Eyebrow Transplant by Dr. Epstein - Exceeded Expectations

I noticed about 10 years ago that my eyebrows were starting to thin. I would think this would be a difficult transition for anyone since no one really talks about this issue with aging. But as a male dealing with this issue, it was very difficult as we have limited options based on societal pressures.
I looked into several options, starting with non-invasive and working my way up from there. First, I tried using an eyebrow pencil that helped a lot. But as the thinning progressed, I was basically drawing on my eyebrows.
And I got really good at it by watching LOTS of youtube videos on how to make it look the most natural. But I knew this was not a good long-term solution. I was using other means to slow down or stop the thinning:
Minoxidil, castor oil, Latisse, etc. all of which either barely slowed it down or had no effect at all.
Last year, I swallowed my pride and tried microblading. I Unfortunately, this was not a good option. It's difficult to make a natural looking male eyebrow that did not make me look like a drag queen. Not only did this look unnatural, but because of my skin type (oily), it did not last very long. Also, it damages your skin as well as the little amount of eyebrow hair that you do have. Although with the help of my trusty eyebrow pencil, it did help improve my situation for a moment. Word of advice: for those of you thinking about this option, please really evaluate if this is a good option for you. I don't think it's worth it especially since you have to live with the results you get as there is little that can be done to correct it.
While doing all of these treatments, I kept looking into eyebrow transplant (specifically with Dr. Jeffrey Epstein) but thought the procedure was too extreme. But after the disaster that was the microblading, I decided I needed to seriously consider a transplant. Through my research I found that the two best surgeons for this (in my opinion) was either Dr. Dauer or Dr. Epstein. I decided to go with Dr. Epstein for several reasons: expertise, location, accessibility and finally cost.
I'm sharing my experience, what worked for me, my approach and results. I hope this helps.

The procedure and recovery was pretty easy. I met with a nurse to complete some forms then Dr Epstein came in and we discussed the shape and expectations. He was ver. I’ve to chat with and provided some guidance and feedback to the current shape that I had penciled in that morning. I had selected FUE Métis of extraction. I was then placed in a gown, gave me Valium and Benadryl (an Ambien was offered but I declined) and I pretty much slept through the full 5-6 hour procedure. At the end, they gave me a mirror to look at the results. I had concerns about the arch and Dr Epstein explained that the swelling was causing it to be higher than what it would look like after I healed. But he did offer to place a few hairs to lower it a bit, which I greatly appreciated.
I made it back to my VRBO and basically rested for 3 days. I slept in a seated position that night to minimize swelling. Some swelling did occur after the second night along with some minor bruising. Rest is the key. You don’t want to touch your eyebrows, get them wet or raise your blood pressure.
I flew home on Friday and continued to heal. By Weds (8 days after the procedure) I was fully healed and 99% of scabs had fallen off. There was no obvious evidence that I had facial surgery a week ago.
I am extremely happy with the results. Dr Epstein is a true artist and master of his craft. I would highly recommend him for this procedure.

This was (mentally) the hardest part of the recovery. Between 2-3 months your eyebrows will have shedded most of the transplanted hairs and will be dormant for the next few months. But I knew it would look much better soon.