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

[Whittaker]

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.

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.

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

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.

[Still-Researching]

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?

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.

[Still-Researching]

1 month update

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.

[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?

[elpollo]

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

[Follicle Death Row]

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....

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.

[Still-Researching]

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....

[sausage]

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.

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.

[DAVE52]

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

[Still-Researching]

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.

[sausage]

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?

[sausage]

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?

[Still-Researching]

Going back to work tomorrow

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.

[Follicle Death Row]

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.

[sausage]

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.