Senior Member ShadowMoon Posted February 16, 2021 Senior Member Share Posted February 16, 2021 (edited) Ninja edit: I remembered the graft count incorrectly, it was actually 2325 grafts, not 2125. Hi everyone, I had my procedure with Dr. Gabel on July 29th, 2020. So, not quite 7 months, but close enough. 28 y/o male. You might remember my original post. I asked Melvin to archive it. Posting this one as a quick review to get the word out about Dr. Gabel. I'm not on his payroll or anything, and he didn't request a review. I'm doing it as a happy patient. Just do yourself a favor and have a consultation with him. He's low-key one of the most experienced, talented, and ethical surgeons in the country. He learned from Dr. Konior, who is the best surgeon in the world. He doesn't promote himself as much because he personally responds to every consultation request and email, and is involved in all aspects of the surgery. That's including extraction and graft placement. He's a busy guy. 2325 Grafts, FUT, ~2.5 hairs/graft on average. Graft breakdown was 212 singles, 955 doubles, 870 triples, and 288 quads. Taking 1 mg oral Finasteride daily, no side effects. Was using Minoxidil foam twice daily, but recently switched to once a day about a month and a half ago, because it's expensive. Hair loss is mostly stabilized, assuming I don't suffer greatly from cutting back on Minoxidil. When I derma-needled, I noticed way faster growth and fullness. It's not something I see myself maintaining though, so I stopped. I may start again to see if it is as effective as I remember. Here's what I consider to be my baseline. I've always had a relatively high hairline. This was taken in 2014: Here's a month pre-op, stabilized on medication for 2 years: Another angle, taken at Dr. Gabel's office on the day of surgery: Here is immediate post op: Some pictures taken in the first ten days: Here is my ugly duckling phase: Here are some photos taken today. Just had a haircut yesterday: Here's the donor in different lighting, #2 guard on the nape faded into a #3: Very happy with the result, and I think I still have some maturing to go. Hope you enjoyed! I'll do an update in a few months if any changes occur. Edited February 17, 2021 by ShadowMoon 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Senior Member RandoBrando517 Posted February 16, 2021 Senior Member Share Posted February 16, 2021 Looks great, what made you decide on strip? Also what was the cost per graft? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Administrators Melvin- Admin Posted February 16, 2021 Administrators Share Posted February 16, 2021 You look great shadow, very happy for you. Dr. Gabel did an excellent job 👏🏼 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...
Senior Member hairlossPA Posted February 16, 2021 Senior Member Share Posted February 16, 2021 looks great. when did you start to notice hairs growing and noticing a difference? donor looks great Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Regular Member naakmuka Posted February 16, 2021 Regular Member Share Posted February 16, 2021 One of my favorite surgeons! Looking good. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Senior Member champybaby Posted February 16, 2021 Senior Member Share Posted February 16, 2021 (edited) That's A+ work man. I don't know how the results could be better. What's kinda wild is it even looks similar to Dr. K's work, which makes sense given he trained under him. Congrats. Side note: Costco minox is the same stuff as the name brand. Same ingredients, same everything. I wouldn't be surprised if* the name brand makes the Costco version. You get six of those for about $50 or so, which is totally reasonable. fwiw. Edited February 16, 2021 by champybaby FUT procedure w/ Dr. K (2012) Second FUT, Dr. K, Nov. 2020 (mini update) Third procedure, FUE, Dr. K, 03/21, 400 beard to scar (latest update) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Senior Member Britanium Posted February 17, 2021 Senior Member Share Posted February 17, 2021 Wow 🤩 he made every single one of those grafts count ! 👏 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Senior Member aaron1234 Posted February 17, 2021 Senior Member Share Posted February 17, 2021 Umm, hot damn that's a great result! Also excellent scar.. Congrats! 1 Dr. G: 1,000 grafts (FUT) 2008 Dr. Paul Shapiro: 2,348 grafts (FUT) 2009 ~ 1,999 grafts (FUT) 2011 ~ 300 grafts (Scar Reduction) 2013 Dr. Konior: 771 grafts (FUT) 2015 ~ 558 grafts (FUT) 2017 ~ 1,124 grafts (FUE) 2020 My Hair Transplant Journey with Shapiro Medical Group Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Senior Member TommyLucchese Posted February 17, 2021 Senior Member Share Posted February 17, 2021 Looks great...only 7 months too wow. I have a question... how many grafts are usually used for that temple bit that comes down on the sides? You can see it best in picture 7 2,000 grafts FUT Dr. Feller, July 27th 2012. 23 years old at the time. Excellent result. Need crown sorted eventually but concealer works well for now. Propecia and minoxidil since 2010. Fine for 8 years - bad sides after switching to Aindeem in 2018. Switched to topical fin/minox combo from Minoxidil Max in October 2020, along with dermarolling 1x a week. Wrote a book for newbies called Beating Hair Loss, available on Amazon Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Senior Member CosmoKramer Posted February 17, 2021 Senior Member Share Posted February 17, 2021 For 7-months it looks great thus far! 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Senior Member ShadowMoon Posted February 17, 2021 Author Senior Member Share Posted February 17, 2021 (edited) @RandoBrando517 The ability to separate the follicular units under a microscope to hold as much of the adipose/supportive tissue as possible improves survivability. Unless you use a larger gauge punch, there is a much higher chance of transection. If you use a larger punch, the scars are worse than a strip scar. In my case, the majority of my grafts were triples, and they basically all splayed at the root. The doc said I could've had a really high transection rate had I gone FUE, so I'm really glad I chose FUT and stuck with it. Another thought I have is given my age, I'm probably going to need two more procedures over the course of my life at least. @hairlossPA I started noticing growth at around 2.5 months. At three months I could use fibers to cover up the thin spots. October 16th: October 28th: @champybaby I've used Costco brand since the beginning, I go through the six bottles in about two months if I apply twice a day. I use it over my entire scalp minus the back and sides. @TommyLucchese I don't know, probably depends case by case. I think I only had around 250 singles so not many. Edited February 17, 2021 by ShadowMoon 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Senior Member RandoBrando517 Posted February 17, 2021 Senior Member Share Posted February 17, 2021 1 minute ago, ShadowMoon said: @RandoBrando517 The ability to separate the follicular units under a microscope to hold as much of the adipose/supportive tissue as possible improves survivability. Unless you use a larger gauge punch, there is a much higher chance of transection. If you use a larger punch, the scars are worse than a strip scar. In my case, the majority of my grafts were triples, and they basically all splayed at the root. The doc said I could've had a really high transection rate had I gone FUE, so I'm really glad I chose FUT and stuck with it. Another thought I have is given my age, I'm probably going to need two more procedures over the course of my life at least. @hairlossPA I started noticing growth at around 2.5 months. At three months I could use fibers to cover up the thin spots. October 16th: October 28th: @champybaby I've used Costco brand since the beginning, I go through the six bottles in about two months if I apply twice a day. I use it over my entire scalp minus the back and sides. @TommyLucchese I don't know, probably depends case by case. I think I only had around 250 singles so not many. Thanks for the response what did you pay per graft? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Regular Member Fahri Posted February 17, 2021 Regular Member Share Posted February 17, 2021 (edited) Very impressive, such good coverage, the transformation is quite something. It must be a real boost to see the before and afters! Thank you so much for sharing. What meds/supplements are you using in total, aside of minox if you dont mind my asking please? Edited February 17, 2021 by Fahri Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Senior Member ShadowMoon Posted February 18, 2021 Author Senior Member Share Posted February 18, 2021 @FahriI take 1mg finasteride. For supplements I take Costco hair nail skin multivitamin, D3 a couple times a week, and fish oil. It is a real boost! I'm so happy with it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Regular Member Fahri Posted February 18, 2021 Regular Member Share Posted February 18, 2021 Thank you @ShadowMoon thats good to know. Im intruiged by the multivitamins & D3, cheers! Fin scares me but fair play for those that are seeing results & have climbed off the fence. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Senior Member giegnosiganoe Posted February 18, 2021 Senior Member Share Posted February 18, 2021 Wonderful results! And man, the rest of your hair is in great shape, I'll be surprised if you need more transplants. I'm curious what made you archive your thread and step away from the forum? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Senior Member home1212 Posted February 21, 2021 Senior Member Share Posted February 21, 2021 a really beautiful, natural result, congrats Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Regular Member Ian. Posted May 12, 2021 Regular Member Share Posted May 12, 2021 Hey, last update was looking great! I think this new hair will work in your favor to crush the NCLEX! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Senior Member ShadowMoon Posted May 13, 2021 Author Senior Member Share Posted May 13, 2021 20 hours ago, Ian. said: Hey, last update was looking great! I think this new hair will work in your favor to crush the NCLEX! Got pre hired, people of earth lend me your energy 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Create an account or sign in to comment
You need to be a member in order to leave a comment
Create an account
Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!
Register a new accountSign in
Already have an account? Sign in here.
Sign In Now