Female HT with Dr Wesley

[Rolo]

Hello i am female and two days ago had fut 1700 grafts. I gave photos of my original hairline and wanted copied, i didnt want to lower it just fill in where center scalp showed and temple areas.   I thought it might look a little sparse in front but dr says he didnt want to fill in more where i had hair.  Any thoughts?    I will give more info as days progress. This is day 2.   

[Rolo]

I had thick coarse hair never thinking it would be a problem but at menopause I lost a chunk right in the center front hairline; that was difficult to camouflage regardless of how it was styled. Nevertheless it did not occur to me to hair transplant, I tried various remedies of vitamins, oils, etc but over the years it got worse especially in the temples and the center front area, however was still thick on sides and back.   Finally 2 years ago I noticed a big change in the front where the strands were separated and could see my scalp, it was most worrisome and this is when I started my investigation into HT.

 

I live out of the US but have a place in NY so I wanted to concentrate there so as to stay there while recovering; I first visited one known doctor but he drew my hairline so low and even after commenting on this, he re-drew it slightly higher but still too low, and I decided against him because I didn’t want him to make a unilateral decision on where he preferred my hairline.   I have high forehead but I don’t want to lower it, I only want to fill in the density of where I lost the hairs, and return to my original hairline.

 

My hairdresser in NY was making suggestions and rejected some doctors because he didn’t like results of some of his colleagues in the salon, but one day he said his friend had it done with dr Wesley and it looked quite good, so I decided to contact him some months later.   It was via zoom because was in still the ‘covid’ stage; from the computer screen I asked what he suggested and he said he wouldn’t lower it but rather he would even out the hairline, I thought that was a more conservative approach.    Around 6 months later when in NY I went to see him personally and then maybe 3 months later I booked the appointment which was another 3 months away.   I didn’t think about it much until about 2-3 weeks before the surgery and then literally panicked, really scared that what if the grafts didn’t hold and then I lost original hairs due to shock loss that never returned.  Sometimes I couldn’t even sleep at night.

 

But I held a zoom call the day prior to surgery with the Dr and my husband even said beforehand that if I was going to cancel I had to let him know right then.   But Dr Wesley I don’t know why but he put me so much at ease that all my fear dissipated completely and I was not even nervous day of surgery.

 

On to the surgery itself, I took to the clinic photos of my original youthful hairline with me and the Dr said he was going to use those photos as a basis to copy my hairline for me.   Everything very efficient and timely, no wait time, I went right in, I was given two pills a valium and something else, they put an IV but I believe they removed it shortly afterwards because it was painful to me, and I honestly don’t remember anything else, not shaving the strip, not the shots, I only recall eating a few crackers while they were placing the grafts but i never even watched the video screen.   I went in at 10:30 and was out by 5:30 or so, bandaged and walked 20 blocks home.   No pain at all that night.   The next day I had bandages removed and they said everything looked good.

 

This is only day 3, I still notice lot of redness although I do have redness in my skin tone.  I was concerned that the very front doesn’t have enough grafts, he said there were 1700 in total, but only around 1 cm or so in the front, a lot concentrated in the temples, especially one temple area.   When I see in some lights I see my scalp, although I do feel the grafts in that area so maybe as they grow will fill everything in.   I have asked the Dr a couple times but he says further back I didn’t need it and he didn’t want to destroy natural hair follicles. I haven’t really taken pain meds, once extra strength tylenol and last night one vicodin, but the scar area does hurt at night only not during the day, because I have to sleep on my back not to touch the grafts.

 

Every day twice/day I go in for a shampoo/massage to the clinic, at an extra cost, but I may try to do the washings myself this weekend, I have already invested so much into this I don’t want to do anything to ruin it.

 

I haven’t had any swelling as yet, I have been taking arnica, and have tried to icepack my forehead often.   Here are photos, will keep posted as progress.

[Melvin- Admin]

This is absolutely normal, feel free to send me a private message if you have further questions.

[Rolo]

How do i send a private message?

[Rolo]

This is 2 week and looks a little sparse in center front but I do feel stubs when I touch that area, hopefully grows in full .........I was concerned they told me they only put 256 singles, 1076 doubles and 496 triples, but not only the front but both temple areas, most I think to the temple areas.  The Dr said he put in mostly singles in the front so would look more natural?   I am afraid might not be as dense as I had hoped for, but I can only hold out and wait.........

[x.moonprincess.xo]

On 3/16/2022 at 1:19 PM, Rolo said:

This is 2 week and looks a little sparse in center front but I do feel stubs when I touch that area, hopefully grows in full .........I was concerned they told me they only put 256 singles, 1076 doubles and 496 triples, but not only the front but both temple areas, most I think to the temple areas.  The Dr said he put in mostly singles in the front so would look more natural?   I am afraid might not be as dense as I had hoped for, but I can only hold out and wait.........

I think it looks good so far! 😄

[Rolo]

Thanks but i guess i wont know for at least another 6 months or so!   I still think he put too few grafts in front

[Melvin- Admin]

Update?

[Rolo]

I don't have much to report, this is the 3 month mark but I don't see growth yet.  What I do have are some ingrown hair follicles, so there are like pimple type sores; the dr office has said to take alcohol swabs and rub them even til they bleed, which I have done, now they have formed crusts, so am hoping they heal well.  I am hoping by next month that there will be some sign of hair growth; my fear was that after all this that the recipient hairs would just stay dormant and not grow at all........

[Britanium]

Most people will see the growth begin around month 4, that’s the most usual timeline.. Please do update us with some pics 🙏👍🏽

[Rolo]

This is exactly now 12 weeks.  There is really no change yet.   

I am curious how is Washingtondc, I haven't seen any reports yet, and would be curious as is same doctor.

[Melvin- Admin]

Does look like it’s slightly improving. 

[Al - Moderator]

8 hours ago, Rolo said:

What I do have are some ingrown hair follicles, so there are like pimple type sores

This is common at the time frame you are at.

[Keith]

On 5/25/2022 at 11:18 PM, Melvin- Moderator said:

Does look like it’s slightly improving. 

Do they have to cut her hair ?

[Rolo]

They cut a horizontal strip in the back that wasn't noticeable afterwards.   It is definitely showing an improvement now at the 3-1/2 month mark.  Will try to send photos later.  

[Rolo]

Here are photos, I am 3-1/2 months, on July 1 will be 4 months.  The temple areas have grown in quite a bit, the front is better than before but it is still sparse, I am hoping it fills in thicker.

[Al - Moderator]

12 hours ago, Rolo said:

Here are photos, I am 3-1/2 months, on July 1 will be 4 months.  The temple areas have grown in quite a bit, the front is better than before but it is still sparse, I am hoping it fills in thicker.

 

Yeah it will definitely fill in more if you are not even at 4 months yet. You are just at the point where it really starts coming in. The next few months you should see a lot of improvement.

 

[TommyLucchese]

Everything looks normal so far. Don't forget that you have very long thick hair around it which makes the transplant look even worse than it normally does at this stage.

This is just the beginning. I have always worn my hair long and it took me until 2 years post op until the transplant was chin length and could match the rest of my hair. 

You have a long road ahead, it's hard but the best advice is to forget about it as much as possible. 

[Rolo]

I have not used any minoxidil, I only take low dose finasteride 2.5, daily, hoping to stop that maybe end of the year..........

[New_Barnet_Please]

2.5mg daily? The usual dose for male hairloss is 1mg daily. And as far as I'm aware Propecia/finasteride medication states it should not be used by women?

Edited June 24, 2022 by New_Barnet_Please

[Rolo]

Well, I read normal dosage is 2.5/day, and is ok to use in women with some restrictions like everything I suppose.

[New_Barnet_Please]

Did you consult with a doctor and get the medication from them? 
Where did you read that? Propecia pills contain 1mg of finasteride and that’s the dose that’s taken daily for hair loss. I’m raising this out of concern for your health only..

[Melvin- Admin]

On 6/21/2022 at 3:02 PM, Rolo said:

Here are photos, I am 3-1/2 months, on July 1 will be 4 months.  The temple areas have grown in quite a bit, the front is better than before but it is still sparse, I am hoping it fills in thicker.

This is just the tip of the iceberg in terms of growth.

[Rolo]

46 minutes ago, New_Barnet_Please said:

Did you consult with a doctor and get the medication from them? 
Where did you read that? Propecia pills contain 1mg of finasteride and that’s the dose that’s taken daily for hair loss. I’m raising this out of concern for your health only..

 

[Rolo]

Thanks so much!  A dr had prescribed the 2.5 a couple years back but i never used it.  I get it where i live without prescription, it comes in 5mg but i cut it in half.  Regardless i have sent a message to Wesley nurse asking about the dosage.  I am sure they also told me this dosage but i am double checking!  Thanks again.  Will post when i hear something.