Hello all,

This past Monday was my second procedure with Dr. Feller. As I had posted before, my goal was to:

* Add density to the top
* Lower the hairline at the temples
* Add density to the crown region

Thanks to the density created with my first procedure (4200 grafts, 3700 on the top), combined with a good yield this time around, my threefold goal is off and running!

This being my second procedure, I felt somewhat more at ease, although I remain a colossal wimp when it comes to injections, and had to find creative ways to distract myself during the strip excision. Dr. Feller performed the latter in stages, removing it in what appeared to be four sections, which allowed him to both close the incision sequentially, giving the skin optimal time to bind and stretch, and also allowing the techs to begin dissecting grafts as efficiently as possible. The result of this, and of skilled placement, was a day that began at 7:45 and ended at approximately 4:00, with a break for lunch.

During the break, Dr. Feller introduced me to a gentleman who was in his office for a consultation; at that point the bulk of the placement was complete, and the prospective patient was able to see what was hopefully a very real picture of a reasonably large strip procedure, up close and personal.

I drove home after the procedure; the techs had given me two hours' worth of local anesthesia in the scar area before my departure, and I was well-rested and felt comfortable behind the wheel. In which context I offer yet more heartfelt kudos to the Toyota Prius: I am 6'5", and because of my car's superior headroom, felt no qualms about driving over potholed NYC streets with a freshly renovated scalp!

The evening of the procedure went well: having learned from my first experience, and with the added input of my mom, who is a retired nurse (and who has found my procedure fascinating), I took my pain meds in advance of any notable discomfort, and was able to sleep through the night nearly un-interrupted. The following day, I removed the bandage, which by that point was entirely dry of any residual bleeding, and with my mom's help took a decent photo of the donor incision, which, like the first, looked clean. By the afternoon of 8/26, the pain in the recipient area was nothing more than an occasional sting, combined with the "itchy" feeling that accompanies healing -- a good sign.

I took a shower that night, being extremely careful to use the cup-of-water method on all parts of my head, and massaged the sides and back gently. My head felt decidedly better after the shower; whether this was because the warm water helped relieve scalp tension or because I simply felt refreshed, I don't know. I didn't use a towel or hair dryer, of course, but rather let the air do its job.

Today, as I type this, although there is as expected tightness around the donor area, as expected, there is no pain whatsoever, and the tightness seems to be decreasing by the hour.
There is periodic itching in the recipient area, and, upon inspection this morning, I may have seen a few pimples, which as I understand it are commonly associated with the growth and healing process...so, here's to hats...

The third night after surgery was decidedly better than the first, but a word of advice I will share with any prospective strip-ers is: find some arrangement of pillows that will heep the pressure on the neck, just below the donor incision. My solution was an oblong pillow that my grandmother had, actually, made and crocheted for me when I was eight! I am sure she'd be proud to see that her handmade gift was put to good pragmatic use.

In summation...this has been yet another highlyworthwhile experience with Dr. Feller and his team, and has only redoubled my respect for him, his skill and concern for his patients' welfare, and the talents of his staff.

Photos from the past two days are available on my blog:

http://theaffairofthehair.blogspot.com/

I will be updating it regularly. In the interim, please consider yourself welcome to ask any questions that may come to mind.

Good growing to all!

Benjamin

Congrats Ben - Nice blog!

Ben,

Thanks for providing a detailed description of your second hair restoration experience. It sounds like everything went smoothly, even during your drive home .

Your postoperative photos are nice and clean and I trust this will truly help increase your overall density.

Congratulations again my friend. Here's wishing you a hairy winter :-)

Best wishes,

Bill (Falc)

Here is to another successful follicular journey! Keep us posted, as I am sure you will!

Ben

You must be thrilled that the journey is finally over....the last HT, the last 3 months of cover up, let the growth begin! Looks great.

Good luck Ben...Dr. Feller has pieced you back together

T

Thanks All!

The recovery/healing, this time, seems markedly faster than with my last procedure. I'm attributing it to a) maybe, it being a smaller procedure by about 1100 grafts, b) me knowing what to expect, c) also maybe, my being in better shape and health, overall (I've dropped about 10 pounds in the last 2 years and exercising more consistently). All the above, plus the quality of the surgery!

A very slight "@#$%" last night: I bumped my head, slightly, on a door frame. There was no particular pain, and no blood whatsoever; given that, and the fact that today is officially the first day I'm allowed to shampoo with direct contact, I am going to assume that all is well and be happy that I have a thick head...

One thought I'd forgotten in my initial post -- although my drive home after the procedure was fine, and Dr. Feller ensured that the only meds I had in my system were local anesthetic, one thing to consider is range of motion. Because of my scar/staples/numbed scalp, I wasn't able to turn my head quite as freely or as far as I generally do, which I didn't notice until I was backing the car up and checking my blind spot. It didn't present a problem at the time, but is something to consider...

Benjamin

Congrats Facelessman, great blog and pics btw, 3100 was a great number for your second session tips you over the 7k which i am sure will look fantastic when it is grown out.

quote:

A very slight "@#$%" last night: I bumped my head, slightly, on a door frame. There was no particular pain, and no blood whatsoever; given that, and the fact that today is officially the first day I'm allowed to shampoo with direct contact, I am going to assume that all is well and be happy that I have a thick head...

It always amazes me that we ONLY ever bump our heads when its critical not to. Something similar happened to me for all 3 surgeries.

The good news is, I was fine - and you will be too

Best wishes,

Bill (Falc)

Falc -- gracias... I should probably worry more about the effect of the impact on the door jamb of the 80-year-old cottage I'm staying in -- at present I'm in South Bristol, Maine, with my family, conducting an in-depth study of the effects of sea air, lobster, and beer on the growth of transplanted grafts. All in the name of progress...

Oh, and more significantly by far...I'm married! My wife and I just completed phase one of our honeymoon in New England...and I'll join her in Spain in early-mid September (she does the Foreign Service thing). Future blog entries from me will still be in English, unless I expand my vocabulary beyond "another beer, please..."

Garageland...thanks!

You are looking great; quite the change!

Benjamin,

You recently got married? Congratulations my friend. Marriage is a great institution (kidding), so welcome to the club

It sounds like you have an amazing honeymoon planned!

And just think....most married men start to lose their hair as a result of being married. You will be gaining it .

Hmmm....I wonder if there is a link between marriage and hair loss. Has anyone done a study on this?

Best wishes,

Bill (Falc)

An update: as of 11:30 today, my staples are history, and my head feals measurably more normal! I anticipate sounder sleep in the coming night.e

Dr. Feller took some additional follow-up photos, and we both noted the speed with which everything was healing. He also showed me close-ups of the top and crown, and needless to say, I am enthused at the prospect of seeing his densely-packed artistry grown and thrive.

While I was there, I was able to meet another guy who was in to have his head de-stapled; from the looks of his scalp he appeared to have had a similarly large procedure (3000+ grafts). His recipient area looked great; even after only 10 days, it looked as if it had merely been buzzed. Another satisfied patient!

More photos to come, as they occur...

Benjamin

Looking fantastic facelessman
It seems that Feller is the master.
Happy growth forever!

Hello All,

I've updated my blog with my one-month progress photos, albeit slightly late (the one-month mark was 9/25). The photos themselves were taken on 9/25.

Good growing to everyone,

Benjamin

Thanks for the update Ben. Looks like you've healed up nicely. You're gonna have a mop when that thing grows out...

Benjamin,

The first few months are a killer, but you know the drill at this point. Hang in there and a new head of hair is around the corner.

Thanks for keeping us updated.

Best wishes,

Bill (Falc)

Looking nice and clean.

Couple of questions: Are you still on vacation with the fam? How do you go around with that funky hairstyle? I am 6'4, but know that people would look at my head and ask what is going on up there.

I will be shaving down once sutures are removed on Wednesday, that is why I ask about the hairstyle.

Eman,

Actually, I am now in Spain, where I just joined my wife on her current Foreign Service assignment.

Good question about the hairstyle...after my first procedure, the entire top was shaved and there wasn't a lot of original hair to begin with, so I pretty much went with a cap until roughly the 3-month point.

This time around, there's just enough to do a sort-of combover thing, so to the casual observer, or even in photos, unless one can see the short hairs growing in (from my first HT), I just look balding. Ironically, the way I look now is not too far from how I would likely have looked in another 7 years, had I not had any work done at all... I've pretty much skipped the hat for that reason, except for sun protection, and aside from family, who know about the HT, nobody has asked, if they've noticed. It's sort of a social experiment...I'm wondering who will feel comfortable enough to ask "So...what's with the hair?"

Regarding wearing a hat, in my case, when I had the first HT, I was working in a semi-casual office (software programmer) where no one cared, and where people were actually curious and complimentary about the transplant ("hey, good for you" kind of thing).

Benjamin

Hello All,

Two-month updates are now on my blog:

http://theaffairofthehair.blogspot.com/

Benjamin

All good Ben