zstern23 Posted June 29, 2011 Share Posted June 29, 2011 First, a little background on myself. I am 24 years old and have been thinning since high school. My loss has been in the crown and thinning throughout the entire top of my head. In March, I started generic finasteride and Rogaine and started doing a lot of research on getting a transplant. I sent pictures for virtual consultations to many doctors. Dr. Charles was the ONLY doctor to actually take time out of his day and call me back instead of emailing. I think our first conversation about various aspects of the procedure and what to expect lasted over 30 minutes. After a few more phone calls with Dr. Charles, I decided to go ahead with the procedure. One of the main reasons I chose him (aside from other glowing reviews) is that I did not feel at all like he was trying to convince me to have the procedure. There was no pressure to have it done. He listened to and answered all my questions, encouraged me to continue to consult with other doctors, and gave me realistic expectations. I felt comfortable with him. From the time I showed up at the office, everything was great. You start in Dr. Charles’ office and go over what is about to happen, take the pre-op medicine, and then he draws where hair is going to go on your scalp. The only part that really hurt was the first 5 minutes when they numb you. After that, there really is no pain at all. If you start feeling it a little later on like I did, Dr. Charles will just give you another shot to numb you. At one point I even fell asleep. The staff was great. They take your lunch order and are in the room talking to you the whole time. I had control over the TV but I barely remember watching it that much because I was talking to them (except for the short time I was sleeping). I chose to have PRP done for the scar and graft areas in the chance that it actually does help recovery. Everything has been great post-op. I had my hair washed at his office the next morning and I wasn’t in any real pain. I only had some minor discomfort which is completely understandable. I followed his post-op instructions very carefully and took an occasional Tylenol for minor pain. I had my sutures removed by a plastic surgeon who is a friend of my parents and he told me that everything looked great. He was really impressed with Dr. Charles’ work. I would strongly suggest everyone contact Dr. Charles, especially if you are looking to have a procedure done in Florida. He is awesome and really does care about his patients. I will try to get pictures up as soon as I can. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Senior Member orlhair1 Posted June 29, 2011 Senior Member Share Posted June 29, 2011 You chose a top surgeon. Congrats......heal and grow well. Look forward to your pics. Surgery - Dr. Ron Shapiro FUT 6/14/11 - 3048 grafts Surgery - Dr. Ron Shapiro FUE 1/28/13 & 1/29/13 - 1513 grafts http://www.hairrestorationnetwork.com/orlhair1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Senior Member TakingThePlunge Posted June 30, 2011 Senior Member Share Posted June 30, 2011 zstern23, Welcome and congratulations! Dr. Charles is one of the best. Please be sure to share you photos and continue to update us on your progress. Happy growing! David - Former Forum Co-Moderator and Editorial Assistant I am not a medical professional. All opinions are my own and my advice should not constitute as medical advice. View my Hair Loss Website Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
zstern23 Posted July 2, 2011 Author Share Posted July 2, 2011 here are the pictures i sent to doctors for my virtual consultations. my next post will contain my post-op pictures and 1 month results. these pictures were taken with my webcam Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
zstern23 Posted July 2, 2011 Author Share Posted July 2, 2011 the first two are the day of the procedure. the next one is my head after getting it washed the next day. then one with nanogen and then 2 pictures from today which are a month from the procedure. since i had PRP done, my post-op results look a little bloodier than most since i had to spend a night with it on my head. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest mariewoltz25411697 Posted July 2, 2011 Share Posted July 2, 2011 Make sure you wash off hair fibers every day thoroughly. I didn't do the same, and probably my poor growth is caused by infection etc..caused by it. I read a post by Dr. Hassan where they said it must be washed every day. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
schase Posted December 28, 2012 Share Posted December 28, 2012 So how'd it turn out? I'm trying to convince myself that Dr. Charles is the right Doc for me. Any more pics? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Senior Member TommyLucchese Posted December 29, 2012 Senior Member Share Posted December 29, 2012 He hasn't been online since 2011, not much hope for an update. 2,000 grafts FUT Dr. Feller, July 27th 2012. 23 years old at the time. Excellent result. Need crown sorted eventually but concealer works well for now. Propecia and minoxidil since 2010. Fine for 8 years - bad sides after switching to Aindeem in 2018. Switched to topical fin/minox combo from Minoxidil Max in October 2020, along with dermarolling 1x a week. Wrote a book for newbies called Beating Hair Loss, available on Amazon Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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