David A. Berman, MD

I participated in a hair study that landed me at Dr Bermans office in Palo Alto, CA and I could not have asked for a better hair transplant experience. Dr. Berman and his highly skilled team took great care of me during the procedure using the ARTAS robotic system. They were very efficient and the process was very smooth. It’s been 2 days since my procedure and I haven’t experienced any pain except for a little itching in the recipient and donor area but it’s very minimal. I would do the procedure again in a heartbeat! I will upload before in after photos in a few months when the transplanted hairs begin to grow in.

I am a 53-year-old male who just underwent a first-time hair transplant surgery. Chose Dr. Berman of Palo Alto who specializes in the Artas robotic procedure. Yes, I went back and forth among several physicians and procedures, before settling on Dr. Berman. It has been three days since the operation and photos are posted below. Will try to take pictures on a monthly basis (if I remember!). Am nervous (as is everyone) of what grafts will survive and thrive. The procedure took 2 days, each day lasting approximately 8 hours (1500 grafts per day for a total of 3000 grafts). Pain was minimal except for one anesthetic shot that radiated down my jaw for some reason. The Artas robot extracted the grafts and also made incisions for grafts on top of my head (but not the incisions for the hairline or crown which were done manually). Apparently, the FDA has very recently approved the Artas for implantation of grafts but that's still in the testing phase, according to Dr. Berman. One thing that the technicians told me while the grafts were being implanted which I had never heard about was that they liked my scalp because it was "easy" to work with. I asked what they meant and apparently (according to them) some scalps are harder to work with than others. I got the impression it had to do with skin density or elasticity or something. Anyway, it's something I hadn't heard of before, not sure if it matters for end results, or how to tell if one's scalp is the type that is easy to work with or not. 10 Day Update: I am very thankful that I took 2 weeks off for the transplant. At about the 5th day out, I was experiencing some intermittent intense pain in the donor area (kind of a mix between a severe sunburn and a toothache). On the 7th day, I ran out of tylenol with codeine and the doctor was hesitant to prescribe more and instead prescribed some hydroxyzine for night to help me sleep (not sure it was very effective). However, ibuprofen and aloe vera applied to the donor area only helped manage the pain. Last night, I still had that stabbing pain (which gets intense at night for some reason) but it was much diminished from the night before and today I'm feeling pretty good. After googling around, apparently, this lingering pain from nerve damage isn't common but also isn't that unusual. At the trajectory of the pain diminishing, it will probably be nonexistent in a few more days, but again, I am very glad I'm not having to work under this condition since I took 2 weeks off to recover. I can't decide if I'm suffering from shock loss or not in the donor area. There definitely seems to be a noticeable zone that looks patchy/thin compared to the surrounding area. NOTE: I'm giving 4 star rating based on experience with staff, not results, will try to keep this thread updated and will adjust rating based on outcome. Updated on 26 Aug 2018: I'd like to reiterate how glad I am I took 2 weeks off. Not only do you aesthetically look much better but if you have any of the pronounced pain side effects from days 5-10, you really don't want to be at work. After 2 weeks, the pain had gone away but my scalp was still sore for about 20 days out. At 30 days, there's some numbness and redness but lessens every day. I believe my recovery 'looks' typical. I am very concerned about the "moth eaten" look in a strip in the back of my head as well as the sides. I don't know if the Artas over harvested or if it's shock loss of surrounding hair at the donor sites, but there is definitely a patchy look. I wonder if shock loss is more common for those of us who suffer the 5-14 day lingering sharp pain. Anyway, I'll apparently need to wait 3-6 months to see if this recovers (if it is shock loss). If it's overharvesting, there's not much that can be done. Updated on 30 Sep 2018: Everyone says the 2 month mark is the worst and I certainly agree. All transplanted hair has shed and back to where it was pre-surgery, although where the temples were bald there is now very wispy hair which looks not very good. My understanding is results don't really start showing until third month so I'll be holding my breath until then. However, the patchiness or shock loss in the donor area is still greatly concerning me. The thin strip on the back can't be unseen but I can feel it, but most troubling is the side which is VERY noticeably patchy. What's weird is I can feel hair stubble there so I am thinking part of my scalp is still in shock and preventing hair growth. However "easy" or "simple" some people may present hair transplant, it is a surgery that traumatizes the nerves in your scalp and you may suffer some side effects (i.e., shock loss). It could be that I'm suffering from overharvesting but again since I can feel stubble there that refuses to grow, I am pretty convinced the scalp is still in some sort of shock. Updated on 27 Oct 2018: I am still very displeased by the 'shock loss' or mothball effect of my hair on the left side. It is still noticeably patchy and is not filling in. The back and right side mostly seems to have filled in and is not as apparently thinned out. If it doesn't eventually fill in, I will not be able to sport short haircuts that aren't noticeably patchy. The top hair is starting to come in, looking thin and fuzzy and sparse (as expected). I find this to be a very awkward stage as I think everyone can tell that hair transplant hair is coming in (though others tell me it's not really that noticeable). One thing I have done since the hair transplant is grow a beard and I think it does help insofar that people's eyes are drawn to the beard rather than the hairline. Updated on 2 Dec 2018: At end of four months, results are looking better but I think it looks obvious that something is going on with my hair because the front hairline where there was once no hair now has hair which is sparse and not very dense. However, people tell me I'm imagining it so it's probably all in my mind. Anyway, the patchiness in the donor area which was presumably from shock loss has started filling in. There is still occasional numbness/phantom pain in the donor areas that were patchy so I'm assuming that nerves are still being repaired but the follicles are coming back. I'm not as upset as I was last month when the patchiness seemed very bad and permanent. My hope is in another couple of months, the patchiness in donor area will disappear. Other than that, I am pleased with the top of my head, which has noticeably filled in. There's still noticeable thinning in the crown but it's definitely not as 'bald' as it was before the transplant. Again, it is the front hairline that (I think) is noticeably odd but my hope now is that this will fill in. Updated on 6 Jan 2019: The 'shock loss' in the donor area has fully recovered as far as I can tell--though I need a haircut! There is a noticeable hair growth in the transplant area, though again it looks low density to my eye at this point. Since I was trying to do this 'stealth', no one has said anything to me about the new hair. What's neat is I can feel the stubble of new hair coming in. It's been 5 months and I am feeling very positive for the next month. Updated on 1 Feb 2019: It's been 6 months so I should be seeing results and I definitely am. However, I can't help but compare myself to online pictures and videos of others at the 6 month mark. On one hand, I feel a little meh when comparing myself to others but on the other hand, it's obvious that there has been a noticeable improvement. The hair in the transplant areas are a thin but I can feel stubble coming in which is promising. We'll see how it develops. My hope is that the crown and front will show more improvement over the next several months. I include another before picture. Updated on 18 Feb 2019: I decided to do a 6.5 month update rather than a 7 month since I just got a haircut. There is a noticeable improvement from 30-60 day photos (after the grafts shed). However, I still believe there is depletion from the donor areas that is slightly noticeable (ergo, only I notice). Also, I believe the thinness in the transplanted area is still weak. However, I continue to feel slight stubble still incoming in those areas and am hopeful it is going to fill out more. I'll post again at the 8 month mark where my understanding is that 80% of growth is seen at that point (on average). Of course, I won't fully decide how 'worth it' this procedure was for me until the 1 year mark. Updated on 9 Apr 2019: At 8 months, the results are pretty much noticeably "done" but not complete. The areas that received transplanted hair has filled in and the donor areas have recovered (which was a long process for me). I can feel a dent in a strip in the back where the ARTAS harvested a lot of hair but it's really not visually noticeable at all. However, though the hair looks decent after a shower when it's fluffy, by the end of the day, it's really noticeably sparse (I have oily hair). In other words, you can definitely see my scalp and how density is poor. I'm not quite sure whether growing the hair longer will help or make it more noticeable. I do think I'm more confident in how I think others see me (which is stupid, granted, but why many of us get this procedure). I *think* I can feel more stubble coming in so there's hope that density will improve. I'm holding my breath for the 1 year mark when the results should be mostly complete. If nothing improves from here, I'll be very disappointed but I still expect more gains to come, just not sure if those gains will be enough to make me say "worth it".

I had two previous strip surgeries about 20 years ago over a 2-year period. It was a painful procedure and experience. Contemplating another hair procedure, I heard about the Artas robot as the latest technology in hair restoration. The robot was an overwhelmingly different and positive experience. Compared to strip, the robot was a walk in the park. It was virtually painless, no scar, no stitches, no loss of feeling in the back of my head. The hardest part was numbing my head before the procedure. That was nothing compared to strip surgery. I was also worried about my existing hair and how another transplant could jeopardize my healthy hair. This is the advantage of the robot. Before the procedure, the robot scanned my head and created a treatment plan for pulling all 1500 hair grafts. Then it avoided existing healthy hair in the front of my head and made small incisions for implantation. While I am only two months in, this will take about 6-9 months to see the full impact of the robot. As it relates to the experience, I would only consider the robot for a hair restoration procedure. Don't let anyone talk you out of Artas. It rocks!

My OBGYN started me on birth control pills and I had gained 20lbs!! I was so depressed, I didn't want to leave my bed let alone go to the gym. I had seen advertisements for SculpSure and decided to do more research. After reading about SculpSure & CoolSculpt and seeing the reviews on RS I decided to go with SculpSure, and Im so glad I did. I had my abdomen & flanks treated and noticed results within 4 weeks. The treatment was not painful at all, and I had no side effects post treatment. It has been a great motivator for me to exercise and I have lost all of the weight I gained plus a few more pounds. So happy!

As a rebellious teenager, I had no idea that I'd one day regret stretching my precious ear lobes out to a 1 &1/4" GAPING hole. My professional advancement stagnated, and I had grown tired of having to wear my hair down everywhere trying to maintain an image. I was totally hiding myself and my personality. After extensively researching reconstructive lobe procedures, I narrowed my choices down to a few doctors in the DMV area. I was so ready to move on. The first few attempts I made trying to schedule an initial consultation with the plastic surgeons in the area proved to be an aggravating and disheartening experience. This all changed when I contacted Berman Cosmetics. Within 24 hours after I submitted my initial inquiry I received a response. We're already off to a fabulous beginning. The day I went in for my consultation, I received warm welcome from an attentive staff complete with cookies(my absolute favorite) and hot drinks, a reasonable quote, an informative consultation with Dr.Berman himself, and the option to have the procedure completed the same day. How could I say no? I went for it, and I am glad I did. The staff here not only provided the most realistic scenario for my case, but stayed after hours for the procedure. My post op visit went swimmingly, and the after hours line provided the same responsiveness as the clinic had during regular business hours. There is no shortage wonderful things I could say about this place. My ears look natural and my confidence growing.This office took an insecure woman and provided a transformation that I am still so thankful for today. My second post op appointment + facial for is scheduled later this month and I am so excited to see everyone again. They sure do keep you coming back for more! XOXO, Amanda C.

Had my cellulaze treatment on my outter tigh area and just above my knees by Dr. David Berman last spring in Sterling Va. He did an awesome job! The process takes a while and is time consuming due to the square by square type grid need to really get at the connective tissue the lazer has to release. I'm a thin women but still had cellulite and had to have a correction for a lipodissolve area where to much fat was taken. This left a dent like look in that area and it looked terrible (to me). Dr. Berman fixed that area and I have to say, this really did work. It's not cheap and I need more areas done but would have to really save in order to afford it. It cost almost $ 5,000. A bit less but it really does work! If you can afford it, do it if other proceedures can wait. I have no idea how long this will last but wow, definate difference. Dr. Berman is very good at what he does and it was painless. You do have a lot of liquid release post surgery. It's mostly saline but it's a mess. Bring your compession garment and something to sit on for your drive home so you don't mess up your car seats with post op drainage. I wish my knee area would look more smooth but part of this is the aging process too unfortunately. Overall, good experience. I hope the price will come down so I can do more work.

I am turning 50 in a couple of months and wanted to have a little lift to my jowl area so I thought Ultherapy would be a good option for me since I don't think I'm ready for a lower face lift yet. My friend had it done and I went with her. She got about 24 shots of lidocane in her face as well as a vicodin and xanax to help with the pain. She got immediate results and was very satisfied with the procedure. She had it done at a med-spa with a nurse practitioner for $3,500. I prefer to always have procedures done by a doctor so I did some research and found one in my area that would also charged $3,500. At the initial consulation he said they didn't use Lidocane, just the pain pill and xanax but when I came for the procedure he said that they had started using Lidocane shots as the patients complained too much about the pain. They numbed my face with numbing cream and I took my own pain reliever and a muscle relaxer as that is what I use for a chronic pain condition. I am very happy they put the numbing cream on because my friend did not get the cream and I think the shots hurt more than the Ulthera. I also brought my IPod and listened to music during the procedure which helped a lot. The procedure was very painful around my cheek bones, temple and forehead but didn't hurt at all on my neck and lower face area. I think the pain would have been to much for me had I not had the Lidocane. The zaps last for about 3 seconds each so I tried to do breathing techniques and counting and get through the hard parts. I did get a couple of bruises but nothing dramatic. My face was also quiet red so for me this would not have worked as a "lunchtime" procedure. I'd say more like a weekend procedure as I was a little red and bruised for a couple of days. It has been one week today that I had it done and I went in for a follow up with the doctor. I can't tell much of a difference myself but he says that he can see a tightening of the skin and to be patient, that I will see results in a few months. So, so far I can't give it a resounding thumbs up or down...we'll just have to wait and see. The pictures I will post are of the day of the procedure before I went and then this morning. I am not wearing make up and I tried to get the same angles as well as I could. I'll post more photos as warranted. For now I guess I'd say if the money isn't a huge issue for you then go ahead and do it. Just be sure to get the numbing cream, Lidocane, a pain killer and anti anxiety meds and bring your IPod. I also advise to have all procedures done by an MD if possible because you are dealing with your face and why risk any harm being done by someone not as knowledgeable about the inner workings of your face. At my consultation the doctor told me I would be given a pain reliever and anti anxiety medicine. He said they did not use lidocane Updated on 3 May 2012: Hi, I wanted to fix a spelling error and also remove the last line which was supposed to be deleted but I cannot figure out how to edit. Am I allowed to edit my posts? P.S. remind me to never post pictures of myself straight out of the shower! How unflattering. Updated on 8 May 2012: Here are pictures at 13 days out. I'm not really sure how much of a change I see. I think I see a little change but I don't want to lie to myself. I'd say in the pictures my neck looks a little tighter and maybe the jowls a little sharper. I'm cautiously optimistic. Updated on 9 May 2012: My friend asked why I posted such bad pics of myself and I said it's because I wanted to show the actual reality of what I looked like unvarnished and not posing. So here are a couple pics with makeup and angling my face in a way that looks more flattering. :) Updated on 16 May 2012: So here I am at 3 weeks out. Looking at the pics I think I can tell a difference on the right side jowl area (the right side of the photo, not right side of my face) but the left side not so much. I do think I got a bit of lift in the eye area as well although that wasn't a major problem for me. What I really hate are the jowls and my neck so I'm really hoping I get more of a result. I might have it redone if I don't feel like I got the result I wanted. My doctor charges $2,500 for a re-do which personally, I think is a little steep. That would bring the total to 6K and for that I probably could have gotten a lower face lift, or at least a large portion of it. But, since the whole reason I did Ulthera is to avoid a surgery I will wait until the 3 month mark before I consider if it is worth it or not. Until then I'd say, If money isn't an issue got for it. If money is an issue I'd probably put it towards fillers and Botox for an immediate result. I did see my friend who had it done a month before me and her result is fantastic. It completely eliminated the little waddle she had under her chin and her whole face has a nice lift to it. For her it was definitely worth it and she'd do it again. Until next week.... Updated on 23 May 2012: Here I am at 4 weeks. I can say with certainty that I do see a difference in my jowl area which was the primary area of my concern. I think the right side (as you are looking at it) is doing a little better than the left. I'm not getting the kind of results that my friend got where she saw differences every day, I think I'm progressing very slowly but surely. I'm a pretty impatient person so it's pretty hard to wait it out. Still giving it an undecided review until I'm three months out because the cost is really high and money is really tight for a lot of people out there so I can't decide yet what the cost/benefit ratio is. Updated on 30 May 2012: Okay, 5 weeks out. Still undecided because while I do see a slight difference its the cost vs. benefit ratio I have a problem with. In these pics I do have some powder, blush, gloss and mascara on because I was looking particularly haggard today! Also, you will see my kitty Snoopy's opinion on all this folly! I think I will wait till my 2 month mark before posting more pics to see if there is a more noticeable change if I don't take pics weekly. Hope this helps you make an informed decision. Updated on 11 Jun 2012: I said I wasn't going to post until I was 2 months out BUT since I am going to get Dysport and a bit of Restylane tomorrow I thought I better post new pics before I do in order to give you the most accurate critique. I feel pretty much the same as I did at 5 weeks and I think I'm at about 6.5 weeks now. I see a little difference but I still don't know if it's worth it at $3,500. My results seem to be coming very slowly thus the Drysport and Restylane. My birthday is in a month so I need so instant gratification! P.S. The Doc I see for injections is not the same Doc that did the Ultherapy. I've just been using this Doc for a long time and I trust him to not 'Lohan' me. He is also very reasonable in his pricing. I hate it when Doc's charge Botox or Dysport by 'area'. I like to pay by unit because I don't get very much. Updated on 7 Aug 2012: Hi everyone, so here I am at 3 months and change. I feel I can now for sure see a difference in my jowl area but you can judge for yourself. And in full disclosure I did have a Restylne and Dysport treatment about a month and a half ago. You can see the before pics I took before I went. I had the Restylene done on the marionette lines and a little put in my lips. As to whether or not it is worth it I still have to say undecided because of the cost vs. benefit issue. The price seems to vary by geographical location so I think it would be wise to get prices from different places. That might require a little traveling but if it saves you $1,000 it would be worth it. What I'm obsessing about now is my neck and how crepey the skin is getting. When I requested the Ultherapy be done all the way down my neck the doctor said that it wasn't shown to be effective in that area which does not make sense to me. If it makes collagen in one area why not the other? My last thought for this post is that if you have this done I strongly suggest you have the procedure performed by and MD. There have been pictures and stories showing some people have been burned by the procedure and as this happened to me with laser hair removal when performed by an RN (who was very well trained and recommended) I just don't think it's smart to trust your face to anyone other than a doctor. (And yes I sued and won.) So just be smart about the whole thing, if you have money to burn then sure go for it, if on the other hand you have credit card debt or other bills to pay then I'd say do that and wait for the prices to come down as they surely will once more doctors have the machine and competition drives the price down. Updated on 28 Jan 2013: I decided to have a second Ultheray treatment January 9th 2013. The second treatment was originally quoted to me at $1,500 but since they now include the neck area they charged me $2,300 bringing my total Ultheapy expense to $5,800. So is it worth it? $5,800 is about $7,500 before tax income which for a lot of people is a few months salary. In my opinion only do it if you have a lot of money and no debt. You will see much more dramatic results with a lower face lift or eye lift than you will with Ultherapy but as I'm afraid of surgery I decided to give it another go especially since my main obsession now is my neck that is getting crepey. I have seen that there are other doctors offering specials including Ultherapy, Botox and Filler for around $3,500 which seems like a great deal to me, my only concern is that I still believe that the procedure should be performed by an MD for safety reasons and that low price makes me suspect that the work is being done by a nurse or PA. I's been a week and a half since the second procedure and I still feel the strange hard to describe feeling in my forehead and a bit of soreness in my face and neck. Somehow this encourages me since at least I know something happened in there. I had bruises on my neck for a week that made it look like I had hickies all over. Thankfully it was cold and I was able to wear scarves. The bruises were likely caused by the lidocaine injections not the Ultherapy itself. I'll post more pictures when I am at my one year mark so you can get a really solid of idea of what kind of results you might attain.

Its expensive here! but so far so good. Pros: i am darker skinned, and feared the laser. but have had excellent experiences so far with the outcomes. Tons of people telling me i glow now, and have smooth skin. She was able to adjust the levels according to the section on the face needed, and started minimally on the first round, to asses how the rest should go. I always prefer a conservative person to an aggressive one. I cant say enough , how i LOVE my skin now. I had severe severe acne scarring on practically my entire face but nose/neck. I dont "need" makeup anymore, i look healthier, cant get enough compliments =), and im not afraid of the camera or HD anymore. Cons: oh dear lord, this is the most painful experience i have had! Even with the numbing cream, which i realize, they allow 1hr to sit (but needs 1.5) even if the percentage is stronger, it doesnt work so well in 1 hr. There is A LOT of down time! swollen for about 3 days , 2nd day is worse. Flaking and peeling on day 3-5, Red as heck on day 6-7...and finally.....the new skin. I actually don't mind the little redness, since i'm darker, it actually adds a nice blush to me =) anyway it was so painful i teared during the procedures (i have good pain tolerance generally), also, i took a vicodon prior to one- No real help.. Took a Norco (stronger) on another time--- FINALLY felt the relief. as we also know, they increase the strength and passes each time u go..so the pain...gets harder to deal with. On the other hand, each time u see better results, so u mentally focus on that, while ur face is on fire. I will honestly say, i have one left to go, and i'm scared of the pain, but the constant compliments, keep me going. I know its not just in my mind , if others see it so drastically. Heck, even guys i know who notice nil, noticed! now thats a good feeling. There isnt a price on the numerous years i spent feeling awful with the tremendous scars i had. no pain...no gain. A big con about them though, is they do not offer options for pain relief, other than the numbing cream. I had to use my own stuff.

I had two deep lines right underneath my eyes, lots of fine lines below those deep lines when I smiled and some acne scars on forehead and cheeks. I was recommended a series of 4 Fraxels for $3800. I was told there would be minimal pain and I could go right back to work the same day after procedure. Both of them turned out to be very untrue. First time, it hurt like hell. I had to bite on something to prevent myself from screaming. Second time, they injected anesthesia in addition to the regular topical numbing cream. But it still hurt so much that I had to stop the procedure after only 5 minutes and rescheduled this to be done under general anesthesia, which cost $500 the first time (2nd treatment) and then reduced further for the remaining treatments because apparently the anesthetia was in high demand. My face was so swollen after each treatment that there was no way I could be back to work right away. In fact, it was swollen (and hurting) for at least a week each time. After the entire series was done, I saw no change in the problems I was trying to address. I was told that it was probably becuase my lines and scars were not that prominent to begin with and therefore the improvement wasn't very noticeable. I agree they were not horribly deep, but they should have told me that BEFORE they recommended the procedure and said "Fraxel will take care of all these." I also do not know whether the lack of result was due to improper operation of the procedure. However, in terms of customer experience, they did a superb job in after treatment care and followup. So I will list "recommend" below although I wish they had "maybe" as an option. Just make sure you do your research in terms of results before deciding and don't buy into their sales pitch. Also don't believe any before-and-after photos as they are all taken with different lighting, makeup, expressions, etc. To a certain degree, these are dishonest practices. Unfortunately, I haven't met any provider who doesn't do that. Updated on Jan 1, 2009: I just noticed that there are two Fraxel catogories: Fraxel Laser is called restore while there is another one called Fraxel repair. It seems like Fraxel restore has a lower average price than Fraxel repair, although the fee I ended up paying was repair's average price. I found a good discussion about the technical difference between these two. http://www.realself.com/forum/fraxel-repair-different-fraxel-laser  

Considered the transplant procedure for more than 2 years. My classification was probably Norwood IIb or III, but never classified officially. Finally decided to go ahead with it last November (2016). Decided to go with Dr. Berman in Palo Alto as he was close to home and was one of the original advisors for Artas and was highly involved with the robot development. Once I set the date, I went many sleepless nights with anxiety as to how my looks will change and what will my colleagues/friends will think about me. The anxiety and stress was quite bad leading up to the day of the surgery. Decided to go with 3000 grafts of FUE as recommended by the physician. 28grafts/cm2 density up front and 21/cm2 in the crown. Meant to be 2 day procedure. First day to harvest and implant about 1500 grafts up front rinse and repeat the same on the 2nd day. Day 1: Arrived for surgery at 7:30 am. Had to eat a healthy breakfast to handle the Vicodin and the anxiety pill before the morning. Took about 20mins to do the prep and decided on the area of implant. Doctor programmed the implant area on Artas and the density. First step was for Artas to make about 1500 incisions up front, getting the area ready for implant as soon as the grafts are ready later. Can't let the grafts stand around too long. Nurses injected the area around the front implant area with Lidocaine. They also injected two right above the eye brows. This was probably the most painful part of the entire procedure. Not because of the syringe itself but the Lidocaine that burns as it is injected. On a scale of 1-10, I thought the pain was about 9. Mostly because of the repeated injections. Once they tested the area to be numb, the extraction started. It occurred in grids at a time, so you get some break in between. I was trying to watch reruns of 'Silicon Valley' on my iPad. I could watch iPad and check emails through most part of the procedure. Once all the extraction were complete, we stopped for lunch and then the implant started. The implantation was manually done by the nurses (two of them working at a time). Took about 4 hrs or so to complete the 1500 implants. Uber'ed my way back home. Day2: More or less the same as day 1. Except now the doctor had to manually make the incisions in the crown area, as Artas system cannot do so in the crown area. Then the extraction started using Artas and 1500 more grafts extracted. The implant procedure was same as Day 1. I was given a surgeon's cap to wear on the way home. And sheets to protect pillows while sleeping. First few days you sleep with your head elevated to reduce the blood pressure in your scalp. I didn't really have trouble sleeping, thought the Acetaminophen with Codeine helped a bit the first day. I didn't really need any pain killers after first night, but I may have taken a regular Tylenol as needed a couple of times. Day after procedure: The trick now was, I had to be at work the very next day and was figuring out how to go to work without exposing my bloody scalp. I bought one of those Flex-fit baseball caps (in advance from Amazon), which covers the back of your head fully. I removed the elastic lining around the rim of the cap, so it fit on my head loosely. The top was not touching my implanted area, the back was touching the donor area, which didn't bother me. So essentially for me it was life as usual beginning the day after the procedure. But though if you can afford to take a few days off, that may be the best. 7-10 days Post: About 7 days after the procedure the little black scabs (produced by each individual implant) will start falling off. Some of them fell off with the little hair attached to it, but apparently by then the root had set inside the scalp, so the tip of hair falling off is ok. By 10th day all the scabs had fallen off and you can walk outside without a hat. Even the donor area is healed well by now (see pics). I guess most of the hair falls off after the implant but will slowly grow back over several months, so will post my progress over time. For now (weeks after the procedure), the hair is pretty thin, which is actually good since it doesn't look very obvious that something was done to my scalp. I am quite happy with my doctor (Dr. Berman) and the staff. They were very professional all the procedure and the consultations before and after the procedure. Highly recommended. Will post updates in the future Updated on 9 Jan 2017: Adding pictures from before and shortly after. As noted before it is perfectly fine to go back to work the day after the procedure, but having a few days of recovery would help. After about a month the growth is pretty sparse. Will post more pics later. Updated on 13 Mar 2017: Updated pictures. hope it helps. Looks like most of the growth will start after 3 months, so keeping my fingers crossed. Will continue to update periodically. +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++