Back to back HT's - 2 strips within 5 weeks - my story

[Dave_NYC]

Hi all! I've read many stories about HTs on this forum and thought I'd post mine. I went to Dr. Thomas Law in NYC and I am very happy with the results. I was always thinking about getting a transplant especially after reading all happy results on this site. Well, my company decided to close their doors and leave me unemployed so I took the opportunity to use the time off to get a HT last Dec. I received the first transplant and it took 16 days for the scabs to fully come off and for me to be comfortable going outside without a hat. I was a norwood 6 at the time. After 5 weeks from the first HT and the fact that I still was unemployed, I decided to get a 2nd strip HT. I will admit that I have read about some concerns that having surgeries so close to each other may result in scars that are stretched but I did not have that problem. The interesting thing is that the doc mentioned that if you do want the HTs so close to each other then you should do it within 5-7 weeks or so. This allows him to still see the previous incisions otherwise you must wait until the hair starts growing again. It took 17 days on the 2nd HT for the scabs to completely fall off. The one positive/negative thing about getting 2 HTs so close is that most of my friends after month 4-5 were seeing dramatic changes with so much hair so I had to tell them about the HT.

 

Here are a few other things I learned:

1) When you talk to the doctor about where you want your hairline to be, I suggest you look at the desired hairline location not just from the front but from the side. It is sometimes misleading to just look straight ahead in a mirror.

2) When I had my first HT, I had a buzz cut. Because my hair was so short, the scars in the back were visible. So I suggest that you let your hair in the back grow a bit (an inch at least)

3) Buy some toppik to help cover up the scars in the beginning. Sometimes the doctor needs to shave the hair around the strip so you may have some temporary bald spots and toppik works well.

4) Don't worry if you get some zits - they will go away.

5) My new hair didn't really start growing until about 4.5 months and then was still becoming more dense after 8 months.

6) Use conditioners every day in the first year since the new hair will be a bit dry.

 

I highly recommend Dr. Law. His was very professional and did a great job. I can usually spot a HT anywhere but I can't even tell on my own head. Once you've lost all your hair on top, getting some of it back is like a drug, you just want more and more. I am 32 and used to look like I was 40. Now I look 32 again. Thanks doc!

 

Hope the info helped.

 

Dave

[Dave_NYC]

Hi all! I've read many stories about HTs on this forum and thought I'd post mine. I went to Dr. Thomas Law in NYC and I am very happy with the results. I was always thinking about getting a transplant especially after reading all happy results on this site. Well, my company decided to close their doors and leave me unemployed so I took the opportunity to use the time off to get a HT last Dec. I received the first transplant and it took 16 days for the scabs to fully come off and for me to be comfortable going outside without a hat. I was a norwood 6 at the time. After 5 weeks from the first HT and the fact that I still was unemployed, I decided to get a 2nd strip HT. I will admit that I have read about some concerns that having surgeries so close to each other may result in scars that are stretched but I did not have that problem. The interesting thing is that the doc mentioned that if you do want the HTs so close to each other then you should do it within 5-7 weeks or so. This allows him to still see the previous incisions otherwise you must wait until the hair starts growing again. It took 17 days on the 2nd HT for the scabs to completely fall off. The one positive/negative thing about getting 2 HTs so close is that most of my friends after month 4-5 were seeing dramatic changes with so much hair so I had to tell them about the HT.

 

Here are a few other things I learned:

1) When you talk to the doctor about where you want your hairline to be, I suggest you look at the desired hairline location not just from the front but from the side. It is sometimes misleading to just look straight ahead in a mirror.

2) When I had my first HT, I had a buzz cut. Because my hair was so short, the scars in the back were visible. So I suggest that you let your hair in the back grow a bit (an inch at least)

3) Buy some toppik to help cover up the scars in the beginning. Sometimes the doctor needs to shave the hair around the strip so you may have some temporary bald spots and toppik works well.

4) Don't worry if you get some zits - they will go away.

5) My new hair didn't really start growing until about 4.5 months and then was still becoming more dense after 8 months.

6) Use conditioners every day in the first year since the new hair will be a bit dry.

 

I highly recommend Dr. Law. His was very professional and did a great job. I can usually spot a HT anywhere but I can't even tell on my own head. Once you've lost all your hair on top, getting some of it back is like a drug, you just want more and more. I am 32 and used to look like I was 40. Now I look 32 again. Thanks doc!

 

Hope the info helped.

 

Dave

[Guest]

How many total grafts did you get from both procedures. Also, were you a slick bald NW6?

[Dave_NYC]

Yes, I was a Norwood 6 before the transplant. I am probably a Norwood 4 now. When your a NW6 you must be realistic in what you expect to get out of a HT. I am still young so my goal was to get a thin cover over the scalp (enough so that I don't get sunburned) and leave a small bald spot in the vertex. To be honest I never really asked the doc exactly how many grafts but I would guess about 2200.

 

Dave

[FUTzyhead]

EEK! I've never heard of back to back strips... I have no idea if that's good bad or otherwise. Of course I hadn't heard of Dr. Law, nor have I heard of anyone not knowing how many grafts they got...

 

Will you be posting pictures? Sounds interesting-

 

Good luck with it- Happy healing, and grow like the wind!

 

FUTzyhead

Futzy's web page

[Guest]

My head hurts 5 weeks post-op just hitting the pillow!

I am not so sure how ethical that was to do back to back strips!

How did he know if he was transplanting over the previous surgery?

[Dave_NYC]

In terms of number of grafts, I got the maximum number that the doctor could do in one session. Dr. Law only sees one patient a day. The session lasted from 9am-4pm. I found the Dr using this site and then of course doing my own investigation on top of that.

 

After only 5 weeks, the graft's "indents" was still visible so you can tell where the grafts went in allowing the doctor to just continue his work from before. A few more weeks longer you can't which is why you typically wait at least 6 months between having another HT (if not longer). Since I was unemployed I choose to undergo a second right away and I have no regrets.

 

D

[FUTzyhead]

Well so far, the maximum in one session that I've ever heard of is 5800+ follicular units in one session. If you had 2 sessions, that's 11,600. Something's not addin' up here... It seem odd to me that he didn't tell you how many grafts- But if you are happy- Who really cares? Hope you can share some pictures- I don't remember seeing results from Dr. Law- You could be a pioneer!

 

Good luck-

[telly savalas]

dr.law is a good doc and listener, he will work with you to construct the hairline you want. the only criticism i have is that some of his grafts tend to stick straight up. i dont know if this is endemic to the procedure,or just his method of placing them.still, i am satisfied with his work, but i have seen very good photos at saratogahair.com and i am going there for a consult this month,ill let you know what i find.

[vocor1]

futzy:

 

I'm sure he meant "maximum number of grafts HIS doctor could do". Or the maximum amount his own scalp laxity allowed or the maximum amount his doctor thought was safe. That sort of thing.

 

Not many people, I'd venture to say, are good candidates for 5800 FUs harvested via one strip at one sitting. I am not.

 

vocor1

Knowledge is Power

If the worst question is the one never asked, then the worst answer is the one never shared.

[Guest]

Dave_NYC

I was wondering how your results came out?

 

In terms of number of grafts, I got the maximum number that the doctor could do in one session. Dr. Law only sees one patient a day. The session lasted from 9am-4pm. I found the Dr using this site and then of course doing my own investigation on top of that.

 

After only 5 weeks, the graft's "indents" was still visible so you can tell where the grafts went in allowing the doctor to just continue his work from before. A few more weeks longer you can't which is why you typically wait at least 6 months between having another HT (if not longer). Since I was unemployed I choose to undergo a second right away and I have no regrets.

 

D

[EastCoast]

A valuable lesson I learned; smaller Doctor's have to do 1 session a day because that is all they can handle. If I could do it again I would get 2 megasessions.