Remove "all" beard hair?

[Melvin- Admin]

8 hours ago, Approach said:

Good point.  (My total grafts would be 10,000+)  (He said he would do his best to mix in the beard hair appropriately.)   Dr. P said to plan on removing a couple thousand grafts from back of my head.  However, he said he really wants to aim for closer to 5.000 grafts.  With that being said, this is nowhere close to the 70/30 rule you mentioned.  Sometimes it's confusing because:  Advice from knowledgeable guys like yourself makes sense.  So, why would a doctor push the envelope so far?  I think he's an awesome doctor, and I enjoyed talking to him.  But, I anticipated he would give me a yes/no answer.  Instead, he said:   If "you" (patient) wants a HT, then I'll perform it to the best of my abilities.  I asked him a few times:  But, do "you" (an expert surgeon) recommend I do it, based on your experiences, etc?  (Other doctors tend to give me a yes/no answer.)  In the end, he said a 3rd procedure to fine-tune things and fill in any remaining areas would be the likely case.  So, in conclusion, I do believe that physically, Dr. P can get a full head of hair (especially because of a 3rd procedure - maybe even mixed with body hair).  But, I wish more topics were discussed like 70/30, etc.  But, one good thing is:  he seemed confident I would be pleased.  He showed me pictures of other patients' he did like my case. *(PS - he said some guys are willing to do anything to get hair on top of heard - even if it's mostly beard hair/body hair as he has noticed improvements in self-esteem, etc.  In my case, I likely will not move forward because -- even with a full head of hair -- I may be too self conscious that so many beard hair grafts (without being mixed in with enough scalp hairs) may be noticeable -- perhaps I'm wrong.   Ughh, I wish I could pull this off with scalp hair only!

He probably didn't answer because it is up to you. He can't say whether you should or you shouldn't. That depends on your goals. If you wouldn't like the appearance of beard hair on your scalp, proceeding with surgery where most of the hair will be beard hair isn't advisable. But other patients are happy. You have keep your expectations in check. It is impossible to provide anything close to a full head of hair with scalp hair in your case.

[Approach]

Melvin, I really appreciate your reply.  Indeed Dr. Pittella did explain all your points, and all points are truly valid! Thank you for reviewing the importance of setting realistic goals, and that ultimately it's up to "me".  It also helped that you reminded me: "Keep your expectations in check."  Thanks again!  I finally understand! 

PS) I now remember-- Dr. Pittella did speak to me about percentages of beard hair to scalp hair; and in my case the ratio would need to be closer to 50/50 due to my poor donor area.  

Edited April 9 by Approach

[AB2000]

15 hours ago, mr_peanutbutter said:

cant he use beard grafts from below the jawline + bodyhair such as chest or arm?

Not all beard hair grows out long.  Once you get past a certain point under the jaw those will be short in length hairs.

[AB2000]

15 hours ago, Approach said:

Thank you.  Fyi, Doctor P wants to use up all remaining donor hair.  (He said best case is 5,000 grafts.)  Then, he wants to take literally all my beard hair (on my face AND under jaw line.  Estimated total grafts after surgery would be 10,0000 to 12,0000.  I sensed by our conversation that he isn't a big fan of body hair.  It's a last resort for him.  He explained that the growth cycle is different, etc.

For the amount of bald area to cover, 10-12,000 would be just enough, which is why he would want to make as much use of your beard.  Once you scale back then your crown will not have a chance.  Your choice.

[bigmistake]

On 4/8/2024 at 8:46 AM, Gatsby said:

If you buzzed this right down and added SMP it would look really good in my humble opinion. 👌

That's what I am planning to do now. Get a SMP for my FUE scars and move on. But I have heard that SMP does not stick long in scar tissue. Although yours lasted for five years or so.

[bigmistake]

On 4/8/2024 at 2:03 AM, Approach said:

Via video consultation, Dr. Pittella said he can restore my NW 7 head.  He seemed confident.  There is a caveat though.  He said, although my donor area is poor, he estimates he can remove up to a few thousand grafts from the back of head.  As well, he will need to remove nearly every beard hair on my face & neck.  (He can leave enough hair to grow a goatee.)  Specifically, my question is:  If "you" were in a situation like mine, would "you" proceed or not? and *Why?   Thank you!  

 

 

Have you had a transplant previously ? 

[Approach]

1 hour ago, bigmistake said:

Have you had a transplant previously ? 

Yes, 2 of them in the 1990's FUT

[Bej520]

I would actually in this case like to recommend the clinic that I visited in Turkey - Volomed. I was a Norwood 7 and they’ve done an amazing job restoring my hairline using a combination of scalp, beard and body hair in a single session. The caveat here would be they aren’t well renown on this forum yet. 
 

Check my post if you want to see my journey so far.