Round 2 with Rahal -- 1204 FUT to frontal third (same area)

[mav23100gunther]

Looking good Ernie, this is going to be a knock-out, must be very exciting for you! Enjoy the growth

[Ernie]

Any pictures of it? And if you have please a picture at the recipient :-)

 

Here ya go Mosd, pics of my hairline at 45 days, and my scar at 45 days.

 

Right where I expected to be. Bathroom lighting harsh, but telling...

[mosd]

It's going to be a killer result!

[mattj]

Looking great so far, Ernie!

 

The FUT/FUE debate will never end. I chose FUE and couldn't be more pleased, but if I'd had Ernie's level of hair loss I could very well have decided that FUT was the better choice.

[Ernie]

Yes it is. Started at about 3 weeks post-op. Last time it filled back in at about 2.5-3.5 months postop. Already much better, as its starting to fill back in 🙂

[Ernie]

Quick photo of my hairline at about 2 months post op from my 2nd FUT.

 

It'll be 2 months this Saturday. Very pleased thus far.

[mattj]

It's looking great already! You've come a long way since your pre-op appearance.

[Sean]

At the stage, seems to be on track Ernie. Great to see the update. Happy growing.

[Ernie]

My guess is recovery from shock loss. Too early still for new growth. At 3 months I'll do a big update with hi-rez pics :-)

 

Month 3 is when things got started for me last time...

[Transhair]

Hope it goes well.

How do you feel about your donor density after 4000 grafts? Does it still seem thick or kind of thin?

[Ernie]

Hope it goes well.

How do you feel about your donor density after 4000 grafts? Does it still seem thick or kind of thin?

 

My donor density is unchanged because I had two FUTs. Same as it was before both HT's. I have really good laxity too, so luckily there's no tightness.

 

Read some post the other day about how strip thins out the donor, which is complete bullsh1t. The guys math was all wrong.

[Ernie]

This time, not yet (under 3 months still)

 

Last time, 3.5 months -- 4 months mark is when things started to happen.

 

HLS2015, how are things coming along?

[tofur]

My donor density is unchanged because I had two FUTs. Same as it was before both HT's. I have really good laxity too, so luckily there's no tightness.

 

Read some post the other day about how strip thins out the donor, which is complete bullsh1t. The guys math was all wrong.

 

Technically it does thin it out though right? Those 4k grafts are gone from the area and can't be FUE'd out now. The density of remaining hair is obviously unaffected but you still took 4k grafts outta there.

 

I'm in a heated debate with myself over fue vs fut right now, Rahal is in my top 4 short list at the moment. My front 1/3 only needs around 2k grafts but my crown/vertex is thinning and could use 1k grafts. So it's either do a 2k FUE up front then a 1k crown at a later date or in a back to back session, or say f*ck it and carve a strip out and do it all at once. Wish this wasn't such a hard decision

[mattj]

FUT doesn't thin the donor area, but of course it does deplete it.

 

I take it you've had a consultation with Dr Rahal or someone from our clinic?

 

I can understand your dilemma. I can remember when I first started looking into hair transplants many years ago: FUE had been around for a while, but far fewer doctors were doing it and as a result I saw FUT as the only way to restore my hairline. After lots of research I decided that I wanted Dr Rahal to perform my procedure, but by the time I went ahead with the procedure he had established himself as an FUE doctor, and as I was more comfortable with FUE, that's what I went with.

 

As you also require crown work (and therefore a higher number of grafts) you could easily see FUT as a necessity (just like I did way back); but I can tell you from experience that FUE is a very easy procedure to undergo. I think the main dilemma for you must be whether you have the time to have two FUE procedures.

[Ernie]

Here's my 4 month update.

 

First two pics -- before ANY hair transplants.

 

Third pic -- post-op 1 year after 1st HT

 

all the rest -- four months from various angles, lighting, etc...

 

----

 

ROUND TWO -- not as thrilling as round 1 obviously, and at 4 months my great result from round 1 is back -- PLUS now my new 1204 grafts are "filling in" to give me coverage.

 

At 5 months will look even better. More in a month....

[mattj]

That is astonishingly good. Especially as (at four months) we're looking at mainly the first result. I'm really liking the hairstyle and colour of your hair.

[Ernie]

You're correct Matt. From a hair LENGTH standpoint, you're seeing mainly my first HT result. BUT, there's a lot of short-hair growth "in my frontal third" area which is only about half-inch in length. Right now that's acting as "filler" but in a few months it will be "standard hair length" which will certainly add to my current situation.

 

In any lighting, my hair looks damn good and going with Dr. Rahal for 2x FUT in my frontal third has been my best decision ever, really.

 

I don't think other FUT Gods such as Hasson, Konior, etc... could have done any better. Comparable? Yes, better? NO...

[Gasthoerer]

Technically it does thin it out though right? Those 4k grafts are gone from the area and can't be FUE'd out now. The density of remaining hair is obviously unaffected but you still took 4k grafts outta there.

 

 

FUT doesn't thin the donor area, but of course it does deplete it.

 

 

Please enlighten me how this is possible?

If you take out grafts and skin, the remaining skin has to stretch. That is why, you feel thighness afterwards and laxitiy is required from begin with.

 

And if you stretch the remaining skin and the number if follicles remain the same it has to thin, isn't it? Or does the skull somehow shrink?

 

 

Sorry, for missing the important part: It looks amazing. Congratulations.

Edited August 4, 2017 by Gasthoerer

[Smnd44]

Looking good Ernie! Can't wait to go back to Rahal in a couple years

[tofur]

Please enlighten me how this is possible?

If you take out grafts and skin, the remaining skin has to stretch. That is why, you feel thighness afterwards and laxitiy is required from begin with.

 

And if you stretch the remaining skin and the number if follicles remain the same it has to thin, isn't it? Or does the skull somehow shrink?

 

 

Sorry, for missing the important part: It looks amazing. Congratulations.

 

What we're really talking about is the density of the remaining donor, and no the skin doesn't stretch THAT much, you're just using up laxity by removing a strip of it then sewing it back up. So those grafts are gone obviously but the rest of your donor hasn't been harvested and can still be hit with FUE if needed. Konior told me that the way to max out donor yield is to FUT first until you can't anymore then FUE until you can't anymore.

[Gasthoerer]

What we're really talking about is the density of the remaining donor, and no the skin doesn't stretch THAT much, you're just using up laxity by removing a strip of it then sewing it back up.

 

Of course you are talking about the remaining donor. But the rest of the Skalp has to stretch exactly as much as the amount of skin you are cutting out.

 

Hence, density = amount of gratfs / cm2 is going down = thinning. Of course it is distributed more equally than FUE so effect is much less visible. But it has to thin.

[Ernie]

the strip that gets removed is actually smaller than some people may think. It looks like an earthworm right after removal actually. Not like some big "flat" flap of scalp.

 

Density is the same in my donor -- not gonna knitpick about it.

 

-------------

Look at these transformative pics to help me/us/you/viewers get this thread back on track :-)

 

--guessing I'm 65ish grafts/cm2 upfront, after this 2nd FUT in frontal third.

[Gasthoerer]

Density is the same in my donor -- not gonna knitpick about it.

 

 

You have a great result, that is what matters. Full and natural looking, nothing more to wish for.

 

About the thinning, I made my statement cause I do not want People to get a wrong idea. The facts are there, now everybody can make his own mind about it.

Edited August 4, 2017 by Gasthoerer

[Ernie]

You have a great result, that is what matters. Full and natural looking, nothing more to wish for.

 

About the thinning, I made my statement cause I do not want People to get a wrong idea. The facts are there, now everybody can make his own mind about it.

 

Thanks Gasthoerer :-)

[Gasthoerer]

Ok, I went to your first thread as well. Nice coverage of all stages (the ups and downs).

 

What I found the most impressive:

- It looked so natural after the first procedure

- Now it looks fuller but before it was just as natural (men in his 40s with very mild loss vs. men with no loss).

 

How comes? Is this skill of the surgeon or your fine hair with the right color. Especially very dark, thick hair (like main) gives great coverage but appears always "artheficial" when slicked back.

 

If I would look as natural as you, I would pull the trigger immediately.