2215 Grafts with Dr.Diep (23 years old turning 24)

[mikenguyen]

Thank you guys for your kind words!!

@pkpling: Yes I am trying to not get any direct sun exposure. I always wear a hat outside or use an umbrella. It's extremely sunny here where I live right now and I am trying very hard to keep my head out of the sun. It's a little nerve racking now because I don't know how the results will be. However, knowing Dr.Diep's reputation, I am very optimistic

@Cheddar: I hope so too! Everything seems to go as planned for now and hopefully will yield great results

@David: Thank you for the encouragements David, I hope that you continue to follow and support my thread!!

[Gasthoerer]

I am not an expert on Asien hair but Overall it Looks good. However the sides look already a littel thin but again, Asien hair is different.

 

How Dr. Diep could recommend you an lower hairline than this is beyond me given your Age an loss pattern, and I am glad that you didn't go this route.

 

I wish you all the best and hope you grow well and do not lose much more (even though I doubt it ).

[mikenguyen]

I am not an expert on Asien hair but Overall it Looks good. However the sides look already a littel thin but again, Asien hair is different.

 

How Dr. Diep could recommend you an lower hairline than this is beyond me given your Age an loss pattern, and I am glad that you didn't go this route.

 

I wish you all the best and hope you grow well and do not lose much more (even though I doubt it ).

 

Thank you for your kind words Gasthoerer. Yes I can also see that the side is quite thin but I think this is due to shock loss. I hope that it will grow back with the transplanted hair.

[Rawkerboi]

Do post some pics after Hair Cut!

Ugly Duckling phase is always tough one but its just a matter of time..

Do keep us updated

[Melvin- Admin]

I am not an expert on Asien hair but Overall it Looks good. However the sides look already a littel thin but again, Asien hair is different.

 

How Dr. Diep could recommend you an lower hairline than this is beyond me given your Age an loss pattern, and I am glad that you didn't go this route.

 

I wish you all the best and hope you grow well and do not lose much more (even though I doubt it ).

 

Asians on average have less fu per cm2 than caucasians, however on average their hair is thicker and coarser, that's why you can see scalp with hair cut really short, but when the hair grows out it appears thicker than a Caucasians hair, his sides look absolutely normal for his ethinicity. The same can be said with those of African heritage.

 

Everything's looking great Mike, the worst is over and the next few months will be very exciting.

[mikenguyen]

Asians on average have less fu per cm2 than caucasians, however on average their hair is thicker and coarser, that's why you can see scalp with hair cut really short, but when the hair grows out it appears thicker than a Caucasians hair, his sides look absolutely normal for his ethinicity. The same can be said with those of African heritage.

 

Everything's looking great Mike, the worst is over and the next few months will be very exciting.

 

Thank you for your comments HTsoon! I personally feel that my right side is more thin that I would like and I think that this is due to shock loss since my hair is very thick. Below are 2 photos comparing my 2 sides. Keep in mind that Dr.Diep only took grafts from my right side (thin side) and he did not touch the left side at all. I hope that this is only due to shock loss and the hair should grow back with the transplanted hair.

 

@Rawkerboy: Yes I will definietly post some photos once I have my hair cut. I will cut my sides and back quite short so I can see how the donor area is doing.

 

free image hosting ebay

[mikenguyen]

1 month 26 days Update (Almost 2 months, first hair cut)

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I had my first haircut post op today and so as promised, here are photos to show my hair after the haircut. I decided to go quite short on the sides and at the back to expose the donor area. As you can see from the photos, the scars are quite noticable and red when I wear my hair short. The scars look kinda like a linear FUT strip. Also, there is an area that looks particularly thin on the left of the back of my head (also the right side of my head). I hope that this area and right side of my head are just experiencing shock loss at the moment. Also, I hope the scars become less noticable as I continue to recover.

 

Although most the transplanted hair already shed in the recipient area, there are around 5 or 6 that grew long with the native hair. There are quite a few that did not shed and stay relatively short. I am still unsure to whether shave these hairs off. As for right now, no growth can be seen and I hope to see some improvements soon!

[mikenguyen]

1 month 1 week (9 weeks) Post Op

I know this is early but I would like to share that I am starting to see some peach fuzz growing out from the recipient area (please zoom in to see). I guess that this is an encouraging sign? Here is a photo from my left temple. You can also see a pimple there (I've been getting pimple on recipient area since around 1 months post op. They come and go fairly quickly. I think that this is caused by hair trying to push through the skin)

[hairplanter28]

Mike! Thanks for the consistent updates! I'm excited to see your progress. I'm also asian and had a hair transplant in April, so about 5 months post op now. You seem to have thicker hair than me which should provide good coverage. The first few months are the toughest and require the most patience, but nearing 3 months is when things start to happen very quickly. Best of luck!

[mikenguyen]

Mike! Thanks for the consistent updates! I'm excited to see your progress. I'm also asian and had a hair transplant in April, so about 5 months post op now. You seem to have thicker hair than me which should provide good coverage. The first few months are the toughest and require the most patience, but nearing 3 months is when things start to happen very quickly. Best of luck!

 

Thank you so much for your kind words man! It sucks being Asian and losing our hair doesn't it? Since our hair color is dark, the recession just seems more visible for us in my opinion. Your hair looks great for 5 months man! I looked at many different photos of other patients and you will definitely have a lot more growth to come in the following months. It is inspiring that you record your whole journey through your vlogs and share for everyone to see. I will definitely follow your journey and I hope that you keep following mine too!

[hope2345]

1 month 26 days Update (Almost 2 months, first hair cut)

pic hosting websites

I had my first haircut post op today and so as promised, here are photos to show my hair after the haircut. I decided to go quite short on the sides and at the back to expose the donor area. As you can see from the photos, the scars are quite noticable and red when I wear my hair short. The scars look kinda like a linear FUT strip. Also, there is an area that looks particularly thin on the left of the back of my head (also the right side of my head). I hope that this area and right side of my head are just experiencing shock loss at the moment. Also, I hope the scars become less noticable as I continue to recover.

 

Although most the transplanted hair already shed in the recipient area, there are around 5 or 6 that grew long with the native hair. There are quite a few that did not shed and stay relatively short. I am still unsure to whether shave these hairs off. As for right now, no growth can be seen and I hope to see some improvements soon!

 

Hey man!

 

Thanks for posting this for us to see. It really helps us other asians.

 

I had 550 grafts taken from the donor area for a recent procedure, and I'm scared of how my donor will end up looking. I went for a haircut 1 month after and had a bunch of spotty areas. Did Dr. Diep say this the donor area scars will fade and contract over time, and things will look better? My doctor did not advise me, and says that what's done is done. So that scares me

[JayLDD]

I'm a 22 year old who got a transplant 5 months ago so I know the struggle, but not being on finasteride with that level of loss and at that age is a blatantly stupid idea, unless you're rich enough to blast it with another transplant every few years and add SMP for the illusion of more density if need be.

 

If you care about being rational and the scientific research, 2-5/100 get any sides at all. I'm on 0.25mg which has halted losses, grown back a small amount of loss and no sides. Low risk, high reward. Either way, like many if you don't get on fin now you'll end up losing a few centimetres behind the transplant and end up on finasteride anyway, regretting how stupid it was to wait so long.

 

Work looks amazing, should be a massive improvement. Be sensible though and back it up with medication.

Edited September 17, 2017 by JeanLDD

[BlessUp]

Hey op any idea why he would harvest only on one side of ur head doesn't make since and seems like sloppy oversight. Also unless shock loss looks like he harvested all the way to your temple when most stop at ear. Concerning because I have operation with him coming up

Edited September 17, 2017 by BlessUp
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[Spidey]

I always thought Dr diep made extractions that were way too large. Personally, I don't think it's shock loss but just the size of punch he used and the pattern. A 2000 graft fue should not leave your donor as patch as yours is. Generally you should be able to wear your hair with a number 1-1.5 without your fue scars showing.

 

As for your recipient area, it does look like I I healing very well.

[BlessUp]

I always thought Dr diep made extractions that were way too large. Personally, I don't think it's shock loss but just the size of punch he used and the pattern. A 2000 graft fue should not leave your donor as patch as yours is. Generally you should be able to wear your hair with a number 1-1.5 without your fue scars showing.

 

As for your recipient area, it does look like I I healing very well.

 

Thing is he has videos of cherry picked clients that have great healing response and small fue scars when buzzed much lower that op. He says he usually uses anywhere from .8 to 1 for extraction so idk what the deal is. He's highly recommended on this forum for his hairlinse but the donors and wild extraction patterns seem off. If you look at asmed donor area photos post op these guy holes look much smaller and have way more grafts harvested in tighter area.

[Wem1]

Been reading on here for a few months on and of and have found it to be a great resource of information.

 

But I am a little shocked (to see this doctor is recommended on here) after seeing the photos of how the doner area was left and after seeing on here other photos of doner areas from the same doctor looking the same way after the normal amount for a first fue to me a newbie it's shocking and I would be in a right state if my head was left like that.

 

Comparing photos from Dr Lorenzo after a larger amount of grafts from fue, it's like chalk and cheese and then Dr Lorenzo is not on the recommended surgeon list here does not make sense?

 

Is it any surpise the doner area is now patchy and looks this way? I thought it looked shocking to be honest and surely this will impact how the surrounding areas recovers? Also surely after looking at the photos the extractions will have damaged other hairs in the area?

 

Looking at the planted hairs it looks amazing to me looks like it's done my a different doctor.

 

What would have happened if this was done to someone with a less thick doner area?

[Melvin- Admin]

Been reading on here for a few months on and of and have found it to be a great resource of information.

 

But I am a little shocked (to see this doctor is recommended on here) after seeing the photos of how the doner area was left and after seeing on here other photos of doner areas from the same doctor looking the same way after the normal amount for a first fue to me a newbie it's shocking and I would be in a right state if my head was left like that.

 

Comparing photos from Dr Lorenzo after a larger amount of grafts from fue, it's like chalk and cheese and then Dr Lorenzo is not on the recommended surgeon list here does not make sense?

 

Is it any surpise the doner area is now patchy and looks this way? I thought it looked shocking to be honest and surely this will impact how the surrounding areas recovers? Also surely after looking at the photos the extractions will have damaged other hairs in the area?

 

Looking at the planted hairs it looks amazing to me looks like it's done my a different doctor.

 

What would have happened if this was done to someone with a less thick doner area?

 

I typically don't respond or defend any doctors, but seeing as how this is your first post, typically first posts slandering a particular doctor are always fishy to me.

 

You guys are basing what Mikes hair looks like at a month as the final result, my hair looked exactly the same and it has improved, and now I can shave my head to a one guard with little to no detection. Even at a zero guard it is hard to detect the scars.

 

What has happened with mike is that the scars are still red and they're still healing, the surrounding follicles may have fallen due to trauma from the surgery, just like anything you have to allow your body to heal, once the new growth phase hairs begin the surrounding areas will improve, once the redness goes away you will no longer be able to see the scars as much, as with ANY SURGERY there WILL always be scars NO MATTER WHO DOES THE SURGERY.

 

Let us not forget this very important part, I have been messaged by somebody recently who under went a small FUE under the impression that he could shave his head without seeing any detection of surgery, this is a flat out lie, if you hope to shave your head and never see any sign of surgery DO NOT i repeat DO NOT have surgery.

 

Anyway here is why my head looked like 3 weeks after my first surgery with Dr. Diep, which was 2,120 grafts.

 

 

Now this is what it looked like 6 months after that surgery at a 1 guard

 

Now this is right after my second surgery with Dr. Diep

 

Here I am 5 months later

 

 

In Conclusion, the scalp will take longer to heal the larger the punch size, but it WILL heal, my first surgery I believe Dr. Diep used 1mm to get the thickest roots and I have pretty coarse hair, the second surgery he used .9mm and immediately post op I did not look any different then I did before surgery, regardless I have removed hair from my scalp permanently and placed it in another location, without a doubt I have changed the density of my donor area this is a fact, however this can be mitigated with having the perfect hair length and cut, I prefer guard .5 tapered up to a 3 guard at the very top.

[Wem1]

Hi HTSoon,

 

Unsure why my post seems fishy just looking at getting info and learning to be honest the doner area after this op scared me nothing more and nothing less.

 

I am not slandering anyone and find it crazy you should say this, I looked at a photo of a doner area after a op and found it scary looking comparing it to hundreds of other photos I have viewed on here.

 

You said I am basing my comments on a photo one month after, not true I posted my post after looking at the doner area photo straight after the op (one month after does not look terrible to me).

 

So look at it from my point of view as I clearly posted I am a newbie and want to learn, I am maybe going to use at some point a Dr recommend here; to be honest if I had based by thoughts on how my doner area would look straight after a HT after seeing hundreds of photos on here I would be shocked PLEASE NOTE I MEAN STRAIGHT AFTER THE HT.

 

After reading on here I totally understand there will be scaring from fue, I totally understand there could be shock loss after a HT, I totally understand you could not then completely shave your head after fue; you seem to be dragging my post elsewhere I am new here yes and this is my second post yes but to say my post is fishy and slandering is just not on and you seem to be muddying the water I just found that photo straight to be quite gruesome personally and thought if I had used a doctor recommended here and the saw the back of head looking like that I would be upset.

 

If you want me to delete my post please let me know or if anyone else wants me to please let me know and I will.

 

@ HTSOON can you honestly say after looking at the photo straight the HT this looks like a normal doner area after this amount of grafts taken when comparing to other photos on here?

[Melvin- Admin]

Why would I want you to delete your post? I am not a moderator here, you're free to post what you want, choosing your first post to question the recommendation of any doctor is fishy to me sorry, I'm not saying you're not allowed to do this, you're free to do so, I'm only responding in order to maintain a fair environment as someone who's had three surgeries and has had surgery with this doctor. You're free to share your opinion but I am free to share mine as well. No I do t think there is anything concerning with the photos, as I said the larger the punch size the longer it will take to heal, I've had 1mm and .9mm and you know what? Both gave me scars, both reduced the overall density of my donor area, the only difference is the larger punch took a bit longer to heal.

 

The darker your hair the lighter your skin the easier you will spot scars, the lighter your hair the lighter your skin the more difficult it is to see scars, the darker your skin the darker your hairs the harder it will be to spot scars, salt and pepper hair will also disguise scars better, that's why you can not compare results, scars etc. everyone's physiology is different the rate in which they heal, some guys go to the same doctor, one has redness for months and the other doesn't. No two results are the same that is important to remember, not only when it comes to scarring but the results as well, someone can get away with 2,000 grafts to the hairline whilst another requires 3,000, we all have different head shape, head size, hair thickness etc, which plays a vital role in the final outcome, so it's not as simple as saying "but so and so got x amount of grafts and doesn't look like that".

[Wem1]

@htsoon sorry as I said a few times in my last post, I am only referring to the photo straight after the HT not the others so much but the more bloody one, I was shocked by that one photo none of the others as I said in my other post.

 

If this photo was not there I would not have posted and I believe your completely wrong you (but I am a newbie) say you cant compare photos straight after a HT with each other if there both fue and both with a similar amount of grafts and similar hair type (please note where you seem to be once again be dragging my posts of in another direction i.e the healing process, I was not shocked on how the op was healing; I think considering the doner area after the op he is healing amazingly to be honest).

 

As for the recipient area I think it looks amazing as I posted in my first post.

 

@HTsoon are you saying the more bloodly photo in this thread straight after the ht looks the same as other photos on this forum and this you say seems normal to you?

 

Please note in by above question them same I asked in my last post (but you chose to not answer it and say "no I don't see anything concerning with the photos" I am asking do you think the doner area straight after the ht looks the same as other photos on here for fue for the similar amount of grafts also straight after a HT".

 

I honestly think that speaks for itself when you think that this is normal, yes I am a newbie but what your saying is crazy to me but I am newbie as you correctly pointed out and others might well also think I am wrong but my eyes tell me something different.

[Melvin- Admin]

@htsoon sorry as I said a few times in my last post, I am only referring to the photo straight after the HT not the others so much but the more bloody one, I was shocked by that one photo none of the others as I said in my other post.

 

If this photo was not there I would not have posted and I believe your completely wrong you (but I am a newbie) say you cant compare photos straight after a HT with each other if there both fue and both with a similar amount of grafts and similar hair type (please note where you seem to be once again be dragging my posts of in another direction i.e the healing process, I was not shocked on how the op was healing; I think considering the doner area after the op he is healing amazingly to be honest).

 

As for the recipient area I think it looks amazing as I posted in my first post.

 

@HTsoon are you saying the more bloodly photo in this thread straight after the ht looks the same as other photos on this forum and this you say seems normal to you?

 

Please note in by above question them same I asked in my last post (but you chose to not answer it and say "no I don't see anything concerning with the photos" I am asking do you think the doner area straight after the ht looks the same as other photos on here for fue for the similar amount of grafts also straight after a HT".

 

I honestly think that speaks for itself when you think that this is normal, yes I am a newbie but what your saying is crazy to me but I am newbie as you correctly pointed out and others might well also think I am wrong but my eyes tell me something different.

 

This will be my last post to you as I don't post on here to defend or argue with anyone, I post on here to help other guys, how ones donor or recipient area looks after surgery LARGELY depends on how well the individual cleans that area, meaning anytime you have surgery you will have blood, unless you clean the donor area the blood will dry and look worse than it is, I had surgery with the same doctor and literally posted what my donor area looked right after surgery just a few posts above.

 

Most clinics wash the donor area immediately following the procedure and some take pictures, once the donor area is bandaged once again that area will bleed through the night, hence why the area is bandaged. Once the bandage is removed you have to thoroughly was the donor area which is painful, a lot of guys do not do this, this has nothing to do with the doctor, as this is post operative. At the end of the day it is up to the patient to make sure the donor and recipient area is cleaned following surgery. Crusting, scabbing, etc will occur with any surgeon if the patient is not thorough in their cleaning. Now if you have any question's, comments or concerns please create your own thread as we have already derailed Mike's thread which is meant to track his progress.

[Wem1]

Hi HTsoon,

 

I'm at a loss to all your replies and you keep dragging what I am saying of to something totally different and keep avoiding my one question to you which I asked only because you stated I was a fishy poster here and I have been slandering a doctor which is 100 per cent not the case (I am a newbie here and looking at choosing a doctor for a future HT as was shocked at the donor image posted here, if I had personally used a recommended doctor from this forum and that doctor had done this to me I would personally be in bits).

 

I am clearly not talking about the doner area having blood that can be cleaned away of course and will be different for different people, I am clearly talking about how the doner area looks with or without the blood the blood is irrelevant why you would mention this is a mystery to me; I am clearly stating how the area look straight after the extractions.

 

Also unsure why you go on to explain about scabbing, crusting, aftercare, I am only talking about how it looked in the photo straight after the extractions as I'm sure your aware.

 

Sorry Mike if I have stopped anyone posting (I felt I had to reply to HTSoon when he was quoting me as he was taking everything I said out of context I believe possibly on purpose but could be wrong) and I wish you well I truly do and I'm sure your going to look great.

[BlessUp]

Ty for the pictures htsoon and in your case the fuedots/shock loss improved 100% at 6months.

[mikenguyen]

Wow thank you guys for checking out my progress and leaving your comments. Since I first started this thread, I was always open to all comments whether they are positive or negative.

 

@JeanLycBergman: I completely understand where you are coming from and I totally agree that fin is an effective treatment that will save the rest of my hair for a while. While the sides are rare, the risks are still there and I had to make a personal decision of not using the medication for now. Down the road I know that I will be needing more transplants because of this but it is something that I am willing to do. I might change my mind about fin in the future but as of now, I am not willing to take that risk and I hope that you also understand where I am coming from. I will be following your progress as well and I hope that your results will be amazing!

@hope2345: I definietly think that the scars will improve over time. I am only 2.5 months post op so I still have a long journey to go. It will only get better from here! In your case, I think 500 is a small number of grafts and your donor area should heal nicely as time goes on.

@Blessup: Unfortunately I did not get a chance to talk to Dr.Diep as to why he only harvested from one side of my head. However, I think it might be because that side probably has more density than the other side? I totally understand where your worries are and I would be lying to say that I am not worried about the current state of the donor area. However, I totally trust Dr.Diep and his work and I feel that the donor area will improve as time goes on!

@Wem1 Thank you for joining this forum and leaving your comments. As I said before, I am open to any comments whether they are praises or criticisms. I totally understand your concerns when you look at my donor area photos post op. However, the donor area looked that way since I left the bandage on overnight and a lot of the fluid and blood dried up which makes it look worse than it is. This was my first HT so I was particularly careful when washing my head. I waited a few days later to apply any pressure to the donor area and as you can see from my photos, the donor area got better very quickly over time.

@Spidey: Thank you for your kind words! I hope that my donor area will get better over time!

 

@HTsoon: As always, thank you for your comments man! I was definietly concerned when I saw the patchy areas in my donor area (especially at the back where it looks like a FUT scar). However, seeing the progress photos of your donor area over time, I can be less worried now since your donor area improved significantly over time. I know that I am still very early in my recovery and it will only get better from here on! Please keep on following my progress and leaving your comments because I truly appreciate comments from a veteran like you!

 

Today marks the 2.5 months milestone for me and as for my recipient area, I have definietly see quite a number of peach fuzz hairs growing out over the past 1-2 weeks. They are looking more visible everyday and I hope that this is the start of some great growth to come. Also, redness is slowly starting to fade as well. Here is a picture of the front of my recipient area (I pulled my native hair back to expose the area better). Again, thank you for all the support guys!

 

[hairvanity]

It looks like your hair grew a bit before it shed. What do you think?