spile

I have a bald patch in the scar line just like that from Rahal, 3+ years post-op. Dr's recommendation was to go back and "cut it out". I rely on Dermatch now to paint it black, and scar is visible at a 6 clip.

I'd advise against dense packing...You want some FU that actually survive!

Agreed. I've had a failed repair session also from the same clinic 18 months later. Unfortunately (but at the same time more fortunate that at least I had some growth -- granted mine is 2x the number of grafts in a similar area) my hairline ended up looking pluggy instead with very sparse hairs, about 10 hairs/cm2 making it look very awkward and unnatural. People often stare and have made comments. I've contemplated plucking out the transplanted hairs or maybe even lasering them off and accept a receeding hairline. But then I snap out of it and realize that I'd be left with scar tissue temples...and I know that some doctor will be able to fix it, eventually! In the meanwhile I depend on concealer and a combover.

Ya I agree. I originally estimated about 1800-2000 grafts but we agreed to go with 2200 grafts for a fuller density. He ended up getting 2617. It was either a bad estimation or maybe the density was better than normal. But whatever it was, thats 400 extra grafts to work with. I suspect that ironically the more grafts lead to more dense packing? What else are you going to do with extra grafts from a strip right? Throw them out or just pack it in. I'm not sure but whatever the case I'm about 2000 grafts wasted! My poor poor grafts =( But again I don't mean to hijack this thread. So anyone can PM me instead.

Any before shots? Did you notice a lot of remnants that could be pulled out with your fingers by now? They're the original implanted hairs and feel like stubble when you run your fingers over them. When you pull it out they look like "J" shaped hairs with no bulb attached.

I guess my case is different than yours as my grafts never grew. Here are some before and after photos, 2617FUT not FUE though. I was looking at this post http://www.hairrestorationnetwork.com/eve/164123-hair-transplant-w-dr-wong-morning-3.html and had many of these "J" remnants that could be plucked out or removed by hand several months later with no bulb attached. Maybe these grafts were pushed in too deep and damaged the follicles? Anyhow I'll PM you. Don't mean to hijack your thread.

I've been avoiding this forum for quite some time now because I hate seeing such stellar results from everyone and makes me feel like crap. But I've been so depressed for the past 3 years from my bad HT and from people commenting about how weird my hairline looks, that I try to avoid thinking about it when I'm not looking at myself in the mirror. Except for those who've ever had a failed HT will know it's ALWAYS on your mind and I just keep staring at people's hair. Here are some before and after pics. What would you estimate it would take to get my life back again?!?!?!!? This was 2617 FUT graphs with what I estimate about 20-25% yield. The second photo is a pic I took today, almost 3 years post-op with a tape measure for reference. Somedays I just cant look at myself in the mirror and just throw on a hat. Should I consider lasering off the graphs and just stick with a higher hairline?

Hey Sugar, I've had 2 failed HT's from Rahal also. Who was your lead technician? Both times mine was Mike. I'm still trying to figure out what went wrong and thought we could compare notes. A failed HT is so stressful. There isn't a day that goes by where I don't think about it!

I'm still around. Yes I've removed all my posts but good news is that I will be getting a few small touch-up procedures. It's gonna be a long road ahead but I can't risk wasting any FU's! Best of luck to all of you. I'll keep you guys posted over the next couple years though!

Hi I'm just curious if any of the clinics who perform FUE regularly could help to answer this question. I've heard that FUE could yield up to 20% transected/damaged FU, whereas FUT typically has like 1-2%? This is mainly due to the estimated angle of entry when using the extraction tool vs. the microscopic dissection in strip method. Is this accurate or have clinics been able to master the extraction method to reduce the risk of damaging FU's? Thanks for your help, I'm still torn between choosing FUE vs FUT.

I would have to agree. Your situation looks like mine when I was your age. As long as you have a solid forelock you can disguise the sharp angles. With a nice forelock you can have a U shape with a flat bottom, rather than a V. Especially if the front gives you at least an inch in width. You'd be amazed with what a good haircut and styling can do to conceal it. Try pushing it up and off to one side to hide one temple. Sharp angles only look bad when you can see both of them together. I'm also considering having an FUE procedure, but only because my forelock has become weak now.

I first started losing in my early 20's, the got onto propecia. Used it for a year then switched to 1/4 proscar to reduce costs like most guys. I had a little sides but tolerable. I started having bad sides after 4 yrs, then I cut back dosage and frequency a little at a time, until finally I was on 1/8 every other day. Still didn't help with the sides so I gave it up cold turkey over a year ago. I'm 31 now. So I guess I've been thinking about having the procedure for some time. I figure, since it's for the hairline, can't really go wrong since it frames your face right? In all honesty, I am a bit scared of strip though, which is why getting an HT looked more appealing to me when I discovered FUE. I think I trust the doctor that I met with, and he is using the Feller punch which I did read up on from Feller's posts about a new type of tool which reduces the likelihood of damage. But I'd like to get some stats from doctors who perform FUE regularly, if possible, to see what kind of spoilage rate we can expect to see with this procedure. Thanks again.

Hi guys, First I wanted to say thank you to all the contributors on this site. It's very reassuring to have a support system out there and to read about the various experiences that other people have had in battling MPB. I've been researching a lot about FUE on this site and have been impressed with the procedure. So much so that I am considering an FUE procedure myself. I have met with a coalition doctor who estimated about 1500-1800 FU for my hairline. The only thing that I'm worried about is the high spoilage rate of the donors. The estimate that I received from the clinic was about 10-20%. Is this common for FUE? I've also attached a pic of where I plan to have the new hairline. Your opinions would be appreciated! Thanks!