1550 grafts with Dr. Alexander

[orlhair1]

Looking really good.......at 4 months you still have a lot more that will come.

[fritz68]

Thanks for your support orlhair1 and osidekid. Osidekid, I see you also had a great result from Dr. Alexander, and had a big jump from month 4 onwards. Big difference.

 

This is a pic taken with wet hair at 20 weeks post-op (today). Every week I get more confident that this is going to be fine, it's already solid so in 4 months or so should be great. Dr. Alexander also did a great closure so the scar is minimal. The last surgeon (first HT attempt, not Dr. A) left a large stretched scar, his closure technique was obviously very poor, like the rest of his work.

[hairthere]

fritz, that looks awesome!

[fritz68]

Thank you hairthere! There's still plenty of maturing to do but things are right on track. Today marks the 5 month mark, there's been a big jump in last 2 months, hoping it'll continue a while longer. Bit of a cliche but it's when I look back at baseline photos I realise how poor it was after the first HT. Kudos to Dr. Alexander for delivering the goods.

Edited November 23, 2011 by fritz68

[chrisdav]

But what is the definition of light?. I could quite easily bench press a couple of cotton buds but i have started a month later after surgery.

A YEAR without those exercises is ludicrous; you might as well not bother weight training without core exercises like that, as they are the fundamental of an optimum physique.

Has there been any relation/correlation of weight training to grafts growth?

[chrisdav]

I didn't realise there was 3 pages to this thread but your results look great for 20 weeks, impressive and congratulations so far.

[fritz68]

thanks chrisdav.

 

Back on the topic of weight training and scar stretching, I had a stretched scar (about 8-10mm from first procedure with another doctor). This time it's practically imperceptible, perfect. Both times I started heavy (by my standards) weight training about a week or so post-op.

 

So in my instance it seems that the determining factor was absolutely surgeon skill & closure technique, not weight training nor my predisposition to form scars.

Edited November 24, 2011 by fritz68

[chrisdav]

Have you got a picture of your scar now?

 

I started weights and running at 4 weeks after my surgery.

 

If there is going to be any complications regarding scar or recipient area, then i will stop immediately but 1 year is a bit much.

[folliclehero]

Very impressive results....not surprising at all after viewing some of Dr. Alexander's other before and afters.

[fritz68]

Hi all, that's me just past the 6 months mark, sorry quality of photo isn't so good, mobile phone. The hairline looks a bit more feathery in this photo than in reality. I'm really delighted with the result so far, would be happy if this was it. Scar is great too, it's visible in places if I comb my hair up through it but you can't see it from a photo so no point trying.

 

To sum up, first transplant, poor result, bad scar. Changed doctor. Second transplant, home-run. Only wish is that I'd discovered this site earlier on. But better late than never :cool:

Edited January 3, 2012 by fritz68

[osidekid]

wow, that hairline is perfect. congrats.

[orlhair1]

Looks fantastic......nice!

[fritz68]

Thanks for your positive feedback guys!

 

Am now at 7months, the changes I see now are small but substantial. The maturing of the hair has the effect of making the hair look like it's solid and there to stay. When it's not mature it looks like it's on its way out, i.e., the last stage of hair before balding. So the signal it sends to the eye is quite different even if the absolute hair count doesn't change.

 

These pics are taken with my hair about 6 inches away from a strip light without a flash to make it look as transparent as possible. In most situations it looks more solid I think. Very happy with outcome.

 

Will come back with 12 months pics next time.

 

Best wishes to all

Edited February 1, 2012 by fritz68

[chrisdav]

Your hair looks excellent now Fritz.

 

At 12 months, you will be punching the air several times

[wings]

excellent result. Do you know what your density count is? hair's per sq cm..

[fritz68]

Thanks chrisdav!

 

Wings, sorry, no idea what the density was. It's undoubtedly less than the native hair behind (after 2 transplants to the area), but I'm not sure of the details.

[ManinSpace]

Jealous of your hairline

[MrJobi]

Looks good! I waited about 2-3 months post op to continue weight training.

[fritz68]

Hello again!

Am now 13+ months out from the hairline work with Dr. Alexander.

On a positive note it's made a big cosmetic difference and I think I had a high yield.

On a negative note, it's still not right. The reason I say this is because on holiday, the 13 yr old daughter of a friend told me, unprompted, that my hairline looked funny as in contrast to everyone else at table I had no baby hair there, that it started abruptly, that it looked like it was stuck on and that scalp was showing (no kidding, she's sharp as a knife!).

I see what she means as in contrast to normal hairlines, it's a suboptimal density yet with normal diameter hairs so in places each hair stands out.

My options are therefore to go for a final round or just leave it. If I do a final round I'm not sure if it will look more natural, i.e., if the main problem is lack of density or something else. I'm also worried that another round would send hairs into shockloss again, hairs which have already gone into hibernation twice and whose total lifespan is therefore markedly shortened (if it's correct that hairs have a fixed amount of phases)

I think Dr. Alexander did a fantastic job given the starting point, which you can see in the first pics, and would trust him to do this again but wondering if anyone has been in a similar situation and got a good, natural outcome?

 

Edited August 9, 2012 by fritz68

[AdamAJ]

I actually can relate.

 

I have had 3 hts.

 

My 2nd one was simliar to your last one. It lowered my hairline with 1513 grafts but I wanted more density.

 

So I had a 3rd ht with 1262 grafts placed into the hairline to add more density between existing hairs.

 

Remember now, It will obviously make a bigger difference when grafts are placed between existing hairs density wise then when placed on totally bald scalp.

 

I have a post I just posted titled 1262 grafts 1 month 2 wks post op...take a look.

 

Also if I were you I would go for another pass as which I did June 26th of this year.

[fritz68]

Thanks a lot for your reply Adam, much appreciated. Seems like we've been following a parallel path, and I agree, I'll also need a 3rd pass. Looks like that will be it for you, as you say all you need is some more density between existing hairs.

 

Regarding recovery, is it much easier to disguise in weeks after now that's there's much more hair in recipient area post-op? I've got to be back at work relatively quickly post-op so hopefully this is the case.

[fritz68]

here's a few photos with wet hair. I think the last set were more unflattering than reality and don't do justice to the job Dr. A did. These wet look with flash are probably a little more flattering than reality.

 

But I'll really only need a touch-up in front section for a fantastic hairline.

[Spanker]

here's a few photos with wet hair. I think the last set were more unflattering than reality and don't do justice to the job Dr. A did. These wet look with flash are probably a little more flattering than reality.

 

But I'll really only need a touch-up in front section for a fantastic hairline.

 

How old are you? Doesn't look bad enough to waste the grafts on to me. I would wait. Baldness is progressive and you don't know what will happen years from now.

 

You should have told her that you were thinking the same thing about her but the polite thing was to do was not to say anything. It would have tore her up for weeks and she it may have taught her to judge a little less.

[fritz68]

Thanks for feedback Spanker. I'm 45.

 

The girl is actually very sweet, she said it more as an objective observation, wasn't trying to hurt me. But I was thinking after that it must look obvious to everyone but kids are the only one honest enough to say it.

[Levrais]

The girl is actually very sweet, she said it more as an objective observation, wasn't trying to hurt me. But I was thinking after that it must look obvious to everyone but kids are the only one honest enough to say it.

 

Its hard to get good honest feedback and kids are sometimes good for that. I know the look she is describing but your pics don't look that way to me and I think the density is fine.