I have been a forum member for close to 3 years during which I have had 3 Hair transplants. During this I experienced the host of emotions almost everyone has experienced as well as attempted to provide objective and sensitive feedback to those in need on this forum. With this in mind I feel many of these "feelings and posts (& sometimes accusations) could be avoided if one would have had "Realistic expectation" from the start. This dones not discount the need for reassurance and comfort which I am strongly for but rather overall knowledge of the HT process.So, from my vantage point, I would like to explain what that is and how to obtain them.

What are they??

Realistic expectations are the outcomes of the action you are performing. This includes potential and all possible results of your surgery both good and bad. I have providing a list of the most common points to keep in mind

- Surgery has risks: There is no 100% guarantee in life including Hair transplantation. Indeed there is a possibility for limited growth or complications included scarring, numbness or other unlikely items. Although small this needs to be considered before sitting in the chair

- Surgery hurts: When a doctor cuts a slice of skin from the back of your head and plants it in your head, IT HURTS.. This includes post op and the healing process which includes tightness,numbness,pain, and overall discomfort.. Some heal and deal with pain faster than others..Expect to feel uncomfortable for at least 3-5 months. This needs to be taken into consideration before sitting in the chair

- Hair transplantation results take time: If you speak with the top doctors on here they will all say the same thing. Final results will take 12- 14 months ( some say a bit longer). This means you cannot judge results at 4,6,or 10 months. There are slow growers as well. You need to expect to deal with a bit of restlessness and eagerness during the waiting process. We all go through this & if you expect a quick fix or a small commitiment, don't do it.

- 1 Hair transplant ,most of the time will not do. Although we live in a world of megasessions and instant gratification, most people will need more than one HT session. Tough to generalize, but if you are a N3 or higher many times you will need more than one session. This is not even taking into account further hairloss which is always a factor. There are many factors involved such as head size, hair quality, laxity, etc.. Sometimes what is planned on paper turns out better than expected or not.

- Everyone is different: You cannot expect 5000 grafts to be equal for everyone. As mentioned above everyone is different. There are MANY individual characteritics to consider which make it imposssible to determine the outcomes on paper. Although we can benchmark accordingly, there is no crystal ball to determine exact comsmetic result.

- There is no BEST doctor: You hear it on here all the time. Many people passionate about their results claim their doc is the best and how great they are. No doubt there are a handfull of doctors which are extremely talented , but they do not exclusively own the techniques which provide these amazing tranformations. No doubt there are certain gold standards in the HT industry such as Follicular unit grafting, T- closure but many utilize these technologies (coalition docs). To say 1 doc is the best is an opinion not fact, and an insult to the top docs on here. The ability to transplant more in on session is not always better.. Again, we must consider the factors involved for this specific patient.. This is not a cookie cutter industry

Where to find "Realistic expectations"?

Research , Research, Research & common sense

- The forum: Do a search on the questions you have prior to surgery. Look at what others feel and say. Although everyone is different you can gain an overall feeling of what to expect.

- Meet the doctors: One cannot select the best doctor for you. Meet with a couple coalition doctors to see which one you feel comfortable with.. View their websites, meet their patients, and search on the forum..

- Commit to a new mindset prior to surgery:
A HT is a BIG investment both financally and emotionally. Before taking the plunge expect to experience ALL of the items listed above. When they happen (although difficult)you will know this is normal and you will just have to ride it out.. This does not mean you will not need a little comforting from your family,friends, and forum members but again, you made the decision so own up to it..


The above items are not intented to scare or encourage people to not have a HT, rather to prepare them for a healthy recovery process including state of mind (and body) PRIOR to surgery. If you know what to do and expect, it always makes it easier..

One final note. I forgot to list the OTHER potential outcomes. Here they are


- Increased self esteem
- More positive outlook
- Outgoing personality
- More youthful appearance
- Change in the way people respond to you
- spending more money on hair products
- Hair greed ( you want more HT's)

More posts on the forum

I hope you have found this long post beneficial. It seems a bit reality bases but consider it tough love!

excellent post,especially in the current climate.

newbies should be directed to this and made to "accept the terms and conditions"

Thanks B

This is no one other than themselves.

Great post. I'm new to this forum but have been posting on other forums and browsing on this one for quite some time. I am very interested in Dr. Trues work. How can I find information about your 3 transplants with True?

Joe, I couldn't agree with you more then 100% on what you wrote. I am so glade you wrote the truth about getting a H/T. I think you and I know first hand how these things really are. Just wanted to tell you that was an excellent and honest article. Take care and hope to hear from you soon.

Nice post, JOBI!! Anyone considering HT's would benefit from it.

Jobi,

Very insightful post and one I'm certain will help newcomers and even remind those more educated on hair transplantation the importance of research. Way to address some of the misnomers about the "BEST" surgeon - nice work!

UFC Fan,

Dr. True does perform state of the art ultra refined work.

Jobi unfortunately has not shown his pictures online despite my attempts to get him to . But, maybe if you ask him nicely, he'll send you them privately . His results are amazing, I can attest to that. Feel free also to use the "find" feature and look for "Dr. True" to see more of his work. You can also look through the patient hair loss blogs under Dr. True's name.

Falc

"A HT is a BIG investment both financally and emotionally."

It is pretty important to be realistic about (or at least have a handle on) the emotional aspects of the surgery. The way one looks, and feels, post-op is totally variable. Still it important to remember that patients are going for surgery so their hair will look better but, immediately post-op, their scalps may look worse. I am referring the scabs in the recipient area (which may or may not be shaved down) and the stitches and/or stables in the donor area. Patient often enjoy surgery as, at least in Dr. Rose’s OR, the staff is very pleasant and accommodating. After that you need a week or two for the scalp to get back to normal…then you may look as you did prior to surgery…then, 6-12 months later, you have a significant cosmetic improvement. That can be a long/emotional time line for any person.

Good point..

The short term "post surgery look" is also another specific item to take into account..
Again, another point to expect!

People have to realize too that they will lose hair (shockloss). You will actually have less hair in a month than you have now (kind of a scary thought I know)..1 step back to go 2 steps forward.

Also, if you normally shave down to a 1 or 2 that will not be an option for a while because of the scar. I have my hair cut to a 3 and the "line" is still visible for a couple days but I have VERY thick hair in back which really helps cover the scar area.