# Men's Hair Loss > Introduce Yourself & Share Your Story >  transplant nightmare

## Jack21

I am a 33 year old male who began to thin in my mid 20's. I really didn't notice at the time (I was in the military and kept my hair very short). When my mother saw me for the first time in 4 years she was shocked at how thin my hair had become and immediately pulled out a bottle of toppik which she uses for her very thin hair. I was not interested but she sprinkled some into my hair anyway. I was amazed. I liked it. I hadn't realized how thin my hair had become. I really, really liked the way my hair suddenly looked so thick. That was when the whole horror story began. For a while the toppik was a miracle. I sprinkled a tiny bit on, used a little hair spray and it looked great. My gf at the time who hadn't seen me for a few weeks said "wow. your hair got so much darker!" I told her of course, but she was still shocked at how well it worked. There would be a little greenish colored sweat coming from my head when I sweated profusely but other than that it was a real miracle. Needless to say my hair continued to get thinner and I was now using tons of the stuff along with this scalp paint. I was not happy with the situation. I saw commercials for hair transplants and jumped at the opportunity. WORST decision of my whole life!!! I must say that the doctor pretty much did everything to steer me in another direction. He was very moral about the whole thing. It was only after months of persistence on my part that he relented and performed the graft. It was ok at first. I kept using the toppik and now I had a little more of my own hair to work with, but I did have to keep my hair much longer b/c the scar was a million times worse than I thought it would be. Soon, however, the thinning got worse and worse and toppik and couvre were simply not an option. I was too thin on top to use concealors so I just decided to bite the bullet and shave my head (not with a razor - with a # 1 guard). I thought it looked ok - except for the really huge scar at the back. I didn't look good but I didn't think that I looked bad. I showed up at work the next day (almost exactly 1 year ago) and aside from some days in the army it was the worst day of my life. I had never been made to feel so bad about myself. People said the most unbelievably hurtful things imaginable. I was the butt of everyone's jokes, people stared, gaped, laughed, and asked "Why on earth did you do that?". Nonetheless I said "they'll get used to it" and kept on keeping on. It did not abate. Weeks went by and then months and the ridicule continued. I couldn't believe it but I was starting to become seriously depressed. I had always been a very proud man and very self-confident. Now I was becoming a recluse. I was miserable. I didn't want to face the world anymore. A female friend approached me and said "jack, you've got to get a hair piece. A shaved head is fine but with your scars you look very scary and unattractive" I basically said that I would sooner die, but after months of misery I finally relented and got a rug. I've been wearing a rug for close to a year now. I hate it. There's not a day that goes by that I don't want to tear it off and just shave my head. Sometimes it looks ok, but most of the time it looks like a ridiculous joke. The thing is it placates the people at work. They know I'm wearing a rug, but its easier to look at than my bald horribly scarred pate so nobody says anything positive or negative. The rug is such an unbelievable pain in the neck - every aspect of it. I hate it so much. I hate the fact that I have to wear it to conceal the scars from the worst decision of my life. All I want is to shave my head and be free of this but I saw what happened when I did that. People did not get used to it even after months and as far as women were concerned - forget it. That sugery ruined my life. I try to think of the rug as if it were an eye patch, something to conceal what's underneath not to fool anyone into thinking that I have hair. I will never blame the doctor b/c he basically did all he could to talk me out of the procedure. It is my fault completely. My vanity did this to me. All those sites that say "just shave your head. everyone will get used to it in a couple of days" Please! If you're young, losing your hair and thinking of a HT STOP!!! Talk to the doc. about every aspect of the procedure - how thick the donor area is, what to realistically expect, how HUGE the scar will be. Honestly, don't do it. You'll end up like me - can't shave my head, stuck in a frickin rug, social life gone. I curse myself everyday for my rash decision that has basically ruined my life. I am more miserable than I could ever convey in words. Going bald sux, but the "solutions" just make it all worse. As I said the doctor did virtually do everything he could to convince me not to do it. He made me wait months, talk to patients who had undergone the procedure, showed me that my donor area was not ideal, told me NOT to expect anything like full coverage. What can I say? I am an absolute idiot. 

This is before with toppik 





This is when I still had hair but shaved it 



This is the only pic I could find of myself with my own hair and no concealers



And this is right now with the rug

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## mattj

I'm sorry to hear about your plight.  Have you never considered propecia for your hairloss? 
I know you wish you'd never had surgery, but have you considered that you might be repairable? 

Lastly, does your mother always have a bottle of toppik on her or were you just lucky that day?  :Smile:

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## Jack21

I am sure my mother would love to know that you are knocking the fact that she suffers from alopecia as well. I did in fact try propecia. I used it for years - while I was using concealers, but stopped when I realized that the battle was lost i.e. when there was more powder and paint on my scalp than hair follicles. 





> I'm sorry to hear about your plight.  Have you never considered propecia for your hairloss? 
> I know you wish you'd never had surgery, but have you considered that you might be repairable? 
> 
> Lastly, does your mother always have a bottle of toppik on her or were you just lucky that day?

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## mattj

Oh, sorry, I didn't consider that your mother might use it herself. And I was replying to this:




> When my mother saw me for the first time in 4 years she was shocked at how thin my hair had become and immediately pulled out a bottle of toppik. I was not interested but she sprinkled some into my hair anyway.


 Which probably amused anyone who read the post before you edited it. So if you felt your words originally lacked vital context it wasn't exactly reasonable to be so touchy.

I only wanted to help. So it seems that you have lost a lot of hair, and have areas that are too far gone for concealers, and propecia lost effectiveness or didn't do anything at all. 
Without knowing how much hair has been lost in total we can't tell if you could still benefit from a transplant, but if not there are options to improve the scar. The scar can be re-opened and closed so that it is thinner. You can have grafts taken via the FUE method and then used to help disguise the scar. It is also possible to have the scar tissue covered with tiny dot tattoos which mimic stubble, but you'd need to research thoroughly as the results probably vary a great deal. There was a thread somewhere which showed this and the results were surprisingly good.

I don't know if you do have any interest in trying to minimize the scar as I'm sure you know you won't be able to make it disappear, so perhaps yours is just a cautionary tale, but a lot of guys have gone from looking truly shocking to normal, so you might be surprised.

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## Jack21

You are quite right. As originally worded it sounded a bit funny that my mother just happened to have a bottle of toppik at hand. I did not explain that she suffers from female pattern baldness and has been using it for years. Sorry about being so touchy. This is just a touchy subject. 

I actually would be interested in minimizing the scar. I have researched dermabrasion (sp?) and "stubble" tattooing. I worry, however, that doing anything else would just make things worse....not that they could really be any worse. Can you tell me more about the possibilities of minimizing the appearance of the scar?





> Oh, sorry, I didn't consider that your mother might use it herself. And I was replying to this:
> 
> 
> 
> Which probably amused anyone who read the post before you edited it. So if you felt your words originally lacked vital context it wasn't exactly reasonable to be so touchy.
> 
> I only wanted to help. So it seems that you have lost a lot of hair, and have areas that are too far gone for concealers, and propecia lost effectiveness or didn't do anything at all. 
> Without knowing how much hair has been lost in total we can't tell if you could still benefit from a transplant, but if not there are options to improve the scar. The scar can be re-opened and closed so that it is thinner. You can have grafts taken via the FUE method and then used to help disguise the scar. It is also possible to have the scar tissue covered with tiny dot tattoos which mimic stubble, but you'd need to research thoroughly as the results probably vary a great deal. There was a thread somewhere which showed this and the results were surprisingly good.
> 
> I don't know if you do have any interest in trying to minimize the scar as I'm sure you know you won't be able to make it disappear, so perhaps yours is just a cautionary tale, but a lot of guys have gone from looking truly shocking to normal, so you might be surprised.

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## Winston

There's a lot that ca be done to improve widened scars. You should post some images of the scar so some of the experts here can give you advice. Also did you ever use couvre or demmatch on the scar?

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## morelocks

Thanks for sharing Jack, I hope one day soon they figure out a solution or release hm so people like us can get our life s back

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## Jack21

> There's a lot that ca be done to improve widened scars. You should post some images of the scar so some of the experts here can give you advice. Also did you ever use couvre or demmatch on the scar?


 I'll do that. Post photos of the scar that is. I did used to put couvre over the scar for a while, and it did disguise the scar. When there was just not enough hair left on top, howeve, I really had no choice other than to shave my head. The scar is not visible when my hair is long enough like it is now but I wear a damned rug on the top. I suppose that I could grow out all my hair, but then of course I would look like my grandfather - thick on the sides and almost bald on top. I am pretty much stuck with this rug or finding a job where I can wear a hat.

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## johnasdfd

im so sorry to hear what happened in your case... have you tried a real short cut that would sufficiently cover the scar, while not let you have too much of a differential between the top and the sides ?

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## Jack21

> im so sorry to hear what happened in your case... have you tried a real short cut that would sufficiently cover the scar, while not let you have too much of a differential between the top and the sides ?


 I have tried that. I look less frightening as the scars are not visible but I look like a 50 year old man b/c the difference in density at the point where the scar is no longer visible is very great. I could go in that direction I suppose. I would just be very ugly rather than frightening. I used to be a decent looking guy. Even for men - shit even for old soldiers - its tough to go from being a decent looking guy to being an ugly, old looking guy.

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## Jack21

> im so sorry to hear what happened in your case... have you tried a real short cut that would sufficiently cover the scar, while not let you have too much of a differential between the top and the sides ?


 thanks for the sympathy btw. This is the first time I've gone "public" with this stuff and so this is the first time I've ever had anyone express sympathy. So thanks - even though I don't deserve it since the fault is completely mine.

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## Don'tDoIt

I agree with the suggestion that you let it grow long enough on the sides and in back to cover the scar, and then ditch the rug.

You fear that this strategy will make you look "ugly," but I think you will look just fine.  Having a horseshoe of hair is better than having a rug and, in your case, better than exposing the scar.

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## Jack21

Sooner or later that will have to happen b/c I can't take this rug anymore. It is ridiculous looking and restricts my life in so many ways. I would NEVER have gotten it if I had not been approached by a female friend who actually said "You need to get a hair system". Other people told me "Just put on a hat, anything to cover your head". I've been physically wounded and it didn't feel as bad as those words. Seriously. I even had a woman tell me that she would be unable to continue working with me b/c she was so put off by my scalp. Can you believe that? It's gospel. When I heard that..well yo ucan imagine how that feels.




> I agree with the suggestion that you let it grow long enough on the sides and in back to cover the scar, and then ditch the rug.
> 
> You fear that this strategy will make you look "ugly," but I think you will look just fine.  Having a horseshoe of hair is better than having a rug and, in your case, better than exposing the scar.

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## Don'tDoIt

Jack21, is there a reason aside from your aversion to the horshoe look that prevents you from discarding the piece?  

For example, is there something about the recipient area that makes you unwilling to get rid of the rug?  Do the grafts look pluggy or unnatural?  Because there are options for dealing with unnatural-looking grafts, such as removal of the grafts via laser or FUE.  If you can post an image of your recipient area, that would be helpful.

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## Jack21

Yes. The recipient area is bumpy and "pluggy" looking. I will get some batteries for my camera and post soon. Would you explain to me what FUE is?




> Jack21, is there a reason aside from your aversion to the horshoe look that prevents you from discarding the piece?  
> 
> For example, is there something about the recipient area that makes you unwilling to get rid of the rug?  Do the grafts look pluggy or unnatural?  Because there are options for dealing with unnatural-looking grafts, such as removal of the grafts via laser or FUE.  If you can post an image of your recipient area, that would be helpful.

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## Don'tDoIt

In response to your question, FUE means Follicular Unit Extraction.  For patients undergoing a hair transplant, FUE means taking individual follicular units from the back of the head and putting them one follicular unit at time, in the balding areas.

Relevant to your situation, FUE can also be used to remove transplanted hairs in repair patients who have pluggy recipient areas.  Some patients have posted their photos of FUE plug removal.  Searching this site and searching the repair section of the Hair Loss Help website can produce examples for you. 

Several patients have had good results getting their grafted hairs lasered off as opposed to removal by FUE.

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## CIT_Girl

Your story is heart-wrenching to read.  I can't believe how cruel some people can be.  I think, at this point, you need to do what you can to get away from feeling that you need to wear the hair piece since it is obviously such a burden for you.  

As a couple posters have mentioned, there are options for dealing with the scarring in your donor area.  Some doctors perform scar revisions (though the results can be a little unpredictable- particularly if your skin is already very stretched from strip surgery) and there's also the option to have some grafts placed in the scar to try and conceal it.  I would say that we do at least one or two scar grafting sessions on patients who are dissatisfied with their strip scars each week.  Here's one example from our website:



As far as the pluggy-looking recipient area, you can either add hair to camouflage that appearance, redistribute the plugs, or remove them entirely.

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## Jack21

I can tell you that my scar is far, far worse than the one in the photograph. If my scar were that minor I would have absolutely no second thoughts about shaving or buzzing my hair. Even with the length of hair in the after picture my scar would be very noticeable. The doctor obviously removed a very large area of skin from which to take the follicular units - much larger an area than in the case of this patient. My hair has to be about 1 inch long to conceal the scar. The hair in that after picture is between 1/2" - 3/4". I suppose that I should at least see a surgeon who could tell me if there is any hope in reducing the appearance of the scar and recipient area.

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## chasguy

Check out http://www.baldtruthtalk.com/album.php?albumid=240

His scar repair looks great.  Do you have any pictures of your scar?

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## CIT_Girl

Yes, it's definitely worth consulting with a physician to see what they can do for you.  A lot of IAHRS physicians even offer virtual consultations where you can submit photos for their review, and they will offer recommendations based on these.  These consults should all be free-of-charge as well.  I would definitely suggest posting a photo of your scar, if you feel comfortable, so that we can get a better idea of where you are at.  

Here's a photo of a much larger strip scar Dr. Cole worked on a couple weeks ago: 



A larger scar like this will likely take more than one pass to adequately conceal but there is certainly plenty of room for improvement and to allow this patient to feel more comfortable wearing his hair short.

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## Winston

Jack, can I ask where you had your hair transplant done? Even if the doctor takes a big strip the scar still can be very thin.

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## chasguy

As I understand it, scar size is more related to individual scalp laxity and scar tendencies

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## Jack21

My scar is virtually identical to the one in the last picture you posted. It is not as fresh or bloody ,obviously, because 5 years have passed, but in size, shape, length and thickness it is virtually identical. You must understand that b/c of my experience I am very, very reluctant about having anyone take anything sharp to my head or any part of me for that matter. I have also had to have numerous shoulder surgeries since I was discharged which have left my shoulder,arm, and part of my neck covered in surgical scars and arthroscope puncture holes.

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## mattj

I understand that it might be tough to reveal yourself without the piece, but it would help us help you if you could show us how you look. Both the scar and the front/top of your head. It sounds like you might be in Norwood 6 territory (are you familiar with the Norwood scale?) with at least some hair on top, including some unnatural-looking transplanted hair. Guys like this get fixed.  See forum and transplant vet Jotronic.

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## cep

I'm so sorry to hear about what you have had to suffer through.  I have to tell you that from looking at your pics (I am a woman) you are certainly VERY handsome.  Hair loss sucks, there is no getting around it, but I wonder if you realize how nice looking you are+you're buff too!  I would hate for the hair issue to make you feel socially isolated when you seem to have so much going for you.

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## Jack21

> I understand that it might be tough to reveal yourself without the piece, but it would help us help you if you could show us how you look. Both the scar and the front/top of your head. It sounds like you might be in Norwood 6 territory (are you familiar with the Norwood scale?) with at least some hair on top, including some unnatural-looking transplanted hair. Guys like this get fixed.  See forum and transplant vet Jotronic.


 
No, no. I am not reluctant at all about posting pics of my scalp. I just have never taken a photograph of the scar. I do have photos of myself with a shaved head from last October on my other computer. I can post those tomorrow. I am not very familiar with the Norwood Scale, but I can tell you that my scalp is in fact completely covered in stubble with the exception of a small area around the crown. It is not that there is no hair. It is that the hair is so diffuse when longer than stubble. When I shave my head to stubble it looks as if I could easily grow out a full head of hair, but that is NOT the case.

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## Jack21

> I'm so sorry to hear about what you have had to suffer through.  I have to tell you that from looking at your pics (I am a woman) you are certainly VERY handsome.  Hair loss sucks, there is no getting around it, but I wonder if you realize how nice looking you are+you're buff too!  I would hate for the hair issue to make you feel socially isolated when you seem to have so much going for you.


 Thanks for the kind words. Unfortunately the hair issue has made me terribly socially isolated. I am not so good looking with a bald head. Believe me.

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## Jack21

> Check out http://www.baldtruthtalk.com/album.php?albumid=240
> 
> His scar repair looks great.  Do you have any pictures of your scar?


 If I could get those results I would be very happy, but I seem to remember saying exactly the same thing to myself before my HT 5 years ago. I have seen a number of men over the years with shaved heads or v. closely cropped hair whose surgical scars from HTs were very obvious. I've seen men like this at the gym, at football games, at the grocery store. They were obviously at peace with their appearance. I mean they could all have been wearing baseball caps but weren't. I need to make peace with my apperance and try and salvage some sort of life. Mine is a cautionary tale. I have let obsession with my hair ruin the last 5 or 6 years of my life. I wish that I had never heard of any of these "solutions" whether surgery, concealers, or toupees. I wish that I had just kept my head shaved when I got out of the army. My best friend starting balding in college, shaved his head right then and there and has never looked back. He is the most self confident person I know and lives a happy life while I hide in my apartment b/c I am so ashamed of my appearance.

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## dgman21

Jack,
Thanks for sharing your story. I amletting my hair obssession get the best of me like your saying. Now I was told by a surgeon in person consultation that he will do 600 grafts but that doesnt seem like much due to my diffuse and frontal thinning. I have never had surgery before. I am too freaked out to shave my head due to the thinning area being very noticeable.

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## Jack21

> Jack, can I ask where you had your hair transplant done? Even if the doctor takes a big strip the scar still can be very thin.


 I do not want to name the surgeon for the following reasons:

He did virtually everything he could to talk me out of the procedure. Only after he was positive that I understood what to reasonably expect did he perform it. He made me wait months, discussed alternatives such as my just cropping all my hair short, and essentially tried to make me go away. I convinced him that I fully understood that the procedure would not provide me with a full head of hair and that I understood that my own naturally growing hair would continue to thin. Finally about 6 months after I first saw him did he perform the procedure. He could have done nothing more other than refusing to perform the procedure. This is called an "elective procedure" for a reason, however. I elected to have it done and I had covinced the doctor that my expectations were realistic. The fault is mine. I was young, desperate, and although I convinced both the doctor and myself that my expectations for the procedure were realistic, they were not.

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## Jack21

> Jack,
> Thanks for sharing your story. I amletting my hair obssession get the best of me like your saying. Now I was told by a surgeon in person consultation that he will do 600 grafts but that doesnt seem like much due to my diffuse and frontal thinning. I have never had surgery before. I am too freaked out to shave my head due to the thinning area being very noticeable.


 From what I recall I had about 1,500 micrografts. If I recall this was something of a "mini graft". There is nothing "mini" about the scar, however. There are of course numerous variables involved in this procedure that will determine the size of the scar (the density of the donor area and many others). Unless there has been a miracle in the science of HT in the past 5 years you will be left with a long scar at the back of your head. Long enough hair will cover the scar. If you are happy with having longish hair on the sides and back and considerably thinner hair on top, who am I to stand in your way? It is about reasonable expectations. As my doctor told me "You will NOT have a full head of hair. You will NOT look like you did 5 years ago. You will get more thickness on top, but that is all." What I managed to somehow completely ignore in this whole thing was the scar that would result. I did actually ask the doc. how long my hair would have to be to conceal the scar, and he said about 3/4" to 1". He was right. It was abslutely fine for a while - the results of the transplant coupled with toppik and couvre that is. Once my hair began to thin too much to be disguised by concealers, however, the game was up. Try to find a picture of a person who has had a HT and who was told ahead of time that his donor area was ideal in terms of density. I look at these model photos posted by physicians themselves and still think to myself that they look lousy. I cannot make up your mind for you, but I can tell you that my youth, desperation, and terror of losing my looks actually had the effect of ruining my looks. Let's face it. A shaved head does not look so good on most people. It does, however, look far, far better than a head with obvious surgical scars. Do not allow desperation get the better of you. If this happens (as it did with me) you will end up miserably disappointed or simply miserable. As my surgeon said to me "Why not just buzz your hair. You're a good looking guy." A shaved or buzzed head coupled with a good physique is not such a bad thing. Society is very odd. People see the scars on my shoulder and arm and say "Wow. what a badass etc etc." People see scars on my head and they recoil in horror. Do nothing rash. Research, research, research BUT never forget that whatever happens if you do have a HT you will have a long and possibly thick scar from ear to ear. I loved my shaved head and kept my hair shaved or very, very short for most of my time in the army. When on leave with a shaved head I met the girl I would end up marrying. She divorced me just about the same time I became horribky obsessed with my hair. It was not a coincidence.

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## Don'tDoIt

CIT girl, I am surprised that you would use the before/after images for that patient who obviously has longer hair in the "after" photo.  The longer hair makes it impossible to tell if Dr. Cole's work really had an impact.  Why did you choose this case?

If Dr. Cole is truly doing one of these types of cases per week, why are there not more results on your website showing that these scars are being improved?  I am not saying that Dr. Cole is not getting good results with this technique but rather I am saying that the documentation is lacking.

It seems that Jack21 would benefit from FUE into his scar but I would first like to see some more FUE-into-scar success stories.

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## Don'tDoIt

deleted because of a double post

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## Don'tDoIt

Jack21 you should go to the hair loss help website and scroll down the page until you get to the section titled "Hair Transplant Repair."  You should then read every thread in that section going back at least to last year.  There is a huge amount of information in there.  You need to do this to educate yourself about your options. It is at hair loss help with no spaces between the words hair loss help. It is a dot com site. After the dot com type in /forums.  

Another way to find this site is to type "hair loss help forum" into a Google search and the site will be the first site of the Google search results.

Spencer, if you read this, sorry about plugging another website but I think that Jack21 deserves all the help that we can give, considering what he has gone through.

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## Jack21

Thank you. I've found it and am beginning to go through the posts. I really appreciate your help.





> Jack21 you should go to the hair loss help website and scroll down the page until you get to the section titled "Hair Transplant Repair."  You should then read every thread in that section going back at least to last year.  There is a huge amount of information in there.  You need to do this to educate yourself about your options. It is at hair loss help with no spaces between the words hair loss help. It is a dot com site. After the dot com type in /forums.  
> 
> Another way to find this site is to type "hair loss help forum" into a Google search and the site will be the first site of the Google search results.
> 
> Spencer, if you read this, sorry about plugging another website but I think that Jack21 deserves all the help that we can give, considering what he has gone through.

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## chasguy

> My scar is virtually identical to the one in the last picture you posted. It is not as fresh or bloody ,obviously, because 5 years have passed, but in size, shape, length and thickness it is virtually identical. You must understand that b/c of my experience I am very, very reluctant about having anyone take anything sharp to my head or any part of me for that matter. I have also had to have numerous shoulder surgeries since I was discharged which have left my shoulder,arm, and part of my neck covered in surgical scars and arthroscope puncture holes.


 For the shoulder scars, try Cica Care silicone sheeting and see if they are improved.  If they are, perhaps the same could be applied to your HT scar.  Cica Care has had some really really positive reviews

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## chasguy

> If I could get those results I would be very happy, but I seem to remember saying exactly the same thing to myself before my HT 5 years ago. I have seen a number of men over the years with shaved heads or v. closely cropped hair whose surgical scars from HTs were very obvious. I've seen men like this at the gym, at football games, at the grocery store. They were obviously at peace with their appearance. I mean they could all have been wearing baseball caps but weren't. I need to make peace with my apperance and try and salvage some sort of life. Mine is a cautionary tale. I have let obsession with my hair ruin the last 5 or 6 years of my life. I wish that I had never heard of any of these "solutions" whether surgery, concealers, or toupees. I wish that I had just kept my head shaved when I got out of the army. My best friend starting balding in college, shaved his head right then and there and has never looked back. He is the most self confident person I know and lives a happy life while I hide in my apartment b/c I am so ashamed of my appearance.


 Even if the improvement were only modest, it is still an improvement and still going to help you recover some of your own self esteem

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## Jack21

> Even if the improvement were only modest, it is still an improvement and still going to help you recover some of your own self esteem


 What could be improved? The appearance of the scar? As I understand it that requires further surgery. Surgery is what got me into this mess in the first place, and my surgeon was far from incompetent. He is in fact very well known. Having another surgical procedure to try and minimize the appearance of a previous surgical procedure MAY yield some positive results ultimately. I do not want to gamble on MAY. 

I am perfectly content with the way I look with a shaved head - scar and all. I need to be strong enough to weather the months of insults and frightened/ horrified looks and wait it out until people accept my looks. My plan is to come back after Christmas vacation with my hair shaved with a #1. By winter I will be pale and the difference in color between my scalp and my face will not be so pronounced. The world is going to just have to get used to "Jack the bald guy" who used to be "Jack the good looking guy". I got through some horrible years in the army, I will get through this. I have to.

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## Jack21

This is what I look like with a buzz and a bit of that thickening spray. You can't see the scar at the back, of course, which is the major drawback to doing this. Also if you look more closely (which you cannot do in this poor quality pic) at my head you would see that it is very unnatural looking - like a bit of stubble and a bit of paint.

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## Jack21

I've tried to enhance the pic. but it is a very low resolution webcam shot.

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## Jack21

This is my real head, shaved and shiny. 




And this is at Halloween with a rug obviously. Compare and cry.

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## chasguy

> What could be improved? The appearance of the scar? As I understand it that requires further surgery. Surgery is what got me into this mess in the first place, and my surgeon was far from incompetent. He is in fact very well known. Having another surgical procedure to try and minimize the appearance of a previous surgical procedure MAY yield some positive results ultimately. I do not want to gamble on MAY. 
> 
> I am perfectly content with the way I look with a shaved head - scar and all. I need to be strong enough to weather the months of insults and frightened/ horrified looks and wait it out until people accept my looks. My plan is to come back after Christmas vacation with my hair shaved with a #1. By winter I will be pale and the difference in color between my scalp and my face will not be so pronounced. The world is going to just have to get used to "Jack the bald guy" who used to be "Jack the good looking guy". I got through some horrible years in the army, I will get through this. I have to.


 There are non-surgical methods of scar treatment.  If you're going to shave your head anyway, look into silicone sheeting.  Below are some before-after pics I pulled from the web.  No one knows for sure why silicone sheeting works, but it does actually work for many people

http://www.rejuveness.com/Scar-Treat...tures-c37.html

----------


## CIT_Girl

> CIT girl, I am surprised that you would use the before/after images for that patient who obviously has longer hair in the "after" photo. The longer hair makes it impossible to tell if Dr. Cole's work really had an impact. Why did you choose this case?


 I see what you mean and agree that the after photo isn't a great comparative image because of the inconsistency in length (but we can't really make a patient in for a follow-up shave his head for the sake of our photos).  I just grabbed that one from our website because it was one of the few scar grafting procedures where a patient was willing to his shave his head.  Few of our repair patients are comfortable being photo released so the images I can share are somewhat limited.  Here's another case on a patient with longer hair: 




Regarding Jack21's shaved-head photo: I think you look great!  I'm not sure why there are so many anti-shaved-head sentiments on this forum...could it be a regional or cultural thing, or is it just a common personal preference?  I took a little informal poll of the girls in our office this morning and I got three resounding "YES!"'s to the question "do you like guys with shaved heads?"  We even have a tech here who shaves his head and it seems like girls can't keep their hands of his head!   :Wink:

----------


## Don'tDoIt

Jack21, add me to the list of people who think you look great with a shaved head.  You should go with that look.  If any of the transplanted hairs look unnatural or pluggy, then get them lasered off.

Illinoisbaldy, a commenter on the Hair Loss Help forum had grafts removed by FUE and then had further grafts removed by laser.  In retrospect, he wishes that he had them all removed by laser.  You can certainly get those grafts removed if you so desire.

As for your scar, you seem dead set against the horseshoe look and you look great with a shaved head.  For that reason, I think that you should consider FUE into the scar.  

Keep in mind, though, that you will probably need two or more FUE-into-scar procedures to get the scar to be undetected with a buzz cut.  Furthermore, even with a lot of FUE-into-scar, the scar likely will never go undetected with a shaved look.  Also, as my previous post stated, there is little photographic proof that FUE-into-the-scar really works well.  Even from Dr. Cole, who does a lot of it.

The bottom line is that you look great with either a shaved or buzzed head.  I say ditch that rug once and for all.

----------


## Jack21

Thanks to all who have encouraged me to just go with the shaved head. I have pretty much already made up my mind to ditch the rug over Christmas vacation. As I said before, I am not at all unhappy with the way I look with a shaved head. I do not think that I look handsome but I do not think that I look gruesome either. Too many women around me have said just the opposite - that I must do something to maintain the appearance of hair. I am not sure why they would care so much either way. If I had people in my corner like those of you who have been encouraging I could easily get through the whole thing. 





> Jack21, add me to the list of people who think you look great with a shaved head.  You should go with that look.  If any of the transplanted hairs look unnatural or pluggy, then get them lasered off.
> 
> Illinoisbaldy, a commenter on the Hair Loss Help forum had grafts removed by FUE and then had further grafts removed by laser.  In retrospect, he wishes that he had them all removed by laser.  You can certainly get those grafts removed if you so desire.
> 
> As for your scar, you seem dead set against the horseshoe look and you look great with a shaved head.  For that reason, I think that you should consider FUE into the scar.  
> 
> Keep in mind, though, that you will probably need two or more FUE-into-scar procedures to get the scar to be undetected with a buzz cut.  Furthermore, even with a lot of FUE-into-scar, the scar likely will never go undetected with a shaved look.  Also, as my previous post stated, there is little photographic proof that FUE-into-the-scar really works well.  Even from Dr. Cole, who does a lot of it.
> 
> The bottom line is that you look great with either a shaved or buzzed head.  I say ditch that rug once and for all.

----------


## Jack21

Thanks for that link. I will definitely try it. I also have some burn scars on my chest that could benefit fro this stuff. We'll see. Hopefully I'll have some luck.





> There are non-surgical methods of scar treatment.  If you're going to shave your head anyway, look into silicone sheeting.  Below are some before-after pics I pulled from the web.  No one knows for sure why silicone sheeting works, but it does actually work for many people
> 
> http://www.rejuveness.com/Scar-Treat...tures-c37.html

----------


## chasguy

> Thanks for that link. I will definitely try it. I also have some burn scars on my chest that could benefit fro this stuff. We'll see. Hopefully I'll have some luck.


 I have a scar on my ankle I'm testing Cica Care on right now.  Maybe in a few months I'll have a personal experience to share

----------


## jsw72

Hi, 
Just read your story and wanted to add my sentiments. I started losing my hear around 20 years of age - I'm now 38. It bothered me a lot at the start and as the years have gone on, I'm ok with with it. Sometimes it pees me off just because I can't change my appearance, other than growing a beard which sees me looking like a member of the Taliban (I keep it shaved - with a razor for about the last 8 years but in the last year, started letting it grow a little but only to a stubble).

The only reason I'm on here is because I saw someone on telly with nice thick hair and I thought 'lucky b@stard'. I started Googling hair transplants and was shocked by the number of celebs who have had transplants.

Anyway, just registering to pass on my support from the UK, and tell you that you look really good (I'm not gay or ought). You're probably finding it tougher because you're a good looking dude - if you were ugly you might not be as bothered.

I've not seen your scars but in my (completely unprofessional opinion) I'd see what the experts advice would be on minimising it and shave the dome. It's the way forward.

Good luck.  :Smile:

----------


## Jack21

Thanks for your comments. They are very much appreciated. I think I can tell from your English that you're from the UK. I lived in England for a year a while back and I noticed that it is far, far more common for men to shave their heads in England than in the US. For the most part the only guys you see in the States with shaved heads are African-American. I hardly ever see a Caucasian guy with a shaved head here. Obviously in the military shaved heads (for guys who were bald and guys who had hair) were everywhere. Every other guy has a shaved head. In the white collar working world, however, it is just really not accepted as made only too evident by the horrendous reaction I got at my job. My brother shaves his head as does my best friend, but both are blue collar guys - firefighters. It is completely ok in some contexts, but utterly rejected in others. I find it disgusting that I was treated the way I was when I shaved my head and for the weeks afterward. If one lives in a society or in part of a given society that does not disparage baldness, mock baldness, equate baldness with weakness - such as the military - one is never made to feel anything "less than". I should have just stayed in the army for the rest of my life. Too bad I began to have moral objections to some of our "adventures" and resigned my commission. 





> Hi, 
> Just read your story and wanted to add my sentiments. I started losing my hear around 20 years of age - I'm now 38. It bothered me a lot at the start and as the years have gone on, I'm ok with with it. Sometimes it pees me off just because I can't change my appearance, other than growing a beard which sees me looking like a member of the Taliban (I keep it shaved - with a razor for about the last 8 years but in the last year, started letting it grow a little but only to a stubble).
> 
> The only reason I'm on here is because I saw someone on telly with nice thick hair and I thought 'lucky b@stard'. I started Googling hair transplants and was shocked by the number of celebs who have had transplants.
> 
> Anyway, just registering to pass on my support from the UK, and tell you that you look really good (I'm not gay or ought). You're probably finding it tougher because you're a good looking dude - if you were ugly you might not be as bothered.
> 
> I've not seen your scars but in my (completely unprofessional opinion) I'd see what the experts advice would be on minimising it and shave the dome. It's the way forward.
> 
> Good luck.

----------


## jsw72

...and weirdly enough, my mum also had alopecia. My mum and dad split up when I was born leaving her to look after three kids; she quickly lost her hair (in her early thirties) and it has been very patchy and thin ever since. Now she is in her sixties and it's much less noticeable because a lot of people her age have thinning hair. She's dealt with it admirably, especially because at the time there was little knowledge of it. A positive thing about the internet is the spread of knowledge and greater 'acceptance' of these things.

Just read your reply...yes, you're right, a lot of guys over here shave their heads. At one stage, a few years ago, most guys shaved their heads; now (sadly) it's becoming slightly less common with the change in fashions and longer hairstyles but that's life I guess...

----------


## mattj

You look like Rambo in the Halloween pic.

Anyway, you seem to have far more hair on your head than I was expecting. I think the photo above Rambo of your "real head" is without any sort of concealers, correct? The photos aren't very clear, but I would say that it looks promising that you could benefit greatly from a procedure to improve the scar, break up the grafts if they are as unnatural as you say they are (can't tell from the photo) and add density to the top. (Again, if it's as thin as you say it is, because it's hard to tell from the photos).

You should definitely start researching repair procedures as I think you'll be pleasantly surprised by what is possible.

As a footnote, I'm in the UK and I agree with what you said about shaved heads. They're everywhere, they're normal and I think they look pretty good for the most part.

----------


## Jack21

Matt,

Yes, in the picture in which I have a shaved head and appear very miserable there is absolutely no use of any concealers whatsoever. I do pretty much have a "fullish" head of stubble - the scar is the problem. 

In all honesty you have to be about 1cm away from my scalp to notice the bumpiness of the recipient area, the scar at the back, however, is visible from about 1km away. 

What I understand from you is that I should research (perhaps arrange a physician's consultation) methods of scar reduction (perhaps FUE into the scar itself). Am I correct in this? As for "adding density at the top" - that would require further harvesting of the donor area, would it not? That is not something I am willing to do. One scar is bad enough, thank you very much.

Eventually people will have to get used to my shaved dome. My brother shaves his head as does my best friend Stacey, but I think that I have mentioned that. If this white collar world once again rejects me utterly, I will move into another aspect of the working world. 





> You look like Rambo in the Halloween pic.
> 
> Anyway, you seem to have far more hair on your head than I was expecting. I think the photo above Rambo of your "real head" is without any sort of concealers, correct? The photos aren't very clear, but I would say that it looks promising that you could benefit greatly from a procedure to improve the scar, break up the grafts if they are as unnatural as you say they are (can't tell from the photo) and add density to the top. (Again, if it's as thin as you say it is, because it's hard to tell from the photos).
> 
> You should definitely start researching repair procedures as I think you'll be pleasantly surprised by what is possible.
> 
> As a footnote, I'm in the UK and I agree with what you said about shaved heads. They're everywhere, they're normal and I think they look pretty good for the most part.

----------


## mattj

Jack, the only reason I mentioned a further procedure (and harvesting more of the donor) was because you were unhappy with having a shaved head and said that your hair was too thin on top to grow out. (It doesn't look thin in the photo, but you described it that way, and photos don't always tell the truth)

 If you added density to the top, you could then grow your hair longer, hiding the scar at the back (which would also be improved during the procedure) and obscuring the bumpy recipient area. It would basically be another transplant procedure which also removed existing scar tissue and re-closed the wound so that it is thinner and hair grows through it (trichophytic scar closure). The ability to reduce the size of the scar and the general success of this procedure does depend on various factors that I couldn't possibly know, but I'm just saying that this is something that is done.

If you don't want to go down that route, then yes, the scar might be improved with the addition of some grafts extracted via FUE. If you wish to carry on shaving and do nothing, and just try and put this all behind you, then I wouldn't dream of trying to talk you out of that. It's just that the impression you have given is of someone very unhappy with his situation, and I wanted to let you know that other people have been through this and come out the other side looking so much better.

----------


## Jack21

Thanks for the concern and the advice. I will weigh my options and will possibly consult a surgeon about this situation. I need to have several burn scars attended to at any rate and may as well bring up the hair issue while I'm there. It is a bit ridiculous when I think about the fact that I am going to a plastic surgeon about scars from wounds that almost killed me and I am worrying about my hair. We are a strange species or maybe I am just a very strange person. Matters of life and death seem insignificant now in comparison with something as seemingly trivial as hair loss. It doesn't make any sense. Maybe I should go for the look in this picture: (the swamp thing afro) Have to laugh sometimes, right?







> Jack, the only reason I mentioned a further procedure (and harvesting more of the donor) was because you were unhappy with having a shaved head and said that your hair was too thin on top to grow out. (It doesn't look thin in the photo, but you described it that way, and photos don't always tell the truth)
> 
>  If you added density to the top, you could then grow your hair longer, hiding the scar at the back (which would also be improved during the procedure) and obscuring the bumpy recipient area. It would basically be another transplant procedure which also removed existing scar tissue and re-closed the wound so that it is thinner and hair grows through it (trichophytic scar closure). The ability to reduce the size of the scar and the general success of this procedure does depend on various factors that I couldn't possibly know, but I'm just saying that this is something that is done.
> 
> If you don't want to go down that route, then yes, the scar might be improved with the addition of some grafts extracted via FUE. If you wish to carry on shaving and do nothing, and just try and put this all behind you, then I wouldn't dream of trying to talk you out of that. It's just that the impression you have given is of someone very unhappy with his situation, and I wanted to let you know that other people have been through this and come out the other side looking so much better.

----------


## Don'tDoIt

Jack21, you are not strange in the least.  Many of us are just as self-conscious of our hair transplant scars.   Remember, you are not alone.  There are many of us out here who regret our hair transplants.

I have a noticeable strip scar just like you.  I have toyed with the idea of getting FUE into it, but I want to see more success stories before I go for that.  

And you will have bright days ahead.  The mental toughness that it took to be a soldier is the same mental toughness that will get you though this.

----------


## Jack21

So what do you do now? Do you just shave your hair/ cut it very short scar and all? After all this discussion I am toying with the idea of yanking the rug today and coming to work on Monday with a shaved (#2) dome. I don't have a tan anymore and the color difference is not so bad. I only mention the color difference b/c that was the only criticism people who otherwise liked or didn't mind the shaved look made. The prospect has me nervous b/c I know what the reaction will be like, but I also knew what was going to happen every time we pulled convoy duty in Hasbaya. I can't continue to allow fear of other people's reactions to my looks to control my life. The freedom to work out and sweat profusely every day and to be able to run or bike in the heat of the day, to swim! I love all of these things and all have been severely restricted by my hair "solutions". Not to mention how ashamed I am that I wear a rug. 





> Jack21, you are not strange in the least.  Many of us are just as self-conscious of our hair transplant scars.   Remember, you are not alone.  There are many of us out here who regret our hair transplants.
> 
> I have a noticeable strip scar just like you.  I have toyed with the idea of getting FUE into it, but I want to see more success stories before I go for that.  
> 
> And you will have bright days ahead.  The mental toughness that it took to be a soldier is the same mental toughness that will get you though this.

----------


## Don'tDoIt

In response to your question about what I currently do with my hair, right now I am pretty much rocking a horseshoe look.  

My recipient area is very sparse and sort of pluggy, but my wife says that it is not pluggy enough to be noticeable to most people.  She tells me not to bother to get the pluggy 2-hair and and 3-hair grafts removed.

On the back and sides, I have the hair at about a half-inch long, just long enough to cover the lousy strip scar.  I will say that if I bend my head forward so that my chin touches my chest, it really opens up the view of the strip scar.  That is why I have to keep the hair at least a half-inch long.

Do I like the horseshoe look? It is OK for me.  Things could be a lot worse.  It is a much better way to go than wearing a rug.  Get rid of yours, for crying out loud.  You look great without it!

----------


## Jack21

I yanked the rug and shaved my head with a number 1 guard. I got exactly the same reaction as last year. I am trying to weather this storm of stares and gaping mouths and "Jack! Why on earth did you do that to yourself?" Its nice being free but it ain't that nice. I lasted about a month last year before I couldn't handle the insults, jokes, and terrified looks anymore. I know that I cannot go back and change the past but if I could I would change only one thing: I would not have had this life ruining hair transplant.  





> In response to your question about what I currently do with my hair, right now I am pretty much rocking a horseshoe look.  
> 
> My recipient area is very sparse and sort of pluggy, but my wife says that it is not pluggy enough to be noticeable to most people.  She tells me not to bother to get the pluggy 2-hair and and 3-hair grafts removed.
> 
> On the back and sides, I have the hair at about a half-inch long, just long enough to cover the lousy strip scar.  I will say that if I bend my head forward so that my chin touches my chest, it really opens up the view of the strip scar.  That is why I have to keep the hair at least a half-inch long.
> 
> Do I like the horseshoe look? It is OK for me.  Things could be a lot worse.  It is a much better way to go than wearing a rug.  Get rid of yours, for crying out loud.  You look great without it!

----------


## dgman21

Jack,
I know how upset you are about the HT. But i have to ask did you notice any positive results from the transplant? (You hair get thicker in the areas you want?)

----------


## Jack21

Well if nobody ever saw the back of my head I guess I could say that I am moderately satisfied. Note that I said "IF NOBODY EVER SAW THE BACK OF MY HEAD". Yeah the top of my head is fuller than it was - nowhere near enough hair to look like anything but stringy, very thin hair when grown out, but enough to look full on top when it is stubble. The problem is of course the enormous scar at the back. I am looking into camouflaging the scar with scalp tattooing (variously known as about 25 different names). If the scar were even made to look little less noticeable I would be happy. But that is a huge and difficult to achieve IF. If you're 45 and thinking about this, I imagine that you may have reasonable expectations. If you are in your 20's I don't think that it is actually possible, try as you might, to have reasonable expectations. If I were a surgeon I would operate on no patient under the age of 35. 





> Jack,
> I know how upset you are about the HT. But i have to ask did you notice any positive results from the transplant? (You hair get thicker in the areas you want?)

----------


## dgman21

Well I'm getting close to 32. I'm still trying to understand reasonable expectations for my type of hairloss(diffuse thinning especially in the front). I want to know what to expect from 600 grafts mainly in the front. Thats what the IAHRS doctor said he could do now without damaging native adjacent follicles. But others said they could do more but they didn't see me in person. I believe I won't be happy with 600. I am just going crazy on the idea to go for it or wait till i have more $$ and get 2,000 follicles...

----------


## Don'tDoIt

Jack, how long does your hair need to be in back to cover the scar?  

If I was in your shoes, I think that I would determine what that length is and never cut it shorter than that on the back and sides.  In fact, that strategy is what I am doing right now with my strip scar.

----------


## dgman21

Well if your satisfied with the hair transplant you had,just a thought, why don't you grow your hair decently long??Then noone can see the scar and you'll have decent coverage,Correct?

----------


## ShannonEva

Dear Jack 21 - 
Thanks for sharing your story. I have empathy for what you're going through. But I must say, your pictures show you as a very handsome man. I am sure you're just as physically attractive bald with a scar as you are with a cover up.
As a woman in my 30s, I experienced hair shedding for 18 months. Doctors said medically there was nothing causing this...though in their eyes it was probably considered very moderate hair loss. I tried Rogaine amongst other regimens, but nothing helped. Then, desperate for a solution, I decided to try the herb Saw Palmetto. Research suggested that the herb protected hair follicles from being attacked by the enzyme DHT. Amazingly, and much to my surprise, within a week my hair loss subsided! A miracle! After a few months of taking Saw Palmetto each day, my hair thickness returned to normal. 
The effectiveness of Saw Palmetto in my case proved itself again......I'd been taking the herb about a year with much success, but I took a break from the herb for a week when I went on an overseas trip.....guess what, my hair began shedding after a week of being off the herb! This validated the power of Saw Palmetto a supplement to impede hair loss caused by DHT. (And it's known to ward off prostate issues in men.)  
Here is a picture of me today! 
Jack21, I hope you don't beat yourself up for having the hair transplant surgery. I would have done the same thing. The scar may improve in time. Over the counter creams (silicone) and lasers can help lessen the scar's appearance. Please know you're handsome regardless!
Best regards

----------


## Jack21

Here is what I said in an earlier post:

"Yeah the top of my head is fuller than it was - nowhere near enough hair to look like anything but stringy, very thin hair when grown out, but enough to look full on top when it is stubble." 

I also said that I would be reasonably satisfied "IF NOBODY EVER SAW THE BACK OF MY HEAD." 





> Well if your satisfied with the hair transplant you had,just a thought, why don't you grow your hair decently long??Then noone can see the scar and you'll have decent coverage,Correct?

----------


## TheEmperor

Jack,

I registered to this forum because I wanted to respond to your thread.  I have had two large transplants from a clinic that is considered one of the best in the world. I have had 6500 grafts.

I think you look good shaved, and I think you look good with the rug.  I personally dont think you will ever be happy with a HT because the look you have with the low hairline, you will probably not be able to get with a HT.  Now, if you could adjust your expectations, maybe you would be happy.  If you would be happy with the thinning hair of a 45yo man, then you might be happy with a HT.

My HT I am only marginally happy with.  Unless you have had a HT, even what is considered a GOOD HT, you dont know what is in store.  As you have learned, you get very little coverage, and the scar is an issue.  My scar is not that big, but I have to grow my hair 1.5" to hide it.

All of the suggestion so far are good.  I would get a scar revision if I were you, maybe get some fue into it until you can use clippers on it, and see if you can live that way.  If not, then research HT with one of the best doctors and go "all in" get 6K grafts.  

The more bald you get, and the more of your youth has slipped away, the more accepting you will be to have bad hair as opposed to a cue ball.

----------


## gmonasco

> I have had two large transplants from a clinic that is considered one of the best in the world. I have had 6500 grafts. As you have learned, you get very little coverage, and the scar is an issue.


 If you've had 6,500 grafts and still feel you got very little coverage, what was the extent of your pre-HT hair loss?

----------


## Jack21

Thank you for your comments and insight. I think that you are quite right in what you say. 





> Jack,
> 
> I registered to this forum because I wanted to respond to your thread.  I have had two large transplants from a clinic that is considered one of the best in the world. I have had 6500 grafts.
> 
> I think you look good shaved, and I think you look good with the rug.  I personally dont think you will ever be happy with a HT because the look you have with the low hairline, you will probably not be able to get with a HT.  Now, if you could adjust your expectations, maybe you would be happy.  If you would be happy with the thinning hair of a 45yo man, then you might be happy with a HT.
> 
> My HT I am only marginally happy with.  Unless you have had a HT, even what is considered a GOOD HT, you dont know what is in store.  As you have learned, you get very little coverage, and the scar is an issue.  My scar is not that big, but I have to grow my hair 1.5" to hide it.
> 
> All of the suggestion so far are good.  I would get a scar revision if I were you, maybe get some fue into it until you can use clippers on it, and see if you can live that way.  If not, then research HT with one of the best doctors and go "all in" get 6K grafts.  
> ...

----------


## folliclist1964

Jack,
Sorry to hear your story. l am in the same situation if not worst of, take heart. A uniform man, when you visit an Army hospital you will thank God it's only your hair that's get you down. 
In my case, the Doctor should  have known from assessment that l may loose all my hair, but he went ahead. Now l have diffuse hair all over including the donor area he told me the hair there were genetically program not to recede. l have had several transplant, what grew out, is less than 10&#37; and l have a huge scar from one end of the ear to another. l wear a hat every day. l tried a hair piece and l look like a "joke" with it on and my colleagues immediately pick it out, even at the grocery story, it's noticeable it's a piece. It's all horror story to no end. My regret, l wish l have shaved my head then, instead of the surgery,  l would be a lot happier now.

----------


## Jack21

I am really sorry to hear your story. Its a miserable situation to be in. I shaved my head a few days ago and I'm trying to weather the storm again. Its not fun. Weekends are fine b/c I can just throw on my hat but then I remember that I have to go back to work tomorrow and deal with the sh@t there. I would leave this job in a second for a blue collar type job, but with this economy I have to endure being the butt of everyone's jokes and stares. 





> Jack,
> Sorry to hear your story. l am in the same situation if not worst of, take heart. A uniform man, when you visit an Army hospital you will thank God it's only your hair that's get you down. My advice is watch these Doctor's and their rep. here on this forum, all they care about is to get you surgeries and get paid. 
> In my case, the Doctor should  have known from assessment that l may loose all my hair, but he went ahead. Now l have diffuse hair all over including the donor area he told me the hair there were genetically program not to recede. l have had several transplant, what grew out, is less than 10% and l have a huge scar from one end of the ear to another. l wear a hat every day. l tried a hair piece and l look like a "joke" with it on and my colleagues immediately pick it out, even at the grocery story, it's noticeable it's a piece. It's all horror story to no end. My regret, l wish l have shaved my head then, instead of the surgery,  l would be a lot happier now.

----------


## Toffeeman147

Hiya Jack

Sorry to hear about your story,its horrible I know cause Ive had 3 procedures and I wish I would have just shaved my head in the beginning...hindsight is a wonderful thing huh......have you not thought of scar revison,maybe FUE into the scar I dont know if thats a possiblity or even maybe tattooing the around to look lime skin...not sure I know what Im talking about im just thinking out loud..maybe others could advise :Smile:

----------


## Jack21

Thanks Toffeeman. I have looked into FUE into the scar but I am never going to a plastic surgeon again as long as I live. I have looked into non-permanent scalp tattooing as well as permanent tattooing to help minimize the appearance of the scar. For now I am one ugly son of a gun and the world is just going to have to get used to it. I don't look good shaved. I know that. I also don't think that I look like the monster that I'm being treated as. 





> Hiya Jack
> 
> Sorry to hear about your story,its horrible I know cause Ive had 3 procedures and I wish I would have just shaved my head in the beginning...hindsight is a wonderful thing huh......have you not thought of scar revison,maybe FUE into the scar I dont know if thats a possiblity or even maybe tattooing the around to look lime skin...not sure I know what Im talking about im just thinking out loud..maybe others could advise

----------


## grent

Just finished reading through your story Jack - it's a tough transition getting older and having your body change.  Especially your hairline.  I started thinning out around 18 and now at 36 I finally just said the hell with it.  My hairline is WAYYYY worse than yours... trust me.  I heard the jokes and comments and yes they hurt (inside as I didn't show it).  I just have come to terms with it and now buzz my head all the time as it's my best option now.  I tend to bring it up now more than my buddies and in one sense laugh about it.... lifes to short.

I've since bought the harley that I wanted all these years and told my wife if I had to shave my head I needed a bike again  :Big Grin: 

Cheer up man and live..... not sure what the case is with your fellow employees but people dont "stop and stare" nearly as much as you may think.  My guess with your work situation is they can see your confidence isn't there and it makes you an easier target.

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## Don'tDoIt

I hope that those of you who are considering hair transplantation take note.  From what I have read, TheEmperor, Folliclist1964, Jack21 and I are all regretting that we had hair transplants.

The strip scar in back is a bad problem.  I wish to God that I had not done this to myself.  Strip surgery? Don't Do It.

I haven't had any FUE, so I cannot claim to know much about FUE's white dot scarring.  But FUE seems preferable to strip.

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## mattj

Jack, I hesitated to say this because you may think that as a doctor's rep I'm going to be very pro-transplant, or worse you might think I'm trying to drum up business for my employer. But that's not how I do things.

You're understandably angry with the whole concept of cosmetic surgery, but you're also clearly unhappy with your appearance. The thing is, your best shot at improving your appearance is by going under the knife again. Your scar could probably be improved. Not to the point where it's invisible when you shave your head (even the most competently executed strip scars on virgin scalps are visible under those conditions), but improved nonetheless. And at the time when your scar is being tidied up, you could undergo another transplant to add density to your hair so that it looks good enough to grow out, which would hide the scar completely.

 I know I've described this before but I'm just trying to show you that by doing this you would be improving the problem area, gaining the ability to hide the problem area, and also gaining hair on the top which is the reason you walked into a surgeon's office to begin with. Speaking just as a guy sympathetic to your problems, this sounds like the way to go.

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## dgman21

My opinion about surgery is still unsure. But its an extreme amount of money and it can possibly not give you the results you want. Nothing is for sure in life. Also its possible it could mentally drain you and make life miserable. I believe the best option is to accept who you are or take a chance with surgery with consequences that things may be better or worse. Especially after reading people's stories on here. Either they like them or can't stand them!

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## geminidb8

I had been very botched in the 1980's and 1990s from 5 doctors.  My scalp was so bad It looked like a burn victim.  I had a " Hairlift'  From a doctor in Pennsylvania and it ruined my scalp.  One patient sued this doctor and won the case because he tried to commit suicide.    I can tell you that after 12 corrective surgeries that I look about 75% better.  The problem with hair transplants is that no person wants an incomplete look. We always want more.  Well I am feeling a lot better than ever but I am 45.  As far as recommendations for you jack-  Forget about scar revisions because I had 5 of them done to a strip scar and for me they were no better because of stretchback. No doctor can guarantee you will not get stretchback.  Fue into the scar will help more effectively and the gains will be more positive.  I am now looking into scalp tattooing but this too is scary as I do not want to have the tattoo turn blue.  It has been a very life altering experience that most people do not understand.  Hair transplants can help but one must not have super high expectations as they will be severely disappointed.  They do not compare to a full head of hair in my opinion.  The density will not be the same.  That being said I am happier to have a good amount of hair on my head but the scars have been a major problem.  I too wore a wig for 14 years and lost most of my youth.  I must tell you it will get a bit easier as you get older but the scars ( mentally)  Will always be there. Good luck to you in whatever road you choose.

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## Jack21

Thank you for your comments and insight. You are quite right about expectations. It is virtually impossible for a 20 something year old guy who has just started thinning to hope for anything less than complete coverage which is NOT what an HT can provide. 

It is for this reason that I believe it unethical on the part of surgeons to perform the procedure on anyone under the age of 30 or even 35. A man in his 20's is obviously desperate and will do anything to stop hair loss or get back what has already been lost. He will pay thousands of dollars for an HT and then thousands more for various hair pieces and accompanying services. Both plastic surgeons and various toupee salons prey on the desperate, knowing full well that young men will pay virtually any price to have their hair back.

They also know full well that because of the sensitivity of the issue and all the stigmas associated with hair loss and even worse - attempts to conceal hair loss - very, very few patients/clients will come forward and say "This is a racket and it is horribly unethical" let alone actually bring suit. (Nobody could ever win such a lawsuit because , of course, the patient/client has already signed an ironclad waiver which has been drafted to read as it does because they know perfectly well how much dissatisfaction there will be).

Advertising is aimed at out our insecurities. It is quite ingenious - make people feel bad about themselves and feel that they must buy product x,y, or z in order to counter the shortcoming whether its balding, yellowing teeth, or erectile dis-function. 

We are all flies who have been caught in this trap because we were made to feel "less than" for losing our hair, and felt that in order to be attractive we had to take any and all steps possible.

I have spent thousands and thousands of dollars on various "solutions" to balding over the years - thousands of dollars that I could ill afford to throw away.

All in all it has truly been a nightmare.  







> I had been very botched in the 1980's and 1990s from 5 doctors.  My scalp was so bad It looked like a burn victim.  I had a " Hairlift'  From a doctor in Pennsylvania and it ruined my scalp.  One patient sued this doctor and won the case because he tried to commit suicide.    I can tell you that after 12 corrective surgeries that I look about 75% better.  The problem with hair transplants is that no person wants an incomplete look. We always want more.  Well I am feeling a lot better than ever but I am 45.  As far as recommendations for you jack-  Forget about scar revisions because I had 5 of them done to a strip scar and for me they were no better because of stretchback. No doctor can guarantee you will not get stretchback.  Fue into the scar will help more effectively and the gains will be more positive.  I am now looking into scalp tattooing but this too is scary as I do not want to have the tattoo turn blue.  It has been a very life altering experience that most people do not understand.  Hair transplants can help but one must not have super high expectations as they will be severely disappointed.  They do not compare to a full head of hair in my opinion.  The density will not be the same.  That being said I am happier to have a good amount of hair on my head but the scars have been a major problem.  I too wore a wig for 14 years and lost most of my youth.  I must tell you it will get a bit easier as you get older but the scars ( mentally)  Will always be there. Good luck to you in whatever road you choose.

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## Jack21

Matt, I do get the sense that you're talking to me man to man and not as a doc's rep. I appreciate that, but I still am dead set against seeing a cosmetic surgeon for anything, ever. 




> Jack, I hesitated to say this because you may think that as a doctor's rep I'm going to be very pro-transplant, or worse you might think I'm trying to drum up business for my employer. But that's not how I do things.
> 
> You're understandably angry with the whole concept of cosmetic surgery, but you're also clearly unhappy with your appearance. The thing is, your best shot at improving your appearance is by going under the knife again. Your scar could probably be improved. Not to the point where it's invisible when you shave your head (even the most competently executed strip scars on virgin scalps are visible under those conditions), but improved nonetheless. And at the time when your scar is being tidied up, you could undergo another transplant to add density to your hair so that it looks good enough to grow out, which would hide the scar completely.
> 
>  I know I've described this before but I'm just trying to show you that by doing this you would be improving the problem area, gaining the ability to hide the problem area, and also gaining hair on the top which is the reason you walked into a surgeon's office to begin with. Speaking just as a guy sympathetic to your problems, this sounds like the way to go.

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## geminidb8

I agree with you 100%.  I did have my corrective surgery by the only doctor who does not require a legal disclaimer Dr. Woods.  He is really cool and his work is the only work that improved my drastic results.  I had to use beard, nape and some body hair for these corrections.  No visible scarring in the donor area and the transection rates were very minimal.  I would say that 98% of everything grew in.  I still however can see my scalp in areas because there was so much damage.  My only hope will be some sort of tattooing and I am scared of it because I do not want more problems.  Even at 45 this is still somewhat of a problem but not as bad as it was in my 20s and 30's.  I really do not know what to say because had I done nothing I would have never been happy being bald and the treatments available- Either medications, wigs or surgery are only a treatment not a cure.  In many cases with surgery as you can testify they make things worse.  I am MOSTLY happy but of course if I could have more I would.  That is the main thing I can tell all candidates.  You MAY always want more hair than they can deliver.  An ethical surgeon will deny many patients but many for the $$$ will operate regardless.  I have seen Dr. Woods turn down many patients when I was in his office.  I can only hope that most ethical doctors will do the same.  Remember though they have to make a living ( an unethical one at that- like a drug dealer imo) and buyer beware.  Many do not care.  All the best...

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## Jack21

The doctor who performed my procedure did in fact do just about everything he could do to dissuade me. He discussed alternatives, made me wait a relatively long time, told me to think long and hard about it etc. The only thing more he could have done would have been to refuse me. I fell into the parameters of a candidate for HT, however, and after I pestered him long enough he gave in. Because I was able to delude myself into believing that I had reasonable expectations I was able to convince him of the same. The truth that I keep coming back to, however, is that there is not a 25 year old balding male on earth who actually has realistic expectations.







> I agree with you 100%.  I did have my corrective surgery by the only doctor who does not require a legal disclaimer Dr. Woods.  He is really cool and his work is the only work that improved my drastic results.  I had to use beard, nape and some body hair for these corrections.  No visible scarring in the donor area and the transection rates were very minimal.  I would say that 98% of everything grew in.  I still however can see my scalp in areas because there was so much damage.  My only hope will be some sort of tattooing and I am scared of it because I do not want more problems.  Even at 45 this is still somewhat of a problem but not as bad as it was in my 20s and 30's.  I really do not know what to say because had I done nothing I would have never been happy being bald and the treatments available- Either medications, wigs or surgery are only a treatment not a cure.  In many cases with surgery as you can testify they make things worse.  I am MOSTLY happy but of course if I could have more I would.  That is the main thing I can tell all candidates.  You MAY always want more hair than they can deliver.  An ethical surgeon will deny many patients but many for the $$$ will operate regardless.  I have seen Dr. Woods turn down many patients when I was in his office.  I can only hope that most ethical doctors will do the same.  Remember though they have to make a living ( an unethical one at that- like a drug dealer imo) and buyer beware.  Many do not care.  All the best...

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## Jack21

Just so that you all know: scalp tattooing, aside from any other drawbacks, is also very expensive. I did some research into masking my scar, looked into a dozen different providers and was floored by the estimates. When I say expensive I mean *6-8 thousand dollars* at a "reputable" provider.

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## geminidb8

What are Realistic Expectations?  I always think this is a cop out for the doctors.  Are they bad expectations?  Do not expect too much?  Or ??  I think what they mean is we will give you some hair but nothing  close to what you really would want.  I would say if one can be happy with about 50% of your original density then you should consider a HT.  Ever notice though Elton John or the vice president is never used as a poster child for HT's.  Wonder why... John wears a wig to cover up the bad work he had decades ago.  The VP can look ok in a frontal shot but terrible, terrible from the back or sides.  This should be addressed to all patients or prospective patients.

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## Jack21

Have you ever studied the body language of guys on HT commercials? I always notice this one character who, as he says "This has to be one of the best decisions I've ever made", is shaking his head vigorously and looks absolutely miserable. Of course he is shot head on in and in very favorable lighting. Somehow none of this occurred to me years ago when I was so absolutely desperate. "You don't have to accept going bald" they say in the commercials. That is the very first thing we MUST do. We must accept it. I am not saying that I have accepted looking like this. I hate it, but it is who I am. I am a bald man like one quarter of the population of this earth.





> What are Realistic Expectations?  I always think this is a cop out for the doctors.  Are they bad expectations?  Do not expect too much?  Or ??  I think what they mean is we will give you some hair but nothing  close to what you really would want.  I would say if one can be happy with about 50% of your original density then you should consider a HT.  Ever notice though Elton John or the vice president is never used as a poster child for HT's.  Wonder why... John wears a wig to cover up the bad work he had decades ago.  The VP can look ok in a frontal shot but terrible, terrible from the back or sides.  This should be addressed to all patients or prospective patients.

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## geminidb8

Very true in what you state.  Lets hope some newbies learn to either accept things or accept a moderate improvement with the gamble of scars... Tough, tough choices to make.  I am happy though that I am not bald because deep down I know that I would hate it.  There is no simple right answer to this.  What it needs is a cure.

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## Jack21

I HOPE that I've saved just one young guy from the shit that I've gone through. I hope so, but I don't think that you can talk a young man out of a hair transplant any more than you can talk a young man out of going to war. It doesn't matter what they hear from you, they'll go ahead and do it anyway. 

QUOTE=geminidb8;16265]Very true in what you state.  Lets hope some newbies learn to either accept things or accept a moderate improvement with the gamble of scars... Tough, tough choices to make.  I am happy though that I am not bald because deep down I know that I would hate it.  There is no simple right answer to this.  What it needs is a cure.[/QUOTE]

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## DAVE52

Jack , I truly feel for you and hope that you can obtain some form of corrective measure so you can move on with your life and enjoy happiness

I am 52
I had one session 10 yrs ago when there was thinning in the temple areas.
 I can clip the back using a  # 2 with no obvious signs of a scar - thank God for that .
If my scar was as big as you say yours is I would probably never leave my house  :Frown: 
The top gives the illusion of a somewhat full head of hair but it is not as dense as I hoped it would be , or as dense as I thought I would be comfortable with . 
Yes, I was told I would need another session but it was up to me if I wanted another one . 
Was told some clients only have one session and are comfortable .....I guess I am one of those that is not comoftable with what I have 
I also have a big bald patch on the my crown - get teased about it at work ---grown adults teasing others about their lack of hair  :Mad: 
I'm sure if I posted pics some would wish they had what I had but we are all different and what one person is comfortable with another is not 
Like yourseld I have no desire to go back and have another session although it would probably be in my best interests to thicken it up = just don't want to go through the anxiety of cutting the back again and waiting a year for the hair to grow .
It was very good for 3, 4,5, years but the friggin balding never seems to stop - at some point I would like it to stop so I know what I have to live with 

Like yourself, and many others, the last 10 yrs have been brutal hell.
I 've missed out on many things I enjoy ebacuse I am so self concious of my baldness . 
I cried my ass off when I first noticed the balding 
Couldn't sleep at night
Still do have trouble some nights 
Went to see a shrink who gave me meds to help sleep ease my anxiety  and not think about it all the time but that wasn't a cure 
I avoid  public situations at all costs 
Every morning is hell as I have to wash my hair and apply a cream / gel so the hair will look presentable - if not , it flies all over the place.
Sometimes not enough cream and it doesn't hold; too much cream and it weighs it down and looks greasy 
I try to keep it as short as possible - the guy who cuts it goes finger length on the top - I go get it cut every  2 or 3 weeks - sometimes he tells me I don't have enough to cut as it's not long enough  :Roll Eyes (Sarcastic): 


I see you had your hair very short when you were in the army 
I wish 10 yrs ago I had the courage to at least try a brush cut and then hopefully I would be able to live with it .
Now I am  too chicken to cut the top with a # 2 or # 3 clipper , as I  am afraid I'll look likew a friggen porcupine on acid or something  :Frown: 


Anyways just wanted to wish you the best .

I always thought I was the only one who had this problem .

I am NOT happy to see that others worry about it like I do

Good Luck !!

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## Mr. 4000

> I do not want to name the surgeon for the following reasons:
> 
> He did virtually everything he could to talk me out of the procedure. Only after he was positive that I understood what to reasonably expect did he perform it. He made me wait months, discussed alternatives such as my just cropping all my hair short, and essentially tried to make me go away. I convinced him that I fully understood that the procedure would not provide me with a full head of hair and that I understood that my own naturally growing hair would continue to thin. Finally about 6 months after I first saw him did he perform the procedure. He could have done nothing more other than refusing to perform the procedure. This is called an "elective procedure" for a reason, however. I elected to have it done and I had covinced the doctor that my expectations were realistic. The fault is mine. I was young, desperate, and although I convinced both the doctor and myself that my expectations for the procedure were realistic, they were not.


 Jack I feel your pain my friend

My doctor didn't educate me at all on other possibilities. He didn't suggest anything but wanted the cash IMO. He did a poor job across the board with my hairline setting high than my existing hairline, weak density, and screwed up something in my neck that caused a muscle to atrophy. The depression is 5-6 inches and runs into my trap muscle.  

He showed up late, and I had to wait for him to get there. I was told never to have anything done on a Monday, and now I know why. 

Never get a procedure done on a Monday, these docs are drunk all weekend, traveling, trying to get their chit together and come in to work not ready and focused. Weekend rust, don't do it. Let someone else book those days. 

I wish I knew better

My hair is thinner over all, the angle of the graft are unmanageable. He stretched my scalp so much I feel tightness everyday, and only called me recently because I I created a blog which he read and doesn't want to lose business. 

Jack fix the scar and cut it short and move on with life, and have fun. Don't spend the rest of your life worrying about hair, you will only stress and kill yourself. Most people are average looking so who cares!

For me, I will probably try one more time to get a better result, but it will be hard to go back, I have the same fear after what my doctor did. I can't believe how bad many things went wrong. This is a doctor that most vets know too. I totally gun shy at this point.

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## Jack21

You all do realize that we are all pathologically obsessed, dont you? We did not become obsessed in a vacuum. We are products of a society that has elected one bald president since the advent of the newsreal 100 years ago. That president had disproven the myth of the weak or feeble bald man as he was General Dwight David Eisenhower. It would appear that one has to win a World War to prove that he is a man if he has lost his hair. The very existence of this web site, of this forum, of the very procedure of hair transplantation is testament to the youth obsessed, self hating society we live in. I fought for this country. I certainly did not expect to be welcomed back by jeers and stares of horror. I am talking about something fundamentally wrong with us. I should be happy to be home safe and sound with all my fingers and toes. Instead I am made to feel like sh#t everyday by the very people I gave so many of my years of my life to protect. Our obsession with appearances has become not just sick but dangerous. 





> Jack I feel your pain my friend
> 
> My doctor didn't educate me at all on other possibilities. He didn't suggest anything but wanted the cash IMO. He did a poor job across the board with my hairline setting high than my existing hairline, weak density, and screwed up something in my neck that caused a muscle to atrophy. The depression is 5-6 inches and runs into my trap muscle.  
> 
> He showed up late, and I had to wait for him to get there. I was told never to have anything done on a Monday, and now I know why. 
> 
> Never get a procedure done on a Monday, these docs are drunk all weekend, traveling, trying to get their chit together and come in to work not ready and focused. Weekend rust, don't do it. Let someone else book those days. 
> 
> I wish I knew better
> ...

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## gmonasco

> We are products of a society that has elected one bald president since the advent of the newsreal 100 years ago.


 We're also products of a society that hasn't elected a president with facial hair in over a century.  Clearly, then, our society is obsessed with the clean-shaven look and loathes facial hair, and no man with any form of beard or moustache has any reasonable chance of achieving success.

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## Jack21

Maybe you are right. Maybe there is no relationship between baldness and winning election to public office. I think an argument can be made either way. I am no expert. 





> We're also products of a society that hasn't elected a president with facial hair in over a century.  Clearly, then, our society is obsessed with the clean-shaven look and loathes facial hair, and no man with any form of beard or moustache has any reasonable chance of achieving success.

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## Mr. 4000

> Very true in what you state.  Lets hope some newbies learn to either accept things or accept a moderate improvement with the gamble of scars... Tough, tough choices to make.  I am happy though that I am not bald because deep down I know that I would hate it.  There is no simple right answer to this.  What it needs is a cure.


 there is no money in cures

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## Jack21

That is only too true. For years gastroenterologists feared the imminent emergence of what we now call prilosec. The advent of over the counter omeprazole has all but ruined them. No medical students whose aim is to become wealthy are opting for gastroenterology these days. The money is still in elective cosmetic surgery and will be until we accept how we look....which I don't see ever happening. 




> there is no money in cures

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## Jack21

So now I have begun my second week at work with a shaved (#1 guard) head. It sux but I am not giving up. I still get the looks of shock and horror from those who didn't see me last week. Those who work with me try their damnedest to keep their eyes on my eyes but most of them spent most of their time staring at my scalp. I didn't think that my stupid scalp was so fascinating. How long can people stare at some stubble on a scalp? Apparently quite a while. It is irritating being stared at and not getting any smiles from girls in the hallway anymore. People who pass me just keep their heads down and try to avoid eye contact. I'm not sure what bothers me more - the way I am treated or the fact that bald people are treated like this throughout corporate America. It is making me rethink a lot of things.

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## Mr. 4000

> So now I have begun my second week at work with a shaved (#1 guard) head. It sux but I am not giving up. I still get the looks of shock and horror from those who didn't see me last week. Those who work with me try their damnedest to keep their eyes on my eyes but most of them spent most of their time staring at my scalp. I didn't think that my stupid scalp was so fascinating. How long can people stare at some stubble on a scalp? Apparently quite a while. It is irritating being stared at and not getting any smiles from girls in the hallway anymore. People who pass me just keep their heads down and try to avoid eye contact. I'm not sure what bothers me more - the way I am treated or the fact that bald people are treated like this throughout corporate America. It is making me rethink a lot of things.


 Jack you can't control what others are going to say or do, and don't let it get you down. At least you know who not to trust. That should be a good thing. 

Don't let it get the best of you. Rethink is good, but keep it positive my friend. Life can be a good thing if you let it.

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## Jack21

Thanks, man. That is much appreciated. Don't worry. The rethinking has to do with what segment of society I want to be a part of - not whether I want to live or die. I am really starting to think about trying to find a job in a very different sector of the job market. I know that times are tough now. It might be a while before I can find something more blue collar. I do have some professional skills from my years in the army. I can weld, sort of know my way around an engine, and know a whole lot about explosives. Maybe something in construction or demolition. Eventually. When jobs are available. For now I'm stuck in the collar and tie in the office that I HATE, but I have to make a living somehow. 




> Jack you can't control what others are going to say or do, and don't let it get you down. At least you know who not to trust. That should be a good thing. 
> 
> Don't let it get the best of you. Rethink is good, but keep it positive my friend. Life can be a good thing if you let it.

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## utah23

Hi Jack21.  I have been considering a hair system lately and in my research I have seen that you also post on the hair direct general forum.  Your pictures there look great.  In your posts on that forum it also seems like you are happy with your hair system.  I was just wondering what made you decide to stop using your hair system.  Did it interfere with your lifestyle?  Any advice you could give me would be great.

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## Jack21

I was very happy with it for a while. As time passed it became more and more of a pain and looked less and less real (to me anyway). I was more self conscious of the hair piece than of my own shaved head. It was just driving me nuts. It was itchy, uncomfortable and required SOOOOOO much maintainence. I could deal with all of those things as long as it looked good, but the last systems I got from them were pretty horrible and I just figured why go through all of this just to have a terrible, obviously fake rug on my head? Look, I am not even two weeks into this shaved head thing. My life has been made miserable and I am not ruling out trying a rug again. I really don't want to, but this is pretty miserable. I am on my lunch break and I am sitting in front of my computer in my office b/c I don't want to bump into people in the cafeteria. Yesterday i just skipped lunch completely. I may end up doing the same thing today. There is no easy answer to this mess. 





> Hi Jack21.  I have been considering a hair system lately and in my research I have seen that you also post on the hair direct general forum.  Your pictures there look great.  In your posts on that forum it also seems like you are happy with your hair system.  I was just wondering what made you decide to stop using your hair system.  Did it interfere with your lifestyle?  Any advice you could give me would be great.

----------


## mattj

I'm not sure that changing careers will improve things for you. The issue you are trying to get away from - the stares and negative reactions - could happen just as much in any other line of work. The blue collar guys could actually be worse, even more vocal and unforgiving than the office types. I mean, unless you can find a career that pays you as well as your current job, you'd be losing out financially and very likely not improving your psychological wellbeing.

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## Jack21

The real issue here is that I began at this company with what looked like a thick head of black hair (actually thin brown hair with tons of toppik in it) and then one day last year suddenly I showed up bald. It was shocking to everyone. I don't get stares of horror from people who don't know me. Strangers don't laugh at me. It is b/c all of my colleagues knew me as a reasonable looking guy with hair who now looks like Frankenstein's monster. 

I suppose that it is not corporate America that is the problem (as you point out it may be worse in the blue collar world). It is this particular place. If I were to go elsewhere and do the same exact thing surrounded by people who never knew the me with hair, I highly doubt that I would be made to feel so bad. Sure, people at the water cooler might mutter some things about the new bald guy, but I sincerely doubt that I would be treated like I am here by people who have known me for a while. They ridicule what they fear ultimately happening to them - the men anyway. The women are just saddened i suppose. If an attractive woman whom you had known and worked with for years suddenly showed to work one day 50 lbs overweight you would probably behave towards her the way the women here are behaving towards me. Half the people do not realize that I can not regrow my hair. They didn't realize that what they saw was not my hair. That's the problem. It is this place of business. All I really need to do is change where I work - nothing drastic at all. I can easily ask for a transfer. Its not as if that will instantly take away all my problems but it will certainly be better than this.





> I'm not sure that changing careers will improve things for you. The issue you are trying to get away from - the stares and negative reactions - could happen just as much in any other line of work. The blue collar guys could actually be worse, even more vocal and unforgiving than the office types. I mean, unless you can find a career that pays you as well as your current job, you'd be losing out financially and very likely not improving your psychological wellbeing.

----------


## Mr. 4000

> The real issue here is that I began at this company with what looked like a thick head of black hair (actually thin brown hair with tons of toppik in it) and then one day last year suddenly I showed up bald. It was shocking to everyone. I don't get stares of horror from people who don't know me. Strangers don't laugh at me. It is b/c all of my colleagues knew me as a reasonable looking guy with hair who now looks like Frankenstein's monster. 
> 
> I suppose that it is not corporate America that is the problem (as you point out it may be worse in the blue collar world). It is this particular place. If I were to go elsewhere and do the same exact thing surrounded by people who never knew the me with hair, I highly doubt that I would be made to feel so bad. Sure, people at the water cooler might mutter some things about the new bald guy, but I sincerely doubt that I would be treated like I am here by people who have known me for a while. They ridicule what they fear ultimately happening to them - the men anyway. The women are just saddened i suppose. If an attractive woman whom you had known and worked with for years suddenly showed to work one day 50 lbs overweight you would probably behave towards her the way the women here are behaving towards me. Half the people do not realize that I can not regrow my hair. They didn't realize that what they saw was not my hair. That's the problem. It is this place of business. All I really need to do is change where I work - nothing drastic at all. I can easily ask for a transfer. Its not as if that will instantly take away all my problems but it will certainly be better than this.


 it won't matter people are assholes everywhere. They have nothing better to do but to judge others. Well they should have plenty to do but choose not to. 

I think it is great you went bald, that is total balls, and it should be liberating for you. 

Lets face it, if they are still worried about you and your looks 6 months from now. They are freaking losers, they need to get a life.

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## Toffeeman147

I feel your pain Jack.Ive had 3 transplants here in the UK and now im so confused what to do anymore,do I shave and had a horrible scar showing or do I get a procedure in the US where Ive heard they are the best.Been informed by DR Feller and Dr Rahal i would need about 2.5k-3k grafts..but what if i  then need more work down the line and my donor area is no good.I would just have even worse scars.then theres the cash needed.my head is up my bum so to speak cause I dont know what to do.Any opinions would be appreciated chaps

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## Jack21

As you live in the UK have you considered HIS clinic? They do non permanent scalp tattoing/ pigmentation. The results vary, but if the results are not good you always know that it is not permanent. I have seen in person one person who had his scalp done at HIS. It looked quite real to me. I have heard of poor results and seen photos of what are purported to be botched jobs from HIS clinic, however. If I lived in the UK I would have it done. In the States the only "reputable" providers of this type of this relatively new procedure use permanent ink and I am not ready to jump into that fire. I don't know how much you have on top, but have you considered thickening fibers like toppik? Its very, very cheap and if you have enough hair (which I am guessing you do after 3 transplants) it works miracles. And then of course there is the hair piece option which is hellish. Finally you can shave it like me. It is quite miserable facing the world like this, but it is free, easy to maintain, and very, very comfortable. It is also nice if you do a lot of exercise. It is not so nice if you are trying to woo a young woman. 





> I feel your pain Jack.Ive had 3 transplants here in the UK and now im so confused what to do anymore,do I shave and had a horrible scar showing or do I get a procedure in the US where Ive heard they are the best.Been informed by DR Feller and Dr Rahal i would need about 2.5k-3k grafts..but what if i  then need more work down the line and my donor area is no good.I would just have even worse scars.then theres the cash needed.my head is up my bum so to speak cause I dont know what to do.Any opinions would be appreciated chaps

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## Jack21

here's a pic of me I found early on in my military career. Under direct sunlight you can see just how thin I was even in my late teens.



Here is a picture of me years later with toppik (or whatever brand it was)

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## Toffeeman147

Cheers Jack,Ive never even heard of that clinic but I will certianly look into it....why dont you give it a go yourself...its not expensive to grab a flight from the US to Uk these days, just an idea :Smile:

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## Jack21

No worries. You can find them online. Just google HIS hair clinic. I have considered giving it a go myself. I just have very few vacation days until next June. I had to miss 5 days for shoulder surgery earlier this year. I may very well come to the UK next summer. I have already been in contact with the clinic. They have them all over the UK as well as in Spain. ( Anywhere there are Brits I suppose)





> Cheers Jack,Ive never even heard of that clinic but I will certianly look into it....why dont you give it a go yourself...its not expensive to grab a flight from the US to Uk these days, just an idea

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## Mr. 4000

> I feel your pain Jack.Ive had 3 transplants here in the UK and now im so confused what to do anymore,do I shave and had a horrible scar showing or do I get a procedure in the US where Ive heard they are the best.Been informed by DR Feller and Dr Rahal i would need about 2.5k-3k grafts..but what if i  then need more work down the line and my donor area is no good.I would just have even worse scars.then theres the cash needed.my head is up my bum so to speak cause I dont know what to do.Any opinions would be appreciated chaps


 There is no guarantee with what these doctors tell you. Do not fall for it. They will tell you what you want to hear take your money and what ever happens, happens. Good or bad. 

You will need more work down the line. Tell me how many people get one transplant and are satisfied? VERY FEW! Read any blog, one and done is the exception to the rule.

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## dgman21

I guess that topik really thickens hair huh? I just got a haircut today and its so thin on top. I've never been able to see my scalp through my hair when combed straight forward. 
I purposely went to a new stylist(pretty young woman) and asked her what the best option for me is. She said the shaved head look is not quite me yet but I do disagree though she seemed like she would say whats on her mind.

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## Jack21

try the stuff. Its cheap as dirt. If you don't like it you've lost $5 or $10. I would have used it until the day I died if my hair had not become too thin. You can see how thin it was in that picture from the late 90's....or shave it. I want as many shaved headed "brothers" as I can get.




> I guess that topik really thickens hair huh? I just got a haircut today and its so thin on top. I've never been able to see my scalp through my hair when combed straight forward. 
> I purposely went to a new stylist(pretty young woman) and asked her what the best option for me is. She said the shaved head look is not quite me yet but I do disagree though she seemed like she would say whats on her mind.

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## dgman21

Just purchased 1

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## Jack21

keep me posted.




> Just purchased 1

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## Jack21

I hope that every poor soul desperate for help reads this thread before potentially ruining his life

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## southasian

Hi Jack. Thanks so much for sharing your story and i'm sorry you're suffering thru the aftermath of this HT you've had. Hopefully in a short few years either Histogen or Aderans will help you regain a natural hairline. I had a few questions i was hoping to ask you. I did read your detailed first paragraph, but i wanted to find out what exactly went wrong after the surgery? Did the newly implanted hairs fail to grow? Did you have more crowning/hair loss? As in an elevated Norwood classification? Also as you mentioned your HT surgeon tried to dissuade you from having the surgery, was this because you didn't have a large donor area or was your scalp laxity too tight? Best of luck.

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## DAVE52

Not to speak for Jack but re read his story

"....the* scar was a million times worse than I thought it would be*. Soon, however, the thinning got worse and worse and toppik and couvre were simply not an option. I was too thin on top to use concealors so I just decided to bite the bullet and shave my head (not with a razor - with a # 1 guard). I thought it looked ok - except for *the really huge scar at the back*...."

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## Don'tDoIt

I have to echo those sentiments about the strip scar in back.

You have to think long and hard about committing to a surgical procedure that will give you a scar for the rest of your life.

My strip scar is a line across the back of my head that prevents me from cutting my hair short.  That is a PERMANENT problem.  Do not get a strip procedure unless you can handle this scar.

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## Mr. 4000

> I have to echo those sentiments about the strip scar in back.
> 
> You have to think long and hard about committing to a surgical procedure that will give you a scar for the rest of your life.
> 
> My strip scar is a line across the back of my head that prevents me from cutting my hair short.  That is a PERMANENT problem.  Do not get a strip procedure unless you can handle this scar.


 I Agree 100%, I can't believe I even considered this, but I did, don't make the same mistake. 

There is 0 profit in cures.

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## Jack21

I was told that the density of my donor area was average. I was also told that the elasticity of the donor area was good. The transplanted hairs all took root. It was just that after a few years even with the transplanted hair and my natural growing hair there was very, very little coverage on top and an ENORMOUS scar at the back from ear to ear. It is terrible, terrible trade off. It kept me stuck in a rug for two years. Now I just shave my head scars and all and am trying to get used to being an ugly SOB.

[/I]




> Hi Jack. Thanks so much for sharing your story and i'm sorry you're suffering thru the aftermath of this HT you've had. Hopefully in a short few years either Histogen or Aderans will help you regain a natural hairline. I had a few questions i was hoping to ask you. I did read your detailed first paragraph, but i wanted to find out what exactly went wrong after the surgery? Did the newly implanted hairs fail to grow? Did you have more crowning/hair loss? As in an elevated Norwood classification? Also as you mentioned your HT surgeon tried to dissuade you from having the surgery, was this because you didn't have a large donor area or was your scalp laxity too tight? Best of luck.

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## JonB.

fwiw...and its just an opinion from a person that doesn't know you at all....You look good. 

You just need to smile in the last photo..... I don't see any issue to be concerned about..

I apologize if I'm out of line...and I don't know what the people are talking about..

enjoy your life

Have a nice day.

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## Jack21

Thanks. Nice of you to say. I really don't mind how I look bald. Most men I work with also don't mind at all. The problem is that women are very put off by it. I have already been married and divorced and have a young son so dating is the last thing on my mind and will be for quite some time (years and years) but that said it doesn't feel so nice when  women cringe in horror at the sight of me or ask me to "please put on a hat". That was actually said to me. Even worse things have been said. One woman at work told me that she would be unable to work with me any longer unless I grew out my hair - which I of course cannot do. Oh well. Life's a bitch. 





> fwiw...and its just an opinion from a person that doesn't know you at all....You look good. 
> 
> You just need to smile in the last photo..... I don't see any issue to be concerned about..
> 
> I apologize if I'm out of line...and I don't know what the people are talking about..
> 
> enjoy your life
> 
> Have a nice day.

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## MADE

> I HOPE that I've saved just one young guy from the shit that I've gone through.


 i think you've just got what you wanted. 

i registered for this board just to reply to this thread.

first off, i empathize with what you've gone through. i'm sorry that this battle has been such a crippling experience for you. i started slowly losing my hair at the age of 23. my father unexpectedly passed away when i was 19 and life has never been the same since. stress level post his death has increased and has remained a constant. that in turn (i believe) is some what relative to my shedding as well as being predisposed due to genetics. 

being someone in there midish-twenties (27) suffering from hair loss (like you said) is not an easy thing to swallow. my current/personal situation isn't horrible, but definitely noticeable. i'm not naive and realize i'll only be losing more of it from here on out. as of late, i've been researching "cures and coverups" as i've equated losing my hair with losing my self-confidence. i think alot of it has to do with losing vitality as well as a visual indicator of my fleeting youth. the more i think about it and read these threads/responses, i'm reassured that these are my own personal thoughts -thats it. anyone else's opinion is just that.

however, i must say that what you and others have discussed in this thread have resonated with me in a way that has literally changed my view on a HT, topical/oral treatments, etc.

i've always thought if people don't like you for you, what more can you do?  would you honestly want to surround yourself around someone who places such importance on vanity anyway? beauty is common; everyone has it. 

what i've personally come to realize is that flaws are what make us attractive. it shows you're a true human being; vulnerable like every one else. as i'm self-conscious and have my own personal issues like most, i think its liberating to accept this (anything) as what it is. i know i'll never have the hair i had when i was 16.

your story and journey have saved me from getting a HT. next summer i'm taking the plunge and shaving it (or buzzing with a 1 guide). i think it will be a liberating experience. despite what you've gone through, there is so much good in your life. you're a father, you're young and a handsome guy. being a former soldier, i can only imagine what you were capable of then as well as what you're capable of now. embrace who you are. confidence goes a long way, and lately, i've come to realize that more than ever. for the people who judge you or joke at your expense are only doing it to cover up there own insecurities. pay them no mind (as best as you can). thank you for your story and thank you to all of the others who've shared there stories/knowledge too. its really helped in my own personal hair struggles. i honestly feel a little bit freer... best of luck to you all.

MADE.

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## Gregory Pistone, MD

> CIT girl, I am surprised that you would use the before/after images for that patient who obviously has longer hair in the "after" photo.  The longer hair makes it impossible to tell if Dr. Cole's work really had an impact.  Why did you choose this case?
> 
> If Dr. Cole is truly doing one of these types of cases per week, why are there not more results on your website showing that these scars are being improved?  I am not saying that Dr. Cole is not getting good results with this technique but rather I am saying that the documentation is lacking.
> 
> It seems that Jack21 would benefit from FUE into his scar but I would first like to see some more FUE-into-scar success stories.


 The problem I find with adding grafts to a wide scar, whether using FUE or FUT, is that the visibility of the scar is predominantly due to the "whiteness" of it, especially if you have darker hair.  A surgeon cannot pack the grafts as close together in scar tissue and therefore multiple sessions are usually needed to achieve even moderate density and even this may not completely hide the white of the scar.  If possible, removing the scar is always the best solution.  Another possibility is medical tattooing of the scar with numerous tiny hair follicles drawn in.  This often provides dramatic results and is a low cost, effective, non-surgical method of concealment.

Hope this helps.

greg pistone, md

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## Jack21

I'm seriously considering having the scar tattooed. I think it is my best option.

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## Alex Kurniawan

> i think you've just got what you wanted. 
> 
> i registered for this board just to reply to this thread.
> 
> first off, i empathize with what you've gone through. i'm sorry that this battle has been such a crippling experience for you. i started slowly losing my hair at the age of 23. my father unexpectedly passed away when i was 19 and life has never been the same since. stress level post his death has increased and has remained a constant. that in turn (i believe) is some what relative to my shedding as well as being predisposed due to genetics. 
> 
> being someone in there midish-twenties (27) suffering from hair loss (like you said) is not an easy thing to swallow. my current/personal situation isn't horrible, but definitely noticeable. i'm not naive and realize i'll only be losing more of it from here on out. as of late, i've been researching "cures and coverups" as i've equated losing my hair with losing my self-confidence. i think alot of it has to do with losing vitality as well as a visual indicator of my fleeting youth. the more i think about it and read these threads/responses, i'm reassured that these are my own personal thoughts -thats it. anyone else's opinion is just that.
> 
> however, i must say that what you and others have discussed in this thread have resonated with me in a way that has literally changed my view on a HT, topical/oral treatments, etc.
> ...


 Dear MADE and Jack,

Like you MADE, I also just joined this forum to reply to Jack's thread. I am about to get a call from the Hospital to confirm my payment and date of  operation next month. 

I am 35 years old and not married. A girl that I like so much turned me down because I have no hair!! Forget about the fact that I am a lecturer at a University and earning well. I dont drink. smoke, party. I describe myself as the 'boy next door' BUT can you believe that women these days are more concerned about how much hair you have on top than what great characterisitics you have? 

Coming to you Jack, first THANK YOU!! Your experience has made me think twice about this treatment. I want to give some time on this.

You are lucky Jack, things could got worst with the treatment. You are married and have started a family. And I agree with the others, you are a good looking chap, this is itself a blessing that we should apperciate. For you to go through this, and sharing us this experience says that what ever happens, happened for the best!! Imagine how many people you have saved from this treatment. While, you saved me! 

Thank you Jack for sharing. And not being funny, i am extending my hands of friendship, if you are interested, this is my email : researchonfans@hotmail.com, I am a lecturer in UK.

best wishes

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## Username1234

Jack I think like most of us you're blowing this way out of proportion.  You look fine with a shaved head.  I see dudes like you with shaved heads walking down the street all the time.  So I don't understand either why you don't think you are attractive or why you have received these comments from women.

I think there's more to this story than you're letting on, perhaps that you yourself don't even notice because you're so caught up in your insecurity.  There has to be another reason why you would receive such comments, as it's certainly not due to how you look.  Perhaps it is due to women picking up your insecurity.  My bet is that you subcommunicate this insecurity so strongly that it's distracting.

Perhaps it's due to the scar.  If that's the case then look into options of reducing it or just get a tattoo over it.  You were in the army, people will understand if you have a military tat on the back of your head.

I really think though that the problem lies IN your head, and not ON it.  I think you should see a therapist about this.

You look completely normal with your head shaved, if not attractive.  You're letting your insecurity dominate your life, and that's not healthy.

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## JonB.

> Dear MADE and Jack,
> 
> 
> 
> I am 35 years old and not married. A girl that I like so much turned me down because I have no hair!! Forget about the fact that I am a lecturer at a University and earning well. I dont drink. smoke, party. I describe myself as the 'boy next door' BUT can you believe that women these days are more concerned about how much hair you have on top than what great characterisitics you have? 
> 
> 
> 
> best wishes


 I just wanted to mention you dodged a bullit! 

Any girl that didn't want to marry you because of your hair or lack there of..

Your better off without her..

You lucky SOB!!!!

Life is always a question of perspective..

Either the glass is half full or half empty..

Only each individual can decide what their perspective on life is going to be..

I always say a day above ground....no matter what goes on is a good day! 

I suggest a toast to the glass being  half full! 

JB

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## Jack21

This message has been removed by the author






> Jack I think like most of us you're blowing this way out of proportion.  You look fine with a shaved head.  I see dudes like you with shaved heads walking down the street all the time.  So I don't understand either why you don't think you are attractive or why you have received these comments from women.
> 
> I think there's more to this story than you're letting on, perhaps that you yourself don't even notice because you're so caught up in your insecurity.  There has to be another reason why you would receive such comments, as it's certainly not due to how you look.  Perhaps it is due to women picking up your insecurity.  My bet is that you subcommunicate this insecurity so strongly that it's distracting.
> 
> Perhaps it's due to the scar.  If that's the case then look into options of reducing it or just get a tattoo over it.  You were in the army, people will understand if you have a military tat on the back of your head.
> 
> I really think though that the problem lies IN your head, and not ON it.  I think you should see a therapist about this.
> 
> You look completely normal with your head shaved, if not attractive.  You're letting your insecurity dominate your life, and that's not healthy.

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## Alex Kurniawan

Thank JB.

You are right. 
take care.





> I just wanted to mention you dodged a bullit! 
> 
> Any girl that didn't want to marry you because of your hair or lack there of..
> 
> Your better off without her..
> 
> You lucky SOB!!!!
> 
> Life is always a question of perspective..
> ...

----------


## Jack21

I really think though that the problem lies IN your head, and not ON it.



I think that you are quite right. Getting used to having a shaved head takes time. I don't think that balding is easy on anyone, but it is certainly blown out of all proportion by people like me.

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## hair leaving

Wow i am more confused than ever, some people on this site say their scar is un-noticeable but everyone who has replied to this particular question is anti-ht. I am 33 yrs old have been balding since 25-26 i am missing at least 3 to four inches of my hairline. I wear a hat everywhere i go. I have missed out on so much of life to the point i seriously would pay anything to look somewhat normal again. Never wanted to go the hairpiece route and was seriously thinking about a ht either strip or fue. After reading your response and others i have no idea of what to do. I do have questions hopefully u or others can answer: 1. How come most of the surgeons or doctors on this site say the scars of today are virtually invisible or very very small as they constitute big long scars to earlier trasplants and their procedures. 2. Is anyone ever satisfied with the results from their ht and was it a fue or strip procedure? 3. What after the ht do u as the patient have to do to receive the best results and what are the absolute no-no's. Also is their a surgeon or dr. who has great results in illinois or should i consider going elsewhere. Or as jack and others state live with it, but i truly truly hate living my life under a hat.

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## Jack21

You're hiding under a ball cap, I spent years hiding under concealers or a hat. I have never seen a ht that looked reasonable. Even the photographs that drs post as "sucess stories" look bad to me. If you have very thick hair in the donor area obviously the scar will be hidden at a shorter length. I had to grow my hair past a # 5 guard for it to not be visible. At that length my hair was already wavy and with the thin transplanted hair on top and with a balding crown it looked horrendous. I looked like a balding guy trying to cover up his balding. The doctor told me NOT to expect anything close to full coverage. He told me not to expect to look like I had 5 years before. I deluded myself into believing that I would be the exception - after all my balding wasn't that bad, just diffuse thinning. As I've written it was OK for the first couple of years because I just put toppik and couvre in it. Then it reached the point where my hair on top was simply to thin to support the toppik and the couvre just looked like I was painting my scalp - which in essence I was. I've made some bad decisions in my life but only one that I regret every single day of my life. I shave my head. I don't mind the shaved head look at all. What I do mind is the giant scar which runs from ear to ear. Balding is not enjoyable, but there are things in life that we cannot change. Balding is not something you have a choice in as those commercials would have you believe. Ultimately you will end up either sporting a scraggly, balding head of hair that cannot be neatened by being cut short b/c of scars or you can be proactive and shave your head (or cut it very short) before you have a giant scar across the back of your scalp. I used to wear a hair piece as I've mentioned in other threads. I used to "talk" to other guys who bought from the same place. 90% of them wore toupees because of the scars and poor results of hair transplants. Don't do it yourself. There is great online support available for guys who are having a tough time transitioning to having a shaved head. I represent nobody but myself. I am not trying to sell you a product. I come here day in and day out because I don't want one more young guy to have to go through the misery that I did. 




> Wow i am more confused than ever, some people on this site say their scar is un-noticeable but everyone who has replied to this particular question is anti-ht. I am 33 yrs old have been balding since 25-26 i am missing at least 3 to four inches of my hairline. I wear a hat everywhere i go. I have missed out on so much of life to the point i seriously would pay anything to look somewhat normal again. Never wanted to go the hairpiece route and was seriously thinking about a ht either strip or fue. After reading your response and others i have no idea of what to do. I do have questions hopefully u or others can answer: 1. How come most of the surgeons or doctors on this site say the scars of today are virtually invisible or very very small as they constitute big long scars to earlier trasplants and their procedures. 2. Is anyone ever satisfied with the results from their ht and was it a fue or strip procedure? 3. What after the ht do u as the patient have to do to receive the best results and what are the absolute no-no's. Also is their a surgeon or dr. who has great results in illinois or should i consider going elsewhere. Or as jack and others state live with it, but i truly truly hate living my life under a hat.

----------


## DAVE52

Jack speaks intelligently 
unless are prepared to go back for numorous procedures and are clear that cutting your hair short is not in the plans in the future then by all means go for it 
But, and I had 1 procedure 10 yrs ago, I would suggets the buzz cut first to see how yopu look and feel about it and try to embrace the short hair look.
It's cheaper, and in the longer run , if the HT doesn't work out the way YOU expected it to, it will be less emotionally and psychologically scarring than what the HT has left you with
My procedure doesn't look bad , as hair loss has progressed I know have a bald crown and the front 1/2 to 1/3 isn't as dense as I would like it to be .
I can cut my back and sides short # 2 and # 3 with no signs of the scar but the top just is n't as dense enough for my liking .
Because of this I am now an emotional wreck 
I have sleepless nights 'cause I dread waking up in the morning to try and " sty;e " what hair I have 

Hair loss is all "IN" the head not on the head - something I haven't been able to come to terms with and because of this the last 10 years have pure hell for me 

I am now goign back to the shrink to deal with anxiety , stress that this is causing me . AGAIN  :Frown:

----------


## Mr. 4000

> I do not want to name the surgeon for the following reasons:
> 
> He did virtually everything he could to talk me out of the procedure. Only after he was positive that I understood what to reasonably expect did he perform it. He made me wait months, discussed alternatives such as my just cropping all my hair short, and essentially tried to make me go away. I convinced him that I fully understood that the procedure would not provide me with a full head of hair and that I understood that my own naturally growing hair would continue to thin. Finally about 6 months after I first saw him did he perform the procedure. He could have done nothing more other than refusing to perform the procedure. This is called an "elective procedure" for a reason, however. I elected to have it done and I had covinced the doctor that my expectations were realistic. The fault is mine. I was young, desperate, and although I convinced both the doctor and myself that my expectations for the procedure were realistic, they were not.


 I wish I could say the same about my doctor. He didn't once mention any alternatives, never mentioned that I may not be a good candidate. Never mentioned that he may have limitations doing the procedure.

----------


## Don'tDoIt

My experience was similar to that of Mr.4000.  The doctor who recommended and performed my hair transplant glossed over any negative possibilities.  He assured me that I would never notice the strip scar.  He assured me that the hairline in front would look natural.  He failed on both these matters.  The strip scar is a problem and the hairline does not look natural.  

Those of you who are considering a hair transplant, please realize that Jack, Mr 4000 and I are just the tip of the iceberg.  There are a lot of unhappy persons out here who have had hair transplants and then deeply regretted having the procedure.  

Be careful.  Be realistic in your expectations.  Be very skeptical about claims made by hair transplant surgeons and their staff.  If in doubt, Don'tDoIt.

----------


## Mr. 4000

> Jack speaks intelligently 
> unless are prepared to go back for numorous procedures and are clear that cutting your hair short is not in the plans in the future then by all means go for it 
> But, and I had 1 procedure 10 yrs ago, I would suggets the buzz cut first to see how yopu look and feel about it and try to embrace the short hair look.
> It's cheaper, and in the longer run , if the HT doesn't work out the way YOU expected it to, it will be less emotionally and psychologically scarring than what the HT has left you with
> My procedure doesn't look bad , as hair loss has progressed I know have a bald crown and the front 1/2 to 1/3 isn't as dense as I would like it to be .
> I can cut my back and sides short # 2 and # 3 with no signs of the scar but the top just is n't as dense enough for my liking .
> Because of this I am now an emotional wreck 
> I have sleepless nights 'cause I dread waking up in the morning to try and " sty;e " what hair I have 
> 
> ...


 I feel for your situation Dave, There are many in your situation or will be in your situation in the future. There are many that need a transplant right after there first causing more trauma and more damage in a short time. The cycle continues.......

I didn't listen to the higher powers and just deal with my natural look which looking back was fine. It is clearly in the head....

Most people don't care about what you look like as much as one would like to think, they are too bust caring about what they look like.

----------


## UnBald

Hi, How much Saw Palmetto do you take and or recommend>

----------


## DAVE52

> Hi, How much Saw Palmetto do you take and or recommend>


 None
I know nothing of saw palmetto and think it's a waste of time 
If it actually grew or mainained hair the world would know about it

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## Rell

Hey Jack I'm new to this site and it took the longest for me to face reality. I'm a 23 year old male and my hair is thinning out on the top of my head as well as my crown..I have absolutely have no history of baldness in my family. I don't know why this happening to me..it's very depressing..especially when my parents actually noticed it. I was actually considering getting a hair transplant one day because I've always wanted to grow out dreads but I fear for whatever reason my hair could fall out even if I did manage for my hair to fill in. I just wanted to say your story has made me think twice about getting something like that done and that I can really relate to how it feels to feel like a complete outcast because of this issue. It's really cool to know theres a place like this people can come share their experiences.

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## Anonymous38

Hi Jack

I empathize and relate to your story. Vanity, one of the seven deadly sins. It got me too and not a day goes by that I regret having done a hair transplant. How are you doing now?

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