3808 FUT on Norwood VI with Dr. Wong today 12/4/17

[zaxter]

I had my first HT today, and I don’t think I could have chosen a better clinic. I’m sure you all know that H&W is a world class clinic, so I’m not gonna write an essay about what a nice facility they have, what a pleasure it was to meet and work out a plan with Dr. Wong, how attentive his staff was, how well they all work together, etc., etc. Overall, the experience was about as pleasant and professional as one would hope for.

 

One of my biggest concerns was whether approximately 4000 grafts could be harvested from my mediocre donor regions. Especially since another surgeon estimated during an in-person consult that about 2400-2600 grafts was realistic. Well, Dr. Wong came pretty close to what I was looking for, while being careful and conscientious about the donor scar. Based on my laxity, he removed a 1.6cm strip today and harvested 3808 follicles. The strip was 28.5cm long, and he spent 90 minutes removing it. Here’s the breakdown:

1 hair: 639

2 hairs: 2435

3-4 hairs 734

total comes to at least 7701 hairs with an average density of 2 hairs per graft.

 

I believe about 2500 grafts went into the front part, and most of the remainder went in the mid-scalp. He also placed some grafts around the edge of the crown. I’ll get more details about density of the different areas treated when I go to the clinic tomorrow for a follow-up.

 

FYI, I’m at least 75% grey, so I dyed my hair for the procedure. I’ll be going back to grey after the dyed hair grows out.

 

I’m looking forward to having my face framed again, and I’m anxious to see what kind of coverage I get on top. I’m not going to worry about the crown too much, so next year I’ll most likely return for a smaller session to add density to what was done today. I’ve been buzzing my head for the past 10 years, so at 50 years old I’ll be happy to frame my face with a mature hairline and have some coverage on top.

 

I’ll be back at the clinic tomorrow for a washing, so I’ll see if they can email me some post-op pics to share here. I’ll keep you all updated with pics so you can see my progress over the next 12 months or so. I welcome your questions and comments!

[zaxter]

Went back for my first hair wash today and all seems well. I’ll return tomorrow and the next day, then it’s back to the east coast. Here’s some post-op pics taken by H&W.

[mikeyhwk]

congrats on your procedure, you've chosen one of the best, you've done your part now it's just the fun waiting period

[Triple7]

Congratulations, you have done your research and chosen wisely. It’s nice knowing that in just a few short months, you will be showing improvement and looking better. Hang in there and look forward to what is ahead!

[hairlossPA]

any update?

[zaxter]

Thanks for checking in hairlossPA. I am coming up on 10 weeks post-op. So far, I’m being patient and just looking forward to the day when I can take my hat off that has been concealing my pink scalp.

 

My recipient area and donor scar are still pinkish, but that appears to be fading week by week. The back of my head no longer feels tight, and there’s no numbness at the donor area. I still have some numbness in the frontal recipient area where 2500 grafts were placed.

 

Interestingly, I’ve experienced very little shedding. Also, no shock loss around the donor scar area. About 2 1/2 weeks post-op there was a day or two where I shed what appeared to be a few hundred hairs, but that seems to be the extent of any noticeable shedding. Overall, I seem to have lost less than 25% of the transplanted hairs, and the ones that didn’t fall out are growing at about the same rate as my native hair. Either I’m going to be a late shedder, or one of those rare cases that just doesn’t shed much.

 

I’m keeping my recipient area, along with the rest of my head, buzzed short until I feel like all of the grafts are growing. I’m estimating that around 5-6 months post-op I’ll start letting my hair grow out…maybe sooner.

 

I’m having some difficulty taking selfies that are worth posting, but I’ll try taking some today or tomorrow. For now, here’s pics from 5, 7, 9, and 15 days post-op.

[SWdan]

The FUT scar seems like it's healing really great.

[jameskandilas]

awesome work!

[zaxter]

Next week I'll be getting some high quality photos taken, but here's a few reasonable ones from earlier today. Three months post-op, and my hair is growing! There's also quite a few hairs that are just breaking the surface. Hopefully we'll be able to get a better look at those next week.

[sadhairlossman]

Next week I'll be getting some high quality photos taken, but here's a few reasonable ones from earlier today. Three months post-op, and my hair is growing! There's also quite a few hairs that are just breaking the surface. Hopefully we'll be able to get a better look at those next week.

 

wow! amazing results 3 months

[SWdan]

wow! amazing results 3 months

 

That's what I was going to say. Looks like it's going to be a success.

[zaxter]

I looked at the scar pretty closely, and there seems to be hairs growing out of the middle of it, making it almost undetectable. Even though I would have went as high as 5000 grafts, I have to say that Dr. Wong really found a balance between maximizing grafts and minimizing the potential for a noticeable scar.

Edited March 11, 2018 by zaxter

[SWdan]

I looked at the scar pretty closely, and there seems to be hairs growing out of the middle of it, making it almost undetectable. Even though I would have went as high as 5000 grafts, I have to say that Dr. Wong really found a balance between maximizing grafts and minimizing the potential for a noticeable scar.

 

Wow..I hope my scar turns out that undetectable. You can barely see it. Can you feel an indentation when you run your hand over it..?

[home1212]

Dr. Wong's work is fantastic, but I think you're probably an above average healer, scar looks undetectable! congrats and continued success growing!

[zaxter]

Thank you for your comments! Given the naturally low density in my donor area, I was really worried about an apparent scar.

 

SWdan, I can just feel the slightest indentation is some areas along the scar.

 

Here's some pics taken at H&W's on surgery day compared with pics from earlier today. Next time, I'll try to get better color. FYI, I dyed my hair dark brown for the surgery, so now it's back to its natural grey.

Edited March 12, 2018 by zaxter

[zaxter]

Here's some more higher resolution pics from today. Most of what you see in the recipient area are transplanted hairs that never shed. I took a close look at some of today's pics, and could also see quite a few tiny hairs that are just starting to come in. I'm looking forward to seeing what happens over the next 3 months. I'll keep you all updated!

[Triple7]

Everything looks great and you are right on track to a home run result. Congratulations on your procedure. You made and excellent choice of surgeon and it shows.

[PSJohnny]

zaxter,

 

I'm completely amazed by the pictures I've been reading your thread since the beginning and just wow! You're healing very nicely and the results nothing less than amazing. May I ask are you using fin/propecia or minoxidil? Honestly, I keep seeing results like these in this forum and it encourages me every day that the best decision is Hasson and Wong.... I'm getting pretty close to making my appointment for my first HT; so maybe you can help encourage me while I go through all the tough phases. I appreciate you being so persistent in positing your pictures and your thoughts it really helps in my decision making. Thank you

[hockeyman]

Zaxter,

 

You have an extremely impressive result so far. Personally, I think the grey hair looks amazing and your fortunate to have nice temple points which really is going to add a nice touch. I have a couple of questions if you don't mind;

 

1. Your scar is virtually undetectable with your hair buzzed down pretty short. What number guard is that?

2. I'm wondering how many more grafts you might have in reserve for any future procedures? Could you have another FUT and finish up with FUE?

 

Thanks.

[zaxter]

Thanks again for your comments. Next month I'll get some pics in the sunlight, and with better color.

 

jonh1125, I started Fin 1mg/day about a month prior to the procedure, and plan on taking it long-term. I don't intend on using anything other than Fin.

 

hockeyman, the settings on my trimmer aren't numbered. I trimmed it pretty tight last week, with just enough length to be able to pinch some hair between my thumb and index finger. Currently, it's much shorter than I intend on wearing it once the front grows in.

 

Dr. Wong estimated that he could get another 2000 if I were to undergo another FUT...decisions, decisions.

 

As for a second procedure, let's see how I feel about these results, and if I want to go through this again. If I get enough coverage in the front and on top, then I just might hang on to those 2000 grafts in case the lobes above my ears start to recede. Luckily, those lobes haven't eroded at all over the last 5 years, which was one factor that helped me to decide to go through with the procedure. Hopefully, that will continue to be the case.

[zaxter]

It's been about 5 weeks since I cut my hair super short, and it's just now long enough to lay to the side. I took a close look at some of my pics that were taken with a macro lens and noticed very small hairs scattered between the longer ones, so I'm looking forward to seeing the results in a few months with everything grown in. The sides were starting to get long, so I had my first haircut in 9 years on Saturday just to clean things up. I'm super pleased with how things are coming along, and other people are taking notice. Such a big change having a hairline to frame my face is making! I'll continue to keep you all updated. Here's a few pics taken 2 days ago.

[super64]

Are you taking any medication now? If so how long have you been taking it and which one?

[zaxter]

Yes, I started 1mg Finasteride daily one month before my procedure, so I've been on it for 6 months now.

[super64]

Have you had any side effects?

[zaxter]

No side effects whatsoever.