Painful decade long journey. 34 yo | 3x HT

[Gatsby]

@track_rat you have to understand that from the moment you went under that first knife years ago you have been through hell. The depression and 'buyer's remorse' is perfectly normal right now (though emotionally painful and draining of the spirit). Please remember to be kind to yourself during the next few months. You are basically at the 'post op level!' You entire scalp and beard have gone through 'trauma' from the surgical invasion. Pay no attention to how it is currently reacting (which is normal and to be expected). You will be coming up to the 'ugly duckling' phase very soon and you have to prepare for that. Realize that your mind will be playing tricks on you throughout this whole experience until you start to see things settle down and for growth to emerge. The most important thing about a hair transplant is the one thing that nearly all of us lack and that is 'patience.' Look at where you started and what you have gone through. This too shall also pass. It takes a year really in my option for tissue and scars to settle down. The crown will take up to 18 months to really see the full results there. You have many, many months ahead of you my friend to see your donor area revive itself and for all those grafts to start coming through. Take care and we are all thinking of you. That's what this forum is for.

[Zoomster]

What an inspiration this man is ...

we’re all rooting for you brother 

 

Z

[SLA]

We are our worst critics for sure. Honestly, I don't see anything that looks bad with the beard. Maybe it is just me.

Growth will take time...hang in there and things will come!

[track_rat]

I have a question for you all. Have you seen successful beard restorations that look natural and blend well when cut somewhat short? I understand that I will now have to wear my shave line MUCH higher on my neck, but as it stands, shaving at the extraction line would be way too high and defeats the purpose of the beard entirely.

Where I’ve shaved here is about as high as I’d ever like to go on the shave line. It’s just below my mandible.

Do you think the empty patches can be filled in? The Drs are telling me this will still fill in some, but if it’s more empty than I’d like, they will restore. Just wondering if you’ve seen this done successfully. My beard has been with me for a decade so most of my distress has to do with this and the side burn extraction. Completely altered my side profiles. I’m praying it gets better.
 

 

[track_rat]

Prior side profile.

[track_rat]

Sorry guys, one more for you. I don’t want to inundate the Drs with questions everyday, so I thought it might be good to pose some of the scientific questions here.

Ill relax and let things grow for now, but wanted to see if you all know anything about native hairs in the crown after implantation. Do those get knocked out or die off, or will they come back to provide coverage. I ask because the majority of my crown is bearded, and those will take a long time to come out. I had enough native hair in the crown to give an illusion of having hair, so I’d love for them to be back for more near term coverage. In the event that they do come back, do they grow slower? I’m examining my photos and it looks like some of them are growing, while others are stagnant.

Thanks very much. I’m on fin and min.

 

prior:

 

[Berba11]

Hey @track_rat,

You might be interested to know that I showed your beard photos to my partner completely without context and asked her what she thought. She didn't know what she was looking at or for, and not wanting to give the game away, I nudged "what did you think of the beard?". "It looks good" she said. I then explained and pointed out the areas of extractions. She  noticed, of course, but only when pointed out. 

Point being that 99% of people are never going to notice without being prompted, and even then, it looks fine. Secondly, if you grow the beard out longer and created more coverage, it's probably going to be even less detectable. Thirdly, the benefit you'll get to your crown will far surpass any patchiness underneath your chin where no one is going to notice or look anyway. Finally, I've literally no idea what you're seeing with regards to the side burns. They look absolutely fine post op - any difference is completely negligible & bordering completely undetectable.

You're right bang in the eye of the storm ugly duckling-wise. That means you may still have some shock-loss that will improve over time, you're still healing up a bit and the recipient zones will look a bit worse than before you had the surgery. That's completely par for the course.

Just hang in there dude! Your starting position with your earlier botched transplants was pretty rough. Going forward, there was always going to have to be some compromises. But in 12 months time you'll be completely out of the woods and a million miles away from where you started. If you still felt you wanted some grafts added to the chin again later, you've got that assurance from Eugenix already in the bag, but personally I think just growing the beard out more than you have will see you right.

[Melvin- Admin]

14 hours ago, track_rat said:

I have a question for you all. Have you seen successful beard restorations that look natural and blend well when cut somewhat short? I understand that I will now have to wear my shave line MUCH higher on my neck, but as it stands, shaving at the extraction line would be way too high and defeats the purpose of the beard entirely.

Where I’ve shaved here is about as high as I’d ever like to go on the shave line. It’s just below my mandible.

Do you think the empty patches can be filled in? The Drs are telling me this will still fill in some, but if it’s more empty than I’d like, they will restore. Just wondering if you’ve seen this done successfully. My beard has been with me for a decade so most of my distress has to do with this and the side burn extraction. Completely altered my side profiles. I’m praying it gets better.
 

 

Will it fill in completely? No, you’ve permanently removed hair there, it’s the trade off for having more hair on top. I will be doing the same thing, but I can’t expect my beard to look the same when If you grow it out longer it’ll camouflage those areas. My friends with patchy beards don’t look patchy at all once it grows out.

[track_rat]

5 hours ago, Berba11 said:

Hey @track_rat,

You might be interested to know that I showed your beard photos to my partner completely without context and asked her what she thought. She didn't know what she was looking at or for, and not wanting to give the game away, I nudged "what did you think of the beard?". "It looks good" she said. I then explained and pointed out the areas of extractions. She  noticed, of course, but only when pointed out. 

Point being that 99% of people are never going to notice without being prompted, and even then, it looks fine. Secondly, if you grow the beard out longer and created more coverage, it's probably going to be even less detectable. Thirdly, the benefit you'll get to your crown will far surpass any patchiness underneath your chin where no one is going to notice or look anyway. Finally, I've literally no idea what you're seeing with regards to the side burns. They look absolutely fine post op - any difference is completely negligible & bordering completely undetectable.

You're right bang in the eye of the storm ugly duckling-wise. That means you may still have some shock-loss that will improve over time, you're still healing up a bit and the recipient zones will look a bit worse than before you had the surgery. That's completely par for the course.

Just hang in there dude! Your starting position with your earlier botched transplants was pretty rough. Going forward, there was always going to have to be some compromises. But in 12 months time you'll be completely out of the woods and a million miles away from where you started. If you still felt you wanted some grafts added to the chin again later, you've got that assurance from Eugenix already in the bag, but personally I think just growing the beard out more than you have will see you right.

 

39 minutes ago, Melvin- Moderator said:

Will it fill in completely? No, you’ve permanently removed hair there, it’s the trade off for having more hair on top. I will be doing the same thing, but I can’t expect my beard to look the same when If you grow it out longer it’ll camouflage those areas. My friends with patchy beards don’t look patchy at all once it grows out.

I’m really thankful for you guys. Seriously, thank you. It must be an element of not being mentally prepared to alter my face. I’d become so accustomed to my hair being the only thing I was self conscious about, and I’ve now added the element of thinking my face looks markedly different. 
 

I’ll work on acceptance and try to let time heal.

Have a great weekend guys/ thank you.

[track_rat]

On 9/30/2021 at 2:53 AM, Gatsby said:

@track_rat you have to understand that from the moment you went under that first knife years ago you have been through hell. The depression and 'buyer's remorse' is perfectly normal right now (though emotionally painful and draining of the spirit). Please remember to be kind to yourself during the next few months. You are basically at the 'post op level!' You entire scalp and beard have gone through 'trauma' from the surgical invasion. Pay no attention to how it is currently reacting (which is normal and to be expected). You will be coming up to the 'ugly duckling' phase very soon and you have to prepare for that. Realize that your mind will be playing tricks on you throughout this whole experience until you start to see things settle down and for growth to emerge. The most important thing about a hair transplant is the one thing that nearly all of us lack and that is 'patience.' Look at where you started and what you have gone through. This too shall also pass. It takes a year really in my option for tissue and scars to settle down. The crown will take up to 18 months to really see the full results there. You have many, many months ahead of you my friend to see your donor area revive itself and for all those grafts to start coming through. Take care and we are all thinking of you. That's what this forum is for.

This is really good to remember. I’m doing my best to be patient and I need to accept some blame in the fact that I didn’t fully educate myself on all aspects of the procedure and probably could have done a better job informing the surgeons what my concerns might have been. 
 

Thanks man. I really appreciate you.

[Gatsby]

16 hours ago, track_rat said:

This is really good to remember. I’m doing my best to be patient and I need to accept some blame in the fact that I didn’t fully educate myself on all aspects of the procedure and probably could have done a better job informing the surgeons what my concerns might have been. 
 

Thanks man. I really appreciate you.

At the age you went for surgery the blame should lie with the surgeon! They know they need to take age, expectations and life long donor availability into the equation. NEVER feel guilty for what you went through. I was 18 when I went through the same. I lived with years and years of shame and guilt. Never again and not anymore my friend. All the best!

[digi23]

On 10/1/2021 at 3:43 AM, track_rat said:

I have a question for you all. Have you seen successful beard restorations that look natural and blend well when cut somewhat short? I understand that I will now have to wear my shave line MUCH higher on my neck, but as it stands, shaving at the extraction line would be way too high and defeats the purpose of the beard entirely.

Where I’ve shaved here is about as high as I’d ever like to go on the shave line. It’s just below my mandible.

Do you think the empty patches can be filled in? The Drs are telling me this will still fill in some, but if it’s more empty than I’d like, they will restore. Just wondering if you’ve seen this done successfully. My beard has been with me for a decade so most of my distress has to do with this and the side burn extraction. Completely altered my side profiles. I’m praying it gets better.
 

 

This does look very good, especially if you let it grow longer. It does not look as good when its that short indeed, but not bad either. Could you please try grow it out for 1 month+ with a line like that and have a look? It will look amazing.

[track_rat]

14 minutes ago, digi23 said:

This does look very good, especially if you let it grow longer. It does not look as good when its that short indeed, but not bad either. Could you please try grow it out for 1 month+ with a line like that and have a look? It will look amazing.

Yes. I will take all of your advice and grow this out a bit to see what kind of coverage I can get. Thanks for the encouragement man. Times are tough, so the support is helpful.

I messaged Berba earlier and was saying that I’ve revisited this thread so many times in a day to re-read comments like his. Sometimes that’s enough to get me off the couch and go about my day outside.

 

[track_rat]

Do you all think that this cratered and colored look will blend and look better? Not sure how many of you have ever had side burn extraction. The Drs tell me this is typical undetectable. Perhaps it’s my ocd, but I can certainly tell that something has been done here.

Few days ago:

 

prior to surgery 

[digi23]

5 minutes ago, track_rat said:

Do you all think that this cratered and colored look will blend and look better? Not sure how many of you have ever had side burn extraction. The Drs tell me this is typical undetectable. Perhaps it’s my ocd, but I can certainly tell that something has been done here.

Few days ago:

 

prior to surgery 

Should get down with time, but yeah it is basically undetectable for someone other than for yourself like 10cm from the mirror. Man I think you need to work on how you look at yourself aswell, I am looking like a total fool at the moment but does not care, I am about 3,5 weeks post surgery. 

Did you get any graft count with how many singles, doubles, multiples? Especially for the crown.

 

[track_rat]

Yea I have some work to do on how tough I am on myself. 
 

I don’t know the graft details; but here’s what I was given. I can ask Amandeep at Eugenix for more info if that’s possible.

 

[digi23]

2 minutes ago, track_rat said:

Yea I have some work to do on how tough I am on myself. 
 

I don’t know the graft details; but here’s what I was given. I can ask Amandeep at Eugenix for more info if that’s possible.

 

Thanks, would be interesting to see about how many doubles/multiples of the 336 scalp grafts + 257 side grafts in the crown it was, because it is important for the density. Like 90%+ of the beard grafts will be singles. 

In the end I think it will be great, just need patience.

[track_rat]

2 minutes ago, digi23 said:

Thanks, would be interesting to see about how many doubles/multiples of the 336 scalp grafts + 257 side grafts in the crown it was, because it is important for the density. Like 90%+ of the beard grafts will be singles. 

In the end I think it will be great, just need patience.

Appreciate it brother. I’ll ask Eugenix and see if they have that detail. I didn’t see it being written on the board, but maybe they logged it some other way. I’m praying it looks good and that the beard hair doesn’t look odd and like a dead give away.

[MagnificentAl]

Hey boss, you have an amazing beard. Do you use any products on it?

[Berba11]

9 hours ago, track_rat said:

Do you all think that this cratered and colored look will blend and look better? Not sure how many of you have ever had side burn extraction. The Drs tell me this is typical undetectable. Perhaps it’s my ocd, but I can certainly tell that something has been done here.

Few days ago:

 

prior to surgery 

No HT will be 100% undetectable to the patient themselves because we all look at ourselves frequently, closely and, most importantly, you can’t trick or make your brain forget you’ve had surgery. 
 

Good HT’s are undetectable *to everyone else*. Your sideburns are indeed undetectable. I’d literally have had no idea you’d had work done there without you saying so, and I’m looking at a super close up photo! The extractions are your side burns have been done to a high standard - you’ve had good work done there, dude! Nobody else is ever going to look at your hair that closely, and even if they did, they’d not see anything at all unless you told them what to look for and even then, it’s be a hard sell!

[BDK081522]

@track_rat Your sideburn extractions were done very well. Eugenix spaced out the extractions so that at a normal distance no other human being is going to detect that there is hair missing. The two pictures you've posted of the sideburn extractions cannot be compared as your beard is different lengths in them. If you grew your current beard out to this length I don't even think you would be able to notice anything out of the ordinary staring at your face from 5mm away. You just really need to take some time and distance yourself from the procedure and focus on something else in life right now. You're hardwired to scrutinize every little detail based on what has happened to you in the past but keep in mind you've gone to one of the best clinics in the world and they have given you what you've asked for. There will always be signs of surgery when you look for it. Hair has been removed from areas and scarring will be present 100% of the time but how detectable it is to the general public is the measure of how well it was performed. 

Edited October 3, 2021 by BDK081522

[track_rat]

5 hours ago, BDK081522 said:

@track_rat Your sideburn extractions were done very well. Eugenix spaced out the extractions so that at a normal distance no other human being is going to detect that there is hair missing. The two pictures you've posted of the sideburn extractions cannot be compared as your beard is different lengths in them. If you grew your current beard out to this length I don't even think you would be able to notice anything out of the ordinary staring at your face from 5mm away. You just really need to take some time and distance yourself from the procedure and focus on something else in life right now. You're hardwired to scrutinize every little detail based on what has happened to you in the past but keep in mind you've gone to one of the best clinics in the world and they have given you what you've asked for. There will always be signs of surgery when you look for it. Hair has been removed from areas and scarring will be present 100% of the time but how detectable it is to the general public is the measure of how well it was performed. 

Thanks man. I’ll try to remember this and stop looking in the mirror so much right now. It’s hard, but I know it’s imperative to have any semblance of peace right now.

[Melvin- Admin]

On 10/2/2021 at 5:59 PM, track_rat said:

Do you all think that this cratered and colored look will blend and look better? Not sure how many of you have ever had side burn extraction. The Drs tell me this is typical undetectable. Perhaps it’s my ocd, but I can certainly tell that something has been done here.

Few days ago:

 

prior to surgery 

I don’t see anything and it’s super close up, but again, you cannot expect it to look exactly the same. Its the trade off. It looks unremarkable to me, and I’m a hair geek, the average joe wouldn’t spot it even if you told them.

[track_rat]

Hey guys - Here’s a bit of stream of thought upload of all the post op feelings I have right now (as I watch the Raiders game). 
 

To elaborate on why I’m making such an issue with the side burns, I suppose it’s because it was my favorite part of my barber’s blend on my face. And it’s a new variable that he and I can very clearly make out. It’s interesting, and perhaps a bit calming, to know that you all aren’t picking this out at even close range and high res photos. I will continue to read your comments to reassure myself. My barber was limited by how short he could go on my sides and back because of the strip; so he had fun with the blend on my side burns which I thought looked amazing with my beard. Loved this so much after a haircut. I suppose I’m just disappointed in myself for not planning well enough to refuse this. A skin fade in this area isn’t realistic anymore. It was only 200 some grafts which we could’ve taken from my scalp.

I miss this face and beard that flowed beyond my mandible.

I can detect the needly / punchy look. Again, I understand not many others will.

I’m in the acceptance phase now and looking forward. Eugenix sent me some beard restoration examples and they look first class (we’re talking creating beards for people that barely have any). So a fill in on my mandible and neck should be easy.

Anyways, here are some beard updates today. I am pleased that it appears some new hairs have sprouted. There’s some redness I think, but it’s going down. For those of you getting beard hair transplants, be prepared for a tonnnnnnnnn of ingrown hairs in the initial month or two. That’s what the bumps are, hopefully will subside. There’s a new ingrown every day lol.

Side profile is where I’m not as pleased. It’s too dramatic of a shift from dark to light. If things don’t fill in, I’ll take Eugenix up on their offer to fill in. As a compromise, I’ve brought my shave line up much higher than from where I used to.

The left side beard is weaker with a pretty dramatic shift from mandible to neck. Lot of empty area.

 

Right side is a bit stronger. Looks like less extraction done on this side. I bet if I grew a little longer, I myself might not even notice. 

 

Here’s the crown today. The scalp hairs appear to be off to the races. I don’t even feel like these have shed yet. Almost all the beard hair has shed, but some are growing again. I hope my native hair comes back too, as that provided some good coverage before. I’ve read that sometimes these don’t grow back, and if they do survive, they grow slower? Most areas of native hair are coming back except bottom right.

I can’t freaking wait to go outside without a hat or go on a date or be back in the office.

 

Here’s my donor today. What do you guys think? Do you think there’s reserve there for me to get my dream head of hair? The Eugenix approach for my surgery was to go conservative on scalp to save for future. I’ve been wondering if we did the right thing by leaving the coronet (lower crown horseshoe) unattended. What sucks is that this area shows when I’m in the gym when I’m sweaty with a snapback on. 
 

I’ll need to address this at some point right?

Lastly, all of the weak areas you see in the donor below were as a result of ARTAS damage. Dr. Bansal put ~100 some beard grafts which probably haven’t started growing yet. Hoping for a more homogenous donor look so I can get a proper fade from my barber and so he doesn’t yell at me for what I did.

 

That’s it for now. It feels good talking to you all. Thanks for listening to me.

 

[track_rat]

On a separate note, I thought I’d offer up any questions any of you might have on traveling to India if you happen to be booked at Eugenix. Feel free to DM me and we can even chat on phone if you have any questions (visa, experience, lodging, food, etc etc.)

FYI, their garden outside is SO zen.