Regular Member Truckie Posted May 20, 2003 Regular Member Share Posted May 20, 2003 This is my first post to the forum. I never realized how many people are getting this done until I found this site. Now I don't feel so uncomfortable anymore. A little info about myself, I'm 36, a firefighter in NY and have been married 10 years. I first started getting thin around 25. I started using Couvre masking lotion and still swear by it. The problem is, you can only mask what ya have, right? So I did some research, found a dermatologist that specialized in this field and 4 months later had it done. I hope I get the results that some of you guys are getting. The waiting is gonna suck!! The best part is, I realize that it won't be as thick as it was but I'll use the Couvre as backup. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Regular Member Truckie Posted May 20, 2003 Author Regular Member Share Posted May 20, 2003 This is my first post to the forum. I never realized how many people are getting this done until I found this site. Now I don't feel so uncomfortable anymore. A little info about myself, I'm 36, a firefighter in NY and have been married 10 years. I first started getting thin around 25. I started using Couvre masking lotion and still swear by it. The problem is, you can only mask what ya have, right? So I did some research, found a dermatologist that specialized in this field and 4 months later had it done. I hope I get the results that some of you guys are getting. The waiting is gonna suck!! The best part is, I realize that it won't be as thick as it was but I'll use the Couvre as backup. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Regular Member Truckie Posted May 20, 2003 Author Regular Member Share Posted May 20, 2003 2. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Regular Member Truckie Posted May 20, 2003 Author Regular Member Share Posted May 20, 2003 3. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Regular Member Truckie Posted May 20, 2003 Author Regular Member Share Posted May 20, 2003 4. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Regular Member Truckie Posted May 20, 2003 Author Regular Member Share Posted May 20, 2003 Feedback is welcome people. Let me know what ya think! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Regular Member bmt07 Posted May 20, 2003 Regular Member Share Posted May 20, 2003 I was wondering which Dr did the work and was it an all FU transplant? How many grafts? Thanks. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Regular Member Truckie Posted May 20, 2003 Author Regular Member Share Posted May 20, 2003 Dr. Ivan Cohen in Fairfield,CT did the procedure. 500 Fu's. Ones in the front and two's and three's beyond the hairline. I've read some good things and some bad things about him on this board but I must tell you, the professionalism he and his staff showed me was more than I expected. There were 4 nurses on hand to assist and all were professional and knowledgable. My only regret is that I didn't have more done at this session. He didn't think it was necessary considering the amount of hairloss. I'll wait it out and see. If I'm happy with the results, and think it looks good with and without the Couvre, then I'll leave it as is. If not, I'll go back for more. Hopefully the Propecia I've been taking for six months will work also. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Senior Member tkotko Posted May 20, 2003 Senior Member Share Posted May 20, 2003 Good luck to ya Truckie. Seems like with that amount of area you could have had more grafts. But I'm sure you will be an improvement. You can always go back for a second if necessary. Since he only did 500, did he use FUE method as opposed to strip? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Regular Member Truckie Posted May 21, 2003 Author Regular Member Share Posted May 21, 2003 I'm not quite sure what FUE is. If you mean the donor area, he did the strip and stapled it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cromedome Posted May 21, 2003 Share Posted May 21, 2003 It's hard to tell from the picture, but it looks like you have alot of donor hair. If that is the case you should really spend some time following this site and reviewing previous discussions, especially the one recently posted on dense packing. I'm not a doctor but it looks like you could have gotten 3000+ fu to create alot more density up front without using up all the donor hair. Read up more on why some doctors are hesitant to do mega session. 500 fu is a very small session for your balding pattern. The good news is your in the right place to get more info if you decide to get a second session. Good luck and don't get discouraged if you don't get the density you were expecting. Your a great candidate, but pick your doctor very carefully. Nice and professional doesn't make him a good HT doctor. Cromedome Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Senior Member Manko Posted May 22, 2003 Senior Member Share Posted May 22, 2003 Truckie, Are all your pictures 1 day? The only reason I ask is that the work looks real clean at 1 day, even for a smaller session. I'm sure you probably could've gotten a bigger session, but I think this particular smaller session will be pretty natural when it fills. I also think you'll probably want a second larger session with one of the really good docs from this site in about a year. Just to give you an idea, I'll be getting a 1000 FU in June, and it's really only to fill the hairline and fill in power alleys. My hairline could be filled in up to about 1 inch back and my temples/power alleys brought down slightly, hopefully to be a mature look. Good luck with your growth, and keep us informed. Regards, Manko Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Regular Member Truckie Posted May 22, 2003 Author Regular Member Share Posted May 22, 2003 Manko, Yes I took the pics the following morning. I had the ht done at 1:15pm and was on my way home at 5:00pm. One of the nurses said that since I had a decent base tan on my head and face, the reddening might not be so bad. I'm still wearing a hat constantly because I told no one about this except for my wife. I'm hoping the scabs go soon because I don't like wearing a hat too much. As far as the filling in, I'd like to get another session down the road if it's economically feasible at the time. I had no problems with the doctor I used except for the fact that I wished I had gotten more at this session. I'll have to wait and see the outcome of this procedure and make a choice then. Thanks for the well wishes! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Senior Member ttaco Posted May 22, 2003 Senior Member Share Posted May 22, 2003 Best of luck Truckie. You should see a huge improvement. Your hairloss pattern is the closest thing I've seen to my own pattern, although you can't tell from my pics since the only before pic I have is after my initial mini/micro procedures. If I hadn't had those done my head would look a lot like yours. You definitely look like you have a good supply of dense donor hair which is awesome. Results of my 1424 FU transplant procedure on 8/16/02 can be viewed at... http://community.webshots.com/user/ttaco Results of my 1424 FU transplant procedure on 8/16/02 can be viewed at... http://community.webshots.com/user/ttaco Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
vocor1 Posted May 23, 2003 Share Posted May 23, 2003 truckie: I think you have great cosmetic improvement. Congrats. vocor1 Knowledge is Power If the worst question is the one never asked, then the worst answer is the one never shared. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Regular Member Truckie Posted May 23, 2003 Author Regular Member Share Posted May 23, 2003 Thanks everybody for your well wishes! Like I said, I don't expect it to come in thick and full, but anything will be an improvement. I'll also use the couvre as a backup and when everything is all said and done, I'll take pics with and without the couvre. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Regular Member luberta Posted May 23, 2003 Regular Member Share Posted May 23, 2003 It looks clean goodluck, but I'm sure that you will want another procedure. I had mine done with Dr. Charles last October 1864 FU'S and am very pleased. My head was similar to yours and I will need a second procedure to get the density that I would like. 500 is a start but I have to agree with the other poster that 3000 would probably have gotten you very good density. luberta luberta Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Regular Member pdm68 Posted May 23, 2003 Regular Member Share Posted May 23, 2003 How much did Cohen charge for the procedure ?? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Regular Member Truckie Posted May 24, 2003 Author Regular Member Share Posted May 24, 2003 The procedure cost $3500. From what I've been reading lately, probably a bit more than I should've paid. If I'm happy with the results it won't matter. Besides, what am I gonna do, negotiate the price down like I'm at a flea market? The guy does 8 procedures a week. I don't think he's gonna change his fee's for one person. We'll see what the final outcome is and I'll take it from there. If I feel I need more to make ME happy, then I'll see about getting more done. Ok people, here's a question for ya. My wife and I are giving a 50th anniversay party for my parents tomorrow. How the hell do I conceal the fact that I had this done to 50 or 60 guests? Would wearing a hat be rude? I could say I got injured at work and had to get staples to close the injury and they look horrible. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Regular Member pdm68 Posted May 24, 2003 Regular Member Share Posted May 24, 2003 Then why ask for people's opinions if you don't care as long as "YOUR HAPPY" ? MY opinion hasan't changed about Dr.Cohen and with just giving a 500 fu procedure shows he shouldn't be recommended here. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Regular Member Truckie Posted May 24, 2003 Author Regular Member Share Posted May 24, 2003 Who's sugar coating and who asked for your opinion on anything. You obviously troll around making controversy. Don't click on the post if you're not interested. Yes "I" am the only one that should be happy with my results. I only asked for opinions from people that have had procedures to give me a heads up on what to expect in the coming months. That's called "feedback". I told no one to blow smoke up my ass. I admire your honesty and respect your opinion but I don't see an M.D. after your name so I'll take that for what it's worth. Apparently you're a very disgruntled individual if you have nothing better to do than bash M.D.'s and people that have had procedures done by them. I'm sure if I went to another M.D. that wasn't on "YOUR" approval list, the backlash from you would be the same. Don't look if it bothers you. Besides, you didn't write the check, I did, so why should you give a shit! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted May 24, 2003 Share Posted May 24, 2003 I completely agree with Truckie, who do you think you are. A Doctor. No one cares what your vindictive opinions are, I have thought this for a long time but did not have the nerve to comment before. But now the door has been open. Find another website to spew your negativity around in and let this be a website for people to go to to find good info--not your outdated opinions-. By the way, where did you go to medical school. Like you know about a surgical prodedure just because you once had one. Oh i guess if you had brain or heart surery 0r a broken bone repaired, that would make you an expert on that too including what kind of tools, equipment and number of stitches and what age you should be that are right or wrong. You think you are an expert, well guess what, you are not and I am happy that someone, Truckie, called you on it. You complain about the substandard work you had ten years ago-things change, if you have procedure done in another 10 years, you'll be calling these present doctors work substandard. Find something else to do with your time. And thank you again truckie for finally standing up to this guy--and not taking his garbage Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted May 25, 2003 Share Posted May 25, 2003 this should have really been an FUE procedure, given the quantity of grafts involved. Another $1500 and there'd be no scar. Of course if you're planning to go for more strip procedures than there really is no damage done, because you'd end up with a scar anyways. Looks like you got great coverage for the number of grafts. Good luck to you. "Any sufficiently advanced technology is indistinguishable from magic''. Arthur C. Clarke Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Regular Member Truckie Posted June 3, 2003 Author Regular Member Share Posted June 3, 2003 I'm pretty impressed with the results after 2 weeks. I know there's going to be some shock loss but if it comes in then, the way it's coming in now, I'll be pleased. I should have taken some before pics but I didn't. I didn't expect to be posting them to a site so I'll post the 2 week post op pics and then the same pics showing where my hairline was(thereabouts). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Regular Member Truckie Posted June 3, 2003 Author Regular Member Share Posted June 3, 2003 Hairline previously and hopefully now. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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