2nd Thoughts .. New Member

[RodG]

Hi Vanman,

 

I am travelling to Bangkok with my daughter and will be there on 25 July and it looks like we are going to miss each other by a couple of days. This is my third trip to Thailand and whilst in Bangkok I will have a follow up visit with DHT Clinic for my 11.5 month results.

 

Do yourself a favour and strictly follow the post operative instructions recommended by Doctor Pong and don't exert yourself for 3 - 4 days. Stay in a cool environment and out of the sun and rain.

 

Good luck.

 

Regards

 

Rod

[bloodshoteyes]

Hi Vanman,

 

I have been following this thread with interest from the beginning, I thought I would wish you luck on your upcoming surgery.

Edited June 22, 2011 by bloodshoteyes

[Vanman]

Hi everyone,

 

Well I had the surgery in Thailand, with Dr. Pong on August 1, and am now back in Vancouver. I remained in Thailand until August 9, and was back home and working by August 10. The healing process has been going really well, and the only real affects I feel now are still a slight numbness in the grafted area, and a bit of sensitivity at the donor area. I will be posting pics and giving a more detailed description of my experience as well.

[Levrais]

Hi Vanman,congrats on your ht. I look forward to seeing the details. How was Thailand?

[Vanman]

Hi Vanman,congrats on your ht. I look forward to seeing the details. How was Thailand?

 

Thankyou Levrais!

 

Pictures are now posted detailing the experience. I haven't yet written a blog, but I will record my experiences later this evening.

 

I'm very excited about what the next few months will bring in terms of new hair growth. The hardest part now will be the waiting!

[RodG]

Hi Vanman,

 

I'm glad for you that you had a good experience with Doctor Pong. I looked at your photos and the work looks neat.

 

Can you tell us a bit of detail regarding your HT i.e. grafts and break up of follicular units? You look like you were in similiar to me whereby you didn't have enough grafts to cover the crown but you still will get a good result.

 

I found that at about 4.5 months I could really see my HT coming up but please remember that patients have different growth rates and times.

 

Regards

 

Rod

[Vanman]

Yes, I know I'll have to be patient, and not expect anything miraculous too soon. I did not get all the detailed stats regarding the break up of follicular units, as they mean nothing to me. If you are really interested, I can email Dr. Pong and see if he will send that information.

 

As to the coverage of the crown, I told him to proceed as he thought best, and to determine the best plan of action considering that I will most certainly be coming back for a second procedure in over a year's time. I have heard of bad results when patients insisted on getting their first treatment spread too thin over the back of the head, so I left it in his hands as he thought best.

 

The future plan is for the second procedure is to continue to cover back towards the crown, but he was very certain that we would not get enough grafts from the 2nd procedure to see 100% coverage. He also said, depending on how much donor hair is left after the 2nd procedure, he will then determine if there is anything left to have a 3rd procedure. At first he was extremely doubtful, but by the end of the week after the surgery, he said he was a little bit more hopeful that there might be some chance. But that won't be known for sure until after the 2nd surgery. Right now I am keeping my expectations in check, and counting only on one more procedure with not 100% coverage. I am not too worried, for if both the first two procedures go well, I will still have more hair then I have had since my late 20's.

Edited August 19, 2011 by Vanman

[RodG]

Hi Vanman,

 

I don't have anywhere near full coverage and still have see thru hair at my hairline but I still look 10 years younger than I did before the operation.

 

Unfortunately for us hairloss treatments and operations were not available when we REALLY needed it and no amount of hair coverage is going to make us look like we are 30 again. I will warn you that I went thru a bit of anxiety regarding the possibility that the HT was a failure when I was about 3 months post op. I think a lot of people must have these feelings.

 

Good luck and happy growing and healing.

 

Regards

 

Rod

[Vanman]

Rod, Dr.Pong was very fast to get back to me with the following information....

 

"Here are the number of grafts you received from your 1st surgery :

1 hair FU grafts = 359

2 hair FU grafts = 862

3 hair FU grafts = 350

4 hair FU grafts = 58

DFU grafts (double follicular unit grafts) = 623 equivalent to 1246 FU grafts

Total grafts = 2875

Total hairs approximately = 5545 hairs

Transplanted area = 90 sqcm.

 

I hope that is more helpful to you.

[Levrais]

Hi Vanman,

You're correct, as Tom Petty once said, the waiting is the hardest part. Although at about 7 to 8 weeks it can be quite exciting to see the stubble starting to poke through. Were you able to enjoy your vacation at all?

[Vanman]

Hi Vanman,

You're correct, as Tom Petty once said, the waiting is the hardest part. Although at about 7 to 8 weeks it can be quite exciting to see the stubble starting to poke through. Were you able to enjoy your vacation at all?

 

 

Oh absolutely, Levrais. I scheduled the surgery for basically the last week of my three week vacation. So I spent three nights in Bangkok. Went shopping the first day and then spent the evening bar hopping. Second day I did a full day private City Tour of Bangkok that was just fascinating. Third day was a full day tour to Ayutthaya, the ancient capital city of Thailand when it was still called the Siam Empire. Immediately after the tour, I headed out to Suvarnabhumi Airport and caught a flight to Chiang Mai. Over the next couple of days I did a tour to the northern most part of Thailand, that included stops in the Golden Triangle, the Opium Museum, the White Temple, visited the long-neck tribes. Also, on the Monday I did a tour of Doi Suthep, the temple built on a mountain overlooking Chiang Mai. We came down from that tour and my guide took me straight to Thailand Hair Transplant Center to meet with Dr. Pong for a one hour consult from 2-3pm. That evening I went to a Khantoke Dinner to eat a feast and also watch traditional Thai folk dancing.

 

As I still had a week before my surgery, the following day I hopped on a bus and travelled to Phitsanulok, and booked into a great hotel, the Grand Riverside. From there, a guide picked me up the next day to travel 60kms west and tour Sukhothai, that predated even Ayutthaya as the once capital of Thailand. Sukhothai is a must see if you are at all interested in ancient history, as it is one of the most spectacular sights I've ever visited, and I've been to Petra, the Pyramids, Stonehenge, Chitzanitza, etc. Sukhothai, in my opinion, tops them all.

 

Then I rented a car and toured some national parks for a couple of days. Met a Thai family and spent some time with them on their farm. They didn't mind as I bought all the food and beer! Then it was back to Chiang Mai via express train #9, followed the next day with a full day tour of Doi Intanon, a national park that contains Thailands highest point, and a score of beautiful waterfalls.

 

The following day, August 1, I had my surgery. I was laid up for only one day, and then spent the rest of the week getting to know Chiang Mai better. Trying various great restaurants like The Riverside and The Dukes, as well as getting 5 or 6 massages during that last week. Note: a one hour massage in Thailand costs about the equivalent of $9 US.

 

On the Saturday I flew back down to Bangkok, did some more shopping and eating, went out with friends to bar crawl one last time, and finally flew back to Vancouver on the Tuesday.

 

Yes, you could say I packed a very fun time around my hair transplant!! LOL Thanks for asking, Levrais!

 

ps: I included a Thailand album among my photos of just a few of the 700+ pictures I took while on the trip.

Edited August 19, 2011 by Vanman

[tarepanda]

hi Vanman

 

i am still considering between Dr Path and Dr Pong.

i will be looking forward to your updates.

 

all the best to your new hair!!!

[Levrais]

Hi Vanman,

How are things going? Btw, thanks for the writeup about your vacation. You've got me wanting to visit Thailand!

[Vanman]

Hi Levrais, I should have updated sooner, but I'm pretty excited about the results so far. I'm still only 3 months and 1 week post-op, but can definitily see some very nice changes. I'll see if I can post the lastest couple of pics on here ... and also onto my blog, tho last time I tried it was not taking pics for some reason.

 

The numbness is lessening quite a bit, and the scar has healed up very nicely, with no discomfort at all now.

 

 

Here you can see the scar is all but invisible. I had my wife and son taking the pictures, and to make sure they took one of the scar. My wife complained, "But I can't even find the scar!"

 

 

Here is the top down view, and the new growth is becoming very apparent.

 

 

The front hairline seems to be doing well. Because I get my hair coloured, and the new hair hasn't been done yet, it does not quite match the sides yet.

 

Oh, I should mention, I have the next surgery already scheduled for Monday, December 3rd of next year. Dr.Pong is still not certain I will be able to have more then two surgeries due to the limited amount of donor hair, but he said he will know more after the 2nd surgery.

Edited November 14, 2011 by Vanman

[RodG]

Hi Vanman,

 

You seem to be an early grower. Glad your happy and the best is yet to come. I still look at myself in the mirror and have to pinch myself that it is me because I look so much different.

 

Please keep the forum updated.

 

Regards

 

Rod

[Vanman]

Thanks for the encouragement Rod.

 

Just some new photos that my son took tonight, November 14, just one week after the last ones I posted.

 

 

Front Hairline View

 

 

Profile view of hairline

 

 

Top Down View

 

 

New Portrait Shot

[tarepanda]

hi Vanman

 

looking great at only 3 mths post op!!!

[Levrais]

That is impressive early growth. What are the goa,s for op#2.

[Sean]

Hi Vanman, your transplant seems to be coming in really good. You have had early growth and already forming a hair style. I can tell it is going to suit you really well.

 

As for your future transplant, I am guessing you will be addressing midscalp to the end of the crown area? Did you get an estimate from the doctor regarding the number of grafts to be used for the next session?

 

I'll give you a tip on maximizing the look of your results. You can try different products now too, such as Toppik. Toppik fibers in an area where you have hair substantially increases the appearance of density. I used it before but I had a transplant recently on August 31st. I will probably use it again in the future. Most people use it 1-3 months after their hair transplants to hide the pinkness/redness. I'll be using it where I think I have thin hairs on my scalp to increase density. It really does work and you may want to check it out in the future since you now have hair again and on your way to have more. It really adds serious density in an area you have hairs. You may want to read up on it and see some before/after pics on the forum with people using it.

 

But I think your result looks very good so far, you have had early growth, and it really looks like it is going to be a home run once you finish your hair restoration journey. Seeing that early growth, I think it is safe to say you really got your money's worth. You got a vacation out of it, got a transplant, and you paid a good price. Really cost effective way to do it and I think your write up/results/experiences will help a lot of people.

[Vanman]

That is impressive early growth. What are the goa,s for op#2.

 

Well, Levrais, in the discussions I had with Dr.Pong, he is not sure that I have enough donor hair to cover the crown, but he wants to extend the hair on top back as far as he can. We have not talked specific numbers as to the number of grafts he expects to get 2nd time around, tho he indicated it should be roughly the same.

 

I'm thinking that there will not be as much dense packing with the second transplant like there was on the first around the hairline, so I "might" get more acreage covered.

[Vanman]

Hi Vanman, your transplant seems to be coming in really good. You have had early growth and already forming a hair style. I can tell it is going to suit you really well.

 

As for your future transplant, I am guessing you will be addressing midscalp to the end of the crown area? Did you get an estimate from the doctor regarding the number of grafts to be used for the next session?

 

I'll give you a tip on maximizing the look of your results. You can try different products now too, such as Toppik. Toppik fibers in an area where you have hair substantially increases the appearance of density. I used it before but I had a transplant recently on August 31st. I will probably use it again in the future. Most people use it 1-3 months after their hair transplants to hide the pinkness/redness. I'll be using it where I think I have thin hairs on my scalp to increase density. It really does work and you may want to check it out in the future since you now have hair again and on your way to have more. It really adds serious density in an area you have hairs. You may want to read up on it and see some before/after pics on the forum with people using it.

 

But I think your result looks very good so far, you have had early growth, and it really looks like it is going to be a home run once you finish your hair restoration journey. Seeing that early growth, I think it is safe to say you really got your money's worth. You got a vacation out of it, got a transplant, and you paid a good price. Really cost effective way to do it and I think your write up/results/experiences will help a lot of people.

 

Thanks Sean, I am really encouraged by the results so far. The idea of combining a holiday with the surgery worked really well. I was a bit uncomfortable during that last week, but nothing a daily $9 1-hour massage didn't help! When I go back next year, I have already taken a full month off, so I will have three weeks holiday prior to the surgery, and then one full week in Chiang Mai to recover.

 

I checked out the Toppik website, that looks like a great product.

 

Right now I'm a little conscious of the fact that my hair mid-head stops rather abruptly, but like my wife says, noone looks down on your head from on top, they see it from the front or the back, and it looks fine from there.

[Jotronic]

The early growth is nice to see, Vanman. Congrats to you.

[orlhair1]

Agree....the early growth looks good. Happy for you!

[Tiztom]

Having gone in exactly 2 weeks before me and a similar amount of grafts etc it's good to compare how we are doing....very similar results so far.

[Vanman]

Just a few more updated images from December 7. Have had the hair coloured so that it looks even now and the hairdresser says she can still see dozens of tiny little hairs still starting to grow in. Hair is much fuller then it was on November 15.