2,123 FUT Grafts with Dr. Rahal (Oct. 8, 2015; second procedure)

[zx_toth]

This is going to be a killer result ... I remember looking at my freshly minted hairline thinking 'no way thats going to be my new hairline' .... I looked at your new hairline in the pictures and giggled like a girl thinking that is going to be awesome and super dense. Congratulations, look forward to seeing your hair's evolution - or rather revolution! :-)

 

Z

[win200]

Thanks! When he drew it on, I had the same reaction--"I can't believe that's going to be my new hairline." The waiting is killing me and I look ridiculous right now, but it'll be worth it.

[win200]

I'll re-post with some pics later today, but just wanted to bump the thread to point out that there's very little-to-no action at this point. There are a few extremely wispy hairs growing, but nothing that will show up with a camera. It's a little disappointing because a lot of folks seem to have something pretty visible at this point, but I'm hanging in there. I honestly can't recall what I looked like at this point in my last procedure, so I don't have much idea what to expect at this stage post-op. Is it pretty typical to have virtually no growth at ~10 weeks?

[thatoldchestnut]

Just had a glance at your website and last time you were convinced you were going to have a bad result as late as 5 months in and by month 7/8 it looked awesome! Obviously I'm no authority but i think significant growth by week 10 is the exception, not the rule.

[win200]

Here's the left side.

[home1212]

Choosing the right surgeon for your case is 90% of the struggle - Dr. Rahal definitely has that extra "artistry" required for this type of procedure.. congrats.

[win200]

...and the right.

[win200]

Just had a glance at your website and last time you were convinced you were going to have a bad result as late as 5 months in and by month 7/8 it looked awesome! Obviously I'm no authority but i think significant growth by week 10 is the exception, not the rule.

 

Thanks, and you're right. I swore I wouldn't by hysterical this time around, but once you start getting into the stage where people experience growth it's so tough to convince yourself that something isn't amiss.

[win200]

Ugh, don't know why the pics are coming in upside down. I think it's an iPhone issue, because it happens all the time on this site. I'll see if I can correct later, but you can see what growth there is pretty clearly.

[leftygolfer71]

Looks great man!!!

[Britanium]

Looking good !

[esrec]

From everything I've been told (by SMG) and seen (I'm 10 days ahead of you) there's a ton variability.

 

It think its just as likely to see growth at month-2 as month-4, and just as likely to see nothing at month-2 as month-4. The avgs are just that.

 

I saw some hairs peak through early and now its crickets again. Purposely holding off with pics until month 3 bc my month 2 was a non-update like yours.

[win200]

From everything I've been told (by SMG) and seen (I'm 10 days ahead of you) there's a ton variability.

 

It think its just as likely to see growth at month-2 as month-4, and just as likely to see nothing at month-2 as month-4. The avgs are just that.

 

I saw some hairs peak through early and now its crickets again. Purposely holding off with pics until month 3 bc my month 2 was a non-update like yours.

 

Yeah, I know. It's just that seeing the few folks with REALLY strong early growth makes you paranoid that something's wrong.

 

And, it's not like I have *zero* growth--there are hairs growing and plenty of black dots in follicles where hair is just starting to emerge.

[Stig]

Yeah, I know. It's just that seeing the few folks with REALLY strong early growth makes you paranoid that something's wrong.

 

And, it's not like I have *zero* growth--there are hairs growing and plenty of black dots in follicles where hair is just starting to emerge.

 

Its still too early mate, the 4.5 month mark was when things started to happen for me. 2.5 months is really where the ugly duckling phase starts to wind down. We all like to believe that we are early growers. Just try avoid staring at the mirror.

[win200]

Its still too early mate, the 4.5 month mark was when things started to happen for me. 2.5 months is really where the ugly duckling phase starts to wind down. We all like to believe that we are early growers. Just try avoid staring at the mirror.

 

Thanks--really appreciate it. Despite having been through this before, it's so easy to get sucked into the paranoia vortex. It's funny--I've had a few different cosmetic procedures, and hair transplantation is BY FAR the most emotionally challenging. A rhinoplasty is much more major surgery, but at two months you have 80-90% of the final result.

[mav23100gunther]

Thanks--really appreciate it. Despite having been through this before, it's so easy to get sucked into the paranoia vortex. It's funny--I've had a few different cosmetic procedures, and hair transplantation is BY FAR the most emotionally challenging. A rhinoplasty is much more major surgery, but at two months you have 80-90% of the final result.

 

I hear you - sometime after my 1st transplant, I had Lasik performed on my eyes. It was such a great feeling when minutes before the surgery the nurse took my glasses and said I won't be needing them again. 5 minutes later I had 20/15 vision. Basically you have to keep your eyes shut for the 1st 5 hours after surgery, so you go home, fall asleep, and when I woke up I could see perfectly. Wouldn't it be great if HT procedures worked the same way, you get the procedure, go to sleep, and then when you wake up in the morning, look in the mirror and have a full head of hair.

[esrec]

Its a pretty extreme social experiment when you think about it.....

 

"Let's take a thousand men who care about their appearance and suffer from hair loss and provide them with a solution to a problem they've been consumed by for 10 or more years. Now let's draw lines on their head to show them exactly how awesome they will look in 12 months once the surgery is completed, but not before warning them that before they achieve this desired new look they'll have to suffer though pimples, shock loss, swelling, scarring, and potentially more social anxiety for 3-6 months before looking human or remotely desireable again. Oh yeah, and for good measure, we recommend you keep a good eye on your d*ck bc we're going to throw a bottle of pills at you that may or may not make you permanently limp".

 

This process is no joke. Everyone on here is a champ in my book.

[win200]

Its a pretty extreme social experiment when you think about it.....

 

"Let's take a thousand men who care about their appearance and suffer from hair loss and provide them with a solution to a problem they've been consumed by for 10 or more years. Now let's draw lines on their head to show them exactly how awesome they will look in 12 months once the surgery is completed, but not before warning them that before they achieve this desired new look they'll have to suffer though pimples, shock loss, swelling, scarring, and potentially more social anxiety for 3-6 months before looking human or remotely desireable again. Oh yeah, and for good measure, we recommend you keep a good eye on your d*ck bc we're going to throw a bottle of pills at you that may or may not make you permanently limp".

 

This process is no joke. Everyone on here is a champ in my book.

 

Exactly. I can't quantify how much time and anxiety I've expended on my hair loss--and I'm one of the LUCKY ones; I'm only a NW2 at age 33, and I responded to meds very well. I honestly don't know how some of the folks around here with advanced loss, especially at an early age, do it.

[matt3480]

It's definitely challenging. Hypothetical, how many of you would pay an extra $10-15k if a doctor guaranteed they would keep growing and not fall out (I know this isn't possible....but I bet a lot of people would pay).

[esrec]

It's definitely challenging. Hypothetical, how many of you would pay an extra $10-15k if a doctor guaranteed they would keep growing and not fall out (I know this isn't possible....but I bet a lot of people would pay).

 

Thought about a similar hypothetical. I probably would.

 

I think post-op is actually worse for those who still have alot of hair, or those who've relied heavily on masking agents to create the appearance or illusion of it.

 

If you're NW5, you've only to gain post-op. If you're NW2 and buzz some of the recipient, your pre-op look is easily 3 months away. Concealers can only do so much.

[matt3480]

Yeah, I think I would pay, too......I'm sure one day (maybe not in our lifetime) it will be do-able.

 

I'm kind of in that boat now...just got a second one for more density. Whatever, it's winter, wear hats a lot anyways....I just know I have a hell of a lot more hair than I did this time last year.

[win200]

I took these on Wednesday, just one day shy of my thirteen week mark. The growth looks a little more extensive in person, and you can definitely see the hairline taking shape. The appearance changes very literally every day, and you can see lots of fine hairs sprouting. I'm really optimistic about how this progressing. I've definitely had some shock loss around the native hair, but it's relatively minor and should start recovering soon. Still some redness.

 

The growth is definitely starting at the sides--i.e., the slick areas in the temple corners--and is only now starting to creep inwards toward the tip of my widow's peak. Interesting that that's the growth pattern on both sides.

[esrec]

You've got some good peakage (is that a word?) going on We're on similar time frames. I'll be 3.5 months, in a week. Lots peaking and very different rates. It's wildly unpredictable week to week.

 

Hows the donor looking/feeling?

[win200]

A tiny bit of numbness in the donor, but going away quickly. My scar is not fantastic, but that's not Rahal's fault--my scar from the first procedure was just meh, so surprising. The part above my right ear is wider than the rest. The entire scar is pretty red still.

 

Is your growth looking pretty similar?

[leftygolfer71]

I took these on Wednesday, just one day shy of my thirteen week mark. The growth looks a little more extensive in person, and you can definitely see the hairline taking shape. The appearance changes very literally every day, and you can see lots of fine hairs sprouting. I'm really optimistic about how this progressing. I've definitely had some shock loss around the native hair, but it's relatively minor and should start recovering soon. Still some redness.

 

The growth is definitely starting at the sides--i.e., the slick areas in the temple corners--and is only now starting to creep inwards toward the tip of my widow's peak. Interesting that that's the growth pattern on both sides.

 

Looks great man!