3368 grafts and PRP with Dr. Cooley

[FUTwithCooley]

Hi All,

 

I have been following this website for a little over a month and read through all possible threads, surgeons, experiences etc. I got 3368 grafts with Dr. Cooley and will try to be succinct in my post.

 

About me

I am a 32 year old male who has been losing hair from the vertex going outward. I still have hair in the front, and this according to Dr. Cooley was a preferred hair loss pattern. I tried rogaine (foam and solution) 3 years ago and developed rashes and acne, and am skeptical about propecia so already have that off the table. Thus, my objectives were stated and expectations calibrated keeping these in mind.

 

Which Surgeon?

I live in NC so Dr. Vories and Dr. Cooley were obvious options. Additionally, I am originally from India so Dr. Bhatti was in the mix as well. I did not consider docs in Europe due to logistics and possible complications. My first meeting was with Bosley - it was good because they gave me information about hair transplant and better because they seemed like an assembly line which meant I should stay away from them. Dr. Bhatti has very good reviews but having lived in India all my life, I must confess that given an option and less binding monetary constraints, I have a slight preference for the US when it comes to cosmetic procedures for which, the medical guidelines are not as well defined in India. Again, this is purely my personal opinion and in no way reflects the quality of work performed by Dr. Bhatti.

 

I met with Lollie at Dr. Cooley's and felt comfortable enough to go with him without even meeting Dr. Vories. I understand he is extremely good but I had a good feeling about Dr. Cooley, was able to get a date within 2 weeks due to a cancellation, and was willing to take a few weeks of pain and sutures. Finally, I am a bit of a sucker for active researchers - not to say that newly researched methods always work but at least it says something about the doc. We agreed to 3000 grafts and I additionally decided to have the PRP (given my reluctance to get on propecia).

 

During Procedure

As has been mentioned time and again, Dr. Cooley is very professional. I was scheduled for 3000 grafts, he told me we could harvest 3500 and cover the crown better but the marginal effect of that may not justify the cost. Given that a surgeon's job is to do surgery, it's always nice to hear one say we don't have to do it, or don't have to do all of it. Thus, we decided to stick to 3000, which resulted in 3368 grafts. Dr. Cooley thought it was best to spread the grafts uniformly throughout the top to provide density, reinforce the hairline, and put some in the crown. Below are some pics from before and right after the procedure.

 

The procedure was painless; we started around 7.45am and finished at 6.15pm. Barring a small window (of 15-30 minutes I think) Dr. Cooley was there the whole day, and worked on the implants along with Brandi. Brandi left late afternoon and Dr. Cooley finished the job himself. Much has been said about docs performing the procedure themselves or having it done by techs. Agreed that Dr. Cooley did not implant all the grafts himself but in response to my question, he mentioned that his HT was done entirely by his techs. This bestows plenty of credibility in the capability of his staff.

 

Here is a break-down of the nos.:

1's - 833

2's - 1640

3's - 239

4's - 20

D's (Doubles) - 327

Dr. Cooley mentioned that the Ds are 1+2 so count as double follicular units, resulting in an equivalent of 3368 grafts.

 

On a separate note, I would like to mention that Dr. Cooley treats the patients well. Apart from putting up in a hotel, the shampoo, condition, spray etc. are provided at no charge. Ailene and Dr. Cooley have been extremely responsive over emails and have promptly addressed my concerns. This may be a standard practice but after shelling out this kind of money, it's good to see that you're not being "nickel and dimed" over petty expenses.

 

Days 2-4

I am now day 4 (counting procedure as day 1) post-op. I have been spraying the solution every 45 min to an hour and 1.5 hours in the night. I reduced the frequency today to once every 2-3 hours. In the follow-up, I asked for more spray and Dr. Cooley was happy to oblige. I have to confess, so far, I am really happy with Dr. Cooley's work. I do not notice any swelling and haven't had to take any pain medication at all. I was able to sleep in the bed with my head on the pillow (with a airline pillow around my neck), and did not experience any pain or discomfort.

 

I'd like to thank everyone for posts and questions. I learned immensely from this site and am happy to address any questions anyone has. Of course, I may not have researched as extensively or met as many docs as some of the other members, but am happy to share my experiences and help in any way I can. More updates will follow as things change.

 

Cheers!

[Spanker]

Dr. Cooley is great. Good luck. Surprised he said that this was a prefered balding pattern as I always think that and A type loss receeding from the front and maintaining the crown make sessions results.

 

Good luck!

[FUTwithCooley]

Thanks Spanker! As for his quote below - what you say might be true. I think he meant that my hair loss pattern is better than the one with receeding hair line and loss of hair on the vertex.

 

Anyhow, attached is a pic one week post op. Overall, everything seems ok but I am not sure about the few white acne type spots in the top half of the scalp - is this normal? Could this be attributed to the fact that I am still spraying every 1-2 hours so there is plenty of moisture? I still have some spray left so not sure if I should stop using that (I am 7 days out) or spray every 4-5 days till it's gone.

 

Surprised he said that this was a prefered balding pattern as I always think that and A type loss receeding from the front and maintaining the crown make sessions results.

 

Good luck!

[Spanker]

You should send the doctor this pic and ask for his advice. If it gets worse he may want to do antibiotics or he may say it's fine. I'm a firm believer in keeping your doc informed.

[DancesWithHair]

Spanker always gives great advice I would listen to him. I do think its due to the moisture although I am no Doctor. Keep us updated. You have hair to look forward too!

[TakingThePlunge]

Congratulations and thanks for presenting such a detailed account of your experience with DR. Cooley! I hope you'll continue to keep us posted.

 

As far as the white bumps so, I'm inclined to think it has to do with moisture as well. However, as Spanker advised, checking with your doc is always the best course of action. Better safe than sorry.

[FUTwithCooley]

Thanks guys! I checked with Dr. Cooley and he mentioned this is most likely due to moisture. I have stopped using the spray/wrap (one week post-op), and it already looks a lot better.

 

On a separate note, given that my hair loss was on the top and center, combing over the front hair makes everything look very normal and usual - absolutely no difference from before.

[arussell]

This is a typical response to the diligence of a compliant patient! Dr. Cooley uses more post op spray than many and this is how we expect it to look if this is done. This actually helps with the healing process and the overall end results/

[FUTwithCooley]

Thank you Ailene!

 

I just had my sutures removed so figured will post some pics at the 2 week mark. The first couple of pics are of the scalp (the difference due to brightness is massive!). Barring some itching (for which Dr. Cooley gave me the Clobex spray), everything seems to look good - no scabs or "reddishness" or swelling.

 

The last few pics are of the scar in the donor area right after the sutures were removed. The scar at the back of the head is extremely thin; the one above the ear not so much but this will fade and seems pretty good to begin with. What do you guys think?

[FUTwithCooley]

So here are some pics from post one month. I am getting really worried about the shock loss taking it's toll not only on the top of the scalp, but also the hair line (as is evident from the side profile). Is losing this much hair to shock loss normal?

 

I have already reached out to Dr. Cooley to seek his opinion, but would really appreciate your thoughts as well.

[thisguy1]

Any updates?

[FUTwithCooley]

Hi all,

 

I apologize for the delay in posting this but Dr. Cooley advised me to stay away from the website so as not to get worried. Having said this, I am now almost 7 weeks out and am attaching some pictures of now vs just before the procedure.

 

There is already substantial growth and the front profile looks a lot better. The top is also good but the scalp still shows - which I guess is to be expected given the amount of area we were trying to cover. Dr. Cooley said that there will be some more growth and the hair should thicken so the final result will be better. Any how, I'll let you guys judge - please let me know your thoughts on the procedure....

[thisguy1]

Hi all,

 

I apologize for the delay in posting this but Dr. Cooley advised me to stay away from the website so as not to get worried. Having said this, I am now almost 7 weeks out and am attaching some pictures of now vs just before the procedure.

 

There is already substantial growth and the front profile looks a lot better. The top is also good but the scalp still shows - which I guess is to be expected given the amount of area we were trying to cover. Dr. Cooley said that there will be some more growth and the hair should thicken so the final result will be better. Any how, I'll let you guys judge - please let me know your thoughts on the procedure....

 

7 months not weeks but time flies :cool:

 

Amazing change to hairline already and yes for # of grafts and coverage you already have a huge change to the top of scalp as well. For being only 7 mo in I have to think you are thrilled. Still should have half a year to go.

 

Been looking at a lot of Cooley cases the past week and I see a lot of great results; think he is a bit underrated on this site - he looks very top tier in results and his patients seem to really like his attention during and after surgery.

 

p.s. do you have a before of the hairline only - you posted a lot of before that were overhead shots.

[jcs87]

hey man, I've got a somewhat similar loss pattern to you so I was excited to see these before and after pictures. Any chance you could post some pictures of the final results?