Dr Sharon Keene (AKA greatest doc alive) 1600 grafts Hairline Restoration

[realquiet]

Hey everyone, I just got back from Tucson, AZ after a long (but fun) drive from Southern California and couldn't be a happier guy. I know there have already been a lot of threads praising Dr. Keene as a top 3 or top 5 doc on the forums here, but I'm here to add to that. Right now I'm on Day 3 post-op!

 

I would also like to say that although my case is not unique, I don't see too much of it on the forums here, so hopefully those of you with my characteristics will follow my progress!

 

Here's my story: I'm a 30 year old (almost 31) with temporal recession and around a NW2-3. Complete baldness does not run in my family, yet all of the men have gigantic foreheads and temple recession (not a good look!). My hair type, however, is very unique though. I have baby fine hair that is extremely fair (light blond). No crown loss but miniaturized hairs that force me to comb my hair forwards (just like fellow poster corvettetester) to hide bald temple spots. And yes, I have a huge head with lots of real estate on my forehead. I am also a fair-skinned, pale individual.

 

My goal: To frame my face with a nice conservative, contoured, and symmetrical hairline with restored temple points. NOTHING CRAZY. Nothing aggressive. I just want to keep what I have and get the option to style my hair differently with parting, spiking, or just plain cutting it shorter.

 

Something maybe you've always wondered? My hair is quite long, and all of this "shock loss" talk was something that had me concerned. After apologizing for my hair length multiple times, it was clear that Dr. Keene and her staff were completely un-phased. Not only were they efficient at working around my super-annoying long hair, I suffered very minimal shock loss (if any). But how would I look going back to work with long hair and a pink fuzzy hairline? Read on.

 

About Dr Keene and Staff: Um, what can I say here, she's an artist. I had a whole page of terms and lingo prepared in advance to convey what I wanted, but I didn't need any of it (plus I left it at home!). She instantly designed a few different hairlines that were close, but not quite what I wanted. No problem, she understood my conservative nature and designed the perfect hairline. It was EXACTLY what I failed to place into words. After a few questions, she just knew what my needs were. Plus, she was brutally honest with me on several points, and I love that.

 

Her staff, (especially Nicole!) were all so friendly when they needed to be (when I was nervous), but once work was underway they became machines who take their job very seriously. It was impressive watching them go from comedy relief to complete professionals. They were also very polite with their voices while I watched "Pirates of the Caribbean" and made sure that I was comfortable at all times. Oh, and Dr. Keene oversees EVERYTHING herself, if you were wondering. She is constantly having the assistants relay medical info, posting data by the 1/2 hour to a white board, sending anything less-than-perfect back to be adjusted. Her fun-loving assistants clearly respect and understand they are working for a perfectionist. When the doctor started speaking, they listened. When she was joking, they knew it was informal invitation to have a little fun during a quick down-time.

 

This level of quality-control is something that I appreciated. But after speaking with her about random topics and current events, it's clear that she's a hobbyist. Yes, hair is her hobby. I was hearing all sorts of info from her regarding FUE procedures, what regulations need to be in place for what, what new tech is on the market for incisions etc.. I also realized how damn smart this woman is. We geeked out on many topics ranging from anthropology to sharks. She would also calmly let me know when it was time to get down to business without interruption (due to counting during incisions). The assistants were buzzing everywhere; monitoring my pulse, oxygen, and blood pressure levels. Everyone always fixed on the clock: when to re-medicate me, when to moisten the grafts, even when to adjust the blanket under my legs!

 

Pain: The only pain you will have the day of the surgery is when the local anesthesia is injected. Personally, I had just a little sting in the donor area before the strip was cut, nothing major. You feel absolutely NOTHING when the strip is being cut, in fact, I even joked about how the most painful portion of a FUT procedure is not even felt. However; I will warn anyone getting a hairline restoration like me, you WILL feel the worst pain when they inject your temples with anesthesia. The assistants mentioned that the temples are one of the most sensitive areas in the body, and I admit I cringed and made that sound Peter Griffin did when he stubbed his toe on Family Guy.

 

Results: Ok, so now I've explained how great I think Dr Keene is as a person, now lets see why I think she is easily the best doc on the West Coast. Here are some pictures I've shared before on the forums here. I promise to put up a blog real soon to track progress though.

 

 

The doc has my "official" before pictures at her office, so I might ask her for them (or maybe she'll read this), but after a few months it will make more sense to compare them.

 

And now my Day 1 post Op results (Dry and Wet):

 

 

 

Day 2 (went from blood red to light red overnight):

 

 

 

Day 3 (combing bangs forward and going outside just 3 days after my HT)

 

 

 

Anyhow, I can't thank Dr Keene and her staff enough for their efforts. And for anyone who shares my hair characteristics and desire for hairline work, this post is for you.

Edited June 3, 2013 by realquiet

[realquiet]

Updated with results.

 

Also, on day 4 most of the deep redness is gone. I'm religiously keeping the grafts moist with the recommended saline solution and it seems to be healing fast when I compare with other patients.

 

The only trouble with the longer hair is applying Neosporin to the donor scar without making a mess. Blood also tends to dry on the hair constantly, so keeping the back of my head shampooed and clean is a must. The grafts are tightening up and starting to scab (in a good way). It's reminds me of a scrape on the arm that's almost healed. Absolutely ZERO swelling on my forehead, eyes, or face in general; just a lump in the donor area.

 

The longer hair positives are vastly outweighing the negatives. I'm confident I could sweep my bangs over my forehead and do my daily errands outside undetected. Wearing a hat is also relatively safe because i can rest the brim on my hair and not have it touch the grafted area. I'm happy I didn't shave my head for this, even though I expect it to look awkward in a couple months or so.

 

I'm starting to think transitioning back to work next week is going to be easier than I thought.

[Speegs]

Good that you're content, that's what matters. looks like a conservative approach was appropriate for you are your hairloss was rather mild.

[realquiet]

Yeah, my pre-op hairline doesn't seem so bad now that I'm in my 30s, but it had originally matured when I was 18 (maybe 17) and its always bothered me greatly. I was patient, did my research and knew I was too young back then without knowing what type of MPB I was going to develop in the future.

 

Of course, I could still go completely bald in my 40s or 50s too! You just never know. However, if you think long-term and accept a long-term plan, you can never go wrong with establishing a natural hairline and keeping it conservative!

 

My forehead is still big enough to give me a mature look without doing the exaggerated "U" shape and a larger widow's peak. I felt the contoured look would frame the face more appropriately in this situation. Everyone is different though.

 

Dr Keene is a conservative and very honest doctor, so I felt good that she thought it would work too. She was also adamant about knowing what type of meds I was taking and if I planned to continue, etc...

 

I still think her work on other posters like "Gorpy" show her hairlines are very natural and artistic, it's what won me over.

[Speegs]

Yeah, my pre-op hairline doesn't seem so bad now that I'm in my 30s, but it had originally matured when I was 18 (maybe 17) and its always bothered me greatly. I was patient, did my research and knew I was too young back then without knowing what type of MPB I was going to develop in the future.

 

Of course, I could still go completely bald in my 40s or 50s too! You just never know. However, if you think long-term and accept a long-term plan, you can never go wrong with establishing a natural hairline and keeping it conservative!

 

My forehead is still big enough to give me a mature look without doing the exaggerated "U" shape and a larger widow's peak. I felt the contoured look would frame the face more appropriately in this situation. Everyone is different though.

 

Dr Keene is a conservative and very honest doctor, so I felt good that she thought it would work too. She was also adamant about knowing what type of meds I was taking and if I planned to continue, etc...

 

I still think her work on other posters like "Gorpy" show her hairlines are very natural and artistic, it's what won me over.

A bald spot in the crown is much less aesthetically impactful if you get to maintain a hairline and density in the frontal scalp.

[realquiet]

Hi everyone.

 

I feel I owe it to Dr Keene to post my results exactly 20 months after my hairline was restored. To be perfectly honest, I have been busy living life and not thinking about hair (what a concept, right?), so I haven't been lurking on these forums as much as I used to. I hope everyone on here can reach that point somewhere in there lives- even if they don't have any procedures done at all.

 

I also feel very silly now about how much I used to obsess over my hairline, which was never that terrible to begin with. I mean, I am a 32 year-old grown ass man after all, and should expect to have a mature hairline for my age. In fact, over the last 2 years I realize how good some people look with slight recession in their mid-thirties like me. I am even worried that my hair looks too good for my age sometimes.. I am sure it's all in my head as we humans are never 100% happy.

 

So yes, I went through with the HT and it was completely worth it; however, I feel like I've mentally grown since the procedure and would be totally fine today even if I was completely bald. I think we (men) make it such a big deal when it really isn't. If you are in this for the ladies- stop. Women could honestly care less how a man looks. I know it sounds cliche, but it's all in your confidence and how you carry yourself. I feel like my hair was a convenient scapegoat for my current or future failures (ie: my hair isn't sitting right so I'm not going out tonight). Pretty pathetic and cowardly.

 

That being said, my hair was my confidence for a long time, and only through this process was I able to realize the silliness of it all. Without hair being a second-thought, my career has never been better (received multiple promotions), dated many beautiful women, and have been able to just 'be myself' around people. I can say I'm more social now then I've ever been in my entire life. I Don't have time for TV, games, or even posting this. So really, it's the chicken or the egg analogy. If my hair was gone tomorrow, I'm comfortable enough now where I would just laugh and move on. Would I be looking at my life the same right now without going through with the HT? Who knows.

 

Sorry for the philosophical rant, but I think everyone who visits this site feels something similar. As for my hair plans; I would still like another procedure to touch up some slight imperfections that aren't very noticeable on my left temple, along with bolstering behind the hairline where it's sparse. Those imperfections are only visible under intense direct light, so I'm planning for an FUE of about 500 grafts and I should be all set.

 

If anyone has any questions please ask. Oh, and Dr Keene is amazing, go see her in Tucson!! (shameless plug). Hopefully, she does FUE now.

Edited June 3, 2013 by realquiet

[Cant decide]

realquiet - With all due respect, when you say you would be fine if you were bald now, come on..You have a full head of hair!! I just have a weak spot for people with full heads of hair who talk about baldness being no big deal. I know you had a HT but in reality, you never "Needed" one; Although your hair does look great now.

[realquiet]

Cant decide,

 

Thanks for the compliment.

 

My intent wasn't to make light over how someone feels about their hair. I don't think it matters if you are NW6 or NW2, it can be quite harmful to one's mental health and body image. Believe me, I know how obsessive it can become and know that feeling all too well..

 

As far as I know, none of us "need" an HT. It was part of the realization that occurred after I had my procedure. Now, I see it as a purely cosmetic surgery (one that I'm willing to do again), not something that is going to prevent me from living life. I hope you understand what I'm trying to say.

[Spanker]

That is probably the best Keene result I have seen. Looks great. You light hair isn't hurting things. You are lucky that advance baldness does not run in your family. I have 50 percent slick, 50 percent hair, (with 1 being a nw4, which I think may be my destination in 20 years).

[realquiet]

Thank you Spanker.

 

I think we are very similar in age and NW status for our procedures. The main difference is you had amazing growth in less than 6 months; where I had a combination of shock loss and no growth until around month 7. It took a few haircuts for all of the hair to "line-up" the same, and then one day everything just came together. I still have hair maturation happening even to this day, so you can look forward to that.

 

Your hair looks amazing by the way.

[Spanker]

I'm 34 and probably in better hair shape (even before my procedure) than any of the men in the family who lost any of their hair, so it looks like I am gonna end up somewhere between slick and with hair. Hopefully closer to with hair. I am keeping a close eye on my hair loss and plan on starting dut once per week in conjunction with propecia if it starts to noticeably advance.

 

I had a lot of hair I think that never shed. I did have extremely fast growth and I have to say that was very nice. I don't think i have the nerves to wait 7 months for growth.

 

Thanks for the compliment.

[riverside]

Hi everyone.

 

I feel I owe it to Dr Keene to post my results exactly 20 months after my hairline was restored. To be perfectly honest, I have been busy living life and not thinking about hair (what a concept, right?), so I haven't been lurking on these forums as much as I used to. I hope everyone on here can reach that point somewhere in there lives- even if they don't have any procedures done at all.

 

I also feel very silly now about how much I used to obsess over my hairline, which was never that terrible to begin with. I mean, I am a 32 year-old grown ass man after all, and should expect to have a mature hairline for my age. In fact, over the last 2 years I realize how good some people look with slight recession in their mid-thirties like me. I am even worried that my hair looks too good for my age sometimes.. I am sure it's all in my head as we humans are never 100% happy.

 

So yes, I went through with the HT and it was completely worth it; however, I feel like I've mentally grown since the procedure and would be totally fine today even if I was completely bald. I think we (men) make it such a big deal when it really isn't. If you are in this for the ladies- stop. Women could honestly care less how a man looks. I know it sounds cliche, but it's all in your confidence and how you carry yourself. I feel like my hair was a convenient scapegoat for my current or future failures (ie: my hair isn't sitting right so I'm not going out tonight). Pretty pathetic and cowardly.

 

That being said, my hair was my confidence for a long time, and only through this process was I able to realize the silliness of it all. Without hair being a second-thought, my career has never been better (received multiple promotions), dated many beautiful women, and have been able to just 'be myself' around people. I can say I'm more social now then I've ever been in my entire life. I Don't have time for TV, games, or even posting this. So really, it's the chicken or the egg analogy. If my hair was gone tomorrow, I'm comfortable enough now where I would just laugh and move on. Would I be looking at my life the same right now without going through with the HT? Who knows.

 

Sorry for the philosophical rant, but I think everyone who visits this site feels something similar. As for my hair plans; I would still like another procedure to touch up some slight imperfections that aren't very noticeable on my left temple, along with bolstering behind the hairline where it's sparse. Those imperfections are only visible under intense direct light, so I'm planning for an FUE of about 500 grafts and I should be all set.

 

If anyone has any questions please ask. Oh, and Dr Keene is amazing, go see her in Tucson!! (shameless plug). Hopefully, she does FUE now.

 

While I certainly wish my hair loss were in the same minor league ball park as yours, I totally identify with much of what you said and we all have our own insecurities regardless of how minor they may seem to others. I have struggled for a long time on whether or not I really need this. I often tell myself it doesn't matter and I shouldn't give a damn but then I still find myself thinking about it way too often. I am a grown ass man, with kids a wife and plenty of other things to spend my time thinking about and yet I still come back to being bothered by my hairline.

I also feel the same about wanting a conservative approach. I am looking towards 2000 grafts for now and if all goes well I will probably want more years down the road but I feel it is totally natural and even good looking to have somewhat of a receding hairline in my mid 30s. Many have told me how I need to get so much more, but we will see.

I just booked Dr. Keene for later this month!

Thanks for your post and the confidence boost in my choice.

[Bill - Seemiller]

Realquiet,

 

Congratulations on your hair transplant with Dr. Keene. I have always been impressed by her as a surgeon, a person and her results. He is indeed very passionate about her work and has very strong opinions about hairline refinement, density and how to create the most natural looking hair transplant while conserving grafts. Given how refined and natural her results look, it's hard to argue with her approach.

 

Your hair looks great now. Thank you for sharing and I look forward to your continued involvement and participation.

 

Bill