SAGA OF A HAIR TRANSLANT with Dr. Farjo - just what might you expect ?

[MSS]

THE BACKGROUND

Over some 30 years I had become an archetypal example of male pattern baldness - namely a bald and rather wide strip (albeit with a few wispy bits here and there) from the front of the head to the crown and a Friar Tuck circle of completely bald scalp at the back/top.

My hair loss began in my early thirties with receeding hair at the temples. It continued to disappear at a fairly consistent rate until I was fifty and has only slowly deteriorated since.

On occasion I had fleetingly mused as to whether I should do something to address the ever increasing shiny dome but had never thought it worth pursuing -principally because with the very limited appreciation I had of hair restoration technological advances, I was far from convinced that it would work and justify the inevitably not insignificant cost of treatment.

 

THE DEFINING MOMENT

So it was with great interest that in the Summer 2009 I read a major article in a Sunday newspaper on the subject of hair replacement techniques and in particular "Follicular Unit Transplants" (FUT).

In the article two celebrities (James Nesbitt-the actor and Duncan Banatyne-the businessman of Dragon's Den fame)were cited as having undergone the FUT procedure. This increased my interest greatly because guys like DB (hardnosed business achievers) do not make recommendations lightly and this consequently added a layer of credibility to the whole thing.

In the article a leading exponent of the procedure (Dr.Bessam Farjo)was identified. After much research and study of all the issues which were covered pretty comprehensively on the Farjo website, I decided to take things forward by attending a consultation.

 

THE FIRST MEETING

September 2009- I arrive in Manchester to meet Dr. Farjo and his Patient Affairs Coordination Manager Mick Mchugh.

Initial impressions can count for a lot and in this respect it became very clear that these guys were not only very professional in their work but were very pragmatic about what could be achieved. A thorough and quite detailed discussion followed- not a hint of hard sell but great emphasis on the management of personal expectation- so by the end of the consultation all my questions and uncertainties had been clarified and I knew just what would happen, how the FUT procedure would be carried out, a realistic appreciation of the final result and the timescale to achieve it.

So with this in mind (including an indicative quotation of the cost) I returned home to contemplate my decision.

I was actively encouraged by both Mick and Dr.Farjo to reflect carefully on all the issues over the next couple of weeks - this approach gave further credence to the decision and reinforced the personal comfort level as regards putting my head in Dr. Farjo's hands. Not that I needed to be concerned because as I subsequently discovered Dr.F is pre-eminent in the field of hair restoration treatment.

 

THE DECISION

Having decided to proceed I was pleased to find that I could get the work done in early January 2010. This however was only possible because Mick had been able to juggle the waiting list and given me a slot following the rescheduling of another patient. Dr.Farjo's clinic has become a leading centre of excellence for FUT's and patient demand is such that one might expect at least a 4-5 month wait from time of consultation/commitment to date of treatment.

 

THE PROCEDURE

For anyone contemplating FUT, the Farjo website provides excellent and detailed information. In laymans terms the process involves extracting a strip of scalp under the existing hair (back/sides),dissecting the hair follicles from it and transplanting them individually into the balding area. This is all done using local anaesthesia.

The individual follicles contain 1,2,3 or 4 actual hairs- on average it works out around 2.2 hairs per follicle. I had 3,000 follicles transplanted which equates to around 6,600 hairs.

I arrived at the clinic at 7am on the day and the procedure itself lasted about 10-11 hours. During the day I was greatly impressed by the level of attention given me by all the team (not just Dr.Farjo but his wife Nilofer who lead the effort on the actual grafting of the follicles and the team of people involved in dissection).It was a very intensive effort all round and one carried out to the highest levels of professionalism and clinical excellence.

 

POST OP

The following morning- I called into the clinic prior to travelling home. Everything was just as it should be and time was given to reaffirming all the things to observe (do's and don'ts) over the next 7 days.

As I departed the clinic, I could only conclude that my experience had been relatively painless - only minor discomfort now and then. Anyone who aspires to have FUT should do so without any real fears other than the very natural apprehension that attends any medical procedure.

Throughout the time from first consultation to the procedure itself, I very much felt that Dr.F and Mick were highly focused on patient care/attendant issues and although money is important(they are in business after all) the care emphasis is clearly primary. This is a major plus in providing the comfort level needed and promoting patient confidence in dealing with the Farjo clinic as a potential provider of your treatment.

As with all cosmetic surgery, the cost is not insignificant. I however like to think of it in value rather than cost terms and what that value is and what it means to you. Compare and contrast it to other significant investment/outlays you have made and what you got for your money- this is important because it puts the whole thing in perspective.

10 days later - I am ready to have my stitches removed from the donor site. Sleeping at night has been a bit uncomfortable because of the tightness of the stitching but relief is noticeable immediately the stitches are cut. The area is still a bit tight but none the less I can identify an improvement in laxity and I expect this will ease further over the next week or two.

As for the transplanted area (now 12 days post op), the scalp looks pretty clean with only a few blood spots/scabs evident and these are quite tiny. The immediate post op scalp discoloration has subsided considerably and at this rate should be all but gone in the next couple of weeks.

The whole of the transplanted area is still covered (quite densely) with the tiny spiky hairs that were inserted. This feels great as it is decades since I have gazed upon such sights in the mirror.

I know however that very shortly these hairs will fall out from the transplanted follicles and then I will probably have to wait until around May/June for any new hair to start growing through on a substantive basis -can't wait !!

Over the next few months I will continue to eagerly look for any early signs of growth but I am equally very conscious of the message that Mick has drilled into me- be patient and it will happen. Yes, I believe it and as highlighted at my first consultation it is all part of managing realistic personal expectation.

 

FIRST UPDATE

Mid March- now exactly 10 weeks post op and things have started to happen. Small/fine spiky hairs have begun to appear across much of the transplanted area.This is hugely encouraging since I had not expected any signs of hair re-emergence for at least another month or two.

As for the donor site the healing process appears pretty much complete, Dr.Farjo's skills in restitching the harvested area are quite something since it is now almost impossible to see the scarline even under very close inspection.

 

TO BE CONTINUED

- immediate pre & post op photographs to be added

- further updates of developments to be added throughout summer/autumn 2010.

[Bill - Seemiller]

MSS,

 

Congratulations on your recent hair transplant with the highly esteemed Dr. Farjo. When you get a chance, I hope you'll create a patient website and share your photos with us. It's also the best way to document your progress from A to Z.

 

I look forward to your next update.

 

Best wishes,

 

Bill

[Raphael84]

Great write up. Good documentation and an interesting read. The Farjos are no doubt the best in the UK and are getting the respect for their care and consistent results. Congratulations on your recent procedure. The Duncan B comment also was cleverly interpreted, if after deliberation, he chose to continue with the procedure. Then that puts the rest of us in good stead if only from a reasoning point of view.

 

As Bill as recommended, a patient website would be well received as we can better track your progress as your growth kicks in. Good luck!

[balody]

Great to hear you had a positive and pain free experience MMS.

Now the hard part...waiting.

Looking forward to some photos.

[balody]

Sorry MSS....i turned you into a text message!

[Guest donald]

Does anyone know why it takes so long for an consultation with dr farjo,can not get an appointment until late july which is 4 months away.and also does anyone know how long i would have to wait after the consultation if i decide to get the transplant done.thanks.

[Guest donald]

Does any one khow why it takes so long to get an appointment for a consultation with dr farjo,have an appointment at the end of july which is 4 months away yet.and how long after the consultation would i have to wait if i decided to get a transplant done.thanks.

[korec]

Donald,

I would imagine it is because they are the only option when it comes hair transplantation in the UK. Quite frankly they have no competition worth noting there!! I myself was about a month and a half waiting for a consult and I think I only got it that quick because of a prior cancellation. I then had to wait a further 3 months before the surgery date

 

Trust me, the time will fly by and personally I think its quite a positive thing as it allows you even more valuable time to think about it all and confirm that you are indeed making the right decision. I wish that had happened in my first hair transplant experience, instead I was fooled into a quick fix op soon after my initial consultation leading to an experience that I regret to this day

 

Best of luck with everything and maybe talk to Mick, he might be able to fit you in some cancellation allotted time or something. He's a top class guy who tells it like it is.

[Guest donald]

korec,

Thanks for the quick reply.will just have to be patient and like you said time goes by very quickly, gives me more time to do a lot of reasearch.

[Churchies49]

Gr8 story that,im in early stages of trying meds and possible surgery