Dr Cooley - July 2017

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Hi Everyone

I had a procedure done with Dr Cooley in July 2017. I've been a VERY LONG TIME lurker.. been a few years now. Looking back I should never had been lurking to begin with.

 

I am currently in my mid 30's. My obsession with hair started at a young age due to my paternal side of the family being bald and on my maternal side, the only one really going strong being my maternal grand father. In my late teens, an uncle of mine (currently a NW6) who I love dearly, jokingly said I would lose hair at the front of my head. He didn't realize I would take those words to heart and so started the obsession of a head full of hair.

 

A couple of years ago, my father was contemplating going for hair transplant # 3. He had done 2 priors at Bosley and the results left much to be desired. It was around that time I came across Dr Cooley and decided if all went well with Dad, Dr Cooley probably has me for a patient as well. Come July 2015 dad and I drove up to Charlotte and he had his procedure. That was also the day of my first consult with Lollie and she confirmed what many had said: I had a thick head of hair however I was thinning. At that point in time, the recommendation was 2k grafts and I even had a possibility of lowering my hair line. Meds were recommended however I was on propecia in 2010 for 4 months however i was very unpleasant to live with. I was always tired and when I wasn't tired I was very angry (not my character). For the sanity of my marriage I had to get off it.

 

Dad got the hairline he wanted and the results were very natural. Other than Mom, my wife and myself, no one knows he had a 3rd procedure. During his procedure he said Dr Cooley was with him through out which wasn't what he was expecting. He was very happy with the experience he received.

 

Nov 2016 I went to see Lollie again for my 2nd consult and I had lost more hair than my initial visit. Dropping the hairline wasn't an option and an increase of grafts to 2500 was recommended.

 

I left bummed out but knew if I was to do this, I found my clinic. As you will be seeing in the PLENTY of pictures I will be sharing, I feel my identity and confidence is tied to my hair.

 

I started having a receding hair line in the late 200's but could cover it up due to the way I styled my hair. I hated it but made peace with it. Then I started thinning infront and on top. Haircuts were painful. I couldn't do a middle parting anymore. Each visit resulted in a further corner parting to give the illusion of density.

 

My wife had no clue how thin my hair was till the night before my surgery when I showed her the pictures.

 

On my drive to Charlotte from another state in the South East United States, I was unbelievably nervous. Kept asking myself am I doing the right thing. At the amount of money I was spending, I could easily feed a huge amount of people in a 3rd world country.

 

I chose to have a procedure with Dr Cooley on a Monday because in my mind, he and his team would be fresh from a weekend. He does all the surgeries and I figured he'd be freshest on a day off vs a day after a procedure. **This is just my opinion; my father had a procedure middle of the week with Dr Cooley and it turned out great**

 

FUE wasn't on my list as I keep my hair a medium-long length. FUT was the way to go for me but I hated the concept of having skin removed. Prior to this, the only surgery I've ever had was wisdom tooth surgery so I had no idea what to expect.

 

After meeting with Dr Cooley and Brandi (prior to meeting them you take some pills, choose your movies and lunch selection) pictures are taken and hair goals are discussed. Then you're taking the operating room, shirt is removed and given a gown to wear and made to lie on your chest.

 

As I was zoning out I heard clippers turn on and I was thinking weird.. I thought I was having an unshaved FUT.. then I was knocked out due to the meds (needed the sleep). Later on I find out the donor strip was trimmed down and not my head

 

I was knocked out for the strip removal, I stirred a little when I felt the sutures going in but then I went back to dreamland.

 

Woke up and slits were being made..I have no idea how I got on my back or how my glasses were back on.

 

Dr Cooley and his team work like a well oiled machine. Each of them knew their role and the most efficient way to get it done. When they spoke there was no tension, just calmness and focus. A professional family (not sure if that's a real word?) in a way.

 

Upon the conclusion, Dr Cooley appeared to be very happy and excited. His demeanor was contagious and I started feeling and believing. He gave me the sprays to use and the after care instructions, Brandi called the hotel for the shuttle to come get me and I was on my way.

 

Followed the instructions throughout the night and the next day came in for my 1st wash. Prior to the procedure I decided I'd stay back for another 2 days to rest and recover as this procedure is comes at a financial and physical cost. Best to protect my investment by not overdoing it. Before putting the deposit down I badgered Lollie to see if I could come in the clinic for my 2nd and 3rd washes as well which they did.

 

I believe Amy( I apologize if the name is incorrect) does the washes and it's so soothing. After all 3 washes on Tues, Wed, Thurs Dr Cooley came in to inspect his work. The work looks so clean. The only time there was blood on the pillow was on the night right after surgery. Otherwise there was no discharge.

 

I have a lot more to say but I will add it in my future posts as this is an ongoing process. Some will say why didn't I put this up a few months ago? Mainly because I wanted to heal in peace and not be worried. Having a positive mindset helps healing and I didn't want to hear any negative opinions. Unfortunately there are some posters who criticize patient's choice of surgeon or work done and that causes doubt. Doubt causes stress which could slow the healing process.

 

I didn't want to know my hair graft count til a month later as I didn't want to have disapointment if my goals weren't met. I'm glad I waited as I thought I'd have the most avg hair/graft ever but I didn't get close to my goal. Had I known on day 1 or 2 that may have caused me more frustration than anything else. I am writing this on day 95 so here are a few notes I jotted down so far:

 

2575 GRAFTS

SINGLES = 931

DOUBLES = 1076

TRIPLES = 479

QUADS = 89

TOTAL: 4,876—found out on August 16 2017: Day 30

Hair/graft = 1.89

Day 1= Monday July 17 2017

Day 2 = Tuesday July 18 2017

Using a pitcher to shower till Tuesday August 25th= Day 8

Regular shower Wednesday August 26th = Day 9

Sutures removed: Thursday August 3 2017: Day 17

Using Suture cream 2x a day till Saturday August 5 2017: Day 19

First signs of grafts falling: Thurs August 10 ; Day 24

First hair cut after procedure: Day 80

 

I am very sure I've not added a few notes so I will add them as I go along. The hardest part so far is being a "patient" patient. I thank Dr Cooley, Lollie and team for treating me with respect and understanding before, during, and after my procedure.

 

I will be sharing plenty of pictures as to document the before and after process. I think I went overboard with it but I prefer reading posts with more pics than less pics.

 

To see the timeline of each picture, click on the picture and in the header bar there should be a date/day of when the picture was taken as a refernce point.

 

The following pictures are all pre-surgery; as I post a new post, I will indicate which day it is

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Adding in the last few pictures prior to surgery

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night before surgery

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Day of surgery:

first few pictures are wet hair from the shower before Dr Cooley's pictures followed by pictures from the first night

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After 1st wash

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Day 2 after procedure

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3rd day after procedure: day 4 title

3rd and final wash @ clinic before heading home

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Day 5

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I'll continue adding and posting the rest of what I have over the next 48 hours

[Spanker]

You picked an awesome surgeon and you should start seeing some improvement very soon.

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Spanker

Very appreciative of your comment

You have a lot of experience and wisdom on these matters so having a positive statement from you means alot

Thank you

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Before I continue posting pictures wanted to share the experience as I"m sure I missed out on a few points

 

You're asked to get to the clinic by 630 am and they prefer that you eat breakfast before getting there. I was so nervous I could barely eat half a bagel. The clinic provided a room at the local Hilton so was able to grab the shuttle and make it to the clinic at 6:40ish. One of the nurses greets you and ensures you've brought the presciption meds with you. Then the usual questions followed by a movie list and lunch menu. Made one last call to the missus as my nerves were really kicking in.

 

Then walks in Dr Cooley and he's coolness personified. Very calm and answers all of your last minute questions wanting to put you at ease. You're his only patient so the focus from the entire team is you.

 

Due to my being unable to take propecia etc then Dr Cooley did say I could lose more hair around the grafts so he wanted to warn me that eventually I may have to come in for a 2nd round. He didn't push me to start taking the meds again and supported my reasons. (in a couple of weeks I'll write about how I'm in the process of doing IVF with my wife so even more of a reason for me to be cautious)

 

You are then taken to the operating room, change into the gown and lie face down to have the strip removed. By this time you have had some pills that give you the sleep that you need after a night of nerves. I think we started about 7:20-7:30ish?

 

Took a break for lunch at about noon. When you need to use the restroom the procedure stops and your head is wrapped up so you can do your business. A hospital cap is always on so you can't take a sneak peak of the surprise that awaits you.

 

I believe the slit incisions were done solely by Dr Cooley followed by graft insertions done by both Brandi and Dr Cooley. They were the only 2 working on my head. There were about 4-5 technicians working on removing the grafts from the strip. I may have said this before but they were a very well oiled efficient team. I think we were done between 5-530.

 

A week before the procedure I told Lollie my biggest concern was getting an infection as this is surgery. She understood my concerns and was able to get me some antibiotic meds to take in the week leading up to the procedure. After the procedure you're given meds to take for about a week along with the spray and the gel creams to put on the suture line.

 

The next day had my first wash and I really liked what I saw. I haven't brushed wet hair back like that for a few years and I felt it was not obvious that any work had been done. Hopefully you'll see in the next set of pictures how quick I healed. I believe it's due to the skill of Dr Cooley and team.

 

During the procedure we spoke about some clinics that aren't recommended on here using SEO to get a spike for google searches and youtube views. Unfortunately there are many patients who get scared about losing hair and instead of doing indepth research jump at their first click. This community is very important to spread knowledge and education so that patients can make an informed decision. Clinics that use a ton of marketing to get you in may have money as their intention. Some clinics have the focus on patients. I'm not trying to say who is right and who is wrong.. I'm saying do your research so you don't have any regrets.

 

Dr Cooley has an unbelievable work ethic. When he's not doing procedures he's doing research. Not to ruin anything on but before I left on day 4 we had a quick chat and what he's working on is very exciting. From my research on him, he's always looking for ways to improve the industry.

 

No matter what I say, at the end of the day this is a game based on results. I had a good experience and I wait for the results to make this a home run.

 

Two of his surgeries stand out to me (amongst the many that the clinic has shared) and this helped me in taking my dad to see Dr Cooley which eventually led me to him as well

 

http://www.hairrestorationnetwork.com/eve/179427-dr-cooley-4-399-grafts.html

 

http://www.hairrestorationnetwork.com/eve/169582-dr-cooley-2-612-grafts-hairline-5-months.html

 

Thank you for reading

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Day 7

Hair is wet due to spraying of the grafts

I believe I even went out for lunch this day and no one could tell

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Day 8

Cant' remember if this was the day I had my first shower without using a bottle to pour water.. if it wasn't this day then it would have been the next day

 

I used flash for these pictures as I was in a darker room and it was harder to see the grafts without them.

 

Some will say flash is not realistic light so I'm not using this to base my results but to try and indicate where the grafts were placed and how I'm healing

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day 9

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day 10

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day 11

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day 12

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day 15; 1st day back at work

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day 20

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day 21

Edited October 21, 2017 by forgotpassword
*typo

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day 30

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a look from the back to see how the donor is looking a little over a month out

taken at a restaurant

[HTREGRETS]

This looks excellent, thank you for sharing all of the pictures! I'm sure with the amount of loss, grafts used, and your hair characteristics that this will be a home run! Things are about to get exciting.

 

Do you have any close up pics of the scar? Also, do you know how long it is?

[thatoldchestnut]

I'm almost always very impressed with Dr. Cooley's work. I think with such a solid foundation to build on you should be in for a great result!