Falceros, Spex and anyone else I need help

[LT]

I have had 2 old strip HT in the past by a below average Doctor, 500 grafts in 1997 front, 1500 grafts front, 300 back in 2004. I am 32 years old losing hair since I was 21, NW 3 who is just sick and tired of always wearing baseball hats, when I go out for dinner or something I use dermatch (it's starting to look like sht now). At this point in my life I am married and have a child so I just want to shave my head I have had it with trying to hide my hair loss. The problem is I can't shave my head because of my 2 old strip scars. I have tried everything Propecia, Lasercomb, rogaine, nioxin shampoo nothing seems to stop my hairloss. I feel like losing my hair is totally ruining my life.

 

I had a consultation with Dr. Feller to see what I should try to do and he told me strip 2500 grafts front hairline or maybe just go with about 500 FUE grafts to cover up old strip scars. Right know don't have the money to spend $10,000 so I think I should just go with $1,600 to cover up old scars. Right know if I cut my hair with a 2# guard my scars still show. Before my 2nd HT I was able to buzz cut my hair with a 1# guard even with the small scar I had from 1st HT. Dr. Feller and 2 other doctors said my scars don't look bad but to me I am not happy about it.

 

Spex or Bill, If I have Dr. Feller put FUE into my old HT scars can I buzz cut my hair with a 1# guard? Spex have you seen other patients of Dr. Feller get FUE into old scar and how close can they cut there hair?

[LT]

I have had 2 old strip HT in the past by a below average Doctor, 500 grafts in 1997 front, 1500 grafts front, 300 back in 2004. I am 32 years old losing hair since I was 21, NW 3 who is just sick and tired of always wearing baseball hats, when I go out for dinner or something I use dermatch (it's starting to look like sht now). At this point in my life I am married and have a child so I just want to shave my head I have had it with trying to hide my hair loss. The problem is I can't shave my head because of my 2 old strip scars. I have tried everything Propecia, Lasercomb, rogaine, nioxin shampoo nothing seems to stop my hairloss. I feel like losing my hair is totally ruining my life.

 

I had a consultation with Dr. Feller to see what I should try to do and he told me strip 2500 grafts front hairline or maybe just go with about 500 FUE grafts to cover up old strip scars. Right know don't have the money to spend $10,000 so I think I should just go with $1,600 to cover up old scars. Right know if I cut my hair with a 2# guard my scars still show. Before my 2nd HT I was able to buzz cut my hair with a 1# guard even with the small scar I had from 1st HT. Dr. Feller and 2 other doctors said my scars don't look bad but to me I am not happy about it.

 

Spex or Bill, If I have Dr. Feller put FUE into my old HT scars can I buzz cut my hair with a 1# guard? Spex have you seen other patients of Dr. Feller get FUE into old scar and how close can they cut there hair?

[Bill - Seemiller]

LT,

 

Much of this depends on how wide and obvious your existing strip scars are however, I think it might be a bit unreasonable to think that adding FUE into two previous strip scars will allow you to buzz down to a 1 clip without ANY scar visibility - but as spex said, it depends on what you will be satisfied with.

 

This is one avenue to explore with Dr. Feller or another qualified physician. Another avenue to explore is to see about adding hair density and/or coverage with another hair transplant surgery if you have enough available donor hair. Then you could wear your hair longer in the sides and back and potentially hide the scars while you have a cosmetically pleasing head of hair.

 

But work with Dr. Feller or whomever you choose and discuss all options and together, you two can work out a plan that is best suited for you.

 

I hope this helps.

 

Bill

[Dr. Alan Feller]

LT,

I don't remember you specifically, but I usually tell all patients in your situation more or less the same thing, so I want to reiterate what I probably said to you on here so you and other viewers know exactly where I stand on situations like yours.

 

After poor hair transplant surgery most patients metaphorically find themeselves in the middle of a tunnel. The question then becomes, do you continue toward the end of the tunnel, or do you turn around and try to head back to the beginning?

 

Those who are willing to give HT one more chance will forge ahead toward the end of the tunnel by doing a proper mega-session or two. The internet is full of posters who took this route successfully "to get out".

 

There are, however, very few people who can turn around and run back to where they began. That is, HT surgery is not really reversable. Sometimes, if there were very few grafts used, the patient can get laser removal of hair and look almost untouched. But, this is not the case for most transplants.

 

Then there is the donor scar issue. Many patients want to make the donor scar disappear as if it were never there. That almost NEVER happens. All strip surgery leave noticable donor scars if the hair is cut short enough. Even if FUE is packed in to the scar AND it grows with a high yield, the scar will still be visible, albeit harder to detect.

 

FUE into scar should NOT be seen as a method to reverse the fact that there is, indeed, a donor scar present. One cannot "back out of the tunnel" using FUE into scar. Likewise, revising scar with "trichophylic closure" will also not "reverse" the presence of scar. Both of these methods MAY reduce the visibility or obviousness of the scar, but they will not cure it.

 

LT, I'm not saying that you are of this mindset, but I have encountered it in many patient's who've had particularly objectionable work in the past and wish to "erase that past".Unfortunately it doesn't work that way and these patients may find they have run down an endless rabbit hole in search of a doctor or technique that doesn't really exist.

[notgoing2gobald]

Spex,

 

..."I can now buzz to a 3/4# but i want to take it lower - coz i am greedy and i want the best i can get! Here is a link to some pics of my scar and FUE session into it"...

 

Ha, ha hair greed in the scar, eh?

 

I have often wondered about your case because you appear to be relatively young, and have already had TWO FUE procedures into the scar (I think ?) and are now going for a third (?). You have fantastic results on both the top of your head and the scar, but I have just wondered and now even more so w/the news your going to be putting even more grafts into your scar:

 

aren't you worried about any future loss? How old are you? Is it Feller's position that, since you appear to be a responder to Fin, that it will curtail your loss indefinitely?

 

Would *love* to know the answers to these questions!

[flyby]

Love the video of your donor area Spex. Looks amazing. The music almost had me shed a tear . Also, thank for making me jelous too . I'm pretty much in the same boat as you were with the old Bosley scar. I never wear my hair too short in the back so it's not noticible but i would like to correct it at some point.

 

Dr. Alexander and I agreed that it wasn't feasible to try to remove the scar with my recent HT since it's lower than it should have been (Thanks Boz ) and our main focus was the HT and not scar revision.

 

Perhaps you or Dr. Feller could give me some insight as to what determines whether it's best to FUE into the existing scar or to try and remove it with trico closure and perhaps use some of the hairs extracted with it up top. My recent trico closure is really hard to see even at only 4 months so I'm good there and don't plan on ever really buzzing down to a 2 or 3 gaurd. Is doing a FUE into the scar basically to make it as undetectable as possible.

 

Thanks. You should add "Will work for FUE" to your signature

[PLEASE GROW PLEASE]

Hey Spex your also a great asset but over here we just say SOB . The A is silent

The majority of scars over 4-5mm should be revised first before an attempt to fue it,unless there is absolutly no laxity left.

LT Im sorry about your situation. I hate hearing this crap because I went through those emotions for years. it F-ing drains you at times. I hate strip because of the scar. I hate fue because of the cost,possibly lower yield ,and limited doctors that WONT or CANT adapt to it. I hate hair multiplcation because it isnt here. I geuss Im a hater.

Thats why it is so damn important to go a top doc. You get the best chance of great growth and a thin scar.

[hairbank]

LT -

 

What you're experiencing sucks, my friend - I feel for you , and hope you can come up with a satisfactory solution. You've gotten some great advice here. If I were you, I'm not sure what I'd recommend?? I haven't seen what your current situation looks like, any way to go with a larger session to see if it will provide what you're looking for?

 

As for scars, I think anyone going in for an HT needs to plan like they will not be able to clip down. Personally, I can go to 1/2" (4 guard, I think) without seeing the scar. I've had 2 HT's, the first was non-tricho and not as great, the 2nd was from H&W, trich and looks good........but, still, 1/2" is as much as I can go before it somewhat starts to be visible.

 

One other thing I'll mention, I don't know LT's situation before getting any HT's, but I think this is a situation where if a person waits until they are a little older with a more established balding pattern they will be better off in the long run. It seems the age people are getting into the chair gets younger and younger.

 

I was 38 at the time of my first HT, my crown started thinning at age 25 or so, temples and hairline along with it but very gradually. I shudder to think if I had jumped into the chair at age 28-30 even where I would be now. Just IMO and something for everyone to be aware of.

 

Best of luck to you, LT, truly a tough decision!

[PLEASE GROW PLEASE]

No problem brotha. I was just messing with you. I misspell words on almost every post. Good luck with your fue

[LT]

Are you talking about buzzing it with a 3/4# which would be very close to the skin? I think there are different measurement for guards like 1/2 would be a 4 guard not close at all. I buzz done with a 2 guard. Dr. Feller did say about 500 fue grafts into my scars should do it. Right now a mega session is to much money for me to dish out but I would seriously consider FUE into my old scars to improve its look for now. After your FUE can you see the little holes that the FUE precede left are is it completely healed? Does a FUE leave permanent dot scars all over the place like I see in you picture?

[notgoing2gobald]

Spex----thanks dude! Im sorry to hear that, that poor SOAB is *still* bothering you...perhaps you should give O'l Bosley a visit and give him a good, hard, kick in the aRse!!!

 

thanks for your input on your case, but I have to say it still perplexes me.

I mean, you obviously don't need any more grafts put on top, but your still relatively young.

you have appeared to have halted your loss and maintained all of your native hair for a *very* long period, which you attribute to fin.

One Question----

does Feller believe, since your a great responder to fin, that it will work indefinitely on you?

[LT]

Thanks for the response Dr. Feller. I don't know if this will help you remember me but I came in to see this past November on Veterans Day from Connecticut.

 

You told me I should pack 2500 grafts strip procedure into front of my head because that's where my major hair loss is. You also said may scars didn't look that bad and that you weren't 100% if you can improve it with the FUE.

 

You said "Fue may reduce the visibility or obviousness of the scar" I would definitely like to give it a shot in see if it can improve the 2 scars. Right now money is the main reason I can't do a mega session but for now if I can improve the way my scars look I would be happy with that.

[LT]

Thanks to everyone else that replied to my post.

[notgoing2gobald]

Hey when you organising that steak and hookers "geek meet" in Vegas??

steak, hookers, vodka, MEAT n greet?

eh, Im game any day of da week!!!

Seems like the East Coast hair geeks n British Bald Boys got their game together more for such conventions...

I thought for sure a Vegas one adorned w/hookers, filet mignon, and vodka would attract all red blooded men this side of sharia law but haven't gotten any RSVP's as of yet... At the time I thought it would have been a really cool get together; don't know why more dudes aren't game (?)...discussing mops over vodka n steak, w/hookers?...what's missing?

 

I guess your case fascinates me because it seems so rare: relatively young, several procedures from Bosley, then an additional one from Feller, and all is *still* golden years later...

 

In addition to that, I have first hand read of Feller stating that you are "done" w/respect o ht's...so I just wondered how you both (you and Feller) felt so confident w/the top of your mop? I mean being so young, I thought you would have to plan for future loss?

 

I've always thought of the meds as a short term *delaying* therapy at best, but you and Feller feel rather confident in your case. I guess Im questioning because it seems like such a rare and *ideal* circumstance to be in...

 

So there is *no* "official" Feller position as to the longevity of effectiveness of fin?

I have read that some docs feel after 10 years of use it begins to lose it's effectiveness...are you savvy to any of Fellers positions on this?

[notgoing2gobald]

BAAA-HAHAHHAHAHHAH!!!!

 

are the red lines your 'proposed' *hair line* (?)...

 

and the 'proposed' clinic, was named after a fine Italian suit?

 

that same Italian Suit said I could look like the attached pic w/but mere one Mega FUE sess!!!

[LT]

Thanks for the info on the first post but you didn't answer my question from my second post. I asked you after your FUE do those little red dots left from FUE completely heal? Can you still see the little red dots? Are they permanent noticeable scars?

[LT]

Bill, I don't no if I will ever get another HT strip procedure done again because the scar. My question to you is does the FUE procedure leave permanent scars? Are there little red dots all over the place long after the FUE? Does it completely heal to where you can't see it?

[LT]

Holy-Sht! It looks good after the FUE. You said you had some bad HT in the past you can't even see your strip scars after Dr. Feller put FUE into them. It looks like you can buzz done your hair and not see anything even after bad strip HT. That's what I want Dr. Feller to do is put FUE into my scars for now until I decide what to do down the road. Thanks a lot Spex.