Andy,
Looks excellent !!! I am sure you will enjoy the nice change..7-8 months from now you will not know what hats are used for !!!!. BTW...welcome to the formerly bald club..its a nice feeling.

WOW!! I am impressed! Andy - you look great! I can't wait to see a pic in 5 months.

Take Care

Andy - How many grafts did you get in this session?

Hi, here's a photo I snapped at the 6 month point and the other 2 week photo for comparison. Hopefully this link works... Cheers, Andy
HT Photos

Hey I like that Greco FUT!! I wonder if Arfy has taken a look? At just six months there must be lots of growth still to go...right! Jebster

Hey guys, anyone ever heard anything bad about using cover ups like GLH, Couvre, etc on recipient site a few weeks after a surgury? Is it bad for FU's

Ron

Thanks all for the kind words and the encouragement early on. In sharp contrast to some of the boneheaded choices I have made in life, this was definitely a good one.
Maybe I will start that garage band after all, just as soon as I get that car to start and learn to play an instrument...

Hi, I added some photos taken at 9 months post op. I am thrilled with results so far and hope to post again at 12 months. Cheers, Andy
HT Photos

Hi y'all, I had a second procedure on August 30 with Summit Hair in Clearwater. Once again I am thrilled with the quality of work done by Joe Greco and staff. This time around we focussed on filling in the front/middle and the crown, but other than that the procedure was very similar to the first one and went smoothly. In regard to post-op appearance, I think it definitely helped having existing hair (from the 1st procedure) to camouflage the new grafts, but once again I had very little redness and no swelling. In fact, a couple hours post-op I was eating dinner in a restaurant with the other patient they did that day, both hatless. Cool beans!
As far as healing, that has also gone very well.
The donor area was a bit sore as expected. I bought a neck support pillow from Walmart for the first few days to elevate my head and make sleeping more comfortable. For the recipient area, I used the Grafcyte spray provided and for the first couple days applied an icepack to my forehead for a few minutes as insurance against swelling, but again I have had none, and have had minimal shock loss as well. This time around I opted for the removeable sutures and they were just removed today by a local Dr. with no problems. (For the record, I had the dissolvables last time and they also worked great but the little 'speed bump' takes longer to dissolve..)
Other than an occasionally itchy scalp which is easily treated with medicated shampoo, everything is back to normal.
Which means: work, work, work!...but I am definitely looking forward to the next few months!
I asked Joe if I would still be able to play the violin after this and he said, "Of course!"
I said that's great, I never could play it before...
Cheers! Andy
(with apologies to Henny Youngman)

I hate looking at photo's on the internet...and would love to see some actual heads...I am 33 and new to this site and relatively new to hairloss...just frontal recession (I estimate I may need about 1000 FU's)...I have really leaned toward Shapiro So far...what are the differences between him an Greco? And can anyone give me any more insight. I would like to check out at least 3 doctors before making a decision. Help the new guy...please....

First of all, I hope you are using Propecia in order to prevent further hair loss. Hair transplants do not prevent baldness, you need to put the brakes on further recession ASAP. Yes, start using Propecia before, during and after a HT. If guys would use it from the early signsof hair loss, they might be able to avoid ever needing a HT in the first place.

Maybe you already know that, if so, I apologize for being redundant.

Also, if you only think you need a thousand grafts, I think you should really be sure that you actually need a surgery. I see lots of guys asking about transplants, who just want to touch up their hairlines, or fill in their temples a little. Getting a surgery to accomplish this goal is an extreme reaction to that degree of hairloss, and a mistake, in my opinion. Don't even begin to think about HT until AT LEAST Norwood 3 and up. This issue has been discussed many times here in the forum, so you may want to spend some time going through older posts, and reading your way backwards (or forwards...)

Picking a world-class doctor is crucial, but it is equally important to be a "good candidate" for the surgery in the first place. There are too many clinics out there, who tell every single guy who comes in with a little thinning or recession, that "of COURSE you are a great candidate for a transplant!" (as long as you have the money). There are even some "good" clinics who seem to be guilty of this, so be careful. Just because a doctor is willing to do a HT on you, doesn't mean it is a good decision for you.

Okay, you've been using Propecia and halted your hair loss, and you are beyond Norwood 3, and the Propecia didn't regrow anything for you. You are certain you are a good candidate, you've researched and read up, and informed yourself. You are asking "who is recommended, Joe Greco or Dr. Shapiro?"

Well for one thing, Dr. Shapiro has the reputation of being one of the very top HT physicians in the world. Certainly "top ten". Joe Greco has his share of fans here, but I have never heard anyone claim that he is #1, the way many people do about Dr. Shapiro.

For another thing, Joe Greco is not a medical doctor, he's a "PA" (physician's assistant). He has a phD in something or other, but nobody ever says what he got his phD for. But he certainly should not refer to himself as "Dr. Greco" unless he's trying to pull a fast one on you. Now I'm sure Joe Greco's fans will cry "foul" here, but these are the facts. He's not a doctor, and some people think that is important.

I believe Joe Greco was once Dr. Shapiro's assistant. I may be wrong about that.

Bottom line? Hands down, I would pick Dr. Shapiro over Joe Greco. No contest.

I agree, pictures aren't enough. You need to see results in the real world. If you are ever in the Orlando area, let me know (andy123@att.net) and you can see for yourself.

As far as Joe Greco, I chose him based on his skill and experience in ht surgery. I felt very comfortable having him do mine after viewing several procedures and meeting his patients. I waited a long time to have this done and asked a lot of questions. Dr. Shapiro was also on my "short list" of surgeons, but since I live in Florida instead of Minnesota, the choice was that much easier. And it's one I don't regret

Arfy, unless you have personally seen several patients of both Shapiro and Greco in person, I don't think you are qualified to answer that question. Just my opinion.

I think by now, everyone knows Joe isn't an MD. He has 20 years experience in HT surgery he did surgeries for Shapiro when Shapiro had a Clearwater office. Shapiro sold that office to Greco and Dr. Rose. Not sure of the details of the Greco/Rose split but I know Joe still speaks highly of Rose.

I truly believe if Joe was an MD, many people would say he is the best in the world. Again, just my opinion. I've met 3 of his patients and they all looked incredible (Andy being one of them). Because he's not and MD, and even though he does the same type of work (from what I've seen and heard) as Shapiro's crew - all fu's - people do not talk about him as much. For the record, I did have a surgery with Joe in mid-August. I'll be happy to e-mail pictures to anyone who wants to see them once everything is fully grown in about 4 months from now. Joe is also less expensive than Shapiro. I think anyone interested in a HT should talk to Joe. I'm not saying everyone will think he's the best surgeon for them, but based on his results he is certainly worth talking to.

Shadows, I hope this info helps.

I would have to agree...if Joe was an MD he would be at the top of most lists. Before I had work performed by him I was fortunate enough to meet 2 of his patients in Southern California. All I had to do was get a quick glance at their hairlines and I booked a flight in a months time.

His precise work and very reasonable procedural costs made it easy. In a year and a half I have transformed from a norwood 5 to a 1.
If anyone would like to contact me my email address is on Joe's website
www.grecohairsurgery.com
Best wishes!