Senior Member airporteffect Posted January 9, 2023 Senior Member Share Posted January 9, 2023 I just completed my first hair transplant procedure with Dr. Buchwach in Leawood, Kansas. The surgery went very smoothly and he and his staff were awesome. I was very hesitant given the lack of information online about his work but after speaking to a friend who got work done by him and a few additional prior patients I gave it a go. Doc was very thorough and I was his only patient today. We began the morning by drawing out the hairline and discussing graft count. Then he handed me off to his very experienced harvester who utilized SmartGraft. After that, the doctor made all of the placement holes himself and then his very experienced tech’s groomed and placed the grafts. Pre-op: Post-op: I will continue updating this thread with progress pics. Is there any standard protocol for update frequency? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Senior Member airporteffect Posted January 10, 2023 Author Senior Member Share Posted January 10, 2023 1 day post-op. What do y’all think about the density in the hairline? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Senior Member airporteffect Posted January 14, 2023 Author Senior Member Share Posted January 14, 2023 (edited) Day 5: The itching has subsided dramatically though I have also been taking Benadryl. Top: Donor: Here’s one that I took in my home gym with lighting that shows just how crispy it is: Edited January 14, 2023 by airporteffect Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Senior Member airporteffect Posted January 16, 2023 Author Senior Member Share Posted January 16, 2023 (edited) 1 week: I slowly started gently massaging the scabs off yesterday. There were definitely hairs in there but this is to be expected. I’m hoping the redness fades in the next 2 weeks. It’s pretty wild to see it from this angle and in this lighting: Edited January 17, 2023 by airporteffect Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Senior Member airporteffect Posted January 20, 2023 Author Senior Member Share Posted January 20, 2023 9 days. Scabs nearly all off. If this is any indication of what is to come in a year I’m not sure that I got the density I was hoping for. Quite a few blank patches. Still rad to see hair where there previously wasn’t any. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Senior Member shiba1985 Posted January 20, 2023 Senior Member Share Posted January 20, 2023 this is probably average to slightly above average density you can get from one hair transplant. if you are not happy with it, you have unrealistic expectations and need to do a bit more research on the forum. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Senior Member airporteffect Posted January 20, 2023 Author Senior Member Share Posted January 20, 2023 3 minutes ago, shiba1985 said: this is probably average to slightly above average density you can get from one hair transplant. if you are not happy with it, you have unrealistic expectations and need to do a bit more research on the forum. Totally fair. I think seeing top-tier results from clinics like FUEXPERT have definitely jaded my expectations. Additionally, a bunch of people over on Reddit said that the amount of grafts for the area covered was quite low. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Senior Member shiba1985 Posted January 20, 2023 Senior Member Share Posted January 20, 2023 (edited) 39 minutes ago, airporteffect said: Totally fair. I think seeing top-tier results from clinics like FUEXPERT have definitely jaded my expectations. Additionally, a bunch of people over on Reddit said that the amount of grafts for the area covered was quite low. it is not. I think your hair is strong and your result will be just as good as a FUEexpert patient. or close to it. A lot depends on how strong the patients donor area is. All of Cuotos patient (99%) have to be on finasteride and minoxidil. This leads to a very strong donor area. Your end result directly correlates with how strong the donor area is, and that is why those results are good. But even if you see one of his patient that posted a thread, yes he looks great but when you look at his mid scalp density, it is very low. Maybe 20 FU/ cm2 or even lower. Edited January 20, 2023 by shiba1985 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Senior Member shiba1985 Posted January 20, 2023 Senior Member Share Posted January 20, 2023 Patients go into hair surgery with the wrong thought process. An average reddittor is thinking how can I jam pack the most amount of grafts into an area. The way it should be thought about is how can I create a natural and good coverage with the least amount of grafts possible. Hair loss is not going to stop. you want to cover the most ground with the least possible that way you can enjoy a full head of hair for the rest of your life. 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Senior Member airporteffect Posted January 20, 2023 Author Senior Member Share Posted January 20, 2023 (edited) 2 minutes ago, shiba1985 said: it is not. I think your hair is strong and your result will be just as good as a FUEexpert patient. or close to it. A lot depends on how strong the patients donor area is. All of Cuotos patient (99%) have to be on finasteride and minoxidil. This leads to a very strong donor area. Your end result directly correlates with how strong the donor area is, and that is why those results are good. But even if you see one of his patient that posted a thread, yes he looks great but when you look at his mid scalp density, it is very low. Maybe 20 FU/ cm2 or even lower. I greatly appreciate the peace of mind. Also — yeah, he does seem to be more hairline focused. I’m on oral min and about to start topical fin (my hair has been stable for years). The doc said my donor area was just OK. Edited January 20, 2023 by airporteffect Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Senior Member airporteffect Posted January 20, 2023 Author Senior Member Share Posted January 20, 2023 11 days post-op. Got a buzz cut with doc’s permission. Lots of dry/dead skin and the redness is obviously still quite apparent. Another thing of interest is the difference between the temple work. I had 2 separate techs with varying levels of experience placing the grafts in the sites that the doctor made. It seems to be laying differently on each side. Also, one side seems to have taken a lot better (especially apparent in the peaks). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Senior Member airporteffect Posted January 21, 2023 Author Senior Member Share Posted January 21, 2023 What’re your thoughts on the density @Melvin- Moderator? I definitely had some shedding with the scabs but not sure how I feel overall. How common is it to have better density when it regrows vs right after removing scabs? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Senior Member airporteffect Posted January 22, 2023 Author Senior Member Share Posted January 22, 2023 Some examples of the general style I am hoping to achieve with this procedure barring the use of additional cosmetic products like fibers: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Senior Member HairEnthusiast101 Posted January 23, 2023 Senior Member Share Posted January 23, 2023 I have not heard of this doctor but I do live in Texas so he isn’t crazy far. I hope you have an incredible result. Be patient and don’t read too much into Reddit, etc 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Senior Member airporteffect Posted January 23, 2023 Author Senior Member Share Posted January 23, 2023 7 hours ago, JoDimaggio22 said: I have not heard of this doctor but I do live in Texas so he isn’t crazy far. I hope you have an incredible result. Be patient and don’t read too much into Reddit, etc He came highly recommended from a few friends, former patients I found on Reddit, and my GP. That being said — there are forum recommended docs in TX. As @Melvin- Moderatorsays, real documented patient experiences are the only only true evidence. That being said, Buchwach was recommended on here many years ago so I took a chance. I also hope it turns out well 🤙🏻. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Valued Contributor Steeeve Posted January 25, 2023 Valued Contributor Share Posted January 25, 2023 Tbh, this all looks really decent thus far. Your concerns about everything you’ve mentioned so far are valid; it’s impossible to tell how the density is going to turn out since, as you mentioned, some hair came out as the scabs off. It’s pretty common to see better density once you’ve reached full maturation. It happens pretty often, also, that one tech implants grafts in a different way than the other. Try not to get too caught up in that, though, as more often than not the grafts grow in fine and even if they are a little off no one is going to notice that except the person looking in the mirror. Unless they’re really sticking out in wild directions but you would have a pretty good idea of that now while they’re still getting ready to shed. I think if all hair grows in as it should then the density should be quite nice as what was transplanted into the mid scalp what spaced out enough since that area was somewhat diffuse. It looks as if the doctor implanted a little more tightly in the hairline to keep everything uniform once it all grows in. Keeping my fingers crossed for you. I’ll be following along. 🤞🏻🤞🏻 Happy Growing! 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Senior Member airporteffect Posted January 25, 2023 Author Senior Member Share Posted January 25, 2023 10 hours ago, Steeeve said: Tbh, this all looks really decent thus far. Your concerns about everything you’ve mentioned so far are valid; it’s impossible to tell how the density is going to turn out since, as you mentioned, some hair came out as the scabs off. It’s pretty common to see better density once you’ve reached full maturation. It happens pretty often, also, that one tech implants grafts in a different way than the other. Try not to get too caught up in that, though, as more often than not the grafts grow in fine and even if they are a little off no one is going to notice that except the person looking in the mirror. Unless they’re really sticking out in wild directions but you would have a pretty good idea of that now while they’re still getting ready to shed. I think if all hair grows in as it should then the density should be quite nice as what was transplanted into the mid scalp what spaced out enough since that area was somewhat diffuse. It looks as if the doctor implanted a little more tightly in the hairline to keep everything uniform once it all grows in. Keeping my fingers crossed for you. I’ll be following along. 🤞🏻🤞🏻 Happy Growing! For sure — I think I am just in "validation seeking mode" at this point and I just need to chill and let it play out. I brought these concerns up with my doc and he agreed but seemed rather annoyed. We'll continue documenting progress month-to-month and hope for the best. Thanks for the reply 🤙🏻. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Administrators Melvin- Admin Posted January 25, 2023 Administrators Share Posted January 25, 2023 On 1/21/2023 at 3:05 PM, airporteffect said: What’re your thoughts on the density @Melvin- Moderator? I definitely had some shedding with the scabs but not sure how I feel overall. How common is it to have better density when it regrows vs right after removing scabs? It’s hard to say so soon after surgery. You won’t know the density until it starts to grow. Watch this I’m a paid admin for Hair Transplant Network. I do not receive any compensation from any clinic. My comments are not medical advice. Check out my final hair transplant and topical dutasteride journey: View my thread Topical dutasteride journey Melvin- Managing Publisher and Forum Moderator for the Hair Transplant Network, the Coalition Hair Loss Learning Center, and the Hair Loss Q&A Blog. Follow our Social Media: Facebook, Instagram, Linkedin, and YouTube. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Senior Member airporteffect Posted January 25, 2023 Author Senior Member Share Posted January 25, 2023 2 minutes ago, Melvin- Moderator said: It’s hard to say so soon after surgery. You won’t know the density until it starts to grow. Watch this I definitely don’t want to undo anything. May just get a proper touch up but we will see how it plays out. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Senior Member airporteffect Posted January 31, 2023 Author Senior Member Share Posted January 31, 2023 (edited) Finally dug up the most recent photo of myself with hair (February 2020). I have been shaving my head for the last 3 years so I don’t have much of a baseline to measure results against. I’ve gotta be honest, I was thinning much more than I thought but based on my pre-op photos I believe that I had stabilized. I’m glad we transplanted through the frontal forelock now. I have been on oral minoxidil (2.5mg/day) for the last month and am starting finasteride (1mg/3 days a week) on Monday. Maybe the medical therapy coupled with the transplant will give me an impactful result. Also, I’m not sure what I was thinking with the beard length but it looks like it might be a nice emergency donor if need be 😅. Edited January 31, 2023 by airporteffect Grammar. Always. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Senior Member airporteffect Posted February 10, 2023 Author Senior Member Share Posted February 10, 2023 (edited) 1 month: Shedding has completed its course, redness is still very apparent, and I unfortunately seem to either have pimples or folliculitis littering my donor area (super annoying). Edited February 10, 2023 by airporteffect Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Senior Member airporteffect Posted February 10, 2023 Author Senior Member Share Posted February 10, 2023 On another note. I just started oral Finasteride 1mg/3x week today. I have been on oral Minoxidil 2.5mg/day for the last 2 months. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Senior Member Chances101 Posted February 10, 2023 Senior Member Share Posted February 10, 2023 2 minutes ago, airporteffect said: On another note. I just started oral Finasteride 1mg/3x week today. I have been on oral Minoxidil 2.5mg/day for the last 2 months. What day did you first notice shedding . Any shock loss? I notice around day 13 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Senior Member airporteffect Posted February 10, 2023 Author Senior Member Share Posted February 10, 2023 Just now, Chances101 said: What day did you first notice shedding . Any shock loss? I notice around day 13 2 weeks. No shock loss so far — just these annoying pimples or whatever they are. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Senior Member airporteffect Posted March 9, 2023 Author Senior Member Share Posted March 9, 2023 (edited) 2 month update: The good news is that my donor looks great. The bad news is that Ive been battling wicked folliculitis in the reception zone primarily along the hairline where it was packed more densely. Ive been on a topical and systemic antibiotic for the last 9 days which has helped but clearly come far from resolving it. I never got much acne during puberty so I guess this is my right of passage? Doctor B has been super responsive and proactive in helping me resolve this. He was actually out on vacation when I first called his nurse and he called me back with a treatment plan immediately. The antibiotics have helped but it's still pretty gnarly as y'all can see. My hat game has been strong in month 2 and will likely continue through month 3 😅! Edited March 9, 2023 by airporteffect Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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