Dr. Dorin 1,696 FUT: 4 MONTH UPDATE!!!

[corvettester]

Today is exactly 4 months post-op from my 1,696 FUT with Dr. Dorin at True & Dorin Medical Group.

 

Where to start...

 

First off, I don't think these photos really do justice to my HT. To me, the photos make all my new growth look like one jumbled mess. However, in reality it's not all fuzzy and fro-like. They seem to be growing in exactly like the rest of my hair. I'll try to get some outdoor pics for my 5 month update.

 

Concerning the growth itself, I think I'm right where I'm supposed to be 4 months out. I have a lot more growth than I was expecting to have at 4 months. In fact, I was under the impression that the transplanted hair lay dormant for 4 months, and then started growing. So this early growth is a welcomed surprise.

 

On my last update, I mentioned how the left temporal area was far behind the right side in growth. Now I'm pleased to inform you that the left side has almost caught up with the right side (remember that pre-ht, my left side had far more recession than the right). Maybe it's just something genetic.

 

Either way, it's looking a lot better now. I would guesstimate that at this point the left side has about 25% less growth than the right side. Bear in mind that at 2 months, the left temporal had about 60% less growth than the right temporal. So it's coming along well... I'm not worried.

 

However, take a look at the pics in my profile which are of a higher resolution than these threads allow. There you will see that the right temporal area is clearly more developed than the left. Also, the hair in the left temporal area is not only less dense, but also much more wispy and straggly. Weird, I know.

 

I'm assuming I still have a lot more growth to come and, of course, maturity. The new growth is definitely wispy and much thinner than the rest but this is what is to be expected at this stage. I'm excited to see just how thick it will get.

 

As far as the new growth that I hoping for... I'm all expectations! I've seen so many posters develop new growth after six, eight and even ten months, so I feel like I'm in a strong position. Sure, there isn't as much growth as I want right now, but I'm only 4 months out, so if history is any indicator, I'm going to have one hell of a result.

 

Relative to other posters, I pretty much consider myself an early grower at this point. I remember Epileptic Sceptic's 5 month update... probably one of the best I've ever seen.

 

 

As far as concerns go, it's probably not really worth mentioning at this early stage, but I believe transparency is the best policy, so I would be remiss not mention them. After all, I'm only human and it's natural that anyone would have worries.

 

First, the very front and center of the hairline definitely has some larger than normal gaps between hairs. I reckon the the one inch area in the very center of my hairline is experiencing the slowest growth of all. I know for sure that there were plenty of grafts planted there though because I saw them post-op as well in the photos. So maybe they're just coming along slower than the rest. We'll see... I'm really not worried at this point.

 

Also, the transplanted hair is much darker than the rest. This is probably due to the fact that it hasn't gotten a chance to have any sunlight because the more sun my hair gets, the blonder it gets... and there hasn't been much sun lately here in NYC. Also, my normal hair lays overtop the grafted hairs so they down't get much exposure anyway. It could also be genetic. I just hope it doesn't clash with the other hair when it all grows out.

 

One of the cool things about the HT so far is that, even though the new hairs are really short and wispy, when I get out the shower and comb my hair back, it blends in perfectly with the rest of my slicked back hair. Thus, I have a really good idea what the final result / final hairline is going to look like. Had I done this 4 months ago, I would have seen a huge widow's peak looking back at me. Now I get to see the inception of my new hairline!!!! I'll post some pics later to show you what I mean.

 

Another funny thing that is probably unique to me is that the transplanted hairs are making it difficult for me to style my hair the way I usually do. As you can see from my pre-ht pics, I wear my hair forward. Because the new hairs are so short, gravity hasn't really had a chance to pull them down. Because my normal hair lays overtop of the grafted hair, the grafted hairs are causing the normal hair difficulty to lay gracefully. I figure I'll have to deal with this for another 4 months or so, until the grafted hair get enough length to lay down normally.

 

All in all, I'm very happy at this point. No real worries, just more and more amazement at all the new growth. It's so cool! I feel like a Chia Pet! I certainly have a lot more growing ahead of me and I'm patient. I think that most of you would agree with me if you could see my hair in person or if I can manage to get some better pics. Also, I was in such a hurry this morning that I didn't get a chance to wash my hair which had product in it from last night. So take these photos with a grain of salt. I'll post better ones on my 5 month update.

 

Please let me know what you think about my pics and also what you think about my analysis of my growth to date. Do you agree that I have a lot more growth to look forward to? Should I worry about the grafted hairs being darker than the rest? What do you think about the uneven growth between the right and left? Have I thought everything out realistically? I don't want to be overly ambitious, ya know.

 

Peace Out,

 

Corvettester

 

p.s to see more, better qulaity pics, please go to my profile page.

Edited October 22, 2011 by corvettester

[haircut]

You do indeed have a lot more growth to look forward to. You have come a long way in four months.

 

You are early in the game. I would not worry about the unevenness of your growth. That will take care of itself over time.

 

Congratulations!

[corvettester]

I don't know why the pics didn't come out upright. They were when I uploaded them.

 

I posted a lot more pics on my profile page and blog so check them out. I even put some pics of my hair freshly washed and combed back so you can see how the new grafts are starting to blend in and give birth of my soon to be new hairline.

Edited February 19, 2011 by corvettester

[waveskier]

I had 2000 grafts in the same place as you, and it looked the same as yours. Mine really took off at 6 months and is still improving almost weekly.

[TomCruise]

Looking good. I'd be very encouraged - thrilled, even - if I was in your shoes with these results so far.

[multiplier]

Looking great man. Sounds like taking the plunge turned out great for you. Please keep us posted.

[MusoInOz]

Looking pretty good mate!

 

I, like everyone else who had posted cannot wait to see the final result.

 

Cheers,

[Mp96]

For four months looks good!! I'll bet u will be happy in the months ahead. You made a great choice in clinic as well..They seem to really care about their patients needs.

 

keep up with the updates!!

[corvettester]

Yes, I'm really happy with the clinic I chose.

 

What I like most about True & Dorin is feeling like I am supported. If I ever have any questions or concerns, I can speak to someone immediately! I can even get same-day appointments too, if need be. Also, Dr. Dorin and Dr. True both gave me their cell phone numbers, but fortunately I never needed to call them.

 

The patient educators, Eyal and Peter, really make T&D shine. They're both very knowledgeable, always available and patient with my questions and concerns. This means a lot too me. I've read a lot of threads about people having to correspond via email and wait days for responses... I could never accept that.

 

Eyal and Peter never try to rush, smooth talk or pressure me in any way- they listen instead. They're both very candid and open with their opinions, yet still professional. I never feel like they're trying to sell me on anything. They explained everything so clearly and concisely that I had virtually no surprises before, during or after the HT.

 

In NYC everyone is constantly trying to sell you something. You know how it is while shopping for clothing, the person trying to sell you the clothes always says that everything looks just great on you... no matter what it is! Or if you've ever gotten a bad haircut, yet everyone at the salon says it looks great... only to get home and have all your buddies crack jokes on you, or see the frown on your girlfriend's face... yes, this has happened to me before.

 

Well, I don't get this feeling at T&D which is a welcomed relief. I remember my first visit over a year ago at age 28 with Dr. True. He told me I should take a wait and see approach and cautioned against rushing into such an important decision like this one. That screams "integrity" to me.

 

Sorry, I don't mean to sound like a salesman myself. I'm just really happy with the way things are going for me now so I want to share that with everyone. I'm so glad I made the decision to get this done. It's already begun to change my life for the better. Thus, it's really important to me that I give back to the community, via of a well-documented profile and blog, because I would never have gone through with the HT had it not been for all the posters contributing here on the HTN. Happy growing all!

 

 

Corvettester

[mr1986]

wow your results this far look great, you must be very happy, and i'd say the best is still to come.

[TakingThePlunge]

corvettester,

 

Great to see you continuing your updates! I was just thinking about you a few days ago and wondering how things were going.

 

Your hairline is really starting to take shape. I'm thrilled for you!

 

All the best,

[L-squared1067]

I am new to this forum and I am considering having a HT done. I think it looks great and if you only concern is with the color, sounds like a nice probem to have. I see True and Dorin are usually highly recommended, I am in NYC, would there be other HT offices as comparable to their reputations? Thanks for any info.

[L-squared1067]

Thanks for your insights, Corvettester, True and Dorin are one of the offices I would like to have a consultation with. Your post was very helpful to me, thanks again for your info. Would you recommend one doctor over the other? Thanks for any info you could provide me, very much appreciate it.

[corvettester]

L-Squared1067,

 

To answer you questions, yes, True & Dorin are excellent. I wrote a very long and detailed review of my pre-op experience with them which you can find in the Hair Transplant Experiences and Surgeon Reviews section or just search under my previous posts.

 

As for other offices comparable to T&D, the only other Coalition doctor in NYC is Bernstein. I would only go to Coalition doctors. I never consulted with him because the consultation fee was too much for me. However, I've heard nothing but good things about him.

 

Lastly, both Dr. True and Dr. Dorin are exceptional doctors. I could not recommend one over the other. I consulted with and was impressed by both. I only went with Dr. Dorin because he had an early opening available and once I had made up my mind, I was eager to get it done. If I have to go back for a second pass for density or if I continue to lose more hair, then I will apply the same criteria.

 

It was one of the best and most difficult decisions I ever made in my life. It took me a long time to save the money which was originally meant to go towards fulfilling my life-long dream of traveling Asia for a year. It was a tough decision, but I'm glad I went with the HT. At least when I finally do save up enough to travel Asia at my leisure, I'll have a nice head of hair to do it with.

 

I hope this helps. Feel free to ask me any questions. Stay in touch and let me know what you end up deciding.

 

Corvettester

[L-squared1067]

Corvettester

Thank you very much for your insights and experiences. This is something I have been thinking about for a little while and deceided to final invest some of my hard earned money on myself for once. I am really glad I ran across this forum, it seems very informative and supportative, it makes me feel a little better that people here have a understanding of each others feelings. I think you made the right decision. Asia will always be there, but doing something about how you feel about yourself for the rest of your life, I think is more important. Again thanks for your time and thought, I really appreciate your thoughtful answers. I will let you know what I decide in the future. Oh, one more question, if you don't mind answering, How much did it cost and how much is needed up front? Any information on this would be grateful. Take care and be safe. Thanks again.

[corvettester]

$4 per graft and something like a 20% deposit to book.

[RCWest]

Now THAT's a hairline! That's what it is supposed to look like.