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FUE Procedure with Dr Arshad (The Hair Dr) – 3149 Grafts – 12.11.2020

theshape1122

theshape1122

Valued member
All looks good to me! mines similar, after shedding I'm just waiting for native hair to cover over the receipient area now, I think there may be minior shock loss of native hairs among the areas where transplanted hairs were put between them but overall its not bad and growing fast
 
M

Matt88

member
All looks good to me! mines similar, after shedding I'm just waiting for native hair to cover over the receipient area now, I think there may be minior shock loss of native hairs among the areas where transplanted hairs were put between them but overall its not bad and growing fast
Thanks for this, theshape1122. I'm glad your hair is growing fast - I imagine it won't be long before you can cover up the recipient area and just wait for all the transplanted and shocked native hair to grow back. Then you'll be well set!
 
M

My2021story

member
You are about 2 weeks ahead of me so following closely.

I had my first wash today, felt good to clean it but now the worst part I guess- watching it gradually fall out as the growth cycles start.

My donor area also appears thinner than before, (more so on the left side) which is to be expected I guess.

Do you know how can you tell the difference between having shock loss in the donor area as opposed to it being sign of being over harvested?
 
M

Matt88

member
You are about 2 weeks ahead of me so following closely.

I had my first wash today, felt good to clean it but now the worst part I guess- watching it gradually fall out as the growth cycles start.

My donor area also appears thinner than before, (more so on the left side) which is to be expected I guess.

Do you know how can you tell the difference between having shock loss in the donor area as opposed to it being sign of being over harvested?
Hi My2021story, thanks for your comment!

Hope you've been enjoying your first day with washed hair. That was a huge relief when I had my first wash - surviving the first week with (hopefully) grafts in tact.

I know exactly what you mean about watching it fall out. The upside is when it all starts growing back and we'll wonder what all the fuss was about.

That's a good question about shock loss Vs over-harvesting and, to be honest, I'm not entirely sure. Maybe someone can elaborate? What I will say, though, is that Dr Arshad (like other ethically-mined surgeons) chooses his graft count based on what your donor can handle, so it's much more likely to be shock loss which you're describing and which I assume I have. From what I've learnt, it'll grow back and even out over time, though.
 
M

My2021story

member
Hi My2021story, thanks for your comment!

Hope you've been enjoying your first day with washed hair. That was a huge relief when I had my first wash - surviving the first week with (hopefully) grafts in tact.

I know exactly what you mean about watching it fall out. The upside is when it all starts growing back and we'll wonder what all the fuss was about.

That's a good question about shock loss Vs over-harvesting and, to be honest, I'm not entirely sure. Maybe someone can elaborate? What I will say, though, is that Dr Arshad (like other ethically-mined surgeons) chooses his graft count based on what your donor can handle, so it's much more likely to be shock loss which you're describing and which I assume I have. From what I've learnt, it'll grow back and even out over time, though.

The last week has been like a military operation, making sure I religiously stick to the plan- spraying, taking tablets etc but definitely nice to have a proper hair wash!
he did state that I had a very good donor area so am sure that’s the case. Experience was great and all staff very good on the day.

I guess it’s normal to start to worry as it’s such a big investment- both financially and emotionally.

When did you stop using a travel pillow?
I’ve used mine every night so far.

Hopefully someone more knowledgeable can advice in relation to shock loss.
 
M

Matt88

member
The last week has been like a military operation, making sure I religiously stick to the plan- spraying, taking tablets etc but definitely nice to have a proper hair wash!
he did state that I had a very good donor area so am sure that’s the case. Experience was great and all staff very good on the day.

I guess it’s normal to start to worry as it’s such a big investment- both financially and emotionally.

When did you stop using a travel pillow?
I’ve used mine every night so far.

Hopefully someone more knowledgeable can advice in relation to shock loss.
Military operation indeed, but you're mostly done now. Just Finasteride, hair-washing and the odd painkiller if you need it.

There you go then - you had the right donor area for your number of grafts and, from your graft count, you had a good number of 3s, so that'll really help with density on top. I think it's totally normal to have concerns at every step. It really is a life-changing procedure and will make a huge difference to your life.

I stopped using the travel pillow as soon as I first washed my hair. So, theoretically, you can sleep normally in your bed again tonight if that's what you want. The grafts are secure by now.
 
L

LondonMayor

member
Same; would love an update on this. Was moving along nicely
 
M

Matt88

member
10 Weeks Post-Op

Hi BaldingBaby and LondonMayor, sorry for the late reply to your messages and thanks for your interest in an update.

Here I am at the 10-week mark. I was initially going to wait until three months, seeing as there hasn't really been much to report. You can see in the photos that my native has been growing back, but the shock loss is still visible in the back and sides. I did wash my hair and let it dry just before these photos, so it's theoretically as voluminous as it can be right now. Hopefully that hair might start to grow back over the next few months, which would be nice, as it's looking a bit thin and it would be good to be able to have a bit of a trim and tidy up. If I do it now, I imagine it'll likely make the bald patches more obvious. So I'm sticking with hats outside and trying to avoid seeing myself in the mirror =/.

I take Finasteride 1mg, Biotin 10,000ug, Vitamin D 1000iu and a multivitamin tablet, all daily, and I also apply Minoxidil foam (Regaine) once per day all over the top of the scalp. In reading up about Minoxidil application, it seems once a day is fine as it has a half life of around 20 hours, meaning there may not be much extra benefit to using it twice daily. Each to their own though, obviously.

Dr Arshad at The Hair Dr has been excellent as always, patiently answering all of my questions and offering me an in-person consultation just to give me reassurance about my shock loss. I gratefully declined, as it's just a waiting game until the hair regrows. But It's very reassuring to know that he's so willing to allay any fears and provide advice.

I'll probably look to do another update around the 16-week mark. By then, some new hair might have even grown. We'll see.

I hope everyone is doing alright during lockdown.

Best wishes,
Matt
 

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L

LondonMayor

member
To the naked eye, most people couldnt tell you've actually had any surgery so thats a positve step

In 6 weeks you should start the next big phase of your growth. Looking forward to seeing the next stage! Def keep us all posted :)
 
M

Matt88

member
Hi LondonMayor, thanks a lot for your reply. I'd say you're right there - now that my native hair has for a bit long, it's definitely less obvious I've had the HT. Still, my hair generally just looks quite unflattering at present, so it'll be nice to see if I might be able to do more with it over the next couple of months.

Fingers crossed I might start to see something in six weeks or so. And definitely, I'll keep you updated so you can see the results of Dr Arshad's work for yourself.

If you're interested in The Hair Dr, I'd thoroughly recommend them.

Best wishes,
Matt
 
M

Matt88

member
4 Months (120 Days) Post-Op

Hi there, just an update after four calendar months. I was lucky that my partner tidied up the back and sides with the clippers, so I feel a little more human again. I'm beginning to see something of a hairline coming through (first photo), but it's very early days and it's not more than an outline right now. Hopefully I'll see it strengthen over the next months.

Other than that, it's hard to tell if much else has changed compared with pre-HT, but it's a waiting game. The Finasteride has hopefully slowed any further hair loss for now, while it's probably too early to see any impact of the Minoxidil I've been on for the last three months. I've attached two photos with combed-back wet hair in rather harsh bathroom light and it's quite sobering to see the how much density I've lost over the years. This would likely have been helped if I had started on Finasteride when I first noticed my hair loss some eight years ago. I chose to avoid it out of fear due to all of the negativity surrounding it, worried that I'd be part of the minority who experience side effects. Now that I've been on it for four months without too much of a problem so far (touch wood), if I could speak to myself from eight years ago, I'd recommend him to at least give it a go and keep an open mind.

The last group of photos is under a harsh bathroom light with dry hair. I still have some visible shock loss on the sides, although I'm told the camera makes this more obvious than it is in real life. I'm hoping this will recover over the next months. In general, the hair on top has grown back to what it might have looked like before the HT. I can't say for certain if it looks thicker than before, but I'm comfortable enough going out without a hat on. The crown will hopefully strengthen over time, although I've heard that'll come in more slowly than the hairline.

I'm still fielding regular questions to Dr Arshad directly and he is always happy to answer them. One of my questions was that I've noticed the odd double/triple graft at what looks like the front of the hairline. He reassured me that his techs do not transplant multigrafts into the hairline (this is one of the reasons why I chose The Hair Dr) and that a soft single just hasn't yet grown out in front of it. I wonder who else might have experienced that.

Thanks for reading and I hope everyone is well,
Matt
 

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Bigmac

Bigmac

Administrator
Staff member
Hi Matt.
I can see the growth beginning in your hairline when I go back to view your surgery pictures. The crown usually grows slower. Finasteride and Minoxidil will hopefully regrow miniaturised hairs and prevent or slow down any further loss. There`s no denying some people do experience side effects which can be worrying but like most medications, they have these warnings.
For me personally, I wish I knew about Finasteride before my transplants, it could have saved a lot of hair. There`s no doubt I`ve benefitted from it since I began using it in 2005.

The shock loss in the donor can take a while to recover. Yours looks to be in isolated areas. You could use something like DermMatch to help camouflage it until it`s grown back.

It`s good to hear the doctor answers all the questions. Post op care is an important issue.

Thanks for the update.
 
M

Matt88

member
Hi Matt.
I can see the growth beginning in your hairline when I go back to view your surgery pictures. The crown usually grows slower. Finasteride and Minoxidil will hopefully regrow miniaturised hairs and prevent or slow down any further loss. There`s no denying some people do experience side effects which can be worrying but like most medications, they have these warnings.
For me personally, I wish I knew about Finasteride before my transplants, it could have saved a lot of hair. There`s no doubt I`ve benefitted from it since I began using it in 2005.

The shock loss in the donor can take a while to recover. Yours looks to be in isolated areas. You could use something like DermMatch to help camouflage it until it`s grown back.

It`s good to hear the doctor answers all the questions. Post op care is an important issue.

Thanks for the update.
Hi Bigmac, many thanks for your post and I'm very sorry for the late reply to this.

Thank you for noticing the hairline. I actually put some volumising matte product (I use Dry Muk) in my hair the other week for the first time since before my HT and just having that very basic growth in the hairline drastically cut the time I spent styling it. In the past, I would spend between five and ten minutes trying to hide my lack of hairline, using a lot of product, and still being unhappy with the result. However, I reckon I spent not more than two minutes this time and used about half the amount. I didn't even mind the result, which for me is quite a game changer. It's amazing the difference even a small bit of new hair growth can make.

And that's absolutely right about Finasteride and getting on it sooner rather than later. I hope that there might be people reading this who see what happens when you leave it quite a long time, as I did. Better late than never, though, and I may even be lucky enough to see regrowth down the line. Who knows.

Thank you for your advice about using a concealer for the shock loss. This will be something I consider down the line if I'm feeling insecure about being out and about. Much appreciated.

I feel like I'm in good hands with The Hair Dr. They requested some follow-up photos the other day, which is encouraging as they obviously care how I get on. I'll be uploading my 5-month photos this weekend.

Best wishes and take care,
Matt
 
Bigmac

Bigmac

Administrator
Staff member
It won`t be long before you have a fuller looking hairline that`ll give you more styling options. Time spent on your hair will be less and less once you have your full result.
Fingers crossed regarding the Finasteride but if it stops or slows right down your hair loss, then it`s doing what it`s intended for.
It`s good to hear the Hair Dr asking for updates, patient aftercare is very important.

I`ll look forward to your next set of pictures.
 
H

HTL33

member
Thanks for the updates, I think your hair is looking great especially at 4 months
 
M

Matt88

member
5 Calendar Months Post-Op

Hello and hope everyone is well. I would say that one of my goals has been met at the 5-month mark, which I'm grateful for - I don't think about my hair that much these days. This is likely due to my perception that the HT is working and that, fingers crossed, I've hopefully slowed down the process of hair loss using Finasteride (and, to some extent, Minoxidil). So, even though my hair is still a work in progress, I'm not really fretting about the future state of it. I'm even less bothered than before when it's windy outside, as I think I now have just enough hair on my hairline to not be embarrassed about my hair blowing upwards. Seemingly trivial matters that someone with a full head of hair would never think about, but to me it really means a lot. And if I wash my hair and put a bit of product in it, I'm far less self-conscious walking around outside, so that's evidence of an increase in self-confidence, too.

I haven't had the top of my hair cut since the day of the HT, so I think the extra length is adding to the perception of density in the first four photos when compared with last month (it's hard to tell if it's the Finasteride helping, too). The hairline in the fifth photo is still only starting to take shape, but it has really helped with styling. In the remaining photos, I've added my regular matte hair product (Dry Muk) which helps with volume. Although I haven't cut the back and sides in over a month, the shock loss is still visible and I imagine that this will be the case for a while. Hopefully, those patches will have started to grow back by the 12-month mark. The crown even looks to be in better shape, although I wonder if that's the extra length helping to make it appear denser.

Best wishes,
Matt

It won`t be long before you have a fuller looking hairline that`ll give you more styling options. Time spent on your hair will be less and less once you have your full result.
Fingers crossed regarding the Finasteride but if it stops or slows right down your hair loss, then it`s doing what it`s intended for.
It`s good to hear the Hair Dr asking for updates, patient aftercare is very important.

I`ll look forward to your next set of pictures.
Hi Bigmac, thank you for this. I'm certainly more patient given that I'm able to style my hair fine with product. Now that I'm at the stage where I'm comfortable leaving the home and interacting with people, fingers crossed the next months will be much easier and, like you said, I'll be seeing improving results before long. It'll be nice to eventually experiment with different styles, as that's not been an option for me for what seems like years. And you're right, the Finasteride only really needs to slow down hair loss. Anything else will be a bonus!

Yes, The Hair Dr has been very present in all of this and they let me know the other day that I can come in for an in-person check-up whenever I want, which I'm appreciative of. In the end, we agreed that there's probably not much to see as of yet and I'll be going in to see them at the 9-month mark.

Take care.

Thanks for the updates, I think your hair is looking great especially at 4 months
Hi HTL33, thanks a lot for your comment and I'm happy to give updates - seeing other people's progress really helped me when I was researching HTs.

Cheers for your kind words about my progress. I do feel like my self-confidence has increased over the last month, which is a relief for me as I was really lacking it for some years before now. In that sense, this whole process has been really worth it.

Best wishes mate.
 

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H

Hoping_for_hair

member
I think you are seeing great progress and really good to hear your confidence has improved.
Pic 7 the top down one with a bit of product in looks like you have a full head of hair there already! Sure you have much more growth to come as well!
I don't really think the sides are very noticeable, you would have to be looking seriously closely (I was struggling!) so I wouldn't worry too much and sure it will come back to thicken up
 
M

Matt88

member
I think you are seeing great progress and really good to hear your confidence has improved.
Pic 7 the top down one with a bit of product in looks like you have a full head of hair there already! Sure you have much more growth to come as well!
I don't really think the sides are very noticeable, you would have to be looking seriously closely (I was struggling!) so I wouldn't worry too much and sure it will come back to thicken up
Hi Hoping_for_hair, thanks very much for your comment and I appreciate the feedback. Hope everything is going well for you on your HT journey =).

I think the confidence improvement has really made a difference to my life and if you were in a similar situation to me before your procedure, I hope it will have a similar impact on you, too. It's the idea that you're making progress that really helps.

Pic 7 was a pleasant surprise and it shows what you can do when you grow your hair longer on top. Really helps to conceal the thinner parts of my scalp in general and maybe I'll be lucky enough to wear a shorter style on top at 18 months. I'll just take month-by-month for now and hope to see more results in the next set of photos.

I think you're right that I'm overanalysing the sides. It's a small price to pay for now in order to have more hair on top, I'd say. Thank you - let's hope it grows back soon.

Hope you're enjoying your weekend and take care,
Matt
 
Bigmac

Bigmac

Administrator
Staff member
Hi Matt. It`s good to hear you`re happy with the progress and you`re regaining your confidence. At 5 months the hairline growth is looking good, the longer hair is helping with the overall look.
The shock loss on the side is taking a bit longer to recover than usual but I have seen patients take 6-7 months so I think you should be ok in the coming months.
Thanks for the update.
 
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