Search the Community
Showing results for 'Dr. Jerry Cooley'.
Found 2,715 results
-
Dr Cooley ~4200 FUT - 13th Dec 2018
Merlin posted a topic in Hair Transplant Experiences and Surgeon Reviews
I am on day 4th from my FUT with Dr. Cooley. My experience on the day of the procedure is similar to the one posted by UKLad81 at I would like to add some notes about Dr. Cooley and his clinic: I currently live in California, I had the choice of clinics and doctors locally (convenient) or remotely (some cheaper e.g. in Europe) however, I felt that most of them followed the same sales pitch "we are top...you need x grafts...when should we schedule your procedure?" Not with Dr. Cooley's office, I talked to Ailene and she patiently explained the options and why FUT was better for me vs. FUE. I felt it was more fact and solution based than a sales pitch. That combined with all the good things (I liked that he reportedly continuously strives to improve his techniques) posted about Dr. Cooley I was convinced that Dr. Cooley's office was for me and worthed the long flight. I loved that Dr. Cooley was personally involved from the beginning until the very end (the day of the operation) and he gave me his cell phone just in case. Also, despite his status he helped me change into the robe and afterwords change from the robe to my clothes. He also let me use his personal restroom during a short break between the strip harvest and the preparation for transplantation. These and other subtle things made me feel that Dr. Cooley cared for me as a person and for the results. Like I said, Dr. Cooley was almost always there (as far I can tell since he was behind me), I focused to my movies because I didn't want to disrupt his focus/train of thought with Brandi (I could hear them saying things that mostly sounded technical, but wasn't paying attention on what was said). Bonus: the southern hospitality in North Carolina which I missed (I used to live in Virginia for a few years). My case I had hair loss in the crown and in the front. The back bothered me more, so it had more priority. Hair were added in both areas. I also opted for PRP. Summary: so far everything is going great, the most difficult/challenging part for me was the lack of sleep because of the ATP spray application. Day of surgery I was scheduled for 3500 grafts, but I told Dr. Cooley that was ok with me if he goes over to strengthen the result. He was able to get to about 4200 grafts. He said that my donor area had good elasticity (I was doing my stretching exercises for two weeks; maybe it helped) and that everything went great. The strip/donor: I only remember laying facing down, Dr. Cooley injecting a needle to my arm, I quickly doze off and then I was waken up and asked to flip face forward and it was done. It only felt like a short snooze, but it was probably a couple of hours long. During the surgery, almost 99.9% of the time, I just felt a dull pressure on my head during the transplantation. 1-2 times I had to receive extra topical anesthetic which I only felt a couple of pinches. After going back to the hotel, I was spaying every hour while awake and every 2 hours during "sleep". I also took Aleve and Ibuprofen for the pain in the donor area, it mostly felt like wearing a very tight cap/band). Day 2 Went by the office in the morning for the post-op check and wash. Everything looked great, Dr. Cooley was very pleased with the results. I was prescribed valium for better sleeping (for after the spraying nights are over) and pain medication. I haven't taken either. Back to the hotel after lunch, spraying a little bit every 30 - 60 mins. I continued the pain relievers (Aleve, ibuprofen), again the donor area felt tight. During "sleep" I was spraying every 2 hours or less (if I happened to be still awake). No face swelling. The night before I was repeatedly applying pressure using both of my hands at the forehead (on top of the nose) and tracing to the sides (using each hand) and down the temples/near the cheek bones). I read about this somewhere and Dr. Cooley verified that could help with draining any fluids away from the eye area. Day 3 Did the first self wash and I was very nervous. I used a cup to foam the shampoo and poured over. I haven't touched the transplanted area, only gently the donor area. Some dried blood was removed. The front of the transplant area had some crusting which went a way after the shampooing. Like I said I was very nervous ... partially because of lack of good sleep for 2 nights; that was the hardest part to deal with... as soon I was falling asleep, I had to get up and spray... Being nervous, I called Dr. Cooley after the wash, he answered right away and he reassured me that I was following the right steps and he was confident that everything was alright based on what he has seen the day before. He told me I could use the hair dryer to dry from some distance since I was very nervous touching the transplants. Day 4 Finally, after sleeping more regularly I felt much better and normal again, despite waking up every few hours. I took the opportunity and sprayed at those times. Valium was supposed to help sleep through the night, but I haven't filled the prescription and I don't think it will be real necessary for me. I washed my hair the same way, the back has some crusting but I am not touching it. I only touched the donor area during shampooing and for applying the ointment. I barely felt anything the donor area (unless I touched it) so I haven't taken any pain medication, but I will probably take some before sleeping. Still spraying regularly while at being at the hotel (most of the time anyway) - I will probably get a second bottle. Dr Cooley said at the post-op that he will be happy to provide an extra one as long as I will use it. Photos Day 3 Back - After self wash Day 3 Front - After self wash Day 4 Front - After self wash Day 4 Back (Top Back - Bottom Front - Sorry hard to get a good picture) - After self wash -
Dr Cooley ~4200 FUT - 13th Dec 2018
Merlin replied to Merlin's topic in Hair Transplant Experiences and Surgeon Reviews
I couldn't really see it because of the hair; just felt it when washing and applying the ointment. Will try to take some pictures after tomorrow's wash or the latest after the 7-day cleanup at Dr. Cooley's office. Today already applied the ointment and resumed the spraying. -
Dr. Jerry Cooley - 4103 grafts (FUT) - 11 Dec 2017
UKLad81 posted a topic in Hair Transplant Experiences and Surgeon Reviews
Hi folks, I just wanted to share my recent experience following an FUT procedure with Dr Jerry Cooley yesterday. I apologise if this post is long and detailed but I took a lot of value from all the various posters and wanted to give the same back. Days leading to the procedure I had been speaking to Cooley’s clinic in September and had various conversations with Lollie as well as telephonic conversation with Dr Cooley himself. After speaking to them both I kind of knew that this was the clinic I wanted to go with. I paid a deposit at the end of October for a 4000 FUT procedure. During the lead up, I must admit it was a mixture of emotions and last week was possibly the worst. At one point I just wanted to cancel and not go through such was the nerves and anxiety. But ploughed through it and as the day got closer the more excited I felt. Travel to Charlotte from LHR Some of you may be aware the UK experienced snow fall which as per usual played havoc with some of the outbound flights. I was due to fly out at 13:30 and came to know in the morning prior to reaching the airport that the flight had been delayed to 14:20. 14:20 came and there was still no news about what gate to go to or if the flight had been delayed or even cancelled, despite repeated attempts to find out information from the relevant information desks. Finally, we were given a gate and told to expect to take off at 16:30. We boarded the flight around 17:00 and didn’t take take off till 19:30. Which meant we didn’t arrive in Charlotte till 23:30!! Immigration control was no issues, just told them I was here for vacation and they asked some additional questions such as “where I am staying, how long, what I do for a living, how much currency I have etc?”. Breezed through with no problems. The clinic had arranged for us to be put up in the Hilton Garden Inn which is about 20 mins or so from the airport and approximately 5/6min drive to the clinic. Day of procedure I was advised by Aileene to be at the clinic at 7am. The hotel offers a shuttle bus and because of the late check in they were unable to schedule this for me at short notice, so had to get an Uber to the clinic. Arrived at the clinic and was greeted by Stephanie and taken to a room where I was asked to complete the normal paperwork. These were actually sent to me prior so I could’ve made my life a little easier by completing these prior to arriving. Stephanie was very kind and didn’t make an issue out of this. She was very calming and friendly. Once the paper work was completed, I was asked to choose some movies (like most clinics they had a large range) and also lunch (again loads of options and if anyone is interested I had a turkey panini wrap). Once this was all done Dr Cooley arrived to greet me. Following an initial conversation about goals etc I knew this guy was top notch, such was his confidence, personality and straightforwardness. I had my photos taken and the hairline drawn not that there was much to draw as I already had frontal tuft it was just a case of bridging the areas which had been lost. He looked at my donor and said it was excellent and that laxity was very good. We both agreed that the frontal third would be the most dense and continuing in to the mid-scalp area with less density and also shrink the crown outside in but not completely fill. Once this was all agreed, I was given my meds; antibiotics, valium and two prednisone’s (these are to help reduce any swelling). Once that was done, I was taken to the room. The room was exactly how I expected it to be. I had previously watched Joe Tillman’s visit to the clinic and if anyone wants to see it, take a look on YouTube. My hair was then slightly shaved where the strip was due to be taken. At the same time Brandy was taking my blood pressure. It was a little high, not sure why as I was super calm and excited. Anyhow, I was asked to lie face down on the chair for strip removal and was also given something to calm me down. After this was done I don’t remember much. I vaguely remember the anaesthetic shots and these were not as painful as I thought they would be. After this I must have dozed off as I cant remember anything thereafter. I do remember it was around 08:30 when I was asked to lie down. I woke up later and asked for a rest room break (I was literally bursting!). Dr Cooley advised that it wasn’t an issue as he was almost done closing the strip. I got up and felt a bit light headed, so sat down, I looked at the time and it was 10:30. Dr Cooley advised that it was a straight forward removal and there was no heavy blood loss or any other issues which I was very happy about. The strip was closed with sutures. After the rest room break Dr Cooley and Brandy started to make the incisions in the scalp and at the same time I think I counted six technicians in the room doing the graft dissection. I felt absolutely no pain at all during this process. I just had my headphones in and probably nodded off a couple of times. I cant stress enough how painless everything was so far! Time for lunch around 12noon. I asked Dr Cooley how the work was going and he mentioned that they had done around 2000+ incisions and would be inserting the grafts after lunch. We broke for lunch for about 20/30mins or so. I ate and at the same time was talking to the extremely friendly technicians. After lunch the work continued and at the same time I was watching the selected movies. Don’t really remember the first two films. I had selected the Batman series and I do remember during the Dark Knight, Dr Cooley saying a few dialogues which I found pretty funny. Dr Cooley and Brandy meticulously inserted the grafts for the next 7 hours. Yes it was that long but this is purely down to both being perfectionists. One thing to note the anaesthetic shots (I actually don’t remember where these were placed in the front, I assume around the forehead area) but a couple did hurt just slightly but literally lasts for 5/10 seconds. It really isn’t that bad at all! During the latter part of the procedure I was quite alert and conversing with both Cooley and Brandy. They are both amazing people and extremely friendly to talk to. They actually bounce off each other was really refreshing. I did joke with them that they are like husband and wife which they found quite funny! The last hour was probably the most discomforting mostly because I had been in the chair for almost 11 hours and my shoulders and neck were getting pretty sore. Again I ploughed through. We eventually finished the entire procedure around 20:30ish. I asked how many grafts I got and was told over 4000 which I was really happy about. Post op pictures were taken and I was shown the back of my head and the top. I was slightly nervous about strip and where it was being taken from and if it would be visible. I can honestly say that Dr Cooley and Brandy have done a fantastic job as I couldn’t find it at all. The top of the head looked pretty good considering I had over 4000 grafts inserted. I was given my post op instructions, shampoos, meds, my post op ATP spray which I needed to spray every hour and every 2 hours when sleeping for the first few days. Dr Cooley showed how it is to be done (very simple!) and he asks to put a cling film type thing on top immediately after to help with healing, keeping the grafts moist and for the spray not to evaporate. He calls it the ‘green house effect’. Once back at the hotel, I sprayed as instructed even through the night although not every hour, every two hours in fact. In terms of pain, I feel minimal pain around the strip. Out of ten, I would rate it a two/three. I’ve honestly taken a pain killer since the procedure and today is the day after. The strip area does feel numb which I fully expected and also expect this to subside over the coming weeks. Post-Op Day 1 As I said earlier I took a pain killer in the morning as I was expecting the pain to increase. However, after the pain killers had worn off I still felt the same, no increase at all. Since then I have had very slight plan on the left hand side of the strip. The rest of the donor area is still numb but pretty comfortable. I did notice minimal swelling above my eyes, nothing like what I have seen on the forums and defiantly nothing major. Dr Cooley advises to take two prednisone’s the following morning after the procedure which I did and the has gone down. As also mentioned above I’ve continued following Dr Cooley’s post op instructions in spraying the post op ATP spray every hour. I also got my hair washed at the clinic and what can I say, the work looks extremely clean. Just a few blood spots but generally it looks just how I expected the work to be. Amy who washed my hair even mentioned that she found it difficult find the scar as she needed to put some antibiotic cream on it. This was refreshing to hear! Dr Cooley came in after the hair wash and checked things over and he mentioned that all looked well and that it looks exactly how it should be. He also mentioned me as the ‘model’ patient as I barely moved in the surgical chair and also kept the whole team entertained (while I was awake of course!)!! I did ask how many grafts we managed to get and he advised that the final figure was 4108. I’ll get the break down later this week and will share. He also mentioned that he could get another strip of about 2000-3000 if needed and some FUE grafts after that (again if needed). Dr Cooley also recommends a Help Hair whey protein shake which I purchased and have started to take this as well. I just felt it cant do any harm. Any how the day has been pretty comfortable and very pain less. To summarise my experience so far, I’ve definitely had a great experience with Cooley and his team. They all work extremely hard and are very meticulous in everything they do. Cooley (and Brandy) is a perfectionist and wants everything to be 110% correct. I know the whole team has put in 110% effort so that I can achieve the desired result!! Dr Cooley and Brandy were by my side every time I would look up and I probably remember Cooley walking out for a short while but I am 110% confident that he was there and doing most of the work throughout the day!! It really does ease any anxieties when you know the lead doctor is there playing a pivotal part during the procedure and being so heavily involved! I’m on my iPad and will be receiving a CD with post / pre op photos which I will update later this week. I have some on my phone and again I will post later (just need to blank out the face). If anyone has any further questions, please feel free to ask here or PM me. Apologies for the long write up, I hope anyone considering Dr Cooley and his clinic finds this useful. If anyone is due for a procedure in the next forthcoming days with Cooley, I am staying at the hotel until Sunday and am more than happy to speak to anyone! -
Repair Surgery Questions - Graft removal, scarring and skin treatments
TjMiles270 posted a topic in Hair Transplant Experiences and Surgeon Reviews
I had a bad FUT procedure done last year 1000 grafts into the front and temples of my hairline. I also know that hair transplants are permanent, so I know there is no way to get these grafts off without some semblance of scarring. The question is, how bad? I had a consult with Dr. Cooley and another and both agreed that the grafts can be removed almost scarring would be minimal But I have googled this subject pretty tiresomely and what I have found on the internet is not so optimistic. There are not too many pictures that show successful FUE graft removal surgeries. I see a lot of graft redistribution photos and went through a bunch performed by One doctor. But with my specific issue there is little on the internet as far as photos that go with successful FUE graft removal that will allow me to realistic judge for myself how I think the scarring will look. Even more troubling is the prominent hair transplant surgeons in the field that have openly spoke against removing plugs via FUE. Doctors such as Feller, Dua, Pak and Rassman have all warned on forums not to have the procedure done. With all of this information to consider I would love your thoughts on plug removal via FUE. One way or another these grafts really need to come out and if my skin is in way too critical of a condition for electrolysis and I don’t want to deal with the fallout from getting a brow lift on my head. I see no other option. But with getting a 100 or so removed from the front portion of my hairline. What am I realistically looking at scar wise? I am honestly more concerned with my skin underneath the transplants. Dr. Cooley highly and I repeat highly recommended I get A cell done along with my repair. I have some ridging and I am very worried about pinning. Do you guys recommended anything for the skin I can do to help it look as natural as possible? Is A cell my best shot? Right now the plan is Graft Removal and redistribution further back on my hairline and with proper grafts, A cell and FUE scar repair - I have a nasty strip scar in the back to fill in. Thanks for the feedback and all the best always. -
3493 FUT Grafts, Jerry Cooley MD
orangehair replied to HairCenter's topic in Results Posted by Leading Hair Restoration Clinics
2 thumbs up! great documentation...kudos Dr. Cooley/team -
How Today's Hair Transplants Enhances Good Looks - Dr. Wong
Bill - Managing Publisher posted a topic in Dr. Wong Hair Transplant Videos
Dr. Jerry Wong shares a story of a real patient and how surgical hair restoration changed his life. -
Could you all recommend a doctor near Columbus, OH that's got proven results?
Triple7 replied to notsosure's topic in Hair Restoration Questions and Answers
Sorry for the delay notsosure and yes, I have had 2 transplants. I had a small one when I was younger several years ago and just got another 2000 FUT from Dr. Konior about a year and a half ago. I needed to add density/temple points and fix a weak hairline. I did a lot of research before I pulled the trigger the 2nd time and I was most impressed and very comfortable with Dr. Konior after going in for a consultation with him and having him exam my case. I have also seen & heard good things on his partner Dr. Nadimi, Dr. Gabel in Oregon, and Dr. Cooley in NC. -
I'm new to the forum and haven't read every post but wanted to get something out there about my experience, which I think will be unique to other posts. First, the reason I've decided to post at this time is that I went to Dr. Jerry Cooley in Charlotte NC, Monday 11/12/18 for a hairline extraction with the extracted hair being transplanted to the top of my head. Today is 11/15/18, the 4th day since my procedure, and I am happy with the results and have a lot of praise for Dr. Cooley and his staff. I have found there is more to this than just transplanting the hair. Dr. Cooley uses various methods to ensure maximum graft survival such as PRP + ACell and other "after procedure" protocols that I have not experienced. To complete my hair transplant plan, I will wait a few months and go back to Dr. Cooley to have my hairline refined using the FUT method from the sides of my head. I am sure a lot of you have questions about the procedure I had done and why I'm having an FUT instead of FUE for my next procedure. To explain further, let me give you a little history of how and why I got to where I am today. In the late 1980s I had developed a receding hairline and for the first time, I saw some newspaper advertisements for hair transplants. Remember, the internet wasn't around at that time so there were no pictures to see or patients to discuss this with. Convinced that everything would be okay, I contacted the surgeon and scheduled a "consultation", which really turned out to be just me scheduling my appointments (yes, that is plural with an "s"). I scheduled 4 appointments, 3 months apart, where numerous rather large plugs would be taken from the back of my head to create a new hairline. I underwent 3 of these procedures until I finally had enough. Every time new hair started to grow, I had to go back for more work, not to mention the combover hairstyle I had to use to cover everything up. I didn't want anyone to know what I was doing but I think they knew anyway. Fortunately for me, what I had done eventually grew in and with my existing hair, I was able to wear a fairly long natural looking Beatles type hairstyle for about 30 years. Even with that, I was always conscious of my "plugged" hairline and never let anyone touch it. And I always turned away when the wind blew in my face. Unfortunately, as I got older, my hairline kept retreating, and the hair on top of my head gradually got thinner. To help with the thinning, I got a prescription for Rogaine, which was required when I started. Later, I just bought minoxidil over the counter much cheaper. I also got a fill in procedure from another doctor 3 to 4 years ago that didn't go as wall as anticipated. That's all I have for not but if enough of you show interest, I will continue with more details about my 30 year hair transplant history and my current experience with Dr. Cooley in future posts.
-
My Hair Transplant History
gmax replied to gmax's topic in Hair Transplant Experiences and Surgeon Reviews
I just wanted to update my post to state that although I have experienced some shock loss, I am not negative. Dr. Cooley made me aware of the chance of this in advance of the procedure so I was prepared. I have seen posts on other sites where people act like something must have gone wrong for this to happen. I am not saying this, nothing went wrong. It's just the nature of the procedure and could happen to anyone. There has been no further hair loss and I feel this is a temporary situation that will correct itself in time. I don't know exactly how all this works but as amazing as it may seem, I can already see and feel stubble in this area like it's been newly shaved. I expect this hair will continue to grow longer and soon, none of this will be noticeable. I entered into this knowing it is a journey and that there will be roadblocks to overcome. I am still positive and pleased with the overall result of this procedure. Dr. Cooley did a great job and my scar is hardly noticeable with my hair combed normally. Like the Jimmy Buffett song says "Yesterday's over my shoulder so I can't look back for too long. There's just too much to see waiting in front of me and know that I just can't go wrong". I 'm not dwelling on the past, I am looking forward to my next procedure with Dr. Cooley to complete my new hairline journey. -
My Hair Transplant History
gmax replied to gmax's topic in Hair Transplant Experiences and Surgeon Reviews
It has been a little over two weeks since my first post to give some time for things to happen since this is a long process. For those that haven't read my first post, my procedure was different from the typical one. I had an FUT transplant from my hairline where an old plug procedure left me with what Dr. Cooley called a "wall of hair" that was never going to look natural. The hair removed from my hairline was used for grafts on the top of my head where my hair is thinning. After the forehead scar has healed sufficiently, Dr. Cooley will create a new more natural hairline using the FUT method from the sides of my head. As I wrote earlier, the old plug method plus other strip procedures left the back of my head pretty much harvested out. I was having no issues with the sutures or the transplanted hair and was following Dr. Cooley's protocol of spraying to keep the grafts moist every hour the first 24 hours and every two hours the next 48 hours. I didn't get much sleep for the first 3 days. I also applied antiseptic cream on the sutured area twice a day. I kept this up for the first week with longer intervals between spraying. Things were going very well. Allowing for the scar and scabbing, my new hairline looked pretty good and thick. Most of the transplanted hairs on the top of my head are still there and haven't shed. I went to Dr. Cooley's office Monday 11/26 to have the sutures removed from my forehead. About this time, I began losing hair at the front of my hairline in an area about 3 inches wide and an inch deep. These were not thinning terminal hairs but thick hairs previously transplanted. This is the only shock loss I have noticed so far but I'm concerned it will continue to spread. I have pictures on my phone I will try to upload so everyone can see and possibly comment. Thanks. -
Legends HT journey.. a true unbiased story. Let’s begin?
Melvin-Moderator replied to Legend007's topic in Hair Transplant Experiences and Surgeon Reviews
IMO H&W do great temple work, I have seen some really natural results. Generally, H&W are known for transplanting patients like myself with a large balding area. However, I don’t think they can’t be aggressive, so much as most of their cases wouldn’t benefit from it, if that makes sense. I would also encourage you to consult with other top docs such as Konoir, Cooley, Gabel. With that said, it’s a shame about Dr. Diep, because I do feel he would have done a great job on you. -
Repair Surgery Questions - Graft removal, scarring and skin treatments
TjMiles270 replied to TjMiles270's topic in Hair Transplant Experiences and Surgeon Reviews
Thank you for the response Bill. luck You are right about my skin tone, that and the fact that scarring for me has never really been a major issue. I have a tendency to heal well from scrapes and cuts. I even had 5 stiches on my forehead as a young kid and the scarring is practically invisible. I am more worried about the condition of my skin underneath these grafts and what it is going to look like once they are removed. ie. pinning, cobble stoning ect. After consulting with two top doctors in the field and coming back with the same objective conclusion - that electrolysis or lasing is not a viable option for me (unfortunately). They it would not be recommended based on the condition that my skin is already in. The two options presented were FUEing some off or cutting them completely out. The former would be much less drastic than the later obviously - and I feel like I really need to do something. Since a lot of my repair work requires a skilled FUE surgeon I was leaning on the aforementioned "doctor' whose name I am not allowed to post on this forum for reasons I am not sure...since he is known to be a wizard when it comes to FUE. Although I have consulted with Cooley and I am looking into Dr. Bisanga from Topcat hair repair. I just want to put myself in the best possible position to get the best possible repair surgery that I can. Which from the doctors I have consulted will be FUE graft removal of some of the bad plugs - possible plug re distribution, A cell therapy and filling in my FUT scar. If you have any recommendations on other doctors or avenues I should look into, I would be happy to hear it. I am lucky to still have a lot of hair on my head, I would love to actually style it again or take advantage of it without all these awful coarse grafts covering it in the front. I would love to put all of this behind me and appreciate what I have while I have it and if I lose hair in the future...so be it. Ce la vie. I wish I could go back in time and never get the horrible FUT procedure I that got...but I can't go back. All I can do is try and move forward. All best. -
My Hair Transplant History
Triple7 replied to gmax's topic in Hair Transplant Experiences and Surgeon Reviews
Congratulations on choosing a great doctor. Living with a crappy result for multiple years is way worse than being bald. I experienced it and it’s very hard to deal with the constant stress and worry. Dr. Cooley does top notch work and you will look much better in the future. Good luck with everything and thanks for posting your story. -
Surgeon For Black American/Caribbean hair
CannonScott posted a topic in Hair Transplant Experiences and Surgeon Reviews
Hello I'm a new member. I had an HT at NHI about 10yrs ago. I was disatified with it. It wasn't terrible but results were ok. I'm researching the next surgeon for my next HT. I really want a doctor who is experienced with Black or carribean hair. Dr Diep has been my first choice although his waiting list is kind of outrageous. He's booking out into July 2019. Someone recommend Craig Ziering to me but I'm not sold on him. I saw Dr. Cooley's name but I haven't seen many before and after of Black patients. Are there any other Doctors that you guys think I should consider? -
Repair Surgery Questions - Graft removal, scarring and skin treatments
Bill - Managing Publisher replied to TjMiles270's topic in Hair Transplant Experiences and Surgeon Reviews
TJ miles, I don’t think anybody can tell you for sure how much scarring you will have as a lot of it will depend on your physiology and your tendency for scarring. That said, when you’ve got and scrapes and cuts or other marks, how has the scarring been? Is it typically minimal or is scoring pretty obvious on you? This will give you at least some idea. Now, when follicular units are extracted via FUE, it will leave little whites scars but, since your complexion is also pretty white, it might be fairly noticeable. Dr. Cooley is right, ACell does help with minimizing appearance of scoring so that may be the best route to go. On the other hand, if you I have no need to redistribute the follicular units, you could go the laser hair removal or electrolysis route which should minimize scarring even more. I don’t know that anything is truly scarless but this is something to look into. best wishes, Bill -
1735 FUE Grafts (3,424 hairs) - 10 month results
PeloDinero replied to benji2014's topic in Hair Restoration Results Posted by Patients
This was Dr. Cooley? -
Surgeon For Black American/Caribbean hair
CannonScott posted a topic in Hair Transplant Experiences and Surgeon Reviews
Hello I'm a new member. I had an HT at NHI about 10yrs ago. I was disatified with it. It wasn't terrible but results were ok. I'm researching the next surgeon for my next HT. I really want a doctor who is experienced with Black or carribean hair. Dr Diep has been my first choice although his waiting list is kind of outrageous. He's booking out into July 2019. Someone recommend Craig Ziering to me but I'm not sold on him. I saw Dr. Cooley's name but I haven't seen many before and after of Black patients. Are there any other Doctors that you guys think I should consider? -
1800 Grafts, FUT, Male, Dr. Jerry Cooley, October 2018
PayingItForward posted a topic in Hair Transplant Experiences and Surgeon Reviews
Hey there friends~ I wanted to say thanks to everyone here for providing such a positive forum. As I began searching for the best hair transplant surgeons in the country, this forum was invaluable to me finding Dr. Jerry Cooley in Charlotte, North Carolina, of Carolina Dermatology. So I'm paying it forward by sharing just a few words about my own amazing experience. I'll probably have some photos to share later, but for now just wanted to write a little. I visited four different surgeons across a span of six months, before eventually finding Dr. Cooley--again, this site was very helpful in doing so! When I discovered Dr. Cooley's office, I knew it was the one. From the very beginning, I was given the most thorough discussion of the procedure by Patient Coordinator Lollie, who was also more helpful to me than anyone before her in what else I could be doing in the meantime, including starting Nizoral and Teva (and the exact dosing so as to limit or not even cause side effects--of which I have had none since beginning 4 months ago). The entire process leading up to the surgery was smooth, seamless, and the utmost professional. Day of surgery: Everything was so completely peaceful and yes, painless. The staff, including Brandi, Stephanie, Amy, and others whose name I didn't catch, were all incredible. Dr. Cooley and I consulted a little before the surgery and agreed upon the final hairline restoration, and I always had complete faith in him and his process. I had never had any type of surgery before, so this was a big deviation from anything else in my life, but it was something I had wanted for a very long time, about 20 years honestly. I had just had very light recession beginning then and even up to now (wasn't on anything like finasteride or Nizoral whatsoever). I just knew that doing something surgically would overall improve how I look, feel. We began at about 7:30am and were finished by 5:30pm. It was honestly so easy (as a patient!). Incredibly relaxing environment, and again, amazing staff and doctor. I left that day knowing I had made such a monumentally great decision for myself. If anyone from Dr. Cooley's office is reading this, thank you from the big animal-lover. You are amazing!!! And so kind. And to everyone who helps maintain these forums and contributes to them, thank you for all of the invaluable information you help provide as well. Thanks for the uplifting, mature discussion, and thank you for recommending Dr. Cooley in so many posts. For anyone looking for an incredible patient experience and high quality work (and I can only imagine how thrilled I'll really be in about a year) I can now also add my recommendation to Dr. Jerry Cooley and his team. -
1800 Grafts, FUT, Male, Dr. Jerry Cooley, October 2018
Pete-from-Farjo replied to PayingItForward's topic in Hair Transplant Experiences and Surgeon Reviews
Congrats. Dr. Cooley does impressive work. Happy growing. -
2000 FUT & FUE with Dr. Jerry Cooley
HTREGRETS posted a topic in Hair Transplant Experiences and Surgeon Reviews
It's been a long time coming....over 13 years to be exact. I'm not going to rehash my previous stories, you can look them up on my previous threads. However, I am happy to say I have FINALLY repaired the Bosley mistake I made when I was only 21! I just got home from a long day at Dr. Cooley's office! I got there at 7AM, and they worked on me diligently until 6:45PM. I'm a little exhausted to say the least, so I'm not going to give drawn out details, just some bullet points: Customer Care: Impeccable. Dr. Cooley and his team were at my side every step of the way. Pain: Basically non-existent. And, I was very lucid for almost the entire procedure. I remember being blacked out when I had my Bosley procedure years ago...no clue what was going on. Atmosphere: Dr. Cooley's office is in a major medical center in Charlotte, NC. It's connected to a hospital. You could not feel more comfortable and confident in the setting. Procedure: Started with the strip removal, then incisions, followed by graft placements. Dr. Cooley was by my side at least 95% of the entire procedure, regardless of what was happening. And I have complete faith in his assistants. His lead assistant Brandi has been with him for 18 years! THE BEST PART!: I paid for 2000 grafts, but was adamant about not elongating my existing scar over a certain length. Dr. Cooley complied, and we fell short of the purchased grafts by roughly 225. Dr. Cooley performed a non-shaven FUE on me for the remainder of the grafts....and did not charge me the extra expense for this type of procedure even though I insisted on it. Overall: As a repair patient and someone EXTREMELY critical of this entire industry, my experience today could not have been any better. Of course, I'm now on to the waiting game. Attached are before pictures from last night, and post-surgery pics from 15 minutes ago. Any feedback is greatly appreciated! PS: Thank you for all of the support from fellow members of these forums, other clinics, and clinic representatives over the years. You know who you are and I can't thank you enough! -
2,500 FUE grafts with Dr. Cooley (11/27/17)
buzzbee posted a topic in Hair Restoration Results Posted by Patients
Had a great experience with Dr. Cooley. I was in conversation with their office for months and scheduled my 2,500 FUE procedure with PRP/ACell on 11/27/17. Prior to the procedure, Dr. Cooley and I discussed my goals and where I wanted my hairline to be and we were in agreement on that. I was not going for an unrealistic hairline, just a reinforced one that filled in empty spots. He then took a series of photos and then shaved the back and sides of my head to do the extraction. He left the top unshaved which is good as it helps disguise the grafts and then went to work. Post Op Care The one issue I ran into day 1 post op was I woke up with some blood on my graft area which freaked me out. I've been sleeping with a neck pillow and spent the first few nights sleeping on a chair, with a surgeon's cap on, so not sure what happened. I called Dr. Cooley right away and I was able to come in that morning and his assistant fixed the issue and did a cleaning. He took a look at it as well and saw it was fine, which was a big relief. I stayed 2 more days and they were kind enough to do cleanings each of those days, which was great as I was super nervous about doing that myself. Dr. Cooley took professional photos pre-op, post-op and 3 days later and gave me a CD with them. They gave me a big spray bottle which includes saline and basically helps heal the grafts/scalp and instructed me to spray every hour while awake and every 2 hours while asleep. Today is day 7 and I've been continuing that process although not as frequently. I've noticed for some folks that their grafts crust up in a few days and mine still haven't, which they say is a good thing. I have washed daily with the conditioner they provided which has copper peptides. I read that a lot of people also use baby shampoo which I might do. I also am taking the Help Hair Protein shake his office recommends and continuing propecia. I sent their office some photos from today and they said it looked good. The one minor thing is the back of my head where all the FUE grafts were extracted started to become pretty uncomfortable on day 3, which was weird that it took so long and was basically throbbing daily and a bit hard to sleep on until day 7. Tylenol helped a bit, but not much. Thankfully I took 2 weeks of vacation so I could deal with all this. I read some folks use aloe vera on the donor area. Not sure if it's worth doing at this point. Final Thoughts So overall I'm very pleased with my experience with Dr. Cooley and his staff. He's very friendly and professional as is his staff. I've been a regular on this forum for a few years and finally got the procedure done. I did a ton of research before I went with Dr. Cooley and he fit what I was looking for. He has many years of experience and is almost unanimously praised on this forum. His photo and video results are great as well. I like that he's also on the cutting edge of PRP and ACell. I know it's early days, but I'm pretty satisfied. Can't wait until 3-4 months when the hair starts to grow. But just trying to get to the 10 day point where the grafts become secure then I can start to sleep more normally and not wear button shirts every day. Photo link is below. I'm going to try to update monthly until a year. Feel free to ask any questions. -
Do I appear to have good chest hair for HT?
silent replied to silent's topic in Hair Restoration Questions and Answers
Honestly I think Dr. Cooley's NW7 HT doesn't look good on a young guy. I wonder if it is better to just reach NW4 instead of trying to get full coverage. Like leave the whole of the front alone and trying to fill up the back of the head. It would depend on the face. Like the image below. This is slightly worse than Iniesta. Oh well, looks like there is not much hope for a young guy reaching high NW and can't take Finasteride. -
Do I appear to have good chest hair for HT?
Melvin-Moderator replied to silent's topic in Hair Restoration Questions and Answers
You bring Iniesta as a frame of reference however, you fail to realize that his balding pattern is a Norwood 5A which means his crown and sides are significantly higher than a Norwood 7. A true Norwood 7 like Behappy would require a complete lateral hump re-construction as well as closing in the crown just to have the same pattern as Iniesta. That would take a few thousand grafts itself, not to mention the grafts that would need to be placed on top. Here is a Dr. Cooley result which would highlight what Norwood 7 could look like given a good surgeon and good donor density. -
Please see my other thread here for the original story: http://www.hairrestorationnetwork.com/eve/187676-28-yr-frontal-transplant-~2100-graft-8-months.html 3 pictures are the night post-op from Dr. Cooley. The last is my picture from post-op the night of surgery with Mcgrath when I had it 1.5 years ago. I just had my transplant with Dr. Cooley to fix my previous transplant from Dr. Mcgrath who did give me a 50% refund and apologized for the procedure. I did appreciate him doing that. However, in hindsight and after this experience I could not possibly recommend the clinic. Dr. Cooley is beyond thorough and I can't thank him enough. Here's how the day went. He started by spending over 30 minutes discussing exactly what I wanted while actively encouraging me to show examples to him and explain all of my concerns We then moved into his photo area where he himself took the photos (a tech took them in my last procedure). Then he spent ~30 minutes analyzing my hair from every angle, measuring my head and hairline, and discussing what may be needed as long as I was okay with it. At the end of this, it was decided my hairline was created too low, with far too little density, along with grafts being thicker one hair grafts then he would have used. He later told me the procedure was more complex then he expected because of the high density I was looking for, the tough scar tissue, and over 200 grafts having to be removed all along my hairline with electrolysis to really clean it up and create a more appropriate hairline to match my head shape and facial structure. I can already tell! (those are the red splotches at the front). I'd prefer a higher hairline with more density any day over a lower one and thankfully he agreed. After this discussion, we moved into his surgical room, he spent a long time carefully removing the strip and old scar. He had to take extra care because there was a lot of scar tissue and he did not want to transect any follicles. He closed up the donor using a double tricho closure and also stuffed it full with Acell to further promote healing. I am to keep the suture in for 3 weeks, it was only 10 days on my last procedure. I am confident this will greatly help with keeping my scar from stretching. From there he started creating incision using different size tools based on where the hair was placed, this was an extremely methodical process with only maybe 50% being done then, while the rest were created later using the stick and place method. ~5 techs dissected hairs delicately into 4 categories. FINE single hairs, normal single hairs, doubles, and triples or higher. The fine single hairs are especially important for me because of my coarse dark hair on light skin. Then, we took a lunch break with an amazing lunch they wheeled in for me. After lunch he injected PRP all along my scalp to help with thinning areas and also promote healing where he placed the graft and in the donor area. Finally, they started with graft placement. The amazing thing to me was that Dr. Cooley was there every step of the way. I believe he actually placed the majority of the grafts himself, I mean it when I say this guy is a machine. It is absolutely amazing what he does and how well practiced the process felt from start to finish. After that, he gave me a bag of medication, topical solutions, and sprays. This also included very detailed instructions all nicely written down for every step. He went over them verbally with me as well. Truly a night and day experience. I think the post op photos here will speak for themselves. NOTE: Again, the large red splotches are from electrolysis removal of old grafts. These should fully heal in less then a week.
-
2000 grafts FUE (8 months and 2 weeks) result
Melvin-Moderator replied to newpatient99's topic in Hair Transplant Experiences and Surgeon Reviews
I get this question a lot and to be honest, lists are always difficult to compile, because hairline design has a lot to do with the artistry of a surgeon. There are so many surgeons that I see providing excellent results, that it is hard to choose one let alone three. Also, the hairline designs that I like you may not like as much, it's very subjective. In North America, there is Dr. Konoir, Dr. Rahal, Hasson and Wong, Dr. Cooley, Dr. Diep, Dr. Gabel, just to name a few.
