Going to have a HT, How Many Grafts and Worried about work!?

[bighair]

I am looking to have a HT before the end of the year. I am still a bit apprehensive about it however as I have a number of questions which I still feel are unanswered even after talking to consultants and surgeons

1. The main one is about going back to work after. Ive heard that various amounts of time should be fine to take off work such as 3 days to 2 weeks. What I am looking for is that when I go back to work, at least initially, people dont notice I have had a transplant. In fact I could probably take 3 weeks off. Maybe a little more if really needed. Photos Ive seen on this site of people who have had transplants with top surgeons still seem pretty obvious after a couple of weeks that there is something very strange going on up there.
Not all surgeons said I needed to cut my hair, although some of the ones Im considering did. For instance Hasson and Wong said Id need to shave the scalp. Surely this will look ridiculous for a long time!?
Then of course there is the scar at the back. Its not obvious to me with that how long it will take for the scar to be camouflaged by my hair.

2. The other thing is Im very confused about the number of grafts I need to get. About 4 doctors have told me 1500-2500 grafts. However one of the big names told me 4000! Admittedly that was just an email exchange and Im going to meet a consultant from them soon so Im sure Ill get an explanation. However with such big disparities between them its making me apprehensive.

[35YrsAfter]

Have you settled on strip or FUE? Healing of the recipient area is the same whether you get FUE or strip, assuming both physicians perform the surgery correctly. The strip donor area takes much longer to heal than FUE donor areas. We have had patients come back to our office four days after FUE surgery and the donor extraction sites are barely visible. Once the crusts come off, there is generally some pinkness though. There are post-op products that speed up the healing process. For your recipient area, doctors have their favorite products that help speed the crust removal. I work at Dr. Cole's office and I'm also a patient. Here, we recommend Post Biotin Spray. I have personally found that the Post Biotin spray helps the crusts to come off 2-3 days sooner than if I don't use it. I am personally too gentle with my recipient area and my recipient crusts have stayed on for up to 14 days. The range is about 4-12 days. A few of our patients have the advantage of being very tall. Most people don't see the top of their head. In your case, your recipient area shouldn't be an issue if you take 2 weeks off work to be on the safe side. With strip, the answer to your question about returning to work is best answered by one of the top strip clinics.

-35YrsAfter works at Dr. Cole's office

[bighair]

Thanks for the advice. I have not settled on strip or FUE. Although the recommendations I have got have been mainly strip. Im drawn to FUE cause of the lack of a scar but I dont want to get it just for the sake of people in work not noticing for a few days. I can avoid my friends as long as I need but I cant avoid people in work
The fact that there is bigger harvest from strip makes me want to go with it.

[bighair]

Any idea about the different opinions I have gotton on how many grafts I should get?

[Dan26]

Im shocked people still consider FUT's these days

[bighair]

Really why do you say that? I am in fact considering an FUT and most of the doctors I have spoken to have recommended one over an FUE (with the exception of Feriduni offering both).

[bighair]

The main thing drawing me to an FUT are

a) Better yield from donor. This is very important to me.

b) I dont mind having my hair reasonably long to cover scar.

[StayThick]

Im shocked people still consider FUT's these days

I agree 100% with Dan. I wouldn't in my right mind have a scar in the back of my head. I'd prefer the dots.

You don't know how much your hairloss would progress..it looks like you keep your hair short, concealing that huge scar might be difficult. Yield or not I personally think that's a huge mistake considering the advancements in the industry at this point.

To each his own. Don't get upset if people see that huge smiley face of a scar at work or if you go swimming with friends things get awkward.

[bighair]

Dan: Would you be inclined to warn against HTs altogether or do you think FUE is ok too?

StayThick: What do you mean exactly by "considering advancements in the industry"?

[PayDay]

In the end the decision is yours to make. Don't let anonymous people on a message board sway you in any particular direction. There are pros and cons with both types of surgery so it's probably best to meet with patients in person and to see results with your own eyes.