10 things......

[Dewayne]

from an old veteran. I've sort of got a good life back, and don't come on here much anymore; but just a year and half ago I would stay on this site at least an hour or two a day..everyday. Here are some things I've learned:

 

1. You will still want to look good at 40! Some guys at 20 think it won't matter after they get out of their "prime". But let me tell you, your definition of prime will change too. I imagine my 74 year old dad still wants to look good. Don't be overly aggressive.

 

2. It's better to not get a transplant at all than to get a bad one! I got 400 plugs, or a 100 - can't remember....at the age of 24 and pretty much spent the next 15 years trying to hide the awful work. Even though the ladies at "Hair Club for Men" told me mine actually looked pretty good....

 

3. Get at least three opinions. I got four or five, and discovered the best docs usually make the same general recommendations, so be wary of the one making extraordinary promises.

 

4. When you get your hair back, even though it might not be as thick as an 18 year olds, you probably won't come back to the site much. The real reason is this: You just won't think about your hair all that much. I wish I had more, but I don't think about it much now and I don't see people looking at my head like I did before..(see#2)

 

5. Price matters, but only in that the best doctors will generally be within 10 - 15% of each other. Those quacks with the $2 per graph billboards will have you HIDING for the next several years as well.

 

6. Take finasteride. I quit it for about three months and I could tell I experienced some thinning. Take a Viagra if you have to, but there shouldn't be any side effects.

 

7. You might experience growth after 9 months. Tests may show it's minimal, but by-God my eyes don't lie. I did!

 

8a. Don't exercise for a month or two after your surgery. This is too damn important, and none of us are in such great shape that a couple months off will be devistating. Actors do it all the time for movie roles. Sly Stallone once gained 40 pounds for a movie, and then afterwards got back into great shape. Stretch that scar because you don't want to lose 10 pounds off your bench press and see how you like it.

 

8b. Just because you get hair, it doesn't mean that you'll suddenly get your 18-year-old body back either. It's still hard to lose 20 pounds, so if that's an issue with you (like me) consider getting in great shape first. Sometimes that makes so much difference, you might not even want or need hair. Think Bruce Willis here.

 

9. The 'ugly phase' is inevitable I think. Mine looked good at four months, and then at six it looked like hell. Just give it a year.

 

10. Research at least three months on doctors, the procedure, etc. I think an educated patient is more likely to get a better transplant personally. This site was a great resource for me, and really has changed my life. I found several great doctors and decided on Cooley. If I had an extra $9k, I'd go back for another, but I've got a kid preparing for college, a mortgage, a wife who wants some new boobies, and a lot of other committments right now.

[dakota3]

Would you look who it is !

 

Great write up.

[mmhce]

Good to hear from you again Dewayne!

[aaron1234]

Dewayne,

 

Nice post! And you're still only at 10 months. Congrats on looking much improved. And according to Dr. Beehner, you can expect more maturation of the hairs even during the 14-19 month period. So sweetness!

 

You state in the blog you want another 2K or so. Is this happening anytime soon? And will you return to Cooley?

[dakota3]

aaron1234,

 

Dewayne had his procedure done quite a while ago "about 2 years". He just hasnt updated his blog in a while.

[aaron1234]

Ah, thanks dakota for setting me straight. I looked at Dewayne's blog and saw that the 10 month update was posted in Feb and I wrongly assumed it is Feb 2010, not Feb of last year.