FUT 3185 with Dr. Rahal - day after pics

[Ernie]

I would honestly leave it. It would take maybe a dab of dermatch to cover up that one little area and if I could save myself from going through this again I would. But ultimately up to you. I would still stick with FUT though. Question though. How much did you lose after the age of 24, Ernie? It seems like most of the frontal third behind the central tuft is gone so was it not effective in preventing frontal loss?

 

See the split-pic #2 in my last post? The pre-op shaved head? That's how I've looked since 24, maybe a bit less of an "island." So propecia has been incredible to/for me

Edited February 10, 2017 by Ernie

[mav23100gunther]

Looking real good Ernie. I personally don't think you need the touch up, but seeing that it's already on your mind and it's bothering you, you should go for it. You also have a supply of donor hair for the future, and if you carry-on with propecia, any not even need to tap into all of it, therefore you have the luxury of a bit of hair greed. I think 500- 1,000 grafts to fill those gaps will do you wonders. I would also stay with Dr Rahal though, especially seeing the procedure was such a success. Don't mess with a winning formula

[Ernie]

Looking real good Ernie. I personally don't think you need the touch up, but seeing that it's already on your mind and it's bothering you, you should go for it. You also have a supply of donor hair for the future, and if you carry-on with propecia, any not even need to tap into all of it, therefore you have the luxury of a bit of hair greed. I think 500- 1,000 grafts to fill those gaps will do you wonders. I would also stay with Dr Rahal though, especially seeing the procedure was such a success. Don't mess with a winning formula

 

Would/will stick with Dr. Rahal. Here's another pic. Any other graft estimates from you guys?

 

Also wanted to reaffirm that round 1 was a brilliant result. By shaving to a #5 I'm aiming for near perfection and less illusion due to my age and my limited baldness. I can afford to with respect to donor supply imho

 

And yes I'll do FUT again if indeed I need a round 2. :-)

[Speegs]

Would/will stick with Dr. Rahal. Here's another pic. Any other graft estimates from you guys?

 

Also wanted to reaffirm that round 1 was a brilliant result. By shaving to a #5 I'm aiming for near perfection and less illusion due to my age and my limited baldness. I can afford to with respect to donor supply imho

 

And yes I'll do FUT again if indeed I need a round 2. :-)

I would guesstimate between 1500 and 2000 to really hit it home, finish the job and all but guarantee you don't need more.

 

Since you already have 3000 plus, and the rule of thumb is 6000 makes as cosmetically dense a density as currently possible in a given area for most, I think that's a reasonable ballpark assessment.

[Ernie]

I would guesstimate between 1500 and 2000 to really hit it home, finish the job and all but guarantee you don't need more.

 

Since you already have 3000 plus, and the rule of thumb is 6000 makes as cosmetically dense a density as currently possible in a given area for most, I think that's a reasonable ballpark assessment.

 

Thank you Speeg and Mav, any other graft count estimates...?

 

I've sent pics to Dr. Rahal, so we'll see what his take is on the situation :-)

[hsrp10]

600 if you go back behind the forelock. You don't need anything over 1,000 unless you were to lower the hairline or unless the pics are showing more hair than there is.

The reason being the larger 2s, 3s and 4s are going to be transplanted for added density and there's not a lot room to accommodate the larger grafts with the current result.

Does Rahal do stick and place?

 

Anyway for a one and done, perfect result.

Being long-term and steady on Fin is the foundation to getting a home-run in one shot.

[KO]

Don't get an HT. Move on with your life....unless you feel HT is a hobby...

[Ernie]

Don't get an HT. Move on with your life....unless you feel HT is a hobby...

 

Haha, spoken like a guy on week 10 post-op. Right smack dab in the middle of the ugly duckling phase.

 

But I hear you, point taken. Can't really see my weaker areas unless in harsh light.

[Ernie]

600 if you go back behind the forelock. You don't need anything over 1,000 unless you were to lower the hairline or unless the pics are showing more hair than there is.

The reason being the larger 2s, 3s and 4s are going to be transplanted for added density and there's not a lot room to accommodate the larger grafts with the current result.

Does Rahal do stick and place?

 

Anyway for a one and done, perfect result.

Being long-term and steady on Fin is the foundation to getting a home-run in one shot.

 

Thanks hsrp. Certainly not interested in lowering hairline. It's already in the perfect spot.

[Spidey]

even with the "weaker" areas, you have now a better head of hair than 90% of men your age. So imo, unless your hairloss progresses even further back than where you did your HT, I would just ride it out. I know how it feels to want as dense as possible. If I was in your position at 42, I'd be ecstatic! The procedure you had frames your face and those hairs won't go since they are all donor hair. Even if you did start to thin out in the mid scalp and crown, it would still look natural.

 

Personally, if I hit my 40s and into 50s and started to lose in the crown area, I wouldn't care, as long as I had a decent frame/hairline. The only thing I fear is hairloss that causes my transplanted hair to look obviously transplanted..... :rolleyes: In a way I wish my hairloss progressed a bit more when I had my HT. That being said, the procedure would have costed more, and it would also mean my hairloss was more sever, and chances of me ending up in a higher Norwood, would have been greater.

 

If I lost all my hair tomorrow, I would have just the corners left from the transplant :rolleyes:

[Ernie]

even with the "weaker" areas, you have now a better head of hair than 90% of men your age. So imo, unless your hairloss progresses even further back than where you did your HT, I would just ride it out. I know how it feels to want as dense as possible. If I was in your position at 42, I'd be ecstatic! The procedure you had frames your face and those hairs won't go since they are all donor hair. Even if you did start to thin out in the mid scalp and crown, it would still look natural.

 

Personally, if I hit my 40s and into 50s and started to lose in the crown area, I wouldn't care, as long as I had a decent frame/hairline. The only thing I fear is hairloss that causes my transplanted hair to look obviously transplanted..... :rolleyes: In a way I wish my hairloss progressed a bit more when I had my HT. That being said, the procedure would have costed more, and it would also mean my hairloss was more sever, and chances of me ending up in a higher Norwood, would have been greater.

 

If I lost all my hair tomorrow, I would have just the corners left from the transplant :rolleyes:

 

You'd actually be surprised how many 40+ yo guys have a solid head of hair actually. Certainly I probably overlook the guys worse off than me though.

 

Thanks for the input Spidey.

 

FYI, I look years younger under normal lighting. See attached pic. But.... I'm in it to do a bit better than I'm at now. Call it hair greed, call it just knowing what I want, but I AM a bit self conscious at this length. When it was long and slicked back?? --> I felt like Alec Baldwin, lol: NO concerns.

[Ernie]

Plenty of donor? Pic taken at about 9 months post-op.

[Tj287]

Ernie,

 

Looking super mate, it really does. I am also of the opinion that it looks basically flawless and you shouldn't do anything more for now. You have good density, solid temple points and, if you ever want to in future, a great donor supply for top ups. I also think your scar turned out great.

 

When it was long and slicked back?? --> I felt like Alec Baldwin, lol: NO concerns.

 

Especially if you're gonna wear your hair longer. Like you said, once it's at a length you usually have it, you've got no concerns.

 

BTW, did your hair soften up as you approached the year mark? Mine is still a touch wiry at just short of 9 months.

[Ernie]

BTW, did your hair soften up as you approached the year mark? Mine is still a touch wiry at just short of 9 months.

 

Yes, by month 9 my transplanted hair looked just like my native hair :-)

[hsrp10]

 

Don't get an HT. Move on with your life....unless you feel HT is a hobby...

Haha' date=' spoken like a guy on week 10 post-op. Right smack dab in the middle of the ugly duckling phase.

 

But I hear you, point taken. Can't really see my weaker areas unless in harsh light.[/quote']

 

I thought a lot about this over the weekend, as to the "why" aspect of why we do this.

I guess when you see major results and improvement and you become convinced that HT's actually work and you reach 97-98% of your goal, the perfectionist in us makes it quite an easy choice to try to go those small extra steps to achieve 100% full restoration.

 

KO may have a different mindset after it all grows in but who knows.

[mav23100gunther]

My post got flagged for moderation, so here goes again.

 

As I said before, you seem to have the luxury of being able to have some hair greed. Especially seeing age is in your favor, great donor supply left over to tap in, your hair loss is stabilized. I say, put your head down, stop asking people for their opinions, call up Dr Rahal tomorrow, and book the procedure. Don't look back, and you won't regret it a year from now. Why settle for Jennifer Aniston when you can bang Scarlett Johansson.

[mav23100gunther]

My post got flagged for moderation, so here goes again.

 

As I said before, you seem to have the luxury of being able to have some hair greed. Especially seeing age is in your favor, great donor supply left over to tap in, your hair loss is stabilized. I say, put your head down, stop asking people for their opinions, call up Dr Rahal tomorrow, and book the procedure. Don't look back, and you won't regret it a year from now.

[Ernie]

My post got flagged for moderation, so here goes again.

 

As I said before, you seem to have the luxury of being able to have some hair greed. Especially seeing age is in your favor, great donor supply left over to tap in, your hair loss is stabilized. I say, put your head down, stop asking people for their opinions, call up Dr Rahal tomorrow, and book the procedure. Don't look back, and you won't regret it a year from now.

 

This is exactly what I'm going to do. Been getting a lot of good advice via PM from you guys --> collectively you've been saying privately that my age is in my favor (turn 42 on Feb.19th), my donor is above average (from the pics anyway), my crown is intact, and I'm experienced enough to know about scar stretching, shockloss, etc.

 

So, i'm going to get a 2nd FUT on March 28th -- just not sure on the graft count yet. Waiting per Rahal's reply to my one-year pics.

[mav23100gunther]

This is exactly what I'm going to do. Been getting a lot of good advice via PM from you guys --> collectively you've been saying privately that my age is in my favor (turn 42 on Feb.19th), my donor is above average (from the pics anyway), my crown is intact, and I'm experienced enough to know about scar stretching, shockloss, etc.

 

So, i'm going to get a 2nd FUT on March 28th -- just not sure on the graft count yet. Waiting per Rahal's reply to my one-year pics.

 

Good stuff buddy. How did you get such an early date though? Did Rahal fit you in last minute due to a cancellation, or had you reserved that date months ago? Reason I ask is that Rahal's waitinglist can get long at the best of times

[hsrp10]

Unless there's a pressing need to get it done ASAP I would really try to wait it out until the 18 month mark at least.

 

The hair cycles of your transplanted hair have not fully balanced out yet and I would also expect a minor spurt and or density maturity in the next months.

But you know what's best for your case so I'll just leave it at that.

[Ernie]

Good stuff buddy. How did you get such an early date though? Did Rahal fit you in last minute due to a cancellation, or had you reserved that date months ago? Reason I ask is that Rahal's waitinglist can get long at the best of times

 

I scheduled it back in November. Was a tentative touch-up date. Now it's a round 2 date. Rahal has suggested 1000-1200 grafts (based on my pics) to bring density to an almost undetectable level with my native hair, even up close and in the harshest of conditions :-)

 

Note to newbie readers -- as I'm older, stable on fin, and a lower Norwood case, I'm able to go beyond the "50% density for illusion of a full head of hair" axiom.

[Speegs]

I scheduled it back in November. Was a tentative touch-up date. Now it's a round 2 date. Rahal has suggested 1000-1200 grafts (based on my pics) to bring density to an almost undetectable level with my native hair, even up close and in the harshest of conditions :-)

 

Note to newbie readers -- as I'm older, stable on fin, and a lower Norwood case, I'm able to go beyond the "50% density for illusion of a full head of hair" axiom.

I'm getting better at eyeballing what people need, it's usually always more than you think, just in case.

 

Sounds like Dr. Rahal and I have similar guesstimations, I defer to him in the matter of course.

[Kpat131]

Hey Ernie,

Is there a chance if you go to dense in the recipient area that there's a chance of permanent shock lost because the follicles are too close together? Or something like that?

[Speegs]

Hey Ernie,

Is there a chance if you go to dense in the recipient area that there's a chance of permanent shock lost because the follicles are too close together? Or something like that?

In the hands of an unskilled surgeon that makes bad recipient sites, yes. That's why you go to a good surgeon with custom blades, that knows how to do lateral slit technique and stick and place.

 

The risk you speak of would be if the existing grafts were carelessly transected or if too many grafts were left competing for the same blood supply, these risks are mitigated in the hands of someone that knows what they are doing.

[hsrp10]

Hey Ernie,

Is there a chance if you go to dense in the recipient area that there's a chance of permanent shock lost because the follicles are too close together? Or something like that?

 

Yes the chance increases with subsequent procedures, and for touchup-up procedures I like stick and place where the surgeon places one graft at a time.

But Rahal has a good reputation so it should be fine, are there are any posts of Rahal doing second procedures with success into existing hair here?

I know he's a master at dense packing but would like to see cases of existing hair.