1500 graft hairline with Dr Laorwong

[hairman4321]

After reading (and seeing) all the positive reviews of Dr Laorwong, I pulled the trigger. Thank you a lot for your reviews, especially @Ake@A_4_Archan@Jamos1982@Sele.

My background:
I'm in my 30s and have been on meds for about 3 years which seems to have either stopped or considerably slowed my hair loss, which was at its strongest in my early 20s.
Currently using topical dutasteride.
However, I didn't have any noticeable regrowth and my hairline bothered me.

My main complaints were an asymmetrical hairline (the widows peak was more skewed to one side), as well as my right temple being more recessed. I also wanted to thicken the existing hairline, and leave the V shape - didn't want to go for anything too aggressive.

The experience:
There are many recent threads here about his clinic and what to expect, so I wont go into lots of detail but things ran smoothly and I had a very positive experience.

I drew the general shape of what I wanted done for the doctor and we were good to go from there - I thought fair enough, it was pretty specific after all!

During surgery they added the micro irregularities and all that jazz, I'm not an expert but I don't think I see any doubles in the front row. I'm very happy with it so far - swelling was minimal and recovery has been easy. They do PRP included in their package, 5 days of washes + LLLT, and I also opted to pay extra for the stem cells. I stayed all 5 days for the washes and LLLT which was very relaxing, nearly fell asleep each time. I also got extra sleeping pills and added in 10mg of melatonin (a tip I got from another user here @consequence, because I'm also usually a side sleeper, so this helped me get some sleep on my back).

I laid low the 5 days after surgery especially compared to what the rest of the folks around here were getting up to. I didn't want to sweat it up or accidentally bang it on anything. Funnily enough on the last day (day 6 post op) to catch the flights home, I banged my head about 5 times on car doors, airplane overhead luggage, you name it - but luckily it was all on the top of my head and not where the recipient was. When they were doing the washes, and as far as I can tell, I haven't lost or seen any lost grafts.

He told me I have average caliber hair (I was worried because I know most blonde people have thinner hair, and I was blonde as a kid). My graft breakdown also seemed decent enough - something like 335 singles, 585 doubles and 585 triples. Here's hoping to dense growth and high graft survival rates!

Photos:
You should be able to click into the images below to see higher quality.

Pre-op

left temple:

right temple:


7 days post-op

left temple:

right temple:

Edited November 20, 2023 by hairman4321

[Rawkerboi]

Great Write Up! The works look clean any specific reason why you opt for non shave technique?

 

[hairman4321]

5 hours ago, Rawkerboi said:

Great Write Up! The works look clean any specific reason why you opt for non shave technique?

 

yeah so i can hide it! and my balding seems localised to the hairline anyway.

[Coffee_bean]

This is going to look so dang good! Sick hairline design. Did he choose that, or was that your idea? 

[hairman4321]

1 hour ago, Coffee_bean said:

This is going to look so dang good! Sick hairline design. Did he choose that, or was that your idea? 

thanks, hope so! i drew it on myself for the first pass 😂 but he added all the irregularities etc. i'm following your thread too, hope you get a great result also man.

Edited November 20, 2023 by hairman4321

[Sele]

Looks very good mate. You will be a happy man in a year. 

[Gatsby]

@hairman4321 the work looks really clean and I like the irregularities in the hairline design. 👍

[Big Rome]

On 11/20/2023 at 5:41 AM, hairman4321 said:

After reading (and seeing) all the positive reviews of Dr Laorwong, I pulled the trigger. Thank you a lot for your reviews, especially @Ake@A_4_Archan@Jamos1982@Sele.

My background:
I'm in my 30s and have been on meds for about 3 years which seems to have either stopped or considerably slowed my hair loss, which was at its strongest in my early 20s.
Currently using topical dutasteride.
However, I didn't have any noticeable regrowth and my hairline bothered me.

My main complaints were an asymmetrical hairline (the widows peak was more skewed to one side), as well as my right temple being more recessed. I also wanted to thicken the existing hairline, and leave the V shape - didn't want to go for anything too aggressive.

The experience:
There are many recent threads here about his clinic and what to expect, so I wont go into lots of detail but things ran smoothly and I had a very positive experience.

I drew the general shape of what I wanted done for the doctor and we were good to go from there - I thought fair enough, it was pretty specific after all!

During surgery they added the micro irregularities and all that jazz, I'm not an expert but I don't think I see any doubles in the front row. I'm very happy with it so far - swelling was minimal and recovery has been easy. They do PRP included in their package, 5 days of washes + LLLT, and I also opted to pay extra for the stem cells. I stayed all 5 days for the washes and LLLT which was very relaxing, nearly fell asleep each time. I also got extra sleeping pills and added in 10mg of melatonin (a tip I got from another user here @consequence, because I'm also usually a side sleeper, so this helped me get some sleep on my back).

I laid low the 5 days after surgery especially compared to what the rest of the folks around here were getting up to. I didn't want to sweat it up or accidentally bang it on anything. Funnily enough on the last day (day 6 post op) to catch the flights home, I banged my head about 5 times on car doors, airplane overhead luggage, you name it - but luckily it was all on the top of my head and not where the recipient was. When they were doing the washes, and as far as I can tell, I haven't lost or seen any lost grafts.

He told me I have average caliber hair (I was worried because I know most blonde people have thinner hair, and I was blonde as a kid). My graft breakdown also seemed decent enough - something like 335 singles, 585 doubles and 585 triples. Here's hoping to dense growth and high graft survival rates!

Photos:
You should be able to click into the images below to see higher quality.

Pre-op

left temple:

right temple:


7 days post-op

left temple:

right temple:

really like the hairline design, great work 👏🏻👏🏻

[Steeeve]

@hairman4321I echo everyone else’s sentiment. Hairline design is amazing! Congratulations!

[TrainingDay]

design is great

[hairman4321]

Things are going pretty well. I have some skin flaking off from under the recipient - mostly gone but a little still along the edge of the native hairs. I was rubbing this day 12 after soaking it in olive oil. Some small transplanted hairs were coming off, but I assume that was fine because the graft itself should be settled by now. 

Day 14:

[Jamos1982]

This will be a home run result. The density is amazing and I love the hairline design !! You must be very happy 

congrats!!! 

[ReturnIOfTheHairline]

Killer! best of luck

[hairman4321]

Week 3 passed a few days ago, nothing much to report other than the hairs have started shedding. I'd say i've probably lost 50% of them by now, maybe a little less. I started topical minoxidil a week after the transplant, so its been 2 weeks of that now. My native hairs have been a bit shedding too. Hoping this means I will get quick regrowth by month 3 or 4. I'll probably just do photos at monthly intervals now.

I also started 'nitrowood' 2 weeks ago as a blood flow supplement to try and help the grafts survival rate. Anyway, overall I feel like my scalp is getting pretty good blood flow - more so than before the HT. But just the HT alone would probably cause a lot of the bloodflow / healing, but it can only help.

Recipient is a little itchy and still a bit numb feeling to the touch. Donor area i can be as rough with it as before the transplant, feels like its made a total recovery. I opted for non-shaven in the donor too, so i can feel where the hairs were trimmed - i've got a couple of rows of random short hairs in there. I think they parted the hair, shaved a tiny amount, did extractions, and repeated the process in different areas on the back and sides. I haven't had a haircut so I can't see it, only feel the shorter hairs.

I'll be looking to experiment with shorter haircuts when this has all grown in - sick of the fringe trying to cover my dodgy hairline! I'll be very happy not to have to worry about the wind or water showing my hairline too.

Edited December 10, 2023 by hairman4321

[hairman4321]

Looks like I've shed over half the hairs already. Some of the longer hairs at the widows peak I think are native ones that are growing in normally just from when the Dr buzzed them, but most of the area is looking pretty nasty and red and the hairs are weird and bent and falling out. Seems to be normal at this stage, maybe a little early. Hope that means faster regrowth too. 

The donor feels completely normal now. The recipient is feeling really good now too - the tiniest bit numb still perhaps but not painful and most of the feeling is back. The recipient was feeling number for longer.

 

~ 1 month:

Edited December 10, 2023 by hairman4321

[hairman4321]

Accidental double post

Edited December 10, 2023 by hairman4321

[Jamos1982]

Looking good so far , nice hairline design 

[Gokuhairline]

niiice, did you go with the M design because thats how it look before the slight recession ?

[hairman4321]

1 hour ago, Gokuhairline said:

niiice, did you go with the M design because thats how it look before the slight recession ?

I walked in with a print out photo of vegeta and asked for that

[hairman4321]

Jk, yeah I wanted to keep it natural so it would age well. I think most europeans have this M shape naturally, the "mature hairline". My primary concerns were the lack of density and asymmetry. I also noticed that a lot more can go wrong when you lower the hairline too much in a completely bald area for the hairline - often just wasting grafts and not achieving natural density so it doesn't look natural. 

Edited December 11, 2023 by hairman4321

[hairman4321]

~5 week mark:

I've noticed my forehead getting very oily this week - way more so than usual. I wonder if this is just apart of the healing process. My hair has been more oily too. I've had a pimple pop up in the area, but i popped it and cleaned it.

I've also noticed at this point my recipient is basically back to normal in terms of feeling, maybe only 5% of the numbness remains but it basically feels like normal head skin. The redness is almost gone.

Edited December 20, 2023 by hairman4321

[HairFunk]

The work looks great. Keep us posted 

[hairman4321]

Around 2 months now. Nothing to report really, haven't had any growth yet - as expected. Time seems to pass slower during this period.
Not all the grafts fell out, and the ones that remain are getting longer but there is very little density. Skin is still red.

No numbness in the recipient of the donor. Still using topical DUT and nitrowood blood flow supplement. Optimistic for month 3 and 4.

Edited January 17 by hairman4321

[hairman4321]

~3 months

left side looks like its doing a little better. Optimistic that this is the low point and growth kicks off from here.

[Cooper48]

Right on track.  Growth should really start to pick up.