Picture History - Dhuge (6 months post op)

[dhuge67]

Troy, you've made some encouraging and welcomed comments but you do like to pound the drum on the whole "not much changes after 4 months" thing. From the looks of most other people's transplants, there are huge differences from 6-12-14 months.

[tkerr22]

I think it's a case by case issue. In Troy's case I don't see a huge difference from 4 to 8 months, but I think the temples are the biggest difference from pre HT to now. I know in my last HT it was around 4 months I started to see noticeable differences all the way to about 9 months or so. At that point I'm sure there was still some growth just not the sprouting I saw in that 5 month period. Hang in there Dhuge, and I don't think Troy was saying that everyone doesn't see much growth after 4 months, just in his case

[Jotronic]

Mrjb,

 

Conservative is a relative term when it comes to hair transplantation. This term seems to be continuously pushed however as those doctors that were saying 2000 grafts was just too damned much and all of it wouldn't grow just a few years ago are now saying "Hey, 2000 is great and in fact may not be enough". I'm paraphrasing of course but you get my meaning.

 

The example of using 5000 grafts is not an accurate one much less are megasessions in general. When doctors that can perform true megasessions look at a patient they are not contemplating how best to waste the donor area. Far from it. They are trying to figure out the best route to address the problem in one shot.

 

Take a NW5 or higher. Of course, we want to get the most grafts in one session as is safely possible so that the patient need not have unnecessary downtime, scarring, expense etc. like that which he would experience with, say, three smaller procedures. I think that this makes sense to the majority of you and there is no argument.

 

But what about the patient that has hairloss that places him at about a NW3? Any doctor that is worth his weight in grafts would NOT overdue it by putting so many grafts into the area of loss that it would compromise the future. A good doctor would place enough grafts into the area to get it done right the first time. The right density, the right coverage weighed against what is estimated to be left in the donor bank and weighed against estimated future hairloss. It is not an exact science but keeping all of this in mind the work will not be done so that if the patient does lose more hair the work will look odd. Hairlines should be kept high enough so that they are mature in nature without temples that are found on teenagers.

 

There is always a chance that more work may be needed and anyone getting into this in the way of surgery must understand that they are locked in to the possibility of more work in the future. If they approach this correctly though, with a doctor that has a proven track record of cases like this, then they will be in the best possible position to get the results they want with the least amount of scarring, the least amount of downtime and the least expense. THAT is what megasessions are all about in the right hands.

[Jotronic]

dhuge67,

 

Six months is a good milestone but as you've already heard, you do have some more imrovement to look forward to. At six months most patients do see the majority of the results as far as new growth but the grafts you have will thicken in their diameter giving you an overall improvement.

 

Your plan is wise to give it more time before you look at a new game plan. Stay on the meds and continue reading and participating. Your presence and documentation is helping others as it should.

[dhuge67]

Originally posted by Jotronic:

dhuge67,

 

Six months is a good milestone but as you've already heard, you do have some more imrovement to look forward to. At six months most patients do see the majority of the results as far as new growth but the grafts you have will thicken in their diameter giving you an overall improvement.

 

Your plan is wise to give it more time before you look at a new game plan. Stay on the meds and continue reading and participating. Your presence and documentation is helping others as it should.

Thanks Joe - will do.

[troy]

dhuge67 , I was saying everyones results, only commenting on what I saw from my own expirience, sorry if I confused you. I am like you still learning about all of this. It really is quite a journey. i am also contemplating my next move and seeking wisdom from people on this forum, sorry if i came accross negitive towards you.

[dhuge67]

Originally posted by troy:

dhuge67 , I was saying everyones results, only commenting on what I saw from my own expirience, sorry if I confused you. I am like you still learning about all of this. It really is quite a journey. i am also contemplating my next move and seeking wisdom from people on this forum, sorry if i came accross negitive towards you.

It's cool - I've just seen some big differences in people's results from month 6 to month 12.

[John_in_NC]

dhuge67,

what % went in the center as supposed to just the temple area? I am trying to see what density you got in the temples.

 

Originally posted by dhuge67:

Originally posted by troy:

dhuge67 , I was saying everyones results, only commenting on what I saw from my own expirience, sorry if I confused you. I am like you still learning about all of this. It really is quite a journey. i am also contemplating my next move and seeking wisdom from people on this forum, sorry if i came accross negitive towards you.

It's cool - I've just seen some big differences in people's results from month 6 to month 12.

[hrthr]

I am about 1 week shy of seven months, I have seen most of the new growth I am going to see I think. I am hoping for much more thicking of the hair as it seems very thin up front.

[dhuge67]

Originally posted by John_in_NC:

dhuge67,

what % went in the center as supposed to just the temple area? I am trying to see what density you got in the temples.

 

Originally posted by dhuge67:

Originally posted by troy:

dhuge67 , I was saying everyones results, only commenting on what I saw from my own expirience, sorry if I confused you. I am like you still learning about all of this. It really is quite a journey. i am also contemplating my next move and seeking wisdom from people on this forum, sorry if i came accross negitive towards you.

It's cool - I've just seen some big differences in people's results from month 6 to month 12.

I think MOST of it went in the temple region. I'd guess about 20 fus/cm2.

[John_in_NC]

wow. Looks pretty good for 20 /cm2. Do you think that at 40-50, the hair would look normal /as not thinning with a buzz cut?

Originally posted by dhuge67:

I think MOST of it went in the temple region. I'd guess about 20 fus/cm2.

[Jotronic]

Mrjb,

 

When one gets a megasession of about 5000 grafts they are not getting all of it into their hairline. Those cases are usually undergone to address larger areas where 1500 to 2000 grafts are simply not enough. Going in over and over for smaller sessions leads to more downtime, more scarring, more expense and a lack of results overall. I'm sure you'd agree that a NW6 would be wasting his time with 1500 grafts.

[John_in_NC]

I agree. By a certain age one can easily tell where you are headed as far as baldness goes. Look around at your family members, map your hairloss, plan as the existing hair doesn't exist and pack it with new grafts once in for all. Start from the hairline and move up with less density. If you need correction surgery, do it via FUE or another small strip years later. Even a Nw 7 can find 1000 or so FUE, not to mention body hair in between. Doing 4-5 mini strips sucks IMO.

 

 

Originally posted by Jotronic:

Mrjb,

 

When one gets a megasession of about 5000 grafts they are not getting all of it into their hairline. Those cases are usually undergone to address larger areas where 1500 to 2000 grafts are simply not enough. Going in over and over for smaller sessions leads to more downtime, more scarring, more expense and a lack of results overall. I'm sure you'd agree that a NW6 would be wasting his time with 1500 grafts.

[Guest Landen]

Time will tell the consequences of these large procedures. Planning or not there is going to be a whole hell of alot of unhappy patients looking for corrective surgeries in 5 to 10 years time. The crap is going to hit the fan when technology changes as it always does. There will be a better method for hair transplant or cloning or whatever and the people who supposedly caught their hairloss early so they can enjoy it while their young are going to be kicking themselves in their rear. Remember people: 4 mm plugs, multi blade excision, mini grafts, micrografts, single blade excision, fue, now hair multiplication...technology is always changing. Most of these doctors will be retired and on the beach even if HM put them out of business tomorrow. The docs can occupy themselves by looking at the backs of guy's heads after they get out of the ocean...a little game called spot the smiley. Those labotomy scars made them 10 to 20 thousand each.

[Guest Landen]

An informed decision? That kind of terminology is used by greasy lawyers and quack doctors. Patients shouldn't so easily give up their rights. Is a patient making an informed decision when the doctor tells you that your scars are going to be barely detectable and generally 1 or 2 milimeters in width? Or better yet you won't see them at all because your having the trico method done on you. No because he is not also telling you that scars can range in width from 1 to 5 milimeters and more sometimes and scars usually heal in the 3 milimeter range which is actually quite wide when it wraps around your entire head ear to ear and further temple to temple in a mega session. Healing is unpredictable. These negative aspects are not spoken of or doctors sugar coat it. FUE doctors will try to tell you that it is scarless surgery. You agree to it and shave your head to the skin after a couple of months or so and the back of your head looks like it was shot with birdshot from a shotgun. Did you make an informed decision? I don't think so. Don't stick up for the docs they make enough money as it is. There is no need to have a cheerleading squad for them. They are big boys with big bank accounts. There are only a small percentage of good candidates for surgery. The rest will have mediocre results needing multiple surgeries to meet their expectations. Oh right I almost forgot the patient is supposed to have realistic expectations which is just more BS and puts the blame on them once again. This is the truth and is what patients hear before they agree to surgery. Any person that argues against what I have said are living in denial after their procedure and rationalizing, waiting to have a procedure and justifying it to themselves because they think it is their only hope to have hair again, have not reached the 5 to 10 year point post surgery when the crap hits the fan, or have some kind of vested interest in the hair transplant industry.

[troy]

Landen, so far I am very happy with my HT, but you are right time will tell and I wont argue that.

[JakeVig]

Originally posted by Landen:

Time will tell the consequences of these large procedures. Planning or not there is going to be a whole hell of alot of unhappy patients looking for corrective surgeries in 5 to 10 years time. The crap is going to hit the fan when technology changes as it always does. There will be a better method for hair transplant or cloning or whatever and the people who supposedly caught their hairloss early so they can enjoy it while their young are going to be kicking themselves in their rear. Remember people: 4 mm plugs, multi blade excision, mini grafts, micrografts, single blade excision, fue, now hair multiplication...technology is always changing. Most of these doctors will be retired and on the beach even if HM put them out of business tomorrow. The docs can occupy themselves by looking at the backs of guy's heads after they get out of the ocean...a little game called spot the smiley. Those labotomy scars made them 10 to 20 thousand each.

 

A couple of things: I cant see how a HT can get much better than recreating the natural grouping of FU as it happens now. The only things that could improve I believe are creating a better illusion of density with a limited no of grafts and creating an even more undetectable scar.

 

Hair Multiplication or Hair Cloning will increase business as doctors will be able to have more hair to transplant.

 

Your last point is valid one what happens when you lose the rest of your hair and run out of donor. The only prevention for this at the moment are the meds which are clinically proven to at least slow down the hair loss. But if technology improves like you say and Hair Multiplication or Hair Cloning becomes a commercial reality than we have nothing to worry about as we would have a near limitless donor supply.

 

But without technological advancement than it is best to take a conservative approach because the worst thing about signing up for HT's is when you run out of donor supply and are unable to make corrections.

[Guest Landen]

I appreciate the open minded posters on this forum who are not scared or stubborn to face the reality of hair transplantation.