How Challenging of a Procedure is Very Pin-Pointed Electrolysis on Temple/Temple Points?

[repairmybadangles]

I had a repair surgery with Dr. Mwamba 3 months ago. The surgery was mainly to extract and replace hundreds and hundreds of bad angles. I'm already quite confident I am going to have a great result, and have already noticed new baby hairs sprouting slowly but surely since the 2 month mark

However....a few weeks after surgery I noticed I still have a few badly angled hairs remaining in both my right temple and right temple point - liberally I believe at most there are 100 bad grafts. Visually to the naked eye I can only spot 50 or less bad offenders.

Of course there is the possibility I guess that all the new correctly angled hairs will camouflage or maybe weigh down the badly angled hair, but I am pretty skeptical about this.

Since the badly angled hairs are so few in quantity, and this will hypothetically be my only pain point remaining, and per Mwamba I still have 1-2k donor in reserve, if camouflage does not work I feel electrolysis is my best option. 1) I can totally afford to kill off 50 grafts 2) Aesthetically, I am banking on my density in these areas to be good enough that the removal of these grafts won't make any difference in the illusion/visual appearance.

Questions:

1) Obviously, there are a very limited number of good hair transplant docs in the world and it is often required to travel far and wide for hair transplant surgery. I am wondering if the same holds true for electrolysis? Is scalp hair electrolysis difficult enough that only a few places can do it well?

Or is scalp hair electrolysis not that challenging, and your average run of the mill electrologist should have no difficulty?

In other words, how challenging of a procedure is temple electrolysis of the temples/temple region - where the electrologist is likely removing a handful of single hairs in areas that have density of 60-80cm?

2) Is anyone in the Denver Colorado metro area and can recommend any doctors or electrologists I can do some consults with?

3) Is it normal for dermatologists or trichologists to do electrolysis? Would that be better than seeing an electrologist?

4) Is there any damage at all to neighboring hair from electrolysis? Or literally the only hair affected is the one being zapped?

I do want to have faith in my current hair transplant, and do not plan on doing electrolysis until I am at least 10 months post op. But I just want to stay ahead of the game and start exploring this avenue now in case is it needed.

TLDR: Can you trust a local electrolysis place to do very specific and minute temple and temple point removal?

Or, for my situation, is electrolysis similar to hair transplants in that only a very limited # of places in the world can do it correctly?

I'm hoping its not necessary to go through the hoops to see Dr. Cooley or Dr. Mwamba again just to kill of 50 hairs or less.


***note that all pics were taken today at the 3 month mark. If camouflage fails, I will be waiting until the 10 month mark or later to do electrolysis. By that time, the areas in the pics will be much much denser with Mwamba's correctly placed grafts. One of my (perhaps unfounded) concerns is whether your average electrologist will be able to identify and zap the badly angled grafts if she is working amongst a dense area.

 

[Kevboy]

Not seeing much really in those pictures. If you post the pictures from surgery showing extractions of the bad grafts or just all the pictures he took. I have searched all his results to find one that is like yours but none too be found so you will be the first.

 

[repairmybadangles]

Not seeing much really in those pictures. If you post the pictures from surgery showing extractions of the bad grafts or just all the pictures he took. I have searched all his results to find one that is like yours but none too be found so you will be the first.

I guess my question from a 10,000 foot view is - can your average to great local electrolysis place handle zapping specific scalp hairs in a dense area or does this require me to go through the very stressful motions of seeing an elite HT?

I agree my photos might not be the best. The badly angled hair is very light colored so it can be hard to tell. But basically, there are 50ish or so grafts in the right temple and right temple point that incorrectly curve upward instead of pointing downwards.

 

[loui]

I guess my question from a 10,000 foot view is - can your average to great local electrolysis place handle zapping specific scalp hairs in a dense area or does this require me to go through the very stressful motions of seeing an elite HT?

I agree my photos might not be the best. The badly angled hair is very light colored so it can be hard to tell. But basically, there are 50ish or so grafts in the right temple and right temple point that incorrectly curve upward instead of pointing downwards.

You can checkout my thread if you want, I zapped about 400-500 in the temples with Electrolysis.

 

[repairmybadangles]

@loui thanks. your own electrolysis story is very similar to what I'm seeking. The only difference is hypothetically I would be getting it done on a dense temple and temple point (when Mwamba's grafts have grown in), and only a limited # of grafts will be killed off. I am not planning on getting another surgery on top of this. So any electrologist I go to will have to be very very precise and actually understand and identify the badly angled grafts.

My main question for you is how should I even go about finding a qualified electrologist?

I live in Denver, Colorado. There appear to be literally dozens of electrolysis/laser/waxing places in my metro area. Most of these places' websites have a section for Men. But I'm really not seeing any of these places tout any experience removing scalp hair, and I'm seeing none of these places mentioning hair transplants, bad angles, etc.

If you were in my shoes, what would you be doing to find the electrologist for me? How did you become confident in your own electroligist you are working with?

Thanks.

 

[loui]

@loui thanks. your own electrolysis story is very similar to what I'm seeking. The only difference is hypothetically I would be getting it done on a dense temple and temple point (when Mwamba's grafts have grown in), and only a limited # of grafts will be killed off. I am not planning on getting another surgery on top of this. So any electrologist I go to will have to be very very precise and actually understand and identify the badly angled grafts.

My main question for you is how should I even go about finding a qualified electrologist?

I live in Denver, Colorado. There appear to be literally dozens of electrolysis/laser/waxing places in my metro area. Most of these places' websites have a section for Men. But I'm really not seeing any of these places tout any experience removing scalp hair, and I'm seeing none of these places mentioning hair transplants, bad angles, etc.

If you were in my shoes, what would you be doing to find the electrologist for me? How did you become confident in your own electroligist you are working with?

Thanks.

My temples was 80-100 grafts per cm2, it was denesly packed multis ontop of my native hair, so really tricky. Some still pops back up once in a while, most are gone forever though it seems.

You need to research alot on who to go for, much like researching a hair transplant clinic. I just went with my gut feeling for a woman who done it for 20 years who really wanted to take on the challenge.

I think you should start messaging different places, preferably someone who done it for many years and see what their response is, some want to take on the challenge, some dont.

Your case might be fine aswell, I would wait atleast 6-8 months before assessing if you even need Electrolysis to begin with.

 

[repairmybadangles]

My temples was 80-100 grafts per cm2, it was denesly packed multis ontop of my native hair, so really tricky. Some still pops back up once in a while, most are gone forever though it seems.

You need to research alot on who to go for, much like researching a hair transplant clinic. I just went with my gut feeling for a woman who done it for 20 years who really wanted to take on the challenge.

I think you should start messaging different places, preferably someone who done it for many years and see what their response is, some want to take on the challenge, some dont.

Your case might be fine aswell, I would wait atleast 6-8 months before assessing if you even need Electrolysis to begin with.

thanks man, very helpful. I'll let you know if I have any more questions. I do have a 6 month post op review with Mwamba in December, very curious to hear his thoughts and his take on going to an electrologist.

And yes I will be over the moon if all the new grafts will somehow camouflage/conceal/weigh down these badly angled grafts - just a waiting game on that front.

 

[Bigmac]

The grafts may be well hidden once the transplanted hairs have grown in. However, I believe you payed to have all the mis angled hairs removed in one surgery which I was surprised at because I’ve seen multiple similar repairs that all required multiple surgeries. Is your 6 month review an in person visit to Dr Mwamba? If so, ask him to punch them out. 50 - 100 grafts is still a substantial number.
Pictures from your surgery would be very beneficial to assess your situation.

 

[repairmybadangles]

Hi @Bigmac , @loui and everyone else - sorry for the delay, it was a super busy week with work.

Bigmac - no its just a webcam conference with Mwamba.

I've attached pictures from my surgery day, showing work on the right temple and right temple point, where these 50ish badly angled grafts still remain (1 picture is from a few weeks afterwards).

Noe that the bad angles are not on my hairline at all, they are either on the right temple point itself, or the right temple area (between the temple point and right hairline)

The 2nd pic down is the clearest pic I have showing only extracted sites, from Day 1 out of my 3 days of surgery (there may have been minor implantation done on this day as well, can't remember).

I hope you can gleam info from my other pictures as well, but it may be hard because the area is a hodgepodge of existing good grafts that were untouched, extraction sites, and implanted sites.

Mwamba clearly paid a lot of attention to this area (as he did for all areas of my scalp) so perhaps he was worried about scarring and thats why he didnt get these remaining grafts. He did indeed mention at the end of surgery that he couldnt get all the bad grafts, but I was (and am) the weight, density, etc. of the good grafts will control the bad grafts, but again I am skeptical this will work.

Any thoughts?

Also a specific questions on electrolysis @loui or anyone:

1. Do you know if electrolysis be done on 1 inch or longer length hair? Or does the hair have the be buzzed down to a few mm's or so?

If the hair does need to be buzzed down, I'm worried the electrologist will have no way to tell badly angled grafts from correct grafts. Its not like electrologists are using microscopes right? (and even if they weirdly were using microscopes, its not like they are experts in correct graft angles)

The only way I feel the electrologist will be able to discern the badly angled grafts is once the curl/bad angle is more apparent at 1 inch out. But I'm not sure if electrologist can be done on 1 inch length hair?

2. Does electrologist in any way weaken neighboring follicles? Or is it that electrolysis literally only affects the intended follicle, and neighboring follicles remain 100% healthy and unaffected?

Thanks all.

 

[Bigmac]

I’ve marked out where I can see the coarse grafts that look as though they’re growing incorrectly. I can’t see any in your temple point. Maybe it’s just the image quality not picking them up.
If you have 50 I would think Dr Mwamba will want to punch them out unless you do have electrolysis. 50 is still a relatively large number left. It’s possible quite a few were in the telogen phase when you had surgery.
I’m keen to hear what the doctor advises when you have your video call.

 

[repairmybadangles]

I’ve marked out where I can see the coarse grafts that look as though they’re growing incorrectly. I can’t see any in your temple point. Maybe it’s just the image quality not picking them up.
If you have 50 I would think Dr Mwamba will want to punch them out unless you do have electrolysis. 50 is still a relatively large number left. It’s possible quite a few were in the telogen phase when you had surgery.
I’m keen to hear what the doctor advises when you have your video call.

do you think it's at all possible that when the new correct Mwamba grafts grow in, they could camoflauge or "weigh down" the bad grafts well enough to conceal it? or do you think extraction - whether thru FUE or electrolysis - is the only way?

and yes waiting till my review in December freaking sucks. Waiting sucks so much in this hair transplant world. I really desperately want to get rid of these grafts right now, but have to remember im only at 3 months and 1 week in. Unfortunately I feel I'm too early on and must wait to take further repair action, if its needed.

 

[loui]

do you think it's at all possible that when the new correct Mwamba grafts grow in, they could camoflauge or "weigh down" the bad grafts well enough to conceal it? or do you think extraction - whether thru FUE or electrolysis - is the only way?

and yes waiting till my review in December freaking sucks. Waiting sucks so much in this hair transplant world. I really desperately want to get rid of these grafts right now, but have to remember im only at 3 months and 1 week in. Unfortunately I feel I'm too early on and must wait to take further repair action, if its needed.

Yes the waiting sucks, but try to just forget about it for a while, its easy to look all the time in the mirror etc.

You should definitely wait before you do anything stupid that might damage more than do any good.

 

[Bigmac]

Only time will tell if they are concealed/blend in with the surrounding hair. Once you`ve had sufficient growth you`ll have a better idea and of course, having the advice from Dr Mwamba in December.
Mis angled grafts have a tendency to go against the grain so them being weighed down would probably require some careful styling and maybe products. I`m interested to hear what the doctor does say. After all, you did pay and agree to have them all removed/corrected.

 

[repairmybadangles]

3.5 month update: i actually am seeing some really decent growth already. Nothing crazy, but a fair amount of grafts have been popping thru since the beginning of month 3.

All the work that Mwamba did seems to be great so far. That being said, i dont think I can live with the badly angled grafts that still remain.

I feel like i will be 85% satisfied, but until i am 100% satisfied and have every single unnatural graft from my scalp removed, i am stuck on this journey.

Its disappointing this couldnt be done in one-go. But im not blaming mwamba bc I paid for services rendered, not for a guarantee everything can be done. And every other doctor i talked to said it would be multiple surgeries

Ill probably book with mwamba again for this 2nd round. I feel like this next surgery will be significantly less involved than my last procedure, but still need a quote, etc

 

[Bigmac]

Good to hear it`s going well and you`re happy. The last remaining ones shouldn`t be too difficult to remove if you decide that`s what you want.
I am really hoping that this turns out as described by Dr Mwamba. The re-angling of part is something no other doctor has documented and I don`t see any results showing this from Dr Mwamba either so you`re the first to post about it online I believe.

 

[Bigmac]

How’s it looking now?