To shave or not to shave.....

[Queezy]

Hello everyone, this is my first time posting. I am considering a HT,my goal is to reach extreme density in front area where my hair is thinning. I have a lot of hair there currenttly and want to have the suregery in order to bring it back to where was 10 yrs ago.

 

I've been told that I have an exceptional donor area and that my goal is definitely attainable.

 

I have been looking at several diffrent surgeons. My question is not so much in their abilities but the surgery process itself.

 

One of them (Dr. S Khan) says that she does not need to shave the receiving area but Dr Hasson says that in order to achieve the density that I want the area has to be shaved; one for quality and two so as to not to damage any of the existing hair.

 

Being in the entertainment industry, the diffrence in shaving or not shaving makes a huge impact on my decision making. It is difference of whether I'll be out of commission for three to four or not.

 

Opinions please.......

 

I live in Vancouver and Dr Hasson has a very good reputation, I'm just a lottle confused about the diffrences in the procedure itself....

[Queezy]

Hello everyone, this is my first time posting. I am considering a HT,my goal is to reach extreme density in front area where my hair is thinning. I have a lot of hair there currenttly and want to have the suregery in order to bring it back to where was 10 yrs ago.

 

I've been told that I have an exceptional donor area and that my goal is definitely attainable.

 

I have been looking at several diffrent surgeons. My question is not so much in their abilities but the surgery process itself.

 

One of them (Dr. S Khan) says that she does not need to shave the receiving area but Dr Hasson says that in order to achieve the density that I want the area has to be shaved; one for quality and two so as to not to damage any of the existing hair.

 

Being in the entertainment industry, the diffrence in shaving or not shaving makes a huge impact on my decision making. It is difference of whether I'll be out of commission for three to four or not.

 

Opinions please.......

 

I live in Vancouver and Dr Hasson has a very good reputation, I'm just a lottle confused about the diffrences in the procedure itself....

[JakeVig]

Welcome Queezy,

 

Unfortunately most of the best doctors in the world do shave the head when trying to increase hair density. I would tend to side with the better doctors unless you are happy with the results Dr Khan has provided other patients where she did not shave their head.

[the B spot]

Queezy, let me start by saying that it is not necessary to shave your head for a transplant. However, if you wish to pack grafts at a density greater than 25 fu's per cm/2, you absolutely need to shave the recipient area. For those who want the BEST results, this is not really an issue, simply because without shaving your head, your risk of transection substantially increases, which diminishes yield. I will find a link to a post by Dr. Hasson detailing this very issue and post it for you.

[hairbank]

Queezy,

 

B spot hit the nail on the head with his comments. I couldn't find the post by Dr. Hasson but have copied it from another post for your reference............here it is:

 

(by Dr. Hasson)

There are multiple technical factors that come into play during the creation of recipient sites and the subsequent graft placement. These include:

 

1.) When thinning areas are shaved down the "thinning process" takes on a different meaning. With the use of magnification it will be seen that some follicular bundles are absent (and there are wider spaces between remaining bundles) and that some bundles are significantly miniaturized. It will then be possible to place new recipient sites in the place of absent bundles and alongside miniaturized bundles to recreate the density. This can also be done in a uniform manner so that if the pre-existing hair eventually disappears, due to progression of hairloss, the transplant can still look reasonably natural. If the recipient site is not shaved the surgeon must part through the hair again and again looking for any empty spaces and trying to fill the spaces as best as possible. This is not really as exact a process but much more hit or miss.

 

2.) The hair exits the scalp at an exact angle. The only way to precisely match that angle is to buzz the recipient hair down (in a way similar to how ALL doctors need to shave the donor hair when taking out the donor strip).

 

3.) Transection of existing hair below the skin surface is possible if the incisions are not made exactly parallel to the surrounding bundles. We often see this as a "halo" type effect when performing repair procedures.

 

4.) When inserting grafts the technicians can easily identify the recipient sites and ensure that all sites are filled. This can be achieved with no trauma to the pre-existing hair.

 

5.) When hair is buzzed no manipulation of the pre-existing hair is required at all. When the hair is not shaved it needs to be combed through (hundreds of times) by the physician who makes the recipients sites and again by the technician who places the grafts into the sites. This repetitive trauma of combing through the hair again and again will result in "hair shock", a shedding of the existing hair. When this hair falls out in 2 to 3 weeks there will be a 2 to 3 month wait before it returns. Whereas if the hair were buzzed it would grow from day one 1 and keep growing. A number 3 buzz cut often will look good at 10 to 14 days post operatively and blend in with the recipient site well.

 

All these factors are relatively unimportant if you are trying to place to 2 or 3 hundred grafts into recipient sites however if you wish to have the utmost of refined results the difference is night and day.

_______________________________________________

 

 

Queezy- I went through the same thing this past February when considering my HT. I work in a professional environment.......suit/tie.....every day. No one I work with knows of my HT. I took 12 days off, clipped all hair short to blend with the top after the HT and I've never had an issue with it. It's just hair.....it'll grow back and I doubt anyone will remember you cut it short. We're our own worst critics and much more interested in ourselves and how we look than anyone else.

[M&M]

Prior to my HT, I was very nervous of having the recipient area shaved as I work in an office, but I quickly got over it.

 

I went to Dr. Ron Shapiro and was advised - for similar reasons as noted above - that to achieve maximum density and ensure no transection - it should be clipped down. Well, it looked a little bit funny for the first week, but I was back at work on day 6 after surgery and I just styled my hair in a 'messed up' way that covered up the shortened hair in front.

 

Admittedly, I only had a small procedure but if you look at HairBank's Weblog, you'll see how he did a great job of covering it up by carefully trimming his existing hair to match the buzzed hair on top. I wouldn't be able to tell at all.

 

H&W have a great reputation for a reason and they will only suggest things to maximize your results. I think their patients photos speak for themselves.

[Queezy]

Hey, thanks so much for your replies. I cant tell you how reassuring it is to read it from the people who have already experienced it.

[bezane]

Awhile back I asked the same question about shaving my head in order to get a HT. I currently have enough hair as to help cover any surgical footprint. Dr. Hasson weighed in for me with an informative response to say the least. And obviously I respect him and what he has done in the field and for his patients (Not to leave out Jerry, for some reason Hasson rolls off the tongue first and easily).

 

However for someone like me, it would mean leaving my job. My contract says I can't alter my appearance even with a severe haircut, hair color, facial hair etc. So the alternative was a leave of absence, which if not for a family matter might not have been possible. Or to quit the job. While I could afford to be out of work for several months, there was no guarantee I could equal my situation. It took me awhile to find a six figure job I can do in 32 hours at night with complete benefits and security. I left my last career in order to pursue a creative endeavor that takes up my day hours. In short I was in a a bad spot if I wanted a HT.

 

There are doctors (reputable ones) that don't necessarily need to shave you down. They come with reputations that speak for themselves and while not in agreement with some of the best, they themselves are also considered by many the best.

 

So in my case, I just can't give it all up for a HT. It's either wait until I have a whole different situation, which could be years, or wait til I retire, at which point I'm not sure a HT is what I want then.

 

Please, this is not to say that these doctors like Hasson are not the very best and will give you results like a Jotronic which is a flawless piece of work. But the idea of this forum first and foremost, in my opinion, is to relieve the stress which baldness and bad HTs cause. So when you finally find help it would be a shame to cause more stress for someone to tell them it's hopeless to keep your life the way you know it if you want a good procedure.

 

My own stress doubled when I asked the question and was told it had to be that way. I went another route and am quite happy, went back to work in ten days and while it is still a bit too soon to scream from the mountain top, I've met quite a few others that went the same way and look so awesome I couldn't believe my eyes.

 

This is not a cult. This is a place to meet your needs. And whatever that is, there's advice here to steer you in the right path.

[MrJobi]

Hi

 

Ive had 2 procedures of 1417 and 1476 without shaving my head. Im very happy with the results. Nobody has the right to tell you what is best for you without knowing every detail of your situation. I cannot shave my head as well so I am going a different route which is working extrememly for my situation.. Also, Anyone that says this forum is a cult is a loser and needs to get a life. It is here to help people make an educated choice

 

Good luck

[bezane]

Mrjb....Thanks for the response. I didn't mean to call anyone out on this issue as being part of a cult. But sometimes people are so pleased with the results of certain surgeons, and furthermore are the only ones to weigh in on the subject, that it might appear that there are no coalition docs that use alternative methods.

 

For me it was simply not an option so I'm thankful that there are docs like Hasson that are not money grabbers and will do a surgery in a way they're not comfortable with.

 

Besides, Pat might be a lot of things, but I hear his recipe for Kool-Aid ain't so hot, so being a charismatic cult leader is not in the cards for him.

[M&M]

I think I should point out that even if the doctor does recommend shaving or trimming (in my case) the recipient area, you shouldn't knock him/her off your list of eligible doctors. During my consultation on the phone (after sending in several high-res images) they felt they could trim the area required and I could still get back to work within one week and be able to disguise the trim work.

The result? Nobody noticed.

 

Sure - my hair is styled a 'little differently' now, but it's minor.

 

Good luck!

[hrthr]

A cult, hey Pat do we get robes? This reminds me of the comment that I wouldn't belong to any "cult" that would have me as a member.