Jensen Posted December 20, 2008 Share Posted December 20, 2008 Nine days ago, I had an HT of 1537 grafts by Dr. Griffin in Atlanta, GA, and I am extremely pleased with everything. First a little background information to help bring my situation to the present: As far as I can remember, I've had a fairly high hairline, as it runs in both sides of my family; however, my hairline began receding even higher around the age of 15, while it began thinning around the age of 17, and by the time I was 20, my hairline was non-existent and I had begun thinning in the mid-scalp and crown. Although I never had full, sharp temples, even when I was a kid, they began thinning and receding around 17, as well. During the ages of 15-20, my hair loss was incredibly progressive, while it seemed to have slowed down substantially during the ages of 21-present. When I was 15, I looked like I was 30, and by the time I was 20, I looked like I was 50. I'm now 23, and have slowly been thinning more in the mid-scalp and crown, but it's been a very slow process over the last two years. For the last year, I have worn a hat everywhere: the gym, work, social gatherings, etc., and I've gotten in such a habit of wearing it and being comfortable in it that I'm scared to death to take it off, especially around people who have never seen my hair, or even friends that haven't seen me without my hat over the last year. One day about six months ago, I was invited to go swimming at the indoor pool at my gym, and I declined because I didn't want to be seen without my hat. This was when I realized I had to do something, whether it be an HT or hair loss drugs, or both. After several months of research and reading this forum, I scheduled a consultation with Dr. Griffin in Atlanta. I expressed that my main concern was having a hairline, as mine was non-existent. I kept my expectations for a hairline reasonable, and expressed interest in having one that was somewhat high, especially since I had always had a high hairline, even as a child. He felt that at my age, I should give Propecia and Minoxidil+RA (both 5%) a shot for the crown for at least a year, and that an HT of roughly 1700 grafts (3400+ hairs) would manage for a hairline that I would be happy with. He also gave me the option of 1300 grafts (2600+ hairs) if I had financial constraints, but that would exclude any major work on the mid-scalp. Since I did have certain financial constraints, I opted for 1300 grafts and we set the surgery date for December. My surgery was nine days ago, and Dr. Griffin, along with his entire staff, was very friendly and comforting throughout the entire procedure, and I never felt nervous, only excited. The shots before the procedure were absolutely painless, and one of Dr. Griffin's assistants, Jeff, talked me through each and every shot so as to keep me calm and relaxed. Once the shots were over, Jeff put a CD on the CD player and let me lie there and rest for several minutes before the actual procedure began. By the time the crew came in, I was completely relaxed and ready to go. I slept for about 90% of the procedure, so I don't remember much, but I didn't feel any pain whatsoever. Once it was all over, they gave me some more apple juice and crackers, and gave me a cap to wear while leaving the office. Dr. Griffin ended up giving me 1537 grafts total, so I was very excited and thankful for that. Later that evening, Dr. Griffin called to check on me and make sure I was doing and feeling fine. The next day, they shampooed my hair and Dr. Griffin made sure everything was looking alright. Over the next few days, I did not experience any swelling or bleeding whatsoever. I am 100% satisfied with Dr. Griffin and his entire staff for their helpfulness, kindness, and care during the consultation, pre-op, procedure, and post-op. He truly is a world-class doctor, and he's a cool guy, too. I would highly recommend him to anyone considering an HT. You will not be disappointed. I'm now 9 days post-op, and just removed my staples last night. Before the HT, I had been using both Propecia and Minoxidil+RA for about 2 ?? months, and I just started back on the Propecia yesterday morning, and will start back on the Minoxidil+RA in about five days. I use them both on my crown, mid-scalp, and my temples. Believe it or not, I have noticed the biggest difference in my temples. I don't know if it's a coincidence, shock loss, or just my imagination, but it seems as though since the day of my surgery, I have lost a considerable amount in both the mid-scalp and crown. Hopefully the Propecia and Minox will help that in about six months time, though. As you can see in the pics, my new hairline will be high and receded, but as I've said, it's never been low, and has been receding since I was a sophomore in high school, so a hairline that would have been lower and straight across would have looked very unnatural and fake. This is exactly the type of hairline I had discussed with Dr. Griffin in my initial consultation. Also, strange as it may sound, I think a receding hairline looks cool to an extent, as long as the hair itself is fairly dense and not thin. So as far as the actual HT goes, I couldn't be more pleased or satisfied with the results thus far, and am looking forward to the next few months when it all begins to come in; however, I am concerned about my mid-scalp and crown and hope that the Propecia and Minox will work in time to re-grow what I've lost in those areas. Once again, I highly recommend Dr. Griffin and his staff to anyone who is considering an HT. I will continue to update my blog as the weeks and months go by, and thanks for looking: My Hair Restoration Blog Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jensen Posted December 20, 2008 Author Share Posted December 20, 2008 Nine days ago, I had an HT of 1537 grafts by Dr. Griffin in Atlanta, GA, and I am extremely pleased with everything. First a little background information to help bring my situation to the present: As far as I can remember, I've had a fairly high hairline, as it runs in both sides of my family; however, my hairline began receding even higher around the age of 15, while it began thinning around the age of 17, and by the time I was 20, my hairline was non-existent and I had begun thinning in the mid-scalp and crown. Although I never had full, sharp temples, even when I was a kid, they began thinning and receding around 17, as well. During the ages of 15-20, my hair loss was incredibly progressive, while it seemed to have slowed down substantially during the ages of 21-present. When I was 15, I looked like I was 30, and by the time I was 20, I looked like I was 50. I'm now 23, and have slowly been thinning more in the mid-scalp and crown, but it's been a very slow process over the last two years. For the last year, I have worn a hat everywhere: the gym, work, social gatherings, etc., and I've gotten in such a habit of wearing it and being comfortable in it that I'm scared to death to take it off, especially around people who have never seen my hair, or even friends that haven't seen me without my hat over the last year. One day about six months ago, I was invited to go swimming at the indoor pool at my gym, and I declined because I didn't want to be seen without my hat. This was when I realized I had to do something, whether it be an HT or hair loss drugs, or both. After several months of research and reading this forum, I scheduled a consultation with Dr. Griffin in Atlanta. I expressed that my main concern was having a hairline, as mine was non-existent. I kept my expectations for a hairline reasonable, and expressed interest in having one that was somewhat high, especially since I had always had a high hairline, even as a child. He felt that at my age, I should give Propecia and Minoxidil+RA (both 5%) a shot for the crown for at least a year, and that an HT of roughly 1700 grafts (3400+ hairs) would manage for a hairline that I would be happy with. He also gave me the option of 1300 grafts (2600+ hairs) if I had financial constraints, but that would exclude any major work on the mid-scalp. Since I did have certain financial constraints, I opted for 1300 grafts and we set the surgery date for December. My surgery was nine days ago, and Dr. Griffin, along with his entire staff, was very friendly and comforting throughout the entire procedure, and I never felt nervous, only excited. The shots before the procedure were absolutely painless, and one of Dr. Griffin's assistants, Jeff, talked me through each and every shot so as to keep me calm and relaxed. Once the shots were over, Jeff put a CD on the CD player and let me lie there and rest for several minutes before the actual procedure began. By the time the crew came in, I was completely relaxed and ready to go. I slept for about 90% of the procedure, so I don't remember much, but I didn't feel any pain whatsoever. Once it was all over, they gave me some more apple juice and crackers, and gave me a cap to wear while leaving the office. Dr. Griffin ended up giving me 1537 grafts total, so I was very excited and thankful for that. Later that evening, Dr. Griffin called to check on me and make sure I was doing and feeling fine. The next day, they shampooed my hair and Dr. Griffin made sure everything was looking alright. Over the next few days, I did not experience any swelling or bleeding whatsoever. I am 100% satisfied with Dr. Griffin and his entire staff for their helpfulness, kindness, and care during the consultation, pre-op, procedure, and post-op. He truly is a world-class doctor, and he's a cool guy, too. I would highly recommend him to anyone considering an HT. You will not be disappointed. I'm now 9 days post-op, and just removed my staples last night. Before the HT, I had been using both Propecia and Minoxidil+RA for about 2 ?? months, and I just started back on the Propecia yesterday morning, and will start back on the Minoxidil+RA in about five days. I use them both on my crown, mid-scalp, and my temples. Believe it or not, I have noticed the biggest difference in my temples. I don't know if it's a coincidence, shock loss, or just my imagination, but it seems as though since the day of my surgery, I have lost a considerable amount in both the mid-scalp and crown. Hopefully the Propecia and Minox will help that in about six months time, though. As you can see in the pics, my new hairline will be high and receded, but as I've said, it's never been low, and has been receding since I was a sophomore in high school, so a hairline that would have been lower and straight across would have looked very unnatural and fake. This is exactly the type of hairline I had discussed with Dr. Griffin in my initial consultation. Also, strange as it may sound, I think a receding hairline looks cool to an extent, as long as the hair itself is fairly dense and not thin. So as far as the actual HT goes, I couldn't be more pleased or satisfied with the results thus far, and am looking forward to the next few months when it all begins to come in; however, I am concerned about my mid-scalp and crown and hope that the Propecia and Minox will work in time to re-grow what I've lost in those areas. Once again, I highly recommend Dr. Griffin and his staff to anyone who is considering an HT. I will continue to update my blog as the weeks and months go by, and thanks for looking: My Hair Restoration Blog Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bill - Seemiller Posted December 20, 2008 Share Posted December 20, 2008 Jensen, Thanks for providing a detailed account of your history, physician selection process and hair transplant procedure. You've certainly chosen wisely and selected an excellent physician. Thanks also for creating a free hair loss weblog. 1537 grafts (3000+ hairs) should help redefine your hairline and give you some good coverage. YOu may find yourself wanting in density which you can always go back for. I hope you'll keep us posted on your journey by adding monthly photos. Heal and grow well! Bill Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jensen Posted December 23, 2008 Author Share Posted December 23, 2008 Thanks for the response, Bill. Yeah, I was concerned before the procedure (and still am) about the level of density I would be able to achieve with 1500 grafts, but my main priority was re-defining my hairline, as you said. I have seen some patients whose hair loss progression favors mine, in which the patient only receives 1200-1600 grafts and a year later, their transplanted hair is amazingly dense, so I'm hoping my results will be similar. My donor hair is fairly thick, which probably can't be seen too well in the pictures I posted of the scar. At the Griffin Center, they actually showed me pictures of a patient, with very similar hair loss progression as myself, that was also in his 20s who received about 130 fewer grafts than I did and his hair turned out to be quite dense after about 8 months or so. From what I've been told, the unique solution that the hairs are placed in at the Griffin Center, once they are extracted from the donor area, is nearly identical to that found in our actual scalp, which aids in yielding about a 98% survival rate, which could also be linked with achieving density. Then again, out of the 1000+ patients he's worked with, I'm aware that they are going to show potential patients their best five or six procedures, that being one of them. So I'll keep my fingers crossed, hoping that I won't have to go back for a 2nd procedure to get more density, but I won't count on it. Also, I have heard that the newly transplanted hairs usually shed within 2-3 weeks after the procedure. This may be a stupid question, but once the hair is transplanted, does it grow for that length of time, then fall out? Or is it all just kind of sitting there, not growing, just waiting to fall out for two weeks? If that makes any sense. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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