Follow my major repair

[caphead]

Thanks for detailing your journey. Like you but not nearly as worked on I go way back to a plug transplant in the 70's and an fut about a year ago. Being an NW 6 with fine hair the Results have been unsatisfactory to say the least. Have a consult next week with Dr Umar in LA to see if he can repair my situation using whatever scalp donor I ave left with bht using the fue method. I studied his work and am hopeful. Will let the forum know about my progress. Good luck to all.

Hi to all;

I thought I would chime in here. I have had many procedures in the past. For the last 11 years, I hadn't done anymore work. I had very little hope as I had little scalp elasticity and donor left while being stuck with major scarring. Therefore, I have simply had to deal with it the best I could. This including going to the gym with a hat on all the time. Only going out if you put some type of concealing coverage on your head. Worrying about every time a woman puts her hands on your hair, that you move away so that she doesn't get gunk on her hands and finds out about your little secret. After many many procedures I thought I was stuck until such time as the holy grail of newly introduced follicles or possible donor regeneration. I again decided to look into the most recent developments in hair transplantation about 2 years ago. I certainly was intrigued by Accell and Dr. Gho's follicle regeneration prospects. I contacted 5 World renown hair transplant doctors and had them express their opinions on my case. I contacted Spencer Kobren for his opinions. One of the Dr's said we could try to do another fut and you could blend that pigment/ink. Another said, that they couldn't do anything for me. These were two of the most highly regarded hair transplant surgeon mentioned continuously on these boards.

In my contact-including flying to LA to meet with Dr. Umar, he gave me real hope, but not irrational hope but realistic hope including temple points, hairline work, crown coverage, and scar work. When he outlined a prospective hairline for me, I was pleasantly surprised-with a "Geez, we can really do this" thinking. I even brought along pictures of the hair transplant results of a very famous band singer who seems to have a similar facial structure as me, and he told me to bring those photos along with me to my surgery. After careful and almost painstaking consideration, I decided to go with Dr. Umar. Thus, I went with Dr. Umar's for 3 days for 4200 to 4500 graphs almost 6 months ago for major work including bht.

In all candor, I can't be any more excited about my progress...I'm almost giddy. I have been told that I look younger...really. My profile has changed. You are in very good hands. As we have been burned in the past, we try to manage the process. He will hear you and will listen to you. Thus, my one bit of advise for you, that might contradict Topcat a bit, is that after you have said what you need to say-turn it over to him-please listen to his opinion and advise. He's an expert. Furthermore, I think that what he has done in developing his techniques and expertise, is no less that pioneering.

Yes, hair transplant doctors can give guys like you and me real hope but Dr. Umar did far more than that for me-he gives me real proud of results.

I have posted my photos pre Dr. Umar, on another board over a year ago. I will post again when I have completed results.

[topcat]

Caphead happy to hear you are getting the result you were hoping for and that you were treated well. I think the more patients speak up about how the industry operates the faster it will change and I’m not speaking of my past but what I see happening today. Clinics need to stop trying to suppress information, have posts deleted, suing patients, have threads locked, attack posters and so on. If they have a bad result they just need to own it and stop insinuating they are being attacked that’s all I expect. If they are offering something new than prove it works and is safe is that too much to be asking for.

I look forward to seeing your results Caphead and hopefully you will post them here.

[topcat]

I always like to see well documented postings which include pictures both pre-op, post-op and at monthly intervals. Up close very large pictures tells others what they can most likely expect but not always and are always much better than anything I can put into words.

So regardless of what one is doing, using a robot, Acell, plucking, bht, or hair multiplication. It’s very simple large up close photos of both the donor and recipient areas otherwise those researching are only left to wonder.

[Lounk61]

Dr Umar Consult

Thanks capehead. I'll be getting a consult with Dr Umar tomorrow. What level hair loss were you when you went to Umar and how many grafts did he get from your head and how many from your body and what body hair did he use? Did he do your front and crown? was there any scarring on the body? Is the body hair growing in ok? Are you done or will you have to go back for more? I'm apprehensive but hopeful. Thanks for your info.I'll post again after my consult with Umar.

[Lounk61]

Thanks topcat. I'll be getting my consult with Umar today and then tomorrow have another consult with my HT doc here where I live who did the fut on me a year ago. I'll make comparisons of their suggestions and then try to make an educated decision on what to do. I'll post again after both consults. I'm sure Umar and my Ht doc here will have different view points and approaches to my situation. Should be interesting. Hoping for the best.

[topcat]

Lounk and Caphead here is a suggestion that would be well worth your time. Start a thread with a title that focuses on where you are at now, what you plan to do and include as many pictures as possible. It benefits you as you will receive more replies regarding your own case along with thoughts from others on the various clinics and what they know about each clinic as coming only to the forums is a short snapshot in time. It is only by receiving those responses which often lead to direct contact with past and prospective patients that you can learn more and make better decisions. This of course all only comes with time.

It is also helpful to others as many very often start their repair journey, post extensive pictures and than simply disappear telling quite a different story and the silence often speaks volumes.

Lounk this especially applies to you as you have not decided on what to do. Start a thread today with pictures and start detailing your journey starting with each consultation, it will benefit you.

Quite a few of my consultations years ago didn't go well as I asked what many doctors might have thought were too many questions. They didn't seem to like that but it also told me something about them which is all part of the process and good for others to know.

[topcat]

I can tell those researching some of my own journey. Several clinics I consulted with drew plenty of red flags but it wasn’t like I was really free to discuss this on the forums and only felt comfortable doing that over the phone with other patients to get more feedback. Many don’t realize this or maybe they do. Repair patients especially, along with prospective patients to a certain extent are not going to come on to the forums to discuss how bad things went during the consultation phase or the red flags they noticed along the way they almost feel boxed into a corner. It’s only after they have begun or completed the process of having a procedure do they feel a bit more at ease discussing the subject and even then most prefer to just leave it alone. I tend to just speak in general terms of what I do and do not like and don’t get into doctors or clinics unless provoked. I really have no reason to do so it’s not worth it and everyone should consult with as many clinics as possible as that is part of the learning process and a good experience to have under your belt.

But here is the thing it is a very important point to consider when researching and what often makes much of what is read on the forums useless at times. Speak with patients over the phone or meet them in person. I met 3 patients in person while in Brussels and they all happened to be there coming from other clinics for various reasons. We were all at the same hotel and when we sat together we can speak very freely and it makes all the difference. We all learn something from each other and that is the best advice I could give anyone here, meet people in person as you will always learn more.

[caphead]

Good luck tomorrow

Thanks capehead. I'll be getting a consult with Dr Umar tomorrow. What level hair loss were you when you went to Umar and how many grafts did he get from your head and how many from your body and what body hair did he use? Did he do your front and crown? was there any scarring on the body? Is the body hair growing in ok? Are you done or will you have to go back for more? I'm apprehensive but hopeful. Thanks for your info.I'll post again after my consult with Umar.

I'm a 5 to 6. However, I have had many transplants in the past dating all the way back from the late 80's to 2001. Therefore, I have hair on top of my head from all the prior work. However, because of the problems I outlined earlier I was stuck where I was as as of 2001. Live with it was all I could do. Thus, I would use hair fibers and dermatch for filler. In the front I was kind of messed up because I had a low immediate frontal hairline with non existing and receding temple regions...they kind of look that you would see with a hair piece but in my case-it was real hair for me.

Yes, I definately plan to see Dr. Umar again. I would like to get my remaining work done tomorrow. However, Since Dr. Umar put it so succintly early on by saying to me "You have little margin for error" I have heeded his warning. I plan on waiting at least 8 months and even longer-perhaps even up to a year to get final results for the procedures I completed in late May 2012.

Yes, I used beard hair along with head hair. I had only strip in the past so the Umar techniques utilized individual follicles/follicular units during this procedure.

Because I was really scarred up, I still have more scar work to do. Then we can a touch up to areas that need to be touched up..such as add density to areas. I would like to take care of the larger graphs I had done earlier in my life too. We will see how the further development of my last procedures go, seek his advise and probably book for 1 or 2 days

He has a nice procedure in place daily in his office. As you come in each day, you have a form that presents questions to Dr. Umar for the upcoming day. You can list your concerns, your wishes, your questions etc. He will go over the information, provide some feedback and make adjustments if need be. It worked very nicely for me.

I wanted to do all I could reasonably and safely do during my visit. I did not want to go back time and time again..shaving my head once a year for the next 5 years.

From what I am starting to see on my head and realizing what he is in the process of doing for me hair wise-we are on to something. ... I just don't have the words if you know what I mean. It is that big a deal.

[Lounk61]

consultations

Update on my consult yesterday with Dr Umar and then my consult this morning with my present HT doc. All I can say is wow!!! What a difference in approaches. Dr Umar after looking at me suggested I would need 7000-7500 fue grafts using whatever scalp donor hair I have left plus beard hair of which he said mine was thick, plus some chest hair over a 5 day period. With this he said he would be able to build the hairline, fill and extend the temples, and even work the crown and fill in some of the fut scars. He said with confidence it would be my final procedure and I would be happy with the results. He told me definitely not to have anymore fut work done. He's an impressive guy and I believe in his work. The only problem for me is the cost. At $8 a hair that's $60,000 not including travel and hotel expenses. That's out of my range.
Went for a consult with my HT doc this morning. Didn't tell her I went to Umar yesterday. She is much more conservative and does not do body hair work. She wants to do another fut and says she thinks she can get at least another 1000 grafts to place on top and beef up my hairline. She does fue but felt the fut would yield more for me. I discussed body hair as in beard and chest with her. Also the nape of my neck hairs. After thoughtful consideration and with respect to my age being that time was crucial for me She said she would take maybe 400-500 hairs from my nape doing fue and also extract 10-15 beard hairs to see how they grow acknowledging that I had good thick beard hair. Then we could decide to move on to more beard hair work. This procedure would be done over a 2 day procedure due to the fue delicate time consuming work. So Less hair coverage, less down time, much less cost and less risk. But still with an fut involved. So there it is folks. I will be making my decision shortly. Doing nothing is not an option. Hope I have good head hair in my next life. Don't want to go through all of this again. And the beat goes on.

[topcat]

Anyone that thinks that punches that are 1.0mm and larger are okay has not spoken to enough patients who have had those punches used on them over the last 10 years of which there is ample pictorial evidence of the damage done. Listen to the despair in their voices as they now search for a solution for a problem that is not easily solved. Larger punches 1.0 and bigger can cause an equal amount of transaction to the surrounding follicles just as much as a super small punch below .7 can cause to the follicle being extracted. There seems to be a happy medium around .70-.85 maybe .9 but that’s pushing it.

Just search the history on the various forums while also searching white dotting. If someone has proof that in fact 1.0 punches do not cause white dotting all you need to do is present the large up close pictures, plain and simple.

[Delphi]

Anyone that thinks that punches that are 1.0mm and larger are okay has not spoken to enough patients who have had those punches used on them over the last 10 years of which there is ample pictorial evidence of the damage done. Listen to the despair in their voices as they now search for a solution for a problem that is not easily solved. Larger punches 1.0 and bigger can cause an equal amount of transaction to the surrounding follicles just as much as a super small punch below .7 can cause to the follicle being extracted. There seems to be a happy medium around .70-.85 maybe .9 but that’s pushing it.

Just search the history on the various forums while also searching white dotting. If someone has proof that in fact 1.0 punches do not cause white dotting all you need to do is present the large up close pictures, plain and simple.

What size punch do you think was used here Topcat?

http://www.baldtruthtalk.com/album.php?albumid=527&pictureid=4303

[topcat]

Delphi you work for the forum why don't you let us know.

[Delphi]

Delphi you work for the forum why don't you let us know.

Topcat, I find it hilarious that just because I continue to call you out on your bullshit that you would state emphatically that I "work" for this forum! Just answer the question Topcat, what size punch do you think was used here? Stop the smokescreen already!

[topcat]

I can tell you the size of this punch as I am the patient. Between .75 and .85 and these pictures are right after my procedure 6 hours for the beard and 12 hours on the scalp. Please take notice of the healing. There is no bloody mess nor excessive trauma to the scalp or face. Regardless of what others might have to say and especially in this day and age the patient must become informed and take part in the decision making process.

Those that have never had a procedure in their life but always feel the need to comment, what is that exactly all about. These are the issues prospective patients need to figure out along the way and it's not easy.

I have had approximately 700 fue's extracted from that small area on my face and 600 on each side of that small area on my scalp.

[topcat]

Everyone has to make their own choice on what they decide to do and with whom they decide to choose. I really like Dr. Bisanga not only for his skill but something that is very important to me. You can sit down and talk to him man to man and he is never threatened by what I have to say to him as a patient. He is very good at what he does and I am very good at what I do for a living neither makes one of us better than the other. Most doctors on the other hand I have found to have this skewed view that they should be put up on some type of pedestal, sorry but that does not work well with me and over the years I’m sure many can see that. Some don’t have this requirement and good for them as they have not been burdened with some of my past experiences.

It’s up to each and every patient to become fully informed on the procedure itself and what to expect. If you are going to rely on posters that have never had a procedure in their life to help you along with the process than I really don’t know what to say. I have found over the years that this is a very dirty business and take this statement very seriously. I can also see from the postings on the various forums that business seems to have taken a drastic downturn so you can expect the rhetoric to start getting very viscous, so just sit back and watch before making any decisions.

Clinics and reps that were doing the right thing along the way have always been doing that and it’s not something that should be suddenly addressed because business has slowed down.