H&W Consult

[Tree Hugger]

Hello All,

 

Finished my consult at H&W and got good and bad news, most of which I already figured (but didn't know).

 

Good:

- My head is small.

- Need 5-7k graphs to get where I want, have about 7k graphs to give.

 

Bad:

- On a donor scale, I'm about a 6 out of 10. (Thinner hair, not a sharpei head)

- Estimated graphs for one surgery is about 3500... will need two surgeries.

- I'm still bald.

 

Now the everlasting debate of what/when to do is circling in my head. Told Mike I'd call him back soon, so if the H&W team is reading this I'm not blowing you off, just trying to come to a decision. Right now I'm at 80% ready to pull the trigger and do it.

 

My questions:

 

Say propecia doesn't take, is the 1 year between surgeries long enough to know how meds are working? (This way I know how to attack the 2nd procedure...)

 

During my initial procedure (3500), how much is spent filling the front and tying in to the sides? (Sides are pretty strong... but could go)

 

Photos of me are under the "Pull the Trigger?" post under the group therapy section.

 

Thanks

[Tree Hugger]

Hello All,

 

Finished my consult at H&W and got good and bad news, most of which I already figured (but didn't know).

 

Good:

- My head is small.

- Need 5-7k graphs to get where I want, have about 7k graphs to give.

 

Bad:

- On a donor scale, I'm about a 6 out of 10. (Thinner hair, not a sharpei head)

- Estimated graphs for one surgery is about 3500... will need two surgeries.

- I'm still bald.

 

Now the everlasting debate of what/when to do is circling in my head. Told Mike I'd call him back soon, so if the H&W team is reading this I'm not blowing you off, just trying to come to a decision. Right now I'm at 80% ready to pull the trigger and do it.

 

My questions:

 

Say propecia doesn't take, is the 1 year between surgeries long enough to know how meds are working? (This way I know how to attack the 2nd procedure...)

 

During my initial procedure (3500), how much is spent filling the front and tying in to the sides? (Sides are pretty strong... but could go)

 

Photos of me are under the "Pull the Trigger?" post under the group therapy section.

 

Thanks

[celeb hair vet]

Do the front right away and worry about the crown later. Take a couple weeks off work.

You can get everything filled in and completed later, but the longer you go around bald, the bigger deal its gonna be when you get the HT

[imissthebarber]

Do the front right away and worry about the crown later.

 

I agree that once you are 100% sure you want to go the HT route then the front makes the biggest cosmetic impact.

 

I would raise the other questions with H&W as well. Now that they have seen you they should be able to give you a good idea of what is acheivable. Also they would take into account your wishes as long as they are realistic and will facilitate a good result.

[Smoothy]

Your doing the right thing by analyzing and thinking the process out.

Given your assessment, I would recommend H/W focus more on the hairline and frontal core leaving the crown untouched. This will give you greater g/p/sq upfront given your limited donor and quality plus provide greater visual density---you can always style your hair to cover the crown. If you do the entire area, you might look too thin given your quality and your HT might be noticable.

 

And Yes 1yr is enough time for the scalp to heal for the 2nd HT.

 

SMOOTHY

Dr. Shapiro

Rogaine xra-Propecia

MSM/Zinc/Saw Pallmetto

Enlyten anti-oxidant daily

[TheEmperor]

Hi Tree Hugger,

 

I was/am a NW5 that got 4500 grafts in a single session. I am 10 years older than you, so my loss was a bit slower and a bit less severe.

 

I agree that you will need 7K grafts, but that will cover the front/some of the top, and connect to the sides. I still think your crown will be thin or almost non existant coverage with only 7K.

 

With your degree of baldness, if you only get 3500 grafts, you will need another procedure. 3500 grafts is not that much. Heck, 4500 is not that much. Two procedures represents a long time of being in transition, downtime, scars healing, redness ,etc. Its not a walk in the park

 

If you do it, I would caution to go very conservative with hairline. 3500 grafts and a NW2-3 hairline.

 

Everyone scars differntly, and I lost the ability to lose clippers. My scar is noticeable and the hair needs to be at least an inch long to cover it, and it is still a bit noticeable.

 

So you may gain hair on top, but if the buzzed down/tight look is important, you may very well lose that ability, and that is a step backwards, imo.

 

Look through all the pics and see who is trimming the sides and back short after their HT. Very few people do it, some claim they can, I think the others wont even risk it.

 

Given your age, degree of loss, and your life comfort and relationship status, and the way you clip your hair, I would caution against doing this. It really is not right for many people.

 

You could get lucky with uncharacteristic density, a pencil thin scar, and halting the progression of baldness. But in the next 50 years, theres a pretty good chance the sides will retreat further and you may become a nw7.

 

I dont know man. H&W are top notch, but I would have thought they turned you away.

[Benedict Arnold]

Treehuggger,

 

was this an online or in office consult? I'm asking w/respect to how they came to the conclusions of 3,500 grafts, which seems a bit small considering their reputation, and a '6' on the scale of hair caliber (?).

 

While it is true that 3,500 won't make you "one and done", in any respect, I have to disagree w/some of the previous comments stating that they should turn you away. If *anything* you are a paradigmatic case for H&W, to the extent that you resemble many other of their patients, whom have had tremendous results, (i.e. Nic Nitro, Bobman, London Lad, Jotronic, Shuffle, et al) which would otherwise prove contradictory to any other sediment.

 

All in all, it is a difficult decision. One which many people agonize over. For you, individually, I would ask the following:

 

-will you be happy w/3,500 grafts into the front and mid third section for the next year?

-are you willing to go for another ht next year?

 

If, the first procedure will give you enough satisfaction in and of itself and/or you have the patience to continue; then I think it's a fantastic idea. It really depends upon you and your tolerance/patience threshold.

 

All the Best.

[crow1]

The Emperor,

Are you not satisfied with your results? Which Dr. did your HT? Any pics?

[TheEmperor]

Originally posted by Benedict Arnold:

(i.e. Nic Nitro, Bobman, London Lad, Jotronic, Shuffle, et al) which would otherwise prove contradictory to any other sediment.

.

 

All of these guys had amazing characteristics, either extreme laxity or excellent hair calibre. Most of these guys were a "1" on the scale, and/or were able to get 7K sessions in one pass.

 

If H&W are suggesting 3500 grafts, then that means his laxity is probably not great. And if his hair quality is a "6", then he is not a bobman, jotronic, or london lad in the making.

 

I think what I did not realize, is the huge differnece in hair quality between individuals. A fine hair may be 1/3rd the density of a normal hair, and a normal hair may be 1/2 the density of a thick hair. People with fine or normal hair will NEVER get results like shuffle or Bobman.

 

I am on the fence about my procedure, please read through the forums for my comments. I was not butchered, but had greater hopes for my result and my scar. If the scar ended up pencil thin, I would feel like returning for a 2nd or 3rd pass makes sense and I could have a good 2 or 3 pass result, but am all too aware that this is surgery with risks, and if the scar got worse I would be screwed.