Spirall's Hair Transplant with Dr. Reed...

[SV_08]

After 7 long years I finally decided to take the plunge and have my 2nd HT. As of this writing I am 4 days post op, and wanted to give a quick review of my experience thus far.

 

History: My first HT was in 2006. 800 grafts into the hairline. The results weren't very good. I had a wide scar, and the 'row' affect on the my left side. At that time I did not know this forum existed. I actually joined 1 week after surgery. Poor timing, but fortunate enough to have it last me this long.

 

Present: I am now 31 years old. Having this forum as a valuable resource, I was able to make much better decisions this time around. I started out by consulting with several top Dr.s that I found here, either in-person or over the phone. I tried to get a general idea of what plan they all felt I should take. Surprisingly, it was all very similar. Hairline, temples and front half. No crown. As for graft count, a couple Dr.s quoted me on the low end, around 2,000, while a few others wanted to go closer to 3,000+. I am a diffuse thinner, with good donor and great laxity. I also needed some repair work. We all felt confident that this was a good time to proceed.

 

My final decision came down to Dr. Reed in San Diego. We had spent a couple of months doing phone and email consultations. Dr. Reed and his staff were very helpful during this time, always going out of their way to take every phone call or email and answer every question that I had. We met for the 1st time the night before surgery, and spent almost 2 hours finalizing the game plan and making sure I was comfortable enough to move forward.

 

Surgery: Morning of surgery we spent another hour or so finalizing the hairline, and before I knew it the procedure was on its way. The original plan was to aim for 2400-2700 grafts. Due to good donor and great laxity, We finished off with a total of 2933 grafts. Getting the most out of this surgery was important to me as I do not have the desire nor the funds to do this again anytime soon.

 

Overall, the entire experience went way beyond my expectations. Dr. Reed and his staff are all incredibly friendly, patient, understanding and knowledgable. I really can't express this enough. I was a nervous wreck the morning of, and they all went out of their way to make sure I was comfortable and confident. His assistants are amazing, and all work so well together. A very professional and caring environment. In my opinion, you can tell they truly care about their patients.

 

The days after surgery were also very surprising. So far I have had very little pain. Almost no redness, and so far absolutely no swelling. I actually feel great and have been sleeping well. The scar is longer than my last one, but I can tell already it should look much better. Dr. Reed used a double layer Tricho closure.

 

My initial reaction is definitely positive. I like what was done and the area covered, but now comes the waiting game, and I am once again a nervous wreck. All of a sudden I seem to only be reading posts about shockloss and people not getting results. Its instilling a lot of fear and doubt. These next few months are going to be tough. Only time will tell.

 

Thanks to all on this forum for the help and support. The journey continues...

[1978matt]

Thanks for the write up. You can see from the post op photos that it is quality work.

[SV_08]

Thanks for the write up. You can see from the post op photos that it is quality work.

 

Thanks man. Hoping for the best...

[SV_08]

Today makes exactly 3 weeks post op. Everything seems to be healing well. Very minimal graft shedding at this point, but I know that will soon change.

 

The biggest problem right now is the visibility of the scar. Clearly this has to do with me shaving my head pre-op. Very annoying. Using Toppik but it only makes the skin area black. Ends up looking like a terrible haircut.

 

Another concern is the graft count and distribution. It seems like the front third is too densely packed compared to the area behind that. Wish I would have distributed them a little more evenly. Do you guys think this will be a major problem down the line?

 

Will follow up with 1-month photos sometime next week.

Edited April 18, 2013 by Spirall08

[1978matt]

Glad to hear all's well.

 

The front's so important I hope you will be pleasantly surprised when it grows out. Your really need a barrier of hair in that area.

 

You could try getting some 'Mane' hair concealer for the scar. It sprays on from an aerosol and can be combed through.

[SV_08]

Glad to hear all's well.

 

The front's so important I hope you will be pleasantly surprised when it grows out. Your really need a barrier of hair in that area.

 

You could try getting some 'Mane' hair concealer for the scar. It sprays on from an aerosol and can be combed through.

 

Thanks man. I'll look into that.

 

Just worried that when all is grown in, there will be too great a disparity in the front and back. To an obvious level. If I could go back, that would be the only think I would change...

[SV_08]

1 Month - Before and After

[1978matt]

Looks better already. Early growth?

[SV_08]

Looks better already. Early growth?

 

Do you mean in the recipient or donor area?

 

Many of the grafts have yet to shed. Shock loss has also been at a minimum so far. But at 5 weeks out, I know this can still change.

[SV_08]

6 months exactly. Felt like forever to get to this point. For anyone wondering, the hardest part of the entire HT process isn't Day 1 or Week 1, its during Months 2-5, when grafts shed and you have to just sit and wait in desperate anticipation...

 

 

Here are some updated pics. They were all taken in the same bathroom. Same mirror. Lighting might be a little different in some of em.

[1978matt]

Looks like you're well on your way.

 

A shame Dr Reed retired. He seemed a decent guy and a quality operator and at a decent price point (for N. America).

[JohnnyDrama]

Looks like you're right on track!

[irishsailor]

Everything is definately on track. I reckon yr in for a stellar result. Agree with matt, shame dr reed has retired, always enjoyed his work.

[SV_08]

Thanks for the feedback gentlemen. I definitely notice a difference, but am still hoping to squeeze out a lil more growth/density before the 1 year mark.

 

Was also very surprised and disappointed when I heard abt Dr Reed retiring. Met with him recently for a follow up. Him and his staff are all so great. Im sure he'll be missed a lot in this industry...