2530 FUE grafts - Dr Ron Shapiro and Dr Josephitis (SMG) 4.1.21

[Rynomite13]

Hey everyone-

On 4/1/21, 10 days before my 45th birthday, I had my first HT FUE procedure at SMG with Dr. Shapiro and Dr. Josephitis.  

I have worn baseball hats, combed my hair forward and painstakingly tried to disguise my hair loss for 25+ years - essentially my whole adult life.  I first noticed my hair loss when I started dying my hair at 18 because I thought it was a cool thing to do.  I will never forget that night in '94 when I rolled over on my pillow and a clump of hair detached from the right side of my hairline.  I don't want to sound dramatic, but I was traumatized. I started taking Proscar over 20 years ago and have maintained a NW ~3.5 or thereabouts since with more recession in the front than the crown. NOTE: I recently started taking oral Rogaine in March '21 per SMG's recommendation.

Despite all the insecurities I experienced around my hair, I have had a successful career and family life, but my hair situation instantly made me feel more self conscious, anxious and less outgoing.  About 2 years ago, I started seeing a therapist primarily to address my biggest insecurity in life.   I decided the first step was to shave my head which happened right before the pandemic at the beginning of 2020.  While rocking a bald head was probably a cleaner and trendier look than combing my hair forward, I found that calling more attention to my baldness was just amplifying my anxiety.  I watched Melvin's video on trying to shave your head *before* considering a transplant and it hit home with me.  I had tried the shaved head option, but realized my hairline and overall thinning would bother me whether I buzzed it all off or tried to grow it out longer.

This year, I decided to move forward with Shapiro Medical Group. I am about 10 weeks post-op and wanted to share my story and initial before/after pics.  Mentally, I am trying to practice patience and reserve judgment as I realize that results don't start to show until 3-4 months in and final results can take 12-16 months.  I am also managing my expectations as best as possible.  I likely used less than 1/2 of my FUE donor supply (2500 grafts) and am open to tweaking and/or bringing the hairline down in the future assuming it can be done discreetly.  

What drew me to Dr. Shapiro and SMG were their natural results, track record and years of experience.  It also helps that it's a convenient 15 minute drive from where I live. I know there are many doctors on this forum that do excellent work, but I never saw a Shapiro hairline that I thought looked unnatural in any way, shape or form.  For me, my first priority was broadening my hairline and having it look completely undetectable, even at close inspection.  After studying Dr. Shapiro's lectures, methodology, and results, I felt confident in my decision to move forward.

I have learned to view my procedure as an improvement.  I am not going to achieve my ideal hairline, which would have likely been ~0.5-1 cm lower, but I am hoping that adding more density and broadening the hairline considerably will make me more comfortable and confident in my appearance.  I also can take some solace in knowing that I have more donor hair to work with should I still feel the desire to bring my hairline down further after the final results come in.  I was never pursuing a straight hairline or trying to recapture my high school hairline, so I just have to wait and see if the first procedure will be sufficient or if I may need some additional work done to reach my ultimate goal.

In terms of the numbers, I had 2530 grafts/4718 hairs (832 one hair grafts, 1208 two's, 490 three's).  Dr. Shapiro did convince me to use a couple hundred grafts in the temples which were significantly receded as well, and I think that was the right decision aesthetically.

Would love to hear any feedback and would be happy to answer any questions as well.  I am excited for the future, but am also trying to maintain a realistic and positive outlook in the meantime...

 

 

 

 

Edited June 17, 2021 by Rynomite13
grammar

[Parasol]

Excellent hairline design. It’s perfectly age appropriate. And the less surface space to put grafts into, the better.

If I had it to do all over again, I’d have chosen something like this. 

The work looks very clean. How are you healing? Could you share some current pics?

[Style22]

following

[Melvin- Admin]

Thank you for sharing such a well-written and thought out review. I’ll be following your progress closely 🙌🏼

[Rynomite13]

4 hours ago, Parasol said:

Excellent hairline design. It’s perfectly age appropriate. And the less surface space to put grafts into, the better.

If I had it to do all over again, I’d have chosen something like this. 

The work looks very clean. How are you healing? Could you share some current pics?

Thanks for the feedback.  I have healed relatively well, but I don't have much new growth to reveal yet.  I have been buzzing my hair at a 1-2 guard so it looks very similar to how it looks in the 2nd before pic that I shared above.  I do still have a little bit of redness around the hairline but it has lightened up.  I also have had some acne in the recipient and donor area, but it's been more an issue in the donor for me.  SMG gave me a prescription of doxycycline which has helped clear up the acne, but I do still have a a couple pimples in the donor area.  Also the donor area is still a little thin and uneven, so I am basically keeping it buzzed for now and trying to allow more time before I get too concerned or critical.  I was hoping I may begin to see some more hair growth at the 10 week mark, but it's been pretty slim so far.  That said, I have an appt. with SMG in a month where I hope to have more new hair to review and will update around that time.  I saw you had your procedure around the same time.  Did you see any shock loss or diffusion in your donor area after or did it recover pretty quickly? I followed your post as well... Cheers!

 

 

[PluggedIn]

Wow that hairline design is great! Temple points are really going to frame your face nicely

[Parasol]

12 hours ago, Rynomite13 said:

Thanks for the feedback.  I have healed relatively well, but I don't have much new growth to reveal yet.  I have been buzzing my hair at a 1-2 guard so it looks very similar to how it looks in the 2nd before pic that I shared above.  I do still have a little bit of redness around the hairline but it has lightened up.  I also have had some acne in the recipient and donor area, but it's been more an issue in the donor for me.  SMG gave me a prescription of doxycycline which has helped clear up the acne, but I do still have a a couple pimples in the donor area.  Also the donor area is still a little thin and uneven, so I am basically keeping it buzzed for now and trying to allow more time before I get too concerned or critical.  I was hoping I may begin to see some more hair growth at the 10 week mark, but it's been pretty slim so far.  That said, I have an appt. with SMG in a month where I hope to have more new hair to review and will update around that time.  I saw you had your procedure around the same time.  Did you see any shock loss or diffusion in your donor area after or did it recover pretty quickly? I followed your post as well... Cheers!

 

 

My donor surprisingly healed pretty well. But my recipient took a beating and shocked out big time, so it’s important to keep in mind that we all heal differently.

Looking forward to seeing how everything’s coming along. The work looks great and the design is phenomenal.

[aaron1234]

If you keep the combed forward look you had before the procedure you are going to have great layering/shingling effect going on in the frontal third, making the most of the transplanted hair.  Work looks stellar, I'm sure you'll be thrilled in a few months.

[hybonix]

Excellent and clean work. Donor management is great and the recipient site looks like it is healing nicely. You should start to see some type of results at Month 3 and it will just go from there. My recipient hair is pretty thick and it's still growing and I am on Month 8. I like your hairline as well. It's age appropriate and will look very natural when it grows out. I look forward to seeing more posts in the future and happy growing!

[Rynomite13]

3 hours ago, hybonix said:

Excellent and clean work. Donor management is great and the recipient site looks like it is healing nicely. You should start to see some type of results at Month 3 and it will just go from there. My recipient hair is pretty thick and it's still growing and I am on Month 8. I like your hairline as well. It's age appropriate and will look very natural when it grows out. I look forward to seeing more posts in the future and happy growing!

Thanks. Excited to see your next update as well, but looks like you have been making great progress!  

[Rynomite13]

20 hours ago, aaron1234 said:

If you keep the combed forward look you had before the procedure you are going to have great layering/shingling effect going on in the frontal third, making the most of the transplanted hair.  Work looks stellar, I'm sure you'll be thrilled in a few months.

Thanks for the positive feedback.  Combing forward is probably not the optimal scenario but at least it's an option and will be better than when i used to comb forward with less hair!  Ideally the hairline and density will be such that I don't need to comb forward but I'll just have to play around with it to find the best style that works for me.  Will continue to update on this thread!

[yesplease]

On 6/15/2021 at 1:18 PM, Rynomite13 said:

Hey everyone-

On 4/1/21, 10 days before my 45th birthday, I had my first HT FUE procedure at SMG with Dr. Shapiro and Dr. Josephitis.  

I have worn baseball hats, combed my hair forward and painstakingly tried to disguise my hair loss for 25+ years - essentially my whole adult life.  I first noticed my hair loss when I started dying my hair at 18 because I thought it was a cool thing to do.  I will never forget that night in '94 when I rolled over on my pillow and a clump of hair detached from the right side of my hairline.  I don't want to sound dramatic, but I was traumatized. I started taking Proscar over 20 years ago and have maintained a NW ~3.5 or thereabouts since with more recession in the front than the crown. NOTE: I recently started taking oral Rogaine in March '21 per SMG's recommendation.

Despite all the insecurities I experienced around my hair, I have had a successful career and family life, but my hair situation instantly made me feel more self conscious, anxious and less outgoing.  About 2 years ago, I started seeing a therapist primarily to address my biggest insecurity in life.   I decided the first step was to shave my head which happened right before the pandemic at the beginning of 2020.  While rocking a bald head was probably a cleaner and trendier look than combing my hair forward, I found that calling more attention to my baldness was just amplifying my anxiety.  I watched Melvin's video on trying to shave your head *before* considering a transplant and it hit home with me.  I had tried the shaved head option, but realized my hairline and overall thinning would bother me whether I buzzed it all off or tried to grow it out longer.

This year, I decided to move forward with Shapiro Medical Group. I am about 10 weeks post-op and wanted to share my story and initial before/after pics.  Mentally, I am trying to practice patience and reserve judgment as I realize that results don't start to show until 3-4 months in and final results can take 12-16 months.  I am also managing my expectations as best as possible.  I likely used less than 1/2 of my FUE donor supply (2500 grafts) and am open to tweaking and/or bringing the hairline down in the future assuming it can be done discreetly.  

What drew me to Dr. Shapiro and SMG were their natural results, track record and years of experience.  It also helps that it's a convenient 15 minute drive from where I live. I know there are many doctors on this forum that do excellent work, but I never saw a Shapiro hairline that I thought looked unnatural in any way, shape or form.  For me, my first priority was broadening my hairline and having it look completely undetectable, even at close inspection.  After studying Dr. Shapiro's lectures, methodology, and results, I felt confident in my decision to move forward.

I have learned to view my procedure as an improvement.  I am not going to achieve my ideal hairline, which would have likely been ~0.5-1 cm lower, but I am hoping that adding more density and broadening the hairline considerably will make me more comfortable and confident in my appearance.  I also can take some solace in knowing that I have more donor hair to work with should I still feel the desire to bring my hairline down further after the final results come in.  I was never pursuing a straight hairline or trying to recapture my high school hairline, so I just have to wait and see if the first procedure will be sufficient or if I may need some additional work done to reach my ultimate goal.

In terms of the numbers, I had 2530 grafts/4718 hairs (832 one hair grafts, 1208 two's, 490 three's).  Dr. Shapiro did convince me to use a couple hundred grafts in the temples which were significantly receded as well, and I think that was the right decision aesthetically.

Would love to hear any feedback and would be happy to answer any questions as well.  I am excited for the future, but am also trying to maintain a realistic and positive outlook in the meantime...

 

 

 

 

Thanks for sharing. Given your age, the current status of your hair and the fact that you’ve been on meds long term, it seems like you have a high likelihood of achieving a great result.

 

You’ve been on Finasteride for quite some time. I’m curious if you have had any side effects or discernible issues? 
 

keep us posted!

[Rynomite13]

13 hours ago, yesplease said:

Thanks for sharing. Given your age, the current status of your hair and the fact that you’ve been on meds long term, it seems like you have a high likelihood of achieving a great result.

 

You’ve been on Finasteride for quite some time. I’m curious if you have had any side effects or discernible issues? 
 

keep us posted!

thanks.  I will share updates for sure.  Regarding the finasteride, I have never noticed any symptoms or side effects and I have been on it since the 90's!  

[PluggedIn]

3 hours ago, Rynomite13 said:

thanks.  I will share updates for sure.  Regarding the finasteride, I have never noticed any symptoms or side effects and I have been on it since the 90's!  

Wow that's a long time! How does your pre op hair compare to your hair at baseline?

[Rynomite13]

11 hours ago, PluggedIn said:

Wow that's a long time! How does your pre op hair compare to your hair at baseline?

The fist pic above shows my hairline before the procedure and then at the 2 week mark after the procedure which shows the hairline and some growth before shedding.  I am at almost 3 months and I think a little hair is coming in, but nothing substantial yet.  I am not sure what you mean by pre op hair comparing to hair at baseline, but I am pretty confident I would be a lot balder if I had never started the finasteride.  I started it in 98 or 99 and my hair has probably thinned a little since then but the vast majority of my recession occurred after high school from 94-98.  I have some pics from 99 where my hairline isn't that different than it is now. 

[Britanium]

This is a great write up and some excellent pics. Really like the hairline design 👌

[Style22]

How was follow up appointment with SMG? You mentioned your donor seemed thin.. How’s it looking now?

[Rynomite13]

10 hours ago, Style22 said:

How was follow up appointment with SMG? You mentioned your donor seemed thin.. How’s it looking now?

Thanks for following up.  I am going to post an update shortly with updated pics, but just haven’t had a chance yet. The follow up went well, tho.  Donor is still a little patchy in terms of density so I may just have to wear it a bit longer.  It could still continue to improve tho as I’m just now hitting the 4 month mark.  The hairline is still a little higher than I’d like as well, but it’s still a considerable improvement.  More to come!

[Rynomite13]

4 month update (8.12.21)

• NOTE: First 2 pics attached are from today (just past 4 month mark) and other pics are from 7/16 (just past 3 month mark).

UPDATE: I am approaching 4.5 months and am seeing some hair come in, but have been trying to practice patience as I anticipate my hair will continue to improve going forward.  I am just starting to grow it out now, but it’s still a bit patchy and see through at the moment. I kept it around a 1-2 guard for the first few months for reference. I figured the Ugly Duckling phase would be a little less noticeable that way!  I plan to continue to let it grow and see how it looks as it gets longer as I try to find that "sweet spot" length. That said, I know it’s still in a transitional stage with a lot of the new hair still in progress.  

As you can see, there is some more visible density at the front/forelock and one side of the hairline, but I am just a couple weeks past the 4 month mark so I know I have a ways to go and that it should continue to mature and even out with time.

In terms of the donor area, I had a bit of thinner area towards the bottom of my donor region that almost resembles the shape of a strip scar even though I didn't have FUT.  It does look more pronounced after FUE than before when it was less of a line and just a couple thinner spots. I am hoping this area also continues to improve as it's likely I'll want to have a small 2nd procedure done at the 1 year mark to broaden the hairline a bit more.  That said, I am still trying to reserve judgment on additional work until I give the first procedure more time. 

Would love to hear any feedback, thoughts or suggestions.  Right now it's mostly a waiting game for me and keeping my fingers crossed.  I do like having the option of wearing more of a buzzed length, but I also know that it can be harder for hair to look more uniform at that length after you have had a procedure done...

[Britanium]

Hairline coming in pretty strong already. Maybe some shock loss in the donor area, it should improve. Looking at the pre op pics the donor extraction pattern looked really good. Thanks for the update 🙏

[ITA]

It seems to be starting to mesh,, From now on, the road is all downhill.  👍

[Melvin- Admin]

Everything is growing in well, as for the thin patch. I don’t think it’s very pronounced. There could be some residual shock loss in the donor as well. Look forward to seeing your updates man 🙌🏼

[Style22]

How’s everything going? Donor doing better? I have exact same situation in my donor. Shock loss that almost looks like a strip. Had my procedure with SMG almost 2 months ago.

[Balding Bad]

Great thread and great progress so far. I, too, am curious to see how you're progressing! Please keep us updated if you can. 😁

[hybonix]

@Rynomite13How are things coming along? You are several days away from Month 7 and we would love to see where you are at! Hoping things are progressing well with the HT!

Edited October 27, 2021 by hybonix