Dealing with regret. What to do next?

[Maed88]

I had a hair transplant about 7 months ago and not loving the results. Far from it. I’ve read many posts and I’m trying to be patient, waiting until the 12 month mark. I’m wondering if waiting is the only option or if there’s anything I can do. 
 

The details: 

FUT to lower hairline and fill in temples; $10/graft; 1000 grafts 

Visible pitting; very low density (original hairline very visible; worse under any artificial light).  One side is much much thinner than the other. While I’ve read that this is not uncommon, it worries me because I had two techs working on either side and one spent a considerable amount of time on what is now the denser side. I wouldn’t be surprised if the thin side never “catches up.” 
 

The doctor kept saying that a second procedure is not unlikely during the consult. I didn’t think much of it but now it feels like I will absolutely need a second transplant. I don’t trust him enough to do it. But he already got my money /shrug 

I have a follow up appointment soon and still figuring out how to address these issues with him. I raised them during a previous check up but all he said was to wait since it’s still too early. It made sense then but not anymore. 

If a second HT is likely, how soon can that happen?  I’m embarrassed to wear my hair up and constantly trying to hide my new hairline.
 

Is FUE recommended after FUT? I hated the recovery and would rather not cut away another chunk of scalp.  

Is it too early to at least get another consult or will they likely advise to wait anyways? 
 

Thanks for any perspectives on my situation. 

 

 

 

Edited October 19, 2021 by Maed88
Added photos

[Britanium]

1000 grafts isn’t a lot, which Clinic/Dr was this ? Would you be able to show some pics ? Thanks 🙏 

At 7 months the real growth should be starting to show, but we all have different timelines. For a lot of people this is when it’s really starting to take off. 

Edited October 18, 2021 by JC71

[Gatsby]

Can I ask how old you are and who was the surgeon? If you can post up some pics as JC71 has stated then we are in a better position to give you honest advice and support. I would definitely hold off on any surgery until at least twelve months so that you have the full picture on what you are working on. That's if a second procedure is warranted. As JC71 has stated at seven months it could be just starting to kick in now so again pictures would really be helpful.

[Al - Moderator]

Do you have any pictures you can show? 1000 grafts isn't very many grafts. I'd say wait until at least the 10 month mark to get consultations for what to do next as it should still thicken up a bit over the next few months and give you a better idea of what is needed.

 

[Maed88]

@Gatsby @JC71 @BeHappy Thank you all for your comments so far. I edited my post to add photos. It’s much more obvious in person but the last photo shows the “pitting” I’m concerned about — at least that’s what I think it’s called. I have these larger holes along the front where the hair is growing out of. 

To answer some of the other questions: I’m 35. I’m hesitant to name the clinic. I’ll post a more thorough review later on. I’d like to have an opportunity to address my concerns with them first. Since the advice is often to wait (and wait) I’d like to err on the side of giving them the benefit  of the doubt (and maybe not write a review when I’m feeling so bad about the experience) 
 

[kirkland]

Can we assume that this was the area that was transplanted?

[Maed88]

Just now, kirkland said:

Can we assume that this was the area that was transplanted?

Yes, that’s right!

[kirkland]

A few things going on here: first, as others have mentioned, you still need some more time to assess the final results; second, it's possible that some of the hairs taken in the FUT strip were miniaturized and so they are not coming in thick in the hairline; third, if it is still not to your satisfaction by month 12, a few hundred healthy grafts taken by FUE can easily fill in this hairline more and you should probably consider going to a more experienced FUE surgeon. Consult with at least 2 doctors who are recommended HT surgeons through this site.

[kirkland]

Here's an example of someone recently with 2000 grafts in roughly the same circumstances as you with roughly the same area to cover. Would have to wait for the results to see how it turned out but their surgeon determined that 2000 grafts, not 1000 grafts, was necessary for the required density.

[Maed88]

9 hours ago, kirkland said:

Here's an example of someone recently with 2000 grafts in roughly the same circumstances as you with roughly the same area to cover. Would have to wait for the results to see how it turned out but their surgeon determined that 2000 grafts, not 1000 grafts, was necessary for the required density.

This is very helpful. Thank you for sharing. I had a strong suspicion 1k wasn’t enough and that this was a big part of the problem. I’m preparing to/coming to terms with the idea that there’s a good chance I’ll need to have another procedure. 

[SeanT1]

1000 grafts is no where near enough for that area!
At least you have a lot of nice singular follicles along the hairline.
I'd recommend you get another 1200 or so to increase density.  I'm no doctor, but I assume DHI would be the best option to fill in the gaps.

Edited October 19, 2021 by SeanToman

[pkipling]

Echoing the others in that not only is it still a little early to make a final assessment, it also doesn't seem like it was enough grafts to give you the kind of coverage you were hoping for to begin with. For instance, I had a similar amount of surface area to be covered, and I got 2,000 grafts.

That said, it's actually a very good thing that you only got 1,000 grafts since the work itself doesn't seem to be top notch - meaning that you haven't even come close to depleting your donor supply. And while the work doesn't look ideal, it also doesn't look like he completely botched you, so this could very well be a fairly straightforward repair when all is said and done. 

I would recommend looking into FUE as well, and if you go to a skilled surgeon, they would be able to place grafts into your FUE scar as well to minimize its appearance. 

I know this isn't ideal, but a satisfactory outcome seems very likely when all is said and done... So don't let the feeling of regret overwhelm you. ❤️ 

[Fue3361]

I had over 3k grafts for a smaller area than yours.  While even 2k is probably enough, 1k I think will always be too sparse.

 

That said, give it a few more months.

[deeznuts]

$10 graft for FUT is pretty insane come to think of it

[MachoVato]

Considering you can get De Freitas for about $4/graft, it's hard to justify these US prices.

[Maed88]

7 hours ago, MachoVato said:

Considering you can get De Freitas for about $4/graft, it's hard to justify these US prices.

US prices are definitely high but travel abroad is not an option for many. It wasn’t for me. 
 

Having said that, I definitely overpaid. 

[Gatsby]

On 10/18/2021 at 2:58 PM, Maed88 said:

The doctor kept saying that a second procedure is not unlikely during the consult. I didn’t think much of it but now it feels like I will absolutely need a second transplant. I don’t trust him enough to do it. But he already got my money /shrug 

Looking back now this really angers me. I would love to know who the surgeon was and if you tell us who it is you could be preventing another person undergoing what you have undergone. To say that a second procedure is not unlikely is poor. A surgeon needs to have a specific game plan over the life span of the patient's hair loss journey. Without sounding like I am channeling my inner 'Spencer Kobren' it's a statement that almost is a way to get you back to pay for a second procedure. Anyway looking forward if you do need a second procedure @kirkland's advice is spot on.

[Maed88]

7 hours ago, Gatsby said:

Looking back now this really angers me. I would love to know who the surgeon was and if you tell us who it is you could be preventing another person undergoing what you have undergone. To say that a second procedure is not unlikely is poor. A surgeon needs to have a specific game plan over the life span of the patient's hair loss journey. Without sounding like I am channeling my inner 'Spencer Kobren' it's a statement that almost is a way to get you back to pay for a second procedure. Anyway looking forward if you do need a second procedure @kirkland's advice is spot on.

He also said the second procedure would be at a discount which somehow also feels like a red flag. 
 

I can DM you the surgeon. I’m hesitant to but will write a review too.  

[Fue3361]

I had 3.3k grafts for probably a similar sized, maybe even smaller area:

 

( 1 Day after Surgery)

(10 Days After)

 

1k I think is very low for that amount, unless you will wear bangs and cover the area at all times.

[Maed88]

I had a follow up recently and I’m moving on. I’ve started looking for other surgeons and now focused on additional consults for a second procedure.

Apparently I “actually” got 2000 grafts. Not 1000. Except 1000 is what I was quoted and what was discussed during my pre-op appointments. Can one even “confirm” the number of grafts easily after the fact? 

My whole check up was bizarre and quick. I was especially thrown off at the vast difference in the graft count. After I pushed on it, he said “well, you got a great deal then.”

I did raise the pitting and he said he couldn’t see it. To be fair, it’s more or less noticeable depending on the lighting and in the office it wasn’t. Here is a shot from a video call where I thought it looked funky (the right). 

 

I get we can be our worst critics. I’m unsatisfied with the density enough that even if everything else was great, I’d still want a second procedure (and honestly feel like I need it…).

I will just go to a surgeon that inspires more confidence and does objectively great work. I want to adjust the hairline (too straight and sharp along the side) and hopefully still be able to mask the “non existent” “pitting.”  
 

Attaching recent photos for reference/compared to the originals I posted. 

[TEXAN35]

Yes another surgery would help your hairline and yes the work doesnt look great. How is your donor scar.  Since you already have a donor scar I think you can still keep the FUT option open but wth FUT specialists like Dr. Cooley, H&W, Dr Glenn etc or if you are uncofomrtable with FUT then yes FUE is the option. I think you can go with many good doctos referred here depending upon availability and expertise in hariline fix. You can even consult the doctos who do both and ask for their opinion on the route to go forward.

[Maed88]

@TEXAN35 I wear my hair long so the scar is hard to see/find. I do have a 2 inch-ish section that’s bald from the scar. 
 

Cooley is on my list. I’ll look into Glenn. 

[AlexMeister21]

Sorry about your experience. I don’t blame you for wanting more density. Who was your doctor? For them to say a year later that you got 2,000 grafts instead of 1,000 grafts is strange. Did you only pay for 1,000? Do you have any post-op pics?

[NARMAK]

Sorry to hear about your experience OP, and sounds like the surgeons not really a forthcoming person. 

If it's true that they actually gave you 2000 grafts, then they should 100% have told you up front. I don't know ANY reputable clinic that would quote you $10/graft and then somehow decide "Oh, we'll just give him a free 1000 grafts". Especially if they're trying to charge you $10k in the first place just for 1K grafts. Feller Medical with Dr Blake Bloxham who also do FUT and show pretty solid results, is recommended on here and checked and they offer 2000 grafts for a similar ballpark. 

Now, i'm not trying to create buyers remorse etc. or make you feel any worse OP but it's for others that might be reading all this and NEED to learn from these sort of examples. 

Also, you're at the 7 Month Mark. That's just over halfway. 60% of the way. It might sound like you got a majority of results in that time, but some people are late bloomers with their results, sometimes even after 12 months. Most people do get their results at that period of time, but a minority could even be a few months later. In some cases, the month 9/10 mark could be when things improve or even 11th.

Just stay the course, and let this play out till month 12 now. Also, it's not as obvious to me about the pitting you mentioned in the pictures but as you said, it's maybe more noticeable in person. However, at the same time. Most people might not even be able to tell. Because you personally know its there, you grow more self conscious about it. 

Your right side looks like it was rounded down a little bit too OP. Did you have any before pictures of your original hairline and the pictures with the hairline design they drew before the procedure? 

Can you talk us through what input you had into that? 

[Al - Moderator]

It's definitely low density that can use another transplant through the area. Try not to worry about the pitting very much. It's very minor and it will probably smooth out over time, so that will probably be a non issue soon.