Dr. Cotterill - Toronto

[Mike73]

I would like to share my hair transplant story. I had a surgery done few days ago and I received around 4,000 grafts, mostly on top of my head. Some hair were implanted towards the back of my head as well as I'm also developing a bald spot over there. But the receding hairline and the thinning on the top was my major concern at this point.

 

The initial consultation was around a month ago and the fact that Dr. Cotterill was able to see me on a weekend made things easier - my fiancee wanted to attend the session with me. I found Dr. Cotterill very pleasant and informative and I felt comfortable proceeding with him. I had a consultation with another company earlier and I did not like their sales person. It seemed like his agenda was talking about himself a little bit too much. I was much more comfortable meeting with an actual doctor who was able to give expert opinion and recommendations on the spot. After we got back home, the decision was more or less made and we picked Dr. Cotterill.

 

The surgery itself was rather easy. I did require quite a bit of freezing not to feel anything but other than that minor injection pain, I did not feel much at all during the operation. I was basically watching movies the entire time, which was 7 hours. I got Valium and some other medication that I forgot to calm my nerves. I expected to get around 3,500 grafts so hearing that they went all the way up to 4,000 was a pleasant surprise.

 

After the surgery was done, I headed home - which is fortunately very close. I rested the rest of the day and did need Percocet to keep the pain under control. The day after was much easier, but the donor area was still sore and I split a Percocet pill in half to control the pain. Now, the top of my head feels mostly 'tight' which is not exactly surprising considering the entire top is more or less technically a one giant scab now..!

 

I will post some progress shots and my thoughts. If anyone has any questions, let me know and I'll be more than happy to answer.

Edited April 9, 2011 by Mike73

[Mike73]

Here's a picture of me before the surgery and a day after.

[Mike73]

Day 4 update:

 

I'm positively shocked! The grafts have started growing hair and I feel an even stubble across my recipient area. Sadly, I'm fully aware that I will lose everything until it starts re-growing back in few months, but at least I feel good knowing the roots are working. My paranoid mind plays tricks on me and I had moments when I worried I might be one of the few cases with no change whatsoever after spending a small fortune..!

 

My hair tends to grow quite a bit faster than average person's anyways so perhaps I will see results early. Or maybe not..? I'm just trying not to overthink the issue and be patient, but I'm sure anyone who has done a HT surgery knows how I feel.. I just can't wait to see the final result..!

[lorenzo]

Congrads on your hair transplant. I have heard good things about Dr. C so I am sure you will be happy with your result. Now be patient!

[Mike73]

Congrads on your hair transplant. I have heard good things about Dr. C so I am sure you will be happy with your result. Now be patient!

 

Thanks! I'm surprised he's not really reviewed here as he's right up there when you search for HT surgeons in Toronto and seems to have been for quite a while and must've done tons of surgeries. His list of achievements is pretty amazing..! What I like so far is that he's pretty much over delivered his promises so far. So, feeling very optimistic about everything, but of course at the end of the day only the end result will matter. I'll keep everyone posted..!

[Mike73]

Just a quick update - can't wait for my stitches to be removed tomorrow. I feel like the back of my head has been shaved and a piece of duct tape has been put on - squeezing my skin and making it feel 'tight'. Uncomfortable, but not unbearable. The ends of the cut feel 'bumpy', like there's liquid inside them. Perhaps I have a mild infection in my cuts, but nothing that feels serious. I'll discuss it with my doctor and let you know.

 

The top of my head is getting increasingly itchy and I resists the temptation of removing the scabs myself LOL! I do have regular business meetings on a weekly basis and I can't wait to look 'normal' again. Wearing a cap - not exactly ideal...

 

I just wish the next week or so would fast forward and get me back to my normal look. I will post more shots when the scabs are off and I look different.

[Blake Bloxham]

Mike,

 

Congratulations on the hair transplant procedure! I hope you'll continue updating us on your progress. Good luck!

[Mike73]

Well, the stitches are off now and most of the scabs have fallen off. As I left the doctor's office, I was hit by this "that's it!?" feeling! Meaning, it's all done now - hard to believe. All I need to do now is wait. Only restriction now is, no weight lifting for a week.

 

In hindsight, this was an incredibly easy operation. I've had couple of others earlier (other parts of my body) and they both more or less crippled me for a while. The only inconvenience my HT surgery caused was that I've been wearing a cap in the public for a week and will continue to do so for another week or so. Wow.. not a big deal AT all.

 

My hair growth is faster than average person's (which I believe is around 1/2" per month, please correct me if I'm wrong). My graft hair has grown from zero to approx. 1/3 inch in 7 days. I know they're likely to fall off, but I'm glad to see they're enjoing the new 'soil' and getting all the nutrients they need to grow in the future..!

[Mike73]

Just want to give you an update and two photos. The top of my head has healed incredibly fast. Almost all the scabs fell off in the shower today, I'm now 8 days post op. The scar in the back is of course more noticable, but if you don't know to look for it, I doubt you'll really notice it.

 

In the second photo, you'll see the new grafts growing hair really nicely. Well, at least I'm going to enjoy seeing them grow until it's time to say a bitter good bye for couple of months

Edited April 16, 2011 by Mike73

[lorenzo]

Pretty soon the worst part is going to start. It will probaly test your patience but rest assure many people that have gone through a transplant have gone through it. You will probaly be red in your area you recieved your grafts because of the lightness of your skin. This is normal and it will go away with time.

[Mike73]

Hi Lorenzo

 

Thanks for your response. How will it be worse? Just the frustration of losing the hair? Or can the transplanted area start looking worse? I'm kind of ok with the redness because I'm taller than most people and I have some hair I can use to cover the redness. If the skin doesn't look any worse until a bit later, I'll be fine with that.

[lorenzo]

In my opinion its not that its worse its just that its a slow progress for hair to start growing once it falls out. Its all in your head (not on your head) but its normal to be impatient while waiting for your hair to grow and thicken.

[Mike73]

Nothing much to report. There may be some shock loss on the new grafts, but I'm not sure. Most , if not all, are still there and growing. The top of my hair is slightly red still, but I have no problem walking around in public without wearing a hat.

[Mike73]

The scar is well covered by hair, so nothing to report there either. It has healed well, but I can still feel it.

[Mike73]

Just did some closer inspection today and realized I've lost most of the grafts. Well, it had to happen. I guess the next updates will come when they start growing back.

[norworod3guy]

Mike - thanks for sharing. Your head looks great! I am planning on a procedure soon and having it noticed by co-workers, etc is my only concern left - looking at your pics is very encouraging. Best of luck!

[Mike73]

Hey everyone

 

Here's my 4 month before/after pic. It's a bit hard to tell how much I've improved ; my hair is now quite a bit longer.

 

Initially, it appears that 5-10% of my grafts survived and didn't drop. Then perhaps at 2.5 month mark I appeared to have some growth but very modest. Just a hair here and there. It was a bit hard to monitor though because the grafts were implanted between my existing hair.

 

I guess I'm moderately happy with my results for the time being, but I'm a bit concerned about the fact that I haven't see a new hair grow for a long time. I keep inspecting my scalp almost daily and push hair aside to see new hair coming out - but see nothing. Is it possible that new growth can happen even after 4 months? I hope so..!

[Mike73]

Here's a 5 month update. I'm quite happy with the results.

 

Especially the photo from the front shows the significant increase in hair density. In before photo, you can clearly see the scalp through the hair, but not anymore.

 

If you have any question, let me know!

[Moai]

Great thread Mike and congrats on your HT. Your results look great. I am new to the forum but I wanted to say I appreciate your thread and the pics you provided.

 

I am considering a HT in the near future to fix my hairline. I would love to pick your brain at some point, if that's ok with you. I am also in the GTA area

 

for now if you could answer this simple question that would be greatly appreciated. Does your Doctor have a minimum amount of grafts that have to be done? I am guessing that what I would like fixed would be on a much smaller scale. I am guessing between 500-1000.

 

Thanks my friend and I hope you continue to update your thread. A co worker had a HT done and his full results did not show until well over a year. Closer to 2 if i recall correctly.

[Mike73]

Great thread Mike and congrats on your HT. Your results look great. I am new to the forum but I wanted to say I appreciate your thread and the pics you provided.

 

I am considering a HT in the near future to fix my hairline. I would love to pick your brain at some point, if that's ok with you. I am also in the GTA area

 

for now if you could answer this simple question that would be greatly appreciated. Does your Doctor have a minimum amount of grafts that have to be done? I am guessing that what I would like fixed would be on a much smaller scale. I am guessing between 500-1000.

 

Thanks my friend and I hope you continue to update your thread. A co worker had a HT done and his full results did not show until well over a year. Closer to 2 if i recall correctly.

 

I'm not sure what his minimum is, but just email him and ask - they were quick when I initially contacted them. And Dr. Cotterill agreed to do the consultation on a weekend day which was great because my wife wanted to be there.

 

Also, attaching my 7 month update. VERY happy with the results so far and I've been told it can still improve another 10-15%. I look very different and the scar has become unnoticable.

[Mike73]

I am guessing that what I would like fixed would be on a much smaller scale. I am guessing between 500-1000.

 

by the way, I think 500 grafts will take you nowhere. For some reason, I thought 1000-2000 would be enough for me. Now I realize 4000 is fully justified, plus I still have a balding area on top/back of my head I want to address later. It's easy to under estimate the number unless you're talking about very minor touch up. I was told by more than one doctor I definitely need more than 1000-2000 to avoid disappointment and I'm glad I listened to them. If you go under the knife, you might as well do it right.

Edited November 12, 2011 by Mike73

[Moai]

by the way, I think 500 grafts will take you nowhere. For some reason, I thought 1000-2000 would be enough for me. Now I realize 4000 is fully justified, plus I still have a balding area on top/back of my head I want to address later. It's easy to under estimate the number unless you're talking about very minor touch up. I was told by more than one doctor I definitely need more than 1000-2000 to avoid disappointment and I'm glad I listened to them. If you go under the knife, you might as well do it right.

 

Thanks for the reply Mike and the 7 month pics. Your results are looking really good. The hair line came out great.

 

The reason i guessed such a low number is because it really is just a touch up to correct my hair line. I have never had a symmetrical hairline as long as i can remember. I have very thick and full hair so what I am hoping to fix is in my opinion, a much smaller job. But who knows maybe I am off in my assessment. My main concern is not being able to find a doctor to do touch up work, or if I do, paying too much for the work. I am in the process of contacting some Doctors to get opinions.

 

If you don't mind me asking, does your Doctor offer financing options for the treatment or is it more of a pay in full deal?

 

thanks Mike

[Mike73]

If you don't mind me asking, does your Doctor offer financing options for the treatment or is it more of a pay in full deal?

 

 

I don't know, but lots of doctors partner is with 3rd party financing companies. Just drop them an email. When I emailed them I believe the receptionist answered my questions within a day or two if I'm not mistaken.

[Moai]

Mike I just wanted to mention that I did meet with Dr. Cotterill for a consultation. All I can say is he is a fantastic Dr to speak to in person. He seems like a very honest person and made me feel very comfortable when speaking with him. I was in his office for an hour or more and never once did he make me feel rushed. I would imagination that is a rare quality is these types of Doctors. If I can convince him to do my work then I will most likely go with him. He does not feel I am in need of a surgery yet LOL I guess that is a good thing.

[Mike73]

Mike I just wanted to mention that I did meet with Dr. Cotterill for a consultation. All I can say is he is a fantastic Dr to speak to in person. He seems like a very honest person and made me feel very comfortable when speaking with him. I was in his office for an hour or more and never once did he make me feel rushed. I would imagination that is a rare quality is these types of Doctors. If I can convince him to do my work then I will most likely go with him. He does not feel I am in need of a surgery yet LOL I guess that is a good thing.

 

Would you mind posting a picture of your hairline? It's funny how we all experience things so differently. Perhaps you have just a tiny imperfection that at the end of the day bothers you.

 

I was in serious denial about my hair loss initially. My girlfriend pointed out I was losing hair and I would not listen to her at all in the beginning. Then I took a more careful look and was shocked. You see yourself in the mirror every day and you don't really 'see' it happening. Propecia helped me somewhat recover in the beginning but soon I realized it only goes so far.

 

My surgery has made my hair look much better, but now I have a realistic idea of where I am and what I need. The front looks ok now, but I know I will keep losing my 'original' hair. The top/back of my head is quite thin so next time I get a surgery, I will most likely want 30-40% in the front and 60-70% on the top/back.

 

I also found Dr. Cotterill's approach honest and most of all - realistic and objective. But at the end of the day, you must be happy with your choice. I wish you luck with whichever path you choose.