Intagraft in New Zealand

[jedi]

Hi... I thought I would drop a line about my recent (2 days ago) proceedure here in New Zealand from an Australian company that comes here every 3 months or so.

After a consultation last year because I was getting bothered by my slowly receeding hairline which fortunately is slow as it has taken about 10 years to get to this stage (I am 41). Well after the consultation I was advised I could be done in a couple of days if I wished ,but I put it off.

Early this year I also had a chance to go through it,but again deferred it until just 2 days ago (21 Nov) after picking up the courage.

I notice my proceedure seems slightly different to some that I have read here in the forums.

I arrived early at the day clinic rather scared and was prepared for the "operation". I was given a drug Hypnovel intravenously which was pretty weird as I stayed fully awake whilst the donor site was dealt to.But at the same time I don't remember a lot of it too.I was fully aware at the time they were making the incisions(500)and they kept injecting my scalp with anesthetic and my head felt like a piece of wood.I was lying down all the time with a support under my neck.

It took a loooong time to do it from about 8am until approx 2pm in the afternoon .It was ok but I really wanted to get up and out of there after lying all that time.I was pretty wobbly after getting up from the drugs and from being on my back for so long.

I was given an anti-inflammatory injection and pain killers to take home as well as some sleeping tablets.Some special shampoo was supplied and have been told to use it every day for ten days After a cup of tea and a sandwhich I was fine.

I chose to have a bandage , but it was optional.

I had signed forms etc before the op and one point was that I would not drive a car for 12 hours.

However I had driven myself there and there was only one way to get home... so I drove ( no problems at all)

The first night I had no pain killers or sleeping tablets and so far I haven't had any painkillers, but last night I took one sleeping tablet as the back of my head is pretty sore at the donor site and feels uncomfortable in contact with a pillow.I notice many here have been told to sleep in a chair for a few days.

The first day I had hardly any swelling but today the front of my forehead is rather large and the skin looks greasy.Thats probably good beacause the inflammation will be excreting through the skin surface.

I plan to return to work next Monday (the op was Thursday)but despite being optermistic that

"no one will notice" I'm resigned to the fact that I'm going to be a freak for a week or so.

I will wear a cap but I'm going to have to come clean and tell a couple of people at work.

Thinking about it,it's no big deal because in the long run I'm going to have hair and "real" hair as in being my own.

I would say that the proceedure is more painful than what I expected and more noticable than what I thought it would be,however I'm pretty sure I will/would go through it again if it produces the desired results.

I will post back later as it progresses and I have a few pics to post.

 

Cheers

[jedi]

Hi... I thought I would drop a line about my recent (2 days ago) proceedure here in New Zealand from an Australian company that comes here every 3 months or so.

After a consultation last year because I was getting bothered by my slowly receeding hairline which fortunately is slow as it has taken about 10 years to get to this stage (I am 41). Well after the consultation I was advised I could be done in a couple of days if I wished ,but I put it off.

Early this year I also had a chance to go through it,but again deferred it until just 2 days ago (21 Nov) after picking up the courage.

I notice my proceedure seems slightly different to some that I have read here in the forums.

I arrived early at the day clinic rather scared and was prepared for the "operation". I was given a drug Hypnovel intravenously which was pretty weird as I stayed fully awake whilst the donor site was dealt to.But at the same time I don't remember a lot of it too.I was fully aware at the time they were making the incisions(500)and they kept injecting my scalp with anesthetic and my head felt like a piece of wood.I was lying down all the time with a support under my neck.

It took a loooong time to do it from about 8am until approx 2pm in the afternoon .It was ok but I really wanted to get up and out of there after lying all that time.I was pretty wobbly after getting up from the drugs and from being on my back for so long.

I was given an anti-inflammatory injection and pain killers to take home as well as some sleeping tablets.Some special shampoo was supplied and have been told to use it every day for ten days After a cup of tea and a sandwhich I was fine.

I chose to have a bandage , but it was optional.

I had signed forms etc before the op and one point was that I would not drive a car for 12 hours.

However I had driven myself there and there was only one way to get home... so I drove ( no problems at all)

The first night I had no pain killers or sleeping tablets and so far I haven't had any painkillers, but last night I took one sleeping tablet as the back of my head is pretty sore at the donor site and feels uncomfortable in contact with a pillow.I notice many here have been told to sleep in a chair for a few days.

The first day I had hardly any swelling but today the front of my forehead is rather large and the skin looks greasy.Thats probably good beacause the inflammation will be excreting through the skin surface.

I plan to return to work next Monday (the op was Thursday)but despite being optermistic that

"no one will notice" I'm resigned to the fact that I'm going to be a freak for a week or so.

I will wear a cap but I'm going to have to come clean and tell a couple of people at work.

Thinking about it,it's no big deal because in the long run I'm going to have hair and "real" hair as in being my own.

I would say that the proceedure is more painful than what I expected and more noticable than what I thought it would be,however I'm pretty sure I will/would go through it again if it produces the desired results.

I will post back later as it progresses and I have a few pics to post.

 

Cheers

[jedi]

Day 4-5 the swelling looks bad. It has moved from my forehead yesterday to over the bridge of my nose and to the corners of my eyes.

Shit, I feel like and look like the Elephant man .

This morning it has now moved to my face and I have some large bags under my eyes...looks like I went 10 rounds with Mike Tyson.

However,I went to work with a cap and sunglasses which I had to wear all day. I had to tell a few people the truth and told some customers I have an eye infection.

I expect tomorrow the swelling may subside a little.

To anyone planning a proceedure it may be advisable to organise at least a week off work.

[hairhair]

weren't you advised to use icepacks 3 times a day on your forehead (NOT THE GRAFT SITE) but only on your forehead??

 

I had only minor swelling and thatwas because I only iced 1-2 times a day, when I started to ice 3-5 times a day, the swelling went almost completely away.

 

I would use a gel bag on my head in the morning, the afternoon and then at night when I went to bed.

 

I took the Vicodin ONLY before I went to bed, that would ease ANY discomfort I had from the incision. I had the idea to sleep on my back with one pillow on each side of me so that I could not roll over at night and disturb the graft area. And it worked just fine, just like it did years ago when I had my leg injury that required me to stay on my back at night sleeping.

 

I would let the ice-pack lay on my forehead and after taking the Vicodin I had absolutely no problems falling asleep that way.

 

You should have been told to ice up. And not to fret, we all laid in our chairs for hours, mine was from about 10am - 8pm and I didn't have a LOT of work done by any means. But I am completely confident that the job was done correct, and I can't even make a complaint about laying in a chair for 8 hours as opposed to losing my hairline in the future.

 

Hope your results are all that you expected and then some!! Post and let us know down the line.