Jump to content

Second FUE HT by Dr. Diep. 2,220 Grafts to Improve Density (4,700 grafts total)


jkm3

Recommended Posts

  • Senior Member

Hello everyone!

 

As I mentioned in my original thread, I recently underwent a second hair transplant. Although I was ecstatic with the results I achieved from my fisrt hair transplant, I experienced more hair loss in the middle portion of my scalp after I completely discontinued Minoxidil about 9 months after my first hair transplant.

 

I knew that I would lose a substantial amount of coverage by making that decision, but Minoxidil had a negative impact on my skin and having to apply it every day did not pair well with my active lifestyle.

 

Furthermore, because my hair is very fine in texture, the density at which my hair was transplanted did not result in a naturally full set of hair. I had to use various styling options to make it appear denser than it actually was. It's difficult to see from all of the photos I posted in the original thread, but you'd understand my concern if you saw me in person. The Minoxidil shed did not reach its full effect until some time after my 12 month photos were taken so it isn't evident in the photos I included in my last post.

 

Here's a link to my first hair transplant thread: 2,460 FUE Hair Transplant by Doctor John Diep - Page 6 - Forum By and for Hair Loss Patients

 

Anyway, Dr. Diep transplanted an additional 2,220 grafts on 11/17/15 (I'm on my second day post op). With my original 2,460 grafts, I now have a total of about 4,700 grafts transplanted in the frontal third of my scalp. The plan was to increase the density behind my hairline, thicken the hairline, close in my right temple point, and increase the overall density of the frontal third.

 

The photos I attached are in the following order: pre-op, immediately post op, 1 day post op, and 2nd day post op.

 

Thank you for following my case. I will try to make time to keep everyone updated as often as I can!

IMG_1513.jpg.b408fc7fca46bbb67fcc15cc4850ba32.jpg

IMG_1514.jpg.08c0e9698a349083b0a58ae0ff3c16ba.jpg

IMG_1515.jpg.ca15d79e01465a0bbf1fd426f0a543d4.jpg

IMG_1516.jpg.7300bd4301db4eb8b84c99b566d4b4ca.jpg

IMG_1517.jpg.aaf61e1ab62ea054ff34164069c3aaa9.jpg

IMG_1518.jpg.8637a0764c2127a47b01a06a61550d9d.jpg

IMG_1519.jpg.83181c50a4a39012ed25b76fd57c0f3e.jpg

IMG_1520.jpg.600bba903f343692846f32c7b41a3859.jpg

IMG_1521.jpg.df3af7179b08a8fb3363b18e8f366f8c.jpg

IMG_1522.jpg.e2476634942d6297c045cf6266c8bac5.jpg

IMG_1523.jpg.406cbb171dafb80bc30e424e5df0c186.jpg

IMG_1524.jpg.e0943afaa68eaf87eeac22b809effa13.jpg

IMG_1525.jpg.13e1b071a339ebfec455cca7645859ee.jpg

IMG_1526.jpg.5a89b7a34042be38519e99acb3bade3f.jpg

IMG_1527.jpg.aa20db2b3bd0f169160c3166883419f8.jpg

IMG_1528.jpg.470248bd5dd0d5988aa505610fc7d0d6.jpg

IMG_1529.jpg.04c32a132c8693ba85b5b2fa305f67b1.jpg

IMG_1530.jpg.843f316300b33fe8f6312f7eb20e1114.jpg

IMG_1532.jpg.da20ad98e3a4b5c7d9358decc80055f9.jpg

IMG_1533.jpg.b49b614db0619d0710f91248650fd009.jpg

IMG_1534.jpg.a34baa878b2ef6bc587732fd3b277c8f.jpg

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • Replies 133
  • Created
  • Last Reply

Top Posters In This Topic

  • Administrators

I'm 4 months post op from Dr. Diep as well, I had 2,120 grafts, in your 12 months post op photos your density looked better, are you on meds? Or was it just the lighting in those photos?


I’m a paid admin for Hair Transplant Network. I do not receive any compensation from any clinic. My comments are not medical advice.

Check out my final hair transplant and topical dutasteride journey

View my thread

Topical dutasteride journey 

Melvin- Managing Publisher and Forum Moderator for the Hair Transplant Network, the Coalition Hair Loss Learning Center, and the Hair Loss Q&A Blog.

Follow our Social Media: Facebook, Instagram, Linkedin, and YouTube.

 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • Senior Member
I'm 4 months post op from Dr. Diep as well, I had 2,120 grafts, in your 12 months post op photos your density looked better, are you on meds? Or was it just the lighting in those photos?

 

Hey there! As I mentioned in the post, I experienced a pretty bad shed after quitting minoxidil. The 12 month photos were taken in early July, which was shortly before the shed. Moreover, I had product in my hair in the 12 month photos, whereas the pre-op photos for the second hair transplant were taken without any product.

 

I've been on 0.5 mg/day of Finasteride for about a year and I recently bumped it up to 1mg/day. That is the only medication I'm currently taking for my hair loss.

 

Given that you're just four months post op, you should experience some more thickening. After my first hair transplant, I think all of my grafts emerged around 6-8 months. I did not notice any noticeable difference beyond that point.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • Senior Member

Congratulations on your second FUE with Dr. Diep. The pics look excellent. This should make a substantial impact. Best of luck!

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

  • Senior Member
You first HT results looked amazing. Congrats on your second procedure.

 

You mention your hair is fine, what is the caliber of your hair?

 

Thank you! Too bad baldness is an ongoing battle, right? Hopefully my hair loss is now more stabilized and I won't have to go in for a third transplant any time soon.

 

I really don't have a clue what caliber hair I have. Dr. Diep doesn't provide that information. I do know that I have fine, maybe medium fine hair.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • Senior Member
Congratulations on your second FUE with Dr. Diep. The pics look excellent. This should make a substantial impact. Best of luck!

 

Thank you, David! I have a question for you: at what density do you think Dr. Diep transplanted my hair?

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • Senior Member

Congrats, jkm3! I missed your first thread. Glad I spotted this one. I really like the hairline design, layout, and execution that Dr. Diep did for you this go around. Just the right amount of irregularity, IMO. Should turn out great.

 

The first picture of your collection (the one taken from below looking up at your hairline) is illuminating, especially comparing it to the 1-year post op photos that were taken with flash and before you discontinued Minoxidil. I can see why you would want additional density. Happy growing!

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • Senior Member
Congrats, jkm3! I missed your first thread. Glad I spotted this one. I really like the hairline design, layout, and execution that Dr. Diep did for you this go around. Just the right amount of irregularity, IMO. Should turn out great.

 

The first picture of your collection (the one taken from below looking up at your hairline) is illuminating, especially comparing it to the 1-year post op photos that were taken with flash and before you discontinued Minoxidil. I can see why you would want additional density. Happy growing!

 

 

Hey Pup! Thank you so much for the encouragement. I really appreciate it!

 

Yeah, the forelock area was on its way out a few years ago and Minoxidil was all that was keeping it there. My hair didn't look right with a bald spot right behind my hairline.

 

I'm hoping it fills in well a few months from now!

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • Senior Member
Is this normal where someone can do more than one FUE assuming they are under 3000 grafts? Also another positive to FUE is less pain & numbness compared to FUT?

 

Hey Kensington! Yeah, it's quite normal for people to get more than one FUE procedure. Dr. Diep has performed secondary procedures on several of his patients. I believe there's one person who has received 4 from him already.

 

Dr. Diep never does more than 3,000 grafts for FUE. He feels that more than that will affect growth. Also, it would probably take more than 12 hours for such a large procedure and that's difficult on him and the patient.

 

I don't know too much about FUT, but it appears that healing in the donor area takes significantly longer. I'm just 9 days post op and I no longer have any open wounds; the donor area is completely healed, but it's still red and will be that way for a few more weeks. Also, my head is barely numb at this point. What's interesting is that I think I healed much quicker this time around. I was still really numb at two weeks post of after my first surgery. But this time around, it's only 9 days post op and I have maybe 20% numbness left.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • Senior Member

I'm now 9 days post op and decided to post an update for those following this thread.

 

I feel really good about my recovery. I no longer have any scabs on my head and my donor area is no longer numb. It is however slightly sensitive still.

 

I took care of myself really well up to this point. I didn't have any bleeding at all after surgery until now. I also didn't have much scab formation. The donor area healed after 6 days and the light yellow scabs that formed on my recipient area completely came off today. I didn't touch my recipient area at all until exactly 9 days post op (today). I spent just 20 minutes gently massaging my scalp while washing my hair with warm water and shampoo. Before today, I only rinsed my hair with water and Grafcyte shampoo. But I did that 2-3 times a day.

 

Included in this post are photos of what my recipient and donor area currently looks like.

image.jpg.4dd0e318c800c7e07bba25f9a6e200c8.jpg

IMG_1739.jpg.719434332637b52efdd1a846a6382ac8.jpg

IMG_1733.jpg.846e1a41107c981de2510be00777e646.jpg

Edited by jkm3
Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 3 weeks later...
I'm now 9 days post op and decided to post an update for those following this thread.

 

I feel really good about my recovery. I no longer have any scabs on my head and my donor area is no longer numb. It is however slightly sensitive still.

 

I took care of myself really well up to this point. I didn't have any bleeding at all after surgery until now. I also didn't have much scab formation. The donor area healed after 6 days and the light yellow scabs that formed on my recipient area completely came off today. I didn't touch my recipient area at all until exactly 9 days post op (today). I spent just 20 minutes gently massaging my scalp while washing my hair with warm water and shampoo. Before today, I only rinsed my hair with water and Grafcyte shampoo. But I did that 2-3 times a day.

 

Included in this post are photos of what my recipient and donor area currently looks like.

 

Looking great thanks for the update.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • Senior Member

Hey there. It's been 1 month and three days since my surgery and most of my transplanted hair has shed. The recipient area is still a bit pink and the donor area is slightly numb and itchy still. Like the first surgery, I experienced some shock loss in the donor and crown area. This is due to the steroid injection and surgery trauma, of course. It's not that bad, but definitely noticeable. Everything grew back around 3 months after my first procedure and I'm confident that will be the case this time.

 

In terms of the recipient area, everything is great. I started noticing pimples developing about 2.5 weeks post op. They have been popping up to this day and I notice hairs sprouting in those areas once the pimple goes away. There's not much growth, but it's there. I noticed the first significant improvement about 2.5 months after my first procedure. However, my recipient area looked much better this time around the first 10 days. This is because I didn't allow too much crust to form by frequently rinsing (about 2-3 times a day). I don't know if this will lead to a quicker or higher yield than before, but it definitely can't hurt!

 

I also noticed a fair amount of grafts stay and grow along with my native and previously transplanted hair. I think that my grafts sustained much less stress than what's normally expected during surgery. Dr. Diep had at least 5 techs working to quickly process my grafts and place them back into my scalp. And of course he made every incision in the recipient area and removed every single donor graft with his magic touch. I didn't experience any complications or bleeding at all immediately after surgery and later. I'm confident that I'll have significant growth about 7 weeks from now.

 

Attached in this post are photos about 12 days post op, three weeks post op, and current (4.5 weeks post op).

IMG_2039.jpg.9d1808a20a172ad6d1bb0b0257de3b74.jpg

IMG_2040.jpg.dbb69a6c378b264b9800cd97749b0ddb.jpg

IMG_2041.jpg.a99281fb077a4e5cfc5a2a8d1b19f193.jpg

IMG_2045.jpg.8d3e996304837d3d5062400873e8239d.jpg

IMG_2042.jpg.cd8a03ed7300b8f3951082a8975ab9ff.jpg

IMG_2043.jpg.8b2a2c090fd770f7644645d297d71263.jpg

IMG_2046.jpg.696cc9f5a8bc0ab5a8f2f77aa2d91bcb.jpg

IMG_2047.jpg.4180af9ddd329bec0295ca25fed7a74f.jpg

IMG_2050.jpg.a1b8dd04a007dbc3e7b781a1d765e2e2.jpg

Edited by jkm3
Link to comment
Share on other sites

The density looks awesome. I also really like the hairline.

 

In terms of new growth, I also noticed something happening around 8 weeks post op. (tiny little hairs sprouting from the new hairline and also further up). Dr. Diep's clinic manager said this is quite early on average, but judging from your experience it does seem like his techniques lead to good graft survival which I think could only help with early recipient growth.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 2 weeks later...
  • Senior Member
The density looks awesome. I also really like the hairline.

 

In terms of new growth, I also noticed something happening around 8 weeks post op. (tiny little hairs sprouting from the new hairline and also further up). Dr. Diep's clinic manager said this is quite early on average, but judging from your experience it does seem like his techniques lead to good graft survival which I think could only help with early recipient growth.

Thank you! I'm really excited to see how it all fills in. Yeah, I've noticed hairs sprouting as early as 34 days post op. The transplanted hair is continuing to come out. This is evident around my hairline and back towards the middle area.

 

What normally happens is a pimple forms (I've had hundreds of them already) and once the inflammation subsides and the pimple begins to heal, I notice a hair sprouting from that exact area. This is absolutely clear because these hairs barely surface the scalp and later emerge with a black curly tip, whereas the rest of my hair is already 1 inch long.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • Administrators

Awesome dude, I noticed my growth spurt right after I got pimples too, can't wait to see how this looks in another 5 months happy growing.


I’m a paid admin for Hair Transplant Network. I do not receive any compensation from any clinic. My comments are not medical advice.

Check out my final hair transplant and topical dutasteride journey

View my thread

Topical dutasteride journey 

Melvin- Managing Publisher and Forum Moderator for the Hair Transplant Network, the Coalition Hair Loss Learning Center, and the Hair Loss Q&A Blog.

Follow our Social Media: Facebook, Instagram, Linkedin, and YouTube.

 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • Senior Member

I finally received information regarding my grafts from Dr. Diep and I thought I'd share it with everyone. Here it is:

 

594 singles, 987 doubles, 401 triples, 231 quads:

 

That is 2,213 total grafts and 4,695 hairs total.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • Senior Member
What recipient slit and punch size was used?

I just received an email back from Dr. Diep's office regarding your question. Here is what they wrote: "The FUE punch is 1mm, but the recipient slit size is Dr. Diep's trade secret."

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Create an account or sign in to comment

You need to be a member in order to leave a comment

Create an account

Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!

Register a new account

Sign in

Already have an account? Sign in here.

Sign In Now

×
×
  • Create New...