FUE scheduled with Dr. Sahar Nadimi, Chicago, May 7th, 2020

[FoxtrotChi]

Hi All,

I have a scheduled FUE procedure with Dr. Sahar Nadimi on May 7th, 2020.  My background:

-I'll be just shy of 41 years old at the time of surgery, have been slowly receding and thinning in the front/temples for the last 15+ years.  I was a NW 2.5 since 27-28 or so, and a NW 3 for the last 10 years, so grateful for the slow progress.  My mother's father had a similar pattern, he was pretty thin in the front by his 70's but never really developed a vertex balding, so maybe stayed at a NW 3.5 his whole life.   My dad is a solid NW 4.5 with a distinct bald spot, and frontal thinning, but still "decent" overall coverage with longer hair, and he's 71.  I currently have no thinning in the vertex, so not sure if that's in the cards for me in my 40s-50s or not.  

-I am taking no medicine.  I tried propecia and it didn't agree with me.  It may be psychosomatic, but I have a history of depression and anxiety, and felt a clear difference while I was on it.  Also had some numbness/reduction in feeling from a sexual standpoint.  Rogaine makes my face red and eyes puffy.  

-I live in Chicago.  I have visited 4 HT surgeons in the last 4 years.  One who's no longer in business, Bosley, Dr. Yates (I did PRP there, no results, and decided against him for FUE).  Doing more research, I tried to meet with Dr. Konior.  However, Dr. Konior is booked for over a year, and Dr. Nadimi was able to see me.  I felt very comfortable with her approach.  Although Dr. Nadimi does specialize in facial plastic surgery, she is clearly a top notch surgeon trained by one of the most respected Docs out there.  I've also been impressed by her results on this forum, and on various other websites.  

-My goal: Dr. Nadimi recommended 1500-2000 grafts.  I am looking to be conservative, because a) I'm almost 41 years old, and b) I don't want my transformation to be overly obvious.  I want to fill in the thinning areas in the whole middle area, and create a more defined hairline at the temples.  Not sure about doing anything in the "temple points," because I've basically looked the same there for the last 10+ years.  

-I also have a scar from a surgery in my late 20's that I am hoping Dr. Nadimi can repair.  I attempted to fix that via FUE (150 grafts) in 2016, but it was 100% unsuccessful.  I am going to assume that the difference this time is it will not be a robotic procedure, and instead of techs, the transplant will be done by Dr. Nadimi herself.

Thanks in advance for any (constructive) thoughts, suggestions and support.

-G

Edited February 25, 2020 by FoxtrotChi

[1978matt]

Sounds like a good plan and very wise to just fill in the outline of the existing hairline.

Best of luck.

[FoxtrotChi]

Thank you, 1978matt.  I am also interested in any advice for concealing the redness for the first 30-60 days.  Dr. Nadimi prefers a clean buzzed head, and I will need to be presentable 3 weeks after the surgery.

 

[BDK081522]

I would advise you to definitely cut your hair short a couple of weeks before the procedure. Buzz it down to a 4 or 5 gaurd and use some Toppik to make it appear thicker. This will allow people to get used to seeing you with a buzz cut prior to the transplant and hopefully not spark curiosity afterwards when the grafts start growing and it appears thicker. The redness should be more apparent after the grafts shed but you can try to apply some cover up makeup after about a month to reduce the look of redness. 

[FoxtrotChi]

Thank you, ruca2, good advice.  I will cut it shorter soon, and then buzz it to a 4 or 5 it a month before the surgery. 

[FoxtrotChi]

Procedure is tomorrow.  I will take pictures and post them over the weekend and try and update on a regular basis.  One of the things I've noticed is that people with "good" results rarely post, so I'll try and share regardless.

[yesplease]

10 hours ago, FoxtrotChi said:

Procedure is tomorrow.  I will take pictures and post them over the weekend and try and update on a regular basis.  One of the things I've noticed is that people with "good" results rarely post, so I'll try and share regardless.

I hope you stick to this declaration. 
 

thanks, and good luck! 

[FoxtrotChi]

Just returned from my procedure.  This picture is Day 0, about 1 hour after the last graft was placed.  The experience was very good.  Dr. Nadimi is extremely thorough, and obviously cares very much about the outcome.  She does all the punches, and all the grafts.  I don't know the exact count, but it was a little over 1600 grafts placed.  It took about 11 hours in total.  Long, long day.  I will say, it was more of a real "surgery" than I expected.  Not something to be take lightly.  

I should add that her entire staff was incredibly nice and helpful. They make you feel as comfortable as possible.

As you can see, we went with a conservative approach.

I am excited about the results.  Will go there tomorrow to follow up, and will try and post regular pictures and updates.  

Edited May 8, 2020 by FoxtrotChi

[frederick12]

Hi Foxtrotchi,

Congratulations! How did you feel after the procedure, is it something were you think you might need someone to look after you, or did you just get a cab home and rest.

Did you and everyone have to wear a mask for the procedure as a precaution?

 

Looks like she does great work, keep us posted!!

[Gatsby]

That is a great hair line design Foxtrotchi! I love how she has created a hairline that you can grow into over the coming decades (and not out of) and still look natural. At your age I imagine you will still have plenty of donor, should you require it late on down the track. However having said that, you have the same amount of native hair at 41 as I did at 21! Your genes sound excellent and I look forward to your updates. Congratulations!

[FoxtrotChi]

1 hour ago, Gatsby said:

 

fredrick12, I felt fine after the procedure.  A little loopy and tired due to the Valium.  I had someone drive me home, and I would definitely not drive yourself.  You could definitely grab a cab.  With COVID, I don't know how reliable Ubers and Cabs are, but yes, in general a cab would be fine.  We had to wear masks the whole time, they were very cautious.  As for need someone to look after you, you don't really need it.  I would suggest doing all your shopping/food prep, prep in general so that you don't have to think about anything for the first few days.  My main concern was not bending over a lot, or bumping my head.

Thank you Gatsby. Yes, I wanted to be conservative, so it wasn't that noticeable.  She recommended going behind the existing hairline, which I thought was a great idea.  I also had a scar on the back of my head from an unrelated surgery that I wanted her to work on, so needed to conserve grafts.  I'll post another picture tonight (day 2), as I'm going back to the clinic and getting the bandage removed.  

[FoxtrotChi]

This picture was taken the morning of day 3, so about 2.5 days after the procedure.  I'll take a picture of the donor area, but it's looking really good.  My guess is by tomorrow it'll be almost undetectable as my hair grows in.  

There is still a lot of redness as you can see, but large real scabs or crusts.  Anyone know when the redness usually starts to subside?  

My forehead started to get puffy on day 2, and I've been pushing from the middle outwards and sleeping at a 45 degree angle, which seemed to help a lot as it's better this morning.  I'll take a few more pictures tomorrow.

[BDK081522]

The redness could last anywhere from a couple weeks all the way up to 6 months. It just depends on your own physiology and how dense the grafts were packed.

[Guy73]

13 hours ago, FoxtrotChi said:

This picture was taken the morning of day 3, so about 2.5 days after the procedure.  I'll take a picture of the donor area, but it's looking really good.  My guess is by tomorrow it'll be almost undetectable as my hair grows in.  

There is still a lot of redness as you can see, but large real scabs or crusts.  Anyone know when the redness usually starts to subside?  

My forehead started to get puffy on day 2, and I've been pushing from the middle outwards and sleeping at a 45 degree angle, which seemed to help a lot as it's better this morning.  I'll take a few more pictures tomorrow.

H2ocean https://www.amazon.com/H2Ocean-Piercing-Aftercare-Spray-Fluid/dp/B007M1ZQM2

this stuff is the trick my redness was gone in less than 2 weeks! My doctor even ask me what I was doing because I healed so fast. That’s all I used for 10 days non stop every 1 hr  

 

[FoxtrotChi]

H2ocean, how soon after the procedure did you use this spray?  It is tempting, but I am most concerned about not damaging the grafts with something that wasn't recommended by my doctor.  I would feel comfortable using after 7 days.  

Here are two more pictures, taken the morning of day 3.5, in more "natural" light.  Donor area is nearly undetectable, and will be by tomorrow for sure with a little more hair growth and healing.  I've put neosporin on the donor area it a few times a day so far, and sprayed the recipient hairline with saline a few times a day as well, but that is it.  Going in for an appointment today, which will probably be my last visit for awhile.  They had me come in the day after, as well as day 2, now I've skipped a day and am coming in again.

[Guy73]

1 minute ago, FoxtrotChi said:

H2ocean, how soon after the procedure did you use this spray?  It is tempting, but I am most concerned about not damaging the grafts with something that wasn't recommended by my doctor.  I would feel comfortable using after 7 days.  

Here are two more pictures, taken the morning of day 3.5, in more "natural" light.  Donor area is nearly undetectable, and will be by tomorrow for sure with a little more hair growth and healing.  I've put neosporin on the donor area it a few times a day so far, and sprayed the recipient hairline with saline a few times a day as well, but that is it.  Going in for an appointment today, which will probably be my last visit for awhile.  They had me come in the day after, as well as day 2, now I've skipped a day and am coming in again.

I used it straight after my procedure. It was something I researched before not recommended by my doctor. But after having 3 procedures and only using that spray after on my 2nd and 3rd procedure I can honestly say it made a huge difference and I have pictures when I go back and see how fast I healed. Stuff is amazing and I never used anything else. Like I said when I sent recover pictures to my doctor he even pointed it out how great it looked after only a few days. In fact I may even give it some credit for my graft survival it’s hard to say but parting through my hair after I feel it was high survival rate for sure. 

[FoxtrotChi]

Last update for awhile.  I'll try and update at one month, three/four months, around six months, and then a year.  

Redness is quickly going away in the recipient area.  6.5 days in, it's pretty close to undetectable, unless you were looking quite closely.  I went back to the clinic for the 3rd time and they cleaned and hydrated the grafts.  As you can see, there are a few scabs left, but I expect they'll be gone in a few days.  

Donor area is very itchy, a little red, and honestly more of a bother than the hairline.  I think its from sleeping in one position for 7+ days.  Trying not to scratch, using a little Aloe, and ice.  

Overall feedback nearly a full week officially is outstanding.  Dr. Nadmi and her staff are extremely conscientious and professional, and (so far) the work seems to be very good.  Happy to answer any questions, and will post in 3 weeks or so.

[Guy73]

Looking good! Are you planning to grow your hair long like your pre op pictures? I don’t see too many guys after a transplant growing their hair long enough to ponytail it. Anyone know of somebody on here with any success?

[FoxtrotChi]

Absolutely!

[giegnosiganoe]

Looks great! Do you have any buzzed hair pre-op pics? How useful did you find going to the clinic for cleaning?

[FoxtrotChi]

I don’t have a pre-op shaved pic on my phone unfortunately.  They took a ton of pictures, and I’ll see if I can get them eventually, but it was long right until the last second.  I will try and remember to take a picture in a month or two assuming I shed, and that should give an idea of how it looked pre-surgery at less than an inch long.

And yes, I found going to the clinic very helpful. I am local so I was there 3 times after the surgery.  Day 1,2 and 5, and will go back week 2.  I didn’t do much cleaning on my own and would rather a professional do it. Also good for reassurance that everything looks good.
 

FYI- morning of day 8 and it’s virtually undetectable. I’ve read this a lot, but it sure is a bummer that it will shed because it looks so darn good!

Edited May 17, 2020 by FoxtrotChi

[FoxtrotChi]

One month update.  Between week 3-4, pretty much all of the transplanted hair shed, as expected.  Still sucks!  You can clearly see my existing "hairline" now.  My hair is wet as I just showered, but you get the idea.  The donor area took about 3 weeks to stop burning and itching, but now it's 100% normal and undetectable, even at a short length (I trimmed the sides).  There is still some redness on the recipient area, but it's not bad and fading fast.  

My plan is to use hair fibers on occasion, hats when I need to, and just let it grow for the next few months without doing much of anything except trimming the sides occasionally.  

I will post again in 2/3 months once things start happening.  Happy to answer any other questions.  Stay safe everyone!

 

 

[frederick12]

Did you notice any shedding prior to week 3-4, or did it all just go within one week? I read that shedding can happen anytime between week 1-5. Is that really accurate? I'll be interested to know about other users experiences as well. 

Thanks

Edited June 7, 2020 by frederick12

[FoxtrotChi]

There was some shedding for the first three weeks, but the vast majority happened from week three to four.  On week three I looked like a had a nice head of hair and a buzz cut.  By week four I looked worse than before.  Lots of hair in the shower, and sink.  I believe it varies but my experience is pretty normal.  

[yesplease]

On 6/4/2020 at 5:15 AM, FoxtrotChi said:

One month update.  Between week 3-4, pretty much all of the transplanted hair shed, as expected.  Still sucks!  You can clearly see my existing "hairline" now.  My hair is wet as I just showered, but you get the idea.  The donor area took about 3 weeks to stop burning and itching, but now it's 100% normal and undetectable, even at a short length (I trimmed the sides).  There is still some redness on the recipient area, but it's not bad and fading fast.  

My plan is to use hair fibers on occasion, hats when I need to, and just let it grow for the next few months without doing much of anything except trimming the sides occasionally.  

I will post again in 2/3 months once things start happening.  Happy to answer any other questions.  Stay safe everyone!

 

 

Thanks for the update. I don’t want to sound negative or seem like an alarmist, and it could just be the angle or lighting, but I do feel as though this picture reveals some vertex/crown thinning. I know in your initial post you stated that you don’t have any miniaturization there.