My HT Scar

[LondonHTseeker]

I had loss of my hairline at the front. I had my first FUT with Dr Feller around 7 years ago, for approx 1250 grafts. A year later I got another FUT with him for 2000 grafts, to lower the hairline a bit. Last October I got a further 700 FUT grafts into the front hairline (again with Dr Feller). That improved the scar slightly and made a slight difference in density at the front.

 

3 weeks ago I had approx 2500 grafts via FUE with Dr Eser's partner doctor (which was a surprise as I was expecting her to do it) in Istanbul. I'm shedding now, and just have to wait it out to see how well the grafts grow. If they do grow then I will have good density at the front, with the rest of my hair on top still thick (I haven't needed to take meds).

 

My question is, what should I do about the big HT scar at the back?

 

How many grafts do I realistically have left to harvest after having used around 6500? Should I try doing small scar revisions on the strip donor scar in incremental stages? Or will those small scars still stretch?

 

Advice is appreciated.

 

http://www.hairrestorationnetwork.com/LondonHTseeker/albums/2407

[Spanker]

Not sure, but I would consider some FUE and smp.

 

I would also get on meds. You have lost quite a bit of hair by looking at your photos. Not sure if a scar revision will work considering Feller worked on you last and only took 700 grafts. I could just be your physiology that you tend to stretch. If had went to a hack doctor I would have said that you should consider a scar revision first.

 

Finally, I can hardly believe that Dr. Feller gave you a hair line that aggressive. It looks quite low with very blunted corners. That is a harsh line to draw into the sand. Are you happy with your results?

[LondonHTseeker]

I am pretty happy with my results so far, apart from the FUT scar. I'm curious what you mean when you say I've lost quite a bit of hair? I did lose quite a lot at the front but haven't lost any behind the transplanted area at the front, so I'm curious as to why you think I need to be on meds? The first folder in my photographs was taken before the 700 strip graft with Dr Feller. The recent folder is of the back only.

 

I'm very happy Dr Feller went low with my hairline as requested, it's exactly what I want. I hope I'll keep the rest of my hair til cloning comes along. The loss seems stable so I'm confident I won't be losing more for a long while.

Edited April 29, 2013 by LondonHTseeker

[chrisdav]

Considering you have had 3 strip surgeries, I don't think the scar is that bad.

 

The donor area looks a bit depleted from the Fue. Have the extraction sites been taken too close together?

 

A possible solution could be use perm/semi-perm SMP on the scar.

[LondonHTseeker]

I agree the donor does look depleted, I hope it will look fine when it grows out a bit.

[chrisdav]

My strip scar from Dr Feller is very good if I am honest. As Spanker has stated, it could well be your physiology and considering 3 strip surgeries it isn't that bad.

 

After looking again at your pictures, it certainly looks like confluence of scaring from the FUE extractions above the scar as a result of too many grafts taken from one place and too localised possibly.

 

As soon as your hair starts to grow back though, the scaring will all be covered with reasonable grade, and I would think then about SMP into the areas. I hope the FUE yields well for you as you look like you have very thin fine hair. Hopefully in 6 months time you will look improved and will very be happy

[Spanker]

Seeker, I don't what to sound like I am a smarty pants, but if you look at your pics it is hard to see what anyone would say that you haven't lost quite a bit if hair and that you should not be on meds. I'm not saying that you have lost quite a bit since your surgery, but your hair is very think on top. Not one can take on 6500 grafts and have not lost a lot of hair. Medication is an individuals choice, but I would argue that your are not on meds because you don't want to be on meds, not because you don't need to be on them.

[LondonHTseeker]

Thanks Chris. I don't think the FUE extractions have widened the FUT scar much, but I did expect him to avoid that area more than he has. Still don't know what to do to cover it, I'm leaning towards some more FUE grafts. I'm not a fan of the tattoo method other than for very short hair.

 

Spanker I'm still curious about what you say; you think I have very thin hair on top? I don't take that statement personally or anything but I'm not sure it really fits as a description of my hair. I had a significantly receeding hairline at the front which went completely bald and which I have brought back down low to my original hairline. That has taken a lot of grafts, but I'm not sure why it has taken so many. It's possibly because I have pretty finely textured hair that requires a lot of density for coverage. It's also possible that not all my grafts grew, for whatever reason. If you look at the photo of the crown of my head I think because the hair is fine in texture some skin shows through in direct light, but I don't think it's thin in density. I guess I might be starting to thin there though - maybe I should seek an opinion from an HT doctor on that.

Edited April 30, 2013 by LondonHTseeker

[Spanker]

This picture shows that you have some loss to about the center of the top of the head. This is the picture that made me believe that your hair is thin on top. To me, that constitutes quite a bit of loss. You hair does not look especially fine to me, but it could be.

 

I sympathize with you. I have transplanted a fairly aggressive hair line as well (in the front). This means that you may have to chose a less dense transplant in the long run, should you continue to lose hair.

 

You seem to have a good attitude and be happy about where you are at, I just think it would be wise to consider finasteride. You do have male pattern baldness and unless you die young, you will be losing more hair. Fin will help you keep more of it most likely. Just a thought. Whatever you decide, I hope you get a great outcome out of your latest FUE.

 

[Mickey85]

 

Feller usually does good with FUT but I can't say this was a good result... I would absolutely AVOID any more scar revisions and do a SMP/FUE combo, SMP first.

[Spanker]

Feller usually does good with FUT but I can't say this was a good result... I would absolutely AVOID any more scar revisions and do a SMP/FUE combo, SMP first.

It is important to note that this is about 4 years post op I believe. Seeker could tell you.

[Mickey85]

It is important to note that this is about 4 years post op I believe. Seeker could tell you.

 

Duly noted, thanks Spanker.

[JohnnyDrama]

It is important to note that this is about 4 years post op I believe. Seeker could tell you.

 

According to his first post...

 

First HT 7 years ago

Second HT 6 years ago

Third Oct 2012 with Feller

 

Recently with an assistant of Eser

[Mickey85]

According to his first post...

 

First HT 7 years ago

Second HT 6 years ago

Third Oct 2012 with Feller

 

Recently with an assistant of Eser

 

Ahhhh nice observation...

[LondonHTseeker]

Yeah, that photo Spanker posted was from before my last HT from Dr Feller. Since then I've had around 3000 grafts into it which I'm waiting to grow through.

 

I hear what you're saying Spanker, and now I'm thinking about going on the meds. When I took issue with your description of my hair as very thin on top I was struggling to relate it to the back of my head, but that's just semantics. I agree it did look very thin in the transplanted area, hopefully that will change in the coming months. I've been thinking that my hairloss had stopped, but it might be progressing slightly in which case I may go on the meds. I can't discern if I have lost any from my crown or not.

 

Mickey so you think SMP first? I guess that would help to break up the line. I just don't want any fake effect.

[greatjob]

I would second spankers advice to give meds a try. You are taking a pretty big gamble not being on them. You have used up nearly all of your donor and haven't touched anything but the frontal third. If you lose more hair you run the risk of being left with a strip of hair at your hairline with nothing behind it.

[LondonHTseeker]

I'm not in a rush to use meds as my hairline has been stable for over 10 years (37 now). The possible side effects/expense are significant negative factors at the moment, until the benefit ratio outweighs that.

 

I'm confused with what to do about this donor scar, I don't know if I should use more precious grafts on it. I doubt I have much more than 2000 head donor hair grafts left and may need that to thicken up the result in the hairline in 6 months or so.

 

I can't deny I'm not too happy that Dr Eser didn't do the operation and that I instead got a younger and doubtless less experienced surgeon. But there was nothing I could by the time I realised he was the one doing the work not Dr Eser. I mean he was very friendly, but it was kind of rushed and the density of the lower temple work looked questionable. Maybe I'll pay the extra and go to Dr Keser to have him finish it up next time.

Edited May 2, 2013 by LondonHTseeker

[Bobilero]

I would FUE in to the scar. Ive seen some excellent results from this. Just to clarify prior to your most recent surgery how many grafts did you have in the hairline area?

 

The last pics it dosent look there is a lot of hair there. The hair behind does look solid enough. Hopefully that stays put. And your latest surgery hopefully sorts the hairline area.

 

Im wondering did you perhaps transplant in to areas where there was native hair and it then fell out and left is what we see? Or did you have grafts spread over your mid scalp area too? Its very hard to see 2-3 thousand grafts in your hairline area to be honest. Its way less.

[LondonHTseeker]

I've pretty much answered those questions and misunderstandings earlier in this thread so it's easier for me if you read up.

 

Last operation I had my lower temples done (with Dr Eser's assistant) for the first time, and I don't think the density will be good enough. So I'd rather have the remaining donor hair FUE to finish the lower temples off as a priority and then maybe body hair to fix the scar. Maybe I can ask Dr Eser to do it herself next time, for a reasonable price, as Dr Keser isn 't much different price wise than the Madrid/Belgium surgeons.

Edited May 2, 2013 by LondonHTseeker

[LondonHTseeker]

Just to clarify prior to your most recent surgery how many grafts did you have in the hairline area?

 

The last pics it dosent look there is a lot of hair there.

 

Im wondering did you perhaps transplant in to areas where there was native hair and it then fell out and left is what we see? Or did you have grafts spread over your mid scalp area too? Its very hard to see 2-3 thousand grafts in your hairline area to be honest. Its way less.

 

I'll answer these questions anyway. Prior to my most recent surgery with Dr Eser's assistant I had around 4000 grafts, with Dr Feller. The pic that Spanker posted in this thread is not from recent pics. That photo is from a folder which was taken before Dr Feller's third and final op on me. The third op was for 700 grafts, the previous two combined were for 3250 grafts. The photo Spanker posted in this thread represents 3250 grafts into a completely bald area at the front of my head. I didn't have a thinning area of hair before HT surgery, just bald scalp then thick hair behind that.

 

The transplant didn't really go to my mid scalp area. Although it looks a bit like it did in the photo in this thread, it's really just the shape of my head making it look like that. Why did so many grafts look so thin? I wish I knew. Why has it taken so many grafts to fill in the front of my head? Again, I wish I knew. I can only guess at the options - I either had some poor growth, or I have the characteristics of fine hair combined with a bigger than average frontal head area, which require a very high density of grafts. Probably it's a mixture of the two options. From the coverage area of the first operation and the amount of grafts that were used for that, it makes sense that it ultimately needed significantly more than another 2000 grafts to achieve good density at the front considering how low I have taken the hairline.

Edited May 4, 2013 by LondonHTseeker

[JohnnyDrama]

....... as Dr Keser isn 't much different price wise than the Madrid/Belgium surgeons.

 

Really? I was under the impression he was much much cheaper.

 

Regarding your high number of grafts and what appears as below expected growth.......do you have a breakdown of the graft groupings over each procdure? Were many 2/3/4 hair grafts used?

[LondonHTseeker]

Oh OK, I take your word for it that Dr Keser is a lot cheaper, I admittedly didn't do a thorough price comparison. I think Dr Keser is still a lot more expensive than my Dr Eser surgery was. That was 1500 Euros for the session.

 

Apparently my grafts were mainly ones and twos.