NW3 3200 grafts with Dr Erdogan

[Nathd91]

Hey Nathd91,

 

Im flying on the 31st from the UK, my surgery is 1st-2nd. I'm sure ill see you at the Radisson!

 

Ah really! That's pretty cool having it on the same day... what time is your flight? I'm getting the flight at 23.50pm on 31st October!

[scoobyht123]

Hey Nahtd,

 

I've just direct messaged you.

[scoobyht123]

Day 4

 

Day 10

 

Today I begin a 3.5 months trip travelling, a good way to hide from those at home whilst I'm in the ugly duckling phase. I had no issues carrying my backpacks round, I was slightly worried as I really haven't lifted much at all since surgery. I have no scabs left in either the donor or recipient areas. I haven't brought the neck pillow with me and I slept on a train just using the pillow provided. I slept well and it was great to be able to sleep back on my side at 90 degrees again as I normally do. The pain I was experiencing in the donor area has almost gone now. I have noticed some shock loss on the left side of my head where the extra grafts were taken near the end of my surgery, I also think I have a little round the back in the donor area but its not that noticeable. I'm very much liking my new hairline and most of the transplanted hair is still in place and growing. I am secretly hoping like most that I am one of the lucky ones that won't shed my new hair!

 

Hi Rwethereyet,

 

I'm booked in to go travelling 4 weeks after my surgery for 6 months, how have you been finding it? Are you travelling somewhere hot? I'm a bit worried about the sun, obviously I will be wearing a hat most of the day but was wondering if you had any tips for this?

[Nathd91]

Hi Rwethereyet,

 

I'm booked in to go travelling 4 weeks after my surgery for 6 months, how have you been finding it? Are you travelling somewhere hot? I'm a bit worried about the sun, obviously I will be wearing a hat most of the day but was wondering if you had any tips for this?

 

Hijacking the thread but I can't send private messages!

 

Scooby, send me an email to nathandawson18@gmail.com

[Rwethereyet]

Hi Rwethereyet,

 

I'm booked in to go travelling 4 weeks after my surgery for 6 months, how have you been finding it? Are you travelling somewhere hot? I'm a bit worried about the sun, obviously I will be wearing a hat most of the day but was wondering if you had any tips for this?

 

Hi scoobyht123

 

Apologies for the slow reply, I didn't get any notification of your message. I've found it great, no real issues. I think you need to be careful of sweat for the first 4 weeks, after that I don't think there are issues with this. So your trip is well timed. I wasn't anywhere hot till over a month after my surgery so it's been fine. I wear a cap all the time and have had no issues with the sun or problems due to Sweating and I have been Sweating. I've been places with no showers quite a few times and I've just washed my hair each day using bottled water to keep it clean etc. So I got the train from the UK to China, I'm currently travelling through China before heading to Indonesia. Hiding the ugly phase abroad has been nice but I think I've ended up telling more people that Ive had a transplant than I would if I was at home. This is because I take my hat off sometimes and people can see the red skin on the recipient area. I end up explaining it to people I'm hanging out with as I feel more comfortable that they know what it is than worry what they might be thinking it is!

[scoobyht123]

Thanks Rwethereyet!

 

I'm planning on wearing a cap during the day and then if anyone asks about the redness I was planning on saying that i'm slightly burnt!

 

Im only a month away from my HT now! Crazy how fast it's gone. The only issue i'm worried about is carrying the cash from the UK to the surgery. I'm having 5000 grafts so will be carrying around 10k.

 

Also does anyone have any tips for the best place to get this cash exchanged?

[Rwethereyet]

No worries, I found that it can get itchy in the recipient area wearing the cap a lot, 99%+ aloe gel has helped. The redness looks odd to be honest, I've told so many people travelling and everyone has been so cool about it. They really don't seem to think anything bad about it and like the fact I'm open about it. I'd say experiment and see what feels best for you, I started by telling someone who I knew I'd never see again.

 

I had no issues with carrying the cash, perhaps it might be an idea to have proof of where the cash came from in case uk customs ask about it. I'm not sure but I think they can ask for proof when you have over ?1000 and the limit you can carry is 10k euros.

 

I was met by the asmed driver as soon as I came out of customs in Istanbul so I felt safe there too. The only time I worried a bit was leaving my money in the hotel safe for the 24h or so before I went to asmed as I got there a day early. There were no issues again.

 

I took pounds and paid in pounds, the exchange rate they gave me was pretty good I didn't feel like I would have done much better in a travel exchange place either.

[Rwethereyet]

Hi Guys

 

Here is my 2 month update. I have been looking forward to writing my tow month up date, mostly I guess as I it means I'm closer to the beginning of heading out the ugly duckling phase. I was expecting to be in a worse state that at one month. Actually I feel slightly better than I did at month one and think I look slightly better.

 

My hair loss has long stopped now, I had quiet a few bits of stubble in the recipient area that would not shift with washing. I read that some of the hairs stay after the transplant and are not attached to a follicle so do not grow. I decided after much research to very carefully and gently remove them with tweezers. It was really easy and very obvious that the hair was not attrached to a follicle.

 

The redness in the recipient area is beginning to fade a bit and this more than anything is what is making me feel better about the way I currently look. As for numbness I still have a strip about an inch and half wide by 3 inches long that is mostly numb. The feeling is very slowly coming back into some of that area. I am still getting pimples but they are less frequent now and not painful bar the odd one. The aloe gel helps with the pimples but it's too hard to tell if it helps with the redness

 

I decided to use the lipogaine big 3 shampoo twice a week instead of 3 times. So far no issues. I also have only started to use Rogaine in the recipient area based on advice from Sevinc at Asmed. I had a good look yesterday under strong light and I can see a few very fine hairs starting to grow in, they are very fine and there aren't many. I'm hoping to see some signs of growth by next months update and more fading of the redness.

 

I will start taking Biotin 1000 mcg from Holland and Barrett around the 9th October when I get some from my Brother who I am meeting and is kindly bringing me some out. I hope this will help grown my existing hair quicker and if I'm lucky help the transplanted hair grow in quicker too. Sorry the photos aren't in direct sunlight as before but the weather here has been been very dull recently.

[Rwethereyet]

Hi Guys

 

Hoping for a little input, I'm now 2 months 8 days post opp. I believe I am seeing the initial signs of the first hair growth from my transplanted follicles. I appreciate that if these are the first signs it will be some time before anything changes aesthetically to any on lookers from a distance. Would just be good to have a photo of the start of the growth. Thanks

[HairDew]

I would say yes. I have the same hair sprouting. It's been little over 2 months for both of us so the best of days are still ahead

[Rwethereyet]

Nice! Looking forward to watching the progress unfold over the coming months. Also good to capture the growth from the very initial stages. Thanks HairDew, glad yours is progressing well

[Spring15]

Erdy doesn't dissapoint

[nathd911]

Hi

 

I can't seem to access my other account nathd91 so had to make a new one!

 

I have a question, I am going to ASMED on 2nd November 2017.

 

1. Did you take hand luggage only, if so, how did you find security when you were boarding your flight home with the foam and liquid etc.

[Rawkerboi]

Well now its time to say good bye to "Ugly Duckling Phase"

Now you just need to be patient and wait for the new Follicles to bloom.

[Rwethereyet]

Hi nathd911

 

I did take hand luggage, I had no issues with the liquids given to me by ASMED I seem to remember 3 bottles, atp spray, moisture spray and shampoo. All were in 100ml or less bottles. The only thing I came across that I wasn't expecting was that I had to check my hand luggage in and pay for it on my way home. The reason for this was because I had a laptop and flights from Turkey to the UK require laptops and tablets over a certain size to be checked in. Was a little annoying, so probably worth looking in to before you fly. Another tip carry a tiny bag or something in case the airline requests you to check your bag in due to busy flight. That way you can put all your cash and anything else in to a small bag.

 

Rawerboi, thanks. I'm just plodding along trying not to look in the mirror much. I'm travelling so it takes my mind of it most of the time. As the red swelling is going down I feel like I can go out a bit without a hat on in the evenings a bit. I don't mind the lack of hair as that is normal for people to see but the redness was and is the toughest bit for me as it is unnatural looking and people used to notice and stare at it. It's much less noticeable now so definitely feel I'm heading out the ugly duckling phase.

[HG1]

Hi Rwethereyet,

Thanks for your updates, I'm really enjoying following your progress. I'm a little over two weeks from my visit to Asmed and getting that 'should I - shouldn't I feeling :confused:. Did you feel like that as the date approached? It's now or never for me to be fair, if I don't follow through - it unlikely I will in the future. You comment on the redness, this is one of my concerns also. From reading others experiences, it's different for everyone - so it's a trip into the unknown. I'm not a hat wearer so thinking of wearing a loose fit hoody on the return journey and in the initial few weeks when venturing out, any thoughts on this? Any other advice also welcome.

As before, I hope you have a great result, (certainly looks like you will) and you are happy with your final result.

Take Care.

[nathd911]

Rwethereyet

 

Thank you for the reply! Another silly question:-

 

I understand you have to use the spray hourly after surgery, how long is this for and did you do this throughout the night? E.g. set an alarm every hour?

[Rwethereyet]

Hi HG1

 

Yes I did wonder if I was making the right choice. For me the worst moments were the run up couple of weeks where you are and when I was in the 24h run up to surgery. I remember after having my head shaved at ASMED thinking, I look fine with the buzz cut why am I spending 8000 euros on a ht. Just after that I saw the guys coming in just out of surgery and remember thinking wow what awesome hairlines! This settled me a lot and reminded me why I was there. After the surgery when I first saw my own new hairline I was over the moon. Do far I haven't looked back even during the ugliest of phases.

 

Are there any particular areas or thoughts that worry you the most? I'd be happy to share my thoughts on them with you.

 

As for covering up, I didn't bother on the way home as I figured I didn't know anyone so who cares. I got a few looks but from people I'd never see again. I'm not sure about the hoodie idea as asmed are very particular about what you wear on your head for the first 10 days. They give you a hat which is not particularly fashionable. I imagine there could be a possibility of the hood pulling on the new grafts, you be best to ask ASMED. For the first 10 days I worn no hat at all (bar once for 10 mins) as I figured it would be the best thing to do for the grafts. It was tough as I had to meet friends who I wasn't planning on telling and then explain what I'd had done. To be honest it wasn't so bad, a bit like ripping a plaster off, none of my family or friends were bothered and they were very supportive. I think we worry far to much about what others think and actually most people are just intrigued as to how it was done and understand why you would do it.

 

Thanks for your support, I can't wait to see the final result. Good luck with your surgery and feel free to ask me any questions you have

[Rwethereyet]

Hi nathd911

 

I did this until the bottle ran out which was more than 10 days from memory. There's no need to put in on in the night. I found I woke up a fair bit in the night from the uncomfortable sleeping position, need for toilet or pain. So I just put some on when I woke up occasionally

[HairThereAndEverywhere]

I just want to temper your expectations as you are mentioning leaving the ugly duckling phase at around two and half months.

 

From my experience and desperate searching around the internet, the vast majority of people don't experience good growth until 4 months, and then it's like 'is this growth?' It looks different, I guess.'

 

The good news is at 4 months you should be back to around where you were pre-op except with some minor improvement. BUT if you're not happy with how you were pre-op you likely won't be happy how you are at 4 months.

 

It's not until the 6 month mark that you should see what your results will look like, albeit maybe not quite as dense as the final product. Then between 6-12 months is when you ought to not really think about it too much and just be pleasantly surprised as it gets denser.

 

But all, in all, I just want to bring you down to Earth, as I feel I was not adequately prepared for my excruciating wait. You have a long ways to go. The ugly duckling phase continues for another month I'd say. Then you're just back where you started a month later. THEN it ought to begin to improve.

[Rwethereyet]

Hi HairThereAndEverywhere

 

Thanks for the info. I understand I'm not going to be looking great for a while, I think for me the hardest thing to deal with was the redness. As that's fading now I am starting to feel better about myself when not wearing a hat, I don't mind the lack of hair as this is normal, the redness is not. I can put up with looking bald knowing fresh hair is on its way. I'm not sure how I'll feel when I have the weird looking less dense patch of hair at the front. I'll let you know in the coming month/s

[HG1]

Hi HG1

 

Yes I did wonder if I was making the right choice. For me the worst moments were the run up couple of weeks where you are and when I was in the 24h run up to surgery. I remember after having my head shaved at ASMED thinking, I look fine with the buzz cut why am I spending 8000 euros on a ht. Just after that I saw the guys coming in just out of surgery and remember thinking wow what awesome hairlines! This settled me a lot and reminded me why I was there. After the surgery when I first saw my own new hairline I was over the moon. Do far I haven't looked back even during the ugliest of phases.

 

Are there any particular areas or thoughts that worry you the most? I'd be happy to share my thoughts on them with you.

 

As for covering up, I didn't bother on the way home as I figured I didn't know anyone so who cares. I got a few looks but from people I'd never see again. I'm not sure about the hoodie idea as asmed are very particular about what you wear on your head for the first 10 days. They give you a hat which is not particularly fashionable. I imagine there could be a possibility of the hood pulling on the new grafts, you be best to ask ASMED. For the first 10 days I worn no hat at all (bar once for 10 mins) as I figured it would be the best thing to do for the grafts. It was tough as I had to meet friends who I wasn't planning on telling and then explain what I'd had done. To be honest it wasn't so bad, a bit like ripping a plaster off, none of my family or friends were bothered and they were very supportive. I think we worry far to much about what others think and actually most people are just intrigued as to how it was done and understand why you would do it.

 

Thanks for your support, I can't wait to see the final result. Good luck with your surgery and feel free to ask me any questions you have

 

Hi Rwethereyet,

My thoughts on having a HT started around 6 years ago, so it's not a spur of the moment thing.I will be spending around 13000 euros with flights and other bits, so a big investment on my limited income :eek: My hair is short at the moment, and with a quick rub of concealer looks ok for a balding 50 year old Since paying the deposit and booking the flight, I have thought, am I really doing this? I'm reluctant to tell anyone, as don't want anyone thinking I'm vain :eek: Luckily I have around a month off work to recover. Reading yours and the other guys stories has got me to the place where I am now. Without this forum, I think it would have kept the HT day dream in my head. Hopefully around this time next year, the hair should be mature and I can have a choice on hairstyle.

One question, I trimmed my hair to around 5mm last week, should be about 10 to 12mm prior to my op, is there a minimum length for the consultation day? Think I recall seeing a minimum .5 cm in Asmeds correspondence, so should be fine.

I would say my biggest concerns are, the redness, ugly duckling stage and obviously the final result. I have no issues with the injections, swelling or pain. I'm also realistic with my expectations, which I think is important. Keep the updates flowing.

[Rwethereyet]

Hi HG1

 

I'm not sure on the minimum length ASMED ask for, I would double check with them. I'd say you'd be fine, but worth checking.

 

I also had a HT on the cards for many years but only read up on it seriously with intent for about 2 or so years. ASMED aren't keen on you using things on the recipient area in the first month. So I put nothing on it other than water and their products for the first month. So you can see from my pics how I looked at the 1 month stage. I've heard lighter skinned people tend to suffer with the redness more. I would say using 99.9% aloe Vera gel may have helped my redness calm down. I've also seen people say a couple of other things helped like witch hazel. Have you looked in to things like this?

 

For me the baseball cap has been my saviour both from the sun and hiding my hair when I want to. Are you going to be seeing a lot of people at work and through your personal life after the month? I've read here about guys telling people they have had an allergic reaction to a product which is why they have a red scalp. Might be worth having something like that as a back up plan.

 

I had no problems with the injections or after pain, the injections sting but are short lived and the pain afterwards was a bit annoying at times, I found cocodamol helped the most when needed.

 

Good luck with the opp, I'd love to see photos

[HG1]

Hi Rwethereyet,

Thanks for your feedback. Luckily I work in a small office with only one other person, and I have 26 days post op before I'm back. I plan to stock up on food and other goods to minimise any trips out in the first couple of weeks also. Already started 'suggesting' that I think I may have scalp psoriasis starting to those close to me All part of the deception . Yes aloe Vera seems to be the most popular treatment to try and calm the redness, hopefully I'm one of the lucky ones, who doesn't get to much of a flare up.

I will post regular updates, as it really gave me the inspiration to go for it - reading others stories. Happy growing over the next few months and good luck.

[Rwethereyet]

QHi guys

 

So it's been 3 months now. Just after I started taking 1000mg of Biotin I also decided to started taking 750mg of msm a day. It does feel like my hair is starting to grow faster than usual.

 

The new hairs coming through are thickening up and growing nicely. I am see new thin white hairs poking through each time i look in the mirror, which I'm trying not to do every day. I can see a difference in my hair between 2 and 3 months. I have a little more hair but it is not significant and is still a long way off the result I'd like.

 

I don't really feel like the redness has calmed down that much over the last month. I go without a hat sometimes but I still feel self conscious about the redness.

 

The numbness in my scalp has almost entirely gone now which is great.

 

I think I will probably get my first hair cut during this coming month as it is definitely needed. I wanted to wait at least 3 months before getting it cut just to let everything settled as much as possible.

 

I hope the next month will see a noticeable change in new hair growth and some reduction in redness.