How to undo a hair transplant ASAP

[Nebulosity]

I recently made a snap decision to get a hair transplant, and my results are not what I expected at all. My hairline is lower than I would have actually wanted, much lower. And the density is not there. I want to somehow undo it. If possible I would like to laser off the new grafts below a certain point. Or immediately use a FUE punch to simply remove them. Please advize what I can do. Thanks. I am filled with regret. If I could go back in time, I would just never get a transplant, or I would wait until I know eXactly what I want.

Now, actually the more sensible side of me wants to save up, and go to a doctor who can extract the grafts that are too low and implant them in the areas that are not dense enough. I suppose I could shave off the hairs that I don’t like. It’s not going to be that dense anyway.

Info:

Age:40

2369 grafts

58 singles, 1213 doubles, 862 triples, 236 quadruples

I asked, and the doctor told me that they divided some grafts to obtain two hundred something singles (no exact numbers given for those actually implanted or divided singles, and on visual inspection it doesn’t really look like there were quite 2369 grafts implanted in my scalp) for the boundaries.

ONE request: Please don’t tell me it is going to turn out fine. It might not be the end of the world, but I can see that the density is low, and I can see that my hairline would have been better at least a half cm higher and with a different dhape. I expected something better, OR I wouldn’t have wanted the transplant in the first place.

I am looking for advice or ideas on how to form my plan of action to deal with my mistake and fix it as much as I can, both short and long term.

[Baldrick101]

Judging by the number of doubles, trips, and quads, I think the density will be ok. But yes, that is quite a severe hairline. Frankly, I would email some of the coalition surgeon members or their reps and see what they say. 

[Nebulosity]

I guess what I have going is the number of multiples and that the individual donor hairs are thick. If the density is ok then perhaps the main problem will be how low the hairline is. I’ve emailed a few surgeons to ask how to raise a hairline, just in case. I’ll post what I find out. What I’ve read somewhere is that FUE extraction can be used in the frontal hairline, and the grafts can be placed further back, with minimal scarring. But that seems unrealistic to me. I’ve heard somewhere though that the scarring from FUE is better than that from lasering. Maybe the scars would be tiny.

I’ve sort of gone from teddy bear geek to hoodlum, so I’ll have to see how that looks. In the meantime, realistically I’ll probably let it grow and then shave any hairs I don’t like. It’s good to know that someone thinks the density won’t be bad. Low hairline with bad density would be upsetting. Just a low hairline is tolerable and shaveable I guess.

Edited January 17, 2019 by Nebulosity

[TrixGlendevon]

Go to a much better doctor and get them to do a repair job. It will cost about the same as the laser and as you say, leave fewer scars. How recently did you have it done? The grafts may not have anchored yet.

[Nebulosity]

11 minutes ago, TrixGlendevon said:

Go to a much better doctor and get them to do a repair job. It will cost about the same as the laser and as you say, leave fewer scars. How recently did you have it done? The grafts may not have anchored yet.

The surgery completed exactly 6 days ago.

[Nebulosity]

56 minutes ago, TrixGlendevon said:

Go to a much better doctor and get them to do a repair job. It will cost about the same as the laser and as you say, leave fewer scars. How recently did you have it done? The grafts may not have anchored yet.

By the way, did you mention that the grafts may not have anchored for a reason? It’s better to let them anchor at this point, right?

[Nebulosity]

I found this. I guess electrolysis is the way to do it. Do most top hair transplant surgeons do electrolysis?

[TrixGlendevon]

I would say the opposite. If they aren't anchored then they will be easier to extract. With 6 days though, they will already be anchoring so I think that ship has sailed.

I don't know of any clinic that does electrolysis but it is not something that I have looked into either. Why don't you go for a consultation with a few top clinics before the grafts shed and see what they recommend? Where did you have it done?

[Shampoo]

It's way to early to make a decision. You claim you made a "snap decision" & here you go again attempting to make a "snap decision".  It took years to bald & now 6 days post-op you are making a decision it is already a failure? Calm down. Ok no one should just say "it will turn out fine" and the reason is because no one knows that answer for 9-12 months. With all due respect in my opinion you would be absolutely crazy to have 2369 grafts removed less than a week after surgery

Edited January 17, 2019 by Shampoo

[VicTNYC]

Dude!  Chill. Id go with what a member of an insect named musical group once wrote...Let It Be!

You’re asking for disaster if you want to get the grafts removed after such a short period of time. Let it heal, grow, if not happy with results after a year then repair options are viable.

[Nebulosity]

Hey y'all. I'm chill in my actions, but I'm not chill because I expected a higher standard of work and attention to detail than I think I received, and I need a plan NOW to feel better. I already feel better now that I've discovered my options and made a plan. Probably I will look somewhat more attractive in 6 months than pre transplant. But my plan is to most likely get it revised, raise it a little, add some density, and fix the hairline to look more natural. Thanks for the input everyone.

[purple18]

At this point by far the most rational choice is to let it go, and let it grow.  This many days out you aren't getting that many grafts out without a lot of hassle, cost, and perhaps scarring or complications in the most visible part of your hair.

Enjoy having a lot of hair.  I think the density will be OK.  The hairline seems like it might be a little low but wait for it to grow in.  You may like it then.  It seems you are pretty full in the top and back so having a low hairline would fit.

If not, there's still options for hair removal, or to add density later on if that doesn't match your expectations.  Don't go whacking grafts because you are a mm or two low in the hairline.

Edited January 18, 2019 by purple18

[Nebulosity]

32 minutes ago, purple18 said:

At this point by far the most rational choice is to let it go, and let it grow.  This many days out you aren't getting that many grafts out without a lot of hassle, cost, and perhaps scarring or complications in the most visible part of your hair.

Enjoy having a lot of hair.  I think the density will be OK.  The hairline seems like it might be a little low but wait for it to grow in.  You may like it then.  It seems you are pretty full in the top and back so having a low hairline would fit.

If not, there's still options for hair removal, or to add density later on if that doesn't match your expectations.  Don't go whacking grafts because you are a mm or two low in the hairline.

Thanks for the encouragement. I agree with you. I’m going to wait. Also, regardless of the outcome, I’m already starting to plan to get a personal in person consultation with a top doc to find out what they think, in terms of long term stability and what they could change. Even if I do nothing further, I want to at least have the discussion and find out my options. Having a plan with backup plans makes me feel so much better. What I originally wanted to do was to go to a top doc, who applies all of the best techniques for esthetics, to achieve a similar level of quality to Elon Musk’s HT. Somewhere along the way a wire got crossed and I convinced myself that going to an alternative that happened to be nearby at the time was ok. That was a mistake, and in my view it will end up costing me more in the long run.

[Shampoo]

19 hours ago, Nebulosity said:

I’m going to wait.....get a personal in person consultation with a top doc to find out what they think

Wise decision. Come on this message board and vent, but be patient.....you really wont know much until at least 6 months, and wont know the full story for up to 10-13 months. Honestly I predict you will be on here a year from now a relatively happy camper. It's a super slow process, but well worth the wait.

[Nebulosity]

10 hours ago, Shampoo said:

Wise decision. Come on this message board and vent, but be patient.....you really wont know much until at least 6 months, and wont know the full story for up to 10-13 months. Honestly I predict you will be on here a year from now a relatively happy camper. It's a super slow process, but well worth the wait.

Thanks, but have you looked at the spacing of the grafts? I just cannot see how the density could possibly be sufficient. Seeing it along side my native hair, the density is like 25% of the native hair. So I’m pretty sure this time next year I’ll still be planning my next HT or waiting for full growth from my next. Take a look at the graft spacing and let me know what you think. I said this to the doctor but he said that the density is optimal. However, it’s like half as dense as what docs like Feriduni do...

[VicTNYC]

2 hours ago, Nebulosity said:

Thanks, but have you looked at the spacing of the grafts? I just cannot see how the density could possibly be sufficient. Seeing it along side my native hair, the density is like 25% of the native hair. So I’m pretty sure this time next year I’ll still be planning my next HT or waiting for full growth from my next. Take a look at the graft spacing and let me know what you think. I said this to the doctor but he said that the density is optimal. However, it’s like half as dense as what docs like Feriduni do...

The graft spacing AFTER the first 2 front rows all along the hairline and temples looks just a bit more spaced out, possibly because the doctor placed 2 or 3-hair grafts there and 1-hair grafts in the first and 2nd rows along the hairline, if that’s the case the density should turn out well.

More grafts spaced close together doesn’t necessarily mean a dense result. It looks normal.

And just read on your initial post you had many quadruples as well, that’s great! Those are possibly the ones spaced out and room to grow.

Edited January 19, 2019 by VicTNYC

[Al - Moderator]

6 hours ago, Nebulosity said:

have you looked at the spacing of the grafts? I just cannot see how the density could possibly be sufficient. 

If the hairline is too low (hard to really tell how high or low it is because there is no frontal photo view) then you may be better off with low density in the long run if you are going to remove some. You could remove just a few along the front and place them into the less dense transplanted areas behind it. I agree with all others though and just wait it out for now and see what it ends up looking like. You can't really do anything at this point.

 

[Nebulosity]

1 hour ago, BeHappy said:

If the hairline is too low (hard to really tell how high or low it is because there is no frontal photo view) then you may be better off with low density in the long run if you are going to remove some. You could remove just a few along the front and place them into the less dense transplanted areas behind it. I agree with all others though and just wait it out for now and see what it ends up looking like. You can't really do anything at this point.

 

Thank you. Here are some images that show the hairline height from the front and the side.

[Dazed]

On 1/17/2019 at 10:53 AM, Shampoo said:

It's way to early to make a decision. You claim you made a "snap decision" & here you go again attempting to make a "snap decision".  It took years to bald & now 6 days post-op you are making a decision it is already a failure? Calm down. Ok no one should just say "it will turn out fine" and the reason is because no one knows that answer for 9-12 months. With all due respect in my opinion you would be absolutely crazy to have 2369 grafts removed less than a week after surgery

I like your answer.   He sounds a bit impetuous.

[Nebulosity]

I appreciate the responses. My decision to go with a doctor who is not a top doc was a mistake. However, despite the crazy sounding title of the post, I think it was prudent to ask whether there wad anything I could have done in the several days after the procedure. Now I know that there is absolutely nothing I can do at this point but wait and plan. Since it takes time to plan and schedule a procedure, what I’m interested in now is planning my next procedure. Yes, I need to see how this one turns out. But there should be some way to estimate how it will turn out and that will help me to manage my expectations, feel better, and make plans.

[Shampoo]

Honestly man you should know you are on "the journey of the first transplant". Your're not even close to being done with the first transplant process. Patience is vital with hair transplants. The balding doesn't happen quickly nor does the fix. A FUT transplant is really about a year or more process. You study and plan, you get the surgery, then it grows in for a year.  None of the top surgeons are going anywhere. They will all be available to discuss your plan in 2020.  In my opinion it's best to observe for another year to fully understand what ya got and to watch for further hair loss to decide what and when it's best to make the next move.  

There really is no way to plan your next surgery a few weeks out from your first surgery. No real assessment can be made now about what your results will really look like. Also keep in mind the finite amount of grafts you have and that they must be used wisely over time. What concerns you today (front hairline) may not be what concerns you 5, 10 years down the line. What if you have other areas of real concern 5, 10 years from now and need grafts for those areas. Also keep in mind that many doctors advise waiting at least a year for full re-vascularization to take place so that when a 2nd surgery is performed blood supply to new grafts is ideal.

Personally I advise to stop obsessing about whats next....and know you are on journey #1 for the next 12 months. There is no quick fix and because of donor supply vs future balding no one should be in a hurry.  You need to be ready to relax and know months of healing/regrowth are in your immediate future. I still say you will be a happy camper this time next year as long as you don't do anything and let this surgery/results run it's course.

Edited January 20, 2019 by Shampoo

[Nebulosity]

11 hours ago, Shampoo said:

Honestly man you should know you are on "the journey of the first transplant". Your're not even close to being done with the first transplant process. Patience is vital with hair transplants. The balding doesn't happen quickly nor does the fix. A FUT transplant is really about a year or more process. You study and plan, you get the surgery, then it grows in for a year.  None of the top surgeons are going anywhere. They will all be available to discuss your plan in 2020.  In my opinion it's best to observe for another year to fully understand what ya got and to watch for further hair loss to decide what and when it's best to make the next move.  

There really is no way to plan your next surgery a few weeks out from your first surgery. No real assessment can be made now about what your results will really look like. Also keep in mind the finite amount of grafts you have and that they must be used wisely over time. What concerns you today (front hairline) may not be what concerns you 5, 10 years down the line. What if you have other areas of real concern 5, 10 years from now and need grafts for those areas. Also keep in mind that many doctors advise waiting at least a year for full re-vascularization to take place so that when a 2nd surgery is performed blood supply to new grafts is ideal.

Personally I advise to stop obsessing about whats next....and know you are on journey #1 for the next 12 months. There is no quick fix and because of donor supply vs future balding no one should be in a hurry.  You need to be ready to relax and know months of healing/regrowth are in your immediate future. I still say you will be a happy camper this time next year as long as you don't do anything and let this surgery/results run it's course.

Yes thanks for that. Actually, what you told me is part of the planning process right? I can wait, but I’d like to research what the possibilities are. It will make me feel better. I think my biggest mistake was getting such a low hairline, and I think it’s going to take 12 months of research to figure out how to deal with that. And like you said I need to consider donor supply. So I’ve considered one thing which is to do  FUE out the follicles at the hairline and implant them higher up, adding volume and raising the hairline to something more appropriate for me, without using any of my donor supply, or possible very little. Apparently he uses skin micrografts from behind the ear to reduce scarring. If waiting 12 months for revascularization will produce better results, I’ll wait. But 5 minutes ago I didn’t know that so it seems I’m making progress. So far I’ve reaches out to Dr Feriduni, Dr Cooley for some preliminary info.

One question: As my hair is growing in these months, does it make any sense to shave the transplanted area down every morning, to keep it looking similar to pre transplant until it’s more fully developed? When is it safe to do so? I’m guessing 6-8 weeks or so.

[Nebulosity]

One other thing... What do you think about the density? Isn’t this something that can be visually estimated based on the spacing of the grafts, the donor hair thickness and average hair per graft? In my original post you can read that I had around 6000 hairs transplantes (in 2369 grafts) - supposedly. I tried counting the implanted follicles and it really doesn’t seem like 2369 follicles were implanted.

[Nebulosity]

And by the way Shampoo, I am listening to your advice about not obsessing. I just think I need to get it out of my system.

[Nebulosity]

Let me change the topic of this thread to transplant hair removal and I’ll summarize what I’ve learned. If nothing else it’s kind of interesting.

There are several ways to raise a hairline, including 4 ways to remove individual implanted hairs. One way to raise the hairline is a brow lift, which in my opinion sounds gruesome. The other ways I know of involve removing or killing individual follicles: electrolysis, laser, FUE (with the option of skin micrografting to avoid scarring), and continuous plucking until there is no more regrowth. I’ve read a lot of conflicting statements about each one. For example, some people say that electrolysis causes scarring, others say it doesn’t have to, and some say that although it doesn’t cause scarring it can merely expose scars originally caused by implantation. Yet when I read about plucking on realself and other sources, many experts seem to indicate that it can eventually lead to complete hair removal without scarring, while yet others suggest that it could actually stimulate growth. Plucking doesn’t seem practical for more than a small number of hairs in any case.

My take is, maybe electrolysis causes or exposes tiny scars and what one would want to avoid is a contiguous pattern of scars, which would look unnatural. Trying it out on a few implanted hairs to see what happens is probably a good strategy. And before that, one might as well try plucking to see whether there is already a pinpoint scar (or pitting or cobblestoning) caused by the implantation itself. After that, one could perform electrolysis (or laser) on a few hairs and wait to see if there is scarring and how bad it is.

In the meantime, it is actually very popular these days for people with a NW0 to shave along their hairline, so shaving the parts of your hairline that you don’t like seems ok, even if it produces a 5 ‘o clock shadow.

I know there are docs that do FUE extraction along the hairline and use skin micrografts to prevent scarring, which may be a good option in limited cases I guess. I’m not sure if it would be practical or advisable for extensive cases. For extensive cases, I guess electrolysis is the best option, following the precautions I explained above. Dr Cooley seems to favor electrolysis. However, I think electrolysis would take many sessions to complete... so you would need to keep track of which hairs you want to remove. You’d sort of have to get to know each and every hair. Lol.

Edited January 20, 2019 by Nebulosity