About to take the plunge-any advice from those who have gone before me?

[mid life crisis]

I am very near confirming an appointment with Dr. Paul Shapiro, Minneapolis, for my first hair transplant surgery. Based on their estimates over the phone, they are planning to transplant 3000-4000 graphs. I have attached photos of what I look like now. I have started the stretching exercises to help with elasticity. Is there anything else (other than letting my hair grow longer in the back) that I should be doing between now and my surgery in early February to make the procedure as successful as possible? Hope I am doing the right thing!

[EpilepticSceptic]

Hello MLC !!

 

You look alot like me, except my frontal forelock is more solid than yours.

 

Do you have any thinning or bald spots in the rear to cover ? Do you have photos of the top of your head and the back ? Or shots with the hair combed back ?

 

With the photo you've posted it's hard for me to give you an assesment of how many grafts I think you will need.

 

I'm going for at least 4000 in one pass which I hope will get me back to a mature, solid NW2.

 

As far as your choice of doc and clinic, I think you can't really go wrong with SMG from all the positive feedback I have heard in over 5 years of perusing all the boards.

[mid life crisis]

labrat69,

 

I was unable to upload more than one pic when I posted. I have significant thinning on the crown, the mid area between the forehead and crown is OK.

[hairthere]

There's not much more you can do other than to follow your doc's pre-op instructions which will likely include stopping smoking, drinking alcohol and cutting out vitamins/herbals before the HT. I'd also suggest eating as nutritiously as possible and exercising consistently. Of course, these are lifestyle choices you should make with or without HT surgery, but they certainly will help with your recovery.