8.5mths post op...

[wb280]

hi guys, its me again

 

I know some of u guys have been anxious to get some updates on my results, trust me, i would love to do so if possible but right now, i am at a place i do not want to be. Results right now are mediocre at best, and i did speak to my surgeon abt it. Do not get me wrong, i have faith in Dr Pat and the team. In fact, a couple of patients whom i met on the surgerdy date... i am still keeping in touch with them and they are elated with their results. All other forum members who went to Dr Pat had very good results too, so please do not get my meaning wrong.

 

I would really want to blame my physiology but being 34, non smoker, non drinker whole life, and i take part in the yearly standard chartered bank half marathon... i seriously think there is nothing wrong with me, even the good doc said so...but hey, it is what it is. I did my research, made a decision, a choice, took the plunge, and i do not regret it. Maybe illusion of density is really just an illusion after all

 

Sorry i will not be posting any pics for the moment as i do not want any misunderstanding to happen, in case some trouble makers purposely start some fire in attacking my doc. However, do note that i have been talking to Bill and David, and David did express his concerns too, abt my density. We both agree that its not abt my expectations but in reality, i should look better with 3150 grafts. Anyway once the 12 mth kicks in, no matter how it turns out, i will give all those following my threads and posts a conclusive answer to my surgery

 

Till then, wish me luck!

[magicaltimes]

sorry to hear that wb 280, but i am sure you will see improvemnts in the coming months. are you taking minoixidil oral?

[TakingThePlunge]

wb280,

 

I'm sorry to hear that things have not improved for you yet buddy. I commend you for your strength during this difficult time. Try to stay positive and wait for the final results. Then, I hope you will not give up but explore your options.

 

Best of luck!

[wb280]

times, no i m not. Dr Pat feels my loss is not that bad to warrant minox oral. As u know, not that many tests have been done on minox oral but he strongly recommends me to consume finas but i am not doing so. I really dun blame him or the team for anything, though i am surprised that for 3150 grafts, i should be looking much better

 

David, thanks for the encouraging words all the time, online and offline. I seriously feel like u all over again, your situation was similar to mine though my loss is prob not as bad. Hence i feel dejected that for 3000ish grafts, i cant even cover my frontal 1/3 decently..

 

Yes i will wait until 12 months before posting photos, and give a conclusion to my journey. Hopefully things will be better

[bigcow]

dear wb, if i may say,not everyone gets an amazing result.

you have asian hair and dr.path knows what hes doing.

your results i cant say are bad,but so far theyre not great as what you expected.

if you had different characteristics like wirey,wavy hair youd look more fuller,but its straight.

where you really carefull the first 2 weeks pst op not to scratch them?

PLEASE DONT WORRY ,because you may be surprised at 12 months that it just fills in better,

and if i dont just go back for another pass with dr.path as i had 2 passes now with dr.path and it really makes a difference in density although the 2nd op does create shockloss so be prepared for that ok.

your looking ok,its not a disaster ok

[hairthere]

Hey Wb, I was doubtful month 8 as well and then I had a growth spurt and a lot of thickening in the home stretch. I truly hope this is the case with you, too. Also, with my temple points, I am 9 months post op and still feeling a bunch of tiny hairs just starting to pop through. I know it's very difficult, but don't give up hope just yet.

Edited March 9, 2011 by hairthere

[hairthere]

Wb, just realized you don't have pre-op pics up. How bald was the transplanted area? Is that growth that you are showing at 4 months ht or native hair? Have you experienced any further growth since that 4 month picture?

[Vincent]

Just give it another couple months. You may be a late bloomer, you never know.

 

Also any reason why you won't consume finas? It might help speed things along with some application of minox aswell maybe? Just a thought.

 

Anyway hang in there, happy growing!!!

[wb280]

Guys, thanks for the concerns. Let me address each one individually

Cow, no, if u follow my posts, i was so darn scared of scratching that the scabs took longer than usual to drop as i was so afraid of damaging the grafts. Warm water, slow washing and massaging, avoiding the sun, u name it, i got it. I was tormented by HL, so i will not do anything that might compromise on the results. Hence i seriously do not think its anything i did post op that caused the bad result

Hair there, those were my native hair. I was not that bald to begin with, but many who were more bald and had 3000+ grafts look far better than me now, thats sad.

Vincent, no worries mate, i understand we have the same doc and i have nothing but good stuff to talk abt him. He was concerned with my density as well when i went down for a review last month. There were many reasons to speculate on, but it is what it is. The results were sub par but i m blaming no one. Whats the point anyway? Nothing's gonna change. However, i am still hopeful things will turn for the better.

 

Hair there, i also have some peach fuzz on my temples and my hairline so i expect to see slightly better results down the road but i am mentally prepared. I know i am not headed for a wow result, my expectations are definitely in line with reality, David can vouch for that as he has my photos.

 

Sad thing is, even when my expectations are realistic, its still a failure for me. By 12 months, i will post a final conclusion and u can see where i m coming from.

[Levrais]

Wb,

Hang in there brother. Ive been following your posts from the begining and I am keeping my fingers crossed for you!

[bigcow]

yep,its the damn waiting game thats soooo hard to put up with.

looking daily in the mirror for those invisible hairs to sprout,its agony on us all.

you wont show pre op photos ,no problem,ut you say that you had some hair there before so im sure dr.path has warned you that if it was weak hair then expect a lot of shockloss,as i did and maybe not all will grow back as it was on its way out already,that could explain why youve not got what you expected so far.

anyway,i understand that you cant stand the down time post op and are not keen for another op,i was same i wanted only 1 but as my loss got progressive,i had to return and even now as its still early days from my 2nd with dr.path i can see that ill be chasing my crown backwards as it looks progressive so i am prepared to go again to use last of my donor just to try and help my crown as front seems ok for now.

keep chin up,

baldness is hurting us all,

but just look at your pre op photos and see how much more hair you have now than what you had............

keep us posted if you dont mind,

[wb280]

Levrais, thanks brother for your encouragement. I feel better after chatting here with u guys

 

Cow, not really. I do not think i have gained a lot since pre op. Even the good doc, Oravan and David felt the same. Its defn not abt my expectations. I know wat u mean abt the second procedure but like i said, as at least i have some coverage up front so i can use nanogen to temporarily mask it. I will save up my donor for future usage

 

Definitely i will keep u guys posted. I started on this journey, met friends like u guys along the way. Its only right i conclude my journey with some answers

[Recession]

Thanks for the update....you've shown great honesty in your comments and your perspective is admirable.

 

I'm sorry that you are disappointed with your results and, like everyone else, I really hope that the next few months bring some surprises and that you end up with a result that you are happy with.

 

I'm three months post op with Dr Path and wondering how it's all going to work out. Threads like this are as important as the good news stories, particularly since you've not attempted to turn your story into a crusade against your surgeon or the procedure in general. It's important for me and others who have recently undergone transplants and for those who are considering surgery to moderate our expectations. Optimism is all very well but I don't think it's being pessimistic to allow oneself be prepared for a result that falls short of what might be considered to be the industry standard. And equally, a balanced appraisal of a disappointing outcome should not be viewed as a slight on the industry or on a surgeon's ability.

 

I look forward to hearing the next chapters of your story.

 

Recession.

Edited March 11, 2011 by Recession

[wb280]

Hi there recession, the thing is I have come across both online n actual patients of dr pat.

So far nobody I met is unhappy with their results so I have absolute faith in dr pat n team. I m just

bewildered as to why my growth was bad. Like I mentioned before, we had a discussion n raised some valid reasons n concerns. However as much as I would want to blame my own physicality, I can't. I m only 34 yrs old non drinker non smoker with no health issues. Maybe it's just luck, I m not sure but it's pointless talking abt it now. I will wait till 12 mth before I conclude anything. By then I will post all the relevant pics. Anyway thanks for the concern n understanding. It's tough finding level headed posters like u

[Dr. Damkerng Pathomvanich]

I understand that the patient expect a lot of hair growth and disappointed when the hair did not grow to his satisfaction. Asian hair are different from the caucasian's with less density. The result of hair transplantation varies from person to person depending upon the donor hair and of course, the skill of the surgeon and the team. Most experienced surgeons expect the growth rate to apporach 90%.

 

The total number of hair is better than the total number of grafts when counting in hair transplantation. His recipent balding area measured 83 square cm. The number of follicular unit grafts transplanted are as follows: 1 hair (862), 2 hair (2038) and 3 hair (251), a total of 3151 grafts and 5691hairs. His donor density is 76.6%. so, the average density transplanted was 37.96% presumed all the grafts are growing well. He has a lot of single hair grafts at the donor area and not much 3 hair grafts.

 

He is improved at 8.5 month postoperative however it is still early to conclude. I believe that he should wait another 4-8 months to see the final result of the transplantation session. If the density at 38% is not appropriated he might need more session to add on the density.

[bigcow]

hi dr.path,yes as i said previously to wb,he has asian hair and it is straight character so its difficult to look more fuller without having a 2nd pass to fill in and bring him up to approx 50% at frontal regions to help him,plus a lot of 1 hair grafts wont help when he doesnt have many 3 hair grafts.

it usually takes 2 passes to achieve something really quite good unless your first op gets over 4000 grafts.what do you think?

im now 4 half months post op my 2nd op with you dr,path and i was worried first few months due to shockloss but now its starting to fill in nicely and shockloss has regrown mostly now,thats me had approx 5600 grafts with you and all i can say is YOU HAVE SAVED ME,my head was a disaster and your skill and your team are great.

keep up the good work and for wb,dont be worried you look good,and if you decide to go back to dr.path for 1 more pass to get your density up,you will be much much hapier.

good luck to all

[wb280]

Hi Dr Pat, thanks for commenting! I agree that there was improvement but i was just concerned if the density i had now reflected 3150 grafts. Maybe there was some reason or another which caused the growth to be less than optimal, but like what we discussed during the session, i will wait for a few months and hopefully more will grow as well as more thickening for the existing grown hair

 

cow, i understand where u r coming from and i am in a dilemma here. I am sort of stuck in between. If i had better results, obviously there is no thinking to be done. I am at a point whereby things have defn improved but not satisfactory. Do i want to go through the whole waiting and lying to colleagues thingy again? It was really tough mentally, especially when i goto meet bankers, customers nearly everyday. I get loads of questions ( or those looks from them whereby u know they are obviously guessing but din want to ask ) as to what happened. I was able to pull it off by saying scalp infection but i cant fabricate another lie again. It would be too obvious.

 

Shockloss was a major problem for me, and i see it becoming yet again another problem if i chose to go under the knife again.

 

Guys, any suggestions?

[largechris]

Hey there Buddy

Just wanted to say I'm thinking of you, however you judge your results at the moment you should know you took control of your situation and still made the best decision you could at the time.

 

I know you don't want to hear this, but the obvious suggestion still has to be fin, even a half dose.

 

Also, as many, I literally didn't see much growth until 7.5 months, and improved upto 12 months, so it is not impossible you'll get a bit more progress.

 

Hang in there.

[wb280]

Hi buddy, yup u r absolutely right. I came out with a purpose, did my research, made an excellent choice n I m not looking back. I m just sad that 3150 grafts gave me so little coverage. When I post my pics in future, u will see what I mean.

 

U had good results my friend, from a few empty spots to spotting quite a bit of hair. I m thrilled for u! There are so many good results posted by dr pat's patients so once again I reiterate that I had complete faith in the good doc. I just wan to explore my future options. Like I said, I m sort of stuck in between. I had bad shock loss first time round n I m pretty sure it will be back to haunt me come second round n that was the toughest obstacle. I could not mask my ht n as a commodities trader, I have to meet clients, bankers, suppliers etc. I simply can't wear a hat. Faking another round of scalp infection is just impossible... I thought I can finally leave the grasp of the hl

monster at least for a good few yrs but i guess it's all an illusion for me

 

it's a tough pill to swallow guys. Physically I might be better off from where I started albeit a slight improvement

but the mental block is still existent..,

[hairthere]

Wb, a lot can happen in 3.5 months, and the timetable every ht patient is given is 12 months. So I really think your concerns are premature. Hang in there bro, you're gonna have more growth!

[wb280]

hi hair there! I always admired and respected your perseverance in fighting the HL monster. 4 HT! Thats great determination bro I guess having some reassurance from a long time HT expert from u does put my mind more at ease but at the same time, i still want to prepare for the worst and think of plan B

[hairthere]

I hear you Wb, and I haven't seen your current pics, so I don't really know what you're going through right now. It is good to have a Plan B just in case. I just remember with each HT, even the bad one from Karamikian, wondering at around 8 months, is this it? And then come 12 months being surprised at how much more growth and thickening I had. With my temple point fue procedure I am at 11 months and one side has been seriously lagging behind the other, but I am still feeling tiny sprouts popping on both sides. This HT business really is an intense waiting game. At any rate, my positive vibes are with you!

[bigcow]

dear wb,if it makes it any easier for you to hear this.

ive now had 3 h/t first was a disaster with a large u.k. clinic who hacked my donor to hell and left me with a large scar that was still blood spotting on my pillow at night even after 28 days,along with that they only implanted approx 10 grafts in sq cm,and approx less than half what was implanted actually grew.i had to stop work immediately and stay unemployed and hide under a hat,i was at a stage where i thought,should i end it all now,as life was really crap and i couldnt find a job that let me wear a hat all day so i was going broke living on my savings.

my first pass with dr.path was a great result 3000 grafts but i still needed more grafts/density at frontal as i had approx 146sq cm baldness.

my 2nd pass created a lot of shockloss but dr.path assured me it will be ok at 4 months and he was correct,it has filled in nicely.

WB,heres my suggestion,

if you want more hair,then you need more surgery unfortunately.

have you thought of cutting your hair short now as it will give you a new look for people to get used to now so that when/if you do get another transplant then you could crop your hair short all over to blend with the new spikey grafts so that your clients wont notice much going on at all.

even if you get shocloss ,because your hairs short they wont really notice it.

WHAT DO YOU THINK?

its only a suggestion to get you out of the rut my friend,we are all in this together

[hairthere]

A good suggestion BC. The other good thing about a second pass is that he will have existing HT which hopefully won't shock out so the post look won't be as bad.

[bigcow]

when you crop it all down it will all blend it nicely,know one will know youve had a 2nd pass,really,cause dr.apth scar is so damn neat you can hide it nicely.

even dr.apth will cut your hair for you.

WB, if you want more hair then youll haveto do as i and others have done,

get more surgery im afraid,theres no other way.