Sugar Goes to Ottawa - My 2822 FUE with Dr. Rahal

[SugarHighs]

My rating so far:

 

Naturalness: 9.5/10 - It's simply amazing that Dr. Rahal is able to do this. My hairline looks extremely natural.

 

Density: At present - about 4/10. Although I expect it will get better. The right side of my hairline is still extremely thin, and it is very difficult to make it look even with the rest of the hair. With my native hair involved, it helps a bit, however under bright lights, or outdoors in sunlight, "the emperor has no clothes" as they say. This will have to improve significantly in the coming months for me to consider the procedure a success.

 

One concern I have: I looked up close, with magnification, under bright lights, on both the left and right side, with hair wet and dry, and I can not find any new hairs that are less the 1/2 inch in length. This suggests to me that no new hairs have popped in the last month, as hair grows 1/2" per month. Hairs that were already grown have matured, but why no new stubble hairs? Is this normal?

[TakingThePlunge]

SugarHighs,

 

I can't believe how much your hair has changed in such a short time! You've got to be thrilled. Your one year results are going to be off the charts. Congrats!

[Slickers]

Man that's a lot of growth for 4 months. There really is something to this Rahal early bloomers hypothesis!

[Sean]

My rating so far:

 

Naturalness: 9.5/10 - It's simply amazing that Dr. Rahal is able to do this. My hairline looks extremely natural.

 

Density: At present - about 4/10. Although I expect it will get better. The right side of my hairline is still extremely thin, and it is very difficult to make it look even with the rest of the hair. With my native hair involved, it helps a bit, however under bright lights, or outdoors in sunlight, "the emperor has no clothes" as they say. This will have to improve significantly in the coming months for me to consider the procedure a success.

 

One concern I have: I looked up close, with magnification, under bright lights, on both the left and right side, with hair wet and dry, and I can not find any new hairs that are less the 1/2 inch in length. This suggests to me that no new hairs have popped in the last month, as hair grows 1/2" per month. Hairs that were already grown have matured, but why no new stubble hairs? Is this normal?

 

 

SugarHighs, I agree with everything you said. Like I said before, I think the first 3 months suck, next 3 good, next 3 better, final 3 best. Possibly continues to get better a few months after that as some say 2% change up to 18 month mark. Seems like your growth is starting to kick in now. Don't be worried about new hair growth too much. I still see new sprouts coming out on my own scalp and I am almost at 9 month mark. The growth is going to fluctuate. There are probably some reasons to this, not sure. I was thinking it may depend on how far deep the graft is placed in the recipient zone and it might vary throughout. Or one area may have more blood flow vs the other. Lots of variables. But I think you will get new hairs regardless. Some areas may have it quicker then the rest, but in the end it should really even out when it finally matures.

 

Your front is looking really natural and a very nice hairline is forming. Must be exciting. Congrats on the early growth!

[mattj]

The growth is going to fluctuate. There are probably some reasons to this, not sure. I was thinking it may depend on how far deep the graft is placed in the recipient zone and it might vary throughout. Or one area may have more blood flow vs the other. Lots of variables. But I think you will get new hairs regardless. Some areas may have it quicker then the rest, but in the end it should really even out when it finally matures.

 

 

I'm not sure if anyone knows the answer to why some follicles grow faster than others. I doubt if it has anything to do with the depth that the graft was placed at because they're all placed at what is essentially equal depths. It's all very mysterious.

 

One thing is for sure, 4.5 months is early days. Sean, your result progressed enormously between month 4.5 and now; so Sugarhighs, you have plenty of growth coming. No doubt at all.

[rev3]

wow!

 

fantastic hairline design

[SugarHighs]

Thanks, everyone!

 

I am mainly really happy so far, and looking forward to the future. I have a slightly bad haircut here, and looking forward to getting back to my regular stylist - I'm pretty sure after my next cut in 2 weeks, it's going to look dynamite.

 

As it grows in, I'm realizing the fade has to be cut a lot lower than it used to be. All part of having a new hair line!

 

Thanks,

Sugar

[SugarHighs]

There has been a gradual but significant thinning of my recipient area over the last 3-4 weeks. What was becoming a very firm straight hairline is now much softer and thinner from the eye's perspective and also to the touch. I've contacted Dr. Rahal's office, and they have reassured me just stay on the minox and the grafts will grow back. I haven't been off minox at all, and I am using the propecia I ordered from Dr. Rahal's office. No undue stress in my life at the moment, so I am left a little baffled.

[SugarHighs]

I'm going to give in until 8 months to improve, which is another 2.75 months. At that point, if we're not much farther along, I will begin the process to see if Dr. Rahal will do repair work for me.

[Gandolf]

I think your results look quite dense to be honest. Do you really not think you've made a big improvement?

[SugarHighs]

It looks ok indoors, with Rogaine in it. A month ago however, I could run my fingers through it, and go outside with no ill effects. It's much thinner to the touch now, and now looks thinner in daylight.

 

I can see my scalp for the first 2cm+ in the front center under almost any light, whereas previously that area was rock solid.

[jman90]

judging by your 4.5 month pictures, that 2 cm in front center thinning seems to be there the whole time. I have been following your progress and always noticed the 2 cm area in the front that looks thinner. I dont beleive that any of your transplanted hairs fell out since that area always seemed thinner to start off with. Maybe that area was not transplanted as densely as the other areas?

[Sean]

Sugar, Hang in there man. It should get more dense in another 2.75 months. I can see the area better with the pics posted June 12 and see what you mean. I'm watching your progress. Keep us posted bud.

[SugarHighs]

Hi Folks,

 

I'm posting some 6 month photos.

 

I'd like to be positive and optimistic, but my new hairline has gotten a little thinner each week, and when I look at myself in the mirror now, I can see approximately 1cm of my scalp clear through the thin hairs.

 

At pretty much any angle of the hairline my scalp is visible.

 

I'm hoping this won't continue, and that I'll be able to see an improvement, but at this point I'm resigned to the fact that I may be a hair line repair candidate.

 

I'm now wearing my hair forward when I go out, much like I did pre-op. It's simply not thick enough to wear back without a ton of scalp visibility - especially in natural light.

 

It's not the best camera, but the same one I used for other photos.

[SugarHighs]

Here are a few more. I would appreciate the opinions of anyone, but in particular the professionals...Spex, Matt, Janna, Doctors? Any thoughts?

 

All the photos are dry hair with liquid minoxidil applied a few hours before, except for the last 2 which are minox freshly applied.

[SugarHighs]

For some additional perspective, please see these photos taken June 6th, and June 10th respectively. Photos are taken with the same camera under similar lighting.

[mattj]

Hey SugarHighs. When I look at your photos I see a result that is partially grown and not fully matured, which is what I would expect at 6 months. Some people might get stunning growth within a short time but they are the exception and it's important that we don't shift the long-established HT growth timeline forward due to those cases. It's normal for very significant improvement to occur well after the stage you're at now.

 

I'm not sure what to make of your observation that your hair has thinned. When you first mentioned it I wondered if perhaps some native hair had been shed due to the Minoxidil, as if I remember correctly you began using it for the first time as part of the post surgery routine. Each time you update with photos I spend a lot of time looking and on the basis of those I can't see any thinning.

 

It would be highly unusual for transplanted hairs to grow for several months and then suddenly give up.

[SugarHighs]

Hi Matt,

 

Thanks for replying. I realize it's not the best camera, and, in a few weeks I'll have access to my 10MP Nikon, and will be able to post much clearer photos.

 

I also considered that I may have shed native hair, but the thinning areas, which are mainly at the right and left temples, and at the very front, are all transplanted areas. I can open two photo windows on my computer and see the immediate post ops pics as matched up to the current photos, to be sure of this.

 

I understand that I should go through the entire timeline, and I'm cognizant of the fact that things should improve, but what gives me pause is that each week the area gets thinner. This is something very observable in the mirror and after showers.

 

Now, if the recipient area appeared thin, but was *improving* I wouldn't be concerned. But it's not improving, it's gotten thinner. Again - I realize it's not the best camera - but seriously can you not see a decline in density between the early June photos and today's photos?

 

I notice it - in the photos, in the mirror, and also to the touch.

[Spanker]

Hard to tell. Indent you a pm some time ago btw.

 

In the pics your rscipient looks good and it appears to possible be some native hair in te front center that is thinning. I am on my phone so I haven't looked at all the pics.

 

You still jar some time and you look miles away fen your pre ops. Good luck.

[El Nino]

Hi SH,

 

I have done a comparison pic to try and make it easier to compare. But your pics are poor quality and are in different lighting conditions. Do you have any pre op pics?

 

I also found that liquid minox made my hair greasy and look worse after applying it. But the foam minox made my hair looked fuller and better. Have you tried the foam?

 

This is 6 weeks, 4.5 months, 5.75 months and 6 months I think.

[rev3]

i see the scalp

but still think this is an incredible transformation

 

so if you decide that you need a few more grafts to beef up the hairline density

in 6 months GO FOR IT

 

i wouldn't call this a repair case in any stretch of the imagination

 

aside: why would the doctor recommend minoxidil for the hairline transplant

 

research shows it helps with MPB not hairline

 

maybe stop using it there since it probably kicked these hairs into their next cycle

[SugarHighs]

Hi SH,

 

I have done a comparison pic to try and make it easier to compare. But your pics are poor quality and are in different lighting conditions. Do you have any pre op pics?

 

I also found that liquid minox made my hair greasy and look worse after applying it. But the foam minox made my hair looked fuller and better. Have you tried the foam?

 

This is 6 weeks, 4.5 months, 5.75 months and 6 months I think.

 

Hi El Nino,

 

Thanks for this! My pre op pics are located here: Hair Restoration Site for Sugar

 

The thinning that I am most concerned about is at the very front center area - from about the middle of my left eyebrow to the middle of my right eyebrow, and going back about 1cm. the pre-op photos show that this is entirely transplanted hair.

 

I don't have the best camera up here at my apartment, however when I get back to my storage in about 2-3 weeks, I will be able to show this area in much more detail.

 

The hair here was pretty dense last month, with or without foam, and now it's lost that density, and I can see a ton of bare scalp. Foam helps a little, but not too much.

[SugarHighs]

i see the scalp

but still think this is an incredible transformation

 

so if you decide that you need a few more grafts to beef up the hairline density

in 6 months GO FOR IT

 

i wouldn't call this a repair case in any stretch of the imagination

 

aside: why would the doctor recommend minoxidil for the hairline transplant

 

research shows it helps with MPB not hairline

 

maybe stop using it there since it probably kicked these hairs into their next cycle

 

Hi Rev,

 

I am not really concerned with whether it's called a repair or not. However I was advised that the hair line would be at 60 FU/cm sq, and I am not sure that is the density where this is trending. I am going to give it the full year of course - what other choice do I have?

 

As far as minox, I was instructed by Dr.Rahal's patient care team to apply minoxidil to both the crown and recipient area, twice per day, for one year.

[SugarHighs]

Here's another photo, taken with the same camera, on May 26th. This is fresh out of the shower with a capful of Foam (half in the back and half at the hair line).

 

I'm not seeing much resemblance between this and my current hair line.

Edited July 2, 2012 by SugarHighs

[SugarHighs]

Hard to tell. Indent you a pm some time ago btw.

 

In the pics your rscipient looks good and it appears to possible be some native hair in te front center that is thinning.

 

This is possible, too. However when I look at my pre-op design vs 4-5-6 month photos, it seems the recipient area has thinned also.