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Holy Crap I just Booked with Dr. Vories for 4000+ fue


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  • Regular Member

Holy Crap I'm Nervous!

 

So I finally booked the procedure. I've been suffering from hair loss and hair thinning for over 20 years. I'm 39 I started noticing it in college and for 20 years, I've spent time styling my hair and using different products, concealers to thicken it up. My Fathers and grandfathers are all Norwood 6-7s so I know it's inevitable. I've looked into hair restoration for many years and even met with a Bosley consultant 15 years ago. 3 years ago I met with True/Dorin, and liked them very much because they are close to my location, but didn't like the idea of a strip scar, because I'm a high norwood and I like to keep my hair short. This summer I finally buzzed it all off, and thought I'd keep it shaved, but after a few weeks I realized I didn't like it, my confidence wasn't as high as it was and I decided I wanted "some" hair on my head for the rest of my life. I have never taken meds or used rogaine, I don't like taking meds so I figure I'll have to have 2 large fue sessions to get a decent conservative look that I can keep short. So anyway after much research, 3 consultations and a decision to get it done this year, I finally booked a 2 day 4000+ fue procedure with Dr. Vories for March! Holy Crap I'm nervous. Mostly about not letting anyone find out about it and obviously about what it will look like, how will I style it and how will I deal with the dreaded ugly duckling phase? And also how much more I'll need when the first one is done!. My wife is going with me, my kids will have babysitters and I can stay out of my office for a week or two. Anyway, any words of wisdom for recovery and handling the stress leading up to it would help, I'm excited but really nervous that people will find out. Anyway, thought Id write this bio, I wouldn't have got to this point if it wasn't for this forum so I hope to give back to it somehow, my procedure is in March so I'll post pics, before after etc. then. Thanks for the help!

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  • Senior Member

Hey man! Congrats on this! Making the final decision is often the hardest part, so you've got that out of the way at least.

 

A couple personal pointers about the recovery process:

 

If you can, wear a professional hat for the first 4-weeks or so in case you have a significant amount of redness in the recipient area. I was back to work 5 days after my procedure, but had a significant amount of redness - especially the first two weeks out. Fortunately, I had concocted a story for my bosses about having to undergo surgery to remove a small harmless cyst from my scalp and the doctors had to buzz part of my head. They didn't (and legally couldn't) really question it. I had a doctor's note to back me up in case they put up a fight, but it was zero issue. I found a really cool, professional looking hat and I wore it until I felt the redness had subsided enough that it just looked like a sunburn. Then I sported the buzzcut until my hair started growing back in.

 

Also, try and entertain the idea of telling a couple people. There are those that make the decision to keep it a secret from everyone, some broadcast it to the world, and some are more selective. There's no right approach to this, but I found that for me, when I started sharing with a few select coworkers and friends, it helped tremendously with the stress. First, it made it more normal to talk about - and it was always extremely well received. They all had a million questions about the entire process.

 

One main advantage of sharing with a few people is that they can serve as your buffers when you're feeling insecure about people noticing. "Is the redness still really bad? Does it look really weird, or does it just look like a sunburn? Has anyone said anything? Do you think anyone knows?" I only had one coworker who I found out was being extra inquisitive, and found out about all her questions through my "informants". :cool: I ended up telling her about it several months later just to stop the speculation in her brain.

 

This also gave me cheerleaders in my corner when the hair started growing back in. They would come up to me and tell me how amazing my hair looked, how fascinated they were by the entire procedure, etc. They got to come along for the very happy ride with me as my hair started growing in, and it made the overall experience even that much more rewarding.

 

Best of luck with the procedure... And trust me, the excitement far outweighs the stress.

I am a patient advocate for Dr. Parsa Mohebi in Los Angeles, CA. My views/opinions are my own and don't necessarily reflect the opinions of Dr. Mohebi and his staff.

Check out my hair loss website for photos

FUE surgery by Dr. Mohebi on 7/31/14
2,001 grafts - Ones: 607; Twos: 925; Threes: 413; Fours: 56

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  • Senior Member

Congratulations on taking that first step! You made a great choice! Dr. Vories is producing consistently impressive results.

 

I told the people closest to me. Kept it a secret from coworkers and extended family. That probably took a lot of stress out of the equation although I have stated in the past that with my first HT, right up until the time the doc started harvesting the strip, I was ready to bolt out the door. Once he started cutting and I knew there was no going back my nerves settled quickly.

 

The ugly ducking stage can be tough to deal with. It's easy to start second-gussing yourself and worrying that you're not seeing the progress you thought you should at certain milestones like 3 months, 6 months, etc. I recommend taking monthly photos for comparison. Don't expect to see any growth until between 3 and 4 months and try not to stare in the mirror every 15 minutes.

 

Don't fall into the trap of comparing yourself to others. Some guys grow quickly and others more slowly. Tell yourself that you'll wait the full year before assessing your resutls and maintain open communication with the clinics for questions and concerns.

 

You've chosen a great doc and I can assure you that quality hair restoration is life-changing. I'm so glad I did it.

 

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

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  • Senior Member

although I have stated in the past that with my first HT, right up until the time the doc started harvesting the strip, I was ready to bolt out the door. Once he started cutting and I knew there was no going back my nerves settled quickly.

 

 

Best of luck!

 

So funny that you mention that. For both my procedures I was the exactly the same way. For the 1st procedure, I remember being led into the OR and when I glanced at the needles I absolutely started thinking i can just tell them sorry I am bailing, and remember thinking to myself I can just use the surgery money to jump on a plane and spend the next week on a beach in Fiji and when I get back just live my life with a shaved head. Luckily I had already pre-paid and it was non-refundable otherwise I swear I would have ran out of there. Once the numbing process started I knew I wasn't going anywhere. Then for my 2nd procedure with Rahal, I woke up in the morning of surgery kinda hoping that the Dr had called in sick or that a blizzard had shut down the clinic that day. Same story when they led me into the OR, but once they gave me the Valium and that shot into my arm I was fine.

 

Now what was even scarier was going for Laskik. That scared the living daylights out of me. I was a no show for my 1st consultation. Then when I did actually keep the consult apt, they told me I was a candidate and could book me in that week. I just paid them in full that day and even though the cost was fully refundable, I remember telling the person taking payment not to refund me the money under any circumstance if I cancelled.

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Thanks all for the info and support. I'm good with waiting on the results just trying to find the best way to conceal it for the few months after. Has anyone tried, just suntanning their face, to keep it the color consistent with the pink head?

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Also I use nanogen now, is there any problem putting nanogen on a couple weeks after the transplant to any little existing hair I have?

 

Some doctors say you can , some say you shouldn't . As is always mentioned regarding similar questions , ask your doc .

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