2200 FU with DeYarman - CA 5/20/05

[baldcasanova]

I have posted my 4.5 month pics. Overall it was a slow month but hair did grow and I feel a little better than I did the month prior. i'm hoping the future brings more growth and thickening as well as some sort of hairstyle at some point.

[JacobS]

Originally posted by baldcasanova:

I have posted my 4.5 month pics. Overall it was a slow month but hair did grow and I feel a little better than I did the month prior. i'm hoping the future brings more growth and thickening as well as some sort of hairstyle at some point.

 

Cas - You are at the magic moment. It's ear to ear grin from here out. Enjoy!

[Bill - Seemiller]

Hey Cas,

 

Thanks for the photo update man. you are looking good! Seems to have been a slower month, but there is definately some growth going on. I look forward to seeing your pics in the next month or two. I imagine you should start seeing some good growth soon.

 

Keep us posted!

 

Bill

[Spock]

Starting to fill out nicely. Much more to come. Happy growing to you!

[baldcasanova]

Just added some 6.5 month photos. Let me know what you think?

[Gorpy]

Looks good dude! At just 6.5 months, I think you'll get quite a bit more thickening.

[tkerr22]

I think it looks awesome! that is pretty impressive and will only thinken up more! Looks great and gives us all confidence on our own HT's growing in after 6 plus months! thanks man!

[Bill - Seemiller]

Looks great cas...a lot of change in the last 2 months.

 

Bill

[AL_the_Baldii]

It looks excellent. The good thing is that your have uniform coverage all over or in other words there is uniform growth all over. Looks really good, considering where you started from.

I am almost 2 months post HT. I had 1500 grafts in my crown area. Almost all the grafts have fallen out and now I am waiting for them to start growing. Mentally I am prepared for that 6 month mark to see any significant change.

[hairworthy]

I agree. The HT reallly did frame your face, and your curly texture helps. Well done cas, enjoy the rest of the growth.

[baldcasanova]

Hey guys, thanks alot for your feedback. I really appreciate it. so far I am very happy with the results. although my hair isnt very dense, I m happy to at least get coverage. For some reason I was off of propecia for a while but I just got my pills in the mail the other day from dr. d so now im set for the next 4 months. I admit, i still need to use toppik and the other meds of course, because im sure the remaining hairs wantto come out. when i go in the sun my hair does look a little thin, but i only had 2200 grafts done and it covered up all of my balding head. but everyday my hair shafts seems to get a bit wider and stuff so i am optimistic for the future.

 

one thing is for sure that i dont feel bald any more, my temples are covered, hairline re-established, my super huge bald spot has been greatly reduced, people do not stare at my hairline any more (maybe a little but i dont really notice at much. some people just do that), and the older i get (im 31 now) the less it will be an issue. well because 1.) i started on this id say relatively young, and also because i will be getting more work done in the near future. most likely another 2000.

 

 

i can see why guys get multiple procedures, because the process is not that bad. However, you can look at my growing time throughout the months and i can say it was really embarassing going to work the first few months. i mean see my 1 month pic? I couldnt even wear a hat to work (corporate media buying firm, jeans only on friday and i wore a hat... f*ckem). it really was embarassing. but now i dont think anyone remembers that at all because now im coming in with brown scalp (meaning with hair)

 

 

but one thing is for certain, now i dont feel like i need to wear a hat all the time (and before there was no way you wouldnt see me in a hat) this was the case since i was 19 years old. having had to wear a hat during my formative years really took a toll on my self perception and confidence.

 

this forum has always been a sort of escape because who can you really discuss something as personal as hairloss with? It really helped and continues to help me get on a road to recovery so my hats off to everyone who contributes to this forum because it has really been a great resource for me.

 

cas

[Robert_]

Thanks for the update, Cas. I was wondering just the other day how you were coming along. Looking good, man!

 

 

-Robert

[HairBeThere]

WOW!! Looks great man!!

 

I did, however, notice you have the same situations I have. Lighting.

 

In some lighting shots, your hair looks absolutley outstanding!! In others, not looking bad, it looks thinning.

 

But, coming from where you, we, both came from, looks should be absolutely fine. After all, you can only get so much density at a time.

 

I wonder if some people will ever really realize that.

 

Taken in the right lighting, looks like the cure.

 

Taken in the wrong lighting, look at my past updates.

 

I'm happy for your outcome, as I'm sure you are... Keep us updated!

[baldcasanova]

hbt,

 

you are right. its lighting for sure. thanks for the positive feedback. at almost 7 months, im content and looking forward to the future.

ill be back in the doc chair soon as i can scrounge up another 7k or so. do you have any other plans as well?

 

oh, i just wanted to caveat that my previous updates were actually taken outside. So the lighting was natural lighting. Perhaps I should take some more pics outside for consistantcy.

 

hbt, im curious to see how your pics come out in natural lighting as well. Do you see a big difference?

 

cas

[HairBeThere]

ya.. I am planning on it as soon as my funding straightens around. Bad time of the year, to think of spending money on myself.

 

I find, the worst lighting os florecent. Outdoor lighting seems to be better than being under bright lights.

 

That's what I've found so far.

[tymman]

Cass & HBT - I notice the EXACT same things!!! my last updates were inside under bright fluorescent lighting most angles you don't see rows of hair just outlines around the edge of my head. Sunlight does it only at wierd angles, but normal angles that people would see me in are looking really good. I could definitely use another HT for better density but I won't really worry about it yet. I also see the hairs getting thicker, once a week I see a few new grafts starting to poke through the skin. usually at the temples area.

 

Cass - Looking GREAT Bro!!! your face has well defined structure. How well does the Toppik work for you?? does it just do a good job covering skin or does it add appearance of density, is it detectable!?!?!?! That's my biggest concern about Toppik. I wouldn't want to use it if you can tell I am using it. I sent you another PM, hit me back with your schedule!HAPPY GROWING and HAPPY HOLIDAYS!!

[tkerr22]

tyman,

 

I use toppik just in my crown area as i need to get another HT to thicken that area up and it works really well. don't use too much, and then just comb it in and it blends really well with my own hair, makes it look thicker and more dense, doesn't even stick to head, but you do need a little hair there for it to cling to. No one has seemed to notice anything as I can't even tell after I put it in.

[Spock]

Looking good Cas. You must be one happy guy.

 

Your right about the lighting effecting the visual appearance of thinness. Try it with and without a flash. The difference between the two can be dramatic.

 

Question on your donor area. Have you been able to get any pics of it? How much donor do you think you have left? Now that your on the HT bandwagon you'll only want more. It's kind of like crack

[HairBeThere]

maybe we should try a collective agreement. To help others understand when you get a certain percentage of coverage, what to expect in visual apperance.

 

My opinion is,

30% or less is poor visual under all lighting.

30%-40% is good only under normal to bright lighting.

40%-50% is good under natural lighting.

50% and above is good under all lighting, including florecent, with better visualization with greater density.

That being 50% density, being ideal for HT coverage.

 

My opinion, but should be a good rule of thumb. Ofcourse hair caliber weighs in.

[JSR]

Hello Cas,

 

Just wanted you to know that it was your endoresment of Dr. D. that made the decision for me. I had 4,000 grafts done aprox. 6 months ago. It is growing in, but it could be denser. I'm also supplementing my procedure with Monoxidil and Propecia. I'm noticing additional growth from old follicles that are restimulating from the supplements. I wish you well.

 

JSR

[baldcasanova]

hi all, I just wanted to provide an update here. I am now 2.5 years out, and unfortunately my hair loss has continued. I'll admit I have not been good with the meds. I'll try to post some pictures soon as I dont have a good camera at my disposal but trying to go and pick one up.

 

So I've lost a lot of my natural hair and whats left is the transplanted hair. Unfortunately I am disappointed to see that my older look is returning. Needless to say I am starting my research again to hopefully get in contact with a good doctor.

 

Its been a great couple of years though. My career has been good, life, and all that goes on in my world. I can afford the next ht no problem but hoping this is the last or second to last one because I just don't want to continue going down this road.

 

I do a lot of cosmetic work each day, and have been over the last 2 years because I have NW5 features. I use toppik and have been over this time but quite frankly thats annoying to use sometimes as well when you have advanced hairloss. anytime you have to scratch your head you get this gunk under your nails, not to mention you become so dependant on using it that when you decide to rinse it out (which for me I try not to each day) the soap takes all the oil off my scalp which makes it hard to style for some reason. I try to a few times a week but that routine i am weary of. but then again who wants sweaty smelly hair? and btw if you dont use toppik, it has a powdery smell.

 

so i am thinking to go in for the max like 2,500 or whatever the doc can give me and hopefully that will finish me up.

 

my hairloss at this point is at a point where you can definietely see my scalp and a shine protrudes through the hairs left over. I have become quite the makeup artist over the 4 years I have been battling hair loss, but i look forward to the day when I wont cringe when someone gets close and wants to touch my hair because i have so much crap in it.

 

one thing that has really pissed me off over the years is the scar left over from my first HT with dr straub of torrance ca. After I had left some remarks a few months ago Straub tried to contact me several times offering a revision, but the funny thing is I let him already do 1 revision! Can you believe that I still have pain in the donor region? I dont think that is normal. After my 1st HT i had so much pain in the donor that I shaved my head to get a good look at the donor area and to my surprise I took some tweezers and pulled out a 2 inch piece of plastic wire that the dr used to stitch me up. I am wondering if it is still in there, because it is still tender to the touch.

 

After I received my HT from dr de yarman in SD, i saw a lot of posts here talking about how deyarman cuts his grafts so small and basically custs his 3s and 4s into 1s and 2s to get more grafts and that his HTs look thin. i guess you can imagine how that makes a guy feel to hear those things, and guys come on here all the time and get shit about their hts which doesnt help them at all.

 

i will say this. I am still glad, despite the scar problem, and continued hair loss and cost, that I got an HT(s). I like the way I look with hair, i look better in photos, and people arent afraid of me when I had a shaved head. I have pretty strong features so when I used to shave my head in the past, a lot of people felt intimidated, and told me.

 

Ive managed to get in and do what I need to professionally and now Im looking forward to ending my personal struggle against not only baldness, but against the constant upkeep!!! i dont care if it costed 10k i will get it done and wont care. as long as I go to the right doctor.

 

you can see that I have been on this forum for many years. I may not have 7,000 posts, but I try to poke my head in now and again, check out photos, offer insight, and just look around. A lot of people recommend Hasson and Wong in Canada, Dr Cooley in NC, Dr True in NY, and I'm not sure if there are any other real bad ass doctors out there these days that the community is recommending.

 

I'm going to be around until I finally get this done, and probably hang out for the 1st year to keep my progress updated. My goal is to get this done during my 2 weeks off from work in december. I am definitely not going to go the route of shaving my head this time. No friggin way. besides, my hair now is so damn thin the doctors probably wont need to!

 

so thats my long post for the year. I may not have done a complete mental dump, but the foundation of my thinking is here. Feel free to follow along with my progress. Hope to hear from you soon.

 

Cas

[the B spot]

Hey Cas---- glad to hear from you brother!

 

PM me sometime will ya?

 

Later,

Jason

[Bill - Seemiller]

Cas,

 

Welcome back to our community and for the update.

 

We always tell people that hair loss is a progressive condition, and your shared story will hopefully help readers understand that hair transplantation is not a cure for hair loss.

 

The fact that you have pain in the donor area still after a couple years is not normal - I agree with you. I'm 1 year post op from my third hair transplant and haven't had any pain in the donor area for quite some time.

 

So who are you considering for your next surgery?

 

When you get a chance to post pictures of your current situation, we'd all like to see it. You'll probalby have to create a new album however, as the limit for a photo album has been reset to 25. Alternatively you can create a hair loss weblog.

 

Best wishes,

 

Bill

[baldcasanova]

cool, I will now create a blog. Looks like my next procedure will be 12/14/07!

[MrJobi]

Looks good Cas

 

I think he is a good example why a conservative approach ( as much as it is knocked by many) can be the wiser choice in some cases where hairloss is NOT stabilized.

 

People need to think longterm in instead of rushing to get a full head of hair tomorrow