FacelessMan

Thanks! Definitely looking forward to the action. Hair growing, too...

Hey hey hey...updated my blog today.

Ha ha...yes, it was a big renovation ("This Old Scalp")! I'm finding out that patience is the name of the game here... Hope you're doing well. How often do you SCUBA dive? It sounds very cool... Benjamin

"worried," For what it's worth, looks like you're coming along smoothly...I can see a distinct difference between the "2 weeks, 2 days" shots and the 4 month ones, and as people have said, the best is yet to come! One word of (hopefully) encouragement...I too have finer-textured hair, and length is the key -- I suspect that, once those shorter hairs get to styling length, you'll really see the payoff. Hang in there! Benjamin

Let's see...the only thing I remember was, once, at some office going-away dinner for a coworker, I was standing up taking my half-serious turn at a goodbye toast, and our big boss (who by that time, along with most everyone else, was past buzzed) said something like "Get a hair transplant -- quick!" The funny thing was, it didn't bother me because I thought he was putting me down; it was one those office cultures where we all teased each other, mercilessly, on a routine basis (fun in a warped sort of way). Or, because anyone really gave a damn about how much hair I or anybody had. It was more that I was already unhappy with how it looked, didn't even think about a HT back then (maybe a good thing; this was 1995) and having someone else point it out was a reminder that my scalp situation wasn't just my imagination!

Unbelievable transformation...you must be thrilled! And congtratulations on the fitness goals, too...inspired me to drop another 20! Benjamin

Hello, I went with Dr. Feller in New York; I've heard great things about him and have been pleased so far...it has been a month. There are several other reputable doctors in the states, as well. And Hasson and Wong are excellent. Regarding hairpieces, that's definitely a question for a doctor, but in general, my understanding is that for the first few days, or first week for that matter, wearing anything that could in any way press on or rub the grafts is a bad idea. But I could be wrong... Benjamin

JohnWB, A good question...as I'd posted before, the first three consults I'd had quoted fewer than half of the grafts that Dr. Feller both recommended and did for me (which was 4200). Popular opinion seems to be that larger sessions require more skill on the part of the doctor and his team, which makes sense... Regarding your head ...based on my own experience (check out my photos if you like) I'd agree with other guys here that 3000+ is the least you'd want to consider. I went back and forth on this a little while myself; by the time I got to surgery day I just decided that I'd eat the cost and go for the maximum the Dr. could do in one shot safely. So, who knows, you may want to go as high as 4000... Benjamin

Sad, actually, how insecurity makes people focus on the most ridiculous things...so someone's bald; so what? a) it's a natural process that nobody exactly asked for and b) surprise, this whole website is packed (densely packed, ha ha) with people who have shown that you can basically correct it... Hair is changeable...stupid is forever

Martin, Welcome to the Brotherhood Of The Red Triangle Another Feller success in the making....grow well! Benjamin

Yikes. It's hard to tell where the story in the lawsuit goes most wrong...the fact that the clinic suggested 500 grafts (of course, there's no "before" shot, but still), the giving the patient a form to sign while he was medicated, the fact that the clinic essentially lied about using old graft techniques... Whoever that guy is, hope he is finding relief with someone better...

I'm curious about Dr. Feller's take on this article...which, I realize, is over a year old a this point.

Dr. Feller's post-op instructions refer to washing normally (and carefully) at the 3-10 day mark. I personally waited until last night to let the shower hit it, just to be safe...turning the water pressure down for the shampoo phase. Oh, and don't forget your rubber ducky...

Overheard from the hallway of the doctor's office (from the doctor who de-stapled my head), while awaiting his ministrations in the examining room. Perhaps you had to be there ... On a marginally more relevant note, a word of assurance to those who are awaiting their own staple removal or the procedure itself...I can definitely vouch this morning that, once they're gone, sleep is definitely easier! That, and my head feels less "tight" overall. Benjamin

Overheard from the hallway of the doctor's office (from the doctor who de-stapled my head), while awaiting his ministrations in the examining room. Perhaps you had to be there ... On a marginally more relevant note, a word of assurance to those who are awaiting their own staple removal or the procedure itself...I can definitely vouch this morning that, once they're gone, sleep is definitely easier! That, and my head feels less "tight" overall. Benjamin

Hmmm... I'll share this...I asked Dr. Feller (before my 4200-graft job) about the amount of grafts possible, and mentioned that I'd heard much smaller recommendations for my own scalp (1600-1800 grafts) in prior consultations. He was emphatic and confident that the amount he initially suggested for me -- which was 3000; we upped it later on -- was not only entirely possible, but the only worthwhile choice. In my case, I had a Norwood 3v-or-so situation combined with an "ideal" (thick as hell) donor area. He also thought that one reason why other doctors aim low may be that they can't do larger sessions. My point being...I'd recommend that you try other doctors with megassession street cred -- Faller and H&W, among others -- and get their opinion of what your head and donor area will buy you. My opinion going into my own procedure was, I want the biggest possible yield in one shot, partly because I want to see a big difference when it grows and also because, having spent the last 2 weeks healing from this, and wearing a cap every day because of my funky hairstyle , I don't really want to do this more than I need to! Hope this is of use to you...feel free to post photos if you like; there are plenty of guys here who know far more about this than I. Benjamin

Hi, I'd agree, at this point, to loose an entire graft you'd be seeing bleeding plus a hair attached to, well, a very small lump (official medical term)... Benjamin

Michael, From what I understand...at the 5 month point, your grafts have more or less evolved from "grafts" to "hair growing on your head" (actually, I'm pretty sure they eveolved long before now). So aside from scalp trauma that would harm non-transplanted hair, from what I understand, your only concern is the bump and any associated headache... Benjamin

Hello, For what it's worth, I asked Dr. Feller the same question -- whether "dense packing" was a threat to the grafts -- and he very emphatically said no (and in fact, he and other leading surgeons like H&W accomplish it routinely). Benjamin

Wow...where the hell exactly did you have the transplant??

Yet another question for the hair-restored populace... Was looking at the newly posted, fascinatingly gory photos of my follicular transformation that Spex was gracious enough to post (on the UK site, here: http://stophairlossnow.ipbhost.com/index.php?showtopic=1093), and wondering: 1) When I look at the "top view" of my dome, either in photos or in the mirror, I see the acres of uniform little holes (which I assume to be follicles, since areas of my head behind the construction zone that I know are hairless appear smooth at that magnification). 2) ...yet when I look at a side or front view, I can see somewhat faint burr of hairs sticking up, all about 1/2 cm in length or so, that in aggregate looks somehow as if less area was covered. Is it that EVERY relocated follicle has a little hair in it? Or that I'm simply seeing, in scenario 2), the follicles that happen to have a visible hair intact whereas 1) is a somewhat more accurate picture of what I have? I also noticed, post-op, a couple of small hairs (maybe a few millimeters long) lying on my scalp (between others that were standing up) but attached to nothing, as if they were clipped/shed -- which would account for what I see in 2). After all, what counts is the "engine" of the follicle itself that regenerates the hair, rather than the hair itself...hence the 3-month graft shed. I know...I am analyzing this far too much. In part, it fascinates me; in part, the thought of that much "turf" finally being covered again, and of what it promises, is pretty damned exciting! Benjamin

Yet another question for the hair-restored populace... Was looking at the newly posted, fascinatingly gory photos of my follicular transformation that Spex was gracious enough to post (on the UK site, here: http://stophairlossnow.ipbhost.com/index.php?showtopic=1093), and wondering: 1) When I look at the "top view" of my dome, either in photos or in the mirror, I see the acres of uniform little holes (which I assume to be follicles, since areas of my head behind the construction zone that I know are hairless appear smooth at that magnification). 2) ...yet when I look at a side or front view, I can see somewhat faint burr of hairs sticking up, all about 1/2 cm in length or so, that in aggregate looks somehow as if less area was covered. Is it that EVERY relocated follicle has a little hair in it? Or that I'm simply seeing, in scenario 2), the follicles that happen to have a visible hair intact whereas 1) is a somewhat more accurate picture of what I have? I also noticed, post-op, a couple of small hairs (maybe a few millimeters long) lying on my scalp (between others that were standing up) but attached to nothing, as if they were clipped/shed -- which would account for what I see in 2). After all, what counts is the "engine" of the follicle itself that regenerates the hair, rather than the hair itself...hence the 3-month graft shed. I know...I am analyzing this far too much. In part, it fascinates me; in part, the thought of that much "turf" finally being covered again, and of what it promises, is pretty damned exciting! Benjamin

Congratulations! How are you doing now?

Pale, etc., "thinkingaboutit" has shared some wise words, which I hope I can echo without getting too far afield of your specific question (which I'll gladly answer), or stepping out of line. My gut reaction to your posting is that you are poised to make a fundamentally good decision (including choosing one of the best teams of doctors) from a frame of mind that may not work to your advantage. If you sincerely feel that, were your HT not to come out as you'd like, or were there to be some obstacle between you and the goals you want (bad donor area, whatever) you'd "slide off the end of your rope" as you put it, then I'd strongly urge you to hold off, at a minimum until you've had a chance to do enough research, talk to people, see many photos, to give yourself a more grounded picture of what you're undertaking. Yes, doctors of the caliber of H&W can do wonders even against big odds (talk to "Jotronic" about this), but if you are looking at the thousand or whatever transplanted hairs as a gateway to happiness, peace within, the affection of women, rather than what it is -- a cosmetic improvement, however excellent it may be -- then I can only think that you will be making the process far more difficult for yourself than it needs to be. With respect to women, sure, many aren't attracted to men with thin hair, receding hair, no hair. Some aren't attracted to blondes with tons of hair, we all have our preferences. And sure, some are just shallow. But what price, the attention of a woman who will give you a second glance just because of a magnificent H&W hairline? When you're sitting in that chair for a day or whatever, and spending the following weeks and months patiently waiting for your result, and factoring in those first few healing nights of pain/discomfort, will you feel better to tell yourself "this is for all the one-dimensional twits out there?" I know it has been said thousands of times, but...a woman worth sharing your life, artistic and wonderful personality, and yes, new hair with is one who values you, hair or no hair, healthy or in a wheelchair. So, at the risk of belaboring my unsolicited advice, by all means go for this, if it's what YOU want, but because it's what you want from the perspective of a man who likes who he is -- even bald as hell -- and simply wants to improve his natural assets. Don't let fear taint what is both a demanding and, I like to think, being at the beginning of it, very cool journey toward seeing something beautiful take shape. You get to watching as the "sculpture" of a talented surgeon slowly grows and thrives on your scalp (OK, that's both hokey and a weird image, but the best I can do at this time of day), and you get to keep it...pretty damn cool, say I. Back to specifics...being pale myself, I suspect, from the photos I've seen (didn't ask Dr. Feller), that I will remain red for a month, maybe two. I actually like it, because it reminds me of the area that will be filled with hair rather than gleaming under lights as it had! But then I'm a tad odd... Please feel free to ask me, or many of the far more experienced and knowledgeable guys here, any questions at all. Benjamin

...which I fuly intend to ask Dr. Feller, but I wanted to prevail upon you guys for perspectives, first-hand experiences, etc....as well. Have you used Rogaine shortly after surgery to accelerate the growth of the new "sprouts?" Did it make a noticeable difference? Were there side effects (irritation)? Do you think it's worth it? On one hand, the thought of speeding up the process is appealing, for obvious reasons. On the other hand, risking skin irritation that could interfere with growth, or potentially getting existing hair "hooked" on the stuff (if that is in fact possible), to me isn't worth it, if all I'm buying myself is the slight acceleration of a process that will take its course naturally otherwise. Benjamin