advise me please

[nile]

I am 44 yrs old. I got hair transplant performed back in 1980s.

The doctor did 2 surgeries of 50 plug grafts each in my hairline. At that time I must have been about norwood 3.

Now I have progressed to norwood5/6.

The grafts stand out and I have to keep my head covered to avoid undue attention.

My nephew told me about this site last year.

I have been reading posts off and on.

Can something be done.

I have very sparse donor area partly due to the ht performed all those years back.

But I have lots of body hair especially on my arms and legs.

[nile]

I am 44 yrs old. I got hair transplant performed back in 1980s.

The doctor did 2 surgeries of 50 plug grafts each in my hairline. At that time I must have been about norwood 3.

Now I have progressed to norwood5/6.

The grafts stand out and I have to keep my head covered to avoid undue attention.

My nephew told me about this site last year.

I have been reading posts off and on.

Can something be done.

I have very sparse donor area partly due to the ht performed all those years back.

But I have lots of body hair especially on my arms and legs.

[Petrandy]

Hi Nile,

We are in the same boat!

But my hair line was put it too low about 50 plugs too . I am not sure whether to remove each circle/plug or take out the whole strip out will be the better option. My skin in my forehead is tight. Any thought and suggestion which doctor should I visit?

[Petrandy]

This is my picture:

[Petrandy]

Try again

[HairBeThere]

hey guys, welcome to the forum!

Believe it or not, there are real options for you.

Check out this picture.. I think you'll both relate.

 

Now check out what is being done!

The old plugs are being removed, without frontal strip, using tiny punches. Along with 2,000 follicular unit graft donor strip.

 

 

This was performed by Dr. Glenn Charles in Boca Raton, Florida.

 

Hope this helps you out a little. You do have options. Just read and ask.

 

And here is a 3 month post op update!

[Jeffrey Epstein MD, FACS]

Dear Nile-

Having performed over 2,500 reparative procedures over the past 10 years (approximately 25 to 30% of all procedures I perform are on patients who have had work done previously and with which they are less than satisfied) it is my recommendation that you pursue one of two courses. Option 1 is to have all of the plugs removed- this is called punch plug removal, and involves the removal of the plugs using similarly sized punches, then the 3 or 4 mm remaining holes sutured closed. This likely would require two procedures spaced a minimum of 8 weeks apart, and will result in some fine line scars which are much less noticeable than the plugs which are now quite evident.

 

Option 2 is to undergo further grafting- which could basically allow, with the placement of 2500-plus grafts in a single procedure, for the filling in of the anterior one-third to two-fifths of the top of your scalp. The downside to this technique, in your case, is that your plug grafts are placed so low, seemingly less than 8 cm above the root of your nose, and therefore would result in a very low hairline. Therefore, I recommend you first have the plug grafts removed, then if you wish to have hair, pursue the transplant option.

 

Finally, there is no reason I can see for you looking to have body hair placed- this is not a standard approach, with a typically low rate of hair growth, and besides, your donor area likely could donate a total of 5,500 or more grafts, even with the scarring from your prior plug grafts.

 

You can see lots of examples of reparative procedures by going on my website (www.foundhair.com) as maybe on the websites of some of the other physicians listed under the Network.

 

Sincerely,

Jeffrey Epstein, MD, FACS

Miami, Boca Raton and Tampa, Florida

www.foundhair.com

[nile]

The downside to this technique, in your case, is that your plug grafts are placed so low, seemingly less than 8 cm above the root of your nose, and therefore would result in a very low hairline. Finally, there is no reason I can see for you looking to have body hair placed- this is not a standard approach, with a typically low rate of hair growth, and besides, your donor area likely could donate a total of 5,500 or more grafts, even with the scarring from your prior plug grafts.

 

Thanks Dr. Epstein,

Your advise is appreciated and the fact that you took time out. However, I think you mistook Petrandy's photographs for mine. Still many thanks.

My grafts are not located so down on the forehead so I think they should be less of a problem and I think you are right.

I have been advised over the years to have them excised by many doctors.

The reason I dithered was that my donor area is actually very depleted. The doctor who did the transplant probably wasted a lot of the plugs along with donor hair. So my back of the head is more like a thinned area with lots of 3-4 mm scars all over.

I wish I knew how to post my photos then you could appreciate too. But there does not seem to be 5000 grafts there.

That is the reason I am waiting for this bht to materialise.

I have waited many years and will wait a couple more if bht or hm can somehow deliver.

[Smoothy]

It looks like you probably could do both- excise some hairline plugs and redistribute into FU and the midsclap plugs after the first row can be surrounded by lateral Slit FUs. If you focus on the frontal 1/3rd of the scalp with the newer techniques than you had before like the lateral slits and 1-2 hair FUs, your result should look good-- plus a good surgeon that has experience with repair patients can also consolidate some of your scars.

Check out some of the top surgeons respeceted by their peer doctors and do a internet/phone consult with each to get some good opinions.

[nile]

Thanks smoothy.

Will do the online consultation with acouple of them and let you know.

Thanks everyone for the help.