2400 grafts FUT with Dr. Feller 4/2/15

[l9i2m2pbzkt]

Hello everyone,

 

I've been struggling with hair loss for the past 5 or 6 years (I'm 25 now)....my hair loss became very rapid in the 19-21 range so by about 20 I began using Propecia and then switched over to the generic later on. I never used Rogaine (mostly because people scared me away from it and it seemed like too much work to maintain). I had predicted my hair would be extremely poor or even gone by age 22. Luckily Propecia worked well with me and I kept the same hair loss for about the next 4 years with just some additional loss and thinning over that time. However, I was still never happy and continue to obsess about my hair every single day, always feeling it, looking at in the mirror, taking pictures from different angles and so on.

 

I had researched Hair Transplants for some time now (probably about 3 years) and figured once I had the money I'd take the plunge. It wasn't til about the end of 2014 that it really hit me that I was incredibly down on my appearance and I wouldn't be completely confident in myself until I made the changes I needed. I wish I could have been confident in my appearance just the way I was and be happy that I was healthy. Unfortunately not everyone is wired that way. I started my research again and living in New York, I figured Dr. Feller would be the go to guy. He has great reviews and from what I saw great results. I decided with FUT because 1) I believed I'd get the best bang for my buck and 2) I'm confident in his ability enough that my scar would heal nicely (I can also live without crew cutting my hair).

 

I went for a consultation on 1/15/15. He drew the lines for my new hairline. We both agreed that the new hairline wouldn't be much lower than it is now, but it would certainly help to fill in the receding areas. We agreed upon approximately 2,400 grafts to do the work. After we left, I spoke to my parents and girlfriend for a few days about it and ultimately decided to go through with it. We booked my appointment for 4/2/15.

 

The days leading towards it, I felt a number of different emotions from excitement and happiness to even regret and worrisome (I'd assume all these emotions are normal prior to a cosmetic surgery).

 

The day of the surgery I got up nice and early and made my way to Dr. Feller's office. I walked in around 7:30 am. Being 15 minutes early I was greeted by Dr. Feller and he immediately made me feel at ease, telling me it's really not as bad as I may think it will be. I filled out some paperwork in his office, all the while talking to him about everything and anything. He really is a nice guy and easy to talk - It definitely helps to get along with the person and being comfortable during the entire procedure. He drew the lines on my head again and we both liked where it was at. I'd say we decided on a more conservative hairline rather than something too low and extreme. This was also done in an effort to preserve grafts for future if needed. Knowing my hair, and my bloodline, I would think that I will loose more hair in the back and crown area in the future and would like to know that I have plenty of grafts to play with in the future.

 

Soon enough I was in the chair. He told me exactly what to expect and feel, and said if at any point I felt any discomfort to let him know. "We dont like pain here. Pain is bad for business" was the quote of the day. During the procedure we listened to some 80's music and he even had us playing a guessing game of the artist behind the song.

 

I felt comfortable throughout the procedure and anytime I sensed the local anesthesia may be wearing off he just supplied some more. I may have napped for about 25 minutes before I was served lunch at 12:00 but that was about it. I'd say by 2:00 pm I was all finished. Probably the toughest part of the whole procedure was trying to stay still in the chair for all that time.

 

After we finished I spoke with a member of his team about the post-op instructions such as showering, etc. I then spoke with Dr. Feller again regarding the same before I left. I have to go back in 2 weeks to get my staples removed. Luckily I can barely even see the staples in the back.

 

The toughest part about the whole thing is my physical appearance right now. I had to get my hair shaved a little more than I thought I would during the procedure, so I haven't figured out yet how I am going to style my hair or hide it from the public for the next couple of weeks. I guess wearing a hat to work is my only option. However, I don't regret that it had to be done. I received more grafts in the back of my hair than I thought I would be getting and so I do think it will provide more coverage and thickness when it is all said and done.

 

I definitely had a pleasant experience and I would like to thank Dr. Feller and his entire team for the work done. I am looking forward to the process and to finally start seeing my hair grow. I understand it will likely get worse before it gets better but oh well, the toughest part is out of the way.

 

I've posted some pics below before the surgery, during, and after.

Edited April 4, 2015 by l9i2m2pbzkt
grammar

[Blake Bloxham]

l9,

 

Congratulations! The work looks excellent. Look forward to updates.

[TakingThePlunge]

Congratulations! Looks like it's going to be a nice transformation for you. Keep us posted.

[l9i2m2pbzkt]

Thanks,

 

Figured I'd post pics 5 days post-op. Started shampooing grafts yesterday and it's scary as heck. Just trying to be as careful as possible. My forehead swelling finally went away so I feel the hairline looks better now and more in its correct place then on say Day 2 or 3. My hairstyle is still bad at the moment so not looking forward to returning to work. Will have to in a day or 2 so I'll wear a hat. 7 days should be more than enough to carefully put a hat back on.

[l9i2m2pbzkt]

First haircut 13 days after surgery and now 2 months later. Kind of back to normal now but no huge changes yet....Just an itchy scalp with still some pinkish/redness....Just keep waiting lol

[Tav1]

Your recipient area looks really good for two months - I'm not seeing much redness, if any. How is your donor looking?

[RadioRunner]

Looks Great!

[mav23100gunther]

Looks good, but wonder if 2,500 grafts was enough. Interesting to see how this pans out though, good luck and happy growing

[techie]

Wow, recipient area looks fantastic for such a short time! Congrats.

[l9i2m2pbzkt]

Thanks for the comments guys - The redness is minimal, probably something only I really notice...but it is significant when I step out of the gym or sauna.

 

As for 2,500 grafts being enough - I really don't know but all I can do at this point is hope so lol.

 

You can still see the donor at this point if I cut it anything past a grade 4 I believe (that was as of a little over a month ago). I haven't gotten a cut yet since then so I'm not sure if it had improved. I haven't really looked at it since then either but at that point it was still red. I think I have a pimple or an ingrown hair back there in a few places because sometimes it hurts a little in certain areas.

 

Other than that, I'm about 3 months and 10 days post operation. I've posted a few pictures as updates...So far I'm pretty happy considering it's only 3 months. If this was 6 months then I'd be a little worried. First 2 picks are right out of the shower with hair pulled back...The next 2 are just the way I've been combing/wearing my hair.