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2000 FUE Grafts - Hair Dr Clinic Leeds - 26th Apr 2021

S

SPHW88

member
Hi All,

I am rather nervous to post as I'm trying to keep the procedure out of the public however I feel that it's important my experience can help others who are investigating. It's worth noting my own experiences will be personal to my situation and my results will be a combination of the good work done by the Hair Dr Clinic, my aftercare and my own body's recovery.

History
I'm a 32 year old very active male who has some recession at my temples and a somewhat naturally high hairline. The high hairline has been the case throughout my childhood and very much a family pattern. I've never really felt comfortable knowing that I would recede despite the luck in the family that where there is hair it is very thick and mine is also very wavy. My hairloss begin in my 20s rather slowly and has reached a point that is very similar to where my father is at 60+. With an identical hairline and the soft hairs in similar areas I feel that I've reached pretty much my future loss - although I understand that this is not a fact but an assumption. Day to day I would go through the same process of showering, shampooing, hairdrying and straightening (sometimes able to avoid straightening) to pull my longer hair down over my temples and across. People close to me would never know I've receded and for long enough this was manageable. Over time I've found it rather tiresome and it's my own ability to accept myself receding that was lacking. Tired of avoiding any exercise I couldn't do before a shower (ie no runs to work or at lunch time), and planning my day around how I could prepare myself for the outside world. Please don't take it the wrong way as I'm fully aware there are many people with more difficult hairlines/densities to manage. I'd also wish to strongly advocate that being bald, receded is completely normal and should be accepted - I believe it largely is accepted. So if you're reading this, I hope you can be happy with who you are. If like me you would like to look into things more closely I would highly recommend spending time reading through this forum and others like it. Talk to people from both sides of the spectrum of success and understand what you are signing up to. I'm by no means an expert!

Options
Before looking into Hair Transplants there are a wide range of options for boosting your hair density and thickness and there are also many ways to disguise hairlines or thinning hair from simply styling with hairdressers/barbers, SMP procedures, PRP treatments and medications. Definitely look into these.

My Searching
I started investigating my options in Jan 2021 after discussing my personal feelings with my girlfriend who suggested I look further into it if it would make me feel better. I went through a few youtube videos, looked out for famous persons who had done procedures and also took a leap to contact a clinic for a consultation. There are many who do free consultations and I'd suggest to start with these to get a feel for what the clinics are looking for. At this point I learned about grafts, donor areas, recipient areas etc, and it lead me into a path where I could start really researching my options and fully understand the process which is not just as simple as opting for a transplant and you have new hair. You have to prepare yourself for the journey, weigh up the pros and cons and at the end of the day there is a leap of faith in your choice of treatment and doctors. Long story short it seemed with my hair loss and my luck with a good donor area, I could be a suitable candidate for a transplant with around 1500 - 2000 grafts being quoted across a few clinics. It was also recommended that to avoid future loss I should investigate medications such as but not limited to Finasteride and Minoxidil etc. I also had major concerns about the time following an FUE procedure in that I would have the recovery, the shedding phases, the growth phases and all else before the time comes that I will feel like my hair is *acceptable* in my own eyes to be on show. After personal review of such medications and assessing my pattern in the family I felt more comfortable looking to go ahead with the Hair transplant and I could have a little more flexibility with the medications. But I still had a long way to go in my own head. I contacted a few different clinics based on these forums but I would rather not name any which I did not opt for as I don't believe that my choice should suggest to others that they would do any less quality work than the Hair Dr. It took me over 1 month to go from almost committing to travel a significant distance to meet with the Hair Dr and I can only compliment the patience and personable treatment they gave me in the lead up to my decision. It was not easy and being honest I struggled hugely with the push to even physically turn up. I would like to thank Sommiya and Adam for their patience and their care. My biggest concerns were around the Donor area looking natural and untouched and also committing to any medications which have concerning side effects. It really took me some time to weigh up those pros and cons.

The Hair Dr (Dr Arshad)
Having made the trip to visit the clinic in Leeds, I finally got to meet Adam and Sommiya in person. It was also my first interaction with Dr Arshad. I was completely overwhelmed and as prepared as I was with my research, I still did not feel confident in going ahead with the procedure as I walked in the door. For anyone else in a similar position it's ok to feel like this or have any nerves. After some time discussing the procedure further and options I did decide to go ahead with the FUE procedure. Dr Arshad was very patient with my concerns and worries and although it took me some time to ready myself, the team were very good with me. The procedure went very well and I felt relaxed in the clinics hands all throughout when things got going. I cannot thank everyone at the clinic enough for their work and their very caring approach.

The Procedure - 2003 FUE grafts
S=194
M=39
1=125
2=888
3=757

I arrived at just before 8am to the clinic. Adam was at reception and had me fill out the documentations and kindly escorted me through to Dr Arshad and Sommiya. At this time we discussed the procedure and expectations, the hairline was drawn onto my head and we discussed the reasons for making it look natural and fit with my face. After agreeing they allowed me some time to talk to family. I had kept it very personal to myself and a few family members and girlfriend. Shortly after I was taken through to shave the donor area. I had opted to keep my length on top so that I could continue to style my hair following the recovery phase, hopefully enough to disguise the temples. In all honesty and although understood my middle part of hair which is relatively strong was shaved back a little to blend in the hairline - as we'd agreed not to lower it. This was quite scary for me as it will determine how I can cover my temples. Fingers are crossed for now.

Following this I was taken through to the treatment room to have my anaesthetic done by the practitioner, then have the grafts removed by the surgeon. Due to my donor attributes Dr Arshad recommended a 0.7mm sized punch to remove the grafts, which sounds great for the healing process and limits scarring. It's my understanding that it should be patient by patient so if you get 0.8mm or larger, it would be genuinely because it's the best fit for your hair type. This lasted a few hours if I recall correctly and Dr Arshad really seems to have spread them out very nicely. Once this was done I had some injections to the recipient area and liquid injected to expand the temples temporarily for after lunch when the incisions and grafts would be implanted. I had a short lunch break provided by the clinic and a nice chat with Adam again. After not to long the team were ready for me again. When I returned the anaesthetic was checked and adjusted to make the area numb before Dr Arshad made the incisions. Following this the grafts were placed in the incisions under supervision from Dr Arshad by his technical team. Following this, I was simply to get changed and walk around before I got some photos taken. I was explained the aftercare and given a very detailed and easy to follow daily chart (broken into 2 hourly sections). I was then free to leave the clinic. I was able to drive back to my hotel.

Injections - Took all of a few minutes. Probably felt these the most, just a little sharp pain and was over in no time. couldn't feel much after the first few
Punching (removing) Grafts - I think it took an hour or two. Lying face down in different angles and you feel virtually nothing except the punch being used
Injections at temple - Again took all of a few minutes. The sharpness dulling per each injection. The liquid simply feels like stretching and isn't too uncomfortable
Incisions - This took an hour or two again. Due to the injections I could barely feel anything, but you do hear the sound of skin breaking - it's nothing to worry about
Graft placement - The longest part of the process depending on how many can work on you at once. Again you cannot feel much and you can be topped up with anaesthetic should it wear off. I did feel it quite sharp towards the end but I was happy to continue rather than slow the process or bother with more injections.
I was made very comfortable during the whole procedure from start to finish. Too much chocolate being offered so if there's anything to worry about it's your will power to turn it away ha ha.

Day 0 Evening
Back at the hotel (Holiday Inn with a special rate from Hair Dr) I was feeling good, with no pain, only the feeling of a slightly large Dr Neo Cortex head - for any Crash Bandicoot fans. It really wasn't though.
I felt good and just tightness really, I could not feel any pains of any kind and settled down to eat. I did struggle to eat so I only had some soup and then some chips, but I think it was just a result of the long day I'd had. I'm usually not shy when it comes to my meals.
I have to spray my head like a flower every two hours throughout the day, avoid touching the grafts at all and be generally careful not to bump my head and not wash the head in any way other than the spray. This will be for 1 week until first wash - but all of this is listed on the aftercare and so much easier than expected to follow.
When it came to sleeping, I suddenly dosed off in an upright position with a travel neck support, I did wake up for a few hours but after distracting myself with movies etc I soon fell asleep until morning.

Day 1
I woke up in the hotel expecting to feel tired and potentially stay another night, but I felt fresh, ready to go and simply made sure I followed the plan, took the medication listed on time and packed up for a long drive home. No issues whatsoever but I would recommend taking an umbrella in case of rain etc. Just extra graft protection really. After a long drive home, a few work calls (which I was more than capable to perform) I was ready for dinner and again followed the plan. The next few days will be at home and I plan to return to work on Day 3 29th April (working from home).
I removed the bandages carefully and with no continued bleeding or oozing I opted to apply the cream and just relax for the evening.

Day 2
Woke up very fresh again, no issues whatsoever, feeling healthy and continued again with the plan. I've not had any pain, the swelling was down yesterday and anything left seems to have already gone. I have a slight urge to itch but it's extremely mild and I've not even come close to touching it even subconsciously. So no issues there and hope anyone reading experiences the same.

So that brings me up to date and I guess I just hope that my experiences and information will help anyone who is in a similar place beating themselves up about going through with anything. Just be careful and make sure to do a good bit of research, ask any questions you want even if you have to ask them several times over and create a plan of action. I can't recommend the Hair Dr enough and for anyone reading I 100% guarantee that this is a legitimate post that I really wanted to do for the benefit of others who might be in such a stressful place just as I had put myself in. I'm keeping my fingers crossed for some good progress and hopefully all comes out as intended. I'm not experienced as some other posters on here so this is purely just my own thoughts, so good luck everyone.

I'll put up some before, day 0, day 1 and day 2 photos. Please take it easy on me with any comments as I am very nervous about it ha ha.

Thanks
SPHC88
 
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H

Herr Loss

member
Sounds like you had a great experience, I look forward to seeing your photos.
 
S

SPHW88

member
Here are my photos prior to FUE including donor
 

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S

SPHW88

member
Day 0 post FUE. No donor to show as bandaged
 

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S

SPHW88

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Day 1 Donor immediately after removing bandage at 8pm. Obvious scars are from sports and an accident, not relative to the procedure
 

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S

SPHW88

member
Today Day 2 post FUE. Different light as it's morning
 

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H

HTL33

member
Hey SPHW88,

Great write up, thank you for sharing your hair story, I really can relate to so many things you have said and experienced, it takes courage to face up to your insecurities and do something like this, so well done mate.

Really looking forward to seeing how you progress, keep us posted!
 
S

SPHW88

member
Hey SPHW88,

Great write up, thank you for sharing your hair story, I really can relate to so many things you have said and experienced, it takes courage to face up to your insecurities and do something like this, so well done mate.

Really looking forward to seeing how you progress, keep us posted!
Absolutely and hope people can feel a bit more at ease when they view our stories. Will post a few more pics at the weekend and post wash on Monday. Had a few qs for you...

What day did you stop using a travel support?
When did you first apply Aloe Vera gel/spray?
When did you first put a cap on?

Thanks, see your progress is going great!
 
H

HTL33

member
Totally agree! I look forward to seeing your next set of pictures/progress.

I was very cautious personally, I contacted The Hair Dr throughout and whatever they said to me I added a few days on just out of personal choice.

Travel pillow I believe 7 days is a more than safe number but I did close to 14 days.

Aloe vera gel I got advised to apply this to the red areas within a few weeks after scabbing had gone.

For a cap I started wearing this lightly from 2 weeks, but I do believe I was told 1 week would be fine also.

One of the biggest reasons for choosing The Hair Dr for me was their aftercare which others had commented on, for me I just kept asking questions via WhatsApp and they’d reply within the hour most of the time!
 
S

SPHW88

member
Thanks again for the replies everyone. Will post some more photos this weekend and perhaps after the first wash. All still going well, perhaps last night was my most difficult sleep but more to do with my positioning of the travel pillow. I wouldn't put it down to anything from my recovery as such.
 
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Bigmac

Bigmac

Administrator
Staff member
Hi SPHW88, thanks for sharing your detailed story, it will help others who are busy researching. Being anxious about surgery is very common amongst patients. Everything sounds like the surgery went well and the first few days post op have been fine.
The work looks decent. Was the hairline lowered? Those 2000 grafts should create a new hairline giving a younger look. Do you know the density they placed at? It’s quite a large area covered.
It`s safe to apply the Aloe but always double check with the clinic.
Looking forward to following your progress.
All the best.
Bm.
 
S

SPHW88

member
Hello All,

So today is Day 7 and my first wash so thought it's an appropriate time to give an update.

Days 3 - 6
Generally I was still quite comfortable on days 3 to 6. A long story short I just kept myself to myself, stayed indoors and avoided going out. I have left my hair long on tope and in all honesty with it tied back from the recipient area it was easy to maintain and treat.

I stuck very religiously to the medications and ensured to spray saline every 2 hours as directed by the Hair Dr Clinic guide - which is very clear and easy to follow. By day 4 (I think) I stopped taking any pain killers but persisted with the ointment for the donor and the infection tablets. All went really well and rather than show daily pictures I think it's fair to say it gradually just reduced in swelling, redness and scabbing each day.

What was the most difficult part - sleeping. I actually had a few good nights sleep, but there were a couple days when I couldn't get the position right at all for my neck with the travel support. I learned just to simply not panic, try a different position and I often switched between my sofa and my bed. If you have a recliner I'd say this is the best solution but I didn't have that luxury unfortunately. I'm usually a 10/10 sleeper so this was probably more like a 5/10 so I still think I got lucky. It helped a lot when I sprayed the donor area with the saline spray during the night to just keep cool.

On Day 5 I noticed some mild itching and pains in the donor area, it wasn't much but enough to be noticeable. I just made sure I kept my head well watered to avoid any drying. Into Day 6 this continued and I think the anticipation of my first wash played on my mind a lot. I'd have been better not thinking about it so much! All in all it was a good week, a little boring and reclusive but I think it went well overall. It was better than I think I expected.

Day 7
Woke up on Day 7 absolutely dying to get washed... I contacted Sommiya early to just ask about the best way to wash my hair. A lukewarm jug of water from the tap poured carefully from the back running through to the front was actually easier to perform on myself than I thought and gradually brought the jug to the front (recipient area). Applying the shampoo was interesting... I'd not yet touched the grafts at all. They felt short, softer than expected but a bit like a bristled brush. I just kept the pressure to a minimum and made sure they were all covered. Lastly I ran another jug of water back over my head.

The feeling immediately after was worth the wait! I let my hair curl forward over the recipient area and no pulling or tugging at all. In case anyone else has that slight doubt, it is completely fine. So after airdrying and putting a t-shirt over my head I felt almost back to normal. I can still feel that I've had something done of course, but I do feel a lot fresher now.

The pictures
I'm actually really happy with how it looks, I'd been quite nervous about this all week but it's amazing how quick things heal. I think my hairline is great, the grafts seem to be progressing well at this stage and the redness has probably reduced to about 60% from Day 5 through Day 6 and 7. I intend to apply some aloe vera after the second week just to aid the colour. The donor is surprisingly good, a few light scabs in the upper corners but all in all I think it's healed ok. One picture shows the dots from the extractions but they are very very small and likely to improve with some time too. I've realised I actually like my hair this short, I'm hoping I can get away with it this length in future but also hope it's full enough when grown in. I'm sure it will. I've taken a few different angles and lights so hopefully gives a good idea. On the front, my hairline in the middle was shaved back a good inch or so just if it matters for anyone looking in detail. My mirrored camera seems to have clouded today - anyone knows how to fix this please let me know haha.


Anyway if anyone has any questions please just let me know and hopefully my pictures can be a good guideline for anyone still thinking about going ahead with FUE. Any tips are also welcome...

Thanks,
S
 

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Philw

member
Ur donor area looks nice and clean
U have healed quickly
Just relax and wait,looking forward to seeing ur outcome,and with the hair dr u wont be dissapointed
 
S

SPHW88

member
Now on day 8. The scalp looks even better today and hopefully see the scabs wash away over the next few days/week.

I have noticed I have a strong itch in the upper sides of my donor area and been advised to rub in some aloe vera gel.

So far I've applied twice today for some very short term relief. Has anyone had any similar feeling at this time and does anyone have any tips for a particular brand or alternative?

Thanks
S
 

Philw

member
Sometimes in the donor area u get pimples appearing not sure why,maybe cos a shock to the scalp,so it could be that a pimple might be growing,its all normal mate and they always go away
 
S

SPHW88

member
Thanks I'll keep an eye out, I don't see anything just feels like maybe it's just while the scabs heal and fall off. Any tips are welcome
 

Philw

member
Just keep it nice and clean and just let it heal
Aloe vera is good as people have said
Also just bath with warm water
It's still really early mate so ur gonna get things that play on ur mind
It all works out in the end
By the way it looks good
 
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