S
SDB78
Valued member
Hi all,
This is my first time posting on the website. I found these forums most useful when researching a hair transplant and hope others find my review of use. I am 9 days post-op with Dr Ball at the Maitland Clinic in Portsmouth. My experience with Dr Ball and his team has exceeded my expectations and to date, I am thrilled with how things are progressing. I know it is early days and that the acid test is months away but so far everything has been very positive.
Background
I have been losing my hair slowly since my mid-20`s and I am now in my late 30`s. I have been slowly taking the pain of seeing my hairline recede and look worse year after year. In recent years it had dawned on me that I really could do something to rectify this issue and feel better about myself. I spent much time on the internet and on forums like this looking into hair transplants and knew it was the solution I was looking for. The only thing left to do was to go for it!
I narrowed my search down to a few surgeons in the UK. In May, I spoke to David Anderson (Senior Patient Advisor) at the Maitland Clinic and arranged to meet with him and Dr Ball. I found them both to be very professional and easy to talk to. There was no sales push and a clear emphasis was placed on the ideal long-term solution for my hair restoration. We discussed my goals and what was a realistic objective and Dr Ball drew a hairline which I was happy with. I was really excited leaving the clinic and knew I had to go ahead with a procedure.
After meeting with Dr Ball, I contacted a number of his previous clients and read more online reviews. What was clear to me was that the quality of his work stood out and that he really is an ethical Doctor who had the best interests of his clients at heart. These were my reasons for choosing Dr Ball. I have also had numerous conversations with David Anderson along the way and found him to be a great sounding board for someone considering surgery.
Pre-op
Surgery day commenced at 7am for me. My over-riding emotion was excitement but I was also quite anxious. After getting weighed and my blood pressure checked I met with Dr Ball. He went through some forms I needed to fill out and then we discussed the procedure. The main goal of my surgery was to lower my hairline and to fill in my frontal area into the mid scalp where the hair is much denser. Dr Ball was also to add coverage into the top left/right areas. We chatted through the design of the hairline which was most helpful. Dr Ball took his time drawing and re-drawing things until we were both happy with it. This really put me at ease as I had read other reviews where people were given hairlines that they did not have any say in and were unhappy with the end result. The next step was the buzz cut! I was shaven down with no clip. Looking in the mirror with no hair and with lines drawn on your head is when you know its game on! Here are my pre-ops pics:
After my head was shaved, I was taken into the operating room! It hardly had the feel of an operating room though as there was a big screen TV on display and a very nice view out of the window. After a hair wash I was all set to go!
Surgery
Surgery was very smooth and without complications. Dr Ball began removing a few grafts to see what they looked like. He was most happy with them so he then began the incisions while I watched a film. I felt a little prick from the anaesthetic but it was not painful. The next step was the extraction of the grafts. I lay on my stomach for most of this. This became a bit uncomfortable for me as I have lower back issues. However, after mentioning this to the team I was given more pillows to make myself comfortable again. This was the most discomfort I was in all day. The whole procedure is easy to get through and is not something one should be concerned about. After the grafts were extracted, I was given lunch (at the start of the day you place your lunch order). Soon afterwards, the team got to work inserting the graphs while I watched another film. I didn`t see much of it though as I feel asleep during it. After surgery, I was surprised at how clean the work was. I was really impressed with Dr Ball and his team. They are meticulous in their work and a friendly, collaborative group. Dr Ball was heavily involved throughout the day, performing all incisions and extractions. The graphs were placed by Janna Shafer with the help of 2 technicians. I was given my post-op instructions after surgery and was on my way home at 6.30pm. My final graft numbers were as follows:
1 hair: 516 grafts
2 hairs: 1316 grafts
3 hairs: 507 grafts
Total: 2339 grafts
Post-op pics:
Post-op
I stayed indoors for the first 3-4 days post-op. Spraying your hair every 30 minutes with saline solution can become a bit monotonous but I wanted to stick to the post-op instructions to a tee. I was pain free after surgery. My donor area was very tender to the touch but I think because of the anaesthetic and my excitement that I didn`t notice it. My forehead did swell up the day after surgery and the swelling lingered until day 5. On that day I noticed my donor area, woke up and was a bit tingly/itchy. I believe this is due to the numbness wearing off. This made wearing a hat somewhat uncomfortable for a couple days so I`ve opted for the buzzed look in public. Within a few days post-op no one could tell my donor area had underwent a procedure and my recipient area has healed very nicely. I`m so pleased about this as I was concerned about redness in the recipient area post-surgery. Pic 7 days post op:
Apart from still being a bit sensitive in the donor area I`m feeling fine and very much looking forward to the months ahead. If anyone has any questions, please message me. If you are considering a hair transplant, then I would highly recommend you contact the Maitland Clinic.
This is my first time posting on the website. I found these forums most useful when researching a hair transplant and hope others find my review of use. I am 9 days post-op with Dr Ball at the Maitland Clinic in Portsmouth. My experience with Dr Ball and his team has exceeded my expectations and to date, I am thrilled with how things are progressing. I know it is early days and that the acid test is months away but so far everything has been very positive.
Background
I have been losing my hair slowly since my mid-20`s and I am now in my late 30`s. I have been slowly taking the pain of seeing my hairline recede and look worse year after year. In recent years it had dawned on me that I really could do something to rectify this issue and feel better about myself. I spent much time on the internet and on forums like this looking into hair transplants and knew it was the solution I was looking for. The only thing left to do was to go for it!
I narrowed my search down to a few surgeons in the UK. In May, I spoke to David Anderson (Senior Patient Advisor) at the Maitland Clinic and arranged to meet with him and Dr Ball. I found them both to be very professional and easy to talk to. There was no sales push and a clear emphasis was placed on the ideal long-term solution for my hair restoration. We discussed my goals and what was a realistic objective and Dr Ball drew a hairline which I was happy with. I was really excited leaving the clinic and knew I had to go ahead with a procedure.
After meeting with Dr Ball, I contacted a number of his previous clients and read more online reviews. What was clear to me was that the quality of his work stood out and that he really is an ethical Doctor who had the best interests of his clients at heart. These were my reasons for choosing Dr Ball. I have also had numerous conversations with David Anderson along the way and found him to be a great sounding board for someone considering surgery.
Pre-op
Surgery day commenced at 7am for me. My over-riding emotion was excitement but I was also quite anxious. After getting weighed and my blood pressure checked I met with Dr Ball. He went through some forms I needed to fill out and then we discussed the procedure. The main goal of my surgery was to lower my hairline and to fill in my frontal area into the mid scalp where the hair is much denser. Dr Ball was also to add coverage into the top left/right areas. We chatted through the design of the hairline which was most helpful. Dr Ball took his time drawing and re-drawing things until we were both happy with it. This really put me at ease as I had read other reviews where people were given hairlines that they did not have any say in and were unhappy with the end result. The next step was the buzz cut! I was shaven down with no clip. Looking in the mirror with no hair and with lines drawn on your head is when you know its game on! Here are my pre-ops pics:
After my head was shaved, I was taken into the operating room! It hardly had the feel of an operating room though as there was a big screen TV on display and a very nice view out of the window. After a hair wash I was all set to go!
Surgery
Surgery was very smooth and without complications. Dr Ball began removing a few grafts to see what they looked like. He was most happy with them so he then began the incisions while I watched a film. I felt a little prick from the anaesthetic but it was not painful. The next step was the extraction of the grafts. I lay on my stomach for most of this. This became a bit uncomfortable for me as I have lower back issues. However, after mentioning this to the team I was given more pillows to make myself comfortable again. This was the most discomfort I was in all day. The whole procedure is easy to get through and is not something one should be concerned about. After the grafts were extracted, I was given lunch (at the start of the day you place your lunch order). Soon afterwards, the team got to work inserting the graphs while I watched another film. I didn`t see much of it though as I feel asleep during it. After surgery, I was surprised at how clean the work was. I was really impressed with Dr Ball and his team. They are meticulous in their work and a friendly, collaborative group. Dr Ball was heavily involved throughout the day, performing all incisions and extractions. The graphs were placed by Janna Shafer with the help of 2 technicians. I was given my post-op instructions after surgery and was on my way home at 6.30pm. My final graft numbers were as follows:
1 hair: 516 grafts
2 hairs: 1316 grafts
3 hairs: 507 grafts
Total: 2339 grafts
Post-op pics:
Post-op
I stayed indoors for the first 3-4 days post-op. Spraying your hair every 30 minutes with saline solution can become a bit monotonous but I wanted to stick to the post-op instructions to a tee. I was pain free after surgery. My donor area was very tender to the touch but I think because of the anaesthetic and my excitement that I didn`t notice it. My forehead did swell up the day after surgery and the swelling lingered until day 5. On that day I noticed my donor area, woke up and was a bit tingly/itchy. I believe this is due to the numbness wearing off. This made wearing a hat somewhat uncomfortable for a couple days so I`ve opted for the buzzed look in public. Within a few days post-op no one could tell my donor area had underwent a procedure and my recipient area has healed very nicely. I`m so pleased about this as I was concerned about redness in the recipient area post-surgery. Pic 7 days post op:
Apart from still being a bit sensitive in the donor area I`m feeling fine and very much looking forward to the months ahead. If anyone has any questions, please message me. If you are considering a hair transplant, then I would highly recommend you contact the Maitland Clinic.