Debating a 2nd FUE

[Kom]

Long time lurker here needing some advice regarding a 2nd FUE HT.

 

My HT background is as follows: 2500 FUE in September 2012. After receiving what was described from the clinic as a "conservative hair line" and after years of patience my expectations were never met. The hairline is poor and the graphs never came in well, leaving a ratty and unnatural look.

 

So before I buzz my hair away and the $ spent I thought it would be prudent to debate giving it another go.

 

I confident that at worst I'm a NW4-5A, as my dad and his brothers (the bald side of the family) are NW4s. My first concern is that 2500 graphs are already gone from my donor area... I'm wondering if it is worth it and if it makes sense to move another 1500 to fix my hairline? I feel like 4000 graphs for the hairline is overkill and hurting me long-term.

 

Second concern: transplanting over and in the area of my previous HT will cause shock loss correct? Am I fighting a losing battle by moving graphs into the same area and damaging the few previous graphs that stuck?

 

Any advice is appreciated, as well as recommendations for good NA FUE Docs.

Edited September 12, 2017 by Kom
Added pictures.

[aWidowsPeek]

You'll have to post pictures to get good advice. Sounds like you should get another transplant though. Fue in the right hands is a good choice.

[HairThereAndEverywhere]

If you do get a second HT, you should definitely go to a different doctor. 2500 grafts should be plenty for a hairline you're satisfied with.

 

As for the shock loss....my understanding is that IF you experience shock loss of transplanted hairs they will grow back. Shock loss is only permanent when it affects weak hairs that you would've lost anyway in the next 1-2 years. Shock loss in the donor area or with transplanted hair generally comes back in around 3-4 months.

 

And yeah, we need to see pictures. But if you deplete 4000 grafts in your donor and throw them all on the hair line, you will NEVER have enough to fully cover your head and will have to resign yourself to the fact that your crown will need to be left pretty much untouched. Or, you can do BHT there when the time comes. Don't know your donor density though, it could be better or worse than that.

 

But either way, if your current hairline looks 'ratty' as described, find a really good HT doctor and get a repair job. It would be better to have a nice hairline and no crown, then a ratty hairline and also no crown.

[pkipling]

Good advice already up above. The pictures really will do a lot to help guide you in the right direction, though I think in a case like this, it's extremely important to do even more thorough research on different surgeons and set up consultations with your top choices - preferably in person. Discuss with them how much donor you have left, explain your history, and see if they can think of any explanation as to why your grafts didn't grow the first time so they can mitigate any potential problems in the future. Was it a fluke or did the surgeon not have a good track record to begin with? It'll also be interesting to get input from several different surgeons and see if they're all in general agreement about how you should proceed.

[JohnCasper]

Great suggestions above. My hair loss was very similar to yours based on your narrative. I had my first transplant in September of 2012 as well. I had my second surgery in January of 2015. You really need to have a personal consultation so the doctor can fully examine your donor area and previous results. You may be surprised how much donor hair you have available. I've had over 7,000 grafts moved and have plenty more available if I had a third surgery. I was on display with Dr. Vories at an international convention for hair restoration surgeons and dozens of surgeons examined my head. Many encouraged me to have another surgery. Share some photos on this site and if you want to see my journey you can see everything at .... MyFUEhairtransplant.com

 

Best of luck with your decision and keep us posted on this website.

[Djlazerblue]

Another 1 that wants blind advice, why bother posting? It's like a HT surgeon giving you advice over the phone totally pointless, next

[Kom]

I've attached a few pictures that I took over this past weekend, including the donor area. Thanks again for the replies.

[mattj]

Do you have any photos pre-op photos? It's hard to tell how much is transplant and how much is native hairs.

 

The transplanted hairs are, if anything, less susceptible to permanent shockloss than the native hairs in the area. The native hairs which are miniaturizing and destined to be lost are weaker than transplanted hairs.

 

I think you could benefit from a procedure that is larger and covers more area, but you could also have a satisfying result with a smaller number of grafts concentrated at your hairline. Any doctor's concern would be your donor area, which doesn't look especially dense.

 

You hair is a lot like mine: quite fine and straight which isn't ideal for coverage. Any flaws in a haircut are more obvious with this hair type.

[Kom]

I've attached a pre-op picture and a post-op picture I took.

 

I'm going to take this thread's advice and seek out some FUE consultations.