Dr. Hasson of Hasson and Wong - FUE - 5K grafts - Aug 2023

[ng528]

First time poster, long time lurker. I just wanted to provide my experience with H&W and provide progress results.

I know some comments are going to be about the amount of grafts, yes it's a lot, I'm not worried about it based on what I can see right now.

 

Consult & Up until Day 1

I sent in my photos mid July and checked the box that said I'd be willing to come in within 4 weeks. I didn't expect to hear back about an opening right away, so I didn't get my hopes up. I just wanted to get an appointment on books as soon as possible because the wait is normally pretty long to get into Hasson. Doug, their rep called me the week after I submitted and said that Dr. Hasson reviewed my photos and felt that they could help accommodate my goals of bringing down my receding hairline. He also mentioned that there was a cancelation and they have a spot open for early August if I was interested. After I got the OK from work for my vacation request, I called Doug back and let him know that I was interested in the slot. The payment process was very weird - if you pay with Amex, you have to call them, but anything else can be done on their invoice web portal. Anyways, deposit was put down and I booked my flight. They provided accommodations at the Sheraton in Wall Center, which is a gorgeous hotel. If you are a Marriott Bonvoy member, ask if there are any available complementary upgrades. I did this and they bumped me up to a suite.

Day 1

Dr. Hasson came in and drew a couple of options for me. I ended up going with a lower hairline. Overall I loved how it was drawn. They proceeded to shave my head and give me a dose of valium and Zopiclone - after that, we were off to the races. The worst part about day 1 was the initial set of needles for the local anesthetic, it was downright painful, but after the anesthetic hit, you could feel nothing. They made it extremely clear that if I feel any pain they need to tell me right away so they and give me something to make me comfortable. It happened once or twice that day, but all in all, everything went well. One team of nurses did the extraction, they gave me lunch, and then Dr. Hasson came in to do his magic. He spent about 45 minutes making all of the incisions, which was comforting. After that was completed, another set of nurses, who were the "planters" came in. At this point, they started with the grafts. Dr. Hasson came in and checked on me once more after making the incisions. The evening nurses that did my "planting" were absolutely amazing. two of them had been with Dr. Hasson for over 20 years, which comforted me a ton. It was a very long day, we went from 7AM to 10PM. I was exhausted and bleeding a little more than normal. they bandaged me up and I headed back to the hotel. They have me a goodie bag full of stuff that would help me through the night, which I really was thankful for.

 

Day 2:

This was the same flow as Day 1, without the initial consult. When I got in, they gave me the local anesthetic and then just started. I was nervous because I had read on this forum from someone that they went to Hasson and it was a lot more painful on the second day. I did not experience that. Any time I felt anything, I let them know and they took case of it. This day was a bit shorter, we finished at about 7PM. This constituted of removal of donor hairs, Dr. Hasson coming in to do the incisions again, and then "planting". Once again, the nurses that were working with me were top notch. It was funny, Dr. Wong actually came into my room to comment on the density out of the blue when they were doing the implanting.

Day 3 (Today)

I woke up with little to no pain after the past couple of days. My donor area was a bit itchy, but that was to be expected. I went over to the office and one of the nurses gave me a hair wash. During the hair wash, she did notice that there was a little bit of an infection in the front portion that was done on Day 1, so she picked away at it carefully, used some alcohol, and then sent me on my way with some stronger meds to combat the infection. She said that this happens from time to time and it's nothing to be alarmed about.

 

 

Edited August 11, 2023 by ng528
Photos were not uploading

[Chrisno]

Judging from the density, this will be a fantatsic result!

[ng528]

8 minutes ago, Chrisno said:

Judging from the density, this will be a fantatsic result!

Thanks, I really hope so. This has been messing with my self confidence for a while. That entire staff really made a lasting impression on me, especially the planters who were with me for both nights. I was so nervous!

[A_4_Archan]

@ng528nice write up brother .. This is super dense packed and you will have a great outcome 

[Chrisno]

17 minutes ago, ng528 said:

Thanks, I really hope so. This has been messing with my self confidence for a while. That entire staff really made a lasting impression on me, especially the planters who were with me for both nights. I was so nervous!

I think the staff is great as well, I too had a wonderful experience end of June this year with Hasson. Approaching 7 weeks post op 2,500 grafts.

[ng528]

5 minutes ago, Chrisno said:

I think the staff is great as well, I too had a wonderful experience end of June this year with Hasson. Approaching 7 weeks post op 2,500 grafts.

Right? How's your progress coming? Do you have a thread? I'd love to follow

[Chrisno]

I haven't made one yet. If you have questions during your recovery, feel free to message me - or ask them in your thread and tag me, and I'll answer

[Rawkerboi]

That's some huge Grafts! Looks really dense and clean, wish you luck.

Do you have your Grafts Breakdown?

[CharlesBarkley]

You are right, 5000 grafts is a lot for that area. From what I have been checking these past years 3500 grafts would have been great but I mean, it´s your decision. 
I can guess you have a super donor area. Also, even Dr Hasson commented on the high density... so this will be epic for sure.

Does Dr Hasson decreases the prices after a certain number of grafts? 

Thanks for sharing, can not wait to see your evolution.

[ng528]

6 minutes ago, CharlesBarkley said:

You are right, 5000 grafts is a lot for that area. From what I have been checking these past years 3500 grafts would have been great but I mean, it´s your decision. 
I can guess you have a super donor area. Also, even Dr Hasson commented on the high density... so this will be epic for sure.

Does Dr Hasson decreases the prices after a certain number of grafts? 

Thanks for sharing, can not wait to see your evolution.

Yes, he does decrease the price after 2k or 2.5k grafts. Also yes on my donor area.

Also having Wong come in and commenting on the density really made me feel good. He wasn’t even my doctor and was passing by my room when he apparently saw something he wanted to get a closer look at, which was sorta cool.

i live in the Bay Area, so my choices were pretty much Deip or go somewhere else. I’m glad spent the extra money on the treatment + travel. The care that I got was next level service. 
 

I just wished that I pulled the trigger on this sooner.

I’m traveling home today, so they’re giving me a quick wash before I head to the airport. I’ll likely check in around day 5 next (tomorrow).

 

[JoeD]

Looks like great work, very impressive! Should look awesome in that area.
 

Did the doctor comment on how much reserves you have left in your donor for if/when the hair on back half of your head goes? That’s my only concern here with this much taken via FUE for the front half. 

[ng528]

6 hours ago, Rawkerboi said:

That's some huge Grafts! Looks really dense and clean, wish you luck.

Do you have your Grafts Breakdown?

@Rawkerboi - I think I saw 2584 triples, 2250 doubles, and 250 singles on the whiteboard in my room. Those numbers might be off considering how zoned out I was with the valium and the Zopiclone

[ng528]

2 hours ago, JoeD said:

Looks like great work, very impressive! Should look awesome in that area.
 

Did the doctor comment on how much reserves you have left in your donor for if/when the hair on back half of your head goes? That’s my only concern here with this much taken via FUE for the front half. 

I asked what happens if I needed a touch up - he said that it is highly unlikely that I would need one, but he felt that I still had more than enough to go through a second procedure if it ever came to be an issue.

[Youth_Again]

funny thing, when I went to see Hasson & Wong they were only willing to do 1500 grafts, and were trying to convince me to not get surgery.

Their amount of grafts is always really high, and I find their temple design very sharp. Hope you like your design and good recovery

[ng528]

Day 5

Scabbing really got underway yesterday and this is where I landed this evening. I'm a worrier - just looking for some feedback

 

 

[ng528]

Did the warm shower soak for about 10 minutes and then massaged my scalp as instructed - I was surprised how much scabbing came off during that soak/massage session when I got out. A couple scabs are hanging around, but the majority are gone and my scalp is finally free of the tightness.

[ng528]

11 Day Update

Redness is starting to die down a little, but still there. A little dryness on the scalp, but I called the office and they recommended that I just put a wet warm towel on it for about 5 minutes or so every day until it subsides. I'm really hoping that after my shedding and regrowth that I get back to this same hairline, I really love what Dr. Hasson did.

 

[TorontoMan]

What did the doctor say for what he estimates is left in your donor for future use?

[hairlossPA]

following

[ng528]

On 8/19/2023 at 5:53 PM, TorontoMan said:

What did the doctor say for what he estimates is left in your donor for future use?

He mentioned that I would have more than enough to do a touch up and fill my crown if that starts to thin.

I'm truly dreading the shed, but it will all be worth it in the end. 

[ng528]

Day 18

Shock loss is happening

I've started back up on Minoxidil oral 2.5 + Biotin + Vitamin D daily. 

Probably going to reach out to the clinic and see if it's OK for me to start using Ketoconazole shampoo a couple times a week now.

[ng528]

Here's a clearer picture of the pack from the second day

[HairFunk]

Keep the updates coming!

[Balding Bad]

This will be a fantastic journey to follow. Best of luck!

[Gatsby]

Thanks for sharing @ng528. I look forward to following your updates! 👍