Panic! Detected!

[cul-de-sac]

I've been coasting along the Happy Hair Highway for roughly three years now. Happily enjoying evey minute of my new look, I rarely think about the cul-de-sac look that had bothered me for so many years. Woman 20 years younger flirt with me, and even though I maintain a committed relationship, I'd be lying if I said I didn't enjoy the attention. My hairloss, though still in the crown area, has begun to fade into a distant memory. No longer do eyes wander to the vast terrain of my bald forehead. Covered with approximately 5,000 follicular units by a superb physician, I was confident that my new look was virtually undetectable. Then one day, I stopped for gas and while paying the clerk, he asked, while glancing at the top of my head. "Do you mind if I ask you a question." My heart sank a bit. "Shoot," I said. Now I won't bore you with the details, but basically he complimented the work, asked how much, and whether it hurt. I politely answered his questions, and even recommended my physician, but would not discuss price. Somehow, the price question always bothers me, even from family members. Now, I'm wondering how community members feel about my encounter. Should I have felt let down by the detection? Perhaps my transplant is not as good as I had thought itwas? Could it simply be a matter of the detector being highly informed or on high alert as he looked out for good and bad transplants? Is it reasonable to believe that no one will ever detect your transplant? Do hair transplant recipients or those researching the possibilities of hair transplants, have a better eye for detection? I'm curious of your views, if anyone cares to comment. Thanks in advance...

[NEWHAIRPLEASE]

Cul de sac

I would sure like to think it is not unreasonable to have a great hair transplant go through life and never get detected! I think paying 10-15 thousand dollars for a HT that is a reasonable expectaion for todays Hair transplants, especially the recipient area. I know the donor area will always have a scar. Now having said that, you may be on to something with people who are more informed on hair transplants, but when I look at the results from the doctors on this site, I would never know the patients had received a hair transplant.

[cul-de-sac]

Thanks for responding. After reviewing my post, I feel that's it's necessary to include that I was a Norwood 6 before the surgery, dark brown hair, with average density.

[NEWHAIRPLEASE]

Do you have any graft availability left? Are you thinking about getting more work done? Norwood 6 with average density... I still think the surgeons on here will give you " at least " an all natural look!

[cul-de-sac]

Yes, I still have enough donor hair for one more session. Also, the doctor who performed the surgery is recommended highly by this site. Still wondering if there's no reason to panic over one astute observer?

[Spanker]

I would love to see pics. That said, I think being a ht researcher, and on high alert, I would be able to still spot a good ht on nw6. Is your hairline aggressive? I spotted a guy from a mile away recently, NW6 with medium coverage all over. His scar is what gave him away. Noone else noticed though.

 

Is it a possibilty your scar gave it away?

[NEWHAIRPLEASE]

Can you post any pictures? Before and after?

[cul-de-sac]

Thanks for writing. To the best of my knowledge, the scar is not visible. Unless of course, the hair is manipulated and spread by fingers.

[cul-de-sac]

I'm not sure at this moment about posting photos. I'd like to think that one over a bit.

[NEWHAIRPLEASE]

It's cool. I see from your join date on this forum of 2003 and you only have 10 post. That tells me you must have been happy with your result. Kinda looks like you got on with your life after your HT. If you decide to post pics( which I hope you do ) I'm sure some of the guys on here will give you some good quality feedback.

Best of luck to you !

[Cant decide]

I honestly dont think anyone would detect my transplant unless they were on super high alert and standing a foot away from me with by hair combined in an unfavorable manner. This equals about <0.001% of the time so you were just very unlucky my friend:)

 

I am sure your hair looks good. Dont let the comment get you down.

[aaron1234]

Here's a question for you cul-de-sac:

 

How was the questioner's hair? Was he balding? If so, then he has probably done some research and knows what to look for. There has been times where I spotted a HT and was tempted to talk to the guy, but then I realized he would probably feel like crap if I did.

[cul-de-sac]

He was thinning on top. Not nearly as bald as I was at class 6. His concern and questioning seemed genuine.

[aaron1234]

Then he must have done some research. I know this doesn't make you feel any less better about the detectability of your HT.

[hdude46]

i dont get the hesitation with posting your doctors name and a few pics of your hair. people will be better able to help you out and be honest.

[multiplier]

No harm in posting a pic with the face cropped out.

 

The only obvious transplants I've noticed is when they're perfectly U-shaped across the front hairline, obviously kind of wispy behind, and then doesn't meet with the natural hair surrounding it. At this point, I subtly glance at the back of the guys head. Rarely is there a visible scar, though, unless his hair is particularly short.

[KM77]

Was that the only time someone detected your HT?

[scar5]

Being a NW6, you aren't likely to get much worse because native hair will not thin out more. I would like to think the guy did you a favor - by bursting your bubble and letting you know that some people can tell and are willing to say it, and that he was nice about it and discrete. Better that, than a crowded social/work setting when the accuser feigns the curiosity of a newborn angel by saying, "Man, your hair looks good, do you mind if I ask you a question....Oh..sorry, I didn't mean to be..." type BS!

But really it's not a favor. Just makes us more paranoid. Make sure your hair is cut to the 'sweet length' , well washed and that's about all you can do. If you are in nasty light, hold your chin up. Sounds like you are in a good space about this, better than many, better than me. A lot of guys say they will tell everyone and anyone who asks, I dunno, it's an awful dilemma, especially whilst it's growing out, or after it has settled and not likely to get better, just gradually worse, but as I said, the latter scenario might not apply to you. I recently buzzed and have started the grow out again. It looks awful as it grows from being 1/4 to 1 inch, and once again I am face the spectre of being questioned again as the texture of the spiky HT hair is a month away from blending in with remaining native hair.

 

There is the possibility that this balding dude, just tried it on, didn't have a clue, and just took a stab in the dark, hoping to hit the jack pot and glean some information for his own ass! But prolly just a genuine inquiry.

Oh I can totally understand not wanting to reveal your doc.

Edited July 19, 2011 by scar5

[Ahairdown]

"Should I have felt let down by the detection? Perhaps my transplant is not as good as I had thought itwas? Could it simply be a matter of the detector being highly informed or on high alert as he looked out for good and bad transplants? Is it reasonable to believe that no one will ever detect your transplant?"

--------------------------------------------

 

I'd have to say 'yes', because most of the good work I've seen put on display here repeatedely by a lot of these docs isn't detectable even if you're looking for a HT.

 

But really, you need to post up some pictures so we can give you honest feedback. Only takes a minute to crop out the face. Would be nice to drop the doc's name also as to help others doing research on which doc to select, otherwise the value of this forum drops in my eyes if folks are afraid to give honest feedback.

 

If you can't do that, I'd just be curious as to if your doc addressed your temporal/temporal points area? Some of the 'top docs' that are recommended by this board don't hit this area even when dropping in 4000-5000 fu's on a guy that doesn't already have any hair in these areas. In the before/after pics the hair looks unnatural and rightfully so as low hairlines with temp points isn't typical in people and the distribution of the person's hair looks unbalanced because it's top heavy.

 

That being said, even though it's a dead give away for me - they be plenty of people posting how great they think the doc's work turned out. Does the guy look a ton better? Yep. Does it look natual - not really... and even if I knew nothing about HT's I might give someone's head a second look with these characteristics

 

Anyways, if you put up pics you'll most likely get some valuable feedback - including on what you might want to address going foward (if you even need to - hopefully you don't).