Battle Against Bald | A Battle Against Hair Loss Through Hair Restoration

Another haircut, another barber

I decided it was time to get another haircut. Previously I had been keeping the sides and back of my hair very short- a 1 or 2 clipper guard- and, sadly, I can no longer do this so it seems to get a bit too long faster than I want.

I went to my regular place only to find the gal that cut my hair last time was not working so, I waited for the next available barber. This was entertaining. I explained to him, much like the gal before, that I had a scar and that I would like my hair cut as short as possible without showing the scar.

Within a few moments of him combing through my hair he realized what I was talking about and asked me to explain again what the scar was from. It was clear to me he either was not really listening to me or maybe it just didn’t really sink in. Either way, I got a kick out of it. As he was cutting my hair he asked questions, similar to the gal prior, so of course I answered and even showed him a few pictures I had taken the day of the surgery. He was shocked to see the progress, and he seemed very intrigued. 

-Michael

Mark- Looking Forward to the Spring

My Mother-in-law recently asked me if I’m happy with the results. She said my hair looked great. I explained to her that the results won’t be visible until the Spring. Perhaps, some of the new graphs are still intact and appear to make my scalp look fuller. It doesn’t look very full to me right now, nor should it until April or May. I’m looking forward to the Spring when the new hairs start to come in, which will leave me with a considerably fuller look.

Any discomfort I experienced is long gone - with the exception of backing my head into a rafter when taking Christmas lights from the attic and hitting the donor area. Still a bit sensitive I suppose. I haven’t had an ingrown hair in 2 weeks which is nice. It’s almost as if I never had the procedure as I don’t feel or see any remnants from the procedure. As 2009 ends I’m excited to see how my hairline will change in 2010.

-Mark

Let it grow!

September 30, 2009

I started noticing in the last few days that very fine hair is starting to grow, specifically in my “receding” area. I am curious to see how fast it starts to fill in. I’ve had no pain or any strange sensations for a while now, other than slight numbness in the crown area. It’s weird, not something I think about unless I touch that area of my scalp and of course realize the slight loss of sensation. Hopefully soon it will be back to normal.

-Michael

Two months after Seth's hair restoration procedure

Wow – two months already!  Pretty soon I should start to see some growth!!

OK, here’s the update:

• Top of scalp – still sensitive, though less so. Still breaking out, though less so.
• Crown – still numb, though less so. I can tell that feeling is coming back into the area, because now when I run my fingers along it, I can feel a little web of tingles (as opposed to a faint sensation of pressure). Signs of hope!
• Suture – occasional spotting, but not much and not often. Not really any sensitivity left in this area – although there is still a little scabbing. It hasn’t fully healed yet (I’m expecting it will take a while), and I can still kind of see the area in my hair line – although it’s pretty subtle. If I wasn’t looking for it, I’m not sure I would see it.

 So another month or so and I should start to see little sprouting whiskers of new hair.  Can’t wait!

- Seth

Mark Starts the Waiting Game

November 24, 2009

For those in my immediate family who I’ve shared the details of my procedure with, I’m amazed how many have said, “Oh your hair is looking so much fuller.” I’m incredulous because my surgeon said there wouldn’t be any visible growth until 8 months or so.

So either this is wishful thinking on their part, support & encouragement, or perhaps they do see some of the remaining graphs from the procedure which eventually fall out and are replaced with new self-starting graphs.

The numbness is nearly gone. I notice it just a tad when I go to sleep and the back of my head rubs against my pillow. There is still a tiny bit of sensitivity along the suture line, but it’s not bothersome. I’ve had 3 in-grown hairs which appear as little lumps. I’ve applied hot water compresses and they seem to vanish quickly.  My surgeon advised this could happen.

Otherwise, the process continues as I await the Spring.

- Mark

Michael's 6-week haircut

Today I decided to stop and get my first post-surgery hair cut. I go to the same place every time, but the same person doesn't necessarily cut my hair. This time I had a new stylist that I hadn't seen before. I warned her that I had a scar and wanted to be sure that the scar was not visible after the cut. I had asked if she had any previous clients that had this type of procedure before.  She said yes but, I am pretty sure she was only saying that because she asked about 100 questions, and of course I told her exactly how my procedure went. She finished cutting my hair (she did a great job) and I went on with my day.

With any luck, I will have her cut my hair again!

- Michael

Hair restoration, what hair restoration?

The amazing thing about time, I think, is how it passes. Those things which were such a big deal at a particular point in time in your life, consuming much of your thoughts on any given day during that time, can move on so quickly into perhaps just a thought or two a day, triggered by the oddest of events. As I have now reached day forty-three following my hair restoration procedure, I find this particular series of events in my life no different. 

Many of the milestones have largely passed with my restoration. It feels like ages ago that I was staring in the mirror many times a day marveling at my new hairline, and the feeling of self-awareness, which resulted in my reaching for my cap when leaving home or adjusting my hair to carefully cover signs of the restoration to the eye of a stranger.

As the newly transplanted hair began to fall out, despite the knowledge that it was an expected course of events, I found myself trying not to promote the process at all. I almost stopped wearing headgear for fear of agitating the process, and I avoided the gentle rub of my fingers while I shampooed my hair in the shower. But as soon as I made peace with the reality that this was an unstoppable process, my awareness of it quickly diminished.

So here I am, almost back at square one. Most of the transplanted hair is gone, only barely noticeable signs of the procedure remain, and I have no discomfort or post-procedure symptoms of any significance.

So has it been worth it so far? Well quite simply, I have no idea. If I look at the downside, well pretty much all of that is in the bag. The so-called invasive surgery is done, and to be honest I can hardly even find the scar any more, and there is certainly no discomfort. Unless I decide to become a skinhead, which after having a hair restoration procedure I must admit seems as likely in my case as my becoming an Olympic athlete, then I have nothing to worry about. Any other so-called downside was temporary and has now passed.

So where’s the upside? Well, we wait, watch and hope, I guess. The good news, though, is I’m not really worried about it, and so far everything has gone as expected, so why should I have reason to doubt the upside? So for now it’s back to life as I knew it before the procedure, except with the odd pleasant thought from time to time, usually when noticing a fellow citizen's great-looking hairline, that I too may enjoy a return to that treat when the growing wonder under my scalp begins to make its much awaited appearance!

-Kevin

Seth's first hair cut!

Today I couldn’t take it any longer and went in for a haircut. I had gotten a trim right before my procedure, and so by now my hair was badly in need of a stylist’s attention. I was a bit reluctant to make the appointment, because I was a little scared that my head would still be too sensitive, or that Megan (that’s my stylist) might hurt my suture line with the clippers she uses to trim the back and sides of my head. On the other hand, it was getting to the point where I would walk into a room and my wife would start to giggle, and I just didn’t look good. So off to the salon I went.

Of course, the haircut went just fine. I did explain to Megan that I had had the procedure, and so she was a little extra careful. She asked me some questions about it, we chit-chatted and 15 minutes later I felt like a new man. I was nervous because I am still breaking out, my scalp still feels a bit sensitive, and I’m still numb around my crown. Happily, there were no issues or problems with the haircut.  And now I’m back on track with my regular grooming routine.

- Seth

Mark's Bosley Progress

November 5, 2009

With each week that passes my head is feeling more normal. Virtually all of the scabs are gone. There’s still a tinge of sensitivity along the donor suture line, but it’s not painful. After the procedure I did notice my scalp looked fuller. Why? Because of the small graphs that had been transplanted and perhaps the dark scabs. As my surgeon advised, these micrographs would slowly but surely fall out, then followed months later by new hair shafts 6-8 months later.  And that’s exactly what has happened. I felt my hair looked fuller for a little while. Now it looks similar to where it was BEFORE I had my procedure. Going through this procedure it’s very important to listen to the surgeon. That way you truly understand what to expect and there’s no disappointment.

The only thing I’ve noticed have been some small bumps on the top of my head. My Doctor had told me there could be some in-grown hairs which could present themselves in the form of a bump. I was told not to do anything except warm compresses and that they’d eventually go away. This has been my experience.

I suppose the hard part now is waiting for the new growth.  I recognize there may be nothing to see for another 3-4 months at least. But it will be a thrill to see the return on my investment in 2010.

-Mark

Should there be an age limit for men seeking hair transplant surgery?

Dr. Bessam Farjo, one of the United Kingdom's leading hair transplant surgeons, wants to set an age limit for men seeking hair transplant surgery. His plea stems from a rise in the number of teenage boys who want to address their waning hairlines early. Perhaps a little too early.

“Hair loss can be quite unpredictable in its early stages, with the full extent of loss difficult to determine in men under the age of 30. Men under this age should consider taking preventative drugs such as propecia, in an effort to slow down or stop their hair loss. Surgery may improve the hairline of very young men in the short term. But if further hair loss occurs they could find themselves with inconsistent coverage, giving them a patchy look. Sadly, some clinics appear to be taking advantage of these vulnerable patients by agreeing to perform surgery and not advising them of the potential long-term results.”

-Dr. Bessam Farjo of Farjo Medical Centre

So, what's your take? Do you think there should be an age limit, or should the decision be left up to the patient?

Michael- Losing Hair and Feeling Great!

8/20/09- 20 days after the Bosley procedure

Today I started noticing the implanted hair is falling out. The doctor had alerted me that this is normal. Then the follicles lay dormant for a while and will gradually start to regrow within about 3 months, and full results should be effective in 9-12 months.

I still have the numbing sensation, but for the most part all itching is gone, with a few random exceptions. I have had a couple instances of what feels like a needle poking around the suture area but it literally lasts for about 2 seconds and I think it has only happened 3 or 4 times.

Now as weird as it sounds, I am excited for it all to fall out only so that I can watch it grow in. My only wish is that it would grow in faster. Please check back as I will be making more updates as time goes by!

-Michael

7 weeks after Seth's hair restoration procedure

Most of the conditions I spoke of in my last blog entry are actually still with me – in particular, the numbness and the spotting. The transplanted area is less sensitive now than it was (although not entirely back to normal). But now I’ve entered into a new phase of recovery – my scalp is breaking out. 

Yes, the hair transplant area on my head looks a lot like my face did when I was 14 years old. There is hair up there now to hide it – no one has looked at me or treated me like a doomed character from a Stephen King novel. And it doesn’t bother me unless I touch it – then it is rather sensitive.

Oddly, it’s a different kind of sensitive than what I was feeling on my scalp before. It seems like I can tell the sensitivity is more topical this time – it has to do with the breakouts sitting on my scalp, not the recovery of my scalp itself – if that makes any sense. Still not great. I do remember this from last time, and I know that it’s a normal part of the process. So I’m not real worried about this one, but I am looking forward to having it be over.

- Seth

Patience

I'm at 6 weeks past my procedure and feeling like life is nearly back to normal. I wear a hat during the day when I'm outside based upon my Doctor's advice. He had suggested 3 month of no direct sun exposure to my scalp.  Up until a week ago the tiny scabs on my head felt odd and crunchy.  I had a little trouble using a comb because the scabs would get caught in the comb.
However, as I've shampooed my hair most of the scabs have come off and my scalp feels normal again.  

The back of my head is getting feeling back. I also felt little tiny hair graphs on my head which felt spiky.  The Doctor explained that these would all fall out and they are. Until recently it had felt rather numb. Not painful- just numb. Do I still feel a sensation around the back of my head in the donor area? Yes. But it's not bothersome at all. And I know it will only feel more normal with time. I also haven't wanted to get a haircut just in case the redness in the back of my head is visible. But I'll look forward to getting a haircut in a week.

I remember my Doctor reminded me that the hardest part of the process was waiting for 6-9 months following the procedure. No growth occurs so one must exercise patience. I look forward to the beginning of Summer to start seeing the return on my investment.

-Mark

Michael- Life After Stitches!

8/15/09- 10 days after the Bosley procedure

WOW how much better I slept without the stitches! Still not perfect but much, much better. I started noticing without the pain meds that my scalp is somewhat numb, pretty much everywhere except below the suture area.  This numbness is somewhat expected and according to the folks at Bosley it could last up to 6 months. No pain meds and no pain.  I feel very fortunate that this has been such a pleasant experience. It’s so hard to believe!

-Michael

One Month after Seth's hair restoration procedure

Well, it’s officially been one month since my second hair restoration procedure, and I thought I’d give you an update on how I’m doing.

To tell the truth, I’m a little surprised at how slowly it seems I am recovering. First off, my scalp is still quite sensitive. I must still be gentle when drying my hair after a shower, combing it, etc. Also, the area of my head in between the suture line and the transplanted area – roughly the area of my ‘crown’ – is still numb.  It feels odd when I lay down, and there isn’t much feeling in that part of my head. Also, I still have some occasional discomfort with my suture line, and find that I still have some light scabbing in parts. I’ve also had some tiny blood spotting on my pillowcase.

I don’t remember the sensitivity lasting quite this long when I had my first procedure. I wonder if because it’s the second time I’ve put my scalp through the process, it’s taking a little longer to patch itself together. I did talk to Bosley, and they said it wasn’t unusual. And I’ve talked to other guys who have had multiple procedures, and they all seemed to have about the same experience. 

So I’m a little bit nervous, and anxious for my scalp to fully heal and return to normal. I feel confident this will happen, but I’m still a little uneasy since it hasn’t happened yet. One thing is for sure – there’s no turning back, so I guess we’ll see what happens!

-Seth