14 Month Post-Op Photos of 2700 Grafts from Dr. Cooley

[JW]

I had a 2700 graft procedure with Dr. Jerry Cooley in Charlotte, North Carolina about 15 months ago. I am posting my before and after photos. The after photos were taken at the 13 month mark.

 

I am completely satisfied with every aspect of my experience with Dr. Cooley. I am thrilled with my results. Pat has stated several times on this forum that he would trust any Coalition Doctor to perform his hair transplant. However, in my opinion, Dr. Cooley is the best of the best. His skill and artistic ability have given me hair in the frontal section of my scalp. My barber is amazed at the fullness of my hair. My hairline is natural and age appropriate. Anyone considering a hair transplant should at least have a consultation with Dr. Cooley. Do not let geography determine who performs your transplant.

 

Let me provide some background information. Three years ago, I was a Norwood 5/6. Another hair doctor with whom I had a consultation gave me that classification. That doctor recommended that I use Propecia for at least a year before considering a transplant. He recommended Propecia for three reasons: (1) to stop any further hair loss; (2) to possibly re-grow some hair in my crown; and (3) to strengthen my existing hair to prevent shock loss from a procedure.

 

Propecia worked on all three counts. It re-grew a goodly amount of hair in my crown. My barber was amazed at my results from Propecia. Propecia also thickened my existing hair.

 

However, Propecia did absolutely nothing for my barren and bald front. I re-grew no hair in front. As my before photo makes clear, I had just a few wisps of hair in my frontal section. Without any hair in front, I looked old and bald. Let's face it. The hairline is what frames the face. It is the foremost physical feature that people notice about us.

 

After being on Propecia for 20 months, I decided to take the plunge and have a procedure to restore my hair in front. However, during those 20 months that I was taking Propecia and considering a transplant, I educated myself on hair restoration. I read every single post on this forum. I made extensive notes and put those notes in various subject files such as "Shaving The Recipient Area," "Density," "Lateral vs. Sagittal Slits," "Post-Op Care," "Graft Survival Rate," Etc. I made a list of questions to ask Coalition doctors during my consultations. I had personal consultations with three Coalition doctors. I traveled many miles for these consultations. Do not let geography dictate the doctor that you chose. However, I chose Dr. Cooley. It was the best decision that I have made in my life. Not only is Dr. Cooley a skillful hair restoration doctor but he is a genuinely nice guy. He strives to get the best result for each patient. He is passionate about his work.

 

My procedure was a breeze. I felt no pain or discomfort. I had the procedure done on a Thursday and I was back at work the following Friday. I was completely healed with no scabs or redness. (Dr. Cooley has some special post-op procedures that speed up the healing.)

 

The procedure changed my life. I am not bald anymore. I have hair in front. I am more confident. People tell me that I look young for my age. Women who want not even give me the time of day three years ago are now initiating conversations with me. I am not saying that a transplant makes your life perfect and causes all of your troubles to disappear. Having hair does not solve all of your problems. I still have bad days at work. I still worry about my financial future. I still get depressed over things. However, I feel that I am now living life. I enjoy life more. Baldness had cast a pall over my life causing me to be depressed and miserable most of the time. I am not like that anymore. Life is good.

 

What's Next For Me? Dr. Cooley gave me what I wanted. He restored my front with 2700 grafts. my procedure was a stand-alone procedure. I am satisfied with my hairline and my density. You have to remember that I am 50-ish. If I was 30 or 35, I would probably not be satisfied with my density or with the height of my hairline. But I am over 50. Very few men over 50 have a teenage hairline with thick dense hair. I have a better head of hair than most men my age. I do not need another procedure.

 

However, I have been infected with the virus known as "hair greed." In that regard, Dr. Cooley told me that I still have 5000-6000 donor grafts available for additional procedures. Thus, I am going to have a second procedure with Dr. Cooley in 2008. I want to keep a lot of my donor grafts in reserve in case I need them for the crown down the road. Thus, I am leaning toward getting 1500-1700 grafts in my front to slightly lower my hairline and to give me more density.

 

Let me leave with these parting thoughts. I wish that the new technology - Propecia and ultra-refined follicular unit transplantation - had been available 20 years ago. I painfully regret that I had to live the past 25 years of my life as a bald or balding man. I wish that I could turn back the hands of time. I wish that I could be 25 years old with the hair that I now have. My life would have been different. It would have been better. I would have had more self-confidence and self-esteem. I would have looked better. I would have been more successful. I would have been a better husband, father and friend. Over the past 25 years, I wasted so much mental energy and emotion over my hair loss. I could have directed that mental energy into positive things. There is nothing that I can do about that now. I just hope that my experience can be a lesson for anyone out there who is balding. Don't waste another day. Don't live one more day depressed and angry over your hair loss. See Dr. Cooley or another Coalition Doctor for a consultation. The procedure is painless. You need only take a week off from work. You will have hair.

 

I look forward to your questions or comments. Feel free to PM me if you would prefer.

 

 

 

[John_in_NC]

simply amazing.

[thanatopsis_awry]

JW,

 

That is a really inspiring post. I am but 22, and while I often get bogged down in my follicular misfortune, it is good to be reminded that the glass can be, and is, half-full: we currently live in a time where hair restoration methods have become very much refined.

 

If you decide for more hair, more power to you, though I think it will be like adding another layer of icing to the cake. Your hair really looks great; in fact, if I saw you walking down the street I would probably curse you over having such sweet hair at such an age.

[Bill - Seemiller]

JW,

 

Thank you for providing such a detailed account of your hair transplant experience and posting your hair transplant photos as well.

 

I can especially relate to the misery and sadness that hair loss was causing in my life. I am really happy to see you make such an amazing transformation.

 

I hope you'll share your next hair transplant surgery experience in 2008 with us as well.

 

I have featured your story on our Hair Transplant Network News > Hair Transplant Patient Stories section. You can view it by clicking here.

 

Best wishes,

 

Bill

[MrJobi]

looks great!

[Byehair]

After reading your post the first thought that came into my mind was "inspiring".

Then I read the comment from Thanatopsis and laughed thinking he felt the same way I did.

Your results look great. If you have the hair and hair greed then go for it.

Congrats!

[NervousNelly]

Many times I don't bother to read the story behind the transformation. My life is busy and I dart thru the pics and give my quick assessment. I must admit that I did the same the 1st time I saw this thread. At second glance I noticed that many had made comment of your story so I decided to read. One word--inspiring.

 

It's really not about the vanity. Most of us are not here for that reason. It's that we don't feel complete. We feel robbed. We feel cheated. It is amazing what a seemingly irrelevant portion of our being can do. We lose out on life. We choose to miss out on opportunities. We avoid situations we otherwise want to be apart of. We don't reach our potential. It affects every aspect of our lives. Pathetic? Yes possibly. But nonetheless a reality.

[notgoing2gobald]

Wow, what a great story. Usually guys don't openly and candidly share how their life was so pervasively affected by balding. But, lets face it: that is why we are all here. If it didn't affect us in such a way none of us would be browsing these boards, looking for answers to our problems. It's very refreshing to have these feelings resinate through your story and by telling us the complete difference in your life after the transplant. I wish more people would share this aspect (the most important aspect) of both their loss prior to the transplant and benefit after. The saddest part was how you wished you could have lived under this new head of hair for the past twenty five years and how different you feel your life could have been. That is unfortunate.

 

Our friends and loved ones tell us that we look fine with thinning or bald heads. My sister tells me that she wouldn't even care if her husband went bald. But they don't know what it does to your self-image as a man. As for me Im still single and we all know the opposite sex has an ideal or protocol of what their mate should look like; and Im pretty sure it doesn't include a comb-over.

 

But now you have hair that you are happy with and sounds like you are going to get even more to be even happier. Your hair looks fantastic! I can only hope my hair looks that good by the age of 50. Your story also really sheds light for some of us younger guys as to how fortunate we are that the technology has come so far.

 

Thanks for sharing and giving us an inspiring story.

[chucky]

great post jw

results look great and at 50 `ish you still have many more years to enjoy your life to the full.

good luck with ht number 2

[Rick055]

Looks great!

 

I always find that the "softer" hairlines look better.

 

Yours looks great.

[wylie]

Nice results, looks great, Doctor Cooley does really good work. You certainly prove that.

[stratman]

Jw,

 

That looks really good, however, judging by the graft placememts in your post-op picture it would appear to me that the temple area did not see much growth. Do you agree or is it just the picture not telling the whole tale?

 

Otherwise nice results. Good luck in the future!!