Dr. Maras at HDC Clinic - FUE 3773 Grafts - April 5th & 6th 2021

[Britanium]

1 hour ago, Parasol said:

Boy I sure hope so. I have a very important trip in October and pray everyday I look relatively decent and healed by then.

I have no doubts it’s going to flourish from here on out ! You will be hairy by October 👌

[giegnosiganoe]

Sorry you seem to be one of the (temporarily) unlucky ones. Big props for still sharing regular updates - many people would go into hiding (I don't blame them) - but seeing this is super important for prospective patients and for anyone who is bound to end up in the same position. Out of the clear soon enough 🤞 , guaranteed by October.

It is interesting that you didn't experience anything like this during your first two ops, any ideas as to why?

I'm curious about the grafts you put into your strip scar. How did you sleep without damaging them? How are they doing now? Your donor still looks really good.

[Parasol]

7 hours ago, giegnosiganoe said:

Sorry you seem to be one of the (temporarily) unlucky ones. Big props for still sharing regular updates - many people would go into hiding (I don't blame them) - but seeing this is super important for prospective patients and for anyone who is bound to end up in the same position. Out of the clear soon enough 🤞 , guaranteed by October.

It is interesting that you didn't experience anything like this during your first two ops, any ideas as to why?

I'm curious about the grafts you put into your strip scar. How did you sleep without damaging them? How are they doing now? Your donor still looks really good.

It’s important for me to document this here. I feel like if I did for my last two surgeries, I wouldn’t have even needed this one (because you guys would have motivated me to stay on the meds).

I also believe surgery should always be a last resort. Lots of users thinking about their first transplant don’t often understand the risks. I see here and on places like Reddit, people asking about shockloss of native hairs, not taking Finasteride after a transplant, etc. If anyone can read my journey and learn something and get a better understanding of what can happen, that would be a big win in my book.

It’s hard for me to understand why I’ve healed so differently this time around. Perhaps it’s because I’m older now, and heal much worse than I used to.

HDC said because of my physiology and how sensitive my skin is, and because the surgery was so much larger than my last ones, this is why I’m healing this way.

Personally, I agree with them, and think we saw signs of this early on based on how I responded to the post op head washes.

Here’s a photo from 5 days post op, when I was still in Cyprus.

You can see bruising all throughout my back hairline and temples, along with a yellowish bruise that turned into that scab. These are also the areas that happen to be the most shocked now.

From what I can tell my donor looks really good, and from what I can see the strip scar looks decent too. It’s hard for me to say why the back healed better than the front. 

Yes sleeping was tough! At moments, it felt like, how is it possible to not touch the top or the back?!?!  I ended up sleeping upright in a chair with a flight pillow that was thin enough to not touch my strip scar, and slept like this for about 2 weeks post surgery just to be sure I didn’t harm either recipient area.

Edited June 17, 2021 by Parasol

[dtap]

Hi parasol. From what I see in your pics even though your healing isnt the same as 99.9% of people on the planet I will say youre coming along well. The growth even in your pic from 5 days post op looks very damn good!

Dont beat yourself up man. In 5 - 7 months you'll be happy and youll look at this experience as a well traveled journey.

Now you mentioned that one should use transplants as a last resort. In my case I can style my hair in a way that no one notices my thinning front (comb over). But that said I still want to be able to fill the front and temples so i dont have to sit combing 15 - 20 minutes in front of the bathroom mirror in order to get the hair styled right. Its a hassle, believe me. So in my case what do you suggest?

Edited June 28, 2021 by dtap

[Parasol]

2 hours ago, dtap said:

Hi parasol. From what I see in your pics even though your healing isnt he same as 99.9% of people on the planet I will say youre coming along well. The growth even in your pic from 5 days post op looks very damn good!

Dont beat yourself up man. In 5 - 7 months you'll be happy and youll look at this experience as a well traveled journey.

Now you mentioned that one should use transplants as a last resort. In my case I can style my hair in a way that no one notices my thinning front (come over). But that said I still want to be able to fill the front and temples so i dont have to sit combing 15 - 20 minutes in front of the bathroom mirror in order to get the hair styled right. Its a hassle, believe me. So in my case what do you suggest?

Hi dtap! I really appreciate the encouragement. Post transplant can be a very uneasy time, so it’s nice to come here to a message like this.

Although I’ve now had 3 transplants, I am definitely not an expert. But having been down this road so many times, there are a few things I wish I’d done if I could go back in time.

First, you’ve come to the right place. When @Melvin- Moderator calls this site the “Google of hair transplants,” he’s absolutely right. There is a wealth of information here. Patient testimonials in real time. Threads and videos on technique and best practices (check out Bisanga’s bite-sized videos, for example). After care advice. Non-surgical options (medications, smp, etc). Not to mention a list of really great ethical surgeons (some of which participate here).

On the first page of this sub-forum alone, you can see examples of success stories and failures. Spend some time here. Get to know some people. Read around before you make any decisions and ask the questions that you might have. 

I’m a big fan of Joe Tillman. Head on over to his YouTube channel. He has a series of videos called “Hair Transplant Class” that I think is really invaluable, where he discusses the pros and cons of surgery. The Bald Truth show is excellent too. Tune in. All the content he (and Spencer Kobren) puts out is superb.

@Rolandas is another. One of the best voices in the industry. He researched really really hard before he chose the surgical route, and his YouTube channel is filled to the brim with invaluable information and first hand experience. It’s really entertaining too.

I also think every hairloss sufferer considering a transplant should ask themselves a few questions first. 

“If my hairloss stopped or slowed down today, could I live the rest of my life happy?” Finasteride (especially) and Minoxidil are key. I know the internet is a scary place with lots of people shouting “fire” and talking about side effects and whatnot, but these medications are proven to be effective and personally I haven’t had a single side effect. I don’t think anyone should consider a transplant unless they try medication for at least a year first. If you respond to and tolerate the medicines well, you might avoid a transplant all together! If you still decide to get a transplant after the fact, the medication will stabilize your loss, ensuring your donor is as strong as possible, and will help to protect your investment too.

”Would I look ok with a shaved head?” I realize this might sound ridiculous on a hair restoration forum, but seriously, try it. I never did this before my first surgery and man I wish I did. I think I would have been ok with it and been able to live my life not thinking about my hair. But now I have all these surgical scars and that’s really not an option anymore.

”Am I emotionally prepared to handle a transplant if it ends up being a failure?” Understand, that although going to a great clinic puts you in the best possible position to succeed, that even the best surgeons in the world don’t succeed 100% of the time. 

“Am I ok with an illusion of density?” Hair transplants, depending on your level of loss, don’t restore your head to native density. Generally it’s about half (give or take). Don’t get me wrong, a good transplant that turns out well is certainly life changing, but be aware you may need to grow your hair to a certain length, or style it a certain way, to get it to look in a way where you feel confident. 

Also keep in mind, it’s rare that someone only has one transplant. Whether it be hair greed, or filling in spots that didn’t grow perfectly the first time around, catching up as the loss progresses, or your loss being so great it will take a 2+ step approach to get what you’re after. Ask yourself what you want from a transplant, and consult as many surgeons as possible before making a decision to do anything, and come up with a game plan that works for you.

And hell, maybe try out some concealers or fibers. I haven’t yet but plan to. If you can stabilize your loss with medication, they might give you the boost you need to put off surgery either completely or until a time when you feel ready.

Sorry for the rant.  Anyway, thanks for following my thread! It means a lot and I wish you all the best.

Edited June 28, 2021 by Parasol

[Parasol]

12 week update

A few days ago, I realized my hair was getting unruly and difficult to asses with all the different lengths, so I gently buzzed it down to a number 4 so I could get a better look at the progress.

I’ve clearly come a long way in the last 4 weeks. Any growth at 3 months is a good thing! Though I’m finding myself worrying a lot still, especially about the front center of my hairline (not the scab, but the bald area below it), and hoping some grafts and shocked hair will start to pop there at some point.

I think once they do I’ll begin to feel better. But right now I guess I’m bit uneasy. 

My donor area looks decent, I’d say. Aside from a bit of shockloss below my strip scar, some of the grafts must have grown because it looks better now than at the same length pre-op. My strip scar was extremely visible at anything below a 6 guard before, so I think I can at least be happy about that.

All in all I’m still wearing a baseball cap everywhere I go. It bothers me but I need to be patient and hang in there. I do look forward to the day where I can take it off though, and look somewhat normal and feel like me again.

Edited June 29, 2021 by Parasol

[MazAB]

@Parasol you are right at that point where improvements are highly visible even on a weekly bases, so you'll be out without a hat in no time. You seem to be making steady improvements over the past few weeks, so fingers crossed that continues and you can ditch the hats soon. I know you are waiting for that patch front center to heal up, but once it does, you could probably use the hair fibres and just go out and enjoy your summer dude!😎 I don't know about you, but with the restrictions of Covid finally coming to an end, and the beautiful summer weather here, I cannot keep myself indoors for too long without losing my mind. Personally I think the fibers at this stage would look great for you, especially with your hair cut and evened off. 

[Parasol]

6 hours ago, MazAB said:

@Parasol you are right at that point where improvements are highly visible even on a weekly bases, so you'll be out without a hat in no time. You seem to be making steady improvements over the past few weeks, so fingers crossed that continues and you can ditch the hats soon. I know you are waiting for that patch front center to heal up, but once it does, you could probably use the hair fibres and just go out and enjoy your summer dude!😎 I don't know about you, but with the restrictions of Covid finally coming to an end, and the beautiful summer weather here, I cannot keep myself indoors for too long without losing my mind. Personally I think the fibers at this stage would look great for you, especially with your hair cut and evened off. 

Hey buddy. Nice to hear from you! I look forward to returning the favor and reassuring you when you end up having your procedure. 😛

I think fibers are a great idea. At some point for sure! I’ve never used them but definitely plan to once I get a bit more coverage.

Yeah, finger’s crossed it’s all downhill from here and that the hardest part is over! Though I do expect it to take some time for the scab area to look normal again due to the trauma. Just hoping this area comes around next like my temples and mid-scalp have started to:

 

When I zoom in on the photo on my phone, aside from the long hairs that survived surgery, I think I can count 4 baby hairs lol. And a bunch of thin all white hairs (not sure what those are!) Hopefully a sign of good things to come! My temples and midscalp seem to be popping new hairs everyday so I think once this shows some progress I’ll definitely start to feel on track. 
 

Thanks for the encouragement!

Edited June 30, 2021 by Parasol

[Parasol]

14 Week Update

Here are some 14 week photos, as always, taken outside with natural light. 

Progress seems to be steady. Every day it looks more dense and new hairs are popping through, though I’m still very anxious about my scab area. Do you guys think hair will always be thinner there due to the trauma?

My right temple and frontal hairline seem to be lagging behind too. I do hope the hairline especially gets more dense soon, then maybe I’ll mess around with some fibers. Is it normal for the hairline to start slower than other areas? Or I guess I should say, does my progress seem normal for this stage?

All in all its cool to see more hair on a daily basis!  If these troubled areas would begin catching up I’d say I’d feel very satisfied! But for now I have to be patient and hope for continued growth.

Edited July 13, 2021 by Parasol

[MazAB]

Parasol, not knowing from personal experience, but what I've read on early frontal growth would suggest that the double and triple hair grafts many times are not the first to sprout, so you may have more of the hairline growth to start off before the double and triples catch up. Your growth pattern does not seem unusual at all in that regard with other case studies that I've seen here and elsewhere. Most importantly, huge gains over the last 4 weeks and many more months of improvement to come!

[Parasol]

1 hour ago, MazAB said:

Parasol, not knowing from personal experience, but what I've read on early frontal growth would suggest that the double and triple hair grafts many times are not the first to sprout, so you may have more of the hairline growth to start off before the double and triples catch up. Your growth pattern does not seem unusual at all in that regard with other case studies that I've seen here and elsewhere. Most importantly, huge gains over the last 4 weeks and many more months of improvement to come!

Agreed, the last 4 weeks have been very promising! Hopefully it continues and everything evens out. Thanks for the support!

Edited July 13, 2021 by Parasol

[Parasol]

Hi everyone. I just wanted to post a quick 4.5ish month update, as I’ve had a few people ask how I’ve been doing.

The last few weeks my hair has been growing and thickening up like crazy. It’s like wow…I feel like a million bucks.

Here’s a selfie I took a couple days ago with my hair styled a bit (in admittedly favorable lighting conditions and a bit of accidental lens flare).

 

Some areas are still lagging behind a bit…and my scab area is still red and bald…but with how thick the other hair is getting, I can finally do something with it and go out without a hat now. It’s an incredible feeling.

I’ll try to post a proper update in my normal lighting conditions, and show all the angles and stuff at my 5 month mark. But I have to say, I am thrilled at this point without a doubt. This is going to be life changing.

Edited August 14, 2021 by Parasol

[Britanium]

At 4.5 months .? Wow 😯 awesome progress. The lens flare is confusing my head 😂

[Britanium]

Jokes aside, I remember when I went out without a hat for the first time in years and it is such a awesome feeling. Very liberating and your confidence definitely shoots up. 

[Helios]

Already looking incredible at 4 months. should be smooth sailing from here on. Great news. 

[Parasol]

6 minutes ago, JohnAC71 said:

Jokes aside, I remember when I went out without a hat for the first time in years and it is such a awesome feeling. Very liberating and your confidence definitely shoots up. 

Definitely. My best friend saw my hair for the first time since the op yesterday and he was astonished. Non-stop fist bumps and “bro…bro…bro I can’t believe it” hahaha. 

Such an amazing thing. Such an incredible gift HDC has given me.

To be fair, I know it will look worse when I do the normal poses on my deck. I’ll need to prepare emotionally for that. But as Doron told me, the “frame” is established now, and it’s only going to get better from here. Exciting times.

[Parasol]

9 minutes ago, Helios said:

Already looking incredible at 4 months. should be smooth sailing from here on. Great news. 

Thanks Helios. Your support has been invaluable. I appreciate it a ton, man.

[Britanium]

2 hours ago, Parasol said:

Definitely. My best friend saw my hair for the first time since the op yesterday and he was astonished. Non-stop fist bumps and “bro…bro…bro I can’t believe it” hahaha. 

Such an amazing thing. Such an incredible gift HDC has given me.

To be fair, I know it will look worse when I do the normal poses on my deck. I’ll need to prepare emotionally for that. But as Doron told me, the “frame” is established now, and it’s only going to get better from here. Exciting times.

Oh yes ! This is only going to get better 👌 good “hair” times ahead 😎

[MazAB]

It really is an amazing turnaround and transformation for you Parasol! I'm already preparing myself for the unmerciful emotional rollercoaster I will soon have to endure. You really kept it together thru all of this which I'm sure wasn't easy for you.

Congrats brother!!!

[Parasol]

20 Week Update

Hi again, everyone. It’s been exactly 20 weeks since my surgery. I shot these yesterday for the clinic and figured I’d post them here for you guys as well.

Every day the hair seems to be thickening up. The growth the last few weeks has been crazy! I have to say, I feel like a new man, and am incredibly grateful to everyone on the HDC team. @Doron Harati, from the bottom of my heart, thank you for everything brother.

It’s not to say I wouldn’t like to see improvements in some areas, in the hairline and right temple mainly (not to mention the scab area, which doesn’t really have any hair due to the trauma). But, if this ended up being my final result, I have to say, I’m extremely satisfied.

And just to think…I have a many more months of growth and maturation left…wow, just wow. I couldn’t be happier.

[Doron Harati]

@Parasolso glad to see your result!

It's my pleasure to assist you always 😀

[MazAB]

You are rocking the new look my friend! It looks so natural dude😉

[Helios]

Looking like you’re at 10 months in, not 5. Imagine in another 5 months the further improvements you’ll see. 

[Svais]

Looking great at 5 months! Maras results are some of the top in the region IMO. 

[bw77]

Looking fantastic! Please keep us updated