Spock's 13 month final results

[Spock]

Hello my follicularly challenged friends.

 

I've just finished 3 days of FUE/FIT in Atlanta (HT #3). But that is not the purpose of this posting. My purpose is to post the final update on my results of 1620 grafts in 47 cm2 total area by Dr. DeYarman in San Diego on November 18, 2004 (HT #2). In the 2 pics below you will see the results of this work.

 

Note that the doctor who performed HT #3 will not be mentioned here, in keeping with this web site's policies. A donor density check by this doctor determined that I have Follicular Units (FUs) that are mostly 3s (40%) and 4s (30%) with some 2s (20%) and a few 1s (maybe 10%). However the spacing between FUs is greater than average, yielding somewhere between 100 and 140 hairs/cm2.

 

Pic 1 is the top frontal/side shot. The grafts are placed in the frontal third. The hair is kinky and does not really match the surrounding hair, but this seems to be slowly improving each month. At the current rate I expect it to take maybe another 8 or 10 months before they straighten out.

 

However the results are visually thin. It appears that either many of the grafts did not grow (partially transected?), OR they all got cut up into singles and placed as singles. A close visual inspection with stereo magnifying glasses makes it appear that most are placed as singles. Since this is not my natural groupings I'm guessing they got cut up into singles. If true this a suboptimum use of grafts and would help explain the thin appearance. Singles should be saved for the front of the hairline and natural FU groupings used elsewhere for maximum visual density.

 

Not really visable in pic 1 is the lack of growth in the left temple. It just does not show up in pics, you must see it in person. For reasons that neither me nor Dr. DeYarman can explain, almost none of the transplants in the left temple grew. This is about 3 cm2 of scalp area (from the temple apex forward). It creates a weird asymmetry that really bugs me. I know some asymmetry is good, but this is a bit beyond that.

 

Pic 2 is the shaved donor. After HT #2 I had a lot of pain, swelling and numbness. Even now at 13 months I still only have about half of my feeling above the center of my suture line. I think this pic helps explains why. Before I was shaved down for HT #3, I thought I had 2 round shockloss areas of about 0.5cm diameter above the center left of the suture line. After this shave down I learned that I actually have 3 SCARS (not shockloss) of diameters 0.4cm, 0.9cm, and 0.8cm. These are hard skin scars, not vascular, soft shockloss skin. It's my estimate that they were caused by suture holes, but I can't be sure. Note that in this pic the anesthesia was started, causing the small blood drips and swelling in the right outlined box.

 

In closing I have to express my strong disappointment with the results of my HT #2 with Dr. DeYarman. Both recipient and donor areas were not of the quality I expected. In fairness to Dr. DeYarman I will say that I met one person who is very happy with his results, having 2 sessions with him in similar areas to what I did. My last meeting with Dr. DeYarman was around the 8 month mark. At that time I expressed my general dissatisfaction with the results so far. I've not talked with him since.

 

If you wish to see more details and my 10 month results posting, go here:

http://hair-restoration-info.com/eve/forums/a/tpc/f...6060861/m/1141044271

 

If you wish to see Dr. DeYarmans posting of his interpretation of my 8 month results, go here:

http://hair-restoration-info.com/eve/forums/a/tpc/f...6060861/m/7961004771

 

I look forward to your comments.

 

 

 

[Spock]

Hello my follicularly challenged friends.

 

I've just finished 3 days of FUE/FIT in Atlanta (HT #3). But that is not the purpose of this posting. My purpose is to post the final update on my results of 1620 grafts in 47 cm2 total area by Dr. DeYarman in San Diego on November 18, 2004 (HT #2). In the 2 pics below you will see the results of this work.

 

Note that the doctor who performed HT #3 will not be mentioned here, in keeping with this web site's policies. A donor density check by this doctor determined that I have Follicular Units (FUs) that are mostly 3s (40%) and 4s (30%) with some 2s (20%) and a few 1s (maybe 10%). However the spacing between FUs is greater than average, yielding somewhere between 100 and 140 hairs/cm2.

 

Pic 1 is the top frontal/side shot. The grafts are placed in the frontal third. The hair is kinky and does not really match the surrounding hair, but this seems to be slowly improving each month. At the current rate I expect it to take maybe another 8 or 10 months before they straighten out.

 

However the results are visually thin. It appears that either many of the grafts did not grow (partially transected?), OR they all got cut up into singles and placed as singles. A close visual inspection with stereo magnifying glasses makes it appear that most are placed as singles. Since this is not my natural groupings I'm guessing they got cut up into singles. If true this a suboptimum use of grafts and would help explain the thin appearance. Singles should be saved for the front of the hairline and natural FU groupings used elsewhere for maximum visual density.

 

Not really visable in pic 1 is the lack of growth in the left temple. It just does not show up in pics, you must see it in person. For reasons that neither me nor Dr. DeYarman can explain, almost none of the transplants in the left temple grew. This is about 3 cm2 of scalp area (from the temple apex forward). It creates a weird asymmetry that really bugs me. I know some asymmetry is good, but this is a bit beyond that.

 

Pic 2 is the shaved donor. After HT #2 I had a lot of pain, swelling and numbness. Even now at 13 months I still only have about half of my feeling above the center of my suture line. I think this pic helps explains why. Before I was shaved down for HT #3, I thought I had 2 round shockloss areas of about 0.5cm diameter above the center left of the suture line. After this shave down I learned that I actually have 3 SCARS (not shockloss) of diameters 0.4cm, 0.9cm, and 0.8cm. These are hard skin scars, not vascular, soft shockloss skin. It's my estimate that they were caused by suture holes, but I can't be sure. Note that in this pic the anesthesia was started, causing the small blood drips and swelling in the right outlined box.

 

In closing I have to express my strong disappointment with the results of my HT #2 with Dr. DeYarman. Both recipient and donor areas were not of the quality I expected. In fairness to Dr. DeYarman I will say that I met one person who is very happy with his results, having 2 sessions with him in similar areas to what I did. My last meeting with Dr. DeYarman was around the 8 month mark. At that time I expressed my general dissatisfaction with the results so far. I've not talked with him since.

 

If you wish to see more details and my 10 month results posting, go here:

http://hair-restoration-info.com/eve/forums/a/tpc/f...6060861/m/1141044271

 

If you wish to see Dr. DeYarmans posting of his interpretation of my 8 month results, go here:

http://hair-restoration-info.com/eve/forums/a/tpc/f...6060861/m/7961004771

 

I look forward to your comments.

 

 

 

[the B spot]

Hello Spock--

 

First let me start by saying that I feel for you and I hope your story reaches a happy conclusion. I feel compelled to say a few things here: 1st while your transplanted hair is not a dense as you would like it to be, consider that your session was not very large, so if you experienced any type of shockloss, or low graft yield, it would result in a thin appearance. 2nd: I would like to express my extreme displeasure in the appearance of your scar. You look completely ravaged, and being as technologically advanced as we are, that is my biggest issue with your story. I would like to know what your Doctor has to say about this, and also what Pat has to say about this as well. I commend you for shaving your head to expose this abuse, thus removing all doubts as to the inadequate closure technique used. Please continue to post your interactions with DeYarman, as I am sure all of us would like to know how he is handling this.

If I can be of any assistance please PM me.

[Spock]

Thanks B

 

Yes the donor area was truly screwed up. And it can not be blamed on some combination of HT #1 from 11 years ago interacting with HT #2 from DeYarman. I do give DeYarman credit for excising the first scar into the his. But the first scar was predominently on the right side and these problems are center and left side.

 

I have not been in contact with DeYarman since my 8 month checkup and have no desire to talk with him now. I was very unhappy with my results then and decided to get more work elsewhere.

 

My HT #3, done last week, was originally planned to just be a 2nd pass in the frontal 3rd. However after seeing the shave down, the plan had to change. I give HUGE credit to my FUE doctor in Atlanta for taking pity on me and giving me free grafts for my scar. He put about 500 into the linear scar and holes.

 

Wish me luck.

[Pat - Community Publisher]

Spock,

 

I agree that your scar in the donor area is sub pare and not at all typical of what I regularly see from Dr. DeYarman and other leading surgeons.

 

Over the last year you have put up multiple photo albums and posts regarding your surgery and results on this forum. Dr. DeYarman and his staff also made numerous offers to do every thing they could for you to resolve your concerns - including a free session of FUEs to be grafted into your linear scar.

 

Personally the photos that I saw of your recipient area at 8 months looked good for 1,620 grafts at 8 months,

 

click here to view.

 

You have chosen not to accept Dr. DeYarman's offer of free FUE grafts and have chosen to move on and go else where.

 

You have moved on and so has this issue on this forum.

 

Best wishes with your FUE procedure.