Scheduled with Dr. Konior--3,000 to 4,000 grafts.

[Tav1]

Cali - I'm just a few weeks ahead of you, similar graft count and age, and damn sure also had an "issue" in about the same area of my scalp a few days post op. My Doc said the same - let's see how things fill in and a non-shaven FUE with a small number of grafts (<50), particularly back from the hairline a bit, is hardly a big concern a few months from now. Or at least we're both telling ourselves the same thing....

[Pete-from-Farjo]

Congrats on your procedure.

 

I'm sure you'll be smiling in a few months time:)

[CaliHairGuy]

Thanks. I'm sure I will be.

 

The incision line with sutures is super-clean. Plus I have been putting pain-relief Neosporin on it twice a day. I will take pics of it this weekend. My family member, who used to be a trauma nurse, was impressed with the doctor's work.

[CaliHairGuy]

So here's what things look like at the moment. I can feel the incision line has really tightened up in the past 2 days, which means I feel the sutures are ready to come out. Think it looks pretty damn clean. Also, 13 days after I still have a lot of the grafts still in, although some have come out. Taking 1mg Propecia daily, putting Rogain 5% foam on once a day and using the RegenePure Ketoconazole shampoo once every 3 days.

 

Also, it's pretty damn hard to take pictures of your head by yourself.

[Pete-from-Farjo]

All looks fine and you seem to be healing well.

 

You're not wrong about taking your own pics..it's an art in itself:D

[CaliHairGuy]

You can also see the area right in the middle of the grafts in the transplanted area where I nicked myself and knocked out 14 grafts. About the size of half a thumbnail. Will probably be undetectable when everything grows in.

 

Oh, and looking at the front hairline you can see I have some random native hairs in front of the hairline Dr. Konior established. I'll see how it looks when it grows in, but right now it bothers me. But I am super anal, that is a commentary on me and not the good doctor's work I know you don't want to go too low, and I am 44.

 

Like I said, I will withhold judgement until 12 months or so. I do see the doc in December. The great thing about going to a doctor with such an established reputation, I literally am not worried about anything. Don't care about ugly duckling. Don't second guess what density will be. Have every confidence in the end result

[CaliHairGuy]

So, I seem to still have a lot of grafts in. I lose maybe 4-5 every morning in the shower, and that seems to be it. Will I retain some? Who knows. Probably too early to tell. You can see the little area where I bumped my head. Overall, I think things are looking pretty good. Saved down my hair on the sides a little bit. Wear a hat everyday at work, so it doesn't really matter.

[matt3480]

You will likely lose them all (or 98% of them). I had a lot of mine at a month, too.....I am at almost 2 months and they basically all shed.

[CaliHairGuy]

Ok, thanks. Good to know. Like I said, I am wearing a hat every day so it's really of no consequence.

[1978matt]

Looks fine. I think most of mine went within a month, some stopped static and just did nothing for a while, while a couple of hundred kept growing.

[Tav1]

Ok, thanks. Good to know. Like I said, I am wearing a hat every day so it's really of no consequence.

 

Yea Cali - keep that picture handy, as you'll want to remember what you WILL look like in a few months, especially once those grafts shed in a few weeks. I'm going through that stage at the moment....

[CaliHairGuy]

Not much to report. 5 weeks post op. Got a few pimples, but nothing major. Recipient area is itchy and donor scar is a little itchy. Most of the grafts have now shed, and scalp is still a little red. All normal, I know.

 

One thing I wanted to share was the ex-wife recommended a scar reduction cream, which I used on my finger to good effect and am applying every morning to the donor area. Pic attached so you can see the brand.

 

Also back to working out based on Dr. Konior's giving it the thumb's up based upon my low likelihood of experiencing scar stretching. Over the years, their clinic has only seen approximately a half dozen cases of this. And they have performed a lot of surgeries. Still wearing the cervical collar (for another week) at night per their post-surgery routine.

[CaliHairGuy]

2 month update. All the grafts have shed (boo). Without all the extra hair to cover up what used to be covered up, you feel a little naked. However, I'm not too worried since I know the problem has been fixed. Takes a lot of the doubt/self-criticism out of the equation. Just wear my baseball hat everyday, no worries.

 

Scalp is noticeably less tight, although parts are still a little numb. And man, scalp can be itchy at times. Going to the gym regularly now. Like I mentioned previously, with all the belly aching about stretched scars, when I asked Dr. Konior's office, they said they had only seen maybe half a dozen cases from their office in all their years in practice. And they also said I was not a case they worried about (super lax scalp).

 

We'll see how I am looking in another month. Has anyone ever gone on a date in the months directly after a HT? I'm kinda curious lol.

 

I know the front is going to look good when done. Dr. Konior put 2700 grafts in there, and I have seen guys look great with 2300 or so. It will be interesting to see what happens with the crown which had 1100. I'm also 5 months in on fin. Let's see if we see some crown improvements in the next 6-12 months beyond the 1100 (I know it will be tough to tell, but we'll see).

[Blake Bloxham]

Hi Cali,

 

Thanks for the update. You're in the doldrums of the toughest phase right now. Stay strong!! Haha. Can't wait to see the final result. Dr K is an artist!

[CaliHairGuy]

Hi Cali,

 

Thanks for the update. You're in the doldrums of the toughest phase right now. Stay strong!! Haha. Can't wait to see the final result. Dr K is an artist!

 

Hey Blake,

 

Not really in the doldrums. I've been feeling good ever since Dr. K cut into my scalp (Well, except for that one bump where I dislodged 16 grafts ).

 

But yeah, don't want to wait for the hair to grow in. I want it NOW

 

I have enough to keep me distracted, so I'm not too worried. Like I've said previously, Dr. K has such a good track record, I'm not worried about results. I am, however, hoping that I fall into the early results category. But a lot of his patients seem to have really good early results. Time will tell. See you in a month

[Blake Bloxham]

Cali,

 

I remember that bump! I think it was the first time in working on the forums that I actually saw a real case of a dislodged graft. For what it's worth, the image you showed will help many others understand what a slight bump with no dislodging versus real dislodged grafts look like. Plus, 16 right from the middle there won't make any noticeable difference in the end.

 

Glad to hear you're feeling good as well! Hope you do get some early growth. Talk to you soon.

[Pete-from-Farjo]

Sounds like you're right on track. It's good that you can wear a baseball cap - takes a lot of the stress out of the early months.

 

Look forward to your next update.

[CaliHairGuy]

Alright, so every one wishes they were one of the people showing early results. However, I am (apparently) not one of those people. Which is fine, I'm not too worried. Perhaps all the stress I was feeling from this festival I was putting on is a contributing factor, who knows. Regardless, the stress is gone so hopefully growth soon follows.

 

In the first pic, those 3 small areas showing scalp on the back of my head I am assuming are shock loss, because they weren't there before. And shock loss takes 4-5 months to clear up.

 

That being said, I think I can start to see some hairs popping out, but being diffusely thin makes it really hard to tell. It may not seem like it in the picture, but I can tell the back is starting to get "hazy" in areas that were almost all scalp before. That may just be existing hair thickening up from Propecia, but hey...it's better than I remember.

 

So, there you go. Truth in HT. I'll give another update in approximately 1 month. I started a Biotin supplement just because I want to see if it makes a difference. We'll see...

[matt3480]

The shock loss will indeed subside....it took probably 3 months from when I noticed it to when it subsided. There is a rather large amount of time (I believe) that shock loss can occur.....so it may have occurred later in time for you as opposed to me. Mine was present within a month.

[TakingThePlunge]

Hang in there Cali! I was not the fast grower with my first two procedures either but it turned out fine in the end. With my third HT I got to see how it feels to get early results.

 

I'm sure things will work out. Keep us posted.

[CaliHairGuy]

Hang in there Cali! I was not the fast grower with my first two procedures either but it turned out fine in the end. With my third HT I got to see how it feels to get early results.

 

I'm sure things will work out. Keep us posted.

 

What were your growth rates the first two and what was it on the third?

 

Not too worried. Actually have a date coming up. Question is, how do I explain the baseball hat? lol

[TakingThePlunge]

I couldn't quote growth rates but you can check out my hair loss website. Link is in my signature.

 

All my transplant are well-documented.

[1978matt]

It looks quite promising from the photos, I looked very similar at this stage. You're probably just seeing the tips of new hair breaking through.

[CaliHairGuy]

Ok, had a little breakthrough this weekend. I know this post is worthless without pics, but...after not being sure if I was seeing much hair growth/progress (diffuse hair/thinning makes it really hard to tell IMHO) and essentially 4 months and 1 week after my procedure, I went out in public without a hat on (still wearing hat at work...have to break them in slowly).

 

I used concealer, but what was most obvious to me was how much more hair I have now than before my procedure. Areas that were almost completely empty before now have hair (density ain't great, but that's not the point at 4.5 months). I don't know why it took putting concealer on to notice these huge changes...maybe it was because I remember what it was like before, as opposed to staring at my head look for "obvious signs" that things are growing.

 

My friend who I hung out with on Labor Day said the difference was noticeable (hasn't seen me in 2 months). This has me excited for the upcoming months because I would say I don't even have 30% growth yet (maybe density would be a more accurate word).

 

I will try and get some pics up tonight. I just want people to not get their hopes up with some of the crazy early growth some have on this site. At the same time, a noticeable difference at just 4.5 months is pretty impressive (meaning, hair looks better now than it did pre-surgery).

 

And with a 5-6 guard on the sides, you can't even see the scar. And some hairs are even starting to grow through the scar. Scar will continue to minimize over the following months I am sure.

 

This also means I can now go out on dates without wearing a hat...and that is reason to celebrate

 

I am also ecstatic with my choice of Dr. Konior. The following months will be a testimony to his work ethic and craft.

[Tav1]

You are fine. I'm a bit ahead of you in terms of time, and things are going well - I'm a regular grower just as you are (some say slow with these amazing early results people post). I'd say six months post to get ahead of where you were before. We're not all the 1% of patients the Doc's post here. But it comes. All these people (not you) looking for instant gratification from a few select cases they've seen are fooling themselves. It's not the norm. By any stretch.