transplant nightmare

[Don'tDoIt]

deleted because of a double post

[Don'tDoIt]

CIT girl, I am surprised that you would use the before/after images for that patient who obviously has longer hair in the "after" photo. The longer hair makes it impossible to tell if Dr. Cole's work really had an impact. Why did you choose this case?

If Dr. Cole is truly doing one of these types of cases per week, why are there not more results on your website showing that these scars are being improved? I am not saying that Dr. Cole is not getting good results with this technique but rather I am saying that the documentation is lacking.

It seems that Jack21 would benefit from FUE into his scar but I would first like to see some more FUE-into-scar success stories.

[Jack21]

Jack,
Thanks for sharing your story. I amletting my hair obssession get the best of me like your saying. Now I was told by a surgeon in person consultation that he will do 600 grafts but that doesnt seem like much due to my diffuse and frontal thinning. I have never had surgery before. I am too freaked out to shave my head due to the thinning area being very noticeable.

From what I recall I had about 1,500 micrografts. If I recall this was something of a "mini graft". There is nothing "mini" about the scar, however. There are of course numerous variables involved in this procedure that will determine the size of the scar (the density of the donor area and many others). Unless there has been a miracle in the science of HT in the past 5 years you will be left with a long scar at the back of your head. Long enough hair will cover the scar. If you are happy with having longish hair on the sides and back and considerably thinner hair on top, who am I to stand in your way? It is about reasonable expectations. As my doctor told me "You will NOT have a full head of hair. You will NOT look like you did 5 years ago. You will get more thickness on top, but that is all." What I managed to somehow completely ignore in this whole thing was the scar that would result. I did actually ask the doc. how long my hair would have to be to conceal the scar, and he said about 3/4" to 1". He was right. It was abslutely fine for a while - the results of the transplant coupled with toppik and couvre that is. Once my hair began to thin too much to be disguised by concealers, however, the game was up. Try to find a picture of a person who has had a HT and who was told ahead of time that his donor area was ideal in terms of density. I look at these model photos posted by physicians themselves and still think to myself that they look lousy. I cannot make up your mind for you, but I can tell you that my youth, desperation, and terror of losing my looks actually had the effect of ruining my looks. Let's face it. A shaved head does not look so good on most people. It does, however, look far, far better than a head with obvious surgical scars. Do not allow desperation get the better of you. If this happens (as it did with me) you will end up miserably disappointed or simply miserable. As my surgeon said to me "Why not just buzz your hair. You're a good looking guy." A shaved or buzzed head coupled with a good physique is not such a bad thing. Society is very odd. People see the scars on my shoulder and arm and say "Wow. what a badass etc etc." People see scars on my head and they recoil in horror. Do nothing rash. Research, research, research BUT never forget that whatever happens if you do have a HT you will have a long and possibly thick scar from ear to ear. I loved my shaved head and kept my hair shaved or very, very short for most of my time in the army. When on leave with a shaved head I met the girl I would end up marrying. She divorced me just about the same time I became horribky obsessed with my hair. It was not a coincidence.

[Jack21]

Jack, can I ask where you had your hair transplant done? Even if the doctor takes a big strip the scar still can be very thin.

I do not want to name the surgeon for the following reasons:

He did virtually everything he could to talk me out of the procedure. Only after he was positive that I understood what to reasonably expect did he perform it. He made me wait months, discussed alternatives such as my just cropping all my hair short, and essentially tried to make me go away. I convinced him that I fully understood that the procedure would not provide me with a full head of hair and that I understood that my own naturally growing hair would continue to thin. Finally about 6 months after I first saw him did he perform the procedure. He could have done nothing more other than refusing to perform the procedure. This is called an "elective procedure" for a reason, however. I elected to have it done and I had covinced the doctor that my expectations were realistic. The fault is mine. I was young, desperate, and although I convinced both the doctor and myself that my expectations for the procedure were realistic, they were not.

[dgman21]

Jack,
Thanks for sharing your story. I amletting my hair obssession get the best of me like your saying. Now I was told by a surgeon in person consultation that he will do 600 grafts but that doesnt seem like much due to my diffuse and frontal thinning. I have never had surgery before. I am too freaked out to shave my head due to the thinning area being very noticeable.

[Jack21]

Check out http://www.baldtruthtalk.com/album.php?albumid=240

His scar repair looks great. Do you have any pictures of your scar?

If I could get those results I would be very happy, but I seem to remember saying exactly the same thing to myself before my HT 5 years ago. I have seen a number of men over the years with shaved heads or v. closely cropped hair whose surgical scars from HTs were very obvious. I've seen men like this at the gym, at football games, at the grocery store. They were obviously at peace with their appearance. I mean they could all have been wearing baseball caps but weren't. I need to make peace with my apperance and try and salvage some sort of life. Mine is a cautionary tale. I have let obsession with my hair ruin the last 5 or 6 years of my life. I wish that I had never heard of any of these "solutions" whether surgery, concealers, or toupees. I wish that I had just kept my head shaved when I got out of the army. My best friend starting balding in college, shaved his head right then and there and has never looked back. He is the most self confident person I know and lives a happy life while I hide in my apartment b/c I am so ashamed of my appearance.

[Jack21]

I'm so sorry to hear about what you have had to suffer through. I have to tell you that from looking at your pics (I am a woman) you are certainly VERY handsome. Hair loss sucks, there is no getting around it, but I wonder if you realize how nice looking you are+you're buff too! I would hate for the hair issue to make you feel socially isolated when you seem to have so much going for you.

Thanks for the kind words. Unfortunately the hair issue has made me terribly socially isolated. I am not so good looking with a bald head. Believe me.

[Jack21]

I understand that it might be tough to reveal yourself without the piece, but it would help us help you if you could show us how you look. Both the scar and the front/top of your head. It sounds like you might be in Norwood 6 territory (are you familiar with the Norwood scale?) with at least some hair on top, including some unnatural-looking transplanted hair. Guys like this get fixed. See forum and transplant vet Jotronic.

No, no. I am not reluctant at all about posting pics of my scalp. I just have never taken a photograph of the scar. I do have photos of myself with a shaved head from last October on my other computer. I can post those tomorrow. I am not very familiar with the Norwood Scale, but I can tell you that my scalp is in fact completely covered in stubble with the exception of a small area around the crown. It is not that there is no hair. It is that the hair is so diffuse when longer than stubble. When I shave my head to stubble it looks as if I could easily grow out a full head of hair, but that is NOT the case.

[cep]

pics

I'm so sorry to hear about what you have had to suffer through. I have to tell you that from looking at your pics (I am a woman) you are certainly VERY handsome. Hair loss sucks, there is no getting around it, but I wonder if you realize how nice looking you are+you're buff too! I would hate for the hair issue to make you feel socially isolated when you seem to have so much going for you.

[mattj]

I understand that it might be tough to reveal yourself without the piece, but it would help us help you if you could show us how you look. Both the scar and the front/top of your head. It sounds like you might be in Norwood 6 territory (are you familiar with the Norwood scale?) with at least some hair on top, including some unnatural-looking transplanted hair. Guys like this get fixed. See forum and transplant vet Jotronic.

[Jack21]

My scar is virtually identical to the one in the last picture you posted. It is not as fresh or bloody ,obviously, because 5 years have passed, but in size, shape, length and thickness it is virtually identical. You must understand that b/c of my experience I am very, very reluctant about having anyone take anything sharp to my head or any part of me for that matter. I have also had to have numerous shoulder surgeries since I was discharged which have left my shoulder,arm, and part of my neck covered in surgical scars and arthroscope puncture holes.

[chasguy]

As I understand it, scar size is more related to individual scalp laxity and scar tendencies

[Winston]

Jack, can I ask where you had your hair transplant done? Even if the doctor takes a big strip the scar still can be very thin.

[CIT_Girl]

Yes, it's definitely worth consulting with a physician to see what they can do for you. A lot of IAHRS physicians even offer virtual consultations where you can submit photos for their review, and they will offer recommendations based on these. These consults should all be free-of-charge as well. I would definitely suggest posting a photo of your scar, if you feel comfortable, so that we can get a better idea of where you are at.

Here's a photo of a much larger strip scar Dr. Cole worked on a couple weeks ago:



A larger scar like this will likely take more than one pass to adequately conceal but there is certainly plenty of room for improvement and to allow this patient to feel more comfortable wearing his hair short.

[chasguy]

Check out http://www.baldtruthtalk.com/album.php?albumid=240

His scar repair looks great. Do you have any pictures of your scar?