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My female hair transplant experience with The Maitland Clinic

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Laura Elizabeth

member
I feel really passionate about wanting to share my hair transplant experience as a female patient. I found when I was researching into HT that the majority of experiences were male orientated.
I was lucky enough to stumble across Diva Hollands, a female ballerina who had a few years ago chosen to have the same surgery as me.

Diva €™s story really inspired me and I realized that finally something could be done to €˜make better €™ my hairline that I hated so much through my teenage years and into my twenties. I knew my hairline was different to a lot of the other girls in my year and as I grew older, I became a bit obsessed with looking at hairlines and comparing to my own (and even still do now!).

Diva €™s €˜M €™ shaped hairline was very similar to mine, and although our hairlines weren €™t receding, for me this is how my hairline had been since birth, and I just wanted to fill in the €˜triangle gap €™ areas.

I am now 31 and can honestly say I am so happy with the results of what was a huge deal for me, having some surgery on my scalp, to improve my hairline and confidence.

I needed the backing of my parents emotionally, as we are a really close family, and I needed to be able to share all with them.
After months and years of my parents being aware of my frustration with my hairline, they gave me the blessing to go ahead. I knew I could make the decision without them, but I wanted them to be there for me for the aftercare and during procedure. Of course my parents were concerned for me as I am one of their 3 dear daughters, who they think look perfect just the way we are.

I had decided to have some surgery that was going to change the way I could wear my hair and not worry when the wind blew or when I went swimming that my €˜triangle €™ bare scalp areas would be on show. I had weeks where I €™d get a bit paranoid about my hairline and then when I got into relationships, my boyfriends would always make me feel good about myself that I might stop worrying for a while. But early this year, I decided I €™d do it for me and no-one else, as it was something that was always going to bother me, no matter what others said.

I made sure I did a lot of research. There are so many clinics offering HT. I went to a few clinics in Harley Street for consultations, and one of them allowed me to pop in and see a transplant taking place. This was good for me to see for myself, as I could see the patient was awake and it was reassuring that they looked happy just watching a film, eating their lunch while the technicians were busy implanting new hair! I had stumbled across offers on instagram about clinics offering a huge percentage off as a new year deal if booked in a certain time, but none of these deals appealed.
As I said before, Diva Hollands introduced me to the Maitland Clinic, after I €™d done research into where she €™d had her surgery and reading about how happy she was, I decided to contact the clinic myself.

I contacted the clinic with some photographs of my hairline and after a little conversing with the patient co-ordinator, I made a Skype appointment with David Anderson (Senior Patient Advisor) for 5pm on Wednesday 10[sup]th[/sup] January.
David was so lovely and I really felt comfortable sharing my hairline concerns. I booked in for Monday 22[sup]nd[/sup] January for a face-to-face consultation in Hampshire with Doctor Edward Ball (my surgeon). It was all becoming quite real and fast paced but this is what needed to happen.

I remember so clearly, my parents were away, so my best friend Sara came along with me on that Monday after work to speak with the surgeon. As soon as I met Doctor Ball, I just knew he was going to be the surgeon I could trust to work on my hairline. He really has such a passion and enthusiasm for re-building hairlines to suit each individual. He was a real artist when drawing on my desired hairline, with such concentration and taking into consideration my face shape and proportionally what would look natural. His confidence and knowledge when I had any questions and concerns, all played a huge part in me realizing I was making the right decision to go ahead with Dr Ball and his team.

I later booked the big date in, Thursday 26[sup]th[/sup] April!

I will load photos tomorrow and talk through the night before and the day of surgery ;) €¦
 
Bigmac

Bigmac

Administrator
Staff member
Hi Laura.
Welcome to the forum.
Sounds like you had a good experience, I'm looking forward to seeing your pictures and following your journey.
Thanks for posting.
All the best.
Bm.
 
bullitnut

bullitnut

4 awesome repairs with SMG
Loved reading your post, it really hit home just how hair issues can effect women as much as us guys (probably more so tbh)
I know you picked a world class clinic/doctor and am sure your going to be overjoyed at the end results.
I look forward to seeing your pictures as well.
I also want to make a point of thanking you for documenting your experience with us on here...it's awesome to read about a female hair transplant as we don't get to see too many on the forums unfortunately ;)
Best wishes BN
 
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Laura Elizabeth

member
I have added some photos, sorry for the delay. I will be adding some videos from the before and days after surgery, through youtube too.
Thank you for reading :)
 

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Laura Elizabeth

member
These are all before photos - you can see how I would compare my hairline to other females my age, and my confidence was affected. The shape of my hairline and head played a huge part growing up comparing and trying to understand why I felt so different to others. People would say they hadn't ever noticed, but it's something I needed to do for me :) and I'm so pleased I have and that I chose to go with The Maitland Clinic. They made the whole process stress-free, after all it's a huge thing for any individual to make the decision to change their hairline and ultimately their look. Although I had to promise to my sisters that I would still look the same and like their sister Laura (!), just with hair added to an area where it had never grown before, and that was actually hidden by my other hair, but just when hair is tied back would show, or when the wind blew etc etc! Now I shall talk about the night before and the big day...
 

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Laura Elizabeth

member
Here's another before...
 

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Laura Elizabeth

member
Here is the day of surgery! My mother and I arrived at 8 and had around an hour pre-surgery 'new hairline talk' with Dr Ball, he drew on so carefully the desired hairline and then I was ready to go into the surgery room. He made sure he was designing the most natural hairline to suit my face shape, head and as close to the hairline we had discussed after my initial consultation a few months prior. I was then taken into the most comfortable room with movies and refreshments galore. The loveliest technicians set me up in the blue gown top and tied up my hair in 2 cute buns (which I kept in for a week so that the hair was kept out of the way of the grafts - and I became quite attached to them!)
My mother was with me until this point and then I waved her off to spend the day in Portsmouth. We were able to message throughout the day, but I waited until 11am to let her know all was good and again at lunchtime, after which time was when the grafts were being put in to save me moving too much.
There was no rushing at all and I felt so relaxed. I was the only patient of the day, so had the full attention of everyone, and I felt so important ;-) (The Maitland Clinic only ever have one patient a day).
I was given the injections in the back of my scalp after my mother left, just numbing the area for the grafts to be removed. Dr Ball carefully then went ahead and drew on the area for the grafts to be taken from, and cut out that section. It was amazing to then see the grafts in the pot and I really felt a part of the whole day (nothing was hidden from me) and I was really enjoying the process. Dr Ball said to 'never be brave' and always let them know as soon as I could feel anything, and only twice did I feel the smallest amount of pain (throughout the day), and straight away Dr Ball added a little more anaesthetic.Dr Ball then stitched up the donor area and we had a break just while the grafts were dissected up into single, 2's and 3's to put back into my hairline. I am fascinating myself reminiscing here, at how clever Dr Ball, the technicians and this procedure is.
I remember the grafts looking like carpets with the hairs in. I felt fine :)Dr Ball then spent the time making incisions into my hairline, varying in sizes to allow the different grafts of hairs, 1's, 2's and 3's that were going to be inserted in by the technicians, starting with 1's at the front and going back in density to create the most natural looking hairline.
The technicians spent time dissecting and organising the grafts and then inserting them into the holes that Dr Ball had made. We had a break for lunch and then carried on into the afternoon.
I was in the surgery room from around 9.30am until 7pm, but the day flew by and I'd watched Bridesmaids and slept and ate, and was so excited about seeing the results...

 

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bullitnut

bullitnut

4 awesome repairs with SMG
Wow thank you for the detailed write up, it brought back happy memories of my previous transplants. It really does sound like you had a super positive experience and were taken very good care of by the team at Maitland.
I like the design for the new hairline. Only criticism i can possibly find is that you endured watching Bridesmaids:T:
So happy for you and i'm sure you will be blown away by the end results as they are a quality outfit at Maitland.
Thanks for the additional info and i look forward to future updates.
best wishes BN;)
 
Bigmac

Bigmac

Administrator
Staff member
Hi Laura.
Thanks for the additional information and pre op pictures. I can see why your hairline bothered you and why you opted for surgery.
All the best.
Bm.

 
janna

janna

Valuable Member
Hi Laura!
Thanks for your write up and documenting your HT journey. I'm sure many female patients will look at your documentation and be inspired by it like Diva did with you.
Looking forward to following your progress. If you'd like any of the post op pics taken by Dr. Ball right after surgery, please let me know.
Speak soon.
Janna
 
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