Dr. Hasson 4,000 FUE Grafts Aug 2023

[Savemyhairline]

I’m pretty fresh out of the procedure so more pictures to come when there is less antibiotic ointment and blood, but wanted to start documenting my journey while fresh in my head. This forum has been a huge help to me and my hair loss journey, so I figured the least I could do would be to post my review.

Why I chose Dr. Hasson

There were several great Doctors that I was seriously considering, I was willing to travel virtually anywhere in the world. I am from Pennsylvania, so H&W was certainly a commute for me. There are several reasons I ultimately decided on Dr. Hasson. Nothing is guaranteed within the hair restoration game, but to me, Dr. Hasson seemed to be about as close as you can get to guaranteeing a good result, and stands by his work if an issue does arise. I like his hairline designs; he is a fan on the widows peak as many of you are aware. I have had a widows peak for as long as I can remember, potentially even before I started losing hair, so that incorporation made sense to me. He also has had several cases with guys like me who had diffuse thinning, and I loved the results he put out with them. It wouldn’t make much sense for me to all of a sudden have a straight across hairline when I didn’t have one in childhood, not to mention that would waste grafts. H&W is certainly not cheap, at all, but based on the very many results I’ve seen over the years, I believe most get what they pay for or more.

My Story

I’ll try to avoid writing an autobiography and get to the actual review/experience, but I think some context is helpful. I will be 28 years old in November. Looking back, I probably started having actual hair loss in my late teens with a receding hairline that I convinced my self “was always like that”. To be fair I did have a bit of a five-head as a kid but yes I was certainly in denial, until it was too obvious. By 25 it has gotten much more noticeable. Per another great doctor that I consulted with in person, I never actually had any hair follicles totally gone, just severely miniaturized, mainly in the frontal third. I got on finasteride and topical minoxidil at about 25 years old. I did see significant improvement, I wouldn’t call my self a hyper-responder at all, but perhaps above average response to the meds. My frontal third had been quite far gone by this point, so I could do what is essentially a combover and sort of hide it. But if there was wind, I was sweating, just wore a hat recently, etc, forget about it. 
 

 

 

DAY 1

They start at 7am. I get to the office, fill out the forms, they check my vitals etc. All of the staff was very nice and helpful. Shortly after, Dr. Hasson comes in. I really like him, we chatted a bit even about a topic unrelated to hair loss, I did not feel like he was trying to rush me through. He drew a hairline that I liked and ultimately went with. While I certainly did not win the MPB genetic lottery, he did comment how I do at least have very thick donor hair, even towards the bottom of the back of the head, where he said most guys with mbp thin out. We both agreed that while I do have mild thinning on my crown, it’s not really noticeable and the frontal third is really what is by far the most important. At this point I can live with my crown so long as the meds hold it for the foreseeable future. He believes I saved a lot of hair with finasteride in the back. My crown was never very bare but I did notice good improvement with the meds. He also commented on how the fact that my hair grows straightforward as opposed to a side or up etc will be good for him. We also both agreed that some temple work would really help frame my face as I have a very wide forehead, I was glad he suggested that. We did the first 2k grafts, along the hairline day 1 with a handful of breaks. The anesthesia needles did sting but it’s a very quick pain, they just do several at a time so it can seem like a lot but it certainly does not linger. It was quite a long day, starting at 7 am and I think I left at around 9pm. Pain/discomfort afterwards was negligible with all of the drugs and everything they gave me.

End of day 1:

Day 2

They warned me straight away day 2 would be more difficult. That was the case from a pain standpoint towards the end of the day. I think I’m a pretty decently pain tolerant guy but I have to admit there were some times I was grunting quite loud. They were very accommodating with the local anesthesia when needed and again, for the most part the pain is quick and goes away once the anesthesia kicks in. Toward the last few hours my head felt like it was on fire and we needed to take a couple breaks, but all of the staff were very helpful and accommodating, I did not feel at any time they were trying to rush me out and gave me time I needed to recover/let meds kick in. This was also a pretty long day, same start time, I think I got out at 8pm.

 

End of Day 2:

 

This is all so fresh so I can get more pics when the ointment is out and everything etc but yeah, now I’m just chilling in the nice hotel they put me in and pretty comfortable after day 2, I must say. Another nice thing they did was since the hotel rate was higher than normal, they paid for 3 days instead of the standard 2, which I appreciated.

 

 

Some Notes

-Some people may believe the 4k graft number was high. I think it was appropriate. I did have pretty extensive thinning in my frontal third leading into my midscalp. Again, this area has always what I have been insecure about for like a decade + and it is the most important, when you talk to someone you are looking at their frontal third not their crown etc. I still have some grafts in the bank should my crown go, but my hair pre-op looked better than it did when I was 23-25 years old due to finasteride and possibly minoxidil ( I honestly think more fin because I started fin 1 month before Min and had a heavy shed before starting Min). So hopefully the meds work for many many years to come.

 

-Some people are probably gonna comment on the “rows” as that seems to come up in every H&W thread. I understand their reasoning, I knew this very well before having my procedure, and their results do not lie. I’d rather not discuss this in my thread as it seems to come up in every H&W thread and Doctor Wong had an insightful answer the other day in a thread. I’ve also seen De Freitas and Bisanga “called out” for rows and their results also don’t lie. Basically a TLDR is they allow for more grafts to be implanted close together. IMO actual density is better than the illusion of density. Obviously any HT is an illusion of density compared to the native hair, but this approach has shown to work quite well in other patients. I am happy with how my grafts were implanted. There are also some nicely done irregularities at the hairline (more pics to come when I’m cleaner) so I believe this will have a nice, natural looking frontal third.

 

-I believe over the course of the 2 day procedure, there was one other patient for Dr. Hasson. Some people have noted that he does not stay the full day, that was true for my case. This does not bother me, all i care about is the final result. The techs did the extractions, Dr. Hasson did the incisions, and then techs did the implanting. As long as the result looks good, that is all I care about. Hopefully that is the case as I update this is thread every so often.
 

Thank you!

[A_4_Archan]

@Savemyhairline

Very detailed explanation ...the work look pretty dense packed ...yeh 4k grafts is on a higher side but the area isn't that less and for that area if you want very good density than 4k grafts have to be used but imo its more of a age factor when i say a bit more grafts would have been saved for future as you are just in your late twenties plus you said the donor got thick hairs so a decent density could have been achieved with around 3.5k grafts or less though on the flip side its good to have a good high density in frontal areas as this is what will frame your face well and will totally change your look in a positive way.

The hairline work of dr hason is very good and you will have an excellent natural hairline....this is done and dusted kind of surgery for the frontal area because if everything goes well thn you will have a high density outcome and even if you loose some of your native hairs in that area in future ,you will be fine and will not need a top up in this area...

Best of luck ..Happy growing and keep updating brother....will be following your journey closely ....

[Savemyhairline]

2 minutes ago, A_4_Archan said:

@Savemyhairline

Very detailed explanation ...the work look pretty dense packed ...yeh 4k grafts is on a higher side but the area isn't that less and for that area if you want very good density than 4k grafts have to be used but imo its more of a age factor when i say a bit more grafts would have been saved for future as you are just in your late twenties plus you said the donor got thick hairs so a decent density could have been achieved with around 3.5k grafts or less though on the flip side its good to have a good high density in frontal areas as this is what will frame your face well and will totally change your look in a positive way.

The hairline work of dr hason is very good and you will have an excellent natural hairline....this is done and dusted kind of surgery for the frontal area because if everything goes well thn you will have a high density outcome and even if you loose some of your native hairs in that area in future ,you will be fine and will not need a top up in this area...

Best of luck ..Happy growing and keep updating brother....will be following your journey closely ....

Thanks man. Yes I am on the younger side when it comes to MBP. I did specifically ask Dr. Hasson if he thinks I’ll be able to maintain a full, or at least mostly full head of hair my entire life. He seems confident I will. My maternal grandpa always kept his frontal third and lost the crown pretty late in life. I never considered him bald as that (relatively thick for his age when he was alive) frontal third framed his face. He also had white hair which of course helps with the appearance of density. I took after my paternal grandfather who lost the frontal third and midscalp, but I think he kept the crown or at least it didn’t dip as low. While I love both of them, I think my maternal grandpa always had an appearance of a more full head of hair. And who knows, maybe in 30 years we’ll have better solutions to MPB. If we don’t and I have the solid frontal third, i think I’ll accept that at near 60 years old and beyond. My lateral humps seem quite strong as well, so if they hold and I lose the crown in when I’m older, I think I will be content. Mainly want to make it through my 30s-40s with a full looking head of hair

[Emiry]

Sheesh…4k for a small area. You’re going to be very happy with the density.

I would’ve gone for lower and straighter hairline with your level of loss but we all like different things. 

 

[Savemyhairline]

21 minutes ago, Emiry said:

Sheesh…4k for a small area. You’re going to be very happy with the density.

I would’ve gone for lower and straighter hairline with your level of loss but we all like different things. 

 

Understandable. Like I said I’ve always had a tall forehead even as a child:

 

so it would have been obvious to everyone I ever knew if I got a lower and straighter hairline. Thankfully I have a pretty tall lower third and when you compare the facial thirds with my new hairline (lower/middle/upper) they are pretty even, lower third and hairline maybe a touch higher each but on men that’s how it’s supposed to be. Women are supposed to be exact even facial thirds. I did ask about potentially lowering the hairline out of curiosity and he said that would cost like 3000 grafts. Considering how young I started losing hair, I didn’t want to risk being overly aggressive either. I know hairloss isn’t exactly linear, ie a 30 year old could have perfect hair and then on his 31st birthday it rapidly declines. Or someone who was like a NW3ish quite young (ie Paul Newman) maintains it until late in life. With my case I just didn’t know what the future held and at 25 there was a lot of noticeable thinning so I didn’t want to risk using up extra grafts I may need in the future.

Edited August 25, 2023 by Savemyhairline

[Hairwolf]

3 hours ago, Savemyhairline said:

Understandable. Like I said I’ve always had a tall forehead even as a child:

 

so it would have been obvious to everyone I ever knew if I got a lower and straighter hairline. Thankfully I have a pretty tall lower third and when you compare the facial thirds with my new hairline (lower/middle/upper) they are pretty even, lower third and hairline maybe a touch higher each but on men that’s how it’s supposed to be. Women are supposed to be exact even facial thirds. I did ask about potentially lowering the hairline out of curiosity and he said that would cost like 3000 grafts. Considering how young I started losing hair, I didn’t want to risk being overly aggressive either. I know hairloss isn’t exactly linear, ie a 30 year old could have perfect hair and then on his 31st birthday it rapidly declines. Or someone who was like a NW3ish quite young (ie Paul Newman) maintains it until late in life. With my case I just didn’t know what the future held and at 25 there was a lot of noticeable thinning so I didn’t want to risk using up extra grafts I may need in the future.

 

[Hairwolf]

4k is certainly densely packed. Would have preferred a more conservative approach IMO. Also not the hugest fan of the V shaped hairline TBH and would expect more doctor involvement for the price. Nevertheless hope you get the result you are looking for. 

[O Hare 57]

Going in with Dr. Wong on Monday.  Good luck.  How long did procedure take.  Was FUE painful.  Even if it turns out great, Ill wager youll be back for another surgery at some point.

Now for the long wait..................

[Savemyhairline]

3 hours ago, streethawk said:

4k is certainly densely packed. Would have preferred a more conservative approach IMO. Also not the hugest fan of the V shaped hairline TBH and would expect more doctor involvement for the price. Nevertheless hope you get the result you are looking for. 

Fair enough. This was about as high as I want my hairline, but also as low as I do at this point, if that makes sense. More doctor involvement would be nice, though their team is highly capable and again, my whole thing is I just want that thick dense result. If you have the right facial shape I thing the v shaped hairline looks good, you have to have a pretty masculine face to pull it off.

[Savemyhairline]

2 hours ago, O Hare 57 said:

Going in with Dr. Wong on Monday.  Good luck.  How long did procedure take.  Was FUE painful.  Even if it turns out great, Ill wager youll be back for another surgery at some point.

Now for the long wait..................

I’m fine if I have to get another surgery at some point, hopefully in many many years. I would wager my frontal third is gonna be good to go forever; if I get another procedure it may be crown or midscalp work. If meds hold them for 20-30 years with minimal change, i think I’ll be happy with them. 2 full days, afterwards not painful, just during anesthesia and towards the end of the procedure.

 

I think this hairline suits my facial shape, though we will see after the full result comes in. My whole thing was thickness, a guy with a high hairline that is thick looks better than a guy with a lower hairline that is thinning. If down the road I decide I want to spend some grafts and lower it we shall see, but again based on facial thirds, it might be worth just keeping it.

Edited August 25, 2023 by Savemyhairline

[Hairwolf]

37 minutes ago, Savemyhairline said:

Fair enough. This was about as high as I want my hairline, but also as low as I do at this point, if that makes sense. More doctor involvement would be nice, though their team is highly capable and again, my whole thing is I just want that thick dense result. If you have the right facial shape I thing the v shaped hairline looks good, you have to have a pretty masculine face to pull it off.

Yeah I guess I haven’t seen enough of Hasson’s hairlines to make a complete analysis but they’ve been around a long time…anyway will be watching this one. Happy growing 

[Savemyhairline]

Couple cleaner pics:

 

 

my forehead is very swollen, as happens with most people. Kind of look like an alien at the moment lol.

[Savemyhairline]

I had some pretty crazy facial swelling Saturday (2nd day after procedure)

 

The swelling is coming down but still present today, Monday (4th day after procedure). 

 

 

Sleeping has been interesting. H&W instructions say to sleep on your back/elevated for at least 3 nights, which I did. First night I slept decently, second night I slept poorly, third night I basically pulled an all-nighter due to my flights back home but perhaps that worked out well because with the discomfort idk If I would have slept much anyway. I was like a ninja making sure nothing bumped into or touched my head. I really am not comfortable sleeping on my back in general, last night and yesterday nap I tried this technique with the U pillow where I’m on my side/elevated by still using the pillow:

 

im 99.9% sure nothing has touched the recipient area and it has allowed me to get some sleep, but idk some people may believe this is risky. I may try to suck it up and go back to my back just to be as safe as possible but idk man, other than potentially hurting my neck this seems like a better way to sleep comfortably if you are a side sleeper. I was also having some pretty bad burning and itching in the donor last night. Took two ibuprofen before bed and that seemed to work okay. Today seems to feel better.

 

Day 4 after procedure

As far as the hair in the recipient area, not a ton of change yet. I think the scabs are starting to form but not yet like those big crusty flakes you typically see, I’m assuming those are soon to come:

Edited August 28, 2023 by Savemyhairline

[ng528]

GL bud - I had my procedure with Hasson as well about 3 weeks back. Shed is happening, but I'm still happy I did it. Happy growing!

Edited August 30, 2023 by ng528

[Savemyhairline]

Day 6 Post Op

 

I’ll start updating this thread less frequently as to not spam, but scabs are starting to come off from light pressure shower and finger pad medium pressure (probably more like light pressure cuz I’m paranoid). Honestly I think the hairline looks quite good. It’s not the lowest ever like many request when they get their procedure, however I really care more about density. The widows peak does give the illusion that the hairline is higher than it really is on most people, but as I’ve said I’ve always had a widows peak. I guess if it really bothers some you can have it laser removed, but I kinda dig it in a way. I have a feeling that my new frontal third density is going to make my midscalp/crown look even less by comparison when grown out/recovery is complete, but hey I’ll take it! One thing I’m actually somewhat excited about is, since my donor hair was quite thick, it would make the top look even thinner by comparison when both were grown out. Maybe now that 4k grafts are gone from the donor, it’ll “even the playing field” a bit, but we shall see.

 

[Savemyhairline]

Day 11

 

Think I got most of the scabs out yesterday, redness is coming down. So far quite happy I must say. Emotionally I think I’m ready for the shed phase, I’ve been a hat wearer for so many years now, what’s another 6 months. Video calls/meetings at work where I can’t wear a hat will be interesting since now they’ve all seen me with a hairline when buzzed, if anyone has any decent tips for concealing that let me know, otherwise I’ll just say oh well, they are gonna see my hairline shape-shift and can use their imagination.

[Melvin- Admin]

Thanks for sharing, I like the widows peak, did you have a widows peak before?

[Savemyhairline]

4 hours ago, Melvin- Moderator said:

Thanks for sharing, I like the widows peak, did you have a widows peak before?

Yep. I always had longer hair as a kid so hard to tell exactly when I developed the widows peak (not sure if it’s when my hairline receded or it was always like that) but I’ve had it my entire adult life at the minimum. I even have one on my nape at the back lol

[Savemyhairline]

One Month

 

 

By week 3 I hadn’t noticed much shedding, so I started thinking “hmm maybe I will be one of the 5% that doesn’t shed” and then right on cue, BOOM heavy shedding. I believe at this point it’s mostly just my native hairs. This morning I did notice what looked like dark stubble around various places in the frontal third, possibly transplanted hair starting to grow already? not entirely sure.

 

I have to say, I’ve asked the team at H&W a ton of questions, mostly just to alleviate anxiety, and they’ve been very responsive and helpful. For how much money I spent I would expect this, but still have to give credit where it’s due, my questions are always responded to very quickly and thoroughly. I’m an anxious person in general and as most of you know, this is a significant life event doing this procedure, so I’ve been trying to manage my anxiety and trust the process.

[Savemyhairline]

2 Months

 

hoping the fun is about to start. I do see a handful of little 1-2mm hairs, not entirely sure if these are transplanted hairs starting to come in or not. Hopefully something more exciting to report next month.

[Savemyhairline]

2.5 Months/11 weeks

 

I was going to wait until 3 months to post an update but I do believe I have started to see some growth in the last couple weeks. Of course my hair has also just gotten slightly longer but I do see some stubble poking through, the recipient area appears overall darker. Being that I work remotely, I feel it’s now a lot easier to look somewhat presentable on camera during meetings, especially if I dim the light. As a diffuse thinner it can be a bit hard to determine what is actually new growth vs what is just my native hair getting longer but I think we’re going in the right direction. Still have a long way to go of course, but glad the ugly duckling phase seems to be coming to an end.

 

[Coffee_bean]

Coming in strong it looks. Congrats bro

[Savemyhairline]

Just now, Coffee_bean said:

Coming in strong it looks. Congrats bro

Thanks man. Definitely been an emotional roller coaster so far, hoping the rollercoaster only goes up from this point on lol.

[Coffee_bean]

At about 1.5 months rn.. I get it bro haha. Haven’t felt this insecure since military bootcamp 

[Savemyhairline]

1 hour ago, Coffee_bean said:

At about 1.5 months rn.. I get it bro haha. Haven’t felt this insecure since military bootcamp 

Try your best to focus on other stuff for the next month or two, easier said than done I know. I even visited this forum a bit less frequently just to try and get my mind off of it in the last month or so. Thanks for your service.