2000 FUE to Fix Frontal Area Monthly update

[titansfan777]

I originally posted in the other forum, but I didn't have any pictures + I think it may have been the wrong place to post. Now I have pics! This is my 5.5 months since my Neograft surgery performed in San Antonio. Here pics as of tonight:

 

This was my hair in the sink on post-op day 14 exactly:

http://www.hairrestorationnetwork.co...ml#post2413904

 

So, I am 24, and I had the FUE surgery the week before thanksgiving for 2000 grafts to restore my thinning hairline up front and about 2 inches back. My hairline had been thinning the last 3-4 years and I just felt it was time to do something about it. I wasn't too bald up front, but it was kind of noticeably thinner than the rest of my head, and I wanted to get it fixed before I graduate next spring.

 

The neograft surgery and healing process was easy and I went by the book with the post-op instructions. All of the hair fell out on exactly the 14th day. All of it in one day, which was startling, yet I knew it should start shedding around then - I was just amazed it happened all in one afternoon (In my previous thread, I posted pictures of my sink with the hairs/crusts in it from that day in case anyone wants to see http://www.hairrestorationnetwork.co...ml#post2413904 ). I do take finasteride and have been since the day after the surgery and to this day continue to do exactly as my doctor has instructed. Suggested throwing Argan oil up there every once in a while to keep everything moisturized and I have done that as well.

 

Anyway, I have been waiting patiently these last 5.5 months for the progress to start to visibly show, yet my hair looks noticeably worse it did prior to surgery. Shedding in the front half of my hair has also increased exponentially and has been crazy ever since a few weeks after the surgery. I can run my hand through my hair and when I look at my hand there are a dozen fairly long (inch or so) hairs between my fingers. It has been like this for months and has not slowed down a bit.

 

2 weeks ago, my doctor said he saw lots of growth, and he would have a better view of it than I would looking at a mirror, but I do not see anything happening, not even when I really get up close and examine it. I asked if they were just very lightly colored thin hairs and he said no and that they were fairly dark and looked like normal hair.

 

I know it wont be for about another year until everything is at full maturity, but at 5.5 months, I felt that I would see slight noticeable progress, or at lest feel some stubble starting to emerge from my scalp. So far, however, there has been nothing at all, and it is starting to be slightly concerning. Some people have said that they get small pimples in the recipient area not too long before the hair starts to emerge, but I have not had this yet.

 

My doctor set up an appointment for an 8 month checkup for the beginning of August. Hopefully I see some real progress over this summer. I seem to be checking all over every day when I wake up (like a kid on christmas!) for any signs, but nothing yet. I understand this is a slow process to get hair back where I want it, but I am starting to get a bit concerned with the lack of progress so far. Should I be starting to be a little concerned yet or am I blowing things out of proportion?

 

I unfortunately have no photos to post of me the day before surgery, but just looking in the mirror and comparing it to what I remember it looking like last fall is what I have relied on.

 

I would love input from other people on the forum, and I plan on keeping this as a monthly update thread hopefully.

Edited May 12, 2015 by David - Moderator

[spyk777]

Who is the surgeon

[titansfan777]

PM me for the doctor name.

Edited May 11, 2015 by titansfan777

[hairweare]

I am less optimistic after learning that this was a Neograft procedure and viewing the large number of what appeared to be desiccated grafts that you shed soon after the procedure. In contrast, following my two FUE procedures I saw no hairs fall out and the majority of grafts continued to grow from post op day one. At 5.5 nearly all grafts had broken through and a significant number had already grown longer with thickened shafts. I am afraid that you are dealing with another disappointing Neograft procedure which I don't believe any of the recommended docs on this site still utilize.

[titansfan777]

When he saw me the other day, he said he saw progress. Obviously, I cannot get as good of a view as he does looking directly over my head, but I see no progress at all. I certainly don't want to slam the man especially since the surgery is still months away from maturity, but I am starting to wonder about how this surgery will turn out.

[hairweare]

He appears to be a general plastic surgeon. How many HTs has he done and how long has he been doing them? There are two patient before and after pictures on his site. Do you know for sure that those were his actual patients? Did you see or talk to any of his former patients prior to your decision to choose this particular surgeon?

 

Pictures would of course be helpful, but at 5.5 months you should see some impact on your hairline after receiving 2000 grafts.

[titansfan777]

Yes, he is a general plastic surgeon. He does a few different procedures at his practice. I couldn't find any reviews on his hair transplants or a whole lot of info in general on him though. The 2 people that actually did my procedure were two technicians, with him coming in periodically to check up on the progress. I was actually very surprised he wasn't the one that was going to be doing the surgery and had no idea until he left after giving me the shots on my scalp to numb it. It didn't even seem like something I would need to ask. He ended up doing a little bit of the session towards the end (I passed out, but he was probably in there for an 2 hours or so while I was out). I will try and get some pictures on here tomorrow.

Edited May 9, 2015 by titansfan777

[hairweare]

I don't know much about the Texas Medical Board but in the states where I have practiced allowing unlicensed technicians to perform surgery while the doc looks in for an hour would not go over too well. A HT is an actual surgery and despite what the Neograft ads try to project, can be like any other surgery associated with complications and poor outcomes. Websites such as this one can be very educational and helpful to patients but are much more useful prior to one's procedure rather than after when it comes to avoiding situations such as yours.

[titansfan777]

I'm calling to request my pre-op pics when they open this morning. Does anyone else find my OP to sound abnormal or is this just silly to fret about at this point in time? I would enjoy input from other posters as well

[matt3480]

I would say if you can't see even the slightest bit of progress at 5.5 months that something isn't right. No, you obviously shouldn't be fully matured at 5.5 months....but you sure as heck shouldn't be looking worse at 5.5 months than at pre-op.

 

If it were a known and reputable doctor.....then maybe you give it a few more months. However, based on what you have said about the doctor and surgery (that he wasn't even the one doing it)....it doesn't sound promising. Worst case, let it be a lesson and go to a known and reputable doctor. 2,000 is luckily a rather small amount of grafts...so you should have plenty of donor hair left to get it done again (if this first one doesn't pan out) and be looking real good.

 

Hoping all works out with you.

[titansfan777]

Here is 5.5 months. I hadn't cut my hair since surgery in late November. At this point I was getting frustrated with the lack of growth but understood it would take time to see results. My doctor visit one week prior included by doctor saying he saw lots of growth. This growth I did not see at all and even though I wanted to give him the benefit of the doubt. However, just off of memory, the result at this point was actually worse than what my hairline looked like before surgery. Here are the pics from 5/11/15:

 

 

 

[titansfan777]

Well it has been 6.5 months now roughly. Here are some pictures taken yesterday of what it looks like. The lighting isn't the best but it was all I had to work with. I also got a haircut since the long hair was kind of unmanageable and would clump in areas kind of which would expose scalp where I had surgery. I have an appointment for a (roughly) 9 month follow up scheduled in mid August. Having talked to others who have had the same surgery (but by different doctors) they feel it is looking rather pathetic at this point in time. Considering I had thicker hair before surgery and I haven't seen any real growth (I look daily), I am starting to side with them. I know your supposed to be patient, but the anger and frustration grows by the day. Currently, it has gotten to the point where I do not even like to leave the house really and I hate being in public. I hope things start to change soon, but at this time, I am thoroughly disappointed and miserable. I would love some input from the forum members if they see any improvement which I may be missing. I emailed my doctor who did the surgery to request my pre-op photos. He used to answer my emails before surgery - now, he hasnt responded to my last 2 emails. This seems rather rude, and I cant call him due to me working 3rd shifts.

 

 

Edited June 12, 2015 by titansfan777

[titansfan777]

Well it has been 8 months as of next Wednesday. Honestly it looks even shittier now than before in my opinion. I honestly think this thing has been a failure as of this point. Hopefully I am a late bloomer and something up there happens in the next few weeks but at this point I am probably at the lowest I have ever been in my life. This has absolutely destroyed the self esteem of me. I am pretty much wanting to never go outside anymore and it has started to affect my social life. So far I would say my doctor and his technicians who did the surgery did a very shitty job. Maybe I am overreacting, but I truly am at my wits end. My doctor still hasn't responded to emails for my before pics and it has frustrated me so much. Can anyone see any growth? I feel like if anything, it has gotten worse in the last month alone. Anyone?

 

WET:

 

DRY

 

[titansfan777]

Here is another pic from my 6.5 month update

[titansfan777]

I would love for some input from you guys!

[HairGuy86]

Your pictures are not showing.

 

try uploading them to imgur.com and then posting the links here

[titansfan777]

Your pictures are not showing.

 

try uploading them to imgur.com and then posting the links here

 

 

HERE ARE THE PICTURES I TOOK THIS EVENING:

 

 

[HairGuy86]

Those pictures are showing. Do you have any pictures before your surgery to post? I know your original post said you had no pictures right before the surgery, but do you have any showing your hair from before then? even if they weren't taken to show your hair in detail? It would help to establish where you were at before the surgery.

 

Are you on any meds?

[titansfan777]

That's weird because they all show up for me. I'll redo prior monthly pictures when I get out of work this afternoon.

 

I have been taking finasteride since the day of the surgery:

 

Here is Last month on 6/12

Edited July 16, 2015 by titansfan777

[titansfan777]

Here is last month w/ better lighting

 

Someone on another board suggested that maybe because I started finasteride right when I had the surgery and not a few months before, that the native hair went through shockloss and never grew back...and that the actual hair showing at this point is the hair from the surgery. Is that possible? And even so, that still seems like not a lot of hair - and certainly not 2k grafts worth, or am I crazy?

 

Also, I did not establish this prior to surgery, but the doctor came down on his price by 40% (originally 2k grafts @ $10k) due to a misunderstanding. I ended up paying 6,000 for the surgery. However, is it appropriate to see about a refund if I get a second opinion and they see no positive outlook from this procedure?

Edited July 17, 2015 by titansfan777