NW3 Diep 2000 FUE

[transplant1]

Hi, I've been on this site for about 1 year, reading up on hair transplant surgeries. I am mid 30s and am planning to have my HT done with Dr. Diep in late December. My work has a two-week shutdown period. I figure that I can do my HT at the beginning of the break and come out of the break with the wounds healed. I settled on Dr. Diep after viewing detailed posts of his work on this site. (Also there were a few posts that showed the first month or 2 of HT with Dr. Diep but the OP never returned.) My hair has been thinning since my 20s. I have a youthful looking face but my hair does not match it.

 

I've been taking .5 mg of propecia for about 4 months and also using minoxidil 1x/day.

 

I plan to meet one more time with Dr. Diep but I'd like to address some of my concerns and get some feedback.

 

I was wondering what the strategy was for people who didn't want others to know that he got a HT. I wear my hair medium length and I don't want to make it obvious when I come back from the break that I got a transplant. From what I'm reading, 14 days isn't enough time to casually come back into work and act as if nothing major happened to my head.

 

What is the pain level like post-HT? I've read some horror stories of some folks who had major nerve pain on their head that lasted for more than a year and that their nerves don't heal. How long does it last for? Also maybe this is a non issue with Dr. Diep but I was also reading up on cobblestone and pitting. I was wondering if this was usual or not.

 

I was also curious as to what the transplant looks like after 2 - 5 years out. I don't think I've seen too many pictures of that scenario.

 

Also would appreciate any other insights.

 

Thanks!!

[JohnCasper]

When I had my first surgery in 2012 I felt very little pain in the beginning. Dr. Vories prescribed me pain meds. I didn't take them as directed because I thought I was a "tough" guy. On the final night after my multiple day surgery the pain started and I didn't stay out in front of it with the pain meds. Make sure you take the meds as directed and you will be fine. After about 5 days I switched to Ibuprofen and was fine.

 

Regarding what to expect.... I've chronicled my journey with pictures and a written description of each of the first 30 days after surgery and beyond through my second surgery in 2015. Check out the archive section of my website and it will show you what to expect. Go to.... MyFUEhairtransplant.com . Hope you're able to post photos on this website for all of us to see. Best of luck, you have a lot to look forward to.

[matt1164]

I had my procedure on feb 29th 2016 w diep and by march 9th you couldn't tell I had a ht. it just looked like I shaved my head. I was out with friends without a hat no one noticed. just listen to dr. diep instructions pre and post surgery and you should be fine.

[Melvin- Admin]

I would say 14 days is the minimum, if you can ask for an additional week even better, you can take a look at my thread I have some pictures what I looked like at 2 weeks, the pain in the donor area usually hits at the 5 day mark and usually goes away at the 14th day. Cobblestoning is not an issue with Dr. Diep in my experience.

[transplant1]

@JohnCasper: Thanks for the information. I've seen your blog before and appreciate the constant updates. I had been wondering how the HT holds up after a year plus.

 

@matt1164 Thank you for the information. Sounds like it was less than 2 weeks and everything looked fine.

 

@HTsoonYes I've followed your posts. Thank you for the information. I actually will be under 3 weeks when I return to work. Hoping that is good enough. I'm actually debating now on whether I should just shave my head so that everyone gets used to seeing me with a shaved head.

 

I'm seeing Dr. Diep in a week to go over my procedure (to be done near the end of the month in December). I'll post up pictures from that visit. I want to ask him about my shedding since taking propecia and whether(how) this will have affect my transplant.

 

Also for post-HT- I was reading about putting aloe to soothe the pain. Was there a specific aloe product that I should purchase and how soon after the HT can I start putting it on?

[transplant1]

I seem to be having problems sending PMs. When I click on the link it opens up a new browser but nothing shows up. Does anyone know anything about this?

 

In any case, I attached a photo with Dr. Diep's plan for the upcoming surgery. My hair is very fine, and balding in the front. As this is my first HT, I am very nervous and have been reviewing other Diep (and others)'s HT on this forum. It seems like there's are a lot of good cases and also a lot of failed cases and I think I'm focusing too much on the failed cases. I feel like I've read through all of Dr. Diep's work on this site and went through most of his YouTube videos, and his work looks really consistent.

 

Any advice on calming the nerves?

[hsrp10]

I think Dr. Diep does some very good work from what I've researched, he was among my top pics previously when researching.

The only negatives I could find were some comments about his possible salesman like mannerism and in my case the Skype consult had some glitches on the clinic's side I didn't like.

 

As you have fine hair, I would ask him to try to go a bit denser than he does with patients with coarse hair shooting for 60 grafts/cm2 in the front 2cm of the hairline if possible. With fine hair anything lower than that can be somewhat see-though in certain lighting from my own experience.

 

Guess the best way to take your mind off of it is to interact with other former Dr. Diep patients on here to sanity check your decision.

 

Btw we discussed the major reasons for HT failure in this thread, make sure you understand these and put yourself in a position where you're at low risk or zero risk for these.

http://www.hairrestorationnetwork.com/eve/185387-what-causes-failed-transplants.html

 

good luck

Btw, I think you need to have X number of posts before you can send PM's.

[E39]

I'm a Diep patient and happy. It's natural to be a bit nervous, but don't worry in a year you'll have a big grin on your face.

[Melvin- Admin]

The hairline design looks good, there are good cases and bad cases. Unfortunately, no surgery can ever be guaranteed, youre choosing a dr with a good track record, several patients including myself have shared our stories and results.

 

When choosing a dr i think the most important thing is patient reviews, use the search function, find all of Dr.Dieps reviews, these are unbias reviews. If you find the results to be satisfactory that should calm your nerves. You can not send PMs without reaching a certain post count, comment on some reviews and pm patients once you can. Every one has different criteria for choosing a surgeon make sure you ask patients questions that are important to you.

[aWidowsPeek]

HTsoon am i reading this right...

 

"Pumpkin Seed Oil used only on temporal triangles and nape used Everyday"

 

You rub that on your hair?

[Melvin- Admin]

HTsoon am i reading this right...

 

"Pumpkin Seed Oil used only on temporal triangles and nape used Everyday"

 

You rub that on your hair?

 

Yea, but i keep my hair at a number #1 or 2 on the sides so it doesnt get messy or greasy, i dont put it on the top of my head just the nape and temple points.

[transplant1]

Thanks all. Just trying to relax, this is a lifec hanging procedure.

 

I feel like I've just been reading stories of FUE surgeries the past several months to prepare my mind of what a potential final result will look like. As I was doing my research, I've noticed that a lot of posts will have the first couple of months then the OP will never return to follow up. I'm not sure why they don't return.

[Melvin- Admin]

Thanks all. Just trying to relax, this is a lifec hanging procedure.

 

I feel like I've just been reading stories of FUE surgeries the past several months to prepare my mind of what a potential final result will look like. As I was doing my research, I've noticed that a lot of posts will have the first couple of months then the OP will never return to follow up. I'm not sure why they don't return.

 

The reason why most guys never return is because once they get their hair back they forget about MPB and therefore never return to this forum, they'll start a thread and keep up for the first three months and then disappear right around the time growth happens. You're more likely to hear from upset and angry patients then happy ones it's just the way it is. The reason why I've stayed is to help out others, but most guys don't return or stick around after they've had successful results.

[transplant1]

I want to update this thread ~ long story short, I got canceled the procedure. Essentially I got cold feet. I was embarrassed to call their office to say that I need more time to think about what I was doing to myself. They seemed understanding.

 

Here are my thoughts:

 

1. Even though I've been lurking on this site I never got a chance to interact with the members to ask them questions.

2. I never really thought too much about what would happen if the procedure didn't give me the results I expected.

3. I never felt comfortable or at peace with what I was doing.

4. No surgery is guaranteed.

5. I started to review and concentrate on FUE cases that didn't go accordingly.

 

Here's what I'm hoping to do;

1. I'd like to consult with other doctors and hear what they have to say.

2. Interact more with this forum by asking more detailed questions.

3. Be more comfortable with what I'm doing and make a decision on whether to go for a procedure or not by the spring.

4. I just thought of this one as I was typing, but I started using Propecia in the fall, so I'd like to see if it does anything for me during this time.

 

All in all I was a little bummed to call it off. I just didn't feel mentally ready.

[Melvin- Admin]

You shouldn't feel bummed you did the right thing, I would take it one step further and Buzz your head, it could save you money and potential heartache, no one can guarantee a successful surgery, doing nothing is never a mistake, this is coming from a guy who's had three transplants, acceptance is the best option, and doing nothing is the safest don't feel bummed out.

[voxman]

Buzz your head, it could save you money and potential heartache.

 

HTsoon is brilliant. Because that's what I was going to say -

 

And then when you ARE ready, no one will notice after a couple of weeks!

[E39]

I agree. You made the right decision. Only you'll know if and when you're ready to take the plunge.

[KO]

I think the right moment to get surgery is when you look in the mirror and say, "I can't live like this". Is that you?

[Ernie]

Procedurally I think you would have been fine with Diep. He's a great FUE surgeon.

 

Emotionally, I agree with the others. Just wait until you're ready, if ever. And there's nothing wrong with never being ready mate. The HT game ain't for everybody

[quidproquo82]

Peace of mind is the most important thing. Even though, more than likely you would have been fine, the first 6 months of waiting and second guessing can drive one crazy. It's better to be at peace with your decision. It is surgery after all. You can never do enough research.

[n00b]

Dont feel bummed. You did the right thing and you have the right approach on moving forward. I agree with HTsoon that you should try and buzz your head before jumping into a transplant.

[azakdan2682]

For the Diep patients is there a required deposit to get a procedure scheduled? I am looking to do one between an assignment (about a month between) but it could change. Is there any penalities financially for canceling a surgery?

[transplant1]

For the Diep patients is there a required deposit to get a procedure scheduled? I am looking to do one between an assignment (about a month between) but it could change. Is there any penalities financially for canceling a surgery?

 

Yes you do have to put down a deposit to book an appointment. I can't recall about the penalties though.

[azakdan2682]

Yes you do have to put down a deposit to book an appointment. I can't recall about the penalties though.

 

Can you give me insight to the cost of the deposit, if can't discuss can you PM me or give me a ballpark answer like under 200$..

 

Thanks.

[zona]

Can you give me insight to the cost of the deposit, if can't discuss can you PM me or give me a ballpark answer like under 200$..

 

Thanks.

 

1000 to book a surgery