Monza

I had a little over 3300 grafts and I was in the office from 8:00am to 4:00pm. There was the doctor and three techs. I can't see how 6000 grafts can be done in two hours?!

I can empathize! My suggestion would be to get a new hobby or something else to occupy your time over the next nine months. Maybe get someone pregnant (just kidding). How about setting a goal to lose some weight, or learning a new language, etc. You just need something to keep your mind thinking that nine months isn't actually all that long.

Fullcircle, Regarding hiding your HT, I think a lot depends on if your doctor shaves you head. For me, my doc did not shave my head so the scar was hidden by my natural hair. It was the transplanted hair at the front that caused me concern. I too can not wear a hat to work. Take a look at my weblog, I posted several pictures during the first week. I went back to work at Day 10 and did not receive any comments about my head.

Wantego, I too am at 4 months and see the same spotty growth pattern. I have some small areas that have not yet started to grow, where all around them new hair is popping up. I have been told to expect this and that it is normal.

Tuscani, I understand how you feel. I went through my procedure recently and nerves are normal. Take a look at my weblog. I tried to describe the day's events in detail so others can get a good idea of what to expect. Keep doing research. I found this website a great source of information.

Hi Wantego. At 3.5 months, my understanding is that you still have a lot of growth to come. HK500 states pretty much what my doctor said. I am now at 4 months and am starting to see new hairs sprouting. But from your pictures it looks like you are progressing more than I am. So I think the next few months are going to be very good for you. Good luck!

Ceasar, I too am at the three month mark. During this time I am as bald as I have ever been. Just a couple weeks ago, some new hairs started sprouting. But you can't see anything from a few feet away, so it will be a while before any visual difference is noticeable. I can certainly empathize with you. It is hard to wait. Everyone says to forget about it until about 6-8 months. But it is not easy. You picked a doctor with a great reputation so I have no doubt you'll get great results. A year from now we'll both look back and think it was all worth the wait.

Yes, it is natural to be nervous. But the actual procedure is not bad at all. You have picked a top doc so you are in great hands. Read some of the weblogs to get a feel for what various people experienced. In my weblog, I described the day of the procedure and the following couple of weeks in some detail. I hope it is helpful for you and calms your nerves.

Speaking for myself, I visited this site much more frequently when I was researching HTs and asking questions. Now that I am 2-1/2 months post-op, I don't visit quite as often. I am in the "waiting" phase so there hasn't been much to report on my weblog (though I am over due for an update). I plan to continue regular updates to my weblog up to about +1 year so everyone can see the progress. In that time, I'll still lurk on this forum and offer my experience when I can. But I must say that those that post here regularly and often deserve our thanks.

I am 10 weeks post-op and feel the same tingling/stinging from time to time. I attribute it to the grafts "waking up" and starting to grow. I have noticed some new hairs starting to poke through. I doubt that there is anything to worry about.

I think age 19 is a bit too young for a HT. Your best bet is to start on Propecia (finesteride) to maintain your current hair growth. Costs for a HT can vary greatly and will depend upon the number of grafts, but ballpark a cool $10k on average.

Yes, I agree that Propecia (finesteride) is a must. You are starting early so it will do a great deal of good. I waited too late. I believe most HT docs prefer to wait until you are in your mid-20's at least. You have to wait long enough for your loss pattern to be developed or else a few years after your HT things will look weird.

I kept my staples in for a full 14 days and they were annoying the whole time. Actually, it was mainly the last few days. Once the recipient area started healing and things were looking a bit normal, it was the staples that were took the brunt of my attention. The good news is that 10-14 days (the typical time staples are kept in) is very short in the grand scheme of things. They were easy to remove; I did them myself. And that first night after removal it felt great to wash my hair properly and sleep a little better.

I'm coming up on 7 weeks post-op and am smack dab in the middle of the ugly duckling phase. I can't wait for the next few months to pass.

Yes, I know exactly what you mean. Over the first week, when I still had the transplanted hairs and scabs, I was able to see what it will be like in about 6 months. After I would get out of the shower, with my hair still wet, all of the area of my head blended together if I stood far enough away from the mirror. I looked like I had a good hairline and no bald spots. Now all that is gone and I am in the "waiting phase".

The day after surgery, I had a bandage covering the donor area. The doctor gave me a bandana type head cover. I wore that on the airplane the day after surgery and had no problems with security or attracting attention. I just looked like a guy wearing a "do-rag".

pjt, The first few days are fraught with worry. By the end of the first week I was certain that my existing hair had seriously thinned. By the end of week two, after the scabs are gone and you can wash your hair normally, I realized everything was fine. It was very strange, but there was that period where my hair seemed noticeably thinner. Temporary shock loss is still a possibility but each day is an improvement. You definitely have to suffer the "ugly duckling" phase. Though this is a small price to pay for the end results, and the phase is very temporary. I wish you the best of luck. Please keep us updated as to your progress.

Hi Tooyoung! I am blonde and got a HT only two weeks ago. Click on my weblog (the link is under my screen name to the left) to see some pictures. If you want to see the final results, unfortunately you'll have to wait about 6-8 months just like I will.

I really am thankful for everyone's thoughts on this matter. In the past couple of days I have been very self-conscious. But that is tempered with the fear of harming my grafts. As it turns out I woke up this morning and decided to just let it be. I can't look that bad. Of course, no one at work said a word or even looked at me funny. So all of my worrying was for nought. I'm glad this board is here... for information and support.

Thanks for the feedback, guys! Just to be clear, I am only talking about taking a razor and shaving off some of the stubble right at the front of the hairline. This is so that I have bare skin on my forehead up to almost where my exiting hairline starts. I don't mind continuing to look bald/receding hairline for a while. Right now it looks a bit weird with little dark hairs poking out the top of my forehead. Sometime after the staples come out I will probably have all my hair cut down to about a #3 razor guard or so, and everything will blend a bit better. I'm probably just stressing too much over a minor detail that no one will (hopefully) notice. But I do appreciate your opinions.

I am 9 days post-op and getting ready to return to work. I would like to keep my HT private and hope to minimize any strangeness to my current look. I have been styling my hair today and the only problem I have is my new hairline. I have the stubble hairs in front that can't be concealed by my existing hair. The redness just looks like it does when I spend time outside and get a slight sunburn. But the little 1/4" hairs are pretty noticeable. I was wondering if there would be any harm to the grafts by shaving my hairline? I'm not sure if this would cause trauma to the grafts or not. Any thoughts?

I am 9 days post-op and getting ready to return to work. I would like to keep my HT private and hope to minimize any strangeness to my current look. I have been styling my hair today and the only problem I have is my new hairline. I have the stubble hairs in front that can't be concealed by my existing hair. The redness just looks like it does when I spend time outside and get a slight sunburn. But the little 1/4" hairs are pretty noticeable. I was wondering if there would be any harm to the grafts by shaving my hairline? I'm not sure if this would cause trauma to the grafts or not. Any thoughts?

I agree that meeting patients in person is a valuable aspect of choosing a doctor. If you have a good doctor, your hairline should look completely natural with no indication of an HT. Looking at some of the weblogs and photo albums on this site, I am amazed how great many of the final results appear.

Volvic, I have had the same concerns. I am still less than a week away from having had my HT. I had 3335 grafts and many were in the front, so it is very noticeable. Check out my weblog as I am documenting the first couple of weeks so others can gauge the rate of healing. Everyone will heal at a different rate (look at Dewayne's weblog for comparison) but I believe a couple weeks off from work should be fine. Good luck and please keep us posted if and when you proceed.

Wylie, thanks for the request and I will see about starting a photo album. For now, I have created a weblog with pictures. I added some more today. Please feel free to take a look.