11 months. 2100. Underwhelmed.

[aaron1234]

Here I am at 11 months post-op (2100 FU's) and feeling quite blas?© about the results thus far.

As you can see by the pictures, the hairline looks best when it is not seen at all. I'm fairly pleased with the shape and placement of the hairline, with the receded temples. It doesn't look pluggy (although some recipient incision marks are still slightly noticeable) but it lacks much density. Consequently, I am left with the comb-forward look and not much else.

The transplanted hair is still quite thinner than the rest and is growing out quite curly. I am currently using a straightener to address this issue. I still feel stubble. Will this hair eventually grow or is it in a permanently shocked state? At 11 months, can I expect much improvement from where it now stands?

I am fairly happy with my donor scar as it remains very thin and had little to no shock loss in the surrounding area. However, there remains a pink hue around the incision.

Currently, I'm still very dependent on concealers. I use a combination of dermmatch and toppik. I would very much like to lose reliance on them as they can often appear chalky.

The question is what to make of these below average results. My doctor has been helpful, by making phone calls to check up on my status and answering questions. However, he is semi-retiring, which is why I requested the pre-op photos you now see posted. It is clear I have made up a lot of ground since going on Finasteride. My doctor thought it best for me to get on the meds before rushing into surgery and that was definitely a wise decision. I have now been on Finasteride for over three years.

Or is it my physiology? My hair texture is quite thin and maybe just needs more grafts to accomplish more density. I am also a slow healer. I have had other scars on my body for years before they became undetectable. But I can't help but wonder whether if my yield is mediocre at best.

I have by no means been butchered and will not need a 'repair' job. However, I will need another procedure in the very near future and hope the final result will far exceed where I currently stand now.

Advice, comments, support welcome.

 

 

[hdude46]

If that was me, i would be VERY disappointed and somewhat angry to be honest. That does not look natural to me and the density is well below average to put it nicely Some type of refund or partial money back is what i would request. Its disapointing that some coalition docs are continuing to turn out the types of results.

 

At this point if I were you, I would contact someone like Hasson & Wong for a repair job, they might be able to move some of those graphs around as well as add some density via another surgery. They can develop a long term plan for you as far as graphs you have left and whatnot.

 

Good luck

[PLEASE GROW PLEASE]

Thats about what 2100 grafts will get you.

You certainly do not need a repair but another session by a doc that consistently produces nice results.

You know Shapiro medical ,Dr Feller etc

[aaron1234]

I have seen 2100 do much more for others. At any rate, you both are right. I just figured going to someone recommended on this site and seeing his patients in person would have given me a better chance for a successful result. Guess not.

[hdude46]

its all about using your limited number of graphs in the smartest way...i would contact hasson and wong or shapiro and see what they can do for you, it no good to dense pack 3000 plus graphs in the front third just to make thing look good right now. i would contact them asap for consultations and i would be willing to bet they could make you look ten times better.

[PLEASE GROW PLEASE]

You say you feel stubble so that a good sign .

Your hair is wet in the afters so its hard to tell but this is not a bad job .This doesnt seem like a bad job maybe bad judgement in terms of grafts planted.

Your hair will also thicken up much more then it is now.

I bet at month 14-16 with it blow dried it will look much better.

[TheEmperor]

aaron,

 

You have the same hair characteristics as me and that is (I think) par for the course with only 2100 grafts.

 

If you look closely at the hairs, you will probably see that most of them grew, just that fine hair does not provide much coverage. I am in a similar situation, that a comb-forward and across is the only look that works.

 

I received 4500 grafts over about twice as large an area. My crown is still bald, and I have what you have in the front and top.

 

I think the home run results posted by many people have thick hair.

 

People with fine hair may take 2-3x as many grafts to get the same density as people with even average hair.

 

You just need more grafts.

[the B spot]

Hi aaron, I would say that from your pics you probably have achieved most of what 2100 grafts had to offer, in addition to possibly losing some existing native hair in the transplanted region.

 

The overall shape of the hairline looks appropriate, albeit less dense than you had hoped/expected/were led to believe.

 

I want to point out some positives: ---Your hair looks good grown out, you still have quite a bit of native hair and you seem to be responding well to propecia.

 

At this point in time, you should likely wait until the 14-15 month mark like PGP stated to get a true read on your results---generally speaking you may be a slow grower, but everything that will eventually show up will have broken the skin by 10 months---- so give it a little more time to mature.

 

I want to encourage you and let you know that your situation is not terrible---I know you feel misled and are unhappy with your results, but I want to focus on what can be done to help you out going forward.

 

In your situation a minimum # of grafts can be used to add density in the hairline---I would not touch the crown again for a bit.

 

I would encourage you to share your doctor with Pat and Bill so they can help you as well.

 

Take Care,

Jason

[lost my swagger]

Originally posted by aaron1234:

I have seen 2100 do much more for others. At any rate, you both are right. I just figured going to someone recommended on this site and seeing his patients in person would have given me a better chance for a successful result. Guess not.

 

.......

 

so now, unfortunately, the best advice we can offer this guy is "keep going"... pay more money, but THIS TIME go to H & W cause then he will for sure be happy right??

 

i feel for you and your situation aaron, i hate seeing quotes like yours above.. and i hate that i dont know what to tell you, as im in a similar boat...

 

please keep us posted. id really like to know what you decide and i hope it works out for you. dont rush yourself man. BTW, the meds have done GREAT for you.

[PLEASE GROW PLEASE]

LMS Whats your advice then? Stay unhappy .

 

His ONLY choice is to get back in the chair if he is not happy.

 

This isnt counseling.com my man . People come here for advice .

He has two choices . He either stays unhappy like you or does something about it like me and a ton of others that were not happy.

 

Now if he was a 21 year old nw4 virgin patient then your advice /scare tactics would be called for.

 

Ive come to like you whether you care or not but your negativity is getting old.

 

Your right about one thing a top clinic will hook him up

[aaron1234]

Thanks all for you advice & encouragement.

 

A few things to respond to:

 

As PGP said:

'You say you feel stubble so that a good sign.

??¦but this is not a bad job.'

 

That's correct. I have been feeling invisible stubble since the growth began. It's just hard to assess whether it is growing or not. And if it is, it's growing at a glacial rate while other's have grown in at a faster pace.

 

The Emperor said:

'People with fine hair may take 2-3x as many grafts to get the same density as people with even average hair. You just need more grafts.'

 

If I have experienced a good yield than you must be right. But I am still wondering if I have actually achieved good growth. Under some bright or fluorescent lights with my hair spiked up, it barely looks like I have anything there at all.

 

The B spot said:

'At this point in time, you should likely wait until the 14-15 month mark like PGP stated to get a true read on your results.'

 

'I want to encourage you and let you know that your situation is not terrible.'

 

14-15 months is what I am holding onto right now. So hopefully there's a bit more to come. You are right. This is not a terrible job or a hack job. So I can't say if it's the doctor's fault or my own physiology. I know it's not hopeless.

 

LMS said:

'so now, unfortunately, the best advice we can offer this guy is "keep going"... pay more money'

 

Pretty much. I just hope the money I spend in the future will lead to better results.

[aaron1234]

The thing that scares me most is how successful Finasteride has been for me. What if it begins to lose its effectiveness? My before-meds pics look well on the way to NW6-7 territory. That's what makes me nervous.

[PLEASE GROW PLEASE]

Now thats something we all worry about .

Im all for virgin patients to just shave their heads but since youve already started theres really no turning back.

Ive kept the same dht level using 1mg mon wed fri as I did 1.25mg everday in hopes that my body will never get use to it.

Basically keep your fingers crossed .

I know it sounds lame but its the only thing we can do.

You want your front half of the transplant to look as natural as possible in case you dont have enough donor to eventually cover the back.

With fue after strip I believe a nice % of guys can cover the entire scalp with a thinner coverage on the crown.

[lost my swagger]

PGP-- what im saying is it just sucks that for guys like aaron1234, or judge holden, or myself, and the many others who exist on this site, and away from it.. we are in a situation where we are FORCED to continue... just like you were at one point..SMG saved you right??. maybe seeing what they were able to do for you might help aaron1234, judge, and myself with our decision.. do you have a link to your pics by chance?

 

i dont know what advice to give him, i said that... but i wish he had more options then he does. and it blows that he does not...

 

but above all i wish i could do something that could keep others from ending up like judge holden, and aaron, i bet they BOTH hoped for much more, i bet they BOTH went into this HT world thinking they would have much more, and i dont believe its completly their faults for expecting such.......

 

maybe thats why i dont cheerlead for HTs, and thow praise left and right.

[lost my swagger]

Now if he was a 21 year old nw4 virgin patient then your advice /scare tactics would be called for.

 

PGP-- thanks man, i agree with you.. do you think theres a chance that a 21 yearold virgin patient NW4 might read this thread?? i do....

[aaron1234]

LMS,

 

No worries man. I appreciate your concern. I guess I should have settled for the shaved head look and then I could have saved myself all this trouble and dough. I just got tired of that look. But like PGP said, I'm in and there's no turning back now. I'm going to have to start stashing away cash like no one's business now. And currently being a grad student, there's not much to stash.

[PLEASE GROW PLEASE]

but above all i wish i could do something that could keep others from ending up like judge holden, and aaron, i bet they BOTH hoped for much more, i bet they BOTH went into this HT world thinking they would have much more, and i dont believe its completly their faults for expecting such.......

 

That would be cool if this guy was a patient that had never had work done before.

If it had been I would have said nothing to you mi amigo.

Problem is he is forced to go on with surgery.

So yes the best advice IS to keep going .

At least give him some advice instead ofbringing him down even more.

Your right I really do need to put up pics. Maybe it will help to see how Nuhart butchered me and SMG saved me

[lost my swagger]

So yes the best advice IS to keep going .

At least give him some advice instead ofbringing him down even more.

 

your probably right man..

 

aaron, im probably thinking to much about others reading my posts then i am thinking about what effect they might have on you... i can be a real douchbag sometimes. i apologize.

[PLEASE GROW PLEASE]

Your not a douchbag LMS . I think your a decent guy

Im with you on young guys waiting and shaving and even nw7 calling it a day and staying bald but when someone has already had work done and they are not happy we should at least try to lead them to the best clinics out there.

Does that mean that they will be over the moon, no but they have a much better chance then to pick another crappy clinic.

Not that the clinic that did his work is crappy but they underestimated what 2100 would do for this guy .

[the B spot]

Yeah, I think it is tragic when people like Aaron do not fully understand what getting HT #1 signs you up for........more hair transplants.

 

There is nothing wrong with getting a HT---but there is something wrong when a clinic misrepresents coverage or fails to acknowledge the warning signs of patients who have unrealistic expectations.

 

I have guys get really upset at me for telling them they are not candidates. Then they go find a clinic willing to take the cash.

 

Hair transplants is a HUGE commitment both financially, time wise and emotionally.

 

This is why younger guys are generally not good candidates because it is just so difficult to understand the lifelong commitment in your 20's

 

Anyway, all good points--tough to deal with this situation other than to add density to the front and hold out for propecia to continue to work.

 

Take Care,

Jason

[aaron1234]

I knew full well that I would likely need more transplants in the future. However, I didn't know that I would have to go over the same transplanted region all over again just to get any kind of density.

 

How many more grafts would my frontal region need to achieve a good amount of density. Another 2000?

 

Again, I don't think I was butchered. I just expected more density than this. And I had fairly reasonable expectations. I knew not to expect a juvenile hairline or adolescent thickness. But this is just too thin for all that dough.

[skunky]

Hi Aaron,

 

I know how it feels when you get a below density level than what has been promised and where you have set your hopes on!

Although I'm not (yet) balding I inherited a high forehead where the hairline was too high to match the other 2 thirds of my face, also wasn't born with temple points so I had my first ht when I was about 20 since there weren't any other options for me at which I could settle down with.

I went to a clinic which at that time was a very well respected clinic here in Belgium and Europe ; expensive as hell for sure but I got mislead because of all the famous people getting ht's there so I stepped into the same boat; I was consulted by a guy who told me 1200 grafts would do the trick for me and I would get a real dense hairline, he wouldn't touch the temple points (at that time they didn't know how to do it or thought it was not beneficial to the hairline) , they didn't analyze my hair; so I didn't know what my density level was, how thick my hair was ,etc, it was just a gamble they made and so at the day of surgery I met an other consultant who really drew a totally different hairline than the one I was drawn at my first consult, but this guy told me this was the best one; I had my surgery with the doctor who I saw just for lasering holes in my scalp and stitching together my skin.

A year after surgery I got an unnatural hairline with only 20 grafts /square cm ; I got to know this because I had my consult for a second ht in summer of 2009; this doc analyzed my hair; he told me about my hairline of only 20 grafts, how unnatural my hairline looked, how thick my hairs are in general and how dense my hair really is: which is around 80-90 follicle units/square cm.

so 20 compared to 80 can never result in a natural hairline.

I think the only way you can really make sure to tell you how many grafts you need, is to have your hair analyzed; thickness and density all over your scalp and get it calculated for you; there's no way someone can predict without really measuring anything.

My doc just measured every square cm of the area which has to receive grafts and is also going to do the temple points and I have another 3000 grafts to get stuck in my head to get a density level of 65-75 . I have thick hair so this is an advantage but I have dark, black hair which needs more grafts to get a natural result compared to blond hair.

So in the end I should end up with 4200 grafts just to get my hairline and temple points.

But you should have your density checked and measured; if you would have 65 fu's in average on top of your head, it would be silly to get a hairline of 80 fu's or only 30 .

I'm not familiar with US docs but in Europe not every clinic is doing their maths prior to surgery; which in my opionion is the first thing they should be doing!

 

It's not looking bad at all but it will probably need another go; I feel for you; I've been there myself.

[hairthere]

hey aaron, sorry to hear about your situation. i do think your hair looks great with the concealer and improves your overall look compared to your pre-op pics. i know it sucks, but just hang in there; i think a second pass can help you get off the concealer for sure. best of luck.

[Ron J]

Aaron,

 

I'm truly sorry your left less than satisfied after undergoing the entire ht process. Something I would wish upon no one. The good news is, it does not look unnatural to me & is not pluggy. Thin____? Yes. But, tbh 1,900 -- you said you had a couple hundred in the crown -- is NOT enough to create an adequate illusion of density in the hairline/frontal third; *especially* if you have fine donor hair. Based off of some of your comments, I'm assuming $ was an issue. Is this correct? Did the dr. initally propose more grafts, yet money was a mitigating factor? Any good dr. is going to front load grafts (i.e. allocate significantly more to the hairline/frontal third) than the rest of your head. This means that just because your headed to a NW6 does not mean that the dr. leaves an equal amount of grafts to be distributed per sq cm to the rest of the head. I'm saying this wondering what the understanding was between you & your dr. pre-op? Did you do much research to know that 1,900 grafts is not typically enough to create an adequate illusion of density in your frontal third, or what were your expectations from this surgery?

 

 

PS---

Fin Results- am I the only one that is absolutely BLOWN away by his before/after shots? It appears you have virtually ZERO native hair on the top of your scalp in the befores, is this correct or am I not seeing things how they truly are here?

[Ron J]

Originally posted by lost my swagger:

... we are in a situation where we are FORCED to continue... but above all i wish i could do something that could keep others from ending up like judge holden, and aaron, i bet they BOTH hoped for much more, i bet they BOTH went into this HT world thinking they would have much more, and i dont believe its completly their faults for expecting such.......

 

maybe thats why i dont cheerlead for HTs, and thow praise left and right.

 

LMS,

 

I'd like to be able to engage in *genuine* dialogue w/you, without it becoming emotional/nasty. Can we do that?

 

You don't remedy an uneducated person (or one w/unrealistic expectations) by feeding them another poor education on the other end of the pendelum; & this is precisely where I feel you depart from any objective, rational, perspective. Aaron paid for ~1,900 grafts into his hair line, and he got what he paid for. Everyone here is an adult, & as such has to take individual responsibility/accountability for their actions. Playing a victim/being fooled, doesn't bode well w/being a rational agent IMO. There are plenty of leeches in the ht world trying to feed off of people's desperation (it doesn't take a genious to figure this out) but this forum is not a place filled w/those leeches. If someone is fooled into thinking their going to get their original density back, never require additional surgery, etc than I'm sorry, but it's their own fualt for not using some common sense & doing more research. I'm NOT saying that reff. to Aaron, as he does NOT take this tone at all; but in response to your general attitude towards ht's. This doesn't mean however, that people can't get a result their TRULY pleased with, and most who go to excellent surgeons are.

 

A Few Axiomatic Truths Re/HT's:

 

-$ should NEVER be a mitigating factor. If you don't have the dough to get what's required, than you should NOT get a ht.

 

-ANYONE getting a ht must know that additional surgery is a very real possibility.

 

-ht's will NEVER give you original density back, a mathematic impossibility.

 

LMS, you yourself COULD remedy your situation & go to an elite dr as many others have done in your situation. You act as though NOONE has good options. But, this simply is not true. I'm just curious, is $ what's holding you back? And out of frustration you vent about ht's?