Young hair transplant victim of recommended doctor, seeking help in repair

[Mick50]

I must admit from the way you described your post op situation I was expecting your pics to show

bad work, but I think it looks fine and hopefully you will get a good result, post some pics at the 6 month mark I bet you will be happier then

[MrMatt]

The pictures of your surgery looks very good.

 

My guess is in 6 months you'll be happy with your results & laughing about how worried you were for nothing.

[paleocapa89]

Thank you for the support, but I honestly think that something is wrong with my healing. Maybe it is caused by the poor surgical skills maybe its me, maybe both, I don't know. Now my only goal is to heal the best possible way so down the road I will be able to shave my head after some repair.

 

My main concern currently is my red and bumpy sometimes itchy recipient area. My recipient never looked good since the operation but I was always told by the clinic that it is normal. I never had trouble with healing before. I can't trust my clinic anymore. (among other reasons, they talked me into a 2500 graft fue to the front, not warning me about my ongoing thinning in a norwood 5 area) I have been hiding from the world for 3 months now and became depressed. I have just read Dr. William Lindsey's post about itchiness and hypertrophic scarring ( Itchy Scalp Post Hair Transplant: Should I Be Concerned? | Hair Loss Q & A ) and became very concerned. My donor also look like crap.

 

I would like to reach out to the experienced forum members and doctors to get a second opinion. Since I could not upload the high-res pictures, I added a link to my picasa album, please check it.

 

https://picasaweb.google.com/112640619773477959199/2015Szeptember22?authkey=Gv1sRgCNjG7MqfovyIxAE&feat=directlink

 

I also need advice who to turn to for a possible personal consultation in Europe who I can trust and who can evaluate my case and help me heal the best possible way, so I can achieve my goal and put this horrible mistake behind me.

 

Thank you

[win200]

I'm not an expert, but I agree that your recipient area looks unusual--especially for three months post op. Everyone heals different, but that is not at all consistent with that I've seen this far out. Some folks still have some redness at this point, but it is usually nearly gone. It's also very uniform, not the splotchy, bumpy texture that you're presenting. Hopefully a surgeon can hop on and add some input, because I agree that you should not simply wait and see.

[EastCoast]

I am a young hair transplant victim in deep depression, desperately seeking for help and advice. I opened this thread here, because I have been a victim of a doctor who is recommended here but do not wish to share his identity yet. Once I will, I will post this to the hair restoration patent experience forum as well.

 

I wanted to share my story so others can avoid the mistakes I did. If it is too long to read but you might be able to help me or to guide me to someone who can help, please scroll down to the part where I describe my present situation. Any help is greatly appreciated. You might literally save my life.

 

My Story

I was around 17-18 years old when I started losing my hair. I always feared this moment in my life, because my brother and father both have aggressive hair loss. I was in denial, I thought this cannot happen to me, anyway, my hair color and texture is different so I will not lose my hair.

 

But of course I started to lose it. It sent me into a deep depression, it shattered my confidence and I could not focus on my life, I became obsessed with my hair loss. I was the guy, who did not want to go swimming with his friends, who hated the wind when it blew, and got freaked out when someone touched his hair. To sum up, it reduced my life quality significantly. I was always hiding, and not living life to the fullest.

My way of coping with it was to focus on my education, and vision a future when I will solve this problem and become happy again. I think that’s when I have decided to have a hair transplant at some point in my future, when it will miraculously solve everything, and life will be great again. WORST DECISION OF MY LIFE.

 

Fast forward to this year, I am 26 years old, finished university, and not yet started to build my carrier. I thought it was the perfect timing to get the hair transplant done. I thought it will boost my confidence, which is ultimately an investment in myself that will pay off in the long run. I could put some money aside, but obviously not enough to go to a top doctor.

 

So I started researching, and found a doctor who was highly recommended here, an ISHRS member, and affordable. I thought bingo, that is my guy (I don’t want to tell his name yet, but I probably will later). I sent him photos of my hair loss - probably was a norwood 3 at that time - and he recommended a FUE surgery of 2500 grafts.

 

I could barely pay for it with all my savings, but I did not care. Obviously I did not do a thorough research, I was so focused on the envisioned bright future that will come after I repaired my hair. I visited him, told him the family history of hair loss, and that I wanted something that would frame my face better, and that I do not want to take propecia for the rest of my life.

 

Obviously I was the worst candidate for the procedure. I was 26 years old with a highly receded hairline, and a family history of aggressive mpb. But I was in denial. I still had a fair amount of hair on the top of my head – or at least that is what I thought - which was long so I thought I only lost my hair in the front. But I was dead wrong.

 

The doctor took a quick look at my hair, and confirmed that I need 2500 grafts to the front, (for which I have already payed for...) He didn’t warn me about my ongoing thinning in a norwood 5 area, and neither did he tell me how much donor I have, or to be extremely conservative and careful. He either didn’t care, or did not take the time to properly assess me. I don’t know which is worse. He drew a new hairline on my head, and rushed me into a decision. Obviously I loved the new youthful hairline (who woudn’t) and believed and accepted everything he told me. Yes, I was a fool, but I think it was also unethical what he did.

 

Just a little add on: the hairline was clearly asymmetrical, I pointed it out, but I was told, that it is just a plan and they will take care of it during the operation. Major red flag, but I still believed it. I looked into a mirror after the operation and it was left asymmetrical, but I was told it just looks asymmetrical due to the swelling. I still believed it..

 

I went home, and felt happy for a while, little did I know, that the problems will just start to arise. I went through some major scabbing, but I was told it was ok. Then after I lost all my transplanted hair, I started to develop redness, pimples and red spots all over my recipient area. I was told it was ok. At some point I was told to take ciprofloxacin 500 which is an antibiotic against folliculitis, but I was told everything was fine. At this point I have to tell that I am a fairly healthy guy with no problem with healing what so ever.

Days and weeks went by but my situation did not improve, I had red spots, and inflammation in my recipient area, but I was told it is normal. I planned for 3 weeks of recovery time (as it is normal) but the weeks and months just kept on going without improvement. I had to come up with excuses, why I am avoiding my friends, and started to slip into depression from the isolation and the solitude. But the worst was still to come..

 

As my hair started to grow, for the first time in my life, I could clearly see the norwood 5 pattern which was developing, and I was angry and shocked. How could this happen? Why didn’t they tell me? Why didn’t they refuse me or at least told me to be very conservative with the hairline and the graft count? If I know what was going on, I would have never had the procedure.

 

----- PLEASE SCROLL HERE IF IT IS TOO LONG TO READ -------

 

That was it. I fell into major depression. At 3 months after the FUE surgery of 2500 grafts, I am left with an asymmetrical hairline that is way too low with red spots all over, and a butchered donor area. Yes, the donor is also ruined, either the punch size was too big, or the pattern was not careful enough but there are clear signs of overharvestation in certain areas. I am furious at the doctor and angry at myself. Why couldn’t I accept the way I looked before? Now I would give everything to undo the whole thing and just be who I was before. As it turns out, I am going to bald in a norwood 5 pattern anyway. I am suffering from major depression, I can’t sleep, I wake up every 3 hours shaking and crying. I honestly don’t know what to do, I feel like my whole life is ruined. If I didn’t have my family to support me I don’t know what could have happened...

 

I am seeking your help in desperation. What options do I have now? How could I repair the damage? Is there any way to return to how I was before? Honestly, I would not mind balding anymore, I just want to shave my head and get on with my life. I probably should have done it years ago. Hair loss is a fight that just eats you up inside, I just want to free myself from it. I just don’t want to be scarred for life due to the biggest mistake of my life.

What I have read about so far:

 

1. FUE punching out the grafts and either lose them or place them somewhere else, maybe back to my donor or on my vertex?

 

My concerns:

How much scarring would that cause? Can you FUE out the grafts without causing wounds around the hairline? Maybe if the punch is small enough? I don’t care about transection. When can I do that, I am assuming I still have to wait for wound healing and see how much of the transplanted hair will eventually grow.

 

My questions:

Who should I turn to, who is the best?

In the meanwhile, what should I do to heal the best way possible both in the donor and the recipient are? Should I avoid sunlight can I avoid hypopygmentation? Should I have ACELL therapy, I am still in the fairly early phase of the wound healing.

 

 

2. Electrolysis to remove the hair

My concerns: Wounding, discoloration of the skin?

My questions: Who should I turn to?

 

3. Laser removal of the hair.

My concerns: Wounding, discoloration of the skin?

My questions: Who should I turn to?

 

4. Fraxel laser on the recipient (and maybe donor) wounds to make the skin better.

My concerns: Wounding, discoloration of the skin?

My questions: Who should I turn to, who is the best?

 

5. SMP into the donor scars and maybe to the recipient scars once the hair is removed.

This is probably way down the road and my least concern at the moment. I can live with the donor scars for a while, I am more concerned about the problem in the front.

 

As I am 3 months post operation, I am healing, Can I do anything to heal the best possible way, so later the repair will be more successful?

 

That is the end of my story I wanted to share my story so others can avoid the mistakes I did. If you might be able to help me or to guide me to someone who can help, please do so, either here, or through email: paleocapa89@gmail.com. Any help is greatly appreciated. You might literally save my life.

 

No shortage of unethical doctors on this and other sites. Most HT's do not work; sad to say. Many newbies are ecstatic in the beginning until the consequences erupt later. I will blog my experience later. I wish to add my recipient area was so scarred FUE was NOT possible. Suicide was a pre occupation for many years but the feeling left. Donald Trump and Joe Biden got thru it.

[EastCoast]

You are right, the picture is not showing, I have created an album and uploaded some pictures there, I will add some more soon.

 

And you are also right that I should have been aware of my thinning, however, before the procedure I had long hair and I didn't know what was going on. I think it would have been the doctors responsibility to point it out to me and either refuse to operate on me or create a long term plan with me.

 

This did not happen, I have already paid for 2500 grafts in advance and when I met the doctor he just drew a new hairline on my head using up all the grafts I have paid for and rushed me into a decision. It is much more disturbing if you add the fact that I have clearly articulated that I will do anything to preserve what I have but I do not want to take Propecia for the rest of my life.

 

I know I was naive and uneducated, but I also think that the monetary gains were the most important to my doctor.

 

I did with first Doctor. Some of the doctors here are NOT real doctors or doing humanistic work. They are just soul killers, greedy and evil people. They prey on desperate and na?ve men.

Edited September 27, 2015 by EastCoast
wording

[Stig]

.

 

Paleo - can you please provide us with an update? You should be coming on 9 months right about now right? Any improvement?

Edited February 29, 2016 by Stig

[Rashid36]

Well I'm 35 years old now and some doctors have told me I'm not suitable for hair transplant

 

While others have said my hair loss is stable now that I'm 35 years old.

 

You are not the only one many places and clinics I went to for consultation did not tell me or bring to my attention future hair loss.

 

I don't know what to do but recently was thinking of risking it and getting it done.

 

Now i'm reading this and other posts and thinking again is it better to be safe then sorry?

 

See my thread:

http://www.hairrestorationnetwork.com/eve/182527-can-i-have-transplant.html