Recent hair Transplant Part 1 of ? with Dr Bessam Farjo

[Staffie]

So, not looking too good at the moment (I knew that would be the case anyway)
When I saw Dr Farjo we discussed possible future options. Dr Farjo estimated that my donor area would yield a further 1500 grafts (approx) by FUT and 800 (approx) by FUE and that this could then be repeated once more only. Just to clarify, this means that he considers I could potentially have 2 further FUT procedures yielding a total of 3000 grafts (approx) with a further 1600 grafts (approx) available via 2 x FUE procedures so all in all a total of approx 4600 grafts before my donor area has to take compulsory retirement. However, Dr Farjo said that I would have to decide whether I wished to have the grafts placed at the front or the crown/back as there wouldn't be enough grafts to satisfactorily cover both areas.

This of course is disappointing but rightly or wrongly (probably wrongly) before I had the transplant I didn't think it worth trying to predict (or ask for predictions) of what the situation would be like after 2 or 3 procedures. My attitude was let's just do it and see what happens.
I'm also aware that there are still some shorter hairs coming through and that things may continue to improve over time but given Dr Farjo's comments re the choice issue I'm not expecting a huge improvement from this one transplant. Dr Farjo suggested a further review in January which I have agreed to. Even though there are some shorter hairs coming through I don't have the itching sensation to anywhere the same level as I did at 4-7 months but we shall see.
So, although my head/hair is in obvious need of further attention (I knew it would be anyway) there are some positives I should mention regarding my expeience with Farjo Medical: Professional, pain free procedure with no facial swelling and only minimal pain afterwards, Farjo hair care range has markedly improved the condition of my scalp.

I am also overdue a haircut and will post some more photos afterwards. On that point my ex-girlfriend used to cut my hair and I was concerned about visiting a conventional hairdressers (you will understand why). I live in the UK midlands and Mick kindly gave me the details of a Trichologist in Sutton Coldfield who also cuts hair which is a far better arrangement for me (if it helps anyone she is Emma Smith
So, any thoughts, comments, suggestions are all welcome. I'm obviously not happy with the crown/back (which has had no attention so far) and I'm sure it would look a lot better shorter (but still a mess) but the front wouldn't look better shorter (I think) so I'm not at all sure which way things should go at the moment. I'd be grateful for all honest opinions!!! As Winter appears to be setting in I shall probably be going hat shopping to tide me over until this situation is resolved but I don't want to leave it too far into the new year without embarking on a definitive action plan.

It's past 2am and I'm whacked so if I've missed any photos etc I will rectify during the next week. (Bm need tutorial re text, cheers!)

Best wishes to all of you!

Staffie

 

[Modenese]

Hi Staffie

You seem like such a nice, rooted, decent guy so I'm disappointed for you.

We must wait a full year before drawing conclusions, but even so after 8 months I think it should look better than it does. You should have something to enjoy by now. Instead, it's very thin and it looks like a lot of hair has not taken.

I hesitated before posting this, but you deserve better. I hope you don't mind this sincere opinion.

I will keep my fingers crossed for you in the hope than it all gets going in the winter, and you get what you paid for.

If not, it is not unreasonable in this case to seek a partial refund.

 

[topccat29]

Hi Staffie,

My suggestion would be to forget about the crown completely as it €™s really not important and your crown does drop quite a bit in back making coverage almost impossible so why try. The good news is you haven €™t started in that area so you have not wasted grafts.

I would keep the back just long enough for you to feel comfortable while keep the side cut as short as possible giving you the illusion of more hair up on top. If you decide to have a another procedure I would concentrate on the same area and keep that cut at a medium length as it is much too long at the moment in my opinion. Let it fall forward and layer upon itself to further give you the illusion of more hair.

Another plus is that your hair looks natural €¦ €¦ €¦ €¦.a very big plus so you don €™t need all kinds of hair sprays and concealers.

You can learn to cut your own hair as I have been doing my own for about 25 years now. Get a hand mirror and some electric clippers. Maybe check out some youtube video I €™m sure there must be something up that will give you some tips. Very simple to do really €¦ €¦ €¦ €¦.nothing against barbers but it €™s not necessary. Or even a Flowbee or similar type of hair cutting device.

Hope it all works out for you.

 

[Staffie]

Hi Modenese,
Thank you for your response! No need for hesitation and I certainly appreciate your reply.
I expect I will probably wait until January before forming a firm conclusion but I'll take all the advice/thoughts/comments that people are willing to give in the meantime. I will also take some better photos in the next few weeks. If things remain as they are I need to carefully consider my next step, not at all sure what that should be at the moment. If enough people give their opinion I'm sure I 'll have a better idea by January.
Thanks again,

Staffie

 

[Staffie]

Hi Topcat29,
Thank you for your comments. I have to say I'm surprised that you think the back/crown isn't that important although I think you may be right in that it may not be possible to deal with it effectively. There is a guy on Farjo's site called Malik from Leicester who had 2500 grafts in the crown and my area is somewhat larger.
I won't make a decision as to whether to have another procedure (or procedures) until I have carefully considered how my remaining donor hair (estimated as 4600 grafts) could best be utilised. My advice to anyone considering this for the first time is to try to get some kind of idea regarding the end result. Having said that, I'm sure results vary from person to person as well as from clinic to clinic.
Thanks,
Staffie

 

[topccat29]

Well if I read that correctly and you had 1900 grafts planted which is approximately 5000-6000 hairs and that front half originally had probably around 25,000 hairs you should have coverage of about 20-25% of the original. Do you feel you achieved that percentage?

As far as the crown goes you would need a substantial amount of grafts so it's not that the crown is not important so much but what takes priority and that in my opinion along with many others is the hairline and what is just behind it.

 

[Staffie]

Hi again TC,
I think I may have worded my reply incorrectly. I was using the Farjo example to agree with you that the crown/back area would be difficult to deal with in it's entirety but I would have to say that I don't think it is unimportant (not to me, anyway).

In answer to your question as to whether I achieved a good result/percentage at the front, no, of course not. I am grateful for your opinion and still somewhat unclear as to what I should do. At the moment I am asking myself 'Do I want to spend a further 20k on the front and leave the back as it is? Would that really look better?

I understand what you are saying about the importance of the hairline and I have seen websites (including Farjo) emphasising that what you see in the mirror will improve your confidence etc but I have tried to take pictures recently (and will continue to do so) that don't just show what I see in the mirror but also the real picture, ie how other people see me from all angles which, after all, is how strangers first form an opinion of you. I think anyone (not you personally TC) who believes that they look to others as they do in the mirror are deluding themselves, if only life were that simple!
Also, at this point in time, I am unsure as to how effective further procedures would/will be?
Confused of Staffordshire,

Staffie

 

[topccat29]

Staffie I can only tell you what I would do and of course my views could very well be different. I €™m a few years younger and although hair is important for me it €™s important for different reasons. I just want to look as normal as possible and I €™m not really concerned with hair itself. My concern is not looking like the fool because I believed what some little weasel was telling me about hair transplantation and it €™s stamped on my head for all to see. I believe it takes away from one €™s credibility and makes them look like a person of low intelligence which is not necessarily the case. More of an issue of believing that one €™s fellow man is a good person too but most would not know that unless it was explained to them which is hard to do when most do not ask and just assume, speaking of the general public.

I would suggest consulting with some other clinics to see what is possible as far as harvesting the donor area. Then understand the numbers completely meaning if you have another 3000 grafts that €™s about 7000 hairs or so just as an example. But more importantly understand the percentage of original density you can achieve as it €™s the more important number. In my opinion it gives one a better visual idea for them to think about.

It doesn €™t mean you shouldn €™t go back to the original clinic but definitely get some other opinions.

 

[Staffie]

Hi TC,
Hey, let's get this straight. I, like you, have every respect for my fellow man and your opinion/everyones opinion is important to me in terms of this forum and in the world as a whole.
Also I totally agree with your comment regarding looking as normal as possible, surely that is the reason why most people are here.
However, when someone goes to a formal function (me) and some people spend more time looking at the top of one's head (mine) than looking into my eyes this isn't being paranoid but a realisation that action needs to be taken in some way, shape or form. I don't expect to have the thick head of hair I had when I was in my mid 20's but I do, as you say, wish to look as normal as possible.
I genuinely appreciate your comments, it is only by your opinions and that of others that I can move forward. I note your comment regarding other clinics, we shall see.
Best wishes, Staffie

 

[topccat29]

Hey I get what you are saying with the staring at the head thing. My situation is different as I was disfigured by a ht doctor when I was only 23. What was done to me can only be described as unforgivable and it was done for such a small amount of money so somebody could buy themselves another trinket. I really thought I was talking to experts but they were only experts at portraying themselves as experts. Of course over a few decades I got use to the staring at my head and not looking me in the eyes when speaking to me and yes at times it was uncomfortable. So normal for me might be different than for others as people were not staring at me because of a thinning hair problem but they were looking at these giant plugs of dark thick hairs that were placed into my hairline trying to figure out what it was they were looking at.

Definitely consult other clinics and see what is possible and one needs to take as much time as necessary in order to be as confident as possible that you are making the right decision and dealing with someone who is honest. I wish it were easier but it's not. Hope it all works out for you.

 

[Staffie]

Hi TC,
I also know what you mean regarding people looking at other things besides thinning hair. If I were to have my hair short now it would look a mess because of the previous damage to my scalp.
We're all here to try and find support/answers. I'm sorry to hear you had such a bad experience when you were 23 , it's almost 3am here but I will try to look up your story/case (if you have posted) tomorrow.
All the best!
Staffie

 

[topccat29]

Sure, might be too long to read but take a look at it when you get a chance. Over the years the giant plugs thinned out for what I suspect would be a combination of many reasons. If I would have only had the information, just honest information it would have made all the difference. Same with many things in life. Here is the link.
http://www.hairlossexperiences.com/view_topic.php?id=978&forum_id=3

 

[garageland]

Hi Staffie,

My honest advice is also to forgot the crown you simply don't have enough donor to make an impact, all you would get is such a light coverage that it would not be of any cosmetic benefit.

If you were to go ahead with a second session I would add density to the frontal area to frame your face and get a lighter cover through the mid scalp and towards the back of your scalp. Having a hairline and frontal coverage with a bald crown is a perfectly acceptable look that is natural look at Prince Charles for instance.

I have had patients see decent improvements from month 8 to month 12 and beyond so this could also happen for you. As Topcat mentions you are wearing your hair too long as the hair is clumping together and the center parting is worst possible style you could try to carry off. Have you tried to brush it to the side I think it would help .

Give it a little more time and I am sure things will improve.

 

[Staffie]

Hi Garageland,

Thank you for responding. I understand what you are saying regarding the crown and it is obviously something I will have to consider.

Regarding the length of my hair I'm not actually trying to carry anything off at present. Fortunately I work from home and my head is generally covered when I go out. This is a recent picture of me with a side parting, under a glaring light but still not a good look, there just isn't enough hair to do anything with. The only reason I let it grow longer is that I was hoping the rest would join in, doesn't seem likely now but I will give it till January all the same. I will need an action plan if there is no progress at that point so I welcome any suggestions!

Staffie

 

[Staffie]

Hi Garageland,

Thank you for responding. I understand what you are saying regarding the crown and it is obviously something I will have to consider.

Regarding the length of my hair I'm not actually trying to carry anything off at present. Fortunately I work from home and my head is generally covered when I go out. This is a recent picture of me with a side parting, under a glaring light but still not a good look, there just isn't enough hair to do anything with. The only reason I let it grow longer is that I was hoping the rest would join in, doesn't seem likely now but I will give it till January all the same. I will need an action plan if there is no progress at that point so I welcome any suggestions!

Staffie

 

[Modenese]

Staffie,

Are you using minoxidil on the transplant area, and are you taking a biotin supplement?

These are the only two things I know of that might get your transplanted hair going.

Modenese

 

[ziggs11]

Your case looks a lot like nor7's thread. If you properly followed all post-transplant instructions and you don't experience any significant growth over the next few months, I think you should contact different doctors regarding your remaining donor.

 

[Staffie]

Hi Modenese,


No, I'm not using minoxidil. Whether to try minoxidil (and finasteride) was on my list of questions when I saw Mick from Farjo recently. We had a very brief discussion about it and I believe he said (something like) that he wasn't sure it was necessary in my case. He certainly didn't suggest that I try it but maybe it's worth a go. I have a fairly healthy diet and also take a multi/vitamin/B supplement but I can certainly try Biotin as well/instead. Thank you for the suggestions. Just had a quick scan at your latest posts, looking good! I'm pleased for you. It's the success of people like yourself that is inspiring me to come up with a revised plan of action!



Hi Ziggs11,


Yes, I followed all the post-transplant instructions to the letter. Just had a quick look at Nor7. I see what you mean although he hasn't posted for a while, but you are right, I obviously need more than one opinion as to my next step. That's why this forum is so invaluable.


Many thanks, Staffie

 

[Modenese]

Hi Staffie



I think you should definitely try minoxidil. It's cheap and is almost certain to do no harm. In my case I was a late grower, but I started to see results about 3 weeks after using it. I think of it as a stimulant for hair, and anyway what have you got to lose? Use it on the recipient area twice a day.



Biotin has improved the quality, but not quantity, of the hair that I have, but it is difficult to be objective.



Good luck

 

[Staffie]

Hi Modenese,


Yes, you are right, I have nothing to lose, I'll order some Minoxidil tomorrow.

Thanks, Staffie