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

[win200]

I'm sitting in the very nice guest house next to Dr. Rahal's clinic recovering from a 2,123 graft strip procedure (my second) on Thursday, October 9. The entire experience has been as easy and pleasant as surgery can be, and I have nothing but positive things to say about Dr. Rahal and his staff and facility. I'll add more details in the sections below; my previous pictures, both from before and after my first procedure, are in the link below. I'm getting my immediate pre- and post-op pics from Dr. Rahal's office, as well as my graft breakdown count, this coming week. I'll update then.

 

Hair Restoration Websites

 

Background

 

I had a 1,450 FUT procedure in June 2012 with Dr. Robert Niedbalski in Seattle, where I live. I was a NW II prior to the procedure and was not on a DHT inhibitor. My procedure turned out well, especially for a surgeon that's not a member of this community. However, Dr. Niedbalski barely discussed hairline design with me, and implanted a very steep V-shaped hairline that I never cared for (pics in the link above). I wanted a lower and flatter hairline, and after years of research I settled on Dr. Rahal.

 

I also began using Proscar, Nizoral/Regenepure, and Rogaine in September 2012. (Dr. Niedbalski did not mention getting on a DHT inhibitor prior to surgery.) I decided to "upgrade" to Avodart in mid-2013, and I currently take both Proscar and Avodart. That seems redundant, I know, but there's at least one study that suggests that they complement one another and have a greater inhibitory effect when used in tandem. The medications slowed my loss dramatically, if not halted it altogether. I cannot really tell a difference between my hair now and its appearance after full growth from my first surgery. If there has been any loss, it has been extremely minor and virtually undetectable.

 

My Experience with Dr. Rahal

 

I did an online consultation with Dr. Rahal in mid-2014, and we settled on a 2,000 graft procedure. As I explained, I wanted to boost the density a bit from my first procedure and then flatten and reshape the hairline. I dislike the V shape, and the angulation of the grafts from the first procedure was a bit off. The grafts were placed too perpendicular to my scale and stood straight out--I couldn't comb my hair down and have it lay on my forehead. I wanted that corrected.

 

I flew to Ottawa from Seattle two days before my procedure so I could make my pre-op appointment the day before. At my pre-op, Dr. Rahal listened to me explain my goals, then examined my donor and recipient areas. He spent about half and hour drawing and re-drawing the hairline, which I appreciated. I pushed him to work on my right temple a bit more; it has always (since I was a kid) been weaker than the left, so he spent a bit of time combing through that area and outlining where he was going to reinforce it. Once the hairline was finished, I was done for the day.

 

On the day of the surgery, I arrived at 5:30am. Dr. Rahal had to leave that afternoon to travel, so he wanted plenty of time with me to avoid being rushed; I was his only patient for the day. The procedure was extremely straightforward; strip excision took roughly 30 minutes and was completely painless. Even the numbing process was barely a pinch. After the strip was removed, the rest of the staff left to dissect the grafts and Dr. Rahal and I chatted while he made the incisions. He has a pretty reserved demeanor that's very analytical and cautious; he doesn't project any of the arrogance or aloofness that sometimes comes with plastic surgeons. He was pretty candid with his thoughts about the industry and his practice, which I appreciated. (I'll keep those private out of respect for his candor.) I couldn't feel a thing while he made the incisions.

 

Once he wrapped things up, a swarm of techs descended on me on started implantation while I watched a movie and listened to music. His lead tech led the entire process and kept an eagle eye on everything that was happening; she was especially watchful of the front edge of the hairline and was inspecting all the grafts placed. She's been with Dr. Rahal for a long, long time ("I'd need a calculator to tell you how long," she said), and his pickiness has clearly trickled down. I started to regain some sensation after about 90 minutes, so Dr. Rahal re-numbed me.

 

The entire thing wrapped up by about noon. Dr. Rahal sat down with me while I ate lunch and gave me his cell phone number so I could get in touch while he was traveling. His assistants took post-op pics and went over aftercare, then gave me my care package and walked me the whopping 50 feet to the guesthouse. I had a post-op appointment the next day to go over cleaning procedures and make sure everything looked up to par.

 

The Guesthouse

 

Here's the best thing about going to Dr. Rahal, aside from the great work: the guesthouse. The guesthouse sits immediately next door from the clinic, so it's a whopping fifteen second commute back and forth. The house is brand new; the clinic moved last year and both the clinic and guest house were new construction). The house is a large common area (roughly 1,000 square) feet with an open kitchen, living room, and dining nook. There are five guest rooms, each with their own bathroom, that open off the common space. The fridge is stocked with breakfast food--milk, juices, eggs, etc., and there are some other things, like bread, provided. There's a fireplace, an entertainment system with Netflix, and a washer/dryer. I'll upload some pics soon, but suffice to say that it's gorgeous--really nice finishes and furniture all around.

 

The great thing about the guesthouse is the camaraderie. There were four other guys staying there when I arrived, and we hit it off right away. They were all in various post-op stages (two FUT and two FUE), and they let me take a look at their work. They inspected me, too, and looked at my first scar. I had my first procedure locally, so I went right back home and resumed my life. But I can't imagine traveling and recovering in a hotel room in isolation, surrounded by people who'll look at you funny if you poke your head outside the room. At the guesthouse, though, you're all in the same boat, and you can socialize without feeling self conscious. We walked around the house with the grafts exposed, ordered take out together, and took walks to Starbucks to stave off cabin fever. One of the guys even stayed a few extra days because he was having such a good time. I can't recommend the guesthouse highly enough; it's a huge, huge benefit of going to Dr. Rahal. (Doesn't hurt that it's also dirt cheap.)

 

 

All in all, I had a great experience. I'm following the aftercare to a T and feel pretty close to 100%, aside from the tug at the back of my scalp from the scars. I'll update regularly. The attached pics are all 1-3 days post-op.

[thatoldchestnut]

Congratulations Win. I will be very curious to see how you get on, was considering Rahal for a similar procedure myself since i love his hairline aesthetics. Pretty sure you'll have godlike hair when this grows in

 

All the best!

[rev333]

I'm sitting in the very nice guest house next to Dr. Rahal's clinic recovering from a 2,123 graft strip procedure (my second) on Thursday, October 9. The entire experience has been as easy and pleasant as surgery can be, and I have nothing but positive things to say about Dr. Rahal and his staff and facility. I'll add more details in the sections below; my previous pictures, both from before and after my first procedure, are in the link below. I'm getting my immediate pre- and post-op pics from Dr. Rahal's office, as well as my graft breakdown count, this coming week. I'll update then.

 

Hair Restoration Websites

 

Background

 

I had a 1,450 FUT procedure in June 2012 with Dr. Robert Niedbalski in Seattle, where I live. I was a NW II prior to the procedure and was not on a DHT inhibitor. My procedure turned out well, especially for a surgeon that's not a member of this community. However, Dr. Niedbalski barely discussed hairline design with me, and implanted a very steep V-shaped hairline that I never cared for (pics in the link above). I wanted a lower and flatter hairline, and after years of research I settled on Dr. Rahal.

 

I also began using Proscar, Nizoral/Regenepure, and Rogaine in September 2012. (Dr. Niedbalski did not mention getting on a DHT inhibitor prior to surgery.) I decided to "upgrade" to Avodart in mid-2013, and I currently take both Proscar and Avodart. That seems redundant, I know, but there's at least one study that suggests that they complement one another and have a greater inhibitory effect when used in tandem. The medications slowed my loss dramatically, if not halted it altogether. I cannot really tell a difference between my hair now and its appearance after full growth from my first surgery. If there has been any loss, it has been extremely minor and virtually undetectable.

 

My Experience with Dr. Rahal

 

I did an online consultation with Dr. Rahal in mid-2014, and we settled on a 2,000 graft procedure. As I explained, I wanted to boost the density a bit from my first procedure and then flatten and reshape the hairline. I dislike the V shape, and the angulation of the grafts from the first procedure was a bit off. The grafts were placed too perpendicular to my scale and stood straight out--I couldn't comb my hair down and have it lay on my forehead. I wanted that corrected.

 

I flew to Ottawa from Seattle two days before my procedure so I could make my pre-op appointment the day before. At my pre-op, Dr. Rahal listened to me explain my goals, then examined my donor and recipient areas. He spent about half and hour drawing and re-drawing the hairline, which I appreciated. I pushed him to work on my right temple a bit more; it has always (since I was a kid) been weaker than the left, so he spent a bit of time combing through that area and outlining where he was going to reinforce it. Once the hairline was finished, I was done for the day.

 

On the day of the surgery, I arrived at 5:30am. Dr. Rahal had to leave that afternoon to travel, so he wanted plenty of time with me to avoid being rushed; I was his only patient for the day. The procedure was extremely straightforward; strip excision took roughly 30 minutes and was completely painless. Even the numbing process was barely a pinch. After the strip was removed, the rest of the staff left to dissect the grafts and Dr. Rahal and I chatted while he made the incisions. He has a pretty reserved demeanor that's very analytical and cautious; he doesn't project any of the arrogance or aloofness that sometimes comes with plastic surgeons. He was pretty candid with his thoughts about the industry and his practice, which I appreciated. (I'll keep those private out of respect for his candor.) I couldn't feel a thing while he made the incisions.

 

Once he wrapped things up, a swarm of techs descended on me on started implantation while I watched a movie and listened to music. His lead tech led the entire process and kept an eagle eye on everything that was happening; she was especially watchful of the front edge of the hairline and was inspecting all the grafts placed. She's been with Dr. Rahal for a long, long time ("I'd need a calculator to tell you how long," she said), and his pickiness has clearly trickled down. I started to regain some sensation after about 90 minutes, so Dr. Rahal re-numbed me.

 

The entire thing wrapped up by about noon. Dr. Rahal sat down with me while I ate lunch and gave me his cell phone number so I could get in touch while he was traveling. His assistants took post-op pics and went over aftercare, then gave me my care package and walked me the whopping 50 feet to the guesthouse. I had a post-op appointment the next day to go over cleaning procedures and make sure everything looked up to par.

 

The Guesthouse

 

Here's the best thing about going to Dr. Rahal, aside from the great work: the guesthouse. The guesthouse sits immediately next door from the clinic, so it's a whopping fifteen second commute back and forth. The house is brand new; the clinic moved last year and both the clinic and guest house were new construction). The house is a large common area (roughly 1,000 square) feet with an open kitchen, living room, and dining nook. There are five guest rooms, each with their own bathroom, that open off the common space. The fridge is stocked with breakfast food--milk, juices, eggs, etc., and there are some other things, like bread, provided. There's a fireplace, an entertainment system with Netflix, and a washer/dryer. I'll upload some pics soon, but suffice to say that it's gorgeous--really nice finishes and furniture all around.

 

The great thing about the guesthouse is the camaraderie. There were four other guys staying there when I arrived, and we hit it off right away. They were all in various post-op stages (two FUT and two FUE), and they let me take a look at their work. They inspected me, too, and looked at my first scar. I had my first procedure locally, so I went right back home and resumed my life. But I can't imagine traveling and recovering in a hotel room in isolation, surrounded by people who'll look at you funny if you poke your head outside the room. At the guesthouse, though, you're all in the same boat, and you can socialize without feeling self conscious. We walked around the house with the grafts exposed, ordered take out together, and took walks to Starbucks to stave off cabin fever. One of the guys even stayed a few extra days because he was having such a good time. I can't recommend the guesthouse highly enough; it's a huge, huge benefit of going to Dr. Rahal. (Doesn't hurt that it's also dirt cheap.)

 

 

All in all, I had a great experience. I'm following the aftercare to a T and feel pretty close to 100%, aside from the tug at the back of my scalp from the scars. I'll update regularly. The attached pics are all 1-3 days post-op.

 

hey win

 

congratulations on your HT2

 

i remember you from a couple of years ago deliberating on the logistics of your next surgery

 

looks like you have a WINner here

 

happy growing

[win200]

hey win

 

congratulations on your HT2

 

i remember you from a couple of years ago deliberating on the logistics of your next surgery

 

looks like you have a WINner here

 

happy growing

 

Thanks! Just playing the waiting game now. The scabs are starting to fall off, including some of the transplanted shafts.

 

I'm not nearly as red as I was last time around, which is interesting.

[win200]

Updating with the pics taken pre-op and post-op by the clinic, including with the new hairline drawn on. Rahal reinforced the entire right temple point, which was a bit sparse compared to the left. My left temple has always been sharp and dense, but the right has been rounded and a little see-through since high school, and the asymmetry has always bothered me. He brought both temples in quite a bit at the top. My forehead is pretty swollen in the post ops, which makes the hairline look uneven. After the procedure I actually thought that Dr. Rahal had accidentally made the right side of the hairline visibly higher than the left, but it was just lopsided swelling. That'll teach me to doubt.

[Masato]

Big improvement of the hairline compared to before, congrats! Thank you for documenting your experience. What made you decide not to go with Dr. Konior in the end?

[Windjammer]

You've got some killer pre-op hair, Win! No doubt you'll end up how you want after this procedure grows in.

 

What did Rahal think of your first scar? Do you still have enough elasticity for future procedures, if you needed them?

Edited October 19, 2015 by Windjammer

[Dolph1969]

I wish I had your pre op hairline . lol.

 

You have great features for a buzz cut.:cool::cool:

[win200]

Big improvement of the hairline compared to before, congrats! Thank you for documenting your experience. What made you decide not to go with Dr. Konior in the end?

 

It's no disrespect to Dr. Konior, who's an amazing surgeon and would also have done a great job. I've just consistently seen Dr. Rahal knock procedures like mine out of the park with that added bit of artistic finesse that he's so well known for. It's a completely subjective judgment, but I'm sure Dr. Konior would have done an excellent job as well.

[win200]

You've got some killer pre-op hair, Win! No doubt you'll end up how you want after this procedure grows in.

 

What did Rahal think of your first scar? Do you still have enough elasticity for future procedures, if you needed them?

 

Thanks! I kind of stare in disbelief at the new hairline; it's *exactly* what I wanted.

 

We actually didn't talk about further elasticity, to be honest. I don't anticipate needing another procedure for a LONG time. But there's plenty of untouched scalp on the left side; you could probably snag ~1,500 to 2,000 grafts from that side alone.

[win200]

I wish I had your pre op hairline . lol.

 

You have great features for a buzz cut.:cool::cool:

 

Haha, thanks! I'm definitely feeling lucky for what my native hair allows me to do. I'm 33, so having a pretty full head of native hair at this age lets me get a little more aggressive.

 

I definitely dig the buzz cut. I've never had it that short, but the way it frames my face with the new hairline looks really good, I think. I'd definitely like to FUE some grafts in to the scar down the road so I can conceal the scar at a 1 or 2 grade cut.

[esrec]

can I ask, how similar does this revised hairline compare to your original hairline? Did you opt for an improvement to what you were born with, or simply to bring it back? I ask because I think a lot of people struggle with this. I never had a straight hairline, so to create one would have felt off to me--where as others bring it back when its not age appropriate anymore. It ends up looking "good", just not natural in the sense that it never existed in the first place.

 

Yours looks great btw. Happy growing.

[thatoldchestnut]

can I ask, how similar does this revised hairline compare to your original hairline? Did you opt for an improvement to what you were born with, or simply to bring it back? I ask because I think a lot of people struggle with this. I never had a straight hairline, so to create one would have felt off to me--where as others bring it back when its not age appropriate anymore. It ends up looking "good", just not natural in the sense that it never existed in the first place.

 

Define "age-appropriate" as it pertains to hairlines. That's a phrase that gets thrown around a lot on this site and is essentially a euphemism for conservative, or a hairline with noticeable recession. It may be less common to see an older guy with a straight(ish) hairline but when I see one I don't think "damn, bet he wishes he had a more age-appropriate hairline".

 

Granted, i'm sure that assessment is tinged with more than a hint of my own bias, but that phrase and the idea that only hairlines with a certain amount of recession are suitable for candidates past a particular age threshold irks me. Consider guys like Jeff Bridges (perhaps not the ideal example since Bridges does have the elusive "mature" hairline, but it's still distinctly straight and youthful given his age), Richard Gere, or George Clooney. Do you think their hair is somehow inappropriate? Or are they just lucky to have fantastic hair? In my view it's definitely the latter.

[esrec]

Define "age-appropriate" as it pertains to hairlines. That's a phrase that gets thrown around a lot on this site and is essentially a euphemism for conservative, or a hairline with noticeable recession. It may be less common to see an older guy with a straight(ish) hairline but when I see one I don't think "damn, bet he wishes he had a more age-appropriate hairline".

 

Granted, i'm sure that assessment is tinged with more than a hint of my own bias, but that phrase and the idea that only hairlines with a certain amount of recession are suitable for candidates past a particular age threshold irks me. Consider guys like Jeff Bridges (perhaps not the ideal example since Bridges does have the elusive "mature" hairline, but it's still distinctly straight and youthful given his age), Richard Gere, or George Clooney. Do you think their hair is somehow inappropriate? Or are they just lucky to have fantastic hair, In my view it's definitely the latter.

 

My question is relative to the person and degree of loss. if someone was almost entirely bald at 40 and had a perfect hairline at 50, that wouldnt be age-inappropriate. If they had a small degree of loss and revived the hairline to its original place, it would absolutely be appropriate. Not at all implying a certain hairline is warranted for a certain age, rather a level of naturalness applied by the degree loss. Conservatism not implied in my statement.

 

For Win--I'm curious simply if the revised hairline he's just achieved is A) where his hairline original was B) an enhanced version of his orginal hairline or C) a middle point. He's young enough and had so much hair any of these would be appropriate in his case.

 

I think the term is used because most people want to appear like this happened naturally, and not part of some major transformation--which defeats the purpose for many.

[thatoldchestnut]

My question is relative to the person and degree of loss. if someone was almost entirely bald at 40 and had a perfect hairline at 50, that wouldnt be age-inappropriate. If they had a small degree of loss and revived the hairline to its original place, it would absolutely be appropriate. Not at all implying a certain hairline is warranted for a certain age, rather a level of naturalness applied by the degree loss. Conservatism not implied in my statement.

 

For Win--I'm curious simply if the revised hairline he's just achieved is A) where his hairline original was B) an enhanced version of his orginal hairline or C) a middle point. He's young enough and had so much hair any of these would be appropriate in his case.

 

I think the term is used because most people want to appear like this happened naturally, and not part of some majr transformation--would defeats the purpose for many.

 

Fair enough, I guess I misinterpreted what you meant. Forgive me

[esrec]

Fair enough, I guess I misinterpreted what you meant. Forgive me

 

totally fair statement. youre right, its thrown around a lot and often generically without explanation.

[win200]

My question is relative to the person and degree of loss. if someone was almost entirely bald at 40 and had a perfect hairline at 50, that wouldnt be age-inappropriate. If they had a small degree of loss and revived the hairline to its original place, it would absolutely be appropriate. Not at all implying a certain hairline is warranted for a certain age, rather a level of naturalness applied by the degree loss. Conservatism not implied in my statement.

 

For Win--I'm curious simply if the revised hairline he's just achieved is A) where his hairline original was B) an enhanced version of his orginal hairline or C) a middle point. He's young enough and had so much hair any of these would be appropriate in his case.

 

I think the term is used because most people want to appear like this happened naturally, and not part of some major transformation--which defeats the purpose for many.

 

Honestly, I have a hard time remembering what my hairline looked like before my corners receded. But my new hairline is flatter and lower than I've had in a long time. I found a high school pic the other day, and there was somewhat of a V shape, and the overall hairline was reasonably high. So yes, this is an improvement on what I originally had.

[esrec]

Honestly, I have a hard time remembering what my hairline looked like before my corners receded. But my new hairline is flatter and lower than I've had in a long time. I found a high school pic the other day, and there was somewhat of a V shape, and the overall hairline was reasonably high. So yes, this is an improvement on what I originally had.

 

Fair enough--Thank you. Was mostly curious how much you used previous hairline to gauge this one because it looks solid.

 

I brought in pictures pre-op of me at age 22, 25, 28, and now 34 so doc could see the de-evolution of mine. hopefully that proves useful in a few months.

[win200]

Back at work today about 2.5 weeks after surgery. The recipient area is pink and patchy now that the transplanted hairs are shedding. One side has shed much more than the other and is fairly bare. Because my entire head was buzzed to almost nothing, my scar--which is still red--shows through. It's actually pretty liberating when you decide to just go outside and say "screw it." No one has blinked or mentioned anything--life goes on, and most people notice far less than you imagine they will.

 

I'll update with pics soon.

[esrec]

Good for you Win. Jealous that you can go out in public. To your credit, you had/have a pretty health head of hair to start with. I think once I shed I'll be ok to lightly mask w agents and remove the hat, but I look pretty f'n awkward at the moment.

 

Anything else notable to report or feeling pretty good?

[DaveyB]

Why did you choose FUT over FUE? Looks great btw

[Stig]

Back at work today about 2.5 weeks after surgery. The recipient area is pink and patchy now that the transplanted hairs are shedding. One side has shed much more than the other and is fairly bare. Because my entire head was buzzed to almost nothing, my scar--which is still red--shows through. It's actually pretty liberating when you decide to just go outside and say "screw it." No one has blinked or mentioned anything--life goes on, and most people notice far less than you imagine they will.

 

I'll update with pics soon.

 

Hey buddy, do you have any pics of the guesthouse?

[win200]

Good for you Win. Jealous that you can go out in public. To your credit, you had/have a pretty health head of hair to start with. I think once I shed I'll be ok to lightly mask w agents and remove the hat, but I look pretty f'n awkward at the moment.

 

Anything else notable to report or feeling pretty good?

 

Nah, totally uneventful. Still some redness, still uneven graft shedding, so I feel pretty stupid. I just own it at this point, though, and I'm living life normally. Six months from now it'll all be in the rearview. If a little bit of anxiousness about my scalp is the worst thing I've got going in my life, I'm doing pretty good.

[win200]

Why did you choose FUT over FUE? Looks great btw

 

Thanks! I went FUT for a few reasons. First, I already had a scar. I could have done FUE and just dropped some grafts in the old scar to cover, but already having the gash made the choice easier. Second, I never wanted to question graft yield if the growth wasn't flawless. I know that lots of surgeons, Rahal included, get excellent FUE yields. But as it's been pointed out, FUE yields CAN ONLY be lower than FUT yields. I don't want an FUE result that left me wondering "what if." Third, cost. I know we don't make decisions for surgery based on cost, but I could afford to go to one of the very best surgeons on Earth and get a transplant with the "gold standard" method--FUT. I couldn't afford the same number of grafts via FUE. So it just reinforced my already-made decision to go for a longer FUT scar. Fourth, I can mask the scar later. Once the scar is matured, i.e., about a year, I can have some FUE grafts dropped into it to diffuse the scar. This isn't a magic wand that makes the scar disappear, but can dramatically reduce the scar's appear and allow me to wear my hair shorter. Frankly, I don't know why more folks don't do this. It doesn't require that many grafts, so the fees aren't bad. Plenty of surgeons have posted great scar camouflage results with FUE (Drs. Lindsey and Feller come to mind, and there are many others). That lets me have my cake and eat it too, to a certain extent.

[win200]

Hey buddy, do you have any pics of the guesthouse?

 

I haven't had time to upload them yet, but I think you saw some on a different thread this morning that LeftyGolfer uploaded. (His are better than mine, anyway.) Let me know if you didn't see his!