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6 years later and going strong
The scar is nearly impossible to find, even when searching with a comb. My hairline is not dense, but it is more square, and gives me enough hair to part and style without looking bad- I even get complements from time to time. It is not the thick hair of my teens but as feel more confident and that worth a lot.
I would do it again in a heartbeat if I thought I’d get a denser result, and someday may. The FUE procedure was far simpler in terms of recovery and scarring, so I’d recommend that for most people. The SMP is great for those with a shaved or buzzed hairstyle, no need to hesitate on that.
I am now considering a hair advancement surgery because my forehead has always been large, and this would help both problems at once.
Best of luck to those interested in this procedure. Dr Wasserbauer is definitely worth contacting if you are interested.
2 years postop Winter 2017 (1 year after touchup surgery)
I met with the doctor and let her know I was grateful to have something instead of nothing, however the hairline revision did not have anywhere near the density and definition I was hoping for, even with 2 surgeries. She offered to have my scars at the back of my head covered by SMP (an ash grey tatoo that visibly replaces the missing hair density). She was not willing to SMP the hairline where the density was noticeable, but I had the option to purchase the service. Of course I'm not happy to settle for a less than great result, but felt it might be unfair to ask for a third surgery, which I was unsure would yield the result anyways.
Was it worth it?
My "better half" tells me that there was no result, but I know that's not true. People less nice than me might have demanded a refund or a third surgery. I seriously question whether a third surgery would give me the density I want, since it's obvious to me that a great deal of transplanted hair (~2,900 total) did not survive the procedure, as this should have been enough for a dense result. Since visible hair gains didn't really occur until 18 months post surgery, I'll wait another 6 months before considering SMP, etc. I do believe the SMP tattooing would be able to bridge the density gap without additional surgeries.
Does it look natural?-
Definately, it looks like it's thinning in the corners.
Is it better than before?
Yes
Do I feel better about what I have now?
Yes
Would I do it again?
Debatable- the high cost of surgery and "subtle" results trouble me. My hair is medium/fine and dark ash blonde/light brown, it looks natural, but it's not coarse enough for a wow result you might see in some patients.
What would I say to someone considering the surgery?-
If you still have some hair, I'd very seriously consider just doing SMP, which would take the place of daily Toppik or other hair densifiers, is much less expensive, and looks good if the tech is good. It does fade with time, I'm told it will last about 4 years before having to redo. This would also look great on someone going for a shaved/buzzed hair look. If you are truly bald and it troubles you to not have hair- go for the surgery, but even if it's a small surgery, TEMPER YOUR EXPECTATIONS, it's probably never going to be enough.
1.5 year post-op Summer 2016
Provider Review
I researched several top specialists throughout California and decided to go with Dr. Wasserbauer for the following reasons: -She was within an hour's drive, and wouldn't require multiple trips to SoCal -Her portfolio of results was very good -She was very conservative and concerned about today's hair as well as decades from now -She was not so conservative that she would not alter my hairline, and thus, keep me from achieving my primary goal -She was well reviewed by patients and peers, and well-qualified -Her pricing was not low, but comparable to other top doctors -Although it was hard to reach her initially (more later), when I met her in person, she was warm, genuine, and understanding of how my case was so distressing to me. She was confident, but not arrogant (as other doctors I spoke with), and answered all my questions when in person. My one and only concern in the whole process was that Dr. Wasserbauer was almost completely unresponsive to email and phone. I almost didn't pursue her for surgery because I waited 3 weeks without email response, I called her staff, then followed up with her, and instead of answering my questions I had bulleted, she replied that her staff would contact me to make an appointment. This, I had to call for as well, and the doctor would not see or discuss with me for 2-3 months unless I scheduled surgery in January and made a $1000 deposit. This too, was unexpected. There were other emails she did not reply to, and when she gave her personal number in case of problems or questions (I called regarding the swelling), she did not return my call. I found this strange; perhaps someone should be "on call" if she is not available. My takeaway is that she is a great surgeon, excellent when you have her in person; her staff do the rest. Dr. Wasserbauer did, however, call about 3 weeks after surgery and was very helpful. My surgery experience was otherwise wonderful and I hope it's the only one I'll ever need. I found that both she and the staff were all very good to me, and even transplanted more grafts than I had paid for. If the results are as good as the experience, I will definitely recommend her, with the expectation to call the staff with all questions and plan on communication in person with the doctor.