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2509 grafts FUE with Dr. Hasson


N0Air

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Overview:

2509 graft FUE done by Dr. Hasson

 

Hey all, I wanted to create a thread regarding my experiences/updates with respect to the FUE procedure I had with Dr. Hasson in Vancouver. I am a 26 year old white male, and live in Washington, DC.

 

Background:

I started to notice the hairs on my temples becoming weaker during my senior year of high school. I didn’t think much of it at the time as I kept my hair longer in the front and it wasn’t too noticeable. Once I went to university and decided to buzz it down, I realized that my hairline was disappearing.

 

Four years later I realized that miniaturization was continuing with hairs further back, so I consulted a dermatologist, who recommended Finasteride (1 mg) to me. I’ve been taking it for 2.5 years now, and I have seen no further loss. Luckily I didn’t experience too many of the Fin side effects, so I’ll continue to use it until a better solution comes out.

 

For the past 18 months, I’ve lurked around the various hair loss forums. I knew in the beginning that I wanted to go with FUE so as to avoid the linear scar (but to be clear, many doctors on this site are so skilled that these scars are almost non-existent). The idea of travelling for my operation wasn’t a deterrent, so Rahal, Feriduni, Bisanga, and Keser were in mind. But once I found out that H&W was offering FUE, I went for a consultation.

 

Consultation with HW:

 

Luckily H&W was offering consultations in my city, so in mid-March I met with Mike. Unlike a consultation I had before, we mainly talked about sports, travel, and women (we’re simple men). I explained how I wanted to recreate my hairline, but also wanted to do so in a manner that would look appropriate over time. Mike examined my donor and recipient areas, and said I’d need around 2000 grafts to get the job done. When I was told the number of grafts I’d need, I had a sigh of relief as my prior consultation concluded I’d need 3000 grafts. After a few days of back and forth with Mike, I decided to schedule my surgery. On June 5, I travelled to Vancouver for my operation the following morning.

 

Day of Surgery:

 

Sleeping the night before was difficult, but fortunately I had travelled a long way and was worn out. The following morning I arrived bright and early, completed all the paperwork, and met with Elena (who has to be the best HT tech ever!). A few minutes later, Dr. Hasson walked into the room and we began to discuss my proposed hairline. As he looked further into my recipient area, he said that it would require 2500 grafts to really make the transplanted area match the non-miniaturized area. Having travelled over 3000 miles, I wanted to have it done correctly. So Elena and Dr. Hasson took pre-op pictures, and I took to the chair.

 

I have to mention that Dr. Hasson has the best staff! Given the large number of grafts, they stayed until 1am to get the job done. And still, when I went in the following day they were as bright and friendly as the day before.

 

Pain/immediate Post Op:

 

I was given pain meds and sleeping meds, but I decided only to take the Tylenol.

 

Day 1 Post Op:

 

Went in at 12pm for my first wash. Elena examined my donor area and noted that the donor graft holes had already gotten much smaller. Later that night, the itching began.

 

Day 2 Post Op:

 

Went in at 12pm for my second wash. While waiting for the tech, Dr. Hasson walked by and examined me. He said that the recipient grafts looked very strong, and that my donor area was healing nicely.

 

2 Weeks Post Op:

 

By this point, I've shed 25% of the graphs.

 

I think that’s enough for now, but here are a few pictures.

 

Pictures: Pre Op 1-2, Immediate Post Op 3, 2 Day Post Op 4-9, 1 Week Post Op 10-11, 2 Weeks Post Op 12-14

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NOAir....looks like you will be one happy camper.

 

Just curious...about how long were you in the chair for 2509 FUE procedure?

 

Also what was your discomfort level?

 

That's a sweet view out the Hasson/Wong surgery room window isn't it?

Dr. Dow Stough - 1000 Grafts - 1996

Dr. Jerry Wong - 4352 Grafts - August 2012

Dr. Jerry Wong - 2708 Grafts - May 2016

 

Remember a hair transplant turns back the clock,

but it doesn't stop the clock.

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NOAir....looks like you will be one happy camper.

 

Just curious...about how long were you in the chair for 2509 FUE procedure?

 

Also what was your discomfort level?

 

That's a sweet view out the Hasson/Wong surgery room window isn't it?

 

I was there from 8 am to 1 am, with a couple breaks in between. I'd say 14 hours of "chair time" in total. The funny thing is that my lower back gave me more discomfort than either the shots or the extraction, which is to say the process was easy. The technicians did a great job of limiting any extraction/graft placement discomfort. :)

 

Absolutely beautiful view! But by the time Hasson began making lateral slits, it was already dark.

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I was there from 8 am to 1 am, with a couple breaks in between. I'd say 14 hours of "chair time" in total.

 

Wow....I have never heard of a clinic working on a patient until 1AM.

That's incredible!....that deep, deep staff helps!

Good luck...it looks great thus far.

Dr. Dow Stough - 1000 Grafts - 1996

Dr. Jerry Wong - 4352 Grafts - August 2012

Dr. Jerry Wong - 2708 Grafts - May 2016

 

Remember a hair transplant turns back the clock,

but it doesn't stop the clock.

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NoAir, this looks excellent! I am sure you will have will an excellent result! Knowing that my Dr Koray Erdogan trained H&W techs in fue, I am sure you will have an awesome result! Good luck

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Absolutely beautiful view!

 

No doubt N0Air!

 

May 24, 2016 - View from one of the surgery rooms at Hasson/Wong

 

Hasson_View.jpg

Dr. Dow Stough - 1000 Grafts - 1996

Dr. Jerry Wong - 4352 Grafts - August 2012

Dr. Jerry Wong - 2708 Grafts - May 2016

 

Remember a hair transplant turns back the clock,

but it doesn't stop the clock.

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Congratulations and thanks for the great writeup! It's no surprise that the work looks super clean and refined. I look forward to following your progress. Happy growing! !

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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Congratulations on your surgery and for a detailed write up. Agree with you that the staff at H&W are excellent and Elena deserves special credit, she is great.

 

Good growth to you and please keep us posted.

Senior Patient Advisor for Dr Edward Ball of The Maitland Clinic.

 

My opinions are my own and do not necessarily reflect the opinions of The Maitland Clinic.

 

Formerly Garageland of Hasson & Wong with 20 years of history in Hair Restoration.

 

Meet with myself for a free consultation and advice in London on June 21st 2018.

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N0Air, congrats on your procedure, the work looks absolutely prestine, and based on your donor area and hair characteristics, you should should have an excellent result - question - is H&W using the ARTAS robot for the FUE extractions? For 2,500 grafts, a 14 hour surgery sounds grueling. Most docs or clinics doing manual extractions with FUE do a 2.5k graft surgery in about half that time.... just curious

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N0Air, congrats on your procedure, the work looks absolutely prestine, and based on your donor area and hair characteristics, you should should have an excellent result - question - is H&W using the ARTAS robot for the FUE extractions? For 2,500 grafts, a 14 hour surgery sounds grueling. Most docs or clinics doing manual extractions with FUE do a 2.5k graft surgery in about half that time.... just curious

 

From what I understand, H&W purchased ARTAS but didn't like using it. My operation, like other FUE surgeries at H&W, was done exclusively via manual punch.

 

With regard to time, I think this justifies the higher cost of FUE. My transection rate was 2.2%, and I believe this is due to the tremendous care H&W techs showed when extracting grafts. Not only are the grafts healthy, but my donor area looks spotless.

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That seems like a very long out of body time for your grafts. If it was dark out then you're talking about eight pm?

 

Why did you choose them for your FUE? I can only find one final result online of a 1000 graft FUE. I emailed the clinic the other day asking for photos of their FUE work but haven't heard back yet so hopefully they have a lot. Did you find any on another forum to help you decide? Their website doesn't have any either. Your hair loss is exactly like mine so I'll be watching your progress close. Good luck!

 

I think it was around 7:30 or so, but you get the point. I was worried about exposure as well, but was reassured that the graphs would be fine as they were cooled and hydrated in a solution to keep them viable.

 

I choose H&W for its refined approach to FUE and also due to its suggested approach to reconstructing my hairline. It is true that H&W has a limited history in FUE, but I have tremendous respect for the clinic given how long it deliberated entry into this arena. In speaking with H&W reps, I had the feeling that they were evaluating me as much as I was them, which is to say that they expressed the greatest concern for me and my goals but wanted to ensure that FUE with Dr. Hasson was the correct move.

 

Unfortunately the result you mention is the only complete example available on this forum, hence the reason I'm going to ensure monthly updates of my case.

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Week 3

 

Here are some photos 3 weeks post-op. At least 80% of the graphs have shed. I'm applying aloe and minoxidil foam twice daily, and thus far recipient area redness seems to be fading.

 

I also took pictures of the donor, but they didn't turn out well. I'll say that donor redness is gone, and all seems to be normal.

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  • 2 weeks later...
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1 Month Update

 

At this point, I think I'm done shedding transplanted graphs. The good news is that I seem to be holding on to quite a few of those graphs, mainly on either side of the forelock. My donor area has healed extraordinary well, and aside from the occasional pimple in the donor region, I can't complain.

 

One interesting observation, however, is that I'm seeing more grey/white hairs in my donor area than before the operation. Perhaps this is just me being more observant, or this is due to the HT. Going grey is common in my family, so I'm not upset.

 

Anyway, take a look at the photos! I also included one with my current hairstyle...amazing how I'm able to hide "the evidence" without toppik (so far).

 

Note: I think my camera exaggerates the redness in the recipient area, as I tinkered around with a DSLR camera at the store and its photos didn't show as much contrast.

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  • 3 weeks later...
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Congrats on the procedure - I can't believe I've only just seen your thread! All the techs at H&W are great but i must say that Elena was special.

 

I had an FUT procedure done by Dr Hasson just a few weeks before you, so I'm really interested to follow your progress. I also can't help but notice that it looks like the characteristics of your hair, your receding pattern prior to surgery, and you new hairline design are very similar to my own - the hair is just a different colour!

 

Happy growing - here's to the next few months!

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Thanks for sharing your pictures and experience. I have a question. Is the no-shave option in the donor area always available? Do the consultation say anything about having better or worse results with shave versus no shave. I imagine you have go undected due to the current hair covering your hairline. My hairline is slighty worse and slighty thinnger, but I feel I could get away with doing the same thing.

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Thanks for sharing your pictures and experience. I have a question. Is the no-shave option in the donor area always available? Do the consultation say anything about having better or worse results with shave versus no shave. I imagine you have go undected due to the current hair covering your hairline. My hairline is slighty worse and slighty thinnger, but I feel I could get away with doing the same thing.

 

I'm not sure if it's "always available", but in my case it was possible because I didn't have much thinning (aside from my missing temple peaks). Mind you, one issue that I could have experienced is shock loss, which could have made it more interesting.

 

Depending on your natural skin tone and hair color, you might be able to deal with the post-op process without concealing the transplant. Pure aloe vera greatly reduced any pinkness I had, so at this point the recipient area is a non-issue.

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2 Months

 

I'm really pleased with the early growth it seems I'm having. I wonder if being in a humid area supports early graft growth...???

 

Anyway, I've included a few shots with my hair pulled back. As you can see, there's just a tinge of redness in the recipient area, but it's unnoticeable in person (I've asked a friend if she noticed). Also included are a few shots with my hair styled, so you see how it's rather difficult to tell any work was done.

 

Cheers,

N0

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Looking good, N0! You are lucky to have such dark hair - it covers where the work was done much better than my hair does.My 3 month milestone is next week and I can see improvement, but the wait is absolutely excruciating.

 

I was interested to see the question re shaving down the recipient - I thought this was something H&W insisted on. Did they shave into your hairline? I know I spoke to David about this and he said it was needed in order to match the angle of the native hair growth. My recipient was shaved, but only very slightly into my existing hairline with the rest left untouched. IMO I would rather shave down the area and get it done right first time - especially considering the cost, both in terms of money and time.

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TJ,

For both N0air's and my case, yes our hairlines were shaved just slightly just like yours. If for instance the entire frontal third, the vertex, or the crown were receiving grafts, those areas would have needed to be shaved as well. I wish I had the cajones to shave my whole head down all the way, but I just couldn't do it. I have the worst bowl cut ever right now and it looks really goofy, but I'll give it a week or two post op before I go to get a haircut to blend it all in. I figured this would be the best way for me to be able to conceal the HT as quickly as possible. As you can see, N0air is concealing his HT very well at this point without having to shave all the way down pre-op.

 

Looking good N0air!! Some real solid growth should be right around the corner.

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N0air looks absolutely astounding for two months. You literally cannot tell he had anything done - he even has his old hairstyle back already! My forelock was much weaker than his and I used to grow it pretty long so I had to cut my hair short after the procedure as it looked silly after the edges were shaved and a good chunk was taken out of the front.

 

I never shaved my hair and I still haven't - I would look HORRENDOUS with a shaved head. I just have a short scissor cut with shaved edges. It looks neat but is very boring and doesn't suit my face as well as other styles. I had a big step in my hair for about 6 weeks - you should be back to normal in much less than that!

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Thanks all for the comments. Like trashpanda mentioned, they did shave a few cm into my existing hairline. This was partly because the area on either side of my forelock had a few weak hairs giving the illusion that all was good. On the other hand, shaving down the area helped the techs and Dr. Hasson try to match the density of my native hair.

 

I probably should have mentioned in my update, but there are many thin hairs on either side of my forelock in high quantity (which were not captured in my photos). I'm hoping these are the new graphs coming in!!!

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