Senior Member hairlosscpa Posted September 21, 2015 Senior Member Share Posted September 21, 2015 (edited) Hello All, On September 18, 2015, I had a 2,500 graft FUE procedure with Dr. Michael Vories of Carolina Hair Surgery in Charleston, SC, focusing on the hairline, mid-scalp, and conceal a FUT scar. I had a great experience with him and would like to share my journey and document my progress through this thread. Background I am 27 years old. In October 2012, I had a 1704 graft FUT procedure focused on my hairline and mid-scalp with a Coalition doctor in NY. The results were good but as a I stopped using Propecia, my hairloss naturally progressed and I decided to take the plunge once more. The reason I chose FUE was due to my fine hair and the FUT scar, although relatively thin, was noticeable with a grade 4 cut. Based on Dr. Vories regular stellar results and quick response time, I decided to book a procedure with him. Pre-Op I drove from Philadelphia to Charleston, SC the night before. With breaks, the total drive time was close to 11 hours. The drive wasn't bad considering I was on I-95 for most of the drive with minimal traffic. Plus I knew I would not want to be around strangers post-op if I took public transportation. I arrived at the clinic around 6:30am the next day (9/18) for my pre-op consult with Dr. Vories. He was very laid back and knowledgeable and answered every question my Mom (who joined me on the trip) and I had. I was put to ease after talking to him, and throughout the entire day when I had any doubts or questioned him about anything, he answered with care and patience. After the pre-op consult, I paid for the procedure with the Clinic Manager, Mike Frame. Afterwards, Mike took pre-op pictures and then I received a wash from Dr. Vories' technician (Vicki). Dr. Vories spent time drawing the hairline and discussing with me my goals and expectations, using a ruler to make sure the hairline was even and consistently analyzed his drawing through different angles, until we were both satisfied. This showed me that he was passionate about his work. This was very different with my FUT doctor in NY who drew a hairline and convinced me that this is all that can be done and I should trust him. Dr. Vories made me feel like my opinion mattered and I was very happy with that. I had my hair buzzed and the surgery started. Surgery Overall, the surgery itself was not bad at all. The worst part were the injections which at times seemed endless, especially in the occipital area where it hurt the most. However, the extraction and placement of the grafts were pain-free. Dr. Vories had a huge library of movies and during the implanting phase, I watched Captain America 2 and Superman (BTW Dr. Vories knows his superheroes and was able to hold conversation even with an avid enthusiast such as myself, haha). Lunch About every hour or so, Dr. Vories made sure he took a break to give me time to hydrate and stretch while simultaneously giving him time to rest his eyes and relax. This made me feel better throughout the procedure as I was constantly comfortable physically and mentally knowing that the Dr. who is performing the procedure is always rested and focused. As Dr. Vories only works on one patient per day, my mom and I had lunch with him and his staff. We all just casually talked and it was like spending time with family/friends. This was a great experience which made me feel comfortable. Very different experience than my FUT procedure where the Doctor worked on 2/3 patients and was running back and forth to different rooms. The initial goal was to extract 2,800 grafts, 300 of those grafts from the beard area to conceal the FUT scar. However, when Dr. Vories evaluated my beard area, I was surprised to hear that due to the density and the angle of the beard hair, it would be a disservice if he extracted 300 grafts as the beard area would look abnormal once healed and could leave visible scarring due to the increase in punch size he would need to extract the grafts. I was glad he was honest with me and we opted to use about 150 of the 2,500 scalp grafts to conceal the few areas where the strip scar had stretched. Dr. Vories performs all the extractions and placements himself. His technician loads his implanter pen. Post-Op We finished the procedure around 4pm, 2 hours earlier than expected. Dr. Vories took immediate post-op pictures and discussed the after care procedures with me in detail. Dr. Vories generously offered to meet with me the next day (Saturday) to make sure all was well, as he was performing a procedure that day. I spent the night in Charleston and was very sore, but took the pain meds and sleeping medication and slept well through the night. The next day I met with Dr. Vories, and surprisingly had no significant pain. Dr. Vories told me everything looked well, I asked him a few final questions and hit the road back to Philadelphia. On Sunday, I texted him with a question and he responded immediately. Could not appreciate that more! Currently (3 days post-op), I have some forehead and nose swelling. I look downright comical and my wife is getting a lot of laughs out of it, haha. However, I have no significant pain that some ibuprofen once or twice a day can't fix. Summary Overall, my experience with Dr. Vories was great. I was a little surprised that the pain with FUE during the procedure was more than FUT, but the minimal pain post-op, the lack of linear scarring and the personal treatment of the Doctor and staff made it all worth it. I plan to take Propecia, .25mg every other day. Please see my pics attached. Pre-Op, immediate post-op, 1-2 days post op.Thanks! Edited September 21, 2015 by hairlosscpa 1st Procedure, Oct. 2012 - 1,704 grafts FUT w/Dr. True 2nd Procedure, Sept. 2015 - 2500 grafts FUE w/Dr. Vories FUE Progress - http://www.hairrestorationnetwork.com/eve/180966-my-experience-w-dr-vories-2-500-grafts.html FUE 1 year result - http://www.hairrestorationnetwork.com/eve/184716-1-year-results-2-500-grafts-w-dr-vories.html Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Regular Member destorius Posted September 21, 2015 Regular Member Share Posted September 21, 2015 Work looks clean. You had a great result with the scar on the original FUT! I hope you tolerate fin this time as that is key to your results holding up over time. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Senior Member hairlosscpa Posted September 22, 2015 Author Senior Member Share Posted September 22, 2015 Work looks clean. You had a great result with the scar on the original FUT! I hope you tolerate fin this time as that is key to your results holding up over time. I agree, hopefully I get minimal to no sides with the small doses of Fin. My thought is that a little is better than nothing for the long term of my hair.Thanks for your comment! 1st Procedure, Oct. 2012 - 1,704 grafts FUT w/Dr. True 2nd Procedure, Sept. 2015 - 2500 grafts FUE w/Dr. Vories FUE Progress - http://www.hairrestorationnetwork.com/eve/180966-my-experience-w-dr-vories-2-500-grafts.html FUE 1 year result - http://www.hairrestorationnetwork.com/eve/184716-1-year-results-2-500-grafts-w-dr-vories.html Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Senior Member win200 Posted September 22, 2015 Senior Member Share Posted September 22, 2015 Looks great--very clean work, and Dr. Vories is one of the few surgeons I would even think about letting touch me for FUE. The scar didn't look very stretched to me, but it did look unusually long for 1,700 grafts. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Senior Member hairlosscpa Posted September 22, 2015 Author Senior Member Share Posted September 22, 2015 Looks great--very clean work, and Dr. Vories is one of the few surgeons I would even think about letting touch me for FUE. The scar didn't look very stretched to me, but it did look unusually long for 1,700 grafts. The goal with the FUT procedure was to get 2000+ grafts. However, only 1700 were extracted which I guess explains the longer scar. Thanks for your comment! 1st Procedure, Oct. 2012 - 1,704 grafts FUT w/Dr. True 2nd Procedure, Sept. 2015 - 2500 grafts FUE w/Dr. Vories FUE Progress - http://www.hairrestorationnetwork.com/eve/180966-my-experience-w-dr-vories-2-500-grafts.html FUE 1 year result - http://www.hairrestorationnetwork.com/eve/184716-1-year-results-2-500-grafts-w-dr-vories.html Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Regular Member justmiket Posted September 22, 2015 Regular Member Share Posted September 22, 2015 Looks great. I am also from Philly and just had my surgery done with Dr. Vories. I am actually still in Mt. Pleasant. I had 1500 grafts in hairline and mid-scalp. He told me someone from Philadelphia was just here. I figured I would find out who it was on here. Lol. I had a great experience as well. Happy Growing buddy.... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Senior Member hairlosscpa Posted September 22, 2015 Author Senior Member Share Posted September 22, 2015 Looks great. I am also from Philly and just had my surgery done with Dr. Vories. I am actually still in Mt. Pleasant. I had 1500 grafts in hairline and mid-scalp. He told me someone from Philadelphia was just here. I figured I would find out who it was on here. Lol. I had a great experience as well. Happy Growing buddy.... Haha, I think I saw you on the chair for a split second during your extraction phase when I was looking for Dr. Vories for my follow-up visit. Glad you had a great experience too man. He said he had a patient on Saturday but never mentioned you were from Philadelphia too. Good luck growing! 1st Procedure, Oct. 2012 - 1,704 grafts FUT w/Dr. True 2nd Procedure, Sept. 2015 - 2500 grafts FUE w/Dr. Vories FUE Progress - http://www.hairrestorationnetwork.com/eve/180966-my-experience-w-dr-vories-2-500-grafts.html FUE 1 year result - http://www.hairrestorationnetwork.com/eve/184716-1-year-results-2-500-grafts-w-dr-vories.html Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Regular Member Windjammer Posted September 22, 2015 Regular Member Share Posted September 22, 2015 Did you give any thought to using chest hair for the FUT scar? How much donor did Vories think you have left after having ~4,200 grafts extracted? Looking forward to your updates! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Senior Member hairlosscpa Posted September 22, 2015 Author Senior Member Share Posted September 22, 2015 Did you give any thought to using chest hair for the FUT scar? How much donor did Vories think you have left after having ~4,200 grafts extracted? Looking forward to your updates! Yes I did consider chest hair to conceal the scar; however, this was not suggested by Dr. Vories and I have never seen a case where he uses hair other than beard hair on a patient. I did ask Dr. Vories about my donor capacity for future procedures and he said he would be able to give me a better answer depending on how I heal. So I do not have a definite answer. If my donor is exhausted I would go the BHT route. Hopefully that's not the case and I plan to ask Dr. Vories again soon. Thanks! 1st Procedure, Oct. 2012 - 1,704 grafts FUT w/Dr. True 2nd Procedure, Sept. 2015 - 2500 grafts FUE w/Dr. Vories FUE Progress - http://www.hairrestorationnetwork.com/eve/180966-my-experience-w-dr-vories-2-500-grafts.html FUE 1 year result - http://www.hairrestorationnetwork.com/eve/184716-1-year-results-2-500-grafts-w-dr-vories.html Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Senior Member TakingThePlunge Posted September 23, 2015 Senior Member Share Posted September 23, 2015 Congrats! I can only echo what's already been said. The work looks to notch! Heal and grow well! David - Former Forum Co-Moderator and Editorial Assistant I am not a medical professional. All opinions are my own and my advice should not constitute as medical advice. View my Hair Loss Website Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Senior Member hairlosscpa Posted September 23, 2015 Author Senior Member Share Posted September 23, 2015 Congrats! I can only echo what's already been said. The work looks to notch! Heal and grow well! Thanks David! About 4/5 days post-op. Donor area has some burning sensation but I have been taking ibuprofen once a day, probably less than I should be. Fortunately, no other major issues. 1st Procedure, Oct. 2012 - 1,704 grafts FUT w/Dr. True 2nd Procedure, Sept. 2015 - 2500 grafts FUE w/Dr. Vories FUE Progress - http://www.hairrestorationnetwork.com/eve/180966-my-experience-w-dr-vories-2-500-grafts.html FUE 1 year result - http://www.hairrestorationnetwork.com/eve/184716-1-year-results-2-500-grafts-w-dr-vories.html Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Senior Member hairlosscpa Posted September 25, 2015 Author Senior Member Share Posted September 25, 2015 (edited) I noticed this gap by my hairline 4 days post-op. I sent Dr. Vories the pics attached which were taken yesterday, 6 days post-op, and he was not sure what exactly caused it and said it looked like scar tissue to him. He did not say if hair would grow there or not, but I know it's only 6 days post-op which really means nothing. I have not scratched, rubbed or even wore a hat on that area. I have experienced no bleeding around that area either. Can anyone chime in and let me know if they have seen something similar? You can see my initial post-op pics in my first post. Thanks! Edited September 25, 2015 by hairlosscpa 1st Procedure, Oct. 2012 - 1,704 grafts FUT w/Dr. True 2nd Procedure, Sept. 2015 - 2500 grafts FUE w/Dr. Vories FUE Progress - http://www.hairrestorationnetwork.com/eve/180966-my-experience-w-dr-vories-2-500-grafts.html FUE 1 year result - http://www.hairrestorationnetwork.com/eve/184716-1-year-results-2-500-grafts-w-dr-vories.html Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Senior Member win200 Posted September 25, 2015 Senior Member Share Posted September 25, 2015 Hard to tell, but looks like scar tissue to me. Even if nothing grows there, though, I wouldn't worry about it--it's a small area, and many, if not most, people have irregularities like that in their hairline. The goods news is also that it would be easy to drop 5-10 FUE grafts into that area for a quick fix. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Senior Member hairlosscpa Posted September 25, 2015 Author Senior Member Share Posted September 25, 2015 Hard to tell, but looks like scar tissue to me. Even if nothing grows there, though, I wouldn't worry about it--it's a small area, and many, if not most, people have irregularities like that in their hairline. The goods news is also that it would be easy to drop 5-10 FUE grafts into that area for a quick fix. Win200, thanks for your reply, really appreciate it. You're right it would be a quick fix but something I would love to avoid. What would cause scar tissue like that? The slits that were made by the doctor that the skin didn't respond to correctly? 1st Procedure, Oct. 2012 - 1,704 grafts FUT w/Dr. True 2nd Procedure, Sept. 2015 - 2500 grafts FUE w/Dr. Vories FUE Progress - http://www.hairrestorationnetwork.com/eve/180966-my-experience-w-dr-vories-2-500-grafts.html FUE 1 year result - http://www.hairrestorationnetwork.com/eve/184716-1-year-results-2-500-grafts-w-dr-vories.html Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Senior Member hairlosscpa Posted September 27, 2015 Author Senior Member Share Posted September 27, 2015 1 week post-op 1st Procedure, Oct. 2012 - 1,704 grafts FUT w/Dr. True 2nd Procedure, Sept. 2015 - 2500 grafts FUE w/Dr. Vories FUE Progress - http://www.hairrestorationnetwork.com/eve/180966-my-experience-w-dr-vories-2-500-grafts.html FUE 1 year result - http://www.hairrestorationnetwork.com/eve/184716-1-year-results-2-500-grafts-w-dr-vories.html Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Senior Member Td06 Posted September 28, 2015 Senior Member Share Posted September 28, 2015 Looks good. can barley see your scar from the back. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Senior Member hairlosscpa Posted September 29, 2015 Author Senior Member Share Posted September 29, 2015 10 days post-op 1st Procedure, Oct. 2012 - 1,704 grafts FUT w/Dr. True 2nd Procedure, Sept. 2015 - 2500 grafts FUE w/Dr. Vories FUE Progress - http://www.hairrestorationnetwork.com/eve/180966-my-experience-w-dr-vories-2-500-grafts.html FUE 1 year result - http://www.hairrestorationnetwork.com/eve/184716-1-year-results-2-500-grafts-w-dr-vories.html Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Senior Member hairlosscpa Posted September 29, 2015 Author Senior Member Share Posted September 29, 2015 Looks good. can barley see your scar from the back. Thanks, I agree. After shaving my head for the FUE procedure I noticed my scar is not as big as I believed it was when my hair was longer. It still bothered me though so I'm hoping the grafts implanted, at least conceals the right and left side of the scar which use to bother me the most. 1st Procedure, Oct. 2012 - 1,704 grafts FUT w/Dr. True 2nd Procedure, Sept. 2015 - 2500 grafts FUE w/Dr. Vories FUE Progress - http://www.hairrestorationnetwork.com/eve/180966-my-experience-w-dr-vories-2-500-grafts.html FUE 1 year result - http://www.hairrestorationnetwork.com/eve/184716-1-year-results-2-500-grafts-w-dr-vories.html Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Regular Member justmiket Posted October 1, 2015 Regular Member Share Posted October 1, 2015 Looking good buddy!!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Senior Member hairlosscpa Posted October 2, 2015 Author Senior Member Share Posted October 2, 2015 Looking good buddy!!! Thanks man! Hope everything with you is going well. 1st Procedure, Oct. 2012 - 1,704 grafts FUT w/Dr. True 2nd Procedure, Sept. 2015 - 2500 grafts FUE w/Dr. Vories FUE Progress - http://www.hairrestorationnetwork.com/eve/180966-my-experience-w-dr-vories-2-500-grafts.html FUE 1 year result - http://www.hairrestorationnetwork.com/eve/184716-1-year-results-2-500-grafts-w-dr-vories.html Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Senior Member hairlosscpa Posted October 5, 2015 Author Senior Member Share Posted October 5, 2015 I am 16 days post-op. No pain just slight sensitivity in the donor area mostly noticeable when trying to sleep. All scabs were gone around 11 days post-op. I sent the attached pictures to Dr. Vories and he says everything looks well. I do have some shockloss in my donor area but according to Dr. Vories, this is temporary. All comments are welcomed. Thanks. 1st Procedure, Oct. 2012 - 1,704 grafts FUT w/Dr. True 2nd Procedure, Sept. 2015 - 2500 grafts FUE w/Dr. Vories FUE Progress - http://www.hairrestorationnetwork.com/eve/180966-my-experience-w-dr-vories-2-500-grafts.html FUE 1 year result - http://www.hairrestorationnetwork.com/eve/184716-1-year-results-2-500-grafts-w-dr-vories.html Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Senior Member hairlosscpa Posted October 6, 2015 Author Senior Member Share Posted October 6, 2015 (edited) Today (18 days post-op) is the first time since my procedure that I had to meet with a client in-person. Since I never have buzzed my hair and no one other than immediate family knows about my previous FUT or my current FUE procedure, it is important that I hide it to the best of my ability. Attached are pics of Couvre applied. You can see my pics without concealer in my previous post. I think it came out pretty well especially since the shockloss to my hairline has not hit yet. Btw I tried Caboki on this hair length and it looked ridiculously unnatural. If I were to go with SMP down the road, this is probably the look I'd be trying to achieve. Let me know what you guys think! Edited October 6, 2015 by hairlosscpa 1st Procedure, Oct. 2012 - 1,704 grafts FUT w/Dr. True 2nd Procedure, Sept. 2015 - 2500 grafts FUE w/Dr. Vories FUE Progress - http://www.hairrestorationnetwork.com/eve/180966-my-experience-w-dr-vories-2-500-grafts.html FUE 1 year result - http://www.hairrestorationnetwork.com/eve/184716-1-year-results-2-500-grafts-w-dr-vories.html Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Senior Member hairlosscpa Posted October 15, 2015 Author Senior Member Share Posted October 15, 2015 Attached are my pictures around 26 days post-op. Some shedding in the hairline where most of the grafts were placed and also some shockloss in the donor area. No pain or itchiness. Still taking .25mg Propecia M/W/F/Su along with an assortment of vitamins + MSM. Additionally, I apply some jojoba oil at night on my scalp which minimizes redness and dryness. Seems to be working. Feel like the days are going by so slow! 1st Procedure, Oct. 2012 - 1,704 grafts FUT w/Dr. True 2nd Procedure, Sept. 2015 - 2500 grafts FUE w/Dr. Vories FUE Progress - http://www.hairrestorationnetwork.com/eve/180966-my-experience-w-dr-vories-2-500-grafts.html FUE 1 year result - http://www.hairrestorationnetwork.com/eve/184716-1-year-results-2-500-grafts-w-dr-vories.html Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Senior Member hairlosscpa Posted November 15, 2015 Author Senior Member Share Posted November 15, 2015 (edited) Just a quick update for my 6/7 weeks post-op. I feel like my hair has grown pretty fast for under two months and I believe its due to my regimen noted in my signature below. Nearly all transplanted hairs have shed. No pain, just slight numbness in the recipient area. Attached are my pre-op, 6/7 week post-op and 1 immediate post-op pics. FYI - I have been trimming my back and sides on my own every 2 weeks Edited November 15, 2015 by hairlosscpa 1st Procedure, Oct. 2012 - 1,704 grafts FUT w/Dr. True 2nd Procedure, Sept. 2015 - 2500 grafts FUE w/Dr. Vories FUE Progress - http://www.hairrestorationnetwork.com/eve/180966-my-experience-w-dr-vories-2-500-grafts.html FUE 1 year result - http://www.hairrestorationnetwork.com/eve/184716-1-year-results-2-500-grafts-w-dr-vories.html Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Senior Member harryforreal Posted November 28, 2015 Senior Member Share Posted November 28, 2015 Thanks for regular posting! Keep us update! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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