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First off, a sincere thanks to this community as a...
First off, a sincere thanks to this community as a whole and the individuals who make it what it is. I began balding at a relatively young age (18), started Propecia, battled side effects for about 10 years until it finally got unbearable, lost a lot of hair over the next 3 years (but not as much as I expected), and finally hit a plateau at which I slowly and gradually thinned thereafter. My crown was nearly slick bald (probably about 200 hairs over an area about the size of a CD), but the mid-scalp and hairline, while thin, felt appropriate for my age. After literally years of pondering and internet research, I finally began visiting doctors. The first one made me uneasy, trying to push me towards a "strip" procedure when all I seemed to be reading online was that the FUE was better. This doctor also just couldn't sympathize and I wanted a doctor who sincerely understood the struggle this process is for many of us males who finally work up the courage to make that initial visit. The second doctor hit all the right points, had had the procedure done himself (a huge selling point) and after some discussion with (and tremendous support from) my wife, I decided to pull the trigger.
I'm currently 13 days post-op and couldn't be happier. While I felt a bit vain going into it, I was finally convinced that the technology does indeed WORK and I was blessed to have the cash available to make it happen, so I went ahead with 1,000 grafts to the crown (average of 3 hairs per graft) in a 6-hour session that really wasn't bad at all after the initial local anesthesia (which was admittedly pretty painful - 6 out of 10). The first 72 hours were pretty uncomfortable, but not painful (pain pills worked like a charm), and I didn't have my first bath until 48 hours after the surgery. The absolute most important thing I think I did to have so much comfort and to lose my scabs so quickly was to apply the saline spray religiously. I literally applied it every hour for probably 12-15 hours a day the first three days. By day 8, once tremendously moist, I could lightly rub my fingers over the recipient area and almost roll the scabs right off. While I've had some initial shedding, I haven't lost a single graft.
My pinkness was pretty bad on day 6 when I went back to work, but either no one noticed or they noticed and didn't say anything. I'd also grown my hair long in the back, so the transplant was able to be conducted "incognito." I can't cut my hair short yet, and the crown is noticeably shorter than the rest of my hair because they trimmed it pretty short in order to have as little interference in the recipient area as possible. Unless someone is standing directly above me looking down, they can't notice, and the pinkness simply looks like I spent a day on the golf course without a hat. It doesn't scream "he had a hair transplant" or anything. The most noticeable aspect was the scabbing the first week or so, but again, by day 8, I had no problem removing the scabs myself. Oddly enough, it was even kind of "fun;" that may sound weird, but I knew it was one of my first steps to "the other side" of the procedure and made me feel as if I was making progress.
Based on the little mini-sprouts I currently have, the 1,000 grafts should give me a decent amount of coverage. It won't be perfect, and I'll still be thin in the area, but it won't be anything like the stark contrast between a pretty thick mid-scalp and then sudden transition to nearly all skin. I have black hair and light complexion, so if you can imagine a freshly paved road alongside a white sand beach - that's the look I had going pre-transplant (and that I'll probably have again temporarily once my mini sprouts start shedding).
In any event, I will gladly post about my continued progress and will upload some pictures in the near future. As far as my comfort with my doctor and the ease of the procedure, I am definitely inclined to have an additional procedure done to get another 750-1,000 in the crown and 1,000 or so to the hairline and one minor trouble spot mid-scalp. The only determinant for me at this point is what kind of actual long-term results I see from this first procedure. I'm looking forward to the next 12-18 months.
In closing, I felt compelled to post (a) because I feel great and finally feel like I have some "closure" regarding a deeply personal issue that's haunted me for quite a while and (b) because I owe it to this wonderful community. Thank you all again, and I wish you all the best in your hair restoration journeys. Now, if I can just kick some of these lingering Propecia sides to the curb - it will happen. I do believe these are "wounds" that time will heal.
All the best,
ThickUpTop
I'm currently 13 days post-op and couldn't be happier. While I felt a bit vain going into it, I was finally convinced that the technology does indeed WORK and I was blessed to have the cash available to make it happen, so I went ahead with 1,000 grafts to the crown (average of 3 hairs per graft) in a 6-hour session that really wasn't bad at all after the initial local anesthesia (which was admittedly pretty painful - 6 out of 10). The first 72 hours were pretty uncomfortable, but not painful (pain pills worked like a charm), and I didn't have my first bath until 48 hours after the surgery. The absolute most important thing I think I did to have so much comfort and to lose my scabs so quickly was to apply the saline spray religiously. I literally applied it every hour for probably 12-15 hours a day the first three days. By day 8, once tremendously moist, I could lightly rub my fingers over the recipient area and almost roll the scabs right off. While I've had some initial shedding, I haven't lost a single graft.
My pinkness was pretty bad on day 6 when I went back to work, but either no one noticed or they noticed and didn't say anything. I'd also grown my hair long in the back, so the transplant was able to be conducted "incognito." I can't cut my hair short yet, and the crown is noticeably shorter than the rest of my hair because they trimmed it pretty short in order to have as little interference in the recipient area as possible. Unless someone is standing directly above me looking down, they can't notice, and the pinkness simply looks like I spent a day on the golf course without a hat. It doesn't scream "he had a hair transplant" or anything. The most noticeable aspect was the scabbing the first week or so, but again, by day 8, I had no problem removing the scabs myself. Oddly enough, it was even kind of "fun;" that may sound weird, but I knew it was one of my first steps to "the other side" of the procedure and made me feel as if I was making progress.
Based on the little mini-sprouts I currently have, the 1,000 grafts should give me a decent amount of coverage. It won't be perfect, and I'll still be thin in the area, but it won't be anything like the stark contrast between a pretty thick mid-scalp and then sudden transition to nearly all skin. I have black hair and light complexion, so if you can imagine a freshly paved road alongside a white sand beach - that's the look I had going pre-transplant (and that I'll probably have again temporarily once my mini sprouts start shedding).
In any event, I will gladly post about my continued progress and will upload some pictures in the near future. As far as my comfort with my doctor and the ease of the procedure, I am definitely inclined to have an additional procedure done to get another 750-1,000 in the crown and 1,000 or so to the hairline and one minor trouble spot mid-scalp. The only determinant for me at this point is what kind of actual long-term results I see from this first procedure. I'm looking forward to the next 12-18 months.
In closing, I felt compelled to post (a) because I feel great and finally feel like I have some "closure" regarding a deeply personal issue that's haunted me for quite a while and (b) because I owe it to this wonderful community. Thank you all again, and I wish you all the best in your hair restoration journeys. Now, if I can just kick some of these lingering Propecia sides to the curb - it will happen. I do believe these are "wounds" that time will heal.
All the best,
ThickUpTop