Senior Member Sean Posted February 11, 2012 Author Senior Member Share Posted February 11, 2012 Sean.....it is looking fantastic......really coming in strong......exciting times! I will check out your additional photos when you post them. Orlhair, thanks bud. It is exciting. I appreciate the feedback. Your lookin good man. Look forward to seeing your updates. First of all, GREAT job with the video, Sean! Your documentation is among the best I've seen on this site, if not the best. So, thanks a lot for what you're doing for the community. Most importantly, your 5 month results are STELLAR! So happy for you! I really look forward to seeing your donor area with clip one. Thanks again for your willingness to post that. Best, Z Zen, I appreciate it buddy. I hope it helps everyone. Check out the video of the donor. I made it for you and Luke as you guys were interested seeing the donor. Sean your transformation is really coming along....AMAZINGLY!! Fantastic documentation too! I can not wait to see the result of your hair as a #1!! Very intrigued! How does it feel to know that you have a fantastic set of hair now?? And it's only going to be getting better! Luke, thanks, I appreciate it. I made the video, check it out. I am starting to feel really happy. It keeps getting better. I say I am halfway there, but more thickening up front and etc is to be expected up to the 12 month mark. Looks fantastic Sean! What device are you using to take the videos, your phone? Sugar, I am using the Iphone 4 to make the video. The facetime camera sucks for pics, but VIDEO it can be done depending on the type of light. So I used different lighting to see what gets the best video. I still gotta take better pics though. Been busy today. Got a haircut yesterday. Check out the video. Hair Restoration Social Network ? Community for and by Hair Loss Patients Only members of this hair restoration community can see my videos. I have it setup for members only. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Senior Member RecedingTide Posted February 11, 2012 Senior Member Share Posted February 11, 2012 It looks awesome Sean. It looks amazing at only 5 months. Must feel really nice knowing you've got the frontal third shored up now. Plus 5000+ FUE left in the bank and your physiology seems really suited to FUE and the healing process. Do you know how high your donor region is in the back and the donor density? No worries if you don't. Thanks again for sharing. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Senior Member Sean Posted February 11, 2012 Author Senior Member Share Posted February 11, 2012 It looks awesome Sean. It looks amazing at only 5 months. Must feel really nice knowing you've got the frontal third shored up now. Plus 5000+ FUE left in the bank and your physiology seems really suited to FUE and the healing process. Do you know how high your donor region is in the back and the donor density? No worries if you don't. Thanks again for sharing. RecedingTide, thanks for the comment. Really appreciate it. Starting to feel good as I see more and more hairs sprouting. More than 5000 fue remaining but hopefully I wouldn't have to use it all up in the future. I think the medications are really helping too, rogaine+propecia+supplements I take. Regarding the donor area, Hair Restoration Journal -Post Op (DONOR AREA) I know the transplant density, not sure of the donor area density. Just was told I have over 5000 still remaining. The transplanted density consists of 65cm on hairline, behind hairline it is 55cm, sides are 50 cm, overall it is 58cm density. It was a good thing I didn't get work on the crown done though, seems like it has recovered for the most part with the medications. Would have been a waste of grafts since it's what some may call a black hole area. Lets see how my result is in 12 months. Right now it seems my left side is stronger then my right, but that is to be expected as it is only 5 months out. Growth differs on each side. I'll post more updates soon. Thanks for the feedback. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Senior Member mattj Posted February 13, 2012 Senior Member Share Posted February 13, 2012 Looking good, Sean! I notice that your sides (outside of the extraction zone) look to be the same density as the back. So it doesn't look like your donor area has taken a hit at all. I also notice that your recipient area seemed to blend with the rest of your hair, even before your haircut. A marked difference from your earlier updates. BTW, I never wanted to dance to Johnny Cash before. I am a patient and representative of Dr Rahal. My FUE Procedure With Dr Rahal - Awesome Hairline Result I can be contacted for advice: matt@rahalhairline.com Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Senior Member Sean Posted February 17, 2012 Author Senior Member Share Posted February 17, 2012 Looking good, Sean! I notice that your sides (outside of the extraction zone) look to be the same density as the back. So it doesn't look like your donor area has taken a hit at all. I also notice that your recipient area seemed to blend with the rest of your hair, even before your haircut. A marked difference from your earlier updates. BTW, I never wanted to dance to Johnny Cash before. Thanks Matt! The donor is getting better. Feeling better, looking better especially with the haircut to evaluate. I know initially I had some very noticeable shockloss on one side vs the other. Now, after looking at my own video, it's pretty exciting to know that the donor area has over 5,000 more extractions left in the bank. You are right, I think the recipient zone is blending better. It is starting to blend more and more as hairs start to grow. Quite a difference month to month. I really think my overall hair quality/texture has improved throughout my entire scalp, especially from the health supplements I am taking, to rogaine foam, and finasteride. So, that's a positive sign that I am responding well to medications/treatments too. Big difference with my 1 year pre op crown pics vs the recent donor video I put up showing the crown. Been 5 1/2 months, still plenty of growth to go. I did ask patient care regarding growth on one side vs other side. As one side looks more dominant then the other. Left vs Right side. Was told it was normal since hair grows differently on each side. Usually after 9-10 months the area gets fuller thicker. So, I can't wait for the months ahead. I get excited every month. Six month mark coming up in about 15 days. Will be posting updates again. Let me know what you think. Lol, @ the dance to Johnny Cash Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Senior Member zenmunk Posted February 21, 2012 Senior Member Share Posted February 21, 2012 Zen, I appreciate it buddy. I hope it helps everyone. Check out the video of the donor. I made it for you and Luke as you guys were interested seeing the donor. Thanks so much for documenting your donor, Sean! It really looks great! Granted, everyone's physiology is different. The combo of your physiology and Rahal's skill is formidable! Bottom line: your results further encourage those of us who haven't taken the plunge yet. Thanks again! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Senior Member Sean Posted March 2, 2012 Author Senior Member Share Posted March 2, 2012 Thanks so much for documenting your donor, Sean! It really looks great! Granted, everyone's physiology is different. The combo of your physiology and Rahal's skill is formidable! Bottom line: your results further encourage those of us who haven't taken the plunge yet. Thanks again! No problem man, I am glad it helped. As always, thanks for the feedback. I'll be posting my next update real soon, in like 2-3 days. Hope your research is coming along great. BTW, I just had another set of labs done and everything seems within range and normal. I am taking estimated 1.25 mg of proscar everyday. Did you ever get around to seeing if the DHEA levels were good to go? I remember you mentioning it in one of your posts a while back. Hope everything is good. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Senior Member zenmunk Posted March 2, 2012 Senior Member Share Posted March 2, 2012 Cool, I look forward to your update! Glad to hear that your labs are still normal. I've been checking mine roughly every 6 months for 13 years; the basics, not the more involved stuff I've done recently. You get used it. If your labs are stable after one year, then I think the odds are very good that they will remain that way (probably less than one year, actually). Funny that you mention the DHEA, because I was just thinking that I should go to my doctor to check it out. I'll post the results to my original thread as soon as I do. I was wondering what size punch(es) did Dr. Rahal use in your case? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Regular Member Veritas84 Posted March 2, 2012 Regular Member Share Posted March 2, 2012 Thank you for the informative write up. I will be following your progress and cheering you on. I'm considering Dr. Rahal as well (newbie here) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Senior Member Sean Posted March 11, 2012 Author Senior Member Share Posted March 11, 2012 Cool, I look forward to your update! Glad to hear that your labs are still normal. I've been checking mine roughly every 6 months for 13 years; the basics, not the more involved stuff I've done recently. You get used it. If your labs are stable after one year, then I think the odds are very good that they will remain that way (probably less than one year, actually). Funny that you mention the DHEA, because I was just thinking that I should go to my doctor to check it out. I'll post the results to my original thread as soon as I do. I was wondering what size punch(es) did Dr. Rahal use in your case? I always try to keep up with the labs to make sure everything is good to go. I think I actually started monitoring my labs more after reading your last thread. I was wondering about the DHEA. Especially, if finasteride plays a role in altering the levels. I hope all your labs are good. Let me know how everything is with the DHEA. Regarding punch size, the doctor used both .8 and .9 . I specifically avoided 1mm or higher punches and he was aware this was a major concern of mine too. I think if you play it smart with the smaller punches the healing is great and you cant see no donor punch scars. I think if you use too small of a punch then yeild may be an issue and you may not get you money's worth in terms of growth. I thought a lot about he punch size prior to the surgery and I think those sizes are ones I am comfortable with. When you do go for your FUE, make sure 1mm or higher is avoided and definitely out of the question. You got straight hair and I don't see why using a smaller punch size would be an issue for you. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Senior Member Sean Posted March 11, 2012 Author Senior Member Share Posted March 11, 2012 Thank you for the informative write up. I will be following your progress and cheering you on. I'm considering Dr. Rahal as well (newbie here) No problem, thanks for giving me feedback. I am happy you find it informative. Do let me know what you think of my progress in the months ahead. I really appreciate it. I am about to post my 6 month 8 day update. Sometimes I really get behind on the updates but I try my best. With traveling and work, it's hard to keep up. Let me know if you have any questions. Are you planning on getting FUT or FUE? Best of luck with everything. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Senior Member Sean Posted March 11, 2012 Author Senior Member Share Posted March 11, 2012 Thank you for the informative write up. I will be following your progress and cheering you on. I'm considering Dr. Rahal as well (newbie here) No problem, thanks for giving me feedback. I am happy you find it informative. Do let me know what you think of my progress in the months ahead. I really appreciate it. I am about to post my 6 month 8 day update. Sometimes I really get behind on the updates but I try my best. With traveling and work, it's hard to keep up. Let me know if you have any questions. Are you planning on getting FUT or FUE? Best of luck with everything. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Senior Member Sean Posted March 11, 2012 Author Senior Member Share Posted March 11, 2012 6 Month 8 Day Update You must be a Hair Restoration Network Member to access my video updates. After you login, you can click the link and the video will play. 6 MONTH VIDEO UPDATE Please let me know what you think. Thanks. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Senior Member Sean Posted March 11, 2012 Author Senior Member Share Posted March 11, 2012 Sean, Can you post some clear pics outside for example. Gosh - 3000 grafts in a very small area relatively speaking :eek: Hope you grow well and be great to see some clear pics. Best Spex Spex, not a problem. Will do it for you in the morning if the weather is good outside. I'll take some good outdoor pics. I don't know if you saw my video yet, I tried to take it in different lighting too. 3000 grafts I thought were too little in that area lol. I thought it could be because the physiology of my head. It seems larger then most people? Wide from the front (maybe a disadvantage since more area to cover), wider in the back (an advantage because I have more grafts to use). Head shape from front is more like George Michael's, wide, squarish, etc. In his prime, I think he had the best hair. I only wish there was away to get a style like that with the technology we have today. Who knows, maybe just one day it might be possible. So, I don't know if that Wider forehead is a major disadvantage for me. I'll take a tape measure and try to measure the size across as well. Seems like some people can get away with fewer grafts, while some have to use a little more? What do you think? You know more than me. How many grafts do you think should be used to create a dense look (in the zone my hair was transplanted)? I am not sure if size would be a factor. Thanks for the grow well wishes. I really appreciate it. I'll def take better pics for you outside, as you requested. I'd love to hear your feedback too. Thanks again. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Senior Member mattj Posted March 11, 2012 Senior Member Share Posted March 11, 2012 I think that head size is something that doesn't get mentioned enough on the forums. It can make a real difference when it comes to the dimensions of the recipient and donor areas and the number of grafts needed and available in those respective areas. Sean, I totally agree with what you said about punch sizes. Go too small and the risk of damage increases. Some people just want as small as possible (someone on another forum was saying he wanted nothing larger than a 0.5mm punch!), but there's a point where you just have to think about what it means for graft survival. I am a patient and representative of Dr Rahal. My FUE Procedure With Dr Rahal - Awesome Hairline Result I can be contacted for advice: matt@rahalhairline.com Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Senior Member orlhair1 Posted March 11, 2012 Senior Member Share Posted March 11, 2012 I think that head size is something that doesn't get mentioned enough on the forums. It can make a real difference when it comes to the dimensions of the recipient and donor areas and the number of grafts needed and available in those respective areas. Sean, I totally agree with what you said about punch sizes. Go too small and the risk of damage increases. Some people just want as small as possible (someone on another forum was saying he wanted nothing larger than a 0.5mm punch!), but there's a point where you just have to think about what it means for graft survival. Makes sense Matt......seems like someone sees a great result with a certain number of grafts on on person and wants the same result. In reality it could take a lot more grafts to achieve the same result on the second person due to head size differences, hair characteristics, etc. Also, the second person may not have the same level of donor available. Difficult to make apples to apples comparisons. 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 zenmunk Posted March 11, 2012 Senior Member Share Posted March 11, 2012 (edited) I hope all your labs are good. Let me know how everything is with the DHEA. Regarding punch size, the doctor used both .8 and .9. I specifically avoided 1mm or higher punches and he was aware this was a major concern of mine too. I think if you play it smart with the smaller punches the healing is great and you cant see no donor punch scars. I think if you use too small of a punch then yield may be an issue and you may not get you money's worth in terms of growth. I thought a lot about he punch size prior to the surgery and I think those sizes are ones I am comfortable with. When you do go for your FUE, make sure 1mm or higher is avoided and definitely out of the question. You got straight hair and I don't see why using a smaller punch size would be an issue for you. Thanks, Sean. I'll definitely let you know about the DHEA soon. I've read elsewhere to avoid punches which are 1mm or larger. I've given it a lot of thought too as I'm concerned with how obvious the scarring will be. Generally speaking, I'd say anything below .75 and you're starting to play with fire. You're right, I have fine, stick-straight hair, so .8 - .9 probably won't be a problem. On another note, did you ever consider having a smaller FUE session first, to see if the combination of your surgeon, techs and physiology would yield good results, before committing to a large session? I'm toying with that idea. Some on this forum refer to it as test patches. I know Dr. Feller does "postage stamp" sessions. I have a small, somewhat diffuse section in my frontal third just behind the hairline which needs strengthening. I was thinking I might address that area with around 200 - 300 grafts, then wait 6 - 8 months to see what's cooking. If yield was good and donor scarring wasn't bad, then I'd move ahead with restoring the hairline with roughly 1,000 - 1,200 grafts. What do you think? Edited March 11, 2012 by zenmunk Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Senior Member Sean Posted March 12, 2012 Author Senior Member Share Posted March 12, 2012 I think that head size is something that doesn't get mentioned enough on the forums. It can make a real difference when it comes to the dimensions of the recipient and donor areas and the number of grafts needed and available in those respective areas. Sean, I totally agree with what you said about punch sizes. Go too small and the risk of damage increases. Some people just want as small as possible (someone on another forum was saying he wanted nothing larger than a 0.5mm punch!), but there's a point where you just have to think about what it means for graft survival. Matt, I really have a gut feeling that head size has to be factored in. Different ethnic groups have different scalp shapes/sizes. Someone really needs to make a topic regarding this particular issue with different sizes and head shapes. It may be a good thing for clinics to list the width of scalp size of each patient so people can get an idea as to what was planted and what was the size of the area. Pictures don't show the actual size. That's why some results may look better with lesser grafts used vs others who use the same amount of grafts in a larger area? Certain hairlines will not suit those with wider/squarish heads then those with smaller/rounded heads in the front and so forth. Regarding the .5mm punch. I think that is impossible. I think there will be a lot of grafts lost in that extraction process, unless the hairs are really really fine in caliber and are 1's. The way I look at it is that .75 or .8 good for 1's and 2's depending on a persons hair diameter, texture. .9 would be good for 3 and 4 groupings depending on a person's hair diameter, texture. I have straight hair, so it may make it more possible to do this efficiently and easily. People with really thick hair may need .9mm all around. I definitely think 1mm or higher has to be avoided. .7-.9 seems ideal for the "right" candidates. Graft survival matters big time. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Senior Member Sean Posted March 12, 2012 Author Senior Member Share Posted March 12, 2012 Thanks, Sean. I'll definitely let you know about the DHEA soon. I've read elsewhere to avoid punches which are 1mm or larger. I've given it a lot of thought too as I'm concerned with how obvious the scarring will be. Generally speaking, I'd say anything below .75 and you're starting to play with fire. You're right, I have fine, stick-straight hair, so .8 - .9 probably won't be a problem. On another note, did you ever consider having a smaller FUE session first, to see if the combination of your surgeon, techs and physiology would yield good results, before committing to a large session? I'm toying with that idea. Some on this forum refer to it as test patches. I know Dr. Feller does "postage stamp" sessions. I have a small, somewhat diffuse section in my frontal third just behind the hairline which needs strengthening. I was thinking I might address that area with around 200 - 300 grafts, then wait 6 - 8 months to see what's cooking. If yield was good and donor scarring wasn't bad, then I'd move ahead with restoring the hairline with roughly 1,000 - 1,200 grafts. What do you think? Zen, thanks for letting me know how the DHEA is when you do it. I agree with you 100% on the punch sizes. I don't think a smaller fue session is a bad idea. IF it makes you more comfortable with the process then why not? The only thing I hate about that is, transplantation is not an easy process. You get shots, your on antibiotics, you gotta go through this rigorous post op care process. Then monitor yourself constantly. You can possibly have shockloss and then go through shedding. For this reason, I just wanted to get it over with in a 2 day period. It just happens, that it was able to be accomplished in 1 day due to the ease of extraction on my scalp. That process went smooth so it paved the way for the one day session. There are some people that do get patch tests. If it makes you comfortable go for it. Obviously, this is a major investment and you want to make sure you have growth and that you are suited for it. But primarily, I think those with straight hair are the BEST candidates for fue I think.. It just makes the extraction easy. Keep the punch sizes in mind and you wont really have to worry bout donor scarring. I think 1000-1200 will do great. Your session size is small too. Less trauma to your head and easier to care for. Best of luck with everything and keep me updated. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Senior Member Sean Posted March 12, 2012 Author Senior Member Share Posted March 12, 2012 Spex, I think you should especially look at the video I made outside for you. Outdoor Video Shot I think the pictures are ok, they probably could be better though. I took em from my iphone 4 outside. However, if I have time again tomorrow, I will take more pics using a canon digital camera and have someone take the photos for me. No one was home today at the time I was home, so I couldn't get anyone to take photos for me and had to do it myself. Hopefully, the video along with the pictures I will try to take tomorrow will make it clearer. For now, here you go: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Senior Member zenmunk Posted March 12, 2012 Senior Member Share Posted March 12, 2012 Thanks for your input, Sean. By the way, your outdoor pics and video look great! Best of luck with your continued growth. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Regular Member headbangerguy Posted March 12, 2012 Regular Member Share Posted March 12, 2012 Great result @6 months! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Senior Member England Posted March 12, 2012 Senior Member Share Posted March 12, 2012 These results look great, and it's still early days @ just 6 months: Copying a post from Bill :-) 3 months - 10% 4 months - 25% 5 months - 40% 6 months - 60% 7 months - 70% 8 months - 75% 9 months - 80% 10 months - 90% 11 months - 95% 12 months - 98% 18 months - 100% Loving the videos, Sean - yours is probably one of the most thorough documentations I've seen. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Senior Member Sean Posted March 12, 2012 Author Senior Member Share Posted March 12, 2012 Thanks for your input, Sean. By the way, your outdoor pics and video look great! Best of luck with your continued growth. Thanks bud. Wish you the best in your research and future transplant. Great result @6 months! Thank you, I appreciate the feedback. If only we all had hair like that guy from Wayne's World. These results look great, and it's still early days @ just 6 months: Copying a post from Bill :-) 3 months - 10% 4 months - 25% 5 months - 40% 6 months - 60% 7 months - 70% 8 months - 75% 9 months - 80% 10 months - 90% 11 months - 95% 12 months - 98% 18 months - 100% Loving the videos, Sean - yours is probably one of the most thorough documentations I've seen. Thanks for the timeline and feedback bro. I appreciate it. I'll continue to post updates, stay tuned. Looks like growth is coming through:cool: 6 months is literally half way so grow well. Are you on meds too ? Best Spex Thanks for the feedback. Halfway, still more to go. Yes, i am on meds. Basically taking everything in my signature. The proscar tab is cut into 4 pieces at an estimated 1.25mg per dose. I use Rogaine Foam from front to back. In the outdoor video I did have some rogaine foam on. In the video indoors from my initial 6 month update, I had no rogaine on. All I did was take water and slick my hair back and let it dry, and it formed a fauxhawk. I'll try to post more photos up tomorrow. Happy growing to you. Thanks for the comments/feedback everyone. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Senior Member chrisdav Posted March 12, 2012 Senior Member Share Posted March 12, 2012 Early days yet,keep us posted Sean. 2 poor unsatisfactory hair transplants performed in the UK. Based on vast research and meeting patients, I travelled to see Dr Feller in New York to get repaired. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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