I hide it ok, but not enough to not have to explain where my hairline went to in the past week. lol There was lots of hair there but it was on the way out, pulling up hard at the temples, and really weak compared to the hair everywhere else. You could actually see a hard line where it was going to all disappear, which is where the Dr started the grafts. I work from home mostly, but had a meeting yesterday where I had to request we keep it business casual as I had an operation recently and due to part of my head being shaved and having stitches, I strongly preferred a hat. So far, none of the grafted hairs have ejected themselves. What about you?
Those pics were a day or two before I posted them, but it hasn't really changed in appearance since a day or so after the operation. Redness was really only a day or so. Virtually no scabbing, just the white crusty stuff. The scar in the back is of much greater concern to me than anything else. My roommate (who applies bacitracin for me) said the hair is all through the stitches and he thinks it will be invisible, but I'm always going to assume the worst and prepare to deal with that scenario. I generally scar very well elsewhere on the body so I hope the same applies here. I've never had any scars elsewhere stretch but this is my main concern. I'll probably take steps to treat the scar anyway... while I have no intention of shaving my head, it'd be nice to have that option available to me, and of course when my hair is wet it will be more noticeable aswell.
As far as scar treatments... anyone heard of silicone sheeting? I've read some very very positive reviews. Seems if they can bring the scaring closer to surrounding tissue as all the reviews online of the various products claim, then a well done FUE job could probably allow me to #1 if I so felt like it. I have a pretty gnarly scar on my hand that I'm going to experiment on. I'll report if there is something worth reporting :)
09-02-2010 09:26 AM
njs
I did nothing for the scar.
I think I have lost 80% of my transplanted hairs, but that is only my guess. I look at the front and see hardly any hair, so I hope he put more in there, but it is hard for me to remember. I can still feel some short hairs but I don't think they are growing and will likely be ejected after the new ones start to push up.
I am in the southern NJ area and my surgery was done by Pistone in Marlton NJ.
How about you?
09-02-2010 09:36 AM
chasguy
Quote:
Originally Posted by njs
I did nothing for the scar.
I think I have lost 80% of my transplanted hairs, but that is only my guess. I look at the front and see hardly any hair, so I hope he put more in there, but it is hard for me to remember. I can still feel some short hairs but I don't think they are growing and will likely be ejected after the new ones start to push up.
I am in the southern NJ area and my surgery was done by Pistone in Marlton NJ.
How about you?
I think I have lost one transplanted hair, literally. I wear a hat all the time (one of two roommates, and neighbors don't know, neither does the girl I'm sort of casually dating). My head right this second just feels like I shaved it at 1/4 inch long. I think I'm about halfway through with the crusties falling off. Maybe I'll be one of the super lucky few who don't shed it all? It would be nice to catch a break... life has been killing me on the luck front lately.
My Dr has no presence online. I'm hesitant to name a Dr that is not present to defend himself against any criticism so I'll not name him for the time being. I did look up his facebook and he's friends with a ton of the highly regarded Dr's represented on this forum though lol
09-02-2010 10:42 AM
njs
Are you in the States? That is fine not naming him. Though I have never heard of doing 2 procedures back to back.
So are you saying that 6 weeks post op the hairs have not fallen out? No collateral fall out from existing hairs? And do they appear to be growing? If your transplanted hair is 1/4 inch, is it growing, shouldn't it be longer after 6 weeks?
If that is the case I would say your luck has changed. I don't ever wear a hat. In fact I tried to, 3 days after the procedure when my son was the only one who had seen me, and the hat made him ask why I was wearing it. I took it off and l told him I had the ht. He couldn't tell. He thought I had a mild sunburn on my head.
09-02-2010 11:09 AM
chasguy
Quote:
Originally Posted by njs
Are you in the States? That is fine not naming him. Though I have never heard of doing 2 procedures back to back.
So are you saying that 6 weeks post op the hairs have not fallen out? No collateral fall out from existing hairs? And do they appear to be growing? If your transplanted hair is 1/4 inch, is it growing, shouldn't it be longer after 6 weeks?
If that is the case I would say your luck has changed. I don't ever wear a hat. In fact I tried to, 3 days after the procedure when my son was the only one who had seen me, and the hat made him ask why I was wearing it. I took it off and l told him I had the ht. He couldn't tell. He thought I had a mild sunburn on my head.
I am in the States yes. My HT was on the 23rd and 25th of last month (August)... so I'm only at a little over one week. Didn't you say you're was on 8-29-10? Did you mean 7-29-10?
Good for me, I've religiously worn hats for years, so nothing is out of the ordinary for me.
09-02-2010 11:21 AM
njs
Oh,
Sorry for the confusion on my part, mine was 7/29. At one week or so post op I had not lost hairs. It didn't start until 10 days post op. But you are much younger than I am so who knows. I have a patient who had the procedure done and lost no hairs, they all just grew right away. That doesn't seem to be the case with me. Although I can't even tell any more I think some are there and growing. But they could fall out next week. Especially in the area where he did the fill in.
09-02-2010 12:19 PM
chasguy
Quote:
Originally Posted by njs
Oh,
Sorry for the confusion on my part, mine was 7/29. At one week or so post op I had not lost hairs. It didn't start until 10 days post op. But you are much younger than I am so who knows. I have a patient who had the procedure done and lost no hairs, they all just grew right away. That doesn't seem to be the case with me. Although I can't even tell any more I think some are there and growing. But they could fall out next week. Especially in the area where he did the fill in.
I heal well so one can only hope. You could appreciate this.... in 2007 I had compression fractures of T11 and T12. I rode my mx bike from the track were I crashed to our campsite and paramedics 6 miles through the woods, I was walking 2 days later, and 100% fine a year later. No surgery, no complications. Both neurosurgeons I went to said I was extremely lucky to be able to walk at all
Youth on your side. Those films look rough.
I have a patient that compression fractured 2 cervical vertebra and should be paralyzed but he is more or less fine.
I hope you heal fast, I fear I am a slow healer. That said I hope my hair grows fast, I don't care about the redness as long as there is hair.
09-05-2010 04:35 PM
NateDog
Firstly good luck with the growth Chase if you have frontal loss only and none in the crown you are in good shape seriously as the crown can really gobble up alot of grafts and most guys do not have the donor area to cover that sufficiently
I have never heard of back to back procedures however it makes sense to take two strips but I would of thought it would be left and right side not two strips one below the other. I still do not get what you mean by it looks like donor has been taken all over the place don't you mean there are two linear scars running parallel across the back of your head one below each other...
Njs I still look at that thumbnail and seriously if you look like that now you still look like you have a tonne of hair an absolute tonne. Also you have wavy brown hair somewhat great for transplant plus with age on your side you will not progress to a norwood six so you can count your blessings in that regard
09-05-2010 04:39 PM
chasguy
Quote:
Originally Posted by NateDog
Firstly good luck with the growth Chase if you have frontal loss only and none in the crown you are in good shape seriously as the crown can really gobble up alot of grafts and most guys do not have the donor area to cover that sufficiently
I have never heard of back to back procedures however it makes sense to take two strips but I would of thought it would be left and right side not two strips one below the other. I still do not get what you mean by it looks like donor has been taken all over the place don't you mean there are two linear scars running parallel across the back of your head one below each other...
Njs I still look at that thumbnail and seriously if you look like that now you still look like you have a tonne of hair an absolute tonne. Also you have wavy brown hair somewhat great for transplant plus with age on your side you will not progress to a norwood six so you can count your blessings in that regard
My strips were not one over the other. Basically what would have been taken if it was one session. They are end to end
