Follow My Major Repair

[diamond8]

I too agree with you about the fue healing and process. I had no numbness and felt normal the next day. I did look a bit bloody but that was it. No comparison to the strips or that Hairlift. I read about one guy who had the Hairlift by brandy and he had pain in his neck. Strangely his posts have disappeared. I hope this was not the guy who committed suicide. I read that one of his patients did but he has cleared the Internet on this. You know how much is hidden in this field. One other thing I have noticed here in Europe as far as health is concerned. So many young people smoke. I am not sure why. It stinks and is so unhealthy not to mention expensive. I do not think they know how harmful it is to them. I also was told that it ages your skin not to mention the cancer risks. I am afraid they may learn when it is too late.

 

[topccat29]

Sometimes some of us have to learn the hard way just like HT repair patients.

I do recall picking up an elderly man about 60 and giving him a ride. He actually knocked on my car door and this was about 10 years ago. Well he had a voice box, evidently he had throat cancer. He told don €™t ever smoke it €™s not worth it and he said it quite a few times.

It reminds me of repair patients that try and help others to avoid what they have gone through. It €™s just natural to want to help others avoid a bad experience.

 

[diamond8]

It is good that he quit. I knew a guy years ago in
Florida who had a voice box and a trachea. He would light up the cigarette and smoke it through that hole. It was disgusting. He said I am going to Die anyway so I am going to smoke. Some people never learn. You can't teach stupid I suppose.

 

[topccat29]

7 month update from 2nd procedure. My hair is slightly still wet.

 

[diamond8]

Looking much better. I would say you are on your way. Just out of curiousity How much of an improvement would you say you expect to get? For example a full head of hair is not expected but that would be 100% (to me anyway.) I would say I am improved about 90% if you compare it to my before photos. But when you compare it to a full head of hair it is about 50 to 60% of what those people have. I think we all will eventually compare ourselves to this since that is what we truly all would want if we could achieve it. I would say my results are excellent considering the scarring and I have felt it to be worth every penny. I feel this is the best It could be. I just feel patients should also know it is not as dense as a full head of hair. I think that should be told to every prospective patient. Anyway I think you are going to be vastly improved!! I want you do get a great result as I know what it is like being a Brandy disaster.

 

[topccat29]

Diamond I would say with all sincerity that many of my expectations have already been met. I wanted to go to the best clinic in ability, patient care, honesty and ethics. This has already been accomplished. As far as the results, so far I €™m more than happy. The yield has been 100% in my opinion and looks natural which was paramount.

There is an acronym used in personal achievement CANI which stands for constant and never ending improvement. This is the way I tend to look at things and it €™s especially relevant to cosmetic surgery. As long as I and continue to make improvements over time than I will keep traveling down that road.

As we both know being repair patients it €™s about being in the right hands and having the available donor. So far my progress has made a world of difference for me.

 

[diamond8]

I would say if you are happy with the results that is what counts. I too would have not chosen another Doctor since I wanted a One on one (Doctor to patient) system. I think that from what I see in most repair patients is a good overall improvement. I do wonder though if the word repair is meant to be improved. I can tell you have improved vastly from before and I myself have a great result. I guess that myself being a perfectionist is not good because I can see a lot of room for more improvement even in some of the so called great results. I am an ex Cosmetologist so I always look for almost perfection. So far though I am sad to say that most Hair Transplants are not perfect. I feel they are the only answer and in our cases this is the best we can achieve. I think that when the term realistic results are stated that is meant to be "
Don't expect perfection". That is what I want all prospective patients to know. Still though I would have done the corrective surgery again in a heartbeat. It sure beats wearing a wig!!

 

[topccat29]

I can €™t imagine having to wear a wig or hat constantly and no offense to those that find themselves in that position. It would make me absolutely insane.

Diamond I have seen where you started and so it makes it even more amazing when a few patients that have had a couple of hundred grafts promote themselves as amazing repair cases and then to have the balls to bash and attack real repair patients. This too is also what makes the industry so hard to trust.

I recall one thread on another forum where one poster actually made a derogatory comment about your father who you stated passed away. I thought for sure another good poster had been lost. Same modus operandi year after year. Attack those that are perceived as a threat to their bottom line. Anyone that has seen your case does not need much convincing that you speak the truth.

I think if people would just take the time to wait and do enough reading and speaking with others it would be easier for them to figure things out and make a better decision.

 

[diamond8]

I know what you are saying. I feel that you are right on the facts that many posters attack for no reason. I think back on those awful days of wearing the wig and am very thankful for what progress was made through Body & Beard Hair transplants. If not for those two advancements you, myself and many others in our position could have never been helped. I still have friends that will not give up their wigs but they live life around their hair. For example none of them go to a gym or are very active. It is a very sad way to live. I feel for them because some just are not able to have surgery because of funds & a couple have poor donor everywhere. (Beard, body and scalp). Also I am not posting on that other site because I have seen so many posts deleted. That site is mainly a sales persons heaven. Only the positive posts are on there about their sponsored doctors. If someone dares to say the truth about a Doctor or reports a poor result the Clinics sales reps start to chime in and the post is removed. I am through with them. I am glad this site exists and is more professionally managed.

 

[topccat29]

The following pictures represent the pictures I always wanted to see when researching. Going back 7 years ago or so I would always ask those that had bht performed if they had any pictures with the donor area tanned. That for me personally was the golden standard when judging if any white dotting would be evident. I was very well aware of punch sizes at the time but knowing that a small punch was going to be used was simply not enough.

The following pictures show my skin at 7 days post op and at 19 months post op after approximately 215 chest hair extractions. I have been working outside fairly often this summer and I also just enjoy spending leisure time in the sun. My skin is more than several shades darker and I can honestly say I have no visible scarring. I can only speak for myself and my own experience. It is important for others to make their own decisions after they thoroughly research the procedure.

 

[topccat29]

2nd procedure 8 month update

 

[diamond8]

It is coming in nicely topcat! Good solid steady improvement.

 

[marmaromenos]

Congratulations topcat.Very good..
Who placed grafts?Dr B or techs?

 

[Sparky]

Would you still have that physique if you never had an ht?

 

[topccat29]

Thank you Diamond.

Hey Sparky that is a really good question and something I have often thought about. I believe the answer would be no because I would not have realized how completely corrupted the medical system is and I would have relied more on doctors for health advice.

Marmaromenos the grafts were placed by the techs both female and one Natasha worked placing my grafts on both procedures. I know this idea has been debated in the past on the forums but I personally have no problem with an experienced tech placing my grafts in fact I prefer it.

I also know that sometimes a small female with small hands is better suited when it comes to certain skills. I know this because I worked for an electronics manufacturer for a short period of time in the sales dept. But in order to better understand the product I needed to work on the line. The items they were producing were very small and needed to be assembled underneath a microscope. It was extremely difficult to get my thick fingers to perform the task while at the same trying to view what I was doing while peering through this microscope. Eventually I did get the hang of it but there is no way I could ever compete with the hand dexterity of a female with very small hands.

In my opinion small females with small hands are ideally suited for this type of work. No different than being in a burning building. I would rather have a 200 lb fireman carrying me out and not some 100 lb female. Sorry if this offends but I live in the world of reality now and not in the world of hopes and dreams.


I also know that there are male techs that are exceptional at placing and I should have stated this in the original post. Now that I read it again I can see how it might be interpreted as being insulting. I should have written, generally small females with small hands have better hand dexterity and usually make better placers because of this physical advantage.

This is just a case of writing too fast.

 

[Levrais]

Lookin good Topcat. Also I had missed the physique pic until now, holly shit man!

 

[marmaromenos]

Topcat i agree with you about techs.I am very happy for your results.
You have great body.We should call you topgorilla

 

[marmaromenos]

topcat how many grafts per cm do you think you have after your last ht?

 

[topccat29]

I know everyone by now is probably getting tired of looking at my progress through pictures. But at this point , 8 months since my second procedure, styling my hair while using a much smaller amount of concealer is a breeze. I don €™t have to sit there endlessly trying to make sure every hair is in place for fear that I might draw stares to my hairline. At this point I feel my hair looks completely natural and that feeling has given me back the ability to be more at ease in public and around family and friends.

I used to have to completely paint the top of my head, I no longer need to do that and for that I am very grateful.

 

[Levrais]

It looks very natural!