For Men, I decided to do what you did: Shave it off. I got used to it over time. Actually, more and more men were starting to do it, so it wasn't a big deal. Even though I accepted my baldness and was living a normal life, I still wished I had hair every once in a while. My wife never even thought twice about it, though. Up until about a year and a half ago, I didn't give Hair Trasnplants any thought whatsoever. However, I was surfing the net one day and came across an article that peaked my interest. I realized that a lot of significant advancements had been made over those fifteen years. In addition, I discovered Toppik and Dermatch. My hairloss has been stable at about a NW4 for at least ten years now, so I decided to grow my hair out and give the concealers a try. All I can say, is that my friends and family liked me with hair...a lot. They were giving me unsolicited comments like, "Don't ever shave your head again" and "Wow, you look so different! You look great". Now, when you hear things like that, you know that hair makes a quite difference in one's appearance. But it's up to each of us to decide how we want to deal with the hand that we've been dealt. There is no single best answer. If one feels better about himself by having a procedure, then so be it. If one wants to shave it all off, then that's cool too.

Dude, how'd you get Jamie-Lynn Sigler to marry you? Nice!

Sounds good, Chuck. I'll have 5 mo. pics in about a week. Things are progressing, but man, it's a killer! I want my results now, dammit!

bouquek, I also had the same concerns with Finasteride (as does every other guy), and really didn't want to take it. My Dr. finally convinced me to try it. I can tell you with certainty that I experienced absolutely zero side effects. I actually believe it had the opposite effect on me, to be honest...as if any guy needs to be MORE horny! I know that the possiblity of side effects are real, but I believe many guys worry about it so much that they psych themselves out and end up causing them to happen.

Simonsez, It sounds like you are experiencing shock loss. In most cases it grows back, but it can take months. I myself experienced shock loss with my procedure back in August. I would say it's about 75% grown back, but I still have a few small areas with little to no hair. Unfortunately, there is no "quick fix". It just takes time.

Hey Chuck, Yeah. I've been kind of lazy. I took 4 mo pics. Just haven't added them yet. I'll try to do that in the next day or two.

Hey Flyby, Yes, that is exactly what happened. The first day they took from the center to up over the right ear, and on the second day they took the left side. There are two main reasons why Dr. Keene does this for large sessions. First, is because she does all of the graft placement herself. The second is because she feels that it is easier on the patient than having to sit for 14-16 hours at one time. Some would disagree and say they just want to get it over with. However, I actually had no problem with it. Actually, the second day is much easier becasue a) It is usually a shorter day and b) you know what to expect and aren't as nervous. I'm actually more of a NW4, so I wasn't completely bald either. However my temples had receeded big time and I had a prominent tuft in front. The good thing is that I kept my hair clipped anywhere with a #0-#2 guard. You could see some of the diffuse thinning, but not as much as if I had kept it longer. The biggest area of change is my temples. I had Dr. Keene keep them recessed somewhat (NW2-3ish), but it is stll a rather drastic change.

I've been battling with this for months now. As I wait (in agony) for the hair to grow out, I have stressed out about what to say/do when the subject arises in the future. I mean, come on, we all have friends and family that we don't get to see very often that that have known us for years as being bald. I have several buddies that I see maybe once a year. I am having a hard time believing the guys that say "no one noticed". Dude...you were bald, and now you're not! How wouldn't your best friends or family notice?? The only fib that could possibly work is that you've been taking meds and they've worked very well. However, you still will be forced to discuss it, and it might be in an atmosphere (i.e. party, restaurant, etc.) where you would rather not. I'm SO sick of wearing a hat. However, I am having more anxiety thinking about taking the freakin' thing off than I had by being bald! As of now, the only people that know about my HT are my wife, kids, and doc. I'd love to hear from anyone that has had to deal with an akward or embarassing confrontation and how they handled it.

Maxxy, I'll be updating my photos within the next couple of days as soon as I get some time.

Imissme, Take a look at my pics. I know EXACTLY what you are going through! I tried to trim my hair before those pics because it looked terrible. I messed up and ended up having to buzz down to a #1 guard. NOT pretty. I also had a funeral to go to about two weeks ago. I freaked out for the whole week prior. My transplanted hair was just little fuzzies and my donor area had a big bald spot behind my left ear. With some careful use of some Toppik and Dermatch, I somehow pulled it off. The hair had just grown long enough to help hide the scar. All I know is that I feel your pain, bro! The donor hair is slowly coming back, but not enough to be going anywhere without a hat. There is no doubt that this is the worst part of this whole journey. However, we are getting closer to the end than the beginning. Good luck, man.

For those who don't know any better...possibly. You could explain it away to a rash, sunburn, etc. Anyone that's ever seen an HT before would know. You're probably asking the wrong people here, though. We all know what to look for! Good luck!

Hairman, to be blunt, just about everything that was stated is a load of crap. Where in the world did that come from? Why would anyone get a transplant if you had to go back to the Dr. 3-4 times a month?? After the transplanted hair grows in (which usually starts between 3-6 months and is fully mature within 12-18 months), the only maintenance you have is getting your hair cut...and you can go anywhere for that. It is YOUR hair. That is why people get transplants. Most people go back to the Dr. once...maybe twice...just to check the progress and make sure everything is on track. Now, you may need to go back and have a subsequent procedure if you continue to lose hair. Also, with extensive thinning, some people have to have their restoration split up into two surgeries, but that is pretty much it. I suggest you peruse this website. It will answer pretty much any and all questions you may have.

I'm almost 3 months post op with Dr. Keene. So far, everything seems on track. Had some shock loss issues, but no surgeon can steer clear of that. It is very random. I'll be posting pics in about a week if you would like to check my progress.

John, I empathize with your situation. That is precisely why you need to get repair work done from a reputable doctor on this site ASAP. I have seen some very scary pictures of people with botched jobs on this site (much much worse than yours), and have been completely blown away by the repairs. H&W, Shapiro, and Feller are just a few of the top docs that undoubtably can turn your life around. You need to move forward. I wish you luck.

I'm 11 weeks out and I still have a little bit of numbness just above the donor site in the back. It's not as bad as you might think. It's just a weird feeling. It doesn't hurt, although I am still a tiny bit sore right below the numb area. Actually, the most bizarre part of mine was this crazy itching on the top of my scalp...but the area was numb, so I couldn't get rid of the itch! It slowly went away. The top still itches sometimes, but at least I can scratch it and get rid of it now.

John, I want to just say that I am very sympathetic regarding your situation. However, when you first came on this board, you were extremely pessimistic...and aggressive...towands the ENTIRE HT industry, as a whole. I can't even imagine what you are going through. Well, actually, I can. I actually went to a plastic surgeon back in the late 80's because I was receeding in the temporal area. I actually made an appointment to have my temples filled in with plugs. I was 20 and I just didn't want to lose my youth. I was desperate. However, the day before my procedure, I asked myself (not that the surgeon ever mentioned this): What happens if I receed further or (gasp), I actually lose a LOT of hair as I get older?? Thankfully, I cancelled the day before my procedure. However, that was not the end of my quest. Three years later, I heard of two plastic surgeons in Beverly Hills that did a revolutionary procedure called the "Flemming/Meyer Flap". You have to remember that this was back in the early 90s...there were no websites like this. So, I made an appointment and flew out to CA to meet with these guys. I actually got to see a patient and was simply amazed by the result. I was ready to take the plunge. However (and I thank my lucky stars that this happened), the Dr. actually told me that I was too young (23), and that it wouldn't be prudent to proceed until we saw where my balding stabilized. He told me to come back in five years. I was devastated! I thought I was going to be a "new" me in a few short months. Now, I could have continued to look for a permanent solution, but I decided to go with the Hair Club until I could figure out what to do (That is a whole new story, in and of itself. Let's just say that I didn't keep the rug for very long). What ended up happening is that I married my wife, got on with life, and forgot about it...for a while. I never got over my "problem", but I realized that it is just hair. Hair does not make the man. Now, that said, I have been happily married for 15 years now, and decided to look into it again for MYSELF. However, my wife couldn't care less. But, I took MANY years to research it. I finally went with a coalition doc back in August. It is obviously too early to tell how it will turn out. I have had some "hurdles" like shock loss, infection, etc. Take a look at my pics. Do I blame my doc for these? No. We all are all different, and many of us react to invasive surgury differently. However, I am confident that these are all just minor inconveniences on me for the short term. My doctor comes highly recommended and I know she will stand behind her work if there ever was anything that needed to be addressed. Why am I telling you all of this? Because I could have easily fallen into the same dark hole that you have fallen into. Yes, you are SLIGHTLY to blame for not researching it further. This is a major decision that you jumped into. However, I agree 100% that we, as patients and conumers, should not have do dodge these hacks! This industry is undeniably under-regulated. I wish you luck in getting you life back on track I just wanted to say that I apologize if I jumped on you when you first posted. However, you have to realize that we are ALL here for the same reason. There are actually some very good surgeons out there. You, first and foremost, need to get your life on track with a repair by a reputable surgeon. Hopefully, your legal action will help you financially, but you need to take a proactive stance so you can get on with your life.

Serously, man. Where do these jokesters come from?? Could you imagine paying this guy for legal council, with the abundance of grammatical errors? Yikes!

Bobman, I just don't think it will work. Well...maybe for H&W! I mean, think about it. If you work for another clinic and a prospective patient asks you if you had your fantastic work done by the physician that you are representing, what are you going to tell them? Either you could lie and say "yes" (which, of course, would be unethical), or you are going to tell them that H&W did your HT and they are going to immediately book a flight straight up to Canada!

Also, rember what Pat says: Count HAIRS not graphs (more slices doesn't make the pizza bigger)! Unfortunately, there are some doctors that don't give both numbers to us on this forum. For example, lets take Dr. A and Dr.B: Dr. A harvests 3000 graphs with an average hair count per graph of 1.9, which equals 5700 hairs. Dr. B harvests 3000 graphs with an average hair count per graph of 2.4, which equals 7200 hairs. That is a 26% difference in the total amount of hairs. So, to just look at graph counts to compare results, can be quite misleading.

Just remeber that shock loss can occur to anyone and with any doctor. It is very random. Just have a look at my scar pictures. I had a reaction to the subcutaneous sutures. Thankfully, I can wear a hat at work, so it's just a pain in the ass for me, more than anything, until it grows back in. My motto is: Hope for the best, but prepare for the worst! If you are considering hiding your procedure from everyone, and you end up having shock loss, how are you going to handle it? Something to think about.

Thinman, how old are you? When did your hairloss begin? If you are still rather young and/or your hairloss hasn't slowed yet, it could be that you are still losing hair....even with the meds. I know you certainly don't want to hear that and I hope there's a more positive explanation.

Eman, now is a great time to work on low weight/high rep/heavy cardio. Being lean actually gives the appearance of being larger/more muscular.I just started back...very lightly...about two weeks ago (I am 2 months post op). Actually, I have had great success with doing 12-15 reps with only 30 seconds in between each set to keep the heart rate up. You end up having a fat burning extravaganza! Obviously, you have to keep on a high protein/low carb/low fat diet. Over the summer I dropped 30lbs in less than three months (yeah, I was a fat ass and took off about a year of working out while indulging in anything and everything...Hairloss depression!) Just remember, there are no "do-overs"! If you stretch that scar, you'll have to live with it. Take your time, my man. Those weights will be waiting for you when you're ready. Chuck, I'd wait at least a couple of more weeks. What did Dr. Keene tell you? Have you asked her?