3,217 with Dr. Cooley, NW 5a, (1/12/06)

[Maximus]

Hi Everybody,

 

Just had my first hair transplant procedure on my NW5a head on Thursday, (Jan 12,2006) with Dr. Cooley for 3,217 grafts.

 

For me, the procedure was very pleasant...easy, relaxing and painless. It lasted from 7am to about 9 pm. I'm still amazed with the staff, Dr. Cooley, and especially seeing HAIR on my head. It is too cool!

 

See also: Photo Album; Maximus Blog

 

My Story

For a while, I wasn't sure I was making the right decision to invest in cosmetic surgery when I could put the money into a house or a great sports car. Now, I am glad I went with the hair procedure and Dr. Cooley.

 

Hair loss never really too bothered me as I aged. My hair started receding and disappearing at age 18. I've always had some sort of hairline and the picture of myself in my mind has always been with hair. I've been blessed with good friends and family.

 

The hardest time for me was in high school when I first realized that baldness ran in my family and my full head of blond hair would disappear one day making me bald. My dad looks good bald but it grieved me none-the-less. I resigned myself to my fate, determined to be the best person I could be, and never looked back. Beauty is on the inside; especially as time takes it toll. Physically, there will always be room for improvement. And most women are very attracted to humor, confidence, and inner strength. You don't hear about too many women breaking up or divorcing a guy because he is "bald."

 

Cherry-On-Top

Be comfortable with who you are first. Don't look for a hair transplant to change your life. Change your life, be fulfilled, and then add hair. A hair transplant is the cherry-on-top and it does make life more fun. That being said, one of my greatest wishes was to have hair on my wedding day and in the wedding pictures. Now, that is possible again. And who knows, maybe my wife is just around the corner.

 

Making the Decision

For the last 3+ years, I have read the HTN forum learning a little at a time just in case I decided to give a hair transplant a try. The forum is a great resource. And most of all, talk openly and candidly with the doctor and ask a lot of questions (write them down and bring them to the consultation with you). They are the experts who do this every day and see hundreds of clients. Starting out it probably good to talk to a several docs and read the forums on the Internet. Then you will get a good sense of what works for you. And in the long run, the hacks become more apparent and the cream rises to the top.

 

A buddy of mine shaved his head completely and he couldn't believe how many women came up to him to feel his head and tell him how much they loved bald guys. That was going to be my next step.

 

Of course, there were things I didn't like about hair loss. Since I give a lot of presentations in front of groups, I didn't like having a "shiny" head. And I didn't like it when a date or girlfriend talked about her ex's hair or commented how she wished I had hair. Also, when I went out with the guys and we met girls, I didn't like be described as the "bald guy."

 

Still, I considered cosmetic surgery was for only girly-men but two things changed my mind. One was this summer when I went to Columbia, SC and had Lasik/PRK eye surgery to improve my vision for the military reserve. It was one of the best decisions I made. Being able to see the alarm clock at night and to throw away contacts and glasses was awesome. I loved it and got a taste how cool it is to make a significant change to my body. Then I started thinking about what a striking improvement adding hair on my head would be.

 

Secondly, I wouldn't have gone forward if it wasn't for this open forum and the honest information people posted about their experiences. I tend to be skeptical when it comes to infomercials, or the hype of glossy brochures, or testimonials with lots of tremendous claims or excessive glowing praises. In addition to all the good information about the hair transplant process, options and personal experiences, the forum helped me with the hardest part, choosing a doctor.

 

From what I've read, it is hard to go wrong with the top docs recommended here. For me, I decided to drive 4 hours to Charlotte from Atlanta to work with Dr. Cooley.

 

D-Day, January 16, 2006

The morning of the surgery, I arrived at 6:45 a.m. and the staff was bright eyed and ready to go. It was nice being the first patient at the clinic and then later at 9 pm I was the last patient to leave.

 

The Hair Line

The hardest thing for me was trying to visualize what the new hairline would look like. I wish I'd taken a hairline picture at the initial consultation so I could refer to it while I waited and wondered if I was doing the right thing. The pictures on this forum are good but it still hard to imagine how it looks on oneself.

 

Then there is the question, do you focus on the hairline and first third or do you spread grafts out as much as you can to the back? I chose to focus on the hairline and density of the frontal third of my head. For me, not being shiny up front is important since I do a lot of public speaking and face-to-face meetings.

 

Of course, balance is important. A too low/full hairline and a bald crown throws the balance off and may cause more attention to baldness.

 

We talked about what I wanted and Dr. Cooley gave me some suggestions. Dr. Cooley has done this so many times and has a good artistic eye, especially with my unique noggin. I relied on his experience and skill. Whatever you decide you want, it is what he will do. I went with his recommendations and trusted his artistic touch. I am really pleased with the hairline he created and the work he did. It is better than I expected. Of course, I'm looking forward to seeing how it unfolds over the year.

 

And as far as "the crown" goes, to me most women who see us from behind will be looking at our "buns of steel" and not the "crown," right?! ;-)

 

Also, I emailed Prospicience who just had the same procedure and he gave me some good input. And the next day I ran into iFloss at my follow visit. Thanks for the encouragement guys. By all means, if you have any questions contact people on this forum.

 

When you think about it, we are living art. For the rest of my life people will see the work of Dr. Cooley's hand and the work of his staff in my visage. When a hottie rubs her fingers through my hair, I (and she) will have Dr. C and his staff to thank. Now, I can't wait for a girl to play with my hair. Since I've been bald forever, it's been a while.

 

The Procedure

The 14 hour day didn't seem that long too me. I dozed off a few times. Listened to audio books on my iPod and watched movies. I usually have a hard time sitting still more than 40 minutes at a time. But the procedure was just easy, casual and relaxing. Dr. Cooley and his staff are very personable and easy to talk with...talk a little, watch a movie, listen to an audio book and zoom the day was over. It still amazes me how hard Dr. Cooley, Ailene, Brandi, Christy (sp?), Stacy (sp?) and the rest of the staff work. They pay attention to detail, care about the patient, are highly skilled and diligent.

 

Donor Area Removal

Have you seen the picture of the gaping slash Prospicience posted about his strip removal yet? Well, as I laid face down on the massage table that gory image was in my mind and I was waiting for the feel of "Velcro" pull of skin being yanked from my scalp. I was paying careful attention and it was hard to tell what was going on. It seemed like the recipient area was shaved and a blow-dryer/vacuum thing was used to catch the hair. Then I felt a vibrating massage instrument and an occasional pinch of a shot of some sort. Then the next thing I felt was a small pinch and it felt like a stitch...then it was done. Received 100 stitches and didn't feel a thing other than a couple of pinches on head and arm. It is pretty amazing and I can't believe how totally painless it was for me.

 

I had a great lunch and took about 4 bathroom breaks. A couple of times I had one of those "tickles" in your throat from allergies that make you cough and eyes water and they brought me a class of water when I needed it.

 

Most of the staff went home towards the end of the day and for about the last 2 hours or so Dr. Cooley looked at final results and meticulously added the final touches of grafts here and there to perfect his work. Kind of like an artist adding the final touches to a masterpiece. Dr Cooley, and the staff are caring and encouraging.

 

Suture

I knew the suture would be long but it is still kind of freaky when you feel the stitches with your hand for the first time. Instead of having a short wide suture, my suture goes from ear to ear...kind of intimidating and scary. The idea of a longer scar is that it will be thinner and less perceptible. Especially, compared to shorter and wider scars. Dr. Cooley uses the "Triphalic (sp?) closure" method that allows hairs to grow through the scar making it hard to discern. I believe Dr. Rose calls this a "Ledge Closer." I went with regular stitches instead of dissolvable ones b/c they seem to provide a less visible scar and better healing. At any rate, I am confident that my scar will be as good as you can get. Often I wear my hair short (#2-#3) for the military reserve weekends every month and I don't expect any noticeable difference in appearance.

 

Bonus

You can tell they enjoy their job and the impact their work makes on the patients appearance and life. He also offered to remove a red spot (cherry angioma) off my head, which was thoughtful and appreciated. Plus it saved me the expense of getting it done later. That "cherry spot" used to be way above my hairline. Since 18, I watch my hairline recede above that spot over the years. It had been my measuring stick and I almost wanted to keep it. With the promise of a new hairline, I decided "the spot" is past history as well. It is a new day in the neighborhood. :-)

 

Post Op

Afterward, I had no swelling, minimal scabbing, a little tightness and little pain, which Tylenol took care off. When I awoke in the morning there were spots of blood on my pillow when my surgical cap came off as I slept. It kind of freaked me out. I couldn't tell where the blood came from...seemed like from the stitches. Later that day for the follow up appointment, Dr. Cooley said everything looked good. He said he was "blown away" with how many grafts of 3 hairs I had. That is encouraging news to hear.

 

Recovery Regimen

My regimen now is spraying the special "green spray" that Dr. Cooley gave me. My head isn't that itchy and I spray the green stuff several times a day. It is a good excuse to admire my hair in the mirror. Also, I put Neosporin on my sutures 2-3 times a day. It seems to lesson the "tightness feel" and from what I read, it is supposed to reduce visible scaring. Then of course I'm taking a "Vitalert" a great multiple vitamin (at WalMart) and also MSM. On day 3, I started 5% Minoxidil and will use it for a month to fertilize the graphs. My crown is so bare I doubt it would help it much. I can't wait to get the stitches out and get back to exercising.

 

Overnight Accommodations

The Best Western hotel they arranged was really comfortable and I was surprised how nice it is...a free, modest breakfast buffet of sausage, biscuits, eggs, waffles, cereal, coffee, etc.; in room internet connections (bring your own Cat 5 cable), public computers online and wireless Internet available in the lobby. I ended up paying for an extra night to relax, catch up on reading, work, and do a little goal setting. It felt good to be away from home and in different surroundings. Turned out to be a good break and a "mini vacation."

 

WOW!

I still can't believe I finally did this...WOW! It feels like anticipating Christmas day and can't wait to what is in store. Feels great to finally be on this side of the HT decision. It will be a fun adventure to watch develop.

 

When you get a chance, watch "Simpson and Delilah" when Homer grows hair on his head...too funny and so true. With his "executive hair" he gets promoted, a big raise and all kind of perks (second season DVD). Who knows what is in store with my new "executive" hair :-)

 

Going into this I was confident it would be a positive experience, yet I realize that expectations are often premeditated resentments. I knew I was in good hands but not sure how things would work out. I couldn't have asked for a better, more pleasant experience and I am really glad I had the opportunity to do this. It makes me want to do it again and I probably will in a year or so. Even if I don't have a second procedure, I am very happy with what I have.

 

I will keep you posted on my progress at my web blog: Maximus Blog and will post pictures on the blog and photo album as soon as I get my pictures set up.

[Robert_]

Great account of your procedure with Dr. Cooley, (and a great user name to boot!) Maximus!

 

Your experience with the clinic sounds much like my own and many others that have posted about it on the forums.

 

I took the liberty of adding the link of your blog to your "Custom Member Title" (the area right over your avatar) since only admin's can place "clean" links in the signature line.

 

Looking forward to your updates as you progress! Happy growing!

 

-Robert