hair styles

[Guest]

can any hairtransplant patients wear real short styles like crew cuts;fade,flat tops,ect. all ive ever seen in photos are longer styles. is there a fear of seeing scars or maybe short hair not growing back . with the money involved in a h/t they should be absolutely undetectably.anyone with me this one?

[Guest]

can any hairtransplant patients wear real short styles like crew cuts;fade,flat tops,ect. all ive ever seen in photos are longer styles. is there a fear of seeing scars or maybe short hair not growing back . with the money involved in a h/t they should be absolutely undetectably.anyone with me this one?

[arfy]

I don't think there is such a thing as a completely undetectable hair transplant. The closest you will get is from an "all-FU graft" procedure, but there are still little tell-tale signs. You can only imitate nature, not duplicate it.

 

Also, you don't get nearly enough hair from a hair transplant to wear a "flat top", etc. There's not even enough donor hair to do your whole head, if you will ever be completely bald (which is probable if you need a hair transplant in the first place.) Guys who are considering a hair transplant REALLY need to understand this. You just don't have enough donor hair to cover a completely bald head. That's why most ethical transplant docs will not use up a lot of grafts in a patient's crown. The grafts are needed more in the frontal hairline, and behind that area. "Framing the face" is considered the main objective.

 

Hair transplants create an "illusion" that you still have "some hair". The reason you wouldn't wear your hair standing straight up is because you will get better coverage of your baldness by wearing wearing it "down". It's like a combover, except the hair is spread out over most of your head, not just on the side. Don't expect "rock star hair" or even "cool" hair from a hair transplant. The best you can hope for is something natural looking, that makes it look like you've halted your hairloss, and still managed to hang on to a little of it.

[Guest]

if you really like wearing short hair and plan to, i would get on medication like propecia to try to keep what you have (if you still have some) and forget about HT. with a good surgeon, i think your grafted areas with all FU's will effectively be non-detectable. but the strip scar will need to be hidden, even if you get the "linear" scar and not a wide one. unless of course you do individual follicular unit extraction ala dr. woods, then SUPPOSEDLY the donor area will show no visible scarring.

[Guest]

if you really like wearing short hair and plan to, i would get on medication like propecia to try to keep what you have (if you still have some) and forget about HT. with a good surgeon, i think your grafted areas with all FU's will effectively be non-detectable. but the strip scar will need to be hidden, even if you get the "linear" scar and not a wide one. unless of course you do individual follicular unit extraction ala dr. woods, then SUPPOSEDLY the donor area will show no visible scarring.

 

Hey Jeff, speaking of hair lengths, I was thinking maybe when yours grows in you would look good with it real long, tied back in a little pony tail. What do you think of my idea? Maybe a short beard to go with it would be cool, too.

[Guest]

...but i'm a pretty conservative guy! standard part on the side, comb it back diagonally, off the ears. pretty boring but it works for me!

[Pat - Community Publisher]

It is commonly thought that a person's hair loss does not become cosmetically noticeable until they have lost about 50% of their original hair.

 

Until a person reaches this threshold, the hair they have lost does not significantly affect the overall apperance of their hair.

 

This concept is why people like me can often achieve a full look with out actually restoring their hair to its original density. Once a person has transplanted enough hair to restore 50% of their original hair density they generally achieve a full look cosmetically.

 

Now if a person is extensively bald like I was (5a) and they have sufficient donor with good hair characteristics, they may be able to reach this fullness threshold across their entire bald area. But some may not be able to achieve this density through out. They may opt for a full look in front with light or no coverage in the crown.

 

As for naturalness - done right - an excellent hair transplant should be cosmetically undectable in all social/personal situations. And what other measure really matters?

 

As for how you can wear your hair - there should be no limitation other than the amount of hair you have to wear - period. Obviously if your hair is thin certain hair styles may be more flattering then others. I find that my hair actually looks fuller and manages better when fairly short.

 

Of course, if a person does get excessive scarring in the donor area (which I find is actually rare among patients going to the best surgeons) then a crew cut in the donor area would not be a good idea.

 

Pat

 

Thanks for reading this post. But it's your posts that make this discussion group real and vital. Please jump into the discussion. Just pick a topic and click the reply button.

[Guest]

...but i'm a pretty conservative guy! standard part on the side, comb it back diagonally, off the ears. pretty boring but it works for me!

 

I was just fooling with you a little. Maybe I'll try the long hair idea myself.

[GNX]

IF YOU WANT A HAIR TRANSPLANT AND STILL WANT TO CUT YOUR HAIR VERY SHORT THEN THERE IS ONLY ONE OPTION FOR YOU. THAT WOULD BE DR. RAY WOODS IN AUSTRALIA. OTHERWISE YOU RUN THE RISK OF BEING SCALPED AND SCARRED BY THE STRIP EXCISION METHOD WHICH IS USED BY ALL OTHER HT DOCTORS THROUGHOUT THE WORLD. SO THEREFORE YOU WOULD HAVE TO GROW YOUR HAIR LONG TO HIDE THE UNSIGHTLY SCAR.

 

DONT BE FOOLED BY THOSE WHO HAVE RECIEVED A SO CALLED GOOD HT VIA STRIP EXCISION METHOD BECAUSE EVEN IF YOU RECIEVE A GOOD HT THAT DOES NOT RESULT IN A "POOR" DONOR SCAR YOU WILL STILL HAVE A LINEAR DONOR SCAR THAT WILL BE VISIBLE WITH A CREW CUT. START SAVING YOUR MONEY.....!!!!!!!

(WWW.4HAIR.COM.AU)

GNX...

[Guest]

Jeff--I don't know if you can have a crew cut, but you can have very short hair. I cut my own hair with a buzzer and have it on a very short setting--the scar is undetectable. Believe me, the scar (which I can't even feel when I rub my fingers over it)in the back is worth having hair in the front.

[Guest]

yes mike, even though there is a risk that it might end up "wide", i think most guys who get strip HT from a good doctor have a small scar. I am 5.5 weeks post-op (dr. keene) and so far, so good. its small. i think its going to hide well. i don't ever plan to have short hair. i will probably always want at least an inch or 1.5 inches on the sides and back, and sometimes (like in winter) have it longer. i am under the impression that it will take up to 3 months to know for sure if the scar will stay small, as it could possibly stretch over that period. i also believe it is more of a risk to get a wide scar on procedures that are done after the first one. you must have done very well to be able to have extremely short hair and not show the scar.

who did your surgery?

of course, GNX predictably says all of us strip HT "victims" will be horribly multilated for life. he worships his hero, dr. woods, as we all know.

[GNX]

NO ACTUALLY I DON'T WORSHIP DR. WOODS... I'VE JUST DONE ENOUGH RESEARCH TO COME TO THE CONCLUSSION THAT I NOR ANYONE ELSE SHOULD EXPOSE THEMSELVES TO TECHNOLOGY THAT WILL SOON BE ANCIENT...(STRIP EXCISION).

 

WHY NOT TAKE ADVANTAGE OF NEWER AND BETTER TECHNOLOGY. WHY RUN THE RISK OF A POOR DONOR SCAR HEALING WHEN YOU DONT HAVE TO. YEA, ITS A LITTLE MORE EXPENSIVE BUT SO WHAT. ITS THE MOST LOOKED AT FEATURE ON YOUR ENTIRE BODY....YOUR HEAD...!

 

YOU WILL BE STUCK WITH WHATEVER YOU GET FOR A LIFETIME. IT'S JUST ABSURD NOT TO TAKE ADVANTAGE OF A TECHNIQUE THAT WILL NOT LEAVE YOU WITH A HORRIBLE SCAR. EVEN IF ITS NOT HORRIBLE, ITS STILL NOTICIBLE.

 

I'VE SEEN SO-CALLED GOOD HT DONOR SCARS... MY OPINION OF GOOD IS OTHER PEOPLE NOT BEING ABLE TO KNOW THAT I HAVE EXPERIENCED A HT. WHAT I SEE IS JUST BETTER THAN BAD, THAT TO ME IS NOT ACCEPTABLE.....! PERIOD!!!

 

GNX...

[Guest]

If Woods consistently produces good results, sure thats a fine way to go. I don't relish the idea of this strip scar, especially when considering a second procedure when the chances of a worse scar become greater. But unfortunatley economic reality always rears its ugly head and even though i make a good income (I know, "good" is a relative term) i'm not gonna go spend $40,000 to get the # of grafts I'd like to have when i think i can get the job done and likely have a minimal scar and keep most of the money. its all priorities, and i understand why you feel like you do.

[GNX]

TRUST ME.....! I AGREE WITH YOU, ITS A SHIT LOAD OF MONEY TO SPEND AND IF A HT IS NOT A PRIORITY IN YOUR LIFE THEN YOU SHOULDN'T SPEND $40,000.00 ON A WOODS HT. I AGREE 100%.

 

FOR ME, IT IS A PRIORITY...! I CANT STAND THE WAY I LOOK AND TO BE HONEST WITH YOU MY HAIR LOSS HAS RUINED MY LIFE...! SO IT IS A PRIORITY FOR ME. I MAKE ABOUT $80,000.00 A YR. AND HAVE NO KIDS OR WIFE TO SUPPORT. SO FOR ME ITS PROBABLY NOT AS MUCH A SACRIFICE FINANCIALLY THAN IT MIGHT BE FOR YOU OR OTHERS.

 

I JUST FEEL THAT IT IS SOMETHING YOU WILL HAVE FOR THE REST OF YOUR LIFE. IF I HAD A MILLION DOLLARS AND IT COST A MILLION DOLLARS TO GET ME BACK PRETTY CLOSE TO WHAT I USE TO LOOK LIKE I WOULD SPEND IT IN A HEART BEAT.....! I GUESS IM THE EXPTREME BUT I WAITED ALMOST 5 YRS. FOR DR. WOODS TYPE TECHNOLOGY TO BE AVAILABLE.

 

THE POOR DONOR SCAR HAS JUST ALWAYS BEEN A FEAR OF MINE AND I NEVER REALLY GOT OVER IT. SO FOR ME ITS TRULY A MIRACLE THAT A SCARLESS HT IS AVAILABLE...! I GUESS FOR ME ITS LIKE BUYING INSURANCE FOR HAPPINESS. BUT UR RIGHT MONEY IS A FACTOR FOR SOME, JUST NOT ME.

 

GNX...

[Guest]

Jeff,

I also went to Dr. Keene. I was very pleased with her work. I had mine done about 6 months ago, and the scar is really not an issue. I swear, I can push down really hard on the back of my scalp and still not feel the scar.

As for the Woods technique...If it is as good as some are saying, other doctors will be doing it very soon. I would never have something done when it is only in its preliminary stages of use. By the time I'm ready for my second HT, Dr. Keene will probably be doing the new technique (if it is good). I would never go to anyone else but her--she was worth the long trip to Arizona.

[Guest]

I don't blame you man. i make about the same kinda money as you, just a tad more, but i think as far as the money with me its more like this....at my age (47) a guy has different priorities than when he is your age (retirement, etc.) you're in you're 20's....you have time to make a pile of money even if you spend a lot on Woods. I think, considering your situation, and your desire to have real short hair like you have talked about....you are probably making the right decision. if things were a little different for me...i might have gone that way too. i just hope old woods is not hiding something and some people getting high transection and lower growth. but as you pointed out one time, you would think there would be people out there raising cane about it if that were the case. blaze on down there man! and let us know how it goes.

[Guest]

yes, i think dr. keene is very good too. and i have the added convenience that i live in Phoenix which is a 2 hour drive (not that proximity was that big a factor). How far did you travel? do you really feel you could shave your hair very short and not have that scar be visible? At this point with mine (6.5 weeks) even though it is linear, i don't see any way it would ever be that undetectable with real short hair with mine. also, even though the line scar line itself seems to be linear, on the back just off to my right side, i have a couple small areas, one is maybe a cm. across and the other smaller, that are adjacent to the scar itself, that is still slick of hair. i have thought it might be a shockloss area, but the part of this that troubles me is that these couple little areas are not white, like the surrounding hair emmitting skin, but pink like the scar itself. i know its early to be fretting about this yet, but i am a bit worried that these may not be shockloss spots, but a stretched area of the scar. being my first procedure i would be surprised if this were the case. have you mike, or anyone else, had any experience with this? it has been like that since i did my first close up look at 2 weeks post-op and not changed as best i can tell. am i worried about nothing, or does this sound like localized stretching? my head has not felt tight back there. the woods guys will pounce on this and say I told you so.

[Guest]

My 1st procedure:

1600 grafts

Two 7" sutured incisions which overlapped (1/2" apart) in the back

Scalp was tight for weeks

very thin scar-no stretching

 

2nd procedure-6 months later

1530 grafts

One 10" stapled incision

scalp did not feel tight, even from day one

Very thin scar-no stretching

[Guest]

Sorry about the frowning red face. I clicked on the wrong dise of the smiley face.

[Guest]

thanks for the info, doug. interesting that after procedure #2 that your scalp was less tight that the first.