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~3k Grafts FUT Frontal Restoration


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  • Senior Member

Folks,

This day’s been coming for many years. I finally got my first HT, and I went to the best. I’ll reveal the name of the clinic later when I’ve had time to judge the content. I’m excited about where I went and have full confidence in the quality of the work, just want to be absolutely sure this thread is fair and accurate before I drop names.

I’ll skip the novel (that’s coming) and just post the pre-op (looked even more bald when I grew it out) and post-op. Currently day 6:

Pre-op right:

4CD4B45A-2F38-451D-9617-BA8EE4A73554.jpeg

Left:

649227F9-95FA-4222-A4C3-1A34610A706B.jpeg

Looking to restore this with fair density (just enough to style a bit) and a mature hair line:

DAF28D5A-06A5-4CE4-B77A-B298E3D27482.jpeg

Immediately post-op:

3C7A0466-002D-4348-8700-E8C50305F0DE.jpeg
6D479350-9EE8-480A-8702-D3FE0F4102B1.jpeg

Post-op hair line close-up:

CDD526AA-BE44-42EE-9A80-68CC8151CC4D.jpeg

3FA5E399-C415-47FA-86B3-32D2B175E2A2.jpeg

This morning (day 6), dry:

F5AC4C98-F80E-407A-813D-EA61D92BD4E7.jpeg
 

After a shower (not on the recipient, obv.) and some saline, definitely noticing some bloody spots of concern:

5C6A4BBD-8B3A-44ED-99F2-21C67EBD0B17.jpeg

Looks like the left side (this is a mirror) is acting up:

5C4FDC54-04D1-4EAD-BB35-33ADD66BD5E3.jpeg

F6C85CEF-92B3-4ABA-98EB-6508C9B55BFB.jpeg

F963945A-FBAA-4C9E-91F2-902C6C5572CB.jpeg
 

Edited by Taken4Granted

“You may say I’m a dreamer, but I’m not...”

- John Lennon

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  • Senior Member

They kept the recipient zone very clean for the first few days, but I popped some bloody spots after my flight home and woke up looking messier today. I figure all the facial/head motion and changing blood pressure kicked off some minor bleeding, but there’s one spot that worries me near the front. Maybe you guys can comment on this. Here it is from several angles in different light and moisture. I think most of it is fine, but it looks like maybe a long double got dislodged.

Notice the long two hairs lying flat between the bloodiest spots:

EA50F9F7-4B2C-4A50-867A-82FE4578D45E.jpeg

A little drier w/ flash:

1089A5D3-01AD-43BE-A009-A0693D801F79.jpeg

B47AD4E4-0AF3-4730-9B70-D0FD7A5E58CD.jpeg

Other side looking good:

21E64299-A996-433F-B905-9C3B987DD63B.jpeg

Edited by Taken4Granted

“You may say I’m a dreamer, but I’m not...”

- John Lennon

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Also noticed another thread about the yellow discharge, so I’m happy to share this. Just hours after a thorough cleaning on day 2-3 post-op, this stuff starts piling up:

 

479F39DE-CA21-4AAC-BC3B-3670A5DC154C.jpeg

FB0A9F42-3849-467F-9E3F-9AC6060B4612.jpeg

“You may say I’m a dreamer, but I’m not...”

- John Lennon

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love the conservative hairline design and restoration which will serve you well into the future, work looks prestine, if I were to guess it looks like Dr. Bloxham?

Edited by home1212
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Nope, sorry for the suspense @home1212. I hope you understand my withholding the name until I feel this thread represents him fairly. I wouldn’t want ppl searching his name and finding my thread where someone starts a debate about the work or the hair line or something. He’s a top-notch guy who has done well by me.

Thanks for the kudos on the hair line. If there’s anything wrong with it, that’s my fault bc I had a lot of influence on it. I drew an awful rendition of what I had in mind, and then he did his best to fix it so it looked as natural as possible. But you’re right, it’s all about the future.

I wanted to do something like the line below because I need to conserve donor. I wanted good enough density to style, so I didn’t want to blow a ton of grafts pulling the temples out to connect to a lower hair line.

9CAE7AEE-F51A-4C44-AB1F-7974E81762EE.jpeg


My thinning and family history tell me this is where I’m headed:

5C7AECD3-1CC9-48C7-9B73-734B1E448DF3.jpeg


Unfortunately, some folks back home are puzzled that I didn’t come back with Zack Efron’s hairline. I’ve spent a lot of time explaining about density of grafts and how the hair around the corners will cover up those high arches on the temples a good bit, but oh well.

Edited by Taken4Granted
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“You may say I’m a dreamer, but I’m not...”

- John Lennon

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I have a very limited donor as well as was probably already at a Norwood 5A going to 6, so I had to be very conservative as well... do I have full coverage? absolutely not, but I'm happy where I am, my appearance looks 100% natural and most importantly, I don't waste an hour in the morning trying to do a comb-over to hide my balding, using hairspray to keep every hair exactly in place, worried about the wind, weather, etc. For me, my HT gave me back a sense of normalcy and better confidence. Your end result should shape up to be great! continued luck healing and growing

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22 hours ago, Taken4Granted said:

@home1212

Yes, not spending an hour every damn day on concealer and buzzing techniques to stay presentable is going to be my absolute favorite part of all this. Just shower and go! 

Looks very promising. Please keep us posted! 
 

what’s your age? 
 

Are you using fin/min? 

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On 8/8/2020 at 3:02 PM, Taken4Granted said:

Folks,

This day’s been coming for many years. I finally got my first HT, and I went to the best. I’ll reveal the name of the clinic later when I’ve had time to judge the content. I’m excited about where I went and have full confidence in the quality of the work, just want to be absolutely sure this thread is fair and accurate before I drop names.

I’ll skip the novel (that’s coming) and just post the pre-op (looked even more bald when I grew it out) and post-op. Currently day 6:

Pre-op right:

4CD4B45A-2F38-451D-9617-BA8EE4A73554.jpeg

Left:

649227F9-95FA-4222-A4C3-1A34610A706B.jpeg

Looking to restore this with fair density (just enough to style a bit) and a mature hair line:

DAF28D5A-06A5-4CE4-B77A-B298E3D27482.jpeg

Immediately post-op:

3C7A0466-002D-4348-8700-E8C50305F0DE.jpeg
6D479350-9EE8-480A-8702-D3FE0F4102B1.jpeg

Post-op hair line close-up:

CDD526AA-BE44-42EE-9A80-68CC8151CC4D.jpeg

3FA5E399-C415-47FA-86B3-32D2B175E2A2.jpeg

This morning (day 6), dry:

F5AC4C98-F80E-407A-813D-EA61D92BD4E7.jpeg
 

After a shower (not on the recipient, obv.) and some saline, definitely noticing some bloody spots of concern:

5C6A4BBD-8B3A-44ED-99F2-21C67EBD0B17.jpeg

Looks like the left side (this is a mirror) is acting up:

5C4FDC54-04D1-4EAD-BB35-33ADD66BD5E3.jpeg

F6C85CEF-92B3-4ABA-98EB-6508C9B55BFB.jpeg

F963945A-FBAA-4C9E-91F2-902C6C5572CB.jpeg
 

Any photos of the donor area/scar? 

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@yesplease

Oh, of course, totally forgot about the donor incision. I’m 34 and was on fin for 6-8 years, ditched it maybe 5 years ago. Tough sides for me. Going back on min next month.

From the top last night:

EACFF92A-B1A9-476F-8D16-D2186455C20F.jpeg


Tried to wet down my hair and press it away to show the incision:

F7C7C66C-CB63-481F-9C8A-B00BDEEA35DC.jpeg

3A55867C-AB8E-4D64-A337-C1E9B69BEE75.jpeg

29F3021A-739E-4051-833D-A4087CCFEE07.jpeg


But it’s not that apparent even with wet hair and minimal effort to cover it up:

0C26B4E7-E634-4CA6-80FA-B77586FE9B5F.jpeg 
 

It’s cleaner and tighter than I expected. Gotta look really close to even see it. I can only make out the stitches usually.

Edited by Taken4Granted

“You may say I’m a dreamer, but I’m not...”

- John Lennon

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20 minutes ago, Taken4Granted said:

@yesplease

Oh, of course, totally forgot about the donor incision. I’m 34 and was on fin for 6-8 years, ditched it maybe 5 years ago. Tough sides for me. Going back on min next month.

From the top last night:

EACFF92A-B1A9-476F-8D16-D2186455C20F.jpeg


Tried to wet down my hair and press it away to show the incision:

F7C7C66C-CB63-481F-9C8A-B00BDEEA35DC.jpeg

3A55867C-AB8E-4D64-A337-C1E9B69BEE75.jpeg

29F3021A-739E-4051-833D-A4087CCFEE07.jpeg


But it’s not that apparent even with wet hair and minimal effort to cover it up:

0C26B4E7-E634-4CA6-80FA-B77586FE9B5F.jpeg 
 

It’s cleaner and tighter than I expected. Gotta look really close to even see it. I can only make out the stitches usually.

Looks very clean 

 

can you expand bit on why you chose FUT over FUE

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@yesplease

Sure thing. Me, I know I’m gonna lose a lot more on the top and crown, so my surgical work is just beginning. I chose FUT because the long-term yield is better when you start with virgin strip. The other thing is you get more grafts for the money with FUT. I wanted good density in the front, which meant more grafts than I can afford using FUE. That said, my surgeon did mention FUE was a viable option in my case and told me he could deliver great results with fewer grafts (~2k) without the linear scar, but I was greedy for denser hair. We did have a long talk about the options and risks, esp. with the long-term in mind. What’s appropriate for me could be wrong for someone else.

Edited by Taken4Granted

“You may say I’m a dreamer, but I’m not...”

- John Lennon

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The work looks pristine. I think you'll be very happy with the outcome. Post-op pictures look as clean as you can achieve. Based on your description of the discussion, the graft implantation angles and density achieved, I'm fairly certain I know who you went to. He's more impressive in person then the forum can convey. Great choice. Look forward to following your journey. 

  • Like 1

Bosley 11-2016 FUE - 1,407 grafts

Dr. Diep 09-2017 FUE - 2,024 grafts

Dr. Konior 03-2020 FUE - 2,076 grafts

Dr. Konior 09-2021 FUE - 697 scalp to scalp, FUE - 716 beard to beard Total scalp FUE - 6,204 grafts 

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Thanks, @ruca2. From what I’ve seen, it does appear to be immaculate work. Dunno what set off that bleed, but it’s looking better now. 

D0F607EF-A0E1-4F9E-9CD5-0A03E5492E6D.jpeg
3A56DD93-5BE2-445A-86EF-D1ED7E15A6BD.jpeg

But I can already tell the wait is gonna kill me. I’m at 1 week and it’s already getting to me. I can’t even stand to see some of these transplanted shafts come out. I’m hoping to see some early sprouts by Halloween, but I know that would be lucky.

 

 

Edited by Taken4Granted

“You may say I’m a dreamer, but I’m not...”

- John Lennon

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@Taken4Granted I wouldn't worry about the one red area. Probably just a bit of excess blood/coagulation factors that accumulated after you left the office. Worse case one graft may have become dislodged but will not have any effect on final appearance of the restoration. It's a very emotional journey and there will be times you get discouraged, especially during the ugly duckling phase. Just remember you chose a great surgeon and the end result will be worth the wait. Halloween would be a bit optimistic in my opinion. You may have a few random sprouts but don't get your hopes up. Since this is your first transplant you may experience slightly faster growth but don't get discouraged if you don't. Our individual physiology is unique and will progress at its' own pace. Hell, I'm 5 months post op and figured I'd have much more density by now based on my previous experiences. But, low and behold I'm probably only at 50% growth. After my second transplant I had what seemed like full density by 5 months. I'm not worried at all but just goes to show the variation that is present within one's own physiology. Set your expectations to start seeing adequate coverage by 6-8 months and you shouldn't be disappointed. 

  • Like 1

Bosley 11-2016 FUE - 1,407 grafts

Dr. Diep 09-2017 FUE - 2,024 grafts

Dr. Konior 03-2020 FUE - 2,076 grafts

Dr. Konior 09-2021 FUE - 697 scalp to scalp, FUE - 716 beard to beard Total scalp FUE - 6,204 grafts 

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@ruca2

Post-op month 5, eh? Congratulations, man. That’s the corner, right?

Thanks for the encouraging words. I’ve been worried about messing it up with too much moisture, not enough moisture, washing too aggressively, accidentally turning on my side at night in bed, scratching an itch too close to the recipient, and on and on. Everything is yield. Gotta make sure these seeds sprout. I thought I’d be able to just forget about it and be surprised at 4-6 months by the growth, like “oh, that transplant I got back in August!”. I thought getting the surgery would be this turning point that ensured a great outcome x months down the line, and that this knowledge would be a comfort. Funny how I went to the best doc I could find to have that peace of mind, yet here I am stressing about these little things. 
 

Yeah, man. It is an emotional journey for sure.

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“You may say I’m a dreamer, but I’m not...”

- John Lennon

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  • 2 weeks later...
  • Senior Member

Hey there. I was gonna wait another week for a 1-month update (it’s ~3 wks), but what the heck. 
 

F903C73C-A38A-4C9E-A343-92BE3A5002B7.jpeg
 

So far, so good. That problem area cleared up and turned out to be strangely thick.

I’m shedding a little but I guess the worst is yet to come. Not looking forward to losing this hair. Still so weird seeing it in the mirror.

The incision is healing nicely. Even after I (carefully) buzzed the hair (not the recipient), it’s hard to see.

So things are good!

 

AA653B05-D9DB-46CF-B8AF-A975C5B5DE9C.jpeg

Edited by Taken4Granted

“You may say I’m a dreamer, but I’m not...”

- John Lennon

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@FoxtrotChi

Yeah, def NOT looking forward to that. It’s been shedding and looking patchier, but I know better than to hope I’ve seen the worst. It’s actually annoying bc the longer it takes to shed, the later it’ll be when it finally comes out of the dormant phase.

Edited by Taken4Granted

“You may say I’m a dreamer, but I’m not...”

- John Lennon

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The only thing I’ve experienced that no one has mentioned: the nerves in my scalp. As the cut heals, they start coming back, and for me this was the most painful time after the first couple days when I forgot to take my pain pills here and there.

“You may say I’m a dreamer, but I’m not...”

- John Lennon

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@giegnosiganoe

Nope, no idea. I’ll e-mail the clinic to see if they have any record of that. The doc convinced me early on to forget about the graft count because it has little meaning for comparison between patients and surgeons. That said, there’s little else to go by in a forum type of situation, and it sounds like you’re actually looking for some of that information that distinguishes my ~3k grafts from someone else’s ~3k grafts. So yeah, I’ll send them a note and see what I get. You know the surgeon from our PM, so this will complete the picture.

“You may say I’m a dreamer, but I’m not...”

- John Lennon

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Just got the lady to photo the cut with flash and fresh neosporin. God d*n, that is clean work. I didn’t expect to be able to buzz it after strip, but I think I will. I can hardly find it even with the redness and incipient shock loss.

 

720654EE-1DC4-4CAD-A059-1130A44F6BA6.jpeg

D4568088-FAD7-4A61-8CEF-19F3188CFC57.jpeg

0270C8A9-D7E6-415C-9B80-0250D3705556.jpeg

63A4D77F-0338-4A6A-B170-CEE414D35EF1.jpeg

“You may say I’m a dreamer, but I’m not...”

- John Lennon

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