Agenteye- 7 Month's Post-Op Photos- 4737 FUT transplant with Dr. Rahal

[agenteye]

Hello Everyone-

 

Hope this update finds everyone happy and well? It was a shame to get online tonight to post my 7 month post-op update and hear that James Gandolfini (Tony Soprano) passed away today!! I watched the show for years....only 51 years old! RIP Mr. Soprano!!!!

 

In slightly happier news, I am writing in to post my current photos. I am now 7 full months in from my 4737 graft transplant with Dr. Rahal. Nothing much has changed here, except for my crown is starting to grow in a bit better. Finally! No huge changes from 5 months til now, but I am still happy and looking forward to the continued density that will slowly occur over the next year. I am still getting really positive feedback from friends and family alike.

 

Me personally? I am still pretty happy with my results up to this point. I still only have on slight issue with some shock loss that doesn't seem to be growing back around my donor area.....hoping that when I have a 2nd procedure sometime next year that the new scar that is created will eliminate that altogether (or maybe even FUE this next time)? Also considering going to Turkey or somewhere in Asia to have my second procedure done. Sounds like a great excuse for a vacation, and some of the results I'm seeing out of that part of the World look to be amazing....and such a better value than the clinics in North America. I want a little better bang for my buck the next go-around!! With that said though, I think I made an excellent choice in physician for my first procedure and I think the improvement up until this point has been great for my self-esteem!

 

The photo album (with link below) was taken exactly 7 months from my procedure. As always, I tried to snap the photos in very natural lighting, and very harsh lighting.....to make my hair appear in the most undesirable way possible. I think it looks much better in person than it does in these photos. To remain consistent with quality and accuracy, I continue to shoot the photos with the camera on my iPhone 4S. Some of the photos are slightly blurry, but give you a very good general idea of where I am. The photos this time around (as in all other instances with previous photos) were taken with absolutely zero product in my hair. The photos taken in the Mickey Mouse shirt are of me in my car and outside in full sun-light (something I haven't done up until this point). I think it is important going forward to document the way my hair looks outside, as everything up to this point has been in a house with bright and natural lighting only. The photos of me with my shirt off were taken in my house in various angles to try and show my hair in a similar setting as all my other albums to this point. The last set of photos (in the yellow shirt) were taken by my best friend's wife at their house. I made sure to have her get all angles, including the top of my head. I get a lot of PM's asking me why the top of my head (mid-scalp) looks so thin/isn't growing in well. In all honesty, I DID NOT have any grafts placed here.....I was told by Dr. Rahal that I was going to need a second procedure done at some point to address other areas, so he obviously didn't feel the need to address this part of my scalp during my first procedure!! I figure when I get my second procedure done, I will seek out an excellent physician who is terrific at mid-scalp and crown work, and I will finish the job up properly!!

 

As always, please feel free to leave any questions/comments!! This forum is an excellent source of information and support, and I hope to continue to give back to the community in any way I can.

 

Thanks for reading guys, and hope all is well with all of you! Oh, and sorry for the mountain-man beard I've been working on the last couple of weeks. I've never grown my facial hair out like this before, so I thought it would be fun to see how bushy I can get the thing. I give myself a couple of weeks before I throw in the towel and sacrifice the beard to a good shave..... for an itch-free face again!! :cool:

 

Best,

 

Mike

 

7 MONTH PHOTOS

[greatjob]

Looking good brotha!! I actually think that leaving the midscalp alone this procedure was a smart move. While you, me and everyone on this site mostly judge a procedure from the top down perspective, in the real world very few people see you from that angle. Leaving the midscalp alone makes you look like you have a full head of hair from every angle but from top down. From where you came from to where you are is night and day, huge transformation, and you still have a ways to go!!

[irishsailor]

Looking fantastic fella. Agree it's definitely night and day from where you started to now and with more maturing to come. Definitely a home run.

 

Congrats

[Cant decide]

That looks great!! Congrats and it will only get better. I love the way the crown came out.

[Spanker]

You will see improvement for some time still. Looking good.

 

How many grafts do you think you have left and how long have you been on finasteride?

 

There is a big difference in your appearance.

 

You were a good looking guy before the procedure and probably could have pulled off the shaved head look nicely, but since you are willing to be an HT patient for the long haul, I think you made the right decision in your doctor and will be happy when your journey is finished.

[hairshopeing]

Mate that is looking top draw!! Only 7 months in aswell!!! Your new pics from pre op showing a huge cosmetic change, and most importantly it looks completely natural, no sign of a ht anywhere!! Congrats, u should sit back and enjoy it, very impressive result!!

[agenteye]

Hey guys!

 

Thank you all for your feedback and nice words!! It's much appreciated!

 

@ Spanker- I have been on Fin for 6 years or better now.......It seems to have definitely slowed my loss for me quite a bit. Dr. Rahal categorized me as a NW IV, possibly on my way to a 5......but said that I have pretty above average density and that he should be able to get close to another 4000 grafts by FUT....and then most likely more by FUE if I needed them. Even though I will most likely seek a HT overseas for a second procedure, I think I am in an okay position. Adding another 3000-3500 grafts at some point in the future should suffice to fill in the "weak spots" nicely, including those in my crown and my mid-scalp!

[Janna]

Looking great Mike. Best of luck in your journey.

[KO]

Looks great. Even if growth stops here, it will still be very susccseful.

[agenteye]

Janna-

 

Thanks so much. After your last post, I made sure there were absolutely ZERO Mickey Mouse blankets in the background; and then I realized that I was wearing a Mickey Mouse shirt in my most recent photos. I will never live this down, I just cannot win!!! =)

 

KO-

 

Thanks buddy. Hoping the growth doesn't stop here, but if it does, I too would be happy!! I'm looking forward to going through the photos of some of the people on these forums who have had restorations done overseas, and finding a surgeon to finish everything up for me next year. Hopefully in 2 years from now, it will look as if I never lost a hair from my head in my life........ =)

[JohnnyDrama]

Excellent progress agent!

 

Can I ask, what do you mean by finish everything up? You seem set on going overseas.......any particular reason?

[agenteye]

Hi Johnny-

 

I am really happy with where I am so far, but when I think about it in terms of how much I spent to have it done (I could have bought a car); and the fact that I still want to get another 3000-3500 grafts done to fill in the density in my crown and mid-scalp...well, staying in North America seems so expensive! It seems that there are so many top results coming out of other countries right now.....and at 1.00-1.26/graft (and with the result photos that I'm seeing).....it seems to be a much better value!! It's not to say that I'm dead-set on going abroad, I am just really considering it. I am not the kind of person that would sacrifice the quality of the result I'm going to get to save money.....but if I can get a result like some of these that I'm seeing on here....for a FRACTION of the cost of what it costs to have a restoration done in the USA/Canada....well, I'm all for it! Factor in the fact that I'm a big jet-setter here, and it makes sense to use an overseas procedure as an excuse to take a vacation! hahaha! =)

[SADbutTRUE]

your hair looks great, happy for ya, it seems like yesterday you posted your procedure, and now its 7 months, how time flies, enjoy life and your new hair.

[tacolinowest]

how come i cant see any pre op pics?

[agenteye]

Tacolino-

 

Here are 2 albums: The first are photos I submitted to Dr. Rahal for my consultation, and the second are photos taken at the clinic right before my restoration surgery.----

 

Self-taken pre-op photos

 

Pre-op photos taken at Dr. Rahal's clinic

 

Hope that helps.......

[tacolinowest]

congrats! im very happy for you and hope you get even more in the next few months, hopefully ill be there soon 2

[Questionmark]

Also my congrats! You look 10 years younger, old man ;-) Your donor still looks very good. Do you know how many more grafts do you have left approximately for your future Elvis plans?

[agenteye]

Haha, thank you Questionmark! Dr. Rahal estimated that I had at least 4000 more grafts available for strip.....and then more for FUE if I should need it. Hoping I don't need all of the strip reserves even, but if I do, they are there! I appreciate the positive feedback!

 

Mike

[Questionmark]

WTF! 4000 with strip, and another 4000 maybe via FUE, and then you still got body hair! Ok, you should never gonna have to worry about donor questions. Initially, the Elvis-thing was a joke, but now I am not so sure anymore.

 

Maybe Mike in the next herbal essences ad?

[agenteye]

Haha. No, I didn't mean "then more" with FUE as in more than 4,000......I meant 4,000 via strip and then probably several hundred (or a thousand) more with FUE. I probably have less than 5000 grafts in my future reserves, as I already used 4737 up in my first procedure. The only thing that's comforting about that, is my hair loss seems to have halted with the drugs, and I seem to have pretty good hair characteristics in that I had a decent amount of 2 and 3 hair grafts to help with the overall density!

[chrisdav]

Look good Agenteye.

 

Still have a while to go yet.

[agenteye]

Thanks chrisdav. So hard to stay patient sometimes. Seems like a constant waiting game.....first for the growth....then for the density!! :-). Excited for the next year to pass by, and hope it turns out well for me!! :-). Your hair looks AWESOME! Enjoy following your posts.....

[Slickers]

Mike great to see your updates buddy, it's looking superb! What a transformation from your pre op and still more maturing to come! I understand what you're saying about the cost temptations abroad but I would think long and hard about it. No doubt you will but for what it's worth Rahal has done wonders for you already. You've got a great head of hair now at just 7 months. Great position to be in........ here's hoping he's done the same for me! I'm sure that crown will thicken out over the next 5 months. I hear you on the challenges of remaining patient tho!! ha

[agenteye]

Slickers. Thanks so much buddy, it's great to hear from you! I definitely have all good to say about Rahal, and if I do stay in North America when I finish my head up, there isn't anyone that I'd rather go to but him. In fact, I've already referred several patients his way....so again, nothing but positive things to say about the experience and my results so far!! When do I get to see your new mop?! :-). Hope you're doing really well my friend!!