Dr Rahal - 2,245 graft procedure FUT

[esrec]

You can see the lines already developing bud. Looks nice and clean. Your hair/skin contrast also super ideal. Only gonna tell you what you tell me.... long way to go and patience

[mav23100gunther]

You can see the lines already developing bud. Looks nice and clean. Your hair/skin contrast also super ideal. Only gonna tell you what you tell me.... long way to go and patience

 

Thanks buddy, its amazing how sometimes we tend to be our own harshest critic. I swear that when I compare the current pictures with pre-op pics, they look the exact same to my eyes. Really glad to hear you and others say that you are starting to see improvements.

Edited May 12, 2016 by mav23100gunther

[chris39]

Thanks buddy, its amazing how sometimes we tend to be our own harshest critic. I swear that when I compare the current pictures with pre-op pics, they look the exact same to my eyes. Really glad to hear you say that you are starting to see improvements.

 

Ha - paranoia - it's all part of the journey .

 

Taking shape nicely .

[Transhair]

Growth is looking very good for 4.5 months. Hope I'm at that stage as I seem to be progressing similar.

Also cropping your pictures a little on the iphone usually prevents them from uploading upside down and sideways.

[mav23100gunther]

Thanks everyone for the words of support. I actually had a haircut at the end of last week, and this week I am finally actually noticing the improvements myself. There are still gaps in the hairline, but its definitely not as see-through as it was. I also was able to apply significantly less Toppik for my hot date on on Sat night than I had to just a few weeks ago. The corners on the side behind the hairline are now much more dense thereby making the hairline prop-up more much easier and with less need for styling products than it used to require. Bottom line is that it gets better and better every week. I am very confident that the hairline gaps will decrease as the hair matures. All in all, I look just a little bit younger, I feel younger, I can achieve the appearance of a full head of hair with just a few sprays of Toppik, and am starting to grow in confidence slowly but surely. Just 2 months ago I was starting to feel as if I would never even get back to just my pre-op look. I have 3 big takeaways from the 2nd procedure - 1) shockloss to the existing hair is very very very real; 2) it takes a long long time to regain that pre-op look when you have your head shaved and get a transplant inbetween existing hairs; 3) it corrects itself and the hair does grow back again - eventually. Like I said, the donor region looked like a war zone at one point with the redness, as well as the hair on the sides growing back 6x faster than the top/donor region.

Edited May 18, 2016 by mav23100gunther

[ifanyonecan]

Happy to hear it mate and it's just the beginning!

[Ernie]

Thanks everyone for the words of support. I actually had a haircut at the end of last week, and this week I am finally actually noticing the improvements myself. There are still gaps in the hairline, but its definitely not as see-through as it was. I also was able to apply significantly less Toppik for my hot date on on Sat night than I had to just a few weeks ago. The corners on the side behind the hairline are now much more dense thereby making the hairline prop-up more much easier and with less need for styling products than it used to require. Bottom line is that it gets better and better every week. I am very confident that the hairline gaps will decrease as the hair matures. All in all, I look just a little bit younger, I feel younger, I can achieve the appearance of a full head of hair with just a few sprays of Toppik, and am starting to grow in confidence slowly but surely. Just 2 months ago I was starting to feel as if I would never even get back to just my pre-op look. I have 3 big takeaways from the 2nd procedure - 1) shockloss to the existing hair is very very very real; 2) it takes a long long time to regain that pre-op look when you have your head shaved and get a transplant inbetween existing hairs; 3) it corrects itself and the hair does grow back again - eventually. Like I said, the donor region looked like a war zone at one point with the redness, as well as the hair on the sides growing back 6x faster than the top/donor region.

 

Mav, do you know what # guard you used in the back when getting your haircut? Wondering if a #4 guard still hides your FUT scar.

[mav23100gunther]

Mav, do you know what # guard you used in the back when getting your haircut? Wondering if a #4 guard still hides your FUT scar.

 

I get a #3 guard and it hides the scar.

[mav23100gunther]

Hi All,

 

So just hit the 5 month mark yesterday and something great is happening up there - oh boy, oh BOY, OH BOY - is she in trouble tonight!!!! - OH BOY. I tell you this, it's looking real good

 

Still early stages and much more still to come, but if this continues, I am going to be one happy fella.

[JON86]

That's a really nice result mav. Already looks like a home run with a ton of time for it to get even better. You should be really happy.

[mav23100gunther]

Just to compare, these are my pre-op pictures before my very 1st procedure with the NY surgeon that will remain nameless. The one of the hairline is about 2 months post-op from that 1st procedure. You can see the initial design of the 1st hairline of which I actually think he did a great job of.

 

What a transformation huh?

[Ernie]

Wow, huge difference. Natural looking too. How's hairline look up close? This is gonna be a sick result

[JON86]

That is a huge transformation. Hair Gods are surely on your side.

[ifanyonecan]

Hi All,

 

So just hit the 5 month mark yesterday and something great is happening up there - oh boy, oh BOY, OH BOY - is she in trouble tonight!!!! - OH BOY. I tell you this, it's looking real good

 

Still early stages and much more still to come, but if this continues, I am going to be one happy fella.

 

Some change buddy. Must've knocked 10 years off you. Really does look good! Delighted for you!

[chris39]

Nice progress Mav.

[mav23100gunther]

Thank you gentlemen, I'm over the moon with what I see happening. I really do look and feel years younger than when I first started. The best part is that there is still more to come.

[esrec]

Awesome my man! Looks like that shock loss was a pretty temporary thing. Looking great. Cant believe how much growth you had mid-scalp in the last few months, thats just wild. All easy from here.

 

Happy for you.

[HairsGone]

Your hair looks great Mav, a massive improvement!! I'm pleased it's worked out for you. Enjoy!

[Stig]

Outstanding result to date, what a transformation from where you started. You transformed from Goose to Mavrick.

[mav23100gunther]

Outstanding result to date, what a transformation from where you started. You transformed from Goose to Mavrick.

 

Hey hey - nothing wrong with Goose, he was banging Meg Ryan whilst Mav was banging Kelly McGillis. Have you seen what Kelly looks like today? I'd say Goose got the better deal with that. Now if I could get hair like Iceman.

Edited May 30, 2016 by mav23100gunther

[voxman]

Mav - I totally missed this thread - but your hair looks great.

 

I am jealous but I am going through everything you have now, including the 'oh crap I blew it' phase...LOL.... Good look!

[mav23100gunther]

Thanks Voxman - yeah it was definitely a very dark and lonely phase where a slight degree of panic starts to creep in.

[mav23100gunther]

Hi Everyone,

 

So am less than 10 days away from the 6 month mark, and it's just getting better and better by the week. I absolutely adore my new hairline, and it is looking less and less see through by the day. I had a haircut today and after staring at myself in the mirror during the cut, I realized I am at the point where if it stopped now, then I would be more than happy with the result and my goals leading in would have been met as this is exactly what I was looking for. I also feel that my hair looks great without having to put any Toppic in it. Don't get me wrong, Toppic is amazing and I still find that a few shakes and sprays into the hairline makes me look even better. The best thing is that on close inspection, there are still tons and tons of very thin wirey new hairs that are not having an impact just yet, and that will need me to mature, and once they do, I am going to look even better. I would guess that I am probably at 75% of the final result (maybe even less), so this remaining 25% excites the hell out of me. I have also gone on a dating blitz this last month, and what a difference this new hairline and hair is having on my dating life. Just 2 and a bit years ago when I got dumped by a long-term sweetheart, I was having horrible luck with the girls on dates. I'd say 9 out 10 girls never returned my call after the 1st date. In the last 6 weeks I have been on a lot of first dates, and 90% were interested in a 2nd date. I had to eliminate some of them myself, but am now juggling 3 of them with more 1st dates lined up. And these are very pretty ladies. Granted my confidence has gone through the roof, but I think the physical appearance is making the difference.

 

I will post some more pics at the 6 month mark which is June 22nd. I would also like to praise Dr Rahal. I know that the result is not final, but I am calling this a success, and would call this a success if this was the final result. He managed my expectations at the get-go, and although he was quietly confident, he kept my expectations in check. He has delivered a knock-out result that has now met my expectations going in and is on track to knocking them out of the park. Looking back, I am now sure I made he correct decision to go with him. I spent hours and hours researching the top surgeons, and can't stress it enough how much of a difference going to a tried and tested surgeon like Dr Rahal really does make. I can't believe Dr Hasson, Dr Konior, or Dr Ron Shapiro could have done better than this - and everyone here knows how much I rate all of them. I have seen a lot of very average results from other surgeons, and am so glad that I am not one of them. I have been advocating how important it is to choose one of the best of the best, and will continue to do so. Dr Rahal is one of them, and hopefully this proves that all that talk about a lower quality of results coming out of his clinic recently is a load of complete and utter garbage. This man has transformed my life, and I am very grateful for that.

 

At this time, I think I also deserve to give credit to my 1st HT surgeon. I think I was overly critical of my results at the time. He was the one who designed the initial hairline I see today, and laid the foundations for this transformation. Over time I now realize he did an outstanding job with a limited amount of grafts he got for the 1st pass (approximately 2,000 grafts). It's not fair for me to exclude him from contributing to what is currently an outstanding transformation. I was very upset with myself that I never went for a mega-session the 1st time round to get my current results in a single pass, but can now fully appreciate the benefit of splitting it up into two smaller passes, as well appriciate the quality of his work.

 

More to come ladies and gents, but raising a glass to the hairline King Dr Rahal!

[Ernie]

Great to read this Mav!

 

Surely you can just imagine how this pumps me up, as I've been right behind you -- currently 4 days shy of 4 months here...

[mav23100gunther]

I would also like to thank Pat, Bill and Dave for this amazing forum which gave me the platform to perform all my research and connect with other members and the veterans. Without this forum, I probably would have been butchered by Bosely or Zeiring.

 

Would also like to thank that former H&W and Rahal patient advisor who now runs his own website for the contribution he made and advice he gave me in assisting me in my surgeon selection. Sorry Dave and Bill, I know I am not allowed to reference his existence, but had to try sneak this in hope you understand.