nervous as hek!

[trachound]

I have a HT scheduled with Dr. Charles next month. The only part that I'm uncomfortable with is the cutting of the donor area. Can some of you guys send me your experiences with this and make me less anxious?

[trachound]

I have a HT scheduled with Dr. Charles next month. The only part that I'm uncomfortable with is the cutting of the donor area. Can some of you guys send me your experiences with this and make me less anxious?

[Nashville Kat]

Trachound, Don't worry, You won't feel a thing. My Dr. Gave me a shot and the next thing I remember is sitting back up and starting the placement of the grafts. Don't remember a thing!!

 

Don't worry it's not that big of a deal and you have a excellent Doctor.

 

Nashville Kat.

[Robert_]

Welcome to the forums, trachound.

 

Before the strip is harvested, you will be comfortably sedated and the area will be numbed. Basically, all I felt was pressure back there the whole time. Not a pain kind of pressure, but kind of like someone pushing on the back of my head with the palm of their hand. It was over very shortly, and like Nashville, I was sitting up and watching a movie before I knew it.

 

Dr. Charles is an excellent choice for a physician. There are many users of the forums that have been patients of his. To read their experiences with him, just use the keyword search under the "Find" button (make sure you uncheck the box that limits your search to just one forum) and type in "Charles."

 

Good luck!

 

-Robert

[kamin]

What exactly are you uncomfortable with regarding the cutting of the donor area? Pain? How it feels?

 

Before the procedure, your doctor will probably offer you a Valium or something to relax you. It's up to you whether or not you want to take it. Personally, I didn't take anything that would sedate me because I don't like the way it makes me feel. Once the procedure starts, all parts of your scalp that will be worked on will be numbed so you won't feel any pain. The only thing that was weird was when the donor strip was pulled off the back of my head. It kind of reminded me of the sound when pulling velcro apart!

 

You'll be fine!

[Gorpy]

Trachound, the cutting of the strip is definitely the most major part of the surgery. The area is thoroughly numbed, so as others have said, you don't feel any pain. If you think about it too much and try to imagine what it looks like, it could gross you out. If it's any consolation, the strip removal was surprisingly quick. Before you know it, it is removed and the doctor is sewing you back up. I felt relieved after that.

 

I took the valium they offered. I was very nervous the morning of the procedure and my blood pressure was way up. Funny though, I didn't feel any effects from the valium. The only way I knew it was working was my blood pressure came down. Maybe I needed more?

[trachound]

Thanks guys........it helps a lot knowing you all went through it and say it's really no big deal!

[northern]

Dr True did mine as well and I to didn't feel much at all. A little pressure on the back of the head but no pain or discomfort at all.

[Bill - Seemiller]

Trachound,

 

To me, the most painful part of the surgery was when they numbed the area....and that was only a slight pinch every now and then. Other than that, I felt nothing! The 2nd hardest part of the surgery is that it's a long day and it's hard to stay comfortable that long. But being through it twice, the surgery is a breeze as far as pain is concerned, you'll feel only the slight pinch when being numbed. I'm sure all will go smoothly...no worries.

 

Bill

[trachound]

you guys are awesome!!!

[Bill - Seemiller]

Glad we could help Trachound. I'll be looking forward to tracking your progress if you are willing to share pictures and your experience with us in the photos section. Good luck, and I'm sure things will go smoothly.

 

Bill

[MarkEinstein]

Trachound,

 

I had my procedure done a couple months back with Dr. Charles. The only thing I regret so far is not insisting that I feel 100% comfortable before we got started. I took the valium offered (4 x 5mg) which unless you're a super wuss isn't going to blow your mind or anything.

 

I was super nervous. Blood pressure and heart-rate through the roof! I was not settled down as we got started and nerves only exacerbate things.

 

I think the lidocaine injections were the most painful. The cutting of the donor strip was just, um, kinda nasty sounding. The incicisions for graft placement were nothing (unless the lidocaine starts to where off, then you'll feel a sting or so).

 

Here's my take. You're dropping a few thousand dollars and this is 2005 for Pete's sake! There's no sense in feeling any pain or nervousness and all of that can be controlled easily with meds.

 

Everyone's different. If you're nervous and you don't feel 100% cool with starting, ask for more meds until you get right. You're customer.

[Mahair]

Well, Dr. Charles is a good doctor. But I have permenent neuro-vascular problems as a result of a donor harvest.Can't sweat anymore and have an irregular heartbeat. A bonus to the disfigurement and endless repair jobs. This is NOT minor surgery. But I am sure that in the hands of doctor Charles and doing 6 months or research here you will do allright.

[MarkEinstein]

You said it Mahair. Once you've decided to take the plunge, as with any surgery, you have to commit to doing the most thorough research you can do. This forum makes it a heck of alot easier to gather information.

 

I feel so much for the guys who have had problems with procedures because I know how freaked I was even though I had picked a well recommended doctor with good training and positive patient results.

 

Once you've narrowed it down to one of these fine doctors, at least you've mitigated most of the risk. At that point, to me, its just a matter of making sure that the actual procedure is carefree and painless and one event that you'll remember in a positive light.

[Guest]

I had a 2700 strip 6 days ago - I didn't take any valium or any other meds (I was offered them but I wasn't nervous at all), just the anesthetic injections and I didn't feel a thing. I was getting stitched up before I even knew what had happened. The only pain in the donor area started after the procedure - I think the pain and discomfort is from the stitches being so tight - can't wait to get them out.

 

PB

[trachound]

PB you stud!!! Hey, gotta question for you guys.....Dr. Charles told me I need between 1000 and 1300 for my HT (hairline area).Is the donor area much smaller with fewer number of graphs? I would think so, but you guys are the experts. Also, from your experience, please tell me what you think. I have 12 days to heal after mt HT before I am in the "public eye" as I am a teacher. Is that cutting it too close, or should I wait for summer where I have around 11 weeks to heal? M.E. gave me great advice, I just wanted to hear other stories as well. This is what I am wrestling with. Any feedback would be greatly appreciated.

[Gorpy]

Trachound,

12 days would be cutting it close. Each person is different. In my case, my grafts didn't start to fall out until after the two week point. The new grafts were very obvious and looked like a 5 o'clock shadow. I also had lingering redness. It's just now cleared up at almost 2 months. It depends on what you want. If you want no indication of a transplant, you had better wait. If are ok with some indication of a transplant, but want it to look good, 12 days is probably ok.

Smaller procedures use a shorter donar strip. Doctors go longer, not wider for more grafts. That allows for easier closure and less chance of a widening scar.

[Guest]

Originally posted by trachound:

I would think so, but you guys are the experts. Also, from your experience, please tell me what you think. I have 12 days to heal after mt HT before I am in the "public eye" as I am a teacher. Is that cutting it too close, or should I wait for summer where I have around 11 weeks to heal? M.E. gave me great advice, I just wanted to hear other stories as well. This is what I am wrestling with. Any feedback would be greatly appreciated.

 

Difficult to say in your case... your procedure is going to be a lot smaller than mine and if you have long enough hair close to the recipient area to cover, you might be OK after 12 days. As you can see from my photos, my HT is going to be blatantly obvious at 12 days...

 

PB

[Pat - Community Publisher]

Trachound,

 

Welcome aboard. As you can see their are plenty of good people in this community ready to help out.

 

I think virtually every one has some level of anxiety in doing hair restoration surgery. And given what hair transplants were in the past, every one should look hard before leaping.

 

But today when the highly refined follicular unit procedure is properly performed by an experienced and caring staff the risks are minimal, the healing is fast and the results are excellent.

 

I encourage you to use the "Find" feature on this forum to search this forum for "charles". I think you will be encouraged by the overwhelming number of positive experiences patients have had with Dr. Charles. In fact, I can't recall one patient in over 4 years who has ever expressed disappointment with him or his staff. I think that speaks volumes.

 

A recent post by a patient of Dr. Charles states that this patient was back in front of a court room as an attorney within 7 days. To read his account of his post op recovery, click here.

 

Forums like this and others reward great work and hold subpare work and lazy clinics accountable. While some physicians hate the idea of forums like this one those who have nothing to hide support them.

 

Best wishes for great surgery and a bumper crop of hair. I hope you become a regular on the forum.

[kamin]

I have 12 days to heal after mt HT before I am in the "public eye" as I am a teacher. Is that cutting it too close, or should I wait for summer

 

 

Have you decided what you're going to do?

 

I had my second HT (1073 grafts) nine days ago and all the crusts are gone and the redness is nearly gone. My hair is long enough in front that it covers everything.

 

I think you could do it with 12 days of recovery since the number of grafts is small, providing your hair is long enough in front to cover it!

 

Even if it's not that long in front, after 12 days you'll probably only have some redness that can be covered up with make-up.

 

If you wait until summer, you'll probably want to kick yourself. If you do it now, you should have 50% of your growth by summer and 80% by the time you start the new school year next fall!

[trachound]

Thanks for the response Kamin. Actually, I met with Dr. Charles today and set it up for 12/28. He told me that by 12 days at worst I'd be a little red which could be covered with makeup. My hair is long enough in the front to cover most of the work, with the exception of lowering the hairline just a tad.

You are right. I think if I did wait I would kick myself in the butt! lol You sound like a teacher???? Was your HT done by Dr. Charles? Take care!

[kamin]

You sound like a teacher???? Was your HT done by Dr. Charles?

 

Not a teacher, although it was something I seriously thought about doing nearly 10 years ago. I was thinking of a career change at that time! I ended up staying in the Information Technology (IT) industry. I'm also a musician and had really long hair (past my chest) until I was about 35. I started receding at 30, so it started looking worse and worse. Now that I've got a strong hairline again, I'm actually thinking about growing it again before it turns gray! Mid-life crisis, I guess!

 

Both my HT's were done by MHR's Dr. Holt, who is in Detroit and Grand Rapids. MHR usually gets a bad rap on this forum, but I believe that he's one of the "good doctors" at MHR. So far, I'm very satisfied with the work that was done.