Regular Member Danny Posted February 7, 2002 Regular Member Share Posted February 7, 2002 Hi All, I'm thinking of having a HT done with DR Bernstien at the NY office and wonder if any body has their HT done with him before ?? Any information will be appreciated. Thanks, Danny Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Regular Member Danny Posted February 7, 2002 Author Regular Member Share Posted February 7, 2002 Hi All, I'm thinking of having a HT done with DR Bernstien at the NY office and wonder if any body has their HT done with him before ?? Any information will be appreciated. Thanks, Danny Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Thinning Posted February 13, 2002 Share Posted February 13, 2002 I was also thinking about using him.I am thinking about the Fort Lee office. He was featured on the Discovery Channel. The website is very impressive. Let me know what you here and good luck Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted February 13, 2002 Share Posted February 13, 2002 guys,i had an ht done by dr. b 6 weeks ago.he is very skilled and very confident in his approach to the fut procedure.i had 1300 grafts placed in the front and at the 6 week point am happy so far. not because at 6 weeks i have all my hair back,but because things are much easier than i had thought. this was my 1st ht and i had alot of anxiety and worry prior to doing this,and am so relieved that it is such a simple procedure.there was virtually no pain,no swelling and everything so far is right on schedule.at 6 weeks i have shedded 80% of ht hair and look the same as i did prior to ht,which is a good thing,some of the ht hairs are still hanging in there growing everyday,but it is a mere waiting game here on out ,if it bothers you that much than go for it,it's a piece of cake.i'm more than happy to answer any questions you may have good luck> Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Regular Member Danny Posted February 13, 2002 Author Regular Member Share Posted February 13, 2002 Hi Figsy, Thanks you so much for the reply. I'm having a consultant with him soon and i'm appreciated if you could answer me the following question . - How many nurses has they assign to work on you ?? - How much time did DR. Bernstien spend working on you during the procedure ?? Thanks, Danny Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted February 13, 2002 Share Posted February 13, 2002 danny i'll give you a brief overview on what you can expect as this will answer your questions.when arriving the day of procedure,a nurse will give you some pills to relax you,shortly after you will go into the room of the procedure and the nurse will begin to give you the injections all around your head front and back,as this is the most unpleasant part of the procedure,it is not that bad so don't have too much anxiety over this. somewhere in the area of 10 -20 minutes later dr b will come and go over the ht area with you,and without me even knowing or feeling he had excised the donor strip,i remember saying to him are you going to take out the strip soon,and he replied its done and your stitched up,funny cause i remember him behind me momentarily yet i felt nothing,not even a prick.at that time he gives the strip to the techs to dissect and get the grafts ready for placement,shortly after dr.b will start to make the recipient sites for the grafts to be placed.he will do this several times as obviosly there is a small degree of bleeding that needs to be blotted and cleaned each time he makes recipient sites.once he is through making the sites,the techs will begin graft placing which is the most time consuming of the procedure.there were about 5 techs rotating the placement of the grafts.dr. b does all the cutting and the techs place all the grafts.the cutting ofcoarse depicts how the ht will turn out and that is what he does. as far as seeing alot of him that day,he is usually doing 2 or 3 procedures at once at least in fort lee he is equipped to do more than one at once.during my ht,i had 1300 grafts while another was getting 2600 grafts.but once the cutting is done it's virtually 4 - 6 hours of placement by the techs,which is probably more tedious than skill as far as that goes.definately go to a seminar and see actual patients and if possible i actually saw a procedure taking place which to me was a tremendous help in relieving my tension about the procedure,you actually talk to a patient as the grafts are being placed,amazing how neat and clean the whole thing is.you can check back with me if you have any other questions my advice,if it really is starting to get to you to the point where you can't stand looking at yourself than go for it,it really was much easier than i had thought and i am eagerly awaiting the final result.your in good hands,go for it! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
al Posted February 13, 2002 Share Posted February 13, 2002 Dear figsy: Could you tell me if Dr B. used microsurgical scalpel to make the incisions or a stick device. And, was he making the incisions very fast or was going at a slow pace. thank you al Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted February 14, 2002 Share Posted February 14, 2002 al he uses an instrument the size of an 18-20 gauge needle and he goes very fast in making them.i thought he was bionic,he was going so fast,he'll do this several times,allowing a few minutes between each round as he makes the recipient sites.they do seem like little slits as they are being made and you actually hear them being done,kinda like a crunching sound,but it is painless as he does this. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
al Posted February 14, 2002 Share Posted February 14, 2002 hey figsy, what you are describing is exactly what I experienced. The "crunching noise". Bionic man is an accurate description. I think that is why the tissue trauma is minimal and the recovery so fast. thanks again Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Regular Member Danny Posted February 21, 2002 Author Regular Member Share Posted February 21, 2002 Hi figsy, I will be having HT done with DR Berstien next week and would you to give me some inside info. 1. how long it take your donor scar to heal ? 2. How long did all the recipient scar fall off 3. Do you have any experience of shock fall out ? thanks, Danny Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted February 21, 2002 Share Posted February 21, 2002 danny, i'll answer your ?'s in the order you asked them. 1) donor scar will heal as far as it being closed in about 2 to 3 weeks,however you will have a small degree of throb or numbness for a couple of months,i'm at 6 1/2 weeks and i still have a slight throb in donor area but it is not painful just annoying. 2)you said recipient scar,i think you meant scabs in recipient area as there is no scarring in recipient area.the scabs will take 2 to 3 weeks to fall off,they say a week but it'longer,not that it's a big deal,just the truth.the skin in recipient area heals completely at week 4 or 5 to the point where no-one will know you had ht, but that will take a month if going into bald skin without any hair to cover up grafts. 3)as far as shock fallout i have not had any, but that is something that seems to difer between individuals,some do some don't. i woulnn't worry about that too much. let me know what norwood type you are and how many grafts you are scheduled for.good luck,you'll do fine. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Regular Member Danny Posted February 21, 2002 Author Regular Member Share Posted February 21, 2002 Hi Figsy, Once again thanks you for the reply it really make me feel better and prepare me for the procedure. I guess i was in the class of 5/5A in the norwood scal and DR Bernstien recommend that i need 2000 grafts for the 1st procedure . I still have some here left on the front which i could comb back and forth which is probably good use to cover all the redness or scab. By the way please excuse my english cuz this my second language. 1. Did Dr. Bernstien cut any here to make the inciesion or he just make his way through it ?? 2. Do you have to go back to see in the next day after the procedure ?? 3. what kind closure that he use on you to close the donor area ?? 4. how log ago that u have your done and how many graft you have ?? thanks, danny Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted February 21, 2002 Share Posted February 21, 2002 danny Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted February 21, 2002 Share Posted February 21, 2002 danny 1)he'll trim the hair with a razor,it's not noticeable so don't woory. 2)you can and should go for a 1 week checkup to make sure everything is ok,he'll go over it with you. 3)he uses absorbable stitches so the dissolve on their own. 4)it will be 7 weeks tommorrow and i had 1300 grafts done,it's all fine on my end,and i'm starting to have some hairs grow in already. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted February 22, 2002 Share Posted February 22, 2002 I hope y'all don't mind, but as I was reading the trail of messages there was something I wanted to mention. While figsy did not experience any shock loss, he is correct in that it differs between individuals. I had 2800 FU's on Feb 4th. Shock Loss was something I definitely read about on this web site but did not pay enough attention to. I to had some hair on top that I intended on using to comb over any redness/scabs. Alot of this hair was from old PLUGS put in during the 1980's. All of this hair is now gone. I'm 18 days post op. There is nothing to comb anymore. This of course is devastating to me. Not because I never heard about shock loss, but because of how much I experience. I even have alot of shock loss around the donor area. Danny, you may or may not get affected by shock loss, but I saw you mentioned that you had some hair you could use to cover anything. If I were you, just in case, I would be prepared for the possibility of losing some of that hair to shock loss. I hope you don't. Good Luck. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Regular Member Danny Posted February 22, 2002 Author Regular Member Share Posted February 22, 2002 Hi Midnite, Thanks you for the info. i have been using Propecia for a bout two months and i hope it could stop it from shock lost .. Do you know what cause the shock lost ? danny Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted February 22, 2002 Share Posted February 22, 2002 Hi Danny, I've been using Propecia for over 2 years. Prior to my surgery, I'd say it did a decent job of "additional" hair loss. However, I do not believe that Propecia will prevent Shock Loss. Experiencing shock loss is person dependent. I experienced a temendous amount. Other don't experience any. It just depends. My only reason for adding to this post was to prepare you for "potential" shock loss. It something that can happen with HT's, and it definetly happened to me. As mentioned, I was prepared to used existing hair to comb over the newly transplanted FU's. Unfortunately for me, and this may not happen to you, but these existing hairs are gone due to Shock Loss. It was devastating to me because I did not want anybody to know I had FU's. Using the hair to comb over was my way out. But...can't do it now. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Regular Member Danny Posted February 26, 2002 Author Regular Member Share Posted February 26, 2002 Hi Figsy, I appreciated if you could answer me this question. 1. Do you have any cobbleston, bump on the recipient ?? 2. If not, How many night that u have to sleep at 45 degree angle ?? thanks, Danny Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted February 26, 2002 Share Posted February 26, 2002 Originally posted by Danny: Hi All, I'm thinking of having a HT done with DR Bernstien at the NY office and wonder if any body has their HT done with him before ?? Any information will be appreciated. Thanks, Danny Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted February 27, 2002 Share Posted February 27, 2002 hey danny, 1)i don't have the cobblestoning bumps,which are very unsightly and are deep ridges and groves that you see in those dredded repair photos.you will get tiny pin like indents that the grafts are placed in they are so tiny and probably dissappear eventually,i am 2 months post op on friday,so what i am telling you is from my account and from my experience,everyone is different.i see you were also concerned about the shock loss. i did not have any,and as a matter of fact people have said my hair looks thicker since the ht.but you hear of guys like midnight who are having lots of trouble,again we're all different.my theory,and again this is my theory ,no evidence on this whatsoever is if you are an excellent healer,meaning when you get a cut,scratch, abrasion,pulled muscle etc.and recover exceptionally fast,clean and well,you'll recover quicker and with less post op issues than someone who takes a long time to heal up and is frail.this only makes sense with the ht procedure,heck you're getting cut in lots of places and also i feel this could be said for shock loss as well,a healthier person may keep more hair cause they are not as sensitive to the trauma.again just my silly theory that could probably easily be debunked. 2)about the 45 degree angle,for me it was about 3 days,i actually slept on the couch 3 nights cause i didn't want my girlfriend bothering me or viceversa.the first few days is a little tough don't let anyone convince you otherwise,but it's not as bad as you may imagine.in the end i at least hope it was worth it,keep in mind i'm only 2 months post op,so i don't really have too much to show for yet.i will keep ya all posted. let me know when your appointment with dr.b is for the ht. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted March 5, 2002 Share Posted March 5, 2002 danny, on feb21st you said you were seeing dr. b next week,if so let us know how it went.give us some feedback on your experience. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Regular Member Danny Posted March 11, 2002 Author Regular Member Share Posted March 11, 2002 Hi Figsy, I have had HT done by DR Bernstien last week and it went very well. I experience so little of swelling. Like you said i have slept in the 45 degrees position for 3 days. So far i have lost four grafts, i don't know what i do wrong.. in the direction they said that i must clean the transplant area twice per days and what about after the three days should i only clean 1 or still applie twice per day ?? What concern me the most is that i probably patting on the tranplant area little hard or little bit faster that why i have lost those four grafts.. i hope i did not damage any other grafts . Could you please tell me how you take care your transplant area ?? Is it possible that i patting and rolling to hard that have cause other grafts from not fully sit then it won't grow ?? Is your HT hair starting to shed yet ?? When do you stop using Bacitracin Ointment on the donor area ? Thanks, danny Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted March 11, 2002 Share Posted March 11, 2002 danny, i'm glad to hear it went well.wish you would have spoken sooner,but glad it went well.as far as the showering,i was very nervous about loosing grafts so when showering i held my hands in front of the shower nozzle and let the water trickle down on my head.be very very gentle the first few days as it takes a week before they are cemented in.i was so nervous about loosing grafts the 1st few days i only showered 1 time a day cause i did not want to lose even 1.i think i only lost 1,but who can be sure.lightly just touch the ht area and don't let the water directly hit your head unless you are past the first week then you can be more agressive showering.do not press your fingernails or fingers tips when shampooing for a month,be gentle and smart when in the shower.no rubbing the recipient area for a month,the donor area you can gently rub and should be somewhat agressive.use the bacitracin on scar for at least 2 weeks.if you are loosing grafts it's cause you being too rough,relax and be gentle the 1st month.yes all my hairs fell out after 4 to 6 weeks,and now i'm 2months 1 week post op and some hairs are starting to regrow, nothing major just say 50 to 100 grafts starting to show as black dots and actually a few hairs never fell and just kept growing like weeds.keep us posted ,but remember to be gentle,you spent a ton of money on the ht,you want all you paid for,so be gentle.how many grafts did you get, how long were u there,how many others was dr. b doing that day.give us all some details on your experience if you can. congrats & good healing. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted March 11, 2002 Share Posted March 11, 2002 Another idea about showering. I think it is important to start using fingertips gently to work the crusts off the head after 10 days or so. I think the goal should be to have all crusts off by 14 days or so. Which is when most sutures or staples come off. Soaking the recipient area with a damp wash-cloth 1/2 hour before shower and then stand under shower for 10 to 15 minutes. This loosens up crusts before you shampooing. Just a thought Ron Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Regular Member Danny Posted March 11, 2002 Author Regular Member Share Posted March 11, 2002 Hi Thanks all for the reply. I was schedule for 2000 grafts but since my donor density was below average 1.7 then i only get 1615 grafts instead. Dr B working on two peoples that day which other person i believe smaller case then me. they start working on me from 8:00 AM to 5:00 PM i was there the whole day. My healing process went very well but what really get me the most is that i have lost four grafts and i don't know if i have damage any other grafts as well. By patting little bit harder on the transplant area do you think it might cause the follicle to rise about the skin surface and cause it not to regrow ??? thanks, danny Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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