Goldilocks

I paid Dr. Rahal with a credit card; this is a great option, particularly if the credit card company offers you some sort of kickback or reward (and doesn't charge any fees). Because of the card I have, I get a 1% kickback. Pretty sweet if you ask me.

After my procedure, my doctor had given percocet (oxycodone) for pain, which I never ended up taking. (I probably should have since I had quite a bit of pain, especially in the donor area!)

I agree with you; when you spend this kind of money and are maybe not completely happy, have adequate donor supply etc. it is worth going in for a second pass, just as you said. The thought of having to go through all the recovering and hair growing makes me hold off. I had quite an uncomfortable recovery and my scalp was numb for several months... It's not something I look forward to going through again. However, I am seriously considering having a second procedure as I do have the finances to take care of it and I know I'd like to enhance the first procedure. In thinking about your situation again, I would recommend waiting until at least a year. That way the transplanted hair is matured and you'll have a better sense of what you are trying to ultimately achieve.

I can relate to your sentiments about wishing the hairline was lower than what you ended up with following the first procedure. Unlike you though, I am already close to a year and a half post op so I could theoretically go for a second procedure anytime. I think about it a lot. In your case, I am not sure what to suggest to you, although I suspect most people would tell you to keep that money aside in a separate account and hold off since you are only at 5 months. I am certainly interested in what others will suggest to you.

I highly recommend the c-shaped travel/neck pillows. For me, it wasn't so much that I was worried about hitting the grafts at night, but moreso that I was just not comfortable no matter how many pillows I had tried to arrange.

My experience with Dr. Rahal is similar to Eman's. It wasn't until I had the sutures removed on day 14 that he encouraged me to gently work on scrubbing the scabs the following day.

Were you prescribed prednisone? This helps with keeping the swelling down...

If it is any consolation, I had numbness and weird scalp sensations for almost an entire year after my surgery. As a side note, I remember just after my surgery, I felt an an impending sense of doubt/doom. I woke up in the middle of the night almost in a panic asking myself "what the heck did I just have done!?!?" and "what if this was all a mistake!??!" I spoke to the doctor about it the following day and he assured me that feeling like that was not out of the ordinary; after all, I did just have surgery. (You and I had the same doctor so I'm not surprised you are happy with your results! You are coming along very nicely!)

B12 is an important vitamin for hair growth, as are other B vitamins such a biotin. Things like eggs, meat and poultry are good sources. Some people cannot absorb vitamin B12 as they lack an enzyme (intrinsic factor) in their body. Consequently, those people often need vitamin B12 shots. If you are low in vitamin B12 and changes in your diet to try to compensate for that do not help, it may mean you have some underlying condition that should be looked at more closely.

According to the Canada Revenue Agency website, it indicates that "generally, you can claim all amounts paid, even if they were not paid in Canada." (See here). When they say "generally", as long as it is an allowable medical expense (which hair transplantation is), you can most certainly claim it on your taxes. Interestingly enough, CRA also indicates that you may also be able to claim the cost of traveling if the treatment was not available locally within 40 kilometers from your locality. And, if you need to travel more than 80 kilometers, you may also be able to claim the cost of meals and accommodations in addition to the travel expenses. (See here). Oh yes, and CRA is quite particular about the paperwork showing proof of payment. An invoice won't cut it whereas a receipt does. (An invoice does not necessarily show that a payment was made whereas a receipt does). It is best to send in all paperwork related to your procedure should CRA request it from you to support your claim.

I hear ya. The ability to claim mortgage interest would be a tremendous step forward, but will it ever happen? Not in my lifetime I am sure. On another note, every little bit helps.

For any Canadians out there who have had hair transplant surgery, don't forget that it is an eligible medical expense for tax purposes. Click here for details. Believe me, it is to your benefit to claim this expense on your taxes. Make sure you have your receipt that shows the amount you paid. The Canada Revenue Agency will likely ask to see it since it is generally such a large claim amount; they'd like to see proof.

For any Canadians out there who have had hair transplant surgery, don't forget that it is an eligible medical expense for tax purposes. Click here for details. Believe me, it is to your benefit to claim this expense on your taxes. Make sure you have your receipt that shows the amount you paid. The Canada Revenue Agency will likely ask to see it since it is generally such a large claim amount; they'd like to see proof.

While I cannot comment about the dissolvable sutures as I had the nylon type, I can say that I found it quite painful having them removed. I think part of it was because some of my real hair was getting pulled out at the same time as the sutures. I was clenching my fists the entire time the sutures were being removed. I know that not everyone has that same experience, but I guess I was a bit unlucky in this area. (By the way, my sutures were removed on day 14 post-op.)

I can identify with you on a number of levels. I too am a female and in fact, I am almost the same age as you. I had a hair transplant over a year ago and I gotta say that what I had read and heard about the recovery process seemed to be very much downplayed. In other words, people made it sound so much easier than it really was. I was horribly uncomfortable for longer than I had expected. Like you, I had a LOT of discomfort in the donor area and my scalp felt extremely tight and numb. It was very disconcerting. Couple this with the fact that I was not sleeping very well at all for the first two weeks and I was worried that my scalp would never feel normal again. I suppose if I had taken the prescription Tylenol 3s, I might have felt better, but I don't like those kinds of drugs so I simply took non-prescription extra strength Tylenol. It did very little for the pain however so I simply learned to tolerate it. On a more positive note though, when I was able to get my stitches out at 14 days, my donor area actually felt quite a bit better. I could actually lie on the back of my head again! I hope the same will be true for you too. I continued to have a tight scalp for quite some time following the procedure. I would say it lasted several weeks, but of course gradually faded over that time. In contrast, the numb feeling in my scalp lasted several months, and only recently, I pretty much stopped noticing much numbness at all, if any. Please know that I can very much sympathize with you. Hang in there!

Generally speaking, smoking inhibits blood flow and can slow down your recovery time. I have read that it is thought that there is a connection between hair growth from transplants being less for smokers than for non-smokers, however the scientific evidence is not substantially strong to say to what extent it has a negative impact. Regardless, why take the risk?

Did you ever hear back? I know Adrian at the clinic replied very quickly to my online photo submission (the same day actually).

The length of time your recipient area will remain red really depends on your skin. In my case, I have fair skin and I had redness for over 3 months. (Of course, over that time, the area had faded from red to varying shades of pink). Some people seem to only have noticeable redness for a couple of weeks and can get away with hiding their transplant a lot more easily when they go back to work. With respect to scabbing, people who's physicians recommend a more conservative approach to scrubbing/cleaning, seem to have scabs that last longer.

I had read a post on another forum that addressed this same question. In fact, Dr. Feller had provided a rather insightful answer. He indicated that the vitamin E does not in itself have any effect on the grafts and their growth. Rather, the vitamin E merely helps the crusts come off sooner and easier. He made a very good point that the grafts' moisture needs are met quite readily by their surrounding environment, that of the skin. From what I understand from his post on that forum, he does not tell his patients to keep their recipient area moist. This was a practice that was adopted for earlier transplants that involved large minigrafts and plugs but today's follicular units do not require this kind of attention. Anyway, I hope that information helps. I went through a lot of Vitamin E. For me, it helped reduce the itching from the grafts. And in answer to your last question, no I did not have to take blood tests. I assume you did?