Hair Transplant Newbie...(well kinda)... looking for advice...

[clife8]

Well, after 3 years or so of watching this site and reading all of the informative posts, I decided to take the plunge with Dr. Ron Shapiro.

 

My first HT and I have to admit, I am getting a little nervous about the procedure.

 

I booked it two months back and luckily they had an early slot for May 7th instead of June.

 

I guess there is no turning back now

 

I want to thank everyone who takes the time to comment on their HT experiences. Your posts, info, comments etc. have slowly but steadily pushed me in the direction of getting this procedure done.

 

I feel very well informed going into this and in terms of who to go with, what realistic outcomes to expect and overall how the process works.

 

Even though I've never met any of you, nor have I ever posted before, I still consider you guys friends who have offered guidance for me, every step of the way in making my decision.

 

And that leads me to the main reason for this post. Advice...

 

Is there anything that you guys can suggest for prep, during and after that you don't find in the pre and post op guides?

 

6-8 hours seems like a long procedure.. did it go by quickly or did it seem to drag on?

 

What parts seemed to be the worst part of the procedure and which were surprisingly not as bad as anticipated?

 

Any specific advice or info that Shapiro patients can throw my way?

 

Sorry for the long email guys, but I guess I'm just looking for some pre-op jitter support...

 

thanks

 

p.s - quick profile

I'm 32 Male, with slightly receded and broken hairline. Slight thinning in the crown. Started about 10 years ago.. but at a slow rate of speed. Take Rhogaine 5% and Propecia - faithfully!

[Aquarius]

Look - you can always wait. You are going to the best. Give him a call. If you are anxious or unsure you need to talk to him. Dr. R Shapiro is not a salesman. Reiderate your expectations and concerns. Perhaps you are not a "candidate". Help him help you.

[clife8]

thanks for the input Aquarius,

 

Actually, I have committed to this now..

 

I've been through the consultations with Matt Zupan and I am definitely a good candidate.

 

I guess the reason for the post, was mainly to get a better handle on the procedure itself.

 

Worst parts, Easiest parts etc and any "been through it experience" tips and suggestions that you don't find in the pre and post op info sheets..

 

thanks

Christian

[irish homer]

Clife8,

best of luck with the op. you are going to one of the best and even if you had no research done you would get a great result. the pre-op jitters are normal, i had them first time around, not so bad the second time.

the procedure is not that bad, the time passes and there is very little pain.

take your pain-killers regularly before the pain starts to cause discomfort.

get some aloe-vera gell ( no alcohol type )use it on the reciepient area after the first few days it helps a lot.

IH

[icare4myhair]

Clife8,

 

Congratulations on taking the plunge. I had a procedure with Ron Shapiro on Sep 7th 2006. I was about the same age as you (31 and a half) with exactly about the same hair loss pattern as you currently have , before I had my procedure. You can check my blog for details and pics, and search for other posts from me. I am yet to post my post op 6 month pics.

 

You wont be disappointed with Dr Ron Shapiro. I felt completely at ease to the point that I almost enjoyed my procedure. I would just advise you to be cool and not be nervous. After all this is not for any major disease that you are undergoing this, but to get a fuller head of hair at the end. Thinking about this should make you feel at ease.

 

I did not feel any discomfort at all at any time through the procedure, not even during the administration of anaesthestic. Dr.Ron Shapiro is very down to earth and keeps chatting with you informally through out the process. Importantly the rest of the Shapiro team is also excellent with Matt, Janna and the rest of the team making you feel very comfortable.

 

Post op, the staples will be irritating for a few days, but just follow the instructions to wash your hair and it will turn out fine.

 

Finally, I have been using Toppik as well post-op and continue to use it on a daily basis even now. No one can tell that I have toppik on. My new hair growth (its six months and full growth will take a year or so to determine) combined with Toppik gives such an amazing thick look to my hair. I also take propecia post-op to keep my existing hair.

 

Good luck to you and I am sure you wont regret your decision. Do keep us informed of your progress.

 

Icare4myhair

[Bill - Seemiller]

Clife8,

 

Welcome to the "front line" of our community. I'm glad you decided to post. It's always nice to hear that this community has encouraged people, even when we don't know it. I imagine there are a number of people reading these posts that don't post here...hopefully they are edified as well.

 

Congrats with your decision to go to Dr. Ron Shapiro. I believe him to be one of the best out there as he has produced excellent results consistently.

 

I completely understand the anxiety you are facing...it's very normal, especially this close to surgery. Take heart though...you are in great hands.

 

The only thing I can really recommend for you at this point is to follow the pre-op instructions and RELAX. Even though you will be undergoing surgery, most people (including myself) feel it's a relatively painless experience all around.

 

After all...you'll get to meet Janna from our community. You'll have to tell us what she looks like. She's seen all of our pictures on the net, but we have yet to see her . HI JANNA if you are reading this .

 

I hope you'll keep us posted and share your experience and pictures with us.

 

Hope this helps bro.

 

Bill

[PLEASE GROW PLEASE]

Janna is beautiful inside and out

[Bill - Seemiller]

Please Grow Please,

 

lol...I'm sure she is!

 

Bill

[MrJobi]

Good luck on the HT

 

Don't worry although it's normal.. I've had three and the worst part is the first week post op with a bit of discomfort.. I'm at 1 month plus post op and it's back to normal with the exception of the inability to clip below 3 on the sides/back..

 

1 year i'll be loving life!!

[clife8]

Thanks for everyones input!

 

Exactly the type of information I was looking for! Very helpful!

 

It's a bit of a paradox.. I'm both nervous and pumped about the whole thing... or at least the results.

 

I'll post all the usual info shortly after the procedure.

 

And.. I'll definitely be sure to say hi to Janna for everyone..

 

looking forward to joining the elite HT club...

 

thanks again everyone for the encouragement!!!

 

Clife8

 

icare4myhair - i also use toppik. I really like it.. lasts a long time, seems to do a good job of covering without being noticeable. The only time i have a problem with it, is when it "clumps" in one area when pouring it from the bottle and hits the scalp directly. If i have gel in my hair it's really noticeable.. got to fuss with it to get it to look natural..but overall.. great idea that does a good job at a reasonable price.

[Middleson]

Hello clife

 

One word. Medication.

 

If it's not already part of your pre-op plan, I would suggest getting a prescription for Ambien or Lunesta or something that will help ensure you get a good night sleep before your scheduled day of surgery. You might also consider having enough of the same for the first week following your surgery. If you're one of those folks who can sleep no matter what, then you might not need to bother with this.

 

During my surgery I was not shy about asking for pain medication. IMO there's no reason to feel any pain during this surgery. However, even with medication sitting in a chair for such a long period is a bit taxing. I was in the chair for over 12 hours...I didn't think Dr Cooley would ever stop placing hairs on my head! I recall thinking it was kind of funny that I wanted him to stop. I also remember thinking the procedure was over sometime around 7PM and I started to put my shirt on and Dr Cooley laughing and telling me to get back in the chair and then he worked on refining my hairline for another couple hours! Fortunately, he gave me more medication which helped with the jitters.

 

All things considered, it was really quite a day. Fascinating when I really think about it.

 

Thanks for posting and I hope you'll also decide to share some photos with us. We do enjoy photos and stats/numbers.

 

Best of Luck on the 7th, we'll be thinking of you then!

[Bill - Seemiller]

clife8,

 

It's a bit of a paradox.. I'm both nervous and pumped about the whole thing... or at least the results.

 

It's less of a paradox then you think...it's very normal to be both nervous and excited about something like this. It's the same kind of feeling as going out on a first date .

 

Bill

[the B spot]

Janna is beautiful inside and out

 

 

Now THAT is a statement of fact!!!

 

She sets the pace for the rest of the staff, whom are all caring and top-shelf.

 

It is a trickle down effect, to be sure.

 

Your going to be happy you chose Dr. Shapiro, especially for your hairline work.

 

Make sure you take some good before pics!!!

 

Take Care,

J

[hairbank]

Originally posted by clife8:

 

Is there anything that you guys can suggest for prep, during and after that you don't find in the pre and post op guides?

 

6-8 hours seems like a long procedure.. did it go by quickly or did it seem to drag on?

 

What parts seemed to be the worst part of the procedure and which were surprisingly not as bad as anticipated?

 

Any specific advice or info that Shapiro patients can throw my way?

 

 

Congrats to you clife.............Dr. Shapiro is one of the best and I'm sure will deliver for you!

 

I didn't go to him so i don't have their prep sheet but can tell you not to worry, I'm sure it's as thorough as they come as the clinic is a class act all the way around. I've NEVER seen them produce something that I would be proud to wear on my own head !

 

From my prospective, the time in the chair seemed short. My last HT lasted from my time of arrival at 6:30am, until around 4:30pm. Not in the chair the whole time, mind you, just total from start to finish. I watched a couple of movies and dozed off a little. I enjoyed the whole thing!

 

As far as a best/worst.............I had nothing bad that I remember. I was so psyched the whole time just thinking about what it would look like when done. Everyone's experience differs but I can tell you pain was minimal...........more like little pin pricks to numb the donor area and recipient sites.

 

Relax, enjoy the ride and just think about the new hair coming in later this year.

[icare4myhair]

The only time i have a problem with it, is when it "clumps" in one area when pouring it from the bottle and hits the scalp directly.

 

Clife8, if you already have not, try use the hairspray maximizer from Toppik. I have been using this from day 1 and it gives me excellent control in spraying where and how much I need to, including at the hairline. I have not encountered any clumping whatsoever and have been able to achieve exactly what I want, using the spray.

 

Using the bottle directly produces clumsy results IMO (I had tried this once to test it vis.a.vis the spray)

[clife8]

Bill...

 

it's been awhile on the dating thing...been married a few years now.. but now that I think about it... your right.. it's exactly like that!!! Nervous, excited, curious... who the hell knew "hair" or the potential loss/gain of could play so much havoc on us..

 

i actually plan on taking advantage of the meds offered by Dr. Shapiro... should help take the edge off.. and being a light sleeper... i think i may look into some sleeping aids.. thanks for the heads up middleson..

 

quick question for everyone..

 

prior to the procedure...did you tell all the people around you that you were getting a HT procedure done or did you guys keep it quiet... Other than my wife.. I didn't say anything to anyone.. no particular reason.. just didn't feel it was anyones business... nor would they really understand.. "your doing what.. your paying how much... just for hair" yada yada.. don't want to hear it...

 

Most of my staff, friends, family etc. think i am taking a vacation for two weeks...

 

What kind of responses have you guys received from people weeks or months after the procedure.. ??

 

just curious?

[Bill - Seemiller]

clife8,

 

I completely understand wanting to stay discrete. In all honesty, as much as I've been an advocate for my fellow bretheren (and sisters) in this community, in real life, only a few people to this day know that I have had a hair transplant. My wife and two of my friends know, not including my new friend "Hairfree" from this forum and his fiance who is now an in-person friend.

 

Remaining discrete is pretty easy depending on what you do for a living. Wear a hat in public as much as you can before the surgery (being sure to take your hat off a few times so people can see that nothing is different) and then this will get them used to the idea for when you are wearing a hat after surgery . Of course, for me, I was a hat junkie since I was 14 with a full head of thick hair...so nobody thought anything different when I wore a hat all the time after surgery.

 

Tell who you are comfortable with, hide it from who you don't want to tell. Nothing wrong with it.

 

For me, however, at this point...now that I am almost at the end of my journey, I don't think I'd hesitate to tell people if they asked. But I see no reason to broadcast it everywhere I go

 

Bill