Two Month Update: Dr. Dorin 1,698 FUT

[corvettester]

Today is my two-month update. I’ll be posting updates each month regardless of my growth. I apologize in advance for the photos, they’re all taken with my cameraphone in fluorescent light. I just want to give back to the community as much as I can. Also, I find these updates therapeutic in a sense… any feedback is helpful.

 

There probably is not too much to talk about, but I do have a few observations. At two months I know not to be expecting much but it is interesting to see what I do have.

 

On the positive side, I have had very little shock loss, no swelling and most all of the sensitivity is long gone. Also, most of the numbness on the top part of my head has dissipated. There is, however, still a little numbness, but nothing problematic or bothersome.

 

Negatives are what is to be expected at this point: pimples and itchiness. As you’ll see from my pics, the pimples are crazy big too. I’ve never had pimples like this. Oh well, they should pass soon enough. The itchiness is a pain in the ass though.

 

The big news is that there is a significant difference in growth between my left and right temple area. The right temple area has about triple the growth of the left. However, as is to be expected at two months, there isn’t much growth in the first place. I notice it though, of course.

 

The funny thing is that I am especially counting on my left side having a good growth. If you remember from my earlier posts, the left side has receded much further than the right side. Also, I part my hair on the left-side, therefore, it’s the most exposed. So I’m really hoping the left catches up over the next couple of months.

 

I’m not even stressing about it now though, I know I got a lot more growing to go; however, I would be remiss not to acknowledge it. The left side clearly has less growth than the right side.

 

As for the right side, I’m surprised at how much hair has already grown in—I wasn’t expecting as much! So I'm counting my self lucky. Now I’m just hoping that this micro-trend reverses itself over the next couple months. Come on left side, catch up!!!

 

I know that there have been plenty of other cases of guys who have had sides grow in uneven but I’m hoping that isn’t going to be me. I’ll just continue to monitor it and keep everyone updated. Moving on…

 

Another interesting observation is that the hairs that have grown in are all black, but I’m a dirty blonde! I was a bright, white blonde as a child.

 

When my hair doesn’t get any sunlight due to winter or because my long hair on top hangs over it the bottom layers, the bottom layers can get very dark. It gets so dark that people often think that I dye or highlight my hair because my roots can be jet black! Ugh…

 

Because my donor area is in an area of my head that doesn’t get much sunlight and tends to have other hair laying over it, thereby blocking it from the sunlight, you can imagine how dark my donor area is. Weird, I know.

 

So anyway, as you can see by the pics, the new hairs are definitely black. Believe it or not, I was actually initially worried about this when I first got my consultation. I knew that the donor area of my head always had darker hair than on top and also that the donor area hair seems to me to be of a thicker, coarser caliber than the hair in my hairline and frontal third. I was worried that the new hair would come out coarse and dark and therefore, not blend well with the surrounding hair.

 

I mentioned this to Dr. True and Dr. Dorin and they both said I wouldn’t have anything to worry about and that it would grow in just like the rest. So I’ll just wait for that to happen.

 

As for the hairline, it’s what to be expected at two months: not much to discuss. Just a few straggly hairs here and there.

 

So that’s it for now. Like I said, I’m not stressing, I know I got a long way to go. Any feedback is appreciated. I’ll be back at month three for another update.

 

The first 8 pics are of the Left Side the other 7 are of the Right side. Hopefully you can see the difference between the two even with the poor photo quality. The right side has about triple the hair growth. Is this normal at this stage?

 

corvettester

Edited October 22, 2011 by corvettester

[mr1986]

Good detailed post corvettester, Looks like you have healed nicely, just gotta play the waiting game now, I bet we see a big difference between month 2 and 3, Good luck healing and thanks for keeping us posted.

[Blake Bloxham]

Corvettester,

 

Thank you for keeping the community updated on your progress. It looks like you're coming along nicely, and I wouldn't stress too much about a difference in growth at this point. At two months, all growth is 'early,' and there is no guarantee that it will all grow in at once. If you were seeing a discrepancy like this between 9-12 months post-operatively, then it could definitely be something to investigate. However, at this point, I think you're coming along just fine. Good luck!

[maverik]

Looking good Corvettester, I'm almost at 2 months myself and have a bit of the issue with one side growing better than the other. For me most of the transplanted hair on my left temple is now almost an inch long and growing like crazy. On the right temple only a portion of the transplanted hair is growing but what is there is also growing well.

[multiplier]

Enjoying your write-ups, Corvettester, keep em coming. The acne does seem like a pain as it makes an inflamed area look even moreso, but probably only in harsh light. Have you been back to True/Dorin for followups?

[corvettester]

I haven't been back for a follow up since my stitches were removed, I will soon though. I can usually get a same day appointment if I ask for it. I just don't see what the point would be right now... maybe on my three month update.

 

The great thing about T&D is that they are very accessible and welcoming of patient follow up visits. There is no playing phone tag, emailing back and forth or waiting periods like I've read happens at a lot of other clinics. If I call, I'll get to speak to one of the patient educators immediately and if it's important, they'll just put me through to the doctor.

 

This was a BIG selling point for me when I was deciding which doctor to go with. I was paranoid, so I wanted to make sure I chose a doctor who was accessible and didn't make me feel like I was a burden with all my questions and concerns. I think that is one of the benefits of practices that have two doctors such as True & Dorin, SMG, and H&W: they have more resources. These are the three practices that I hear the most about not just in terms of quality of results, but also in post-op clients services.

 

My theory is that when you have two doctors operating out of the same space, it cuts out a lot of the overhead that you would have at a single doctor practice. Those savings are then passed down to the patients in terms of superior customer care, accessibility, lower prices, etc... plus, it's very reassuring to have two separate doctors give you their opinion on your specific situation.

 

Corvettester

[multiplier]

The great thing about T&D is that they are very accessible and welcoming of patient follow up visits. There is no playing phone tag, emailing back and forth or waiting periods like I've read happens at a lot of other clinics. If I call, I'll get to speak to one of the patient educators immediately and if it's important, they'll just put me through to the doctor.

 

That is also why I will probably do my procedure with them. They have been very patient/informative with my ultra-detailed questions and my request for in-person meetups. They don't seem interested in hard sells or empty promises.