vocor1

PD: The "imperfect parts" were: Scar stretched to 5mm in one place. Dr Rose worked on it for free to help repart. The area stretched to 3mm after revision. Tough luck. Right side appears slightly thicker than left. Either uneven regrowth or the right side just had more hairs already there pre-transplant. Other than that, the results are similarly miraculous to other people's from top docs. I think people "hunt" for the "perfect HT" or the "perfect HT doc". There is very, very rarely such thing. You go with the guys you are comfortable with and hope things go well based on your impressions of the doctor and his methods. I have very little to complain about. But I feel it is crucial to share the "good and the bad". I read some posts, and it is clear to me that the poster is sugar-coating part of the presentation. Nothing will go perfectly. But it'll go so well that the ends will definitely justify the mean. It clearly did in my case. vocor1 Knowledge is Power If the worst question is the one never asked, then the worst answer is the one never shared.

I'm greedy too. But it will be "restrained greed". Yeah, quite the oxymoron. I wanna fill in the frontal third a bit more. Adding about 800 grafts to the 2200 already transplanted. I'll keep the hairline high, as it is now. vocor1 Knowledge is Power If the worst question is the one never asked, then the worst answer is the one never shared.

Still, when the hair looks "weird or unnatural", we ALL notice. The difference is here, we clearly know the culprit/reason. Jerry Jones also had an HT. The WORST ones in my opinion are Joe Torre (now that I know he has one), Joe Biden, and the worst in my opinion without a doubt is Jacque Lamerie (sp?), coach of the Minnesota Wild. Ahh, I've turned this into a rip session. Still, you see what you see. What poor doctors or outdated techniques created, more correctly. vocor1 Knowledge is Power If the worst question is the one never asked, then the worst answer is the one never shared.

I guess I should have known. For years, I've seen Joe Torre's hair and said, "Holy crap, I hope that doesn't happen to me!". Now I see that it isn't natural, and it makes sense. His hair really looks misplaced and weird most of the time. That pict above doesn't look nearly as bad as others. Yet, he's quite successful and endeared himself to many people. That's quite a statement. Didn't know he had an HT. It all makes sense now. vocor1 Knowledge is Power If the worst question is the one never asked, then the worst answer is the one never shared.

My dad has similar hairloss to me. A bit "worse". I guess what I have to look forward to. But guess what? His hair looks JUST FINE for his age. He's 72. Quite active, too. But, he too knows quite well the "tragedy" of losing WAY too much hair way too early on. He's been very supportive. I'm trying to be careful to not lower the hairline at all, just fill in the top to decent density and recreate an acceptable hairline. It has to stand the test of time. People definitely would say I have a high hairline. That is fine by me. So much better than what was, and will stand the test of time. I can deal with that. vocor1 Knowledge is Power If the worst question is the one never asked, then the worst answer is the one never shared.

I'm pretty sure the Doctors who practice with Shapiro Medical will give you grafts harvested over the amount quoted for free. I can't speak for everyone, but I got charged $7200 for 1800 grafts at Shapiro Medical but got 2205 from Dr Rose. I agree with Tedd, I think it is good PR. I felt good about it, anyway. The joke was, I remember that I came in think that I only needed 1500. After talking a bit, the folks at Shapiro said that 1800 would probably "make me happier". First thought: Oh boy, here they are trying to extract more money from me. Not the case. Got the 2200 and really, I'd like about 800 more. Haha, I guess you always hope you can save some money and "just get by". Fuggetaboutit. Don't skrimp if you can afford not to. This is your hair, and you'll have it for the rest of your life. Keep that in mind. That's my experience. vocor1 Knowledge is Power If the worst question is the one never asked, then the worst answer is the one never shared.

I don't think it hurts to share the name. My HT experience wasn't "perfect", but it sure as hell wasn't Dr Rose's fault. And it sure would have been a whole helluva lot worse with a non top doc. That doesn't reflect on his skill or attitude. That is just my experience. BTW, things went really, really well with me, and I regret nothing. Anyway, I wouldn't be too worried about sharing the doc's name. There might be not be anything that could have been avoided. vocor1 Knowledge is Power If the worst question is the one never asked, then the worst answer is the one never shared.

Beanstalk: I really had an extremely good response to the drug. I had no shedding at all, and visible regrowth at about 3 months. Proscar/Propecia worked wonders on most of my crown. The upper 1/4 is a bit thinner than the rest, but that is under close inspection. Let me say too, longer hair helped my crown tremendously. I can't comment on regrowth or thickening elsewhere. It looks thicker, but my hair is longer and I did have an HT. I have not lost any more hair since I started Proscar by the looks of it. Give it a little more time. But unfortunately, Propecia just doesn't work for everyone, and everyone will respond differently. Propecia is pretty damn good at helping you "keep the hair you have" but regrowth, well, visible regrowth is only for a more exclusive (read: LUCKY) club. Best of luck to you with the drug, Beanstalk. vocor1 Knowledge is Power If the worst question is the one never asked, then the worst answer is the one never shared.

It is true: you will continue to see density improvements each month. My hair continues to look "more full" each month. Though I'd say the most growth occurred in month 3-4, it is still getting thicker. Don't fret too much. Some people, it just takes longer. I'd say after 1 year, though IMO, that is when you'll know what you've gotten yourself into. vocor1 Knowledge is Power If the worst question is the one never asked, then the worst answer is the one never shared.

Ted, I'm so glad for you. My redness took about 3 months to subside. I cut to a #6 without problems, though I think I could do #4, possibly #3 now. Congrats on being bold and having the result to back it up. vocor1 Knowledge is Power If the worst question is the one never asked, then the worst answer is the one never shared.

Heman: Arfy hit it right on the nose. I wouldn't risk it on a 1.5mm scar. That's pretty damn good. I had my scar reduced by Dr Rose when an ear near my right ear expanded to about 5mm. He cut the area out and resewed it and the result is a 2-3mm scar. Based on the dermatologist's reaction to the work, there is no doubt in my mind that Dr Rose did his usual excellent work and I just have some problems in that area. And after all, 2-3mm isn't something I really should bitch too much about. One option Dr Rose offered me is that he'd cut a new, very small strip out and put all the harvested grafts in the old, expanded scar region, but we decided against that in the end for a variety of reasons. It is a feasible alternative to what we actually did. Those experiences hopefully help answer a couple of your questions. BTW, Dr Rose offered to work on the scar again if I wanted. I declined because I don't think that really there is anything we can do better. That is just the way that area wants to heal, then so be it. BTW, the rest of my scar is 1-2mm. vocor1 Knowledge is Power If the worst question is the one never asked, then the worst answer is the one never shared.

thanks for the feedback. Hopefully, sharing these experiences will take some of the anxiety of the whole situation off the noobs. Paul: Yeah, there is certainly less tolerance for guys doing cosmetic things. No doubt, some will think you are vane or a wimp. We are supposed to be tough and take it. But if you aren't quite achieving what you wanted in life, then I say you'd better make a change. There isn't much excuse for not achieving what you want. So let a few gossip or speculate. The feedback I've already gotten has been positive. Doesn't mean I'm absolutely 100% comfortable with the fact that I felt I needed an HT. But the fact is, I'm getting the results I had hoped for. And that is much better than regretting not trying to do something, I feel. vocor1 Knowledge is Power If the worst question is the one never asked, then the worst answer is the one never shared.

Different docs offer different prices per graft for FUE. It is generally $7-10 a graft. A strip method by a top doc is usually $3-5 a graft. With strip, you get harvested whatever your natural distribuation of hairs is. In my case, my 1-hair/2-hair/3-hair/4-hair FU ratio was about 20%/50%/20%/10%, roughly. With FUE, you certainly can pick and choose which FUs you want to harvest. For instance, if you need a lot of frontal hairline reconstruction or work, well, you'd probably like a larger than naturally occuring ratio of 1-hair FUs to other type of FUs. vocor1 Knowledge is Power If the worst question is the one never asked, then the worst answer is the one never shared.

Everybody: I've seen more posting resently about Post-HT concerns for people "finding out" and how you look in general. I'd like to relay some of my experiences on this matter and see if that helps other people out who are worried about this. There are many different strategies on how to deal with this. None is really right or wrong. You just have to be comfortable with your decision on how to deal with it once it is made. Some people will announce that they've had work done to others before being asked. Some will answer honestly when asked directly about it. Others will be evasive. Others will flat out lie. XXXXXXXXX My Approach I decided that I didn't want to make it public that I had an HT. I didn't want to lie about it either, and promised myself that I'd answer any honest, direct questions about it truthfully. I'd try to incorporate humor and take the edge off things whenever I could. At some level, the whole idea of moving some hair and it changing your life is actually pretty funny, I think. I, like most people, feared a situation when someone is sort of "grilling" you, and it is CLEAR that their motives are to expose or belittle you. Fortunately, I haven't really run into that. XXXXXXXXX My Experiences Post HT I had the luxury of taking two weeks off and relaxing. I went to a New Year's Party with my stitches in about 10 days post op and no one said a word. Some of my transplanted hair had fallen out and my scalp wasn't very red. I also had a dinner about 7 days post op that I attended and no questions there either. These were with folks I hadn't seen in a long time, though. About 3 weeks post op, I had my stitches out an a military physical to go to. And it was one of those where a whole bunch of people were processed at the same time including many people I knew. I'd say my hair was about 1" everywhere, but tapered off my ears and neck. I can say again that no one said a word to me. The scar was pretty well concealed (but still quite red). I was pretty nervous this close to the op date and this many people seeing me and getting a physical. But it turned out to really be a non-event. Work -- no one ever said a word. About 3 months post op when I had part of my scar worked on, I returned to work the day after and my stitches were visible so I just came out and said I had a scar worked on. People said, "I didn't know you had a scar there", and such. What was really funny about the whole situation is that I really couldn't laugh too hard those days because my scalp was feeling tight. So of course my coworkers tried to make me laugh at every chance they had. The whole thing was really funny, thinking back on it. Maybe some people thought "something else was actually up", but who knows for sure? They didn't confront me about it. I think about 2 months post op, I went to a party and the topic of hair and facial features "magically" came up, as well as the topic "some people just need hair". That seemed to me to be a little more than a coincidence. But the conversation was quite harmless and I stayed in it for its duration. Again, I didn't say I had an HT, but I was expecting some questions and none came. A month ago, I went to a party and a friend who I hadn't seen for about 6 months was very upfront and said, "whoa, you look way different. What is going on with your hair". I thought this was when I'd tell him about it and I'd like to report that I was completely at ease with this, but honestly, I was not because of his very direct style. Quite funnily, though, his wife interjected almost immediately and said, "leave him alone. He's just grown his hair longer." Then she comes up and runs her fingers through my hair and says, "It really looks a lot better." Man, I could have kissed her not so much for "saving me", but for reminding me in no uncertain way that the ends justied the means and who they hell cares what the methods used were. I was watching a video tape some friends and I made of a party we had. I had the "shaved look" going on and was quite bald in that footage. One guy said, "short hair really looked like shxt on you". I agreed with him. I couldn't believe the metamorphisis that basically I was seeing before me. Again, no one else pressed the issue. I wondered if they were as astounded as I was watching the footage. Finally, the other night I was at a get together and a couple of people said, "wow, I've never seen your hair that long" and "I hardly recognized you". Again, I said, "Yeah, this is the longest it's been in years." And that was it. And all the while thinking, "yeah I know I went from 'what the fxck' to 'that's not that bad'." Funny how all that works. XXXXXXXXX A Final Few Words Anyway, this is how I dealt with some experiences I had. I think with me, the process was made easier because I always wore my hair so short( shaved to 3/4" long), and now that I wear it at 1/2" to 1" long, people just equate the regrowth as just me wearing my hair longer. But, the fact still is that you DO LOOK BETTER is always your Ace in the Hole. Never forget that you are holding that card. Looks count. Enthusiasm counts. Confidence counts. And accepting your decisions as "said and done" and being happy with them counts tremendously too. Again, a long post. And hopefully helpful to some who seek answers here. These are some things that happened to me. vocor1 Knowledge is Power If the worst question is the one never asked, then the worst answer is the one never shared.

Everybody: I've seen more posting resently about Post-HT concerns for people "finding out" and how you look in general. I'd like to relay some of my experiences on this matter and see if that helps other people out who are worried about this. There are many different strategies on how to deal with this. None is really right or wrong. You just have to be comfortable with your decision on how to deal with it once it is made. Some people will announce that they've had work done to others before being asked. Some will answer honestly when asked directly about it. Others will be evasive. Others will flat out lie. XXXXXXXXX My Approach I decided that I didn't want to make it public that I had an HT. I didn't want to lie about it either, and promised myself that I'd answer any honest, direct questions about it truthfully. I'd try to incorporate humor and take the edge off things whenever I could. At some level, the whole idea of moving some hair and it changing your life is actually pretty funny, I think. I, like most people, feared a situation when someone is sort of "grilling" you, and it is CLEAR that their motives are to expose or belittle you. Fortunately, I haven't really run into that. XXXXXXXXX My Experiences Post HT I had the luxury of taking two weeks off and relaxing. I went to a New Year's Party with my stitches in about 10 days post op and no one said a word. Some of my transplanted hair had fallen out and my scalp wasn't very red. I also had a dinner about 7 days post op that I attended and no questions there either. These were with folks I hadn't seen in a long time, though. About 3 weeks post op, I had my stitches out an a military physical to go to. And it was one of those where a whole bunch of people were processed at the same time including many people I knew. I'd say my hair was about 1" everywhere, but tapered off my ears and neck. I can say again that no one said a word to me. The scar was pretty well concealed (but still quite red). I was pretty nervous this close to the op date and this many people seeing me and getting a physical. But it turned out to really be a non-event. Work -- no one ever said a word. About 3 months post op when I had part of my scar worked on, I returned to work the day after and my stitches were visible so I just came out and said I had a scar worked on. People said, "I didn't know you had a scar there", and such. What was really funny about the whole situation is that I really couldn't laugh too hard those days because my scalp was feeling tight. So of course my coworkers tried to make me laugh at every chance they had. The whole thing was really funny, thinking back on it. Maybe some people thought "something else was actually up", but who knows for sure? They didn't confront me about it. I think about 2 months post op, I went to a party and the topic of hair and facial features "magically" came up, as well as the topic "some people just need hair". That seemed to me to be a little more than a coincidence. But the conversation was quite harmless and I stayed in it for its duration. Again, I didn't say I had an HT, but I was expecting some questions and none came. A month ago, I went to a party and a friend who I hadn't seen for about 6 months was very upfront and said, "whoa, you look way different. What is going on with your hair". I thought this was when I'd tell him about it and I'd like to report that I was completely at ease with this, but honestly, I was not because of his very direct style. Quite funnily, though, his wife interjected almost immediately and said, "leave him alone. He's just grown his hair longer." Then she comes up and runs her fingers through my hair and says, "It really looks a lot better." Man, I could have kissed her not so much for "saving me", but for reminding me in no uncertain way that the ends justied the means and who they hell cares what the methods used were. I was watching a video tape some friends and I made of a party we had. I had the "shaved look" going on and was quite bald in that footage. One guy said, "short hair really looked like shxt on you". I agreed with him. I couldn't believe the metamorphisis that basically I was seeing before me. Again, no one else pressed the issue. I wondered if they were as astounded as I was watching the footage. Finally, the other night I was at a get together and a couple of people said, "wow, I've never seen your hair that long" and "I hardly recognized you". Again, I said, "Yeah, this is the longest it's been in years." And that was it. And all the while thinking, "yeah I know I went from 'what the fxck' to 'that's not that bad'." Funny how all that works. XXXXXXXXX A Final Few Words Anyway, this is how I dealt with some experiences I had. I think with me, the process was made easier because I always wore my hair so short( shaved to 3/4" long), and now that I wear it at 1/2" to 1" long, people just equate the regrowth as just me wearing my hair longer. But, the fact still is that you DO LOOK BETTER is always your Ace in the Hole. Never forget that you are holding that card. Looks count. Enthusiasm counts. Confidence counts. And accepting your decisions as "said and done" and being happy with them counts tremendously too. Again, a long post. And hopefully helpful to some who seek answers here. These are some things that happened to me. vocor1 Knowledge is Power If the worst question is the one never asked, then the worst answer is the one never shared.

Fabe: I didn't see where his 1-month post-op photos were posted. I saw only his "just after HT" photos. Those photos look pretty good to me, though. vocor1 Knowledge is Power If the worst question is the one never asked, then the worst answer is the one never shared.

The fact of the matter is not everybody can achieve a 1mm scar. Most can get close though. I had an approximately 1" area stretch to about 5mm. I had it revised down to about 2-3mm. I can FUE it if I want it to look better. I've cut down to #4 and it doesn't seem to be a problem at that link. We'll see in my case. I think most top docs will try to harvest using the same line and reduce your scar when the new wound is closed. You have to have a little luck, but in general, you should get very good results. I have heard, however, that the odds of a scar widening, or at least being larger than before, does increase with the number of HTs you have using the same area. Other people will proabably be able to comment better on this than I. vocor1 Knowledge is Power If the worst question is the one never asked, then the worst answer is the one never shared.

I'm glad to see these type of posts. Basically, if you are decent at managing money, you can get a great, great rate from a CC company. Zero intro is not uncommon at all. Pay the minimum or whatever you are comfortable with, then get on a schedule and payoff the rest. That is VERY easy as CC companies are itching for business. Quite painless and unobtrusive in your life. It certainly is like "free money" for a little while. And I think an excellent way to finance an HT. vocor1 Knowledge is Power If the worst question is the one never asked, then the worst answer is the one never shared.

Ken, Your postings do come off as a sales pitch to me. Certainly, the first few do. But, that being said, if you have something that you think can regrow hair, you get a patent, and have a detailed case study on what you produce, then more power to you. And I here ya about taking a break once in a while to post. I am not a fan of Bosley by any stretch. I'm sorry that they did you wrong. vocor1 Knowledge is Power If the worst question is the one never asked, then the worst answer is the one never shared.

JT: I appreciate the candor. Many people are so ecstatic about their procedure that they don't take a critical look at things. Often times though, the doc may do some free work if something isn't to your satisfaction. Maybe that is worth a shot. Three hair grafts shouldn't be anywhere near your hairline. But I have heard that once in a while, a two-hair is mistakenly planted because it appears to be a one-hair. That does happen. I'm in favor of the doc placing all the hairs. Techs can do a great job, but you are right there is some skill sacrificed and possibly some decision-making. But to keep costs lower, techs will be used. You are probably in my stage where the improvement is quite great, and overall you are very happy, but some "fine tuning" is desired. I desire that. Good post. Good luck with the next HT. Tell us who you go with! vocor1 Knowledge is Power If the worst question is the one never asked, then the worst answer is the one never shared.

Interest rates are usually higher if you finance with a practice. I'm betting you'll get a better interest rate from your bank on a personal loan. Or, if you own a house that has appreciated in value, get a HELOC or Home Equity Loan. I think the HELOC is a better option for something usually under $10k like an HT. Of course, you could just put it on your Credit Card. If you have good credit, it is REALLY easy now to get 8% fixed rate. That's not bad. HELOC will be more like 5% and is tax deductible. I paid with credit card for the first procedure, and then paid that off with saved cash. This next time, I'm putting it on a Credit Card (0% for 8 months, then 8%), and then paying that off with HELOC money. With a HELOC at about 4%, I feel can put my money in better places and pay that off whenever. That's how I'm going about it. vocor1 Knowledge is Power If the worst question is the one never asked, then the worst answer is the one never shared.

PD: I take 1/4 Proscar every day. Every once in a while, I'll just skip a dose. If I forget a dose, I don't make it up. I tried 5% minoxidil but it just was too much work for me. It leaked all over, I had to sleep on a towel. I didn't put it on twice a day. It was starting to control me more than any benefit I think I'd have seen. So I quit. BUT . . . Minoxidil is clinically proven to regrow hair. Don't let my whining desuade you from trying it out. What if minox and finasteride BOTH work for you? Wouldn't that be great! The 1/4 Proscar is so easy and very effective in my case. It no doubt stopped my hairloss and regrew some hair on my crown (though it still has a thin area). Proscar plus HT changed the way people perceive me. There is no doubt. vocor1 Knowledge is Power If the worst question is the one never asked, then the worst answer is the one never shared.

Paul: I definitely owe some photos. And I have them all. I'm still thickening up some. Still getting ingrown hairs once in a while, but they aren't as obtrusive or poignant as their were 5-12 weeks post op. I'm feeling very good about the results. Tedd: The picts are fine. My digital camera has a "close up" mode. Without that on, the picts come out blurry. That is something you might want to check. I think with hairlines, there is always a tradeoff. It is SO hard to predict the future and what exactly you will be satisfied with. Dr Rose did a fairly conservative hairline on me, but we worked on that for a bit until I was sure it was something I could live with. It take a TON of hairs to lower the hairline. That is a lot of bald area to cover up front for most men. And it is hair you'll keep forever . . . I could have gone more aggressive but would have been thinner on top. Always a tradeoff. You are obviously very happy with your results, your post-op look very good, so it is really a great situation. Happy regrowth! vocor1 Knowledge is Power If the worst question is the one never asked, then the worst answer is the one never shared.

texas: Yeah, I've been a scab at posting follow up picts. I have a bunch from month 5, 6, and 7. I'm a little tardy on Month 8, which I should have already taken, but haven't. Part of the reason is my work has me away from home a ton these days. I don't always have my digital camera handy. Excuses, excuses. I still am getting ingrown hairs once in a while. The hair IS thickening. But I'm still gonna add 700-1000 hairs regardless. I'm "blessed" with thick sides and back, as is my dad, so I have more than the average amount of hair I can transplant. Haha, maybe I can partly FU my "bozo hair" away! But honestly, it is MUCH better now that the top has those 2200 extra FUEs. I went from big-time bozo hair to a side show act. Very happy about that. Picts to come . . . vocor1 Knowledge is Power If the worst question is the one never asked, then the worst answer is the one never shared.

This is a touchy subject. The main thing is that the poster should know that any criticism is fair game. If you aren't ready for that, don't post picts. I'm sure many haven't posted picts because they don't want to deal with possible feedback. I'm sure that's happened. This is gonna come off sounding trite, but: YOU must first be comfortable/confident with what you are posting. Let us know how YOU feel about what you are posting. Few here are out to damage someone's ego, and honest feedback shouldn't do that, but certainly, sometimes it does. When I've posted picts, most people have been overwhelmingly supportive. I appreciate that. Others have been critical or "pointed things out". I have to decide if that bothers me or not. If it does, then I shouldn't post picts. And I think a pict poster should be able to separate opinions that don't matter to him from ones that do. My two cents on that. vocor1 Knowledge is Power If the worst question is the one never asked, then the worst answer is the one never shared.