My Second Procedure??

[BaldEagle1982]

Hi there,

 

5 years ago, I had a FUT for about 2,200 grafts with one of the better doctors in Canada (Dr. Gillespie) and was happy with the results. Since that time has passed, I have balded a little bit more and was always considering doing a second procedure and now the time has come...However, I am a little anxious about doing this procedure.

 

When I met with the doc, he told me that because of my scalp tightness he would recommend we go for 1,500 grafts time around (he'd try for more but wasn't sure we could get them). I had the following questions for those of you who've had a second procedure;

 

1.) I am worried that the tightness on my second procedure will be unbearable. Have you found that to be the case? Doc said it shouldn't be much worse than it was the first time but for some reason (fear probably) I have my doubts.

 

2.) Overall, how did you find your second procedure compared to your first, if you got roughly 40% less grafts the second time. Was it easier or more difficult to recover?

 

3.) If I am balding but far from completely bald, will 1,500 grafts provide pretty good coverage? In other words, would it be worth it to undergo a procedure for "only" 1,500 grafts? Can someone provide me some before and afters?....

 

4.) For some reason I am anxious about doing this procedure again because now I know what to expect. What did you tell yourselves to get over the mental barrier of whether you want to do this again? I need some encouragement.

 

5.) Just for comparibles, what would a (good) doctor typically charge for 1,500 grafts?

 

Keep in mind my goal is and always will be to have the thickest head of hair possible...Just need a push in the right direction.

 

 

Thanks in advance!

[mattj]

I haven't had FUT or a second procedure, and I don't know the particulars of your case, so my advice can only be limited, but I can say that scalp laxity exercises are of genuine use in increasing the 'slack' in the scalp of the donor area. Did you do these prior to your first procedure? Has your doctor advised you to do them before your 2nd surgery?

 

1500 grafts is a small procedure, but could be enough if the first op gave you a good result and all you have is some relatively minor loss since then. It would help to see photos.

[BaldEagle1982]

Hey Matt,

 

The doc did suggest I do the scalp exercises and said it would help. This is true.

 

So tell me; why did you elect to do an FUE procedure instead of a FUT? How many procedures have you done?

 

 

Thanks,

[razzy]

Baldeagle1982,

 

To answer your questions..

 

1. Tightness wasn't an issue with the second procedure. If you have a skilled surgeon + do scalp exercises, you won't have any worries. I've had both FUT and FUE without any problems.

 

2. Recovery was better the second time as you know what to expect and the lower graft count.

 

3. Can't give you an answer on that without seeing your pictures. Having said that, I think 1500 grafts will go a long way if you need temple work and/or adding hairline density etc.. it all depends on your hair loss.

 

4. I just had positive thoughts and a overall good vibe during the recovery phase because I knew it would be successful having chosen the best docs possible and took great care with pre/post op. I set myself up for success and did everything I could to get the best outcome. In addition, I wanted to have unlimited styling options and this was the way to do it. I didn't want to worry about hair anymore and it paid off.

 

5. Hard to give you an exact quote. Price per graft varies per doctor and it depends on whether you're doing FUE (more costly) or FUT. Other factors like foreign currency, travel etc.. might apply. You're best bet would be to contact the doctor of your choice and get some pricing info.

[matt3480]

Go FUE then if you are afraid of tightness.

 

Honestly....not sure if it was because I didn't know what to expect or what, but my first transplant of about 2,075 FUE in early 2015 was the hardest to recover from. I used up my entire thing of hydrocodone. I think a lot of it was in my head knowing I just had 4,000 holes put in my head. I had a lot of redness but that was expected given I had no hair there previously.

 

I had a second FUE of 1,200 grafts 9 months later.....piece of cake. Same area as the first.....needed more density. I used maybe 4 or 5 hydros total.

 

I just had my last procedure on Tuesday, another 1,150 grafts via FUE. No hydrocodone (I get the impression they don't hand that out as easy anymore versus even 2 years ago). EASY. No pain.....very little redness.

[Speegs]

I've had three FUT procedures and no long-term tightness, your body adjusts and normalizes.

[BaldEagle1982]

Baldeagle1982,

 

To answer your questions..

 

1. Tightness wasn't an issue with the second procedure. If you have a skilled surgeon + do scalp exercises, you won't have any worries. I've had both FUT and FUE without any problems.

 

2. Recovery was better the second time as you know what to expect and the lower graft count.

 

3. Can't give you an answer on that without seeing your pictures. Having said that, I think 1500 grafts will go a long way if you need temple work and/or adding hairline density etc.. it all depends on your hair loss.

 

4. I just had positive thoughts and a overall good vibe during the recovery phase because I knew it would be successful having chosen the best docs possible and took great care with pre/post op. I set myself up for success and did everything I could to get the best outcome. In addition, I wanted to have unlimited styling options and this was the way to do it. I didn't want to worry about hair anymore and it paid off.

 

5. Hard to give you an exact quote. Price per graft varies per doctor and it depends on whether you're doing FUE (more costly) or FUT. Other factors like foreign currency, travel etc.. might apply. You're best bet would be to contact the doctor of your choice and get some pricing info.

 

Thanks so much for your advice! Really one of the better replies I've read on this forum. Definitely makes me feel more at ease. I've attached a couple of photos of my head for reference. Hopefully 1,500-1,700 grafts would be a noticeable difference.

 

So, the scalp exercises really work? I should start on them ASAP.

[BaldEagle1982]

I haven't had FUT or a second procedure, and I don't know the particulars of your case, so my advice can only be limited, but I can say that scalp laxity exercises are of genuine use in increasing the 'slack' in the scalp of the donor area. Did you do these prior to your first procedure? Has your doctor advised you to do them before your 2nd surgery?

 

1500 grafts is a small procedure, but could be enough if the first op gave you a good result and all you have is some relatively minor loss since then. It would help to see photos.

 

Here are a few photos, see for yourself. You think 1,500-1,700 grafts would really help a brother out?

[mattj]

Here are a few photos, see for yourself. You think 1,500-1,700 grafts would really help a brother out?

 

That amount of grafts would help you out, but you could do with more to be honest. But as you've met with a doctor who has cautioned that your scalp laxity is a limiting factor, then that has to be taken into account. I think you'd be best off taking those steps to improve your laxity which would hopefully result in a higher number of grafts being available. That makes more sense than just going for it now and not getting the final result that you want.

[mattj]

Hey Matt,

 

The doc did suggest I do the scalp exercises and said it would help. This is true.

 

So tell me; why did you elect to do an FUE procedure instead of a FUT? How many procedures have you done?

 

 

Thanks,

 

My personal preference was to avoid the linear scar as I keep my hair short. Although I was only in my early twenties when my hairloss began, it was never very aggressive and therefore it could be addressed with a 2500 graft FUE procedure. I haven't required any further work. If I'd had much more advanced hairloss, I may have opted for FUT.