Just became member of the elite group!

[eddie]

Hey everyone out there. Well I just had my hair transplant surgery on August 7th, 2003. Happy to report that everything went well. No pain to report except a little tightness at the donor site when I first wake up but it soon passes. I was nervous the day before surgery but on the day of surgery I had this sense of calmness come over me like I never had before ( I've never had surgery of any type before so I didn't know what to expect). The whole process was actually interesting and in about 5 hours it was all over. I had a total of 1, 017 F.U. grafts total. The doctor and all the staff at Hair Club for Men were great and everyone made me feel at ease. I even got to see one of my own DVD movies (Star Wars II: Attack of the Clones) as the nurses were inserting my grafts. The next day I went in for my shampoo and instructions. I did experience some bleeding later that day ( I think that I may have dislodged one of the graft from when I took a mid-day nap) but the nurse was very re-assuring when I called her on the phone. The next day they checked me over one more time before I went home to make sure everything was OK. Over-all, it was a good experience and I can't say how great the staff at HCM was. Now all I have to do is wait to see my hair grow and I can't wait.

Thanks to everyone who sent their best wishes!

Eddie :lol:

 

[Guest]

Hey everyone out there. Well I just had my hair transplant surgery on August 7th, 2003. Happy to report that everything went well. No pain to report except a little tightness at the donor site when I first wake up but it soon passes. I was nervous the day before surgery but on the day of surgery I had this sense of calmness come over me like I never had before ( I've never had surgery of any type before so I didn't know what to expect). The whole process was actually interesting and in about 5 hours it was all over. I had a total of 1, 017 F.U. grafts total. The doctor and all the staff at Hair Club for Men were great and everyone made me feel at ease. I even got to see one of my own DVD movies (Star Wars II: Attack of the Clones) as the nurses were inserting my grafts. The next day I went in for my shampoo and instructions. I did experience some bleeding later that day ( I think that I may have dislodged one of the graft from when I took a mid-day nap) but the nurse was very re-assuring when I called her on the phone. The next day they checked me over one more time before I went home to make sure everything was OK. Over-all, it was a good experience and I can't say how great the staff at HCM was. Now all I have to do is wait to see my hair grow and I can't wait.

Thanks to everyone who sent their best wishes!

Eddie :lol:

Good luck. Those little babies will be coming in in about 3-5 months.

Cool!

:rockon:

 

[eddie]

Elite group

Thanks Brucelee! I must say that I have not experienced any real bad pain or discomfort (maybe just tightness in the donor site and some numbness) and so far everything is going better than I expected. Today (8/10) I finished my antibiotics, washed my hair for the first time and tomorrow I finish my prednisone. I haven't really had to use the pills they prescribed for pain but I take one before I turn in for the night just in case. I'll continue sleeping in a 45 degree angle for a couple more days just to be on the safe side. I'll begin taking my vitamin C and my Minoxidil treatments on Tuesday (8/12) to help prevent any "hair shock fall out". I can't wait to see those little puppies grow with a vengence.

Thanks for the encouragement!

Eddie

 

[sal1]

Hey eddie.

You're going to be a happy guy soon. I had my hair transplant last October and the results we're very good. It has taken all the stress and depression of hair loss away.

Good for you. :smoke:
sal1

 

[eddie]

Thanks!

Thanks for the praise and the words of encouragement Sal1. I hope that my results are as great as yours.

Thanks again!

Eddie

 

[kaya]

Re: Thanks!

Thanks for the praise and the words of encouragement Sal1. I hope that my results are as great as yours.

Thanks again!

Eddie

Eddie,i hope you get good results w/ your transplant.

after fighting over 10 yrs w/ my hairloss ,im also thinking to get some 800-1000 grafts.i had good results w/ propecia and minoxidil %5.i have been using both for over 3 yrs and i even grow some hair in front but it is not enough for me.i definitely need some hair in the temples.
i will probably have it done in nhi-new jersey.does anybody have it done in this place.one of my worries is,how noticable will my scar be on the back of my head b/c i like to keep my hair short on the back.

good luck all of you and me too.

 

[eddie]

Thanks man!

Kaya,

Thanks for the message. I am post op day 6 (as of this writing) and I am feeling fine. The healing process is under way and I can't wait for my hairs to start growing. It took me a long time to decide and go through with the procedure but after living years with my unhappiness in the hair department, I decided just to go for it. If you're thinking about doing it, then do it. It all comes down to doing what makes you happy, and for me that is having a full head of hair again. Do your homework and find a good doctor. I went to HCM and they were great.

I can't tell because it's too early in the healing phase whether I'll have a scar from the donor site but the incision looks better and cleaner every passing day. I have 7 more days til my sutures come out. With the medical technology of today, I'm sure that scaring is always kept to a minimal. I don't know how short you like keeping the hair on the back of your head but having just enough hair there will cover anything up.

Good Luck to whatever you decide!

Eddie

 

[ts808]

Eddie,
Congrats! I'm glad to hear that you had an all F.U. procedure. You'll be looking like a million bucks when it grows in!

Kaya,
Please take your time with this decision. Remember, this is permanent surgery. There are a lot of bad doctors out there. There are a lot of good ones too though. I researched and read the forums for 9 months before making my decision. I will have a 3000 graft prcedure by Dr. Hasson (Hasson & Wong) on August 25th. I chose them because I met a few of their patients in person. That is the only way to really tell what it will look like. Pictures can be decieving, even if unintentional. The guys that I met had the "pencil line" scars and the lateral slit technique used by H&W gives a completely natural look. If you don't want a linear scar in the back, you'll have to go with a procedure called FUE, or FIT. It's a newer technique, and it's more expensive. The differenece between the two is only in the extraction. The placement of the grafts is the same. You can find a wealth of information at http://www.hairtransplantnetwork.com/ and http://www.hairlosshelp.com/forums/. Also, don't let traveling affect your decision. You have to find the best.

 

[eddie]

11th hour

Thanks ts808 for the 11th hour concern but yes my doctor does the F.U. procedure. I am (as of this writing) post op day 10 and the only uncomfortable thing that I'm experiencing right now is just a little tenderness and tightness to the donor site but otherwise no problems to report. Just waiting for the scabs to fall out and then wait for the transplanted hairs to start growing. I get my sutures out Wednesday the 20th and then just have to see my doctor on 3 months intervals from then on out (up to 1 year). Over-all, the whole procedure was uneventfull but pleasant because of the good care I received at the doctor's office. I can't say enough to praise the staff at HCM. They made me feel really at ease and comfortable.

Time is on my side and I look forward to a full head of hair again. Watch out world!

Eddie

 

[bayrider]

dont mean to be rude or anything, but how much did it cost you?

 

[eddie]

Costs

Bayrider,

I don't know exactly who you directed your question to but the cost of hair transplant depends on the individuals needs. Some men have less existing hair than others so it all depends. I had 1, 017 grafts inserted and my total cost came to $5000. If your thinking about doing it, yours may be less or more depending on how much work you need done. And this is not including the other items you need (such as the medications, hibiclens wash, polysporin, gauzes, vitamins, lab work, minoxidil, etc.) in preparation for the pre and post surgical needs. Remember that you're paying for the cost of a doctor, nurse and personel, surgical room and their time. The minimum cost is $4000 according to Hair Club for Men where I had my procedure. I was able to pay half the cost of my procedure from my savings and the other half I put on credit, HCM has a credit line you can apply for. I am paying the difference monthly and I figure it'll take me a year to pay it off.

Everyone else:

I am post op day 16. Had my sutures removed on day 14 and now am facing the hardest part of the whole procedure, the waiting. Hair grows in very slowly so I probably won't see much results for another 3 or 4 months. Donor site still a little sore and numb on the left side but otherwise it feels good to have the sutures out and return to my normal shampooing regimen. I am doing the minoxidil treatments twice daily and haven't really noticed the dreaded "hair shock fallout", maybe because of the minoxidil. I am taking vitamins and increased nutritients such as protein and natural B vitamin through good food sources. I believe that good nutrition is vital to hair growth.

Take Care!

Eddie :lol:

 

[ts808]

Eddie,
You mentioned Hair Club for Men. Is that the same organization from years ago that did hair pieces? Not that it matters, just curious. All that matters is that got a good surgeon doing state of the art techniques.
One other thing, are you taking Propecia? It seems that most doctors reccomend using it to keep the hair that you have. For instance, if you have hairline work done, you might lose the hair behind it at a later time. (that 's what happened to me) Even if Propecia doesn't grow any hair it's suppose to halt your hairloss at it's current state. I've only been on it for about 6 months right now.

 

[eddie]

Yes, Hair Club for Men is the same organization from years ago that offered those hair pieces. They offer surgical and non surgical procedures. I remember the TV commercial where the guy would say "I'm not only the president of Hair Club but I'm also a client".

The verdict to start Propecia is still out. Yes my doctor did recommend me starting Propecia and minoxidil after surgery but I am hesitant starting a regimen of drugs. I am doing the minoxidil thing at this point and everything is going well. No shock fall out yet and I may stay on minoxidil rather than starting Propecia. I think that Propecia will be a last resort for me.

How is Propecia working for you? Any side effects to report? How much are paying for a months worth?

Eddie