Regular Member GrowingHair Posted April 2, 2019 Regular Member Share Posted April 2, 2019 I wanted to share my hair transplant journey, which I started on December 18th with Dr Cooley. My experience and procedure is very similar to Merlin, who had his 1 week before mine. I have been very grateful to communicate with Merlin during this process! Like many, my hair loss has been going on for years, since I was 19. I first noticed the receding, then got comments about looking a little thin up top when I was in my late 30's. I tried Rogaine for a few years, but wasn't very consistent with it, and was excited to get the transplant in December for a better solution to my thinning. I started taking finasteride (1/3 tablet M,W,F), and Rogaine around the procedure. In hindsight I wish I had taken the Fin much sooner to help slow the progression. I also started taking a multi vitamin, sulpher, and biotin at that time as well. For what it's worth I also take flax seed oil and collagen daily. Hair placement - When I with Dr Cooley the day of the procedure, he recommended that we go for a more mature hairline, and use the rest of the grafts to fill in the crown. When reviewing my pre and post op photos I am very glad he suggested that, as I wasn't aware of how large the bare spot on my crown had become. The procedure went as others have described, and I slept or listened to music for much of the time. I only felt very minor discomfort at the very end of the procedure, about 9 hours in. I used the spray and kept my hair covered for about 2 weeks, and think this helped to allow things to heal well, and minimize the itching and scabs. I did have some shock loss in the recipient area, and donor areas that started about 1 month after the surgery. While alarming, and very odd looking, all of this has now recovered as Dr Cooley and Brandi said it would. During that ugly duckling phase, I wore a hat as much as possible and just tried to grin and bear it knowing it was temporary. It was not awesome, but well worth the end result I am hoping for and starting to see. Graft Count: Singles - 811 Doubles - 1871 Triples - 1433 Quads - 25 Pre Op and Day of Surgery Photos Below - I will add progress photos as a reply. Thanks! 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Regular Member GrowingHair Posted April 2, 2019 Author Regular Member Share Posted April 2, 2019 Week 13: Seeing very good growth in the front. Less so in the crown, as it is slower to get going for me. Week 15 - the growth is really amazing, and has had a pronounced effect on my hair looking fuller. I am now starting to see good growth in the crown. I bought a magnifying camera from amazon (after seeing someone on this forum do the same), and can see the implanted hairs quite clearly. Everywhere I see a circle where a hair was implanted, I can see 1 or more hairs growing out of it. Very exciting and cant wait for it to keep going. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Regular Member mephesto Posted April 2, 2019 Regular Member Share Posted April 2, 2019 Thanks for the great write up GrowingHair! I think you're in for some stellar results. Dr. Cooley is on my top choices for FUT surgeons Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Regular Member GrowingHair Posted April 4, 2019 Author Regular Member Share Posted April 4, 2019 Here are some updated photos from today, showing the hairline and crown. The difference in the hairline is already pleasing, and I am excited for the baby hairs to keep growing 🙂 First 2 photos are for reference - Pre and immediately post op: 15 weeks and 2 days Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Regular Member GrowingHair Posted April 4, 2019 Author Regular Member Share Posted April 4, 2019 On 4/2/2019 at 4:26 PM, mephesto said: Thanks for the great write up GrowingHair! I think you're in for some stellar results. Dr. Cooley is on my top choices for FUT surgeons Thank you mephesto! I appreciate the feedback and hope so too. Couldn't be happier with Dr Cooley, I feel very lucky to live in Charlotte right near his office. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Regular Member GrowingHair Posted May 9, 2019 Author Regular Member Share Posted May 9, 2019 Here is a 20 week update. I've noticed a lot of continued growth, especially in the front. The crown continues to be slower in my opinion, but my wife and the lady that cuts my hair say the crown is really filing in as well. I have noticed the growth rate of my hair is very fast, and I wonder if the daily vitamins, sulfur, and biotin are contributing to that. I'm now able to style my hair pretty easily, and look forward to continued growth and filling in. I can't really see or feel the scar, and all of the shock loss areas have now recovered. I'll try to post better pictures of the scar when I can. Thank you! 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Senior Member hairlossPA Posted May 9, 2019 Senior Member Share Posted May 9, 2019 looking good man Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Regular Member SprayPaint Posted May 13, 2019 Regular Member Share Posted May 13, 2019 Looking good 👍 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Senior Member Lennney Posted May 14, 2019 Senior Member Share Posted May 14, 2019 Even your early growth improves your hairline and crown appearance. You're improving daily over your pre-HT days. Keep up the updates! If you're thinking of traveling abroad, consider this read: Airfare guide Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Senior Member forgotpassword Posted May 14, 2019 Senior Member Share Posted May 14, 2019 the worst is over; the next few months should bring about some major changes July 2017 - Dr Cooley - 2575 grafts Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Regular Member GrowingHair Posted May 15, 2019 Author Regular Member Share Posted May 15, 2019 Thank you everyone for the feedback! After reviewing so many people's stories I really wasn't expecting much until 7 months, and very pleased at how things are progressing for only being at 5 months. I found a picture today from April 12th below), and the difference is pronounced. The new hair was basically a shadow then. When you see something every day you don't really see how much it's changed. I recently got a haircut and some friends commented that it looked good. They asked if I got a new lady, remarking how nice it looked, not knowing I've had a HT. It was pretty cool 😊 Hope everyone has a great night - thanks again. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Regular Member Merlin Posted June 7, 2019 Regular Member Share Posted June 7, 2019 Looking good! I am sure it is even better now! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Administrators Melvin- Admin Posted June 10, 2019 Administrators Share Posted June 10, 2019 Everything is looking awesome 👏🏼 please consider creating a patient website, it’s free and it gets linked to your surgeons profile. Really helps others when researching a surgeon. https://www.hairtransplantnetwork.com/blog/ I’m a paid admin for Hair Transplant Network. I do not receive any compensation from any clinic. My comments are not medical advice. Check out my final hair transplant and topical dutasteride journey: View my thread Topical dutasteride journey Melvin- Managing Publisher and Forum Moderator for the Hair Transplant Network, the Coalition Hair Loss Learning Center, and the Hair Loss Q&A Blog. Follow our Social Media: Facebook, Instagram, Linkedin, and YouTube. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Regular Member GrowingHair Posted June 21, 2019 Author Regular Member Share Posted June 21, 2019 Sorry for the delay in updating! Growth continues to improve, with a huge difference in the front. In my opinion the crown is still slower to get going, but is filling in nicely. My wife says the thinner crown is not very noticeable in day to day viewing, but always seems to look more sparse in the photos. I do feel lots of stubble in the crown from newer hairs still getting going. I'll try to get some closer shots of the front hairline to add soon. Thanks for all the feedback and words of encouragement! 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Regular Member mephesto Posted June 22, 2019 Regular Member Share Posted June 22, 2019 (edited) Progress looks amazing! I'm also interested in the front hairline whenever you have time to post it. How does the scar look so far? Edited June 22, 2019 by mephesto Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Senior Member harry_potter1 Posted July 2, 2019 Senior Member Share Posted July 2, 2019 Looking good Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Regular Member ck432 Posted July 23, 2019 Regular Member Share Posted July 23, 2019 Looks good. Just had my HT done with Jerry Cooley. Great guy/staff !! Looking forward to seeing the results ! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Regular Member GrowingHair Posted September 21, 2019 Author Regular Member Share Posted September 21, 2019 Hello Everyone, Been quite some time since I've updated, so my apologies for the delay. Today is 9 months 1 week since my surgery, and my hair has really improved. The front has had excellent growth and most hairs there seem thick and blend in really well with my existing hair. The back has improved a lot, but hasn't "filled in" to me like the front has. I see a lot of fine hairs in the crown which should continue to mature and thicken, and my wife says it doesn't look thin in day to day viewing, despite the pictures showing it being a little thinner. I am super pleased with the progress, especially when looking at photos just after the surgery. It seems my progress is good for 9 months and I'll update over the next few months as I go. From treatment standpoint I continue to use Rogaine foam (Walmart brand), Fin m/w/f 1/3 pill. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Regular Member GrowingHair Posted September 21, 2019 Author Regular Member Share Posted September 21, 2019 On 7/22/2019 at 8:55 PM, ck432 said: Looks good. Just had my HT done with Jerry Cooley. Great guy/staff !! Looking forward to seeing the results ! Congratulations! How is yours coming along so far? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Administrators Melvin- Admin Posted September 21, 2019 Administrators Share Posted September 21, 2019 Everything is looking good thanks for updating. I’m a paid admin for Hair Transplant Network. I do not receive any compensation from any clinic. My comments are not medical advice. Check out my final hair transplant and topical dutasteride journey: View my thread Topical dutasteride journey Melvin- Managing Publisher and Forum Moderator for the Hair Transplant Network, the Coalition Hair Loss Learning Center, and the Hair Loss Q&A Blog. Follow our Social Media: Facebook, Instagram, Linkedin, and YouTube. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Regular Member ck432 Posted October 4, 2019 Regular Member Share Posted October 4, 2019 On 9/21/2019 at 11:48 AM, GrowingHair said: Congratulations! How is yours coming along so far? Apologies on the slow response. Just saw it. Just passed the 2 month mark. Had it done July 16. Still have numbness in the recipient and donor areas. Also a little shockloss in the back. After the shedding it looks just like it did before the surgery. Trying to be patient. I know it takes a little while. But just got a haircut and it will be nice to see the new stuff come in. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Regular Member Fahri Posted October 14, 2019 Regular Member Share Posted October 14, 2019 Wow thats looking fantastic, you must be over the moon. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Senior Member hairthere Posted October 14, 2019 Senior Member Share Posted October 14, 2019 Looks awesome! Congrats and enjoy! I am the owner/operator of AHEAD INK a Scalp Micropigmentation Company in Fort Lee, New Jersey. www.aheadink.com Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Regular Member Merlin Posted October 15, 2019 Regular Member Share Posted October 15, 2019 Looking nice! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Regular Member GrowingHair Posted August 5, 2020 Author Regular Member Share Posted August 5, 2020 Hello Everyone, thanks for the feedback and support throughout this process! I wanted to post some 20 month pictures, and share some thoughts about this experience. I have continued to notice thickening of the transplanted areas, and all areas of native hair that had shock loss are fully recovered. I've been getting the sides cut pretty short, and only once could you see a hint of the scar - that area has healed nicely, and I'll try to post some pictures of the scar if I can get some. I feel great about my decision to do this, and enjoy my new hair everyday. It is amazing to have something to actually style, and when the wind blows you stop worrying about how your receding hairline or bald spot look. My grafts were split between restoring the front hairline, and filling in the crown. The crown, being a large challenging area as we know, has not filled in to the extent the front has, but doesn't really concern me much. It looks so much better than it did, and under most lighting presents the illusion of being mostly full. The front has really done well, and I have found those hairs have really thickened over the last few months in particular. The transplanted hairs felt a little different for the first 18 months or so, like a coarse feeling, but now feel the same as everything else. I am very pleased with Dr Cooley and his team, and will be going in for my follow-up appointment within the next few months. I have stayed on finasteride (1/3 MWF) and Rogaine since the transplant. No issues with either of those fortunately. Down the road I may consider filling in the crown a bit more, and adding more to the front (to fill in the sides), but am so happy. I feel very grateful to have the result I do. I hope everybody is doing well with their journey, and thanks again for all of the information, help, and support. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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