FUE Hair Transplant Dec-14-2012 (Dr Tejinder Bhatti of Darling Buds)

[PELO]

This thread is very informative. OP really has done a stand-up job documenting the entire experience.

[pradeepkr]

Dear Friends on Forum,

Midnightio has just completed 30 days after the procedure- FUE hair transplant.

He is progressing well. The hair shall now continue to grow till 6-8 weeks when around 60% of the growing hair shall start shedding.

Why the shedding you would ask?- The growth that Midnightio is witnessing in most planted hair is not the hair which are growing but the root underneath that is sprouting a new hair. This hair is pushing the old shaft outwards. The new hair just about reaches the surface at around 6-8 weeks- the time when the shedding takes place. The remaining about 40% grafts continue to grow since they do not get disjointed from the root.

In response to theMidnightios other queries-

Also, can you also describe variables such as hair thickness and skin color/complexion and how this affects and influences hair transplants in general? I know that I have thin hair and a fair (white) complexion which may present some challenges. Ofcourse the thicker your hair is, the better the result after a hair transplant. However, Midnightio's hair is blondish and since there is not too much of a contrast with his fair skin, he should still have a satisfactory result in within the next 4-8 months.

 

One other question -- Since grafts (besides body hair grafts) are harvested from the rear of the scalp, is it correct that this hair is genetically programmed to continue to grow through my lifetime? Is this always true? Or is this hair also subject to changes due to aging? The hair at the back of the head does not have receptors to DHT and hence it is widely believed that it is permanent in nature. However, since thinning of even this hair occurs in those in 70s and 80s, the transplanted hair will mirror this change whenever it occurs.

 

Dr. Bhatti,

 

Looking at the front side of the pics of "midnightio"... I dont see the hair are following any particular alignment. They are growing like in crazy directions... some in left some in right.

 

How do you make sure of the alignment while operating?

[LondonHTseeker]

That's what transplanted hair looks like soon after the operation.

[midnightio75]

midnight do you have anymore shots of the donor area. I think your work looks good, if you did not have the scar you could cut-down the sides and back and look just fine. Very normal IMO to have thicker sides and rear than top of your head even w/o MPbaldness. Looking at your pre-op photos you were pretty thin on top, I think you will be thrilled when this stage is over.

 

I am thankful for your thread, I am about to schedule a FUE procedure for about 3000 grafts and I am following your journey very closely.

 

Pelo, thank you for the kind comments. I agree that it would be much better if I did not have to contend with the scarring. That is the one revelation I have come to after finding a cost effective FUE option with Dr. Bhatti. I would encourage everyone to consider this particular point before their first procedure.

 

Regarding the # of grafts in my crown -- I am not sure exactly. I would guess around 800 grafts, but if Dr. Bhatti has this detail handy -- along with the # of grafts used on my forehead and the # placed in my FUT scar area I would be most interested to confirm how we divided up the 2928 total grafts.

 

I will post some additional close-up pictures of the donor area soon for you to see.

 

Best,

Jim (midnightio75)

[AllAboutHair]

Looking forward for more pics and results. I am really amazed with such a great procedure

[Adam1]

I'm in nearly the same boat as you (3 previous fut, ugly scar, similar current growth) and I just sent my deposit to dr bhatti for 3-4000 fue grafts. I'd like to use as many body hairs as possible as I'd laser them off anyways. Check out my posts if you're interested. I have a couple questions..

 

When filling in the crown, why did he not blend into the existing hair? When, if any, of the existing hair goes it'll create that island look. I think blending would buy a few more years

 

Why did you not fill in your entire scar?

 

I'd ideally like to cut my hair with a #2 or #3 after my procedure. My scar is the only thing holding me back from that now. Thanks for the awesome write up. Hopefully ill be able to do the same in march

Edited January 27, 2013 by Adam1

[midnightio75]

Here are some additional pictures for Pelo taken today, January 27th 2013. I tried to get some close-up views of the donor area, but I'm not sure how well it shows what you are interested in seeing. However, I DO find that I seem to have more WHITE hairs than regular color hairs! At 37 years old, they are really coming in strong!

 

I have not had a haircut, etc since the procedure.

[midnightio75]

I'm in nearly the same boat as you (3 previous fut, ugly scar, similar current growth) and I just sent my deposit to dr bhatti for 3-4000 fue grafts. I'd like to use as many body hairs as possible as I'd laser them off anyways. Check out my posts if you're interested. I have a couple questions..

 

When filling in the crown, why did he not blend into the existing hair? When, if any, of the existing hair goes it'll create that island look. I think blending would buy a few more years

 

Why did you not fill in your entire scar?

 

I'd ideally like to cut my hair with a #2 or #3 after my procedure. My scar is the only thing holding me back from that now. Thanks for the awesome write up. Hopefully ill be able to do the same in march

 

Hi Adam1,

 

I would love to follow your progress and learn more about using body hairs. That was a key item which attracted me to FUE (in addition to hoping that the scarring would be minimal).

 

The end result for me regarding body hair was Dr. Bhatti said I did not have enough. I could have taken some hair from my underarms, but I contemplated the healing process for both it and my scalp, and backed away. Dr. B said I could maybe get 400 grafts per underarm, but he was not pushing it. I asked about pubic hair grafts (after a chuckle) and he said that was possible, and that the hair would straighten out after being transplanted. But again, I thought about the healing process/discomfort and knowing I had more traveling ahead, I backed away.

 

It sounds like you have more body hair available so that it would be great to follow your report in March. Plus, as you said, you too have had multiple FUT procedures so I am guessing your available donor area is lessening the same as mine.

 

Regarding your question about why Dr. Bhatti did not blend my crown hairs, or distribute them over a wider area, I am not sure. I am guessing due to the number of grafts I had available, and Dr. B mentioning that hair transplants are also about creating the 'illusion' of hair and making it look like there is more when there is not, could be the reason. I too would like to be able to cut my hair with a 2 or 3 guard at some point in the future, so I could very well have the area between my forehead and crown look more barren if I did so.

Hopefully Dr. Bhatti can add his thoughts and describe the approach he took with my HT.

 

Lastly, your question about filling in the entire scar. It came down to the # of grafts available, and it was not something I pushed for, as I was not sure how good the results might be and I would hate to waste grafts on the rear of my head. In retrospect, this is something I should have talked with Dr. Bhatti in greater detail to find out what options I had, and how well we could repair my FUT scars (I actually have 2 distinct scars as my FUT doctor did not run the second one along the existing incision line). Again, if I could achieve a result where I could cut my hair with a 1 guard and not have the noticeable FUT scars showing, I would 100% opt for it.

 

In addition to doing FUE procedures, if it is possible torepair FUT scars with good results it would be great if Dr. Bhatti considered adding this as an additional service or option. I value repairing FUT scars as much as I do transplanting new grafts because I know as I age I will mostly likely see my hair thin again, and I foresee keeping my hair cut short.

 

When Dr. Bhatti reads this, could you please estimate if it would have been possible to make my FUT scars hard to detect with a shaved head? Would it involve the FUE procedures to punch holes in the scar area to 'break up' the scar lines -- or would it involve more traditional plastic surgery techniques?

[Dr Tejinder Bhatti]

Hi Midnightio,

 

We worked on your hair transplant within the following clinical constraints -

 

1. Low density of donor area

2. Thin hair with more 1s and 2s than 2s and 3s

3. Gross Tramline FUT scarring which you sought to be disguised

 

The grafts available were distributed strategically to make optimal utilisation of meagre resources. As you correctly alluded to, hair transplants are a visual illusion wherein without achieving natural density, we seek to give natural looking results.

Your final result will be satisfactory. It is too early to see results yet.

The FUT scar was discussed with you and leftover grafts were transplanted. You would remember that it was not the primary goal for your procedure. If we were to transplant more hair during your next visit, the scars would barely be visible. I would advise around 800-1000 body hair to disguise the scar completely so even with size 1 or 2, we would barely be able to discern the tramline scars of FUT. Revising the tramline will not be possible since after 2 procedures, your scalp has become tight and there would be scar creep which definitely shall make your scar wider than it presently is. However, SMP (scalp micro pigmentation) is emerging as an adjunct in such cases as yours. You might like to explore this too.

[Dr Tejinder Bhatti]

Hi,

I shall post more pictures after 3 months once I have shifted to my new location and things get orderly. The shifting is taking place at the moment and is consuming most of my time.

[Raj Jayukdht]

Thats great your moving now. Hopefully I will see your new clinic someday

[LondonHTseeker]

Dr Bhatti, if you have time despite the move:

 

How soon after an FUT strip removal can the scar have FUE grafts put into it? My last strip operation was in October and it's already stretched significantly. I'm interested in coming to see you but I need to get the timing right.

 

Also how long do you need to wait after a hair transplant operation before doing FUE into the previously transplanted area? I'm guessing at least 8 or 9 months to avoid planting grafts on top of previously planted ones that are still emerging?

[Dr Tejinder Bhatti]

Hi,

It takes an FUT scar 18 months to become supple. This would be the best time to fill it with FUE grafts and disguise its straight line. If done earlier, graft take is certain to be less than optimal.

In response to your second Qs, 6 months is a long enough wait before we can go in again for a second harvest from the same donor area. For filling up a previously planted area, 9 months is a reasonable wait period.

Best wishes.

[LondonHTseeker]

Thanks for the information, Dr Bhatti.

 

I hope to make it out to see you to finish my HT mission. 2000 grafts at the front and in my lower temples should be enough to finish it off for me, then I'll aim to get maybe 1500 grafts into the scar a year or so later. I'll be in touch.

[midnightio75]

8 Week Update

 

All of these pictures were taken on Feb-14, so this is a true 8-week representation of my progress. I still have not had a haircut since the procedure.

 

Several pictures were after showering with the hair still damp. I obviously see a lot of difference in the density from the sides of my scalp compared to the top (front to crown) in these pictures. That said, I believe at the 12-week mark any shedding should cease and new growth should begin. I will update again for around Mar-14!

Edited February 24, 2013 by midnightio75

[pradeepkr]

Didn't they fall out? I heard two months post op almost all of them fall down.

[hairmore]

Thanks for posting those pictures! Am already looking forward to the next lot in a month. Hoping for you that the new hair starts growing sooner rather than later.

[srdonjuan]

So far looks great. Any updates and new photos? I'd love to see how its coming along.

[Questionmark]

Hey midnightio, I would also love to see an update, if you`ve got time;-)

[midnightio75]

Belated update! These pictures were taken March-20th -- so this is my 3 month (+ 1 week) update!

 

I have not noticed any hair falling out thus far -- if it has it has been unnoticeable, which is possible as my hair is quite thin and the length has been so short since the HT. A separate note: I am not taking any topical or oral hair growth meds.

 

Looking at the pictures myself, I would say I am back to where I was pre-HT surgery in December. As my hair length is about the same and I see the same frontal and crown thinness, etc. At least this is my present opinion. I am hopeful that in the coming 3-6 months I will see the fruits of the 3000 grafts. Stay tuned!

[hairnetwork2629]

Please upload ur latest pictures

[Questionmark]

Are you joking? He just uploaded pics one week ago???

 

Wrong thread perhaps?

[GaelicDawn]

Thank you for this post, I'm really interested in looking into FUE in India.

[midnightio75]

This 4 month post-surgery update is a little overdue.

 

I reached the 3 month mark and let me hair grow out to a more normal length following close 'buzz cut' from the surgery. I felt that my appearance was the same as pre-surgery -- which would make sense as I come to understand that 3 months is the mark when hair growth will begin.

 

I had an event to attend and I just made the decision to go back and cut my hair short. It exposes my two FUT scars from my previous procedures in Bangkok, but I felt better doing this. I think I really attribute it to two things.

 

1) I have never had my hair cut so short as prior to having the FUE procedure. And I found that it really did not bother me -- aside form my FUT scars being exposed. You never really know how you will look until you do it.

 

2) I did not feel that there was yet much new growth on my crown area yet, and left with looking as I have for the last few years VS going with a short hair length, I did the latter.

 

I am happy with my defined frontal hairline.

 

I am still experimenting with the hair length. If it gets too long the density and dark color of the hair on the sides and rear of my scalp is a sharp contrast to the lighter color and less density on my crown and front scalp. I think I will need to keep my hair cut quite short. And maybe try to get more sun to darken my skin color a bit.

 

All-in-all I am going to monitor my hair growth over the coming months and decide if I want to grow it out again -- or keep it short.

 

The one key 'take away' I will note -- as I have before -- which is before you allow a doctor to perform a FUT (scalp strip) procedure be sure you are well informed about the lifelong scar(s) which will result.

My two FUT procedures definitely gave me more hair and more years of looking 'more natural' -- but if I had the option presented again -- I would have waited until I could do a FUE procedure because you will always have the option to cut your hair short if you desire without worrying about any unsightly FUT scar(s).

 

Another 'take away' which I have become more open to understanding is that once you start loosing hair, the surgery options that are available will definitely restore some hair -- but you will never regain the natural appearance you had before nature took effect. There is no means of restoring ones natural hair density with the current technology. Thus, you can add hair with FUE/FUT but it will always be a balancing act to maintain a 'natural' appearance.

For me, I have a lot of hair loss area, and there is no way I would have enough donor hair to fill it all in. I am content to know that the transplanted hair already in place provides me with more than I would have had otherwise without the surgeries. But it is unrealistic for me to think that I can ever regain the hair I possessed at 18 when I am now 37yo!

 

I am still curious to see how things develop over the next 5 months as the FUE transplants emerge. More updates to follow.

 

Cheers!

Edited April 23, 2013 by midnightio75

[GNX1]

considering how bald you were pre-op id say ur lookn dam good for so few grafts considering you were a solid 5a. if u look this good this early on then 10-12 months from now ur gonna look like a new man. id say ur gonna look 15 years younger.

 

hairline looks great.

 

I think once it grows and fills out you will beable to grow it much longer and then you can hide that strip scar. and I agree many underestimate the possibility of a bad scar from FUT that will often widen further and further over time.