Dr Feriduni FUE 2463 dense pack +Acell over 2 days on a 37 year Male NW2.5, 25-26 Jan

I want to start the thread with thanking 3 people/groups:
First a big thanks to Spencer Kobren for this great site with a ton of information for anyone considering going down the HT route or feeling down due to hair loss.

Secondly thanks to the community, the guys and women, who posts on this forum with news, info, experiences that I have used and made me feel comfortable and ready to take on such life changing event as a HT.

The community is the key reason I and probably many others have not fallen into, what I would consider the 3 death sins of HT:
1. Let me combine my summer vacation with a HT, it is easy and I am used to multitasking
2. Let me save EUR 2000 to go to Turkey to get a HT, after all, if it does not work, I have only lost little money (and 2000 donor grafts, but who is counting...)
3. Let me save the travelling cost and time and go with a local or at least a doctor from the same region/continent, after all the before and after pictures anyway all look the same on the websites…

Finally a big thanks to Dr. Feriduni and his entire team in Hasselt for making me feel like the center of the universe for 2.5 days with everything arranged like business class travelling and a treatment second to none.

After all the thanking, it is time for me to give something back to the community, so here goes. Not sure I am a real HT veteran yet, but never the less I had my first HT 2 days ago. Since this site and a few others have helped me tremendously in finding the right HT doctor, manage my expectations, understand the difference between the procedures and prepare myself for accurate downtime, time off work etc. I want to give back to this great community the most objective post, that I can give of my experience with the IAHRS member - Doctor Feriduni.

Below is as objective, as a (so far) happy patient can be:
I have split the information into 3 posts to help those, who just want a quick review and those who want all details:

First Post (this one): Short background and the actual hair transplant in numbers and key info + pictures

Second + Third Post: More details of the HT and how the experience was + some more pictures

My story in a short summary (I have posted before):
37 year old Scandinavian male with a hair loss pattern of NW2-3.
I have been lurking here for 2 years initially researching, and thereafter became member in early 2010. So for previous 4 years I have been reading and researching. I work in a conservative industry in a suit & tie and with customers up close daily. I started loosing my hair in early 20'ies, until 31 it was still ok, but slowly and island of hair was formed in the forelock, and high receded temples. I have been on proscar cut 1/4 (finasterid) for 2 years and minoxolid in the crown (basically no side effects, it has halted my loss and had good re-growth in the crown). My family history of NW3-4 as max, but nobody with a full head of hair.

I started out 4 years ago believing I had to go for a strip 2-3000 grafts. Then made a short list of H&W, Rahal or Feller. Then later changed my mind to FUE after more research and more hair loss. Made a new short list with Rahal, Feller or Feriduni (contacted 2 of them and ended up choosing Dr. Feriduni, due to chemistry, hairline designs, size of HT and reputation). I have to say I have huge respect for all the IAHRS Docs mentioned above, that I just listed and cannot say, that anything that I found or felt was negative, just had to choose one in the end.

My HT in numbers:
Dr. Feriduni FUE 2463 dense pack with Acell over 2 days
Donor supply 96 per sqm
Total theoretical donor supply with FUE 12500
Very conservatively calculated donor supply 7-8000 with FUE in minimum 4 sessions (Feriduni told me that his record so far was 10K+ in I think 6 sessions)

Hairs:
1's : 675
2's : 1478 = 2956
3's/4’s: 312 = 1030
Total app 4660 hairs

Dense pack placement density 60-65 grafts/sq cm just behind the soften hairline, going down to 35 grafts/sq cm further back.
In the pictures you can see me just pre-op, post-op on the first day and post-op second day and the donor area.

Conclusion:
I have to stress, that it is too early for me to conclude anything. The final result is 12-15 months away still, but I am happy with the design of the hair line, the way the procedure was done, and the attitude and behavior of the entire team at the Feriduni clinic. I will try to post monthly in this thread with picture updates.

Any questions are welcomed and comments to the hair line etc…

The 2 days HT in more details:

DAY -1
Arrived the night before, and the clinic had arranged everything. Taxis to and from airport and to and from the clinic and the hotel. All very professional, and I did not have to think about any practical things. I felt like it was business class all the way.

The hotel was great and apparently used for most of their patients and the same with the taxi company, so they were all used to see shaved down men with a bit of blood in the front and back.

DAY 1:
I had breakfast as 07.00 after a fairly good night's sleep. I did however have an early waking up, with a bit of doubt - even after all these years of research, but I managed to shake it off quick.

The clinic had ordered a taxi, and I arrived at the clinic at 07.55 – it is some 8 minutes drive in taxi from the hotel.

I was welcomed by the doctor and an office rep, all really pleasant, professional and polite. The office was top modern with top IT and interior. I changed into surgery clothes and was offered drinks and fruit. I received some legal papers to sign, when I have read them carefully. It was all really standard but sake good order I had some questions, and they were explained by the doc to my satisfaction.

Then I spend 2 hours in Dr. Feriduni's office alone with him to discuss my expectations, concerns and questions and making initial hairline design. The Doc had 50+ examples with similar hair loss or wishes like mine and the outcomes, so had my own screen to check it all out, while he was browsing through his picture files.

He took pictures of my donor and my crown and explained, which hairs were healthy and which might die in near future. It looked very positive for my age. We then did the same for the temples, where my situation was a lot less positive. The area behind the forelock/island of hair was quickly receding and worsening still after using proscar for 2 years. We also discussed family history and he checked and counted my donor supply and calculated that theoretically I had 12500+ graft for FUE. He said that very conservatively he could do easy 8-9000 in 4-5 operations, if I would ever need them.

The Doc said he did not believe I would go beyond a NW3.5 which is like my grand farther today who is 85. So expected worse case for me seemed to be that I would need one day 500 for the island of hairs maybe in 5-10 years + another up to 2000 in the bridge behind my now finalized HT, in case proscar should stop working in 10 years.

Everything was professional, detailed and with me in the center all the time. No questions were left unanswered or hurried through. I had a long page with 30 questions or so, mainly on risk and concerns.

Then we discussed the hairline in more detail. I wanted a conservative, lifelong, symmetric (but natural) and dense hairline, but not lowered below my island of hair. Just closing my temple points in similar design, as my own hairline some 12 years ago - I brought pictures of myself as a 25 year old, and a few pictures of Ben Affleck, Matt Damon and some other "heroes".

He drew the hairline he would recommend, and I put it up 2 mm or so, and he had nailed it exactly, as I wanted and as I remember my hair (I always had high temples even in my early 20'ies). During the discussions he took pre-op pictures and pictures of the indicated hairline.I felt comfortable and excited, but of course a little nervous about the procedure itself, the potential pain etc., but it was all for nothing.

At 09.55 the actual HT procedure started. The Doc gave me some relaxer and thereafter local anesthesia which was done by several small injections. I do not like needles, but this was less painful, or on par with a dentist appointment.

Then he showed me the punches 0.85-0.9 mm special punch tools and the technicians, the head nurse and a nurse, both with some 15 years HT experience started extracting the grafts from the back of my head. They were working like clockwork, the Doc came in every 30 minutes and had a look and left again. I was lying face down for several hours, this was not nice, but it was doable. The last 100 grafts or so the doctor extracted himself, speed and style was exactly the same as the nurses.

After what felt like a long time with a few small breaks, where I could roll my shoulders and one where I went to the toilet, the extractions were done.

Then the doctor started doing all the incisions, he cut with micro blades, some 2300 places, really tight and clean work, I saw it in the mirror. After the incisions the two nurses started implanting the grafts based on whether it was 1’s, 2’s, 3’s or 4’s grafts – the hairline was saved for the doctor, who planted this in the end.

Not 100% sure about the time, but believe the whole thing took some 7 hours for the first days app 2100 grafts extraction, bathing the grafts in Acell, the incisions and the placement. There was planned a lunch, but we delayed it to after 16.45.

In the end the doc sprayed Acell on the recipient area and the nurses gave me a bandaged on.

I had a sandwich, drinks and some chocolate bars after the HT, I felt fine, but was quite tired, but no pain what so ever. A nice nurse went detailed through my night package with vitamin spray, pillow cover, U-shaped pillow, pain killers and papers with the Docs number etc.

Then the Doctor came and asked if everything was fine, and made sure I have understood the night instructions and the next day’s timing and plans.

Then the taxi was ready, and it was back to the hotel. I was tired but fine. I ordered room service and had dinner. Around 22.00 I took the last pain killer and went to bed and slept 1-2 hours at a time, with the U shaped pillow from the night package. This night’s sleep was not comfortably, but I got some total sleep of 4-5 hours.

Day 2 is in the next post.

The attached pictures are:
A closeup picture of my donor area 96 per sqm
A closeup picture of my crown.
Extracted grafts from day 1 - all really nice, with no torsion and lots of tissue to protect them. Actually looking more like grafts from a strip
My hairline
Picture of a target hairline (Ben Affleck) age appropriate and conservative in my opinion.

DAY 2:
I decided to have breakfast in the lobby early at 06.30, so there would be few people in the room. I wore my surgeon paper-cap on, so no one could see my bandages with blood formation in the back and incision holes in the front.

The taxi was there 07.45 and I was off again to the clinic for second round.

Second day was similar to the day before, the doctor welcomed me and asked about my night. I changed clothes. The doc gave me some relaxer and then the anesthesia and then the nurses started to extract the last 360+ grafts, this time from my sides above my ears.

The doctors made a few more incisions and then the nurses placed app 300 of them and the doctor placed the last in the hairline.

This time we were finished around 12.00. I had lunch, drinks etc and then I sat with the Doctor and went through all the pictures he had taken, he burned a DVD with them all and we looked at the hairline in the mirror, and he asked of my opinion.

Then we discussed expected growth, transection rates for the HT app 5-10% over the two days, capping rate as high as 20% in some small areas, due to the small diameter of the punch tool and my many 3s and 4s with thin hairs (capping means that the nurse made a punch, but did not manage to extract the graft, so I got a small scar, but no graft and potentially in some cases lost 1 or 2 of the hairs in that graft). I am not 100% sure about the exact numbers, so will try to get this from the operation report, when it is done next week.

I then asked what he thought about the procedure and he said, that the grafts had been easy to extract, had good tissue, looked healthy and they had to use little force and torsion, as well as the graft had a short “out of body period”, so even without Acell, he would have given these the best possible chances for good growth.

The same nice nurse went through my farewell-home package with all papers, info, bandana, pain killers, shampoo, vitamin sprays, oils etc

Then the office rep came with the final invoice, and I was informed, that I would only have to pay for the 2400 grafts, the last 63 was for free.

The Doctor came to say goodbye, we agreed I would come in shortly the next day to have my scalp washed by a nurse, the Doctor would not be in office, as he had a conference overseas. So we said goodbye, I told him, I was very happy so far, and I promised him to send some pictures in a week or two and stay in touch. I thanked him and the staff for a very good experience.

Next day I was in for a few hours to get my scalp washed gently, and thereafter I killed some time in one of the clinics room, (a place where nobody was looking at me) before I got some help to get the bandanna on, and was off with taxi to the airport. At security they actually asked me to take off the bandanna, but after explaining them that I was not pretty underneath, and that the clinic had placed it on me, they let me through wearing it.

Now sitting a 2 days after with very puffy and swollen eyes, just as the Doc had informed me (but me being the big optimist, believed I would of course be the special 1%, not getting it from dense packing  well I guess not)

I will end with the positives, negatives and one interesting observation:
Positives:
Basically everything. Just read through my three posts, I am so happy and just waiting to see the grown out result in 12-15 months, which I have to stress I cannot judge at this point, but I will do my best to post app. monthly pictures and give my views on it. I have high hopes but of course, without a final good result, the rest is unimportant.

Negatives:
I really struggle with this one. I basically have no negatives. So I thought long and hard for good feedback to him. As I am a business man myself, to ask myself if I would change anything, if I owned the Feriduni Hair clinic. I guess only a minor thing comes to mind:

More visibility of the Feriduni Clinic’s results on the websites:
I know he does not need a bigger waiting line of clients, as you already need to wait 3-5 months for a 2 day HT, likely the waiting list is shorter if it’s only a 1 day HT (below 2000 FUE). But especially if you like me, prefers a THU-FRI or WED-THU for a 2 day FUE, you will have to be out in good time. Anyway my feel is that Feriduni is compared to his level of expertise, somewhat underrepresented and not as known on this site and some of the other Docs.

This is a shame as Dr. Feriduni can do things that many of the other IHARS Docs cannot, when it comes to HT, including the size of FUE HT, FUE dense packing etc. Some can do it, but very few can do all of this combined, basically only one comes to mind Dr Rahal. I have spend hours and hours on research on the net, and I do believe that forums like this one is the best objective source for info, as the doctors own sides are of course one sided. On the forums you can get the whole picture, and you can even ask members questions, who have been through, what you are considering to do.

Finally an interesting observation, also for people who will not go for a HT:
I have sworn that the bald look does not work for me. Even during my time in the army, I only had a crew cut and it worked ok, but back then I had a lot more hair. Now when the nurses cut me down with 0 clipper, I was shocked the first day and hated the look, as I expected. On the second day, however I slowly got used to the look, and here 4 days after, I actually know that, this is not the last time I shave down. I will also rock a really short look at least sometimes for holidays… Another great advantage with FUE…

Any questions are welcomed and comments to the hair line etc…

THE END

I have been saying it for ages; Dr. Feriduni is a FUE master. I'm considering FUE myself in the future but I intend to wait maybe 3 years to see how my hair loss is progressing and to wait to get my finances in order as I have decided to make a career change.

I can't wait to see your results. A theoretical 12500 FU by FUE is astounding. A conservative 7-8000 sounds very reassuring for you. I imagine the doc could extract a total of 9000-10000 for you no problem if you need them but it doesn't sound like you will need them. Congrats. This is going to be a fantastic result I'm sure. Keep us updated please. All the best with the growth.

Excellent, thanks for giving back, sounds and looks great so far.

I am after a FUE transplant and the same surgeons come to mind as you had in your list, Rahal, Feller or Feriduni.

All highly rated so with that in mind making a final decision on who to choose is all down to price and convenience for me as I am sure they would all do an awesome job.

As I live in England, Feriduni located in Belgium seems like the best option although I have no idea what he charges per graft as there is nothing on the website.

Going to Belgium will cost very little, a short flight from London, if I could find cheap accommodation I would be happy to stay there until my head had totally healed as would hate going to the airport, through security looking like a plonker.

Seeing as the British Pound is stronger than the Euro then this could be a huge advantage too.

How much did your transplant procedure cost you in Euro's?
or how much were you charged per graft?

The answer to this question could be one of the last things I need to know before picking up the phone.

Hi FDR & Sausage,
FDR: thanks for your comments. Agree Feriduni is up there with the very best, and he is proving daily that some of the old short comings of FUE is a thing of the past, like size, costs, time etc... Will do my utmost to post monthly here and answer questions when needed. Thanks for your input earlier, this was some of the reasons why my hairline looks like it does and the graft placements. Please shoot me a private message on this career change, sounds interesting.

Sausage:
Suggest you take contact to Feriduni and at least 2-3 other doctors via mail directly with some photos of the area, where you want your work done.

For me Dr Feriduni send me his online recommendation/evaluation including cost quotations and other details, he can be reached on - expect some days delay in answer:
info ad dr.feriduni.be or
info ad hairdocs.info

This way you hear his views no matter if you end up going to him or someone else. Btw for your short list, as far as I know, Dr Feller does not do more than 1300 FUE in total for a 1 day HT, and he will not accept two day sessions back to back, so keep that in mind depending on your needs.

Below is from my specific HT, you will have to take contact to the Doc to get specific numbers for your needs, believe they do not have a EUR/graft price but more HT interval size prices and probably costs change yearly this is 2011 quotations:
EUR 10.400 for FUE 2463 grafts
EUR 350 for Acell (is not needed, I just wanted best possible growth)
EUR 210 for hotel for 3 nights (1 night was covered by Feriduni)
EUR 50 for food, 2 x room service, break fast included in hotel, lunch at clinic
EUR 0 for taxi to from airport and to from hotel - was covered by the clinic - believe they changed that now, so it is on your own account
For my flights I used bonus points.

Costs are important, but be careful not to make your decision on costs alone, at the end of the day there are many parameters you need to take into account. Your needs, hairline design, size of HT, dense packing/graft placement, FUE tool punch size, expected transection rate, costs/exchange rates, down time, use of Acell, your donor situation and family history, aftercare service, chemistry of you and doc etc

Good luck and keep researching.

First week is well over. During the first 3 nights post op it was hard to sleep with the U shaped pillow, but when you are tired enough - it helps.

Really happy with the hairline ,and my wife jokes that she cannot see a difference, which guess is a good thing - as I absolutely can...

Donor area has been good basically from day 2. After 7 days post the donor area in the back is invisible and nobody can see it, even up close. On the sides, guess if I have been harder on the scraps, I maybe could have made it invisible too, but these were the last graft extracted in the second round on second day, so still visible up close.

Receipient area is another story. Sure I could not have gone back to work after 7 days even with Acell. So keep that in mind for your HT planning.

You can see the pictures, with a hat it would be more than fine from 4-5 days but without my guess is more like 2 weeks - I am off for another week so hope that would be enough, will post the outcome.

Only concern at this point is the wrinkle/lines in the receipient area where it seems hair is missing for 1 mm - see picture 7 days post op. I have seen this with other FUE dense pack sessions, so guess normal, but hard to see when its your own scalp :-( Surely hope this is changes in the scalp that makes these "gaps" :eek: and they will look good when normalized, if anyone have any comments - please shoot - will send to Feriduni today to hear his views also of course...

Will strive to give an update after the 1 month postop.

Pictures:
1 pics to remind myself pre op - the starting point - night before in the hotel
3 pics same day post op
Some pics after 3 days
Some pics after 7 days (next post)

Pictures after 4 days and after 1 week.

Copied from the post just above - description that belongs to these pictures:

Donor area has been good basically from day 2. After 7 days post the donor area in the back is invisible and nobody can see it, even up close. On the sides, guess if I have been harder on the scraps, I maybe could have made it invisible too, but these were the last graft extracted in the second round on second day, so still visible up close.

Receipient area is another story. Sure I could not have gone back to work after 7 days even with Acell. So keep that in mind for your HT planning.

Only concern at this point is the wrinkle/lines in the receipient area where it seems hair is missing for 1 mm - see picture 7 days post op. I have seen this with other FUE dense pack sessions, so guess normal, but hard to see when its your own scalp :-( Surely hope this is changes in the scalp that makes these "gaps" and they will look good when normalized, if anyone have any comments - please shoot - will send to Feriduni today to hear his views also of course...

Will strive to give an update after the 1 month postop.

Hope it goes fell for you.

I filled out the consultation form on Feriduni's website 2 weeks ago and I have heard nothing from him, whereas with every other surgeon it took a day or 2 to reply.

Feriduni's website does look dated and uncared for which is a concern, maybe the consultation form is outdated and does not even work. I think you said you sent him an email. Maybe thats what I should do.

Everything is looking good to me. The donor seems to be rapidly healing. You'll feel much better about the whole thing once the scabs are gone and the recipient begins to clear up.

So here 16 days post op, I am going back to work tomorrow Monday. Its hard to see any clear visible signs of my HT, except a slight redness is still visible in the hairline and sometimes the donor area turns a bit red, like on the picture.

Aloe Vera Gel was a savior, it helped a lot especially these last 4 days to reduce the redness and I feel comfortable now returning to work. I followed the recommendations and cut myself very short just after Christmas, so people are used to see me with a very short haircut.

Have to say, that there was no way, I could have returned to work after 7-10 days without wearing hat. Just for information if you will be planning down time for a future HT. I know we are all different - but it is optimistic to think that anyone can return after 7 days (see my pics after 7 days in a post further up).

Only some hairs have fallen out until now. For first time in years I have something that looks like a mature hairline - unfortunately I know that it will only last some days more and then maybe 3 months of ugly duckling period :-(

So far happy with the healing process. Cannot wait to see the grown out results, but wow 12-15 months is a long waiting time.

Will return in a months time.

Looks good, Not sure why people say short haircuts don't work with Hair transplants, You can not see any difference between the native and transplanted hair.

How are you feeling about going back to work?

Looks good, Not sure why people say short haircuts don't work with Hair transplants, it looks fine, yeah it looks a bit thinner but its a million times better than a slap head look.

How are you feeling about going back to work?

Hi Sausage,
Thanks for your comments. I felt comfortably. First day at work is over and today is second.

I did not get any comments, except one who said that I looked different with such a short "army" cut... I felt like saying - that is because I have a hairline now :-)

Agree with you, considering maybe 30% of my hairs at least has shed already on the picture 16 days Postop, believe I can cut it to a low grade in 12 months and it will look great (that is what I hope), even if I probably will wear it longer than that, its nice to have the option.

Have seen 2 Feriduni patients who had shave down to say a 2nd grade and looked great, no signs of HT.

This looks very good so far .
No big unhappy face scar ;)
The short look suits you and frames your face well
Congratulations

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Still-Researching

believe I can cut it to a low grade in 12 months and it will look great (that is what I hope), even if I probably will wear it longer than that, its nice to have the option.

Have seen 2 Feriduni patients who had shave down to say a 2nd grade and looked great, no signs of HT.

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I can't believe there is so much disagreement about HT's with a short buzz look. People involved directly within the Hair transplant industry, people that have had transplants and general people who do lots of research and look at many results all have a differing opinion.

Maybe sometimes it works sometimes it doesn't, just depends if it suits you or if your surgeon did a good job or not.

Hi Dave52,
Thanks for your comments. Happy so far, but not keen on loosing my new given hairline the next couple of weeks and have to wait probably 3-4 months to see real growth, but I at least I know its going to happen so I can mentally prepare.

Happy to hear I can get away with the low grade haircut - honestly I think most people can, it is just a matter of trying it for a week or so, I could have sworn I could not, but I think it looks ok.

To Sausage,
I think you are asking the right questions on here. Keep doing that. Its ok to go for the ball and keep questioning, why different IAHRS clinics seems to be so sure, what is recommendable and not for a patient. That's why the years of research makes you so much sure of what to do. I was 100% sure that it would be FUE or nothing - I did not want a strip scar - even if they are very thin and looking more or less consistently ok today from some top clinics, you can just never really go to a grade 1-2 clipper, which put me off.

Maybe it is easier to think about your hair for life when you are 37 like me - but I think that many 25 year old's need to think about their hairline and donor and potentially shorter haircuts when they are 50+.

Some younger people want great (full head) hair now to find a girl or a great job, and think that when they are 45+ they would not care anymore how they look or if they can shave down to a low grade. Well guess what - if you were into your own looks in your 20'ies, you will be - also in your 40'ies....

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Still-Researching

Some younger people want great (full head) hair now to find a girl or a great job, and think that when they are 45+ they would not care anymore how they look or if they can shave down to a low grade. Well guess what - if you were into your own looks in your 20'ies, you will be - also in your 40'ies....

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So true. I'm taking a wait and see approach with all this. Anyways, I don't have the finances in place to do anything for awhile anyway which is just as well.

Can't wait to see this result grown out.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Still-Researching

Pictures after 4 days and after 1 week.

Copied from the post just above - description that belongs to these pictures:

Donor area has been good basically from day 2. After 7 days post the donor area in the back is invisible and nobody can see it, even up close. On the sides, guess if I have been harder on the scraps, I maybe could have made it invisible too, but these were the last graft extracted in the second round on second day, so still visible up close.

Receipient area is another story. Sure I could not have gone back to work after 7 days even with Acell. So keep that in mind for your HT planning.

Only concern at this point is the wrinkle/lines in the receipient area where it seems hair is missing for 1 mm - see picture 7 days post op. I have seen this with other FUE dense pack sessions, so guess normal, but hard to see when its your own scalp :-( Surely hope this is changes in the scalp that makes these "gaps" and they will look good when normalized, if anyone have any comments - please shoot - will send to Feriduni today to hear his views also of course...

Will strive to give an update after the 1 month postop.

---

Hi
it look's realy good, I wish you all the best

Hi Still-Researching,

Results look awesome, and thanks very much for the write up - really helpful.

The only thing that concerns me in your post is the 'capping' - 20% in some areas sounds like quite a lot? Especially if it happens on the 3 or 4 haired grafts which are the most valuable. Is this normal, and what do you think about it?

It has been 30 days now.

I have attached pictures to update on my status below. I am back to looking like before the HT, just with a shorter haircut and some redness remains. Probably 80% of the transplanted hairs have shed now, maybe more. If somebody knew how a HT would look, I am pretty sure they would be able to guess that I had one, though nobody has asked me.

I have to say that so far, this has been the hardest part of the HT, to walk around at work with the redness and from times to time - explain that you had a serious sun burn during my holiday. You have to plan this part well, if you want to go ahead yourself. If you cannot wear a hat plan at least two weeks + weekend, and buy toppik/makeup/aloe vera gel etc in due time before the HT...

Guess if I used a ton of makeup and toppik, I could probably have hidden the HT better, but I did not feel like trying to cover it up completely - just keeping my hair rather short, will get a hair cut next weekend again to keep it at this length or maybe a bit shorter.

I have not used anything else than a ton of aloe vera after I used up the goodbye package from the clinic.

11-13 months waiting time to go - hope I will see some serious growth in 3-4 months time...

So far nothing more to say. Any comments or questions are welcome.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by CriticalObserver

Hi Still-Researching,
Results look awesome, and thanks very much for the write up - really helpful.
The only thing that concerns me in your post is the 'capping' - 20% in some areas sounds like quite a lot? Especially if it happens on the 3 or 4 haired grafts which are the most valuable. Is this normal, and what do you think about it?

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Capping usually happens due the use of small size punch tools like 0.7-0.9 mm in a donor area with many 3-4 hair grafts, so the punch simply cannot extract the full graft. It can of course also be due to insignificant training of the tech/doctor. When the punch is made the graft is cut so either none or only 1-2 hairs are extracted leaving a small scar, but no or only partial extraction.

Agree that 20% is unacceptably high, and believe the number may be on the high side of reality - this was based on my memory and was in some areas not entire HT. I have asked the Doc of the precise numbers. Without being an expert, believe that there is a trade-off between capping and reducing scarring. As capping will happen if you have many 3 and 4 hair grafts and try to extract them with a 0.85-0.90 mm punch tool, if you instead use 100-110 mm you will minimize the risk of capping, but increase the risk of scarring and if you extract say 4000+ grafts in several sessions, you will significantly increase the risk of a morph-eaten look if you use above 0.90 mm punch tools.

Personally believe that capping during FUE is something many docs do not talk about. For myself I am of course not happy, that it seemed I had a higher than average number of capping, which came from the fact that my donor was filled with 3 and 4 hair grafts. As this was my first HT (virgin scalp) and I have above average donor, as well as I am more concerned about the scarring in the donor, guess having say 50 dots in the back which did not result in an extraction is not a deal breaker for another FUE, but something you need to keep in mind and should be asked into at your consultation.

The fact is that HT is more of an art than science and full of trade offs - and this is just a sub-trade off when you have chosen FUE over strip, which I would choose again any day.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Still-Researching

After the incisions the two nurses started implanting the grafts based on whether it was 1’s, 2’s, 3’s or 4’s grafts - the hairline was saved for the doctor, who planted this in the end.

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This I LIKE.

Docs in this country could take a lesson. The front hairline is pretty much the whole ballgame now, as if an assistant doesn't get a graft implanted at quite the right angle or the direction isn't quite right, and it's behind the first few rows, no biggie. Since this is no longer rocket science and fairly routine, a doc who takes the time to attend to the artistic design of the front hairline, I find impressive.

Quote:

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EUR 10.400 for FUE 2463 grafts ... Total app 4660 hairs

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Under 14 grand U.S.

Damn.

Sure takes the sting out of traveling to Belgium.

Looking really good. Hope to see a 60 day update.

A couple of days ago, I shaved down to a grade 3 - 9 mm on the sides and back and 12 mm on top. Here are the pictures. Status is not that different from the 1 month, except the redness is much less, however still visible depending on what light I am standing under.

Things are going slow, but clearly there is growth already, would say some 8-10% of the hairs are sprouting with very fine/thin blond hairs and it almost looks like a commercial for Rogaine :-)

I have had quite a number of pimples, which I expected as it is signs of growth, however of course not looking great. Still I have so far only used Aloe Vera creme on the area and a few times some serious sun creme.

Also took a few pictures of the donor area, I cannot see anything myself in the mirror or on pictures, but my wife says when she sits up very close, she can still see some places some red fine dots, but you cannot see it unless you are searching for it.

Until today have not had any comments at work or privately indicating or questioning anything - except a few comments the first month - that it was a nasty sunburn...

Since my last update, I have mailed with Doctor Feriduni about the capping rate and it is total on the entire HT 5% and transection rate was 4%, which is on level with best in class. The capping rate was high in some areas, and mainly due to my many 3 and 4 hair grafts, so when you use a 0.85 punch you will get less scaring, but will sometime cap a 3-4 hair graft, as it is simply too big to extract. Ideally guess you should change punch tool each time you encounter a graft with more hairs, but seems that was not the case every time.

Questions/comments are always welcome. Wow - the waiting time is difficult, but with the short haircut I think it is ok, but cannot wait to see the grown out result. Next update in 30 days. Cheers

Still very early days. Actually probably another 2 months before it really starts to kick off. Looks like a small bit of shock in the donor but will be fine in a couple of months. All good so far. :)

Hi still researching great thread, informative, i think you will get a good result:)

In your recent pics there does seem to be a little shockloss? is this normal?

As the above mentioned it should grow back in a few months btw did your doc feriduni only use one size 0.85 punch hole? as i think you mentioned.

Hi Slickster,
Thanks for your comments.

Yes it is quite normal to have shockloss in the donor area from relative large FUE session like this (2000+). Certainly hope and believe that it will all grow back again, but we will see - I will keep wearing my hair quite short the next couple of months and will post every 30 days - so you can follow it as well.

Believe Feriduni shifted between 0.80-0.85-0.90 punch tools but not 100% sure, know he does not work with more than 0.95 to avoid scaring, but I also know that with say 0.7 the risk of capping or transection increases significantly.

The waiting time for serious growth is really hard - I keep looking in the mirror eventhough I know it is too early...

As I've said early days mate. If you look at Sean (3000 FUE Rahal guy) his hair really took off again from 5 months to 7 months. The difference was massive so as you know all too well I'm sure, it's just a waiting game. Looking forward to updates.

Hi FDR,
Thanks man, I know you are right. At least I am turning time backwards these days when I look in the mirror. If I stand in a bright light - I can see a ton of thin light hairs in the recipient area - when they grow thick and dark - sure this will look great.

What is your own hairloss status at this time NW2 or? As far as I remember you are not on any meds are you?

Cheers

Prob 2, 2.5ish but also kind of getting diffuse loss all over as well. Can kind of get away with something passable with bangs grown out and skillful variation of the length of hair on top. :)

Not on the finasteride. Gave it a go but it started to do funny stuff to my nipple which was a cause for alarm. I only read all the negative stuff on finasteride after my experience so I can be sure it wasn't just in my head. Using minoxidil and ketoconazole shampoo but they don't really do anything it seems.

Only 26 at the end of the month so I'd consider myself too young to pursue HT at this point. Of course we all like the idea of FUE and I've thought about maybe just forgoing the crown down the line but I'd imagine that I'm headed to a norwood 6 so I probably wouldn't be suitable for FUE anyway. :(

However I think I'd be happy going strip down the line only if I got a H&W result but the ideal scenario would be to not have to pursue HT at all but we'll just have to wait and see.

Envious of your position. A norwood 2.5 at 37 is a great place to be in hairloss wise. You're the perfect candidate for FUE. So nice that you won't have a smiley scar.

I would not recommend anyone going for a HT before 30 either - at least I had a much better idea about my own hair loss around 31-32, and I only started FIN around 34 year, after starting to research more and more.

I have no reason to try to sell you on finasteride, but at least consider to try out either propecia cut in 4 or Proscar cut in 8 - to try out a very low dose, and see if you get any side effects, as for sure it stops most people's hairloss. If you are indeed heading towards a NW6, this could help you a lot.

I hope for you and all of us - that any of the new break through medicines will work and rescue us... if not have you ever tried shaving down to a grade 3?

As mentioned in this thread, I never thought it would work for me, but after a week I kind of liked it.

Anyway - just throwing some ideas out, I am sure you have considered all of them already...

Thanks for your constant support on here... you add a lot of value to this place.

I buzzed down to a 2 all over this time last year. Looked horrendous because it was so patchy. I had a native density forelock, completely thinned out corners, a big thin patch behind the forelock, an ok slightly thinning bridge and then a visibly thinning crown. Looked like a series of islands and streams. Was not a good look. Was considering 1ing it all off but decided to grow it out because it still looks better with some length than short, at least to me anyway which is all that matters.

I won't take finasteride again, was beginning to get gyno in one nipple (same nipple I got it at 13/14 due a growth spurt) so I said no way, I'd rather not be bald but I'd hate to get gyno. Clearly it's not a problem for the vast vast majority but I seem to have a genetic or hormonal susceptibility unfortunately. :( Sucks.

After looking at H&W's results I could tolerate the scar for a head of hair like they're producing for some of the nw6s to be. The Spanish guy with 8400 had a great result. Something like that would be my only shot I guess since the photos I've had taken show for sure I'm heading towards a 6 or best case scenario a 5. I probably don't have as much available for FUE as you have for example.

Whatever the case, I think I'll wait it out until 30 anyway. Makes sense.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Follicle Death Row

Prob 2, 2.5ish but also kind of getting diffuse loss all over as well. Can kind of get away with something passable with bangs grown out and skillful variation of the length of hair on top. :)

Not on the finasteride. Gave it a go but it started to do funny stuff to my nipple which was a cause for alarm. I only read all the negative stuff on finasteride after my experience so I can be sure it wasn't just in my head. Using minoxidil and ketoconazole shampoo but they don't really do anything it seems.

Envious of your position. A norwood 2.5 at 37 is a great place to be in hairloss wise. You're the perfect candidate for FUE. So nice that you won't have a smiley scar.

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Hi FDR,
Sorry for the late reply. Sad to hear about your experience on FIN, as probably would have been a good tool in the toolbox to work on your diffuse hair loss on top.

Lets see - I hope for us all, that some new disrupting tech/med discovery like FUE will change the industry again in a few years... whether it is a cure, better alternatives to FIN or donor-regrowth - does not really matter as long as it works better than the current alternatives.

I just got tired of waiting and took a conservative approach with FUE - little scaring, hopefully lots of donor left and a life long hairline approach -so I only will have to make touch-ups behind my hairline if I continue loosing hair despite FIN.

Will update my 3 months pictures in a minute.
Cheers

3 Months update. Clear growth is here, many white thin hairs are sprouting in the entire recipient area. A hairline like a shadow is forming and my redness is finally more or less gone. Still no comments on my hair except from my wife of course... I like the way it feels like the opposite of balding - every week more hair and when I stand in the shadow in a room - it starts to look like I have a real head of hair :cool:

This time my hair is a bit longer than in the other pictures and I took them under very harsh sunlight - I know should be same every time - but actually wanted to see how this would look.

What do you guys think - what will I end up with a NW 1.5 hairline??

I am happy so far with the growth kicking in so early - I hope that is a good sign and that the 12-18 months result will rock...

As always love to hear your comments.

Nice. On the way now. Donor appears to have healed up nicely now. Recipient is looking good too. Beginning to sprout. Great stuff. Keep us posted.

Any updates?

4.5 months update:

Sorry for missing the exact 4 months update. Frankly I spend a lot less time thinking about hairloss and therefore also time spend on this forum is going rapidly down. I will however continue to update (probably more infrequently) until its fully grown out, as the members of this forum have helped me choose the best surgeon and HT type etc - so I want to give that back.

Since last time, I feel great and the best part is that already now when I look in the mirror in a room in normal light, my hairline looks like a NW 1.5-2, which I believe is great and appropriate for a guy approaching 40. In bright light it is still very thin, but I still have 10 months or so growth left.

As always, I really welcome your thoughts and questions.
Until next time - please research research....
Cheers

(I included this time 2 first pics as Pre-op to see how I looked before the FUE HT)

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Still-Researching

4.5 months update:

Sorry for missing the exact 4 months update. Frankly I spend a lot less time thinking about hairloss and therefore also time spend on this forum is going rapidly down. I will however continue to update (probably more infrequently) until its fully grown out, as the members of this forum have helped me choose the best surgeon and HT type etc - so I want to give that back.

Since last time, I feel great and the best part is that already now when I look in the mirror in a room in normal light, my hairline looks like a NW 1.5-2, which I believe is great and appropriate for a guy approaching 40. In bright light it is still very thin, but I still have 10 months or so growth left.

As always, I really welcome your thoughts and questions.
Until next time - please research research....
Cheers

(I included this time 2 first pics as Pre-op to see how I looked before the FUE HT)

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Looking good, your hair looks better then rooneys.

Looks fantastic and you still have many months of growth ahead. Congrats!

Hi, looks really impressive, had fue with doctor feriduni on April 18. Hope that my result follows your progress so far. I'm at 2 months now so in the waiting phase. I would recommend dr feriduni to anyone including close family. He and is staff are so calming.

The hardest part for me was the realisation of what I had gone through with. I think I shed a few tears in the docs office. Even then he was so understanding. I would defo recommend going with someone. I didn't even tell my girlfriend and I regret that. I had to make up that I caught a scalp infection to explaining the drastic change in my look. So far that has worked even at work!

Keeps us I formed as your progress is confirming that I made the right decision.

Research and research some more is my only advice, look a rooneys result!