Garageland

Thedude, I am sorry for you as everyone else has said that the size of the incisions are way too big and belong to the nineties like I had 3 sessions of in 1996/7/8. Expect for further surgery to cover this as it is not going to look dense once it grows in and because of that will look unnatural especially if you loose more native hair. Many patients have been repaired in your situation and far worse so do not be too downhearted. My advice to you if you are not already taking it is get on propecia now and maintain your have native hair and hopefully improve the crown. If you don't do that you will loose further hair and the new grafts will stand out more. You have quite a high level of loss and will need every hair, my biggest regret other than having the 3 surgeries was not getting on propecia earlier to save my native hair. The other positive is that at least the hairline seems to be not too low so you can drop it slightly to cover these bigger grafts that have been placed into the hairline, your remaining donor hair is so important for you now. Spend a good deal of time on this forum learning about the different procedures and Doctors that are available to you for your next session. You will need to see how these grafts grow in first and allow the donor to heal for at least 8-12 months before embarking on another procedure, use that time wisely to research. I would also document you surgery with very clear photos for your own records. If I can give you a further positive is that if everything grows in as it should you will at least have a base to work around and add much greater density in the future.

Totally best to take the train you can be there in two hours from St Pancras, the security is much more laid back and you will arrive right in the city centre. I went to Bruge in December and arrived it Brussels so have done this journey very recently. More leg room and space on the train and you can get a return to London for ?70.

Everyone is going to give you different advice is respect of washing hair as each clinic tells their patients different things. I have not heard of leaving shampoo on for 15 minutes it would soak into the dry scalp. I would follow your clinics instructions but from the photo all looks fine so don't worry.

Every Doctor has different post op instructions but most say you should be very careful washing your hair the first week after surgery. I used a cup to fill with lukewarm water and poured that over the grafted area to wash away the shampoo. It is normal to see that amount of crusting just go slowly with the shower pressure for a few more days.

Thanks for posting the 3 donor photos I totally see what Mickey saw in the first set. It appears from the photos that you have some miniaturization in the hair calibre and colour change in your crown. It was apparent in the first donor shot and then in the first two of your more recent shots, In the darker shot 3 it appears to ok but I think that is just a trick of the light. Either way you should have a in person consultation to determine this. 1) Can you tell what Norwood level I am, or heading toward, from the photos? Hard to say from the photos but it appear that you are heading for a 6 with that crown thinning. 2) Can Propecia be effective on someone with my level of hair loss? My doctor recommended Propecia, but I feel I've lost enough in the front (especially at the temples) that I might need a transplant. Yes I would hope to see you hold that crown hair and mid scalp, the front is unlikely and only a transplant will help here. 3) If I do decide to get a transplant, would I be able to keep a short and athletic haircut afterwards? After working out is one of the times when my hair lost most bothers me right now. How short do you want it to be? You appear to have good density in the area where a strip or fue would be taken from. A good strip scar with a reputable Doctor should allow you to shave to a grade 3, if you want shorter then fue is your option. 4) About how many transplant procedures will I need in the long term? Is there a limit to how many procedures you can handle based on how much donor hair you have? I'm worried if I get a transplant now, and continue losing hair, that the result would end up looking worse in the long run. This is where propecia to stabilize your loss comes into play, if you can hold onto what you have maybe you will only need one session. You cannot rule out the possibility of requiring or wanting another session in the future even when on the medication. You should see how you react to the medication for 6 months to 1 year ideally before committing to a transplant to see how you respond as you may have some improvement. Either way I would only recommend doing the front area at this stage if you went for a transplant. If you don't take the medication you will need further procedures for sure as for how many that depends on the Doctor you choose and the level you progress to and of course you desire to continue surgery. A combination of strip and then fue will allow you to obtain the highest number of grafts.

Thank for the positive comments guys, this patient is very happy with his results and comments that he has seen improvements since I saw him at the start of December. Garethbale- It's a free download I can send you the whole track if you like?

This local patient to the UK and to me personally had surgery at the end of January 2013. I was able to visit him at his home at the start of December last year which represented just over 10 months from his surgery. Dr Wong carried out 2803 grafts in one session to address the front and a little work into the mid scalp. He is very happy with his result and is going back to Dr Wong in 2 weeks to address as much of the crown and mid scalp as he can. I have also made a video of his progress and a comb through of his donor area to show just how narrow the scar is.

UK Lad, You should take a range of good clear photos in natural light with no flash, you hair needs to be grown out to ideally 1/2 cm to be able to assess what your density is like. The key to whether you will get a decent result will be what your density is like. From that last photo I am not so sure you are a candidate but better photos will tell.

Grownewhair, It really depends on what you filled out as your expectations, if you are looking to cover most of your balding pattern then for sure 4000 grafts will work for you. If you just want to do the hairline and frontal area then around 2000 could be appropriate, assuming you are leaving the hairline in the shape you currently have. Forget the frontal photos it is the last photo of the top of your head that shows the true extend of your thinning which is in a NW5-6 pattern. You are 46 and have been thinning for 21 years which tells me your loss is slow and not aggressive so I don't see the need to be conservative in your case. But maybe conservative is the way you wish to go and just address the frontal area? It is good that you are seeking further consultations that will help with your research and my advice would also take a look at many results in the results section of this site and compare the number of grafts used on patients with a similar hair loss pattern to you and the area covered with these grafts. All the best.

So here we are at the 4 month mark. My hair is longer than the 3 month update that I posted so it is difficult to assess in person let alone from the photos but this is just the start I have lots of stubble around the hairline and frontal area that I can feel with my fingertips. The back of my scalp above the scar is still feeling partially numb although more feeling returns here. I had a little shock loss around the scar which is growing back as I can feel some stubble around that area too. I think the biggest noticeable difference is my lack of anxiety this time round compared to 2006 when I was constantly looking for progress in the mirror on a daily basis, as I am comfortable that it will grow and it will add a nice improvement and of course I have every faith in Dr Hasson and his team this surgery has been so much easier than last time around. Last time around I was a patient that had been burnt 3 times with poor surgery and had so much to loose again, another poor result would have been devastating for me. I had so much resting on the 2006 repair to make me look normal again. Compare 3 to 4 months

I will be again holding my regular free consultations in Central London at the Thistle Hotel in Marble Arch on Friday March 7th. The consults will be one on one with myself a hair transplant veteran who has had 5 transplants spanning over 17 years. I will be able to explain our procedure in detail, answer any questions you have regarding surgery, show you what a transplant can look like on a Norwood 6 and take clear photos for a recommendation from either Dr Hasson or Dr Wong. If you would like to meet with me in person or for more information please email me on ukconsultant@hassonandwong.com or call 0757 8164162. David

It would be interesting to hear whether this patient went through with the surgery, amyrtle look forward to hearing from you. I had surgery with Dr May in 1996 at the age of 23 whilst the experience was a long time ago and the results were pluggy and unnatural that is not so much my problem as that was what was being offered in the UK at that date it was more the decision to carry out such a small procedure on someone with miniaturization throughout the entire scalp into a NW6 pattern.

Great to see you again Bob I enjoyed the video and haven't watched that in a while. Your documentation and result certainly helped me decide to go to H&W so I thank you again for that. btw - Doug who interviews Bob as well as being a great guy has a beautiful result by Dr Wong, just saying as Doug doesn't visit the forums very often.

Jared, I think you Doctor is right 2500-3000 would be best served into the zones 1-4, how often do you catch yourself in a CCTV camera or have to see yourself in the barbers mirror. The front is where you will notice the difference and people will notice it in you when talking to you. That said you should look at a two stage plan to address the crown with a lighter coverage at a later date if it bothers you. If you try to address the crown in the first session and the front then I think it will look too thin and you will still end up going back and redoing the whole area again to add density.

6 months is the industry standard for avoiding direct sunlight for too long best to wear a hat when you are in South Africa.

Congrats on your latest surgery. 5 transplants you have caught up with me now but I can't claim to be in the 10 or 11k club. Dr Wong is a super nice guy and he has done you proud with that number of grafts for a 5th time round. Look forward to seeing your progress.

You are doing the right thing with consulting with other Doctors to see what they would recommend. I would remain cautious in your case and stick it out a little longer on propecia to make sure you are tolerating it and it is at least halting your loss. Whilst 2400 grafts in the front might frame your face and improve your current look it is not just a case of dumping these grafts here, if your sides drop then the grafted area is going to be isolated and if you have such a limited donor then you are going to be in trouble.

Totally fine as long as you wear a hat in the sun, the heat and humidity won't affect your hair but direct sunlight is a no no for your recipient area.

2400 grafts would make an impact if you put it all into the frontal 1/3 of your scalp to give you a much stronger hairline and frontal area. If you are happy with that then it could be a nice improvement if however your expectations are for total coverage I would seriously think whether you should be going ahead with a procedure. That number of grafts spread so thinly is not going to look much better than the current look you have, you native hair has miniaturized and will be gone soon if you are not on propecia. It boils down to your expectations and your donor at the end of the day. Some info on your age and whether you are taking propecia and some photos of your donor would help.

Benson, It takes time but it will come back directly above the scar will remain numb for longest it takes around 6 months and in some cases longer to fully recover.

Congratulations on your surgery and thank you for posting your story and results. I fully expect nothing but an excellent result.

Hi Fullness, Certainly looks like you have some early growth it is easier to spot in the hairline and that is where you have the highest density so a higher percentage will be likely to come through here first. You will be able to feel them with your fingertips usually before you can see them. Thanks for posting.

Skin tone plays the biggest factor in post op recovery and lingering redness, you will find the immediate hairline where the highest number of grafts are placed will be reddest for longer. I have seen patients recover with no redness within 1 week and I have seen patients still complaining about a pinkness in their scalp for 6+ months. If you have very pale skin you are going to be redder longer. You should wear a hat if out in strong sunlight for 6 months, you can start applying suncream factor 30 plus around the 3 month mark if you are going to be in the sun, but best to wear a hat. Aloe vera gel helped me when applied to the recipient area post op, I was doing this around the 1 week mark.

Yes you should use the next pillow certainly for the first 4-5 nights and sleep as upright as you can with a couple of pillows behind you for support and one under each arm. Don't be brave, take the painkillers and if you are having trouble sleeping speak to your clinic about some sleeping tablets for the first few nights. I sleep really badly and not sleeping makes me lightheaded if it goes on for days on end but the sleeping tablets really helped. Once the staples are out you will sleep so much better.

Joejohns, Sorry to hear that your situation is continuing, shock can be unpredictable and of it is that and it seems that your continued loss would indicate that is the case you will have to wait around 3-5 months for it to grow back. I had shock around my donor scar the first time around and I was panicked like you are but true enough to form by 5 months the situation was looking much, much better. I have had several patients that have reported the same. Do you have any photos?