2nd Procedure - 1300 FUT with Dr. Feller (Pic Heavy)

[Mick50]

I think you had a great result from the first transplant, but it's definitely improving still at least 4 months to thicken up

[Torn]

Sorry to say it looks very pluggy, thin and unnatural. There is also a gap on your right toward the back. Did you lose any grafts there ?

 

What exactly has dr Feller said ?

 

I wish you all the best ! Hopefully in time it will fill in and detract from the overall pluggyness of the look. If not you could always have more work done to fill in and correct.

[destorius]

I see improvements since month 6. Keep your head up, plenty of time to finish off maturing!

[FUE2014]

I would say there is an improvement here since the last update, just may take a few more months to soften.

[NoTakeBacks]

Thanks all.

 

I'm just trying to make it through the next few months to have a solid idea of what the end results will look like. Depending on the progress or lack of progress I might skip a month or two worth of updates until it's worth posting.

 

The waiting and anticipation is the worst. As is not being able to enjoy the very thing the procedure sought to create: a hairline.

[StaggerLee123]

I'm guessing by Dr. Fellers absence and his non response here, which seems quite strange considering how chatty he is about other doctors and his endless responses to his own threads, my guess is he told you he won't comment until 12-16 months has passed or he has spoken to you about this and you don't want to ruffle his feathers. Is that in the ball park?

 

Your hairline does look a bit pluggy to me but perhaps in a real world situation, not under the glare of overhead lighting, it might not be as noticeable as you think. Good luck with it and I hope you feel that Dr. Feller has your back.

Edited August 30, 2015 by StaggerLee123

[Swooping]

It's a sub-par result imo. Especially for the area covered and the amount of grafts.

 

Thanks for posting such detailed high quality pictures by the way, we don't see these often.

[Sean]

Wish you the best! Keep up the documentation and photos month to month. It will help assess the case when the results growth timeline is over.

[NoTakeBacks]

@Sean:

Thank you! I've lurked your thread(s) in the past and know you've been through quite a bit, so I hope you eventually reach your goal as well. Also thank you for your service.

 

@Stagger and Swooping:

I'm living with the results, so I get where the comments are coming from. The only thing I would like to differentiate is the term "plugginess" that is thrown around. To me a pluggy hairline would be one that consists of multi-follicular units or larger. IE: Big plugs of hair. I know it's dicing semantics and me being a pedant, but I'd say with me it's more the spacing/density of yield and the uniformity of placement that gives it an odd look. They are single FUs, it just looks like they run along a singular plane with very little to no macro irregularities, or not enough micro-deviation. I think my left side doesn't look as noticeably "man-made" so maybe it's the yield/density throwing the planned design off. I'm obviously not a HT Surgeon, so maybe I'm way off on the terminology and theory of said design.

 

Regardless of the cause (and if I may so eloquently put it): Somethin' ain't right.

[Sethticles]

Our good friend Feller is awfully quiet on this thread

[BaldingBogger]

No takes Back - i sincerely hope you get where you want to be. The good news is a touch up to the hairline should probably do that.

 

 

Very interested to hear what Dr feller has to say about this one. This just reinforces what i have been saying all along. There are NO GUARANTEES with FUT or FUE despite what Dr Feller would like to project on his threads. And this just proves it implicitly.

 

Reading his marketing threads would have prospective patients believe a sub par result with FUT is a practical impossibility!!

[Patriot34]

I wish you the best and the good news is you have a lot of thick looking donor hair so you can fix anything your not happy with, assuming you are able to slow your hair loss with medication.

 

The biggest critique I have is the overall plan. With your natural hairline and density I would questioned your pursuit of a HT. However, I understand the desire to have a lower hairline, as is the apparent plan in this surgery. The problem is you look young and will likely face additional hair loss which could result in you chasing that newly established hairline. Also when people call it "pluggy" looking I think this refers to the selection of the hair follicles used in the front. It appears there may be some thick 2s placed up front which catch the eye. Thin 1s should have been selected, if at all possible.

 

I know most would not recommend it, but if this is the case and it really bothers you then I would suggest plucking the unnatural looking hairs up front where you see two hairs coming from the same graft. Overall, the appearance is likely not as bad as this thread has made it appear. The lighting you are using is unforgiving and I would bet it looks much more natural in common settings. I agree that it could have been more densely packed, but with your hair you will be fine man. Also, I don't think the scar looks bad. Again, with your hair that won't be a concern unless you desire to buzz. Dr. Feller is highly reputable so I think you will be happy when its all said and done, just might not be as quick as you were hoping.

[Stig]

I think he should have targeted around 2,000 grafts to lower the hairline. 1,300 is questionable. Shows how important dense packing the hairline is, especially when you lower it. No disrespect to Dr Feller, but he is not in the same leaque as the hairline king Dr Rahal. Not going with the hairline king himself was possibly your second mistake. 1300 just wasn't enough grafts, people underestimate how much grafts it takes to lower hairlines and do work in the crown.

[StaggerLee123]

I think he should have targeted around 2,000 grafts to lower the hairline. 1,300 is questionable. Shows how important dense packing the hairline is, especially when you lower it. No disrespect to Dr Feller, but he is not in the same leaque as the hairline king Dr Rahal. Not going with the hairline king himself was possibly your second mistake. 1300 just wasn't enough grafts, people underestimate how much grafts it takes to lower hairlines and do work in the crown.

 

Lol you sound like a shill for Rahal.

[Stig]

Lol you sound like a shill for Rahal.

 

Lol - it looks bad doesn't it? I just joined and have only posted 10 times, and now I'm throwing out Rahal's name. I guess I have to earn credibility first before I can do something like that. It's a fair point - although Dr Rahal is called the hairline king and this guy got work on his hairline - just saying!

[Joesocks202]

I don't see any problem buddy. I think just your camera is too close. When it's backed out it looks fantastic. I'd kill for that hairline of yourse and you are still in the growth phase too. Your scar looks fine to. If you were really completely bald there before it looks really great now.

[Tav1]

He's nine months into this. Growth phase? Really? Clearly too much separation to match the natural density. Dude had a great head of hair and it isn't in any way satisfactory. Feller- quit posting marketing garbage and post on this thread to help a clearly unsatisfied (and rightly so) patient.

[NoTakeBacks]

@Patriot34:

I appreciate the detailed post! However, I do have to mention that my "natural hairline" is about halfway to my Vertex by now (if you could even call it a hairline). The hairline you see in the pre-ops are after my first HT with Dr. Feller. So I think that speaks volumes! The first procedure can be found in my profile photo album.

 

Both the Doc and myself agreed the first HT turned out great, but the hairline was a bit high. It was bound to happen as I have a long face and a high forehead. Even with this second HT, I still have a high forehead, but I would NEVER want to go lower. I'm in this for the long haul and preparing for the worst. However, I want the hairline done, finished and forgotten about. Also, the density is quite a bit of an illusion, and it's only gotten weaker since the second procedure. I guess going off Minox for the procedure, the shock of the transplant, and going back on Minox took it's toll. I'll have to see how strong (if at all) any of the native hairs in my midscalp and frontal third will grow back after a year. I should also mention I've been on Minoxidil and Propecia for 2 years now. As for the twos...yeah I've noticed some, especially around the pimple in the last set of pics. I will have to disagree with the lighting however. Yes, one set is always under harsh lighting, but the second set in each update is always in more natural softer light. I will admit I am tough, but in my opinion fair. I tend to go with the thought process of a transplant is only as good when viewed at it's worst. I haven't even taken direct sunlight pics yet. The scar I'll live with for now, but it's visible when my hair is wet and I can't get clipped past a #7-6 fade.

 

@Stig:

There may be some validity in the amount of grafts needed! But I would (and will) say the hairline and frontal third turned out great after my first HT with Dr. Feller...other than it being high.

 

@Joesocks202:

Thanks for the support. The camera is over two feet away from my head; maybe more. They're just cropped pro DSLR shots. In day to day life I work and pass by people closer than I hold the camera. The transplant has to hold up in close proximity, I will not accept anything less.

[Spidey]

OP, is sparse look due to lower than expected yield, or the fact that not enough grafts were used? It's a bit hard to tell, but it looks to me that the number of grafts in the post op seem ideal as they do look densely packed, and the sparseness may be due to lower than expected yield.. That's just what I get from the pics.

[Petchski]

Essentially you just needed more density. You'd have thought this would be a home run since the great success of the first HT.

 

I would have htought that more grafts would have been used, but i don't know your hair characteristics and i'm sure Dr Feller put in the right amount to match the hair behind it, so for some unknown reason some grafts didn't grow, leaving you with a thinner than expected hairline.

 

The hair does continue to soften right up to 18 months, so i believe it will continue to improve, but probably not enough to give you what you wanted.

 

Maybe a small FUE session could bridge the gaps in the density, although taking in to consideration not scarring up the donor area with too much fibrosis.

[MAGNUMpi]

A HT is such a delicate balancing act up front. See those hairs on the right side. Thin and lighter. Thats how your real hair would be if you had a perfect natural hairline. This is a glitch in the whole idea of a HT in my opinion. If that font hairline is even a bit unnatural looking or contains thick donor hair (even singles), A normal person might feel something is "not quite right". They might not know its a HT but might get a sense of something being a bit "off".

 

I wonder if your hairline seems super straight because you lost hair behind it? Or maybe its just not a home run hairline. Totally fixable I think but more procedures etc.

[Petchski]

Also, your hair characteristic seems quite thick, which can make it harder to look 100% natural on the hairline, but great for density, while finer hair has the opposite effect.

 

Wearing your hair to the side, down or any thing other than brushed back would alleviate any slight unnaturalness/lack of density, from the hair line. Cosmetically giving you a excellent head of hair.

[BaldingBogger]

It might be worth considering a change in hair style until you get fixed up. If you wear the hair down curtaining your temples / forehead somewhat the sparse hairline will not be on show as much.

 

I would not entertain another FUT to try fix it due to the scar issues but go to a reputable FUE practitioner to get fixed. All the best.

[NoTakeBacks]

A HT is such a delicate balancing act up front. See those hairs on the right side. Thin and lighter. Thats how your real hair would be if you had a perfect natural hairline. This is a glitch in the whole idea of a HT in my opinion. If that font hairline is even a bit unnatural looking or contains thick donor hair (even singles), A normal person might feel something is "not quite right". They might not know its a HT but might get a sense of something being a bit "off".

 

I wonder if your hairline seems super straight because you lost hair behind it? Or maybe its just not a home run hairline. Totally fixable I think but more procedures etc.

 

I understand everything you said. All of that was taken into consideration before I got my first HT. I did plenty of research and I've seen plenty of hair transplant results in my time that I would be perfectly happy with. From many different doctors, to all kinds of patients with different hair characteristics: finer, thicker, straighter, curlier, darker, etc. I know a HT will never give me what nature did, but the whole point of going to a reputable and talented surgeon is to mitigate the shortcomings and make it look as natural as possible. What I want (and what I would deem acceptable) is currently possible with current HT procedures.

 

I know it's fixable, but that's more time, grafts and money gone from my life. :\ Not sure how losing hair in the midscalp would make the actual placement of the hairline look more straight, but definitely can understand it will impact perceived density if there is nothing to back it up. I should also note, that I don't have any native hair in the hairline. I diffusely thinned and had none to speak of really. Thanks!

 

 

Also, your hair characteristic seems quite thick, which can make it harder to look 100% natural on the hairline, but great for density, while finer hair has the opposite effect.

 

Wearing your hair to the side, down or any thing other than brushed back would alleviate any slight unnaturalness/lack of density, from the hair line. Cosmetically giving you a excellent head of hair.

 

It might be worth considering a change in hair style until you get fixed up. If you wear the hair down curtaining your temples / forehead somewhat the sparse hairline will not be on show as much.

 

I would not entertain another FUT to try fix it due to the scar issues but go to a reputable FUE practitioner to get fixed. All the best.

 

I've seen gents with hair transplants that have much thicker hair than myself with great hairlines, and I don't think my caliber is that thick. More that I have high density in my DHT resistant zones. Also, I never leave the house with my hair styled like that. I've been wearing it completely down or down and swept to hide the hairline entirely. Kind of defeats the purpose of a hairline transplant, right? I personally feel I look the best with the hairline exposed. All I want to do is to wear it similar to my pre-ops, or Shatner in the 60's forward and to the side. I do not want to wear my hair like Doohan (if I'm gonna keep the Trek references going) which I currently am...it looks terrible on a person with a higher forehead.

 

Also Bogger, I'm not quite sure I'm ready for FUE unless I'm stripped out and going to FUE into the strip scar. It really depends on what the prognosis is for repair. Of course it's deemed the best option and the procedure is too small to warrant opening the strip. I've already gone FUT, have good laxity (possible reason for the scar) and want to preserve my options for the future. I may be on meds, with no familial NW7 or cases of Vertex loss, but that means jack all and I'm way too young to gamble. Better safe than sorry and save the rest of my donor for maximum yield. Thanks for the input though guys!

Edited September 12, 2015 by NoTakeBacks
Typos

[Torn]

NTB I believe you're coming up on 10 months now, have you come to any conclusions as to how to proceed from here ? And who you will go to, to repair this ?

I received poor results as well, and have to wear my hair down as you've had to do, to hide the bad work. I can definitely relate to your position. The time, money, preparation all for naught. Only to have to pay again to repair it.

 

There are very few doctors who can achieve a convincing hairline. I do hope you choose wisely. Good luck !!