Here I am at 11 months post-op (2100 FU’s) and feeling quite blasé about the results thus far.

As you can see by the pictures, the hairline looks best when it is not seen at all. I’m fairly pleased with the shape and placement of the hairline, with the receded temples. It doesn’t look pluggy (although some recipient incision marks are still slightly noticeable) but it lacks much density. Consequently, I am left with the comb-forward look and not much else.

The transplanted hair is still quite thinner than the rest and is growing out quite curly. I am currently using a straightener to address this issue. I still feel stubble. Will this hair eventually grow or is it in a permanently shocked state? At 11 months, can I expect much improvement from where it now stands?

I am fairly happy with my donor scar as it remains very thin and had little to no shock loss in the surrounding area. However, there remains a pink hue around the incision.

Currently, I’m still very dependent on concealers. I use a combination of dermmatch and toppik. I would very much like to lose reliance on them as they can often appear chalky.

The question is what to make of these below average results. My doctor has been helpful, by making phone calls to check up on my status and answering questions. However, he is semi-retiring, which is why I requested the pre-op photos you now see posted. It is clear I have made up a lot of ground since going on Finasteride. My doctor thought it best for me to get on the meds before rushing into surgery and that was definitely a wise decision. I have now been on Finasteride for over three years.

Or is it my physiology? My hair texture is quite thin and maybe just needs more grafts to accomplish more density. I am also a slow healer. I have had other scars on my body for years before they became undetectable. But I can’t help but wonder whether if my yield is mediocre at best.

I have by no means been butchered and will not need a “repair” job. However, I will need another procedure in the very near future and hope the final result will far exceed where I currently stand now.

Advice, comments, support welcome.

If that was me, i would be VERY disappointed and somewhat angry to be honest. That does not look natural to me and the density is well below average to put it nicely Some type of refund or partial money back is what i would request. Its disapointing that some coalition docs are continuing to turn out the types of results.

At this point if I were you, I would contact someone like Hasson & Wong for a repair job, they might be able to move some of those graphs around as well as add some density via another surgery. They can develop a long term plan for you as far as graphs you have left and whatnot.

Good luck

Thats about what 2100 grafts will get you.
You certainly do not need a repair but another session by a doc that consistently produces nice results.
You know Shapiro medical ,Dr Feller etc

I have seen 2100 do much more for others. At any rate, you both are right. I just figured going to someone recommended on this site and seeing his patients in person would have given me a better chance for a successful result. Guess not.

its all about using your limited number of graphs in the smartest way...i would contact hasson and wong or shapiro and see what they can do for you, it no good to dense pack 3000 plus graphs in the front third just to make thing look good right now. i would contact them asap for consultations and i would be willing to bet they could make you look ten times better.

You say you feel stubble so that a good sign .
Your hair is wet in the afters so its hard to tell but this is not a bad job .This doesnt seem like a bad job maybe bad judgement in terms of grafts planted.
Your hair will also thicken up much more then it is now.
I bet at month 14-16 with it blow dried it will look much better.

aaron,

You have the same hair characteristics as me and that is (I think) par for the course with only 2100 grafts.

If you look closely at the hairs, you will probably see that most of them grew, just that fine hair does not provide much coverage. I am in a similar situation, that a comb-forward and across is the only look that works.

I received 4500 grafts over about twice as large an area. My crown is still bald, and I have what you have in the front and top.

I think the home run results posted by many people have thick hair.

People with fine hair may take 2-3x as many grafts to get the same density as people with even average hair.

You just need more grafts.

Hi aaron, I would say that from your pics you probably have achieved most of what 2100 grafts had to offer, in addition to possibly losing some existing native hair in the transplanted region.

The overall shape of the hairline looks appropriate, albeit less dense than you had hoped/expected/were led to believe.

I want to point out some positives: ---Your hair looks good grown out, you still have quite a bit of native hair and you seem to be responding well to propecia.

At this point in time, you should likely wait until the 14-15 month mark like PGP stated to get a true read on your results---generally speaking you may be a slow grower, but everything that will eventually show up will have broken the skin by 10 months---- so give it a little more time to mature.

I want to encourage you and let you know that your situation is not terrible---I know you feel misled and are unhappy with your results, but I want to focus on what can be done to help you out going forward.

In your situation a minimum # of grafts can be used to add density in the hairline---I would not touch the crown again for a bit.

I would encourage you to share your doctor with Pat and Falc so they can help you as well.

Take Care,
Jason

quote:

Originally posted by aaron1234:
I have seen 2100 do much more for others. At any rate, you both are right. I just figured going to someone recommended on this site and seeing his patients in person would have given me a better chance for a successful result. Guess not.

.......

so now, unfortunately, the best advice we can offer this guy is "keep going"... pay more money, but THIS TIME go to H & W cause then he will for sure be happy right??

i feel for you and your situation aaron, i hate seeing quotes like yours above.. and i hate that i dont know what to tell you, as im in a similar boat...

please keep us posted. id really like to know what you decide and i hope it works out for you. dont rush yourself man. BTW, the meds have done GREAT for you.

LMS Whats your advice then? Stay unhappy .

His ONLY choice is to get back in the chair if he is not happy.

This isnt counseling.com my man . People come here for advice .
He has two choices . He either stays unhappy like you or does something about it like me and a ton of others that were not happy.

Now if he was a 21 year old nw4 virgin patient then your advice /scare tactics would be called for.

Ive come to like you whether you care or not but your negativity is getting old.

Your right about one thing a top clinic will hook him up

Thanks all for you advice & encouragement.

A few things to respond to:

As PGP said:
“You say you feel stubble so that a good sign.
…but this is not a bad job.”

That’s correct. I have been feeling invisible stubble since the growth began. It’s just hard to assess whether it is growing or not. And if it is, it’s growing at a glacial rate while other’s have grown in at a faster pace.

The Emperor said:
“People with fine hair may take 2-3x as many grafts to get the same density as people with even average hair. You just need more grafts.”

If I have experienced a good yield than you must be right. But I am still wondering if I have actually achieved good growth. Under some bright or fluorescent lights with my hair spiked up, it barely looks like I have anything there at all.

The B spot said:
“At this point in time, you should likely wait until the 14-15 month mark like PGP stated to get a true read on your results.”

“I want to encourage you and let you know that your situation is not terrible.”

14-15 months is what I am holding onto right now. So hopefully there’s a bit more to come. You are right. This is not a terrible job or a hack job. So I can’t say if it’s the doctor’s fault or my own physiology. I know it’s not hopeless.

LMS said:
“so now, unfortunately, the best advice we can offer this guy is "keep going"... pay more money”

Pretty much. I just hope the money I spend in the future will lead to better results.

The thing that scares me most is how successful Finasteride has been for me. What if it begins to lose its effectiveness? My before-meds pics look well on the way to NW6-7 territory. That's what makes me nervous.

Now thats something we all worry about .
Im all for virgin patients to just shave their heads but since youve already started theres really no turning back.
Ive kept the same dht level using 1mg mon wed fri as I did 1.25mg everday in hopes that my body will never get use to it.
Basically keep your fingers crossed .
I know it sounds lame but its the only thing we can do.
You want your front half of the transplant to look as natural as possible in case you dont have enough donor to eventually cover the back.
With fue after strip I believe a nice % of guys can cover the entire scalp with a thinner coverage on the crown.

PGP-- what im saying is it just sucks that for guys like aaron1234, or judge holden, or myself, and the many others who exist on this site, and away from it.. we are in a situation where we are FORCED to continue... just like you were at one point..SMG saved you right??. maybe seeing what they were able to do for you might help aaron1234, judge, and myself with our decision.. do you have a link to your pics by chance?

i dont know what advice to give him, i said that... but i wish he had more options then he does. and it blows that he does not...

but above all i wish i could do something that could keep others from ending up like judge holden, and aaron, i bet they BOTH hoped for much more, i bet they BOTH went into this HT world thinking they would have much more, and i dont believe its completly their faults for expecting such.......

maybe thats why i dont cheerlead for HTs, and thow praise left and right.

quote:

Now if he was a 21 year old nw4 virgin patient then your advice /scare tactics would be called for.

PGP-- thanks man, i agree with you.. do you think theres a chance that a 21 yearold virgin patient NW4 might read this thread?? i do....

LMS,

No worries man. I appreciate your concern. I guess I should have settled for the shaved head look and then I could have saved myself all this trouble and dough. I just got tired of that look. But like PGP said, I'm in and there's no turning back now. I'm going to have to start stashing away cash like no one's business now. And currently being a grad student, there's not much to stash.

quote:

but above all i wish i could do something that could keep others from ending up like judge holden, and aaron, i bet they BOTH hoped for much more, i bet they BOTH went into this HT world thinking they would have much more, and i dont believe its completly their faults for expecting such.......

That would be cool if this guy was a patient that had never had work done before.
If it had been I would have said nothing to you mi amigo.
Problem is he is forced to go on with surgery.
So yes the best advice IS to keep going .
At least give him some advice instead ofbringing him down even more.
Your right I really do need to put up pics. Maybe it will help to see how Nuhart butchered me and SMG saved me

quote:

So yes the best advice IS to keep going .
At least give him some advice instead ofbringing him down even more.

your probably right man..

aaron, im probably thinking to much about others reading my posts then i am thinking about what effect they might have on you... i can be a real douchbag sometimes. i apologize.

Your not a douchbag LMS . I think your a decent guy
Im with you on young guys waiting and shaving and even nw7 calling it a day and staying bald but when someone has already had work done and they are not happy we should at least try to lead them to the best clinics out there.
Does that mean that they will be over the moon, no but they have a much better chance then to pick another crappy clinic.
Not that the clinic that did his work is crappy but they underestimated what 2100 would do for this guy .

Yeah, I think it is tragic when people like Aaron do not fully understand what getting HT #1 signs you up for........more hair transplants.

There is nothing wrong with getting a HT---but there is something wrong when a clinic misrepresents coverage or fails to acknowledge the warning signs of patients who have unrealistic expectations.

I have guys get really upset at me for telling them they are not candidates. Then they go find a clinic willing to take the cash.

Hair transplants is a HUGE commitment both financially, time wise and emotionally.

This is why younger guys are generally not good candidates because it is just so difficult to understand the lifelong commitment in your 20's

Anyway, all good points--tough to deal with this situation other than to add density to the front and hold out for propecia to continue to work.

Take Care,
Jason