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

Michael- 5 Days After the Procedure

2009-11-06T16:54:25-08:00

When I woke up I realized this day was different than the others- no more Vicoden! I switched over to Darvocet for a few days. We all react to different medications in different ways, and this one made me feel a little out of it, but it did the job. I was instructed to wear a hat whenever I was outdoors for more than 10-15 minutes, and since I walk to work I wore the hat to and from my job. I also tried to pay close attention to spraying my head every hour or so at work (which was not hard to remember, as I mentioned before it calms the itchy feeling).

Work went pretty well. I still had slight swelling but I don’t think anyone noticed (if only I had iced as directed on day one!). I used the gel on my sutures twice and there seemed to be minimal changes- mostly just scabs starting to fall off. Progress!

-Michael

The Eve of Kevin's Bosley Procedure

2009-11-03T16:14:00-08:00

Life is crazy – if you had said to me 10-years ago that I would be pondering how a day in a doctor’s chair having hair restoration was going to feel, I would have laughed and said you’ve got the wrong guy. Yet here I am, excited and pretty relaxed for what lies ahead in the coming week. And yes, a little nervous!

I was looking at my “M” hairline in the mirror today, and have to confess I look forward to a return to what will feel like normality. There is a wealth of information that is provided by Bosley, and pretty much any question that I have had, and I would guess most folks have, is answered in the material. Now it becomes that waiting and wondering time, will it come out as “thick” and “natural looking” as I hope? Here’s hoping that mine is the textbook perfect procedure!

I'll keep you posted on the details of my experience. In the meantime, you can read more about why I decided to give the Bosley procedure a shot.

-Kevin

On the Topic of "Itchy"

2009-10-29T10:43:25-07:00

Itchy scalp and hair loss often go hand-in-hand. In Seth's case, he's healing. But if you have severe itching (as Seth described) without having gone through an intense hair restoration process just days before, you may want to consult a dermatologist. Irritated scalp can be caused by something as harmless as a bad case of dry skin (the cause of dandruff), but can be a more serious condition that can result in hair loss. Here's a list of the more common conditions and their symptoms (aside from hair loss and itchiness, of course):

Folliculitis — Harsh shampoos can damage hair follicles and cause this infection. Symptoms include small, white-headed pimples around one or more hair follicles that can result in red boils.

Ringworm of the Scalp — Ringworm is caused by mold-like fungi called dermatophytes. The symptoms include red, itchy patches on the scalp.

Psoriasis — Psoriasis is a fairly common, non-contagious skin disease in which the skin cells replace themselves too quickly and cause red lesions covered with scale to appear.

Seborrhoeic dermatitis — Looks similar to atopic aermatitis (eszcema), this is an inflammatory reaction to the proliferation of a yeast called pityrosporum ovale. It produces toxic substances that irritate the skin.

If you display symptoms for any of the conditions listed above, you may want to visit a dermatologist. Sure, there are plenty of home remedies floating around on the web, but in consideration of the fact that you may lose hair if treated incorrectly .... yeah, you get my drift.

Seth- Goodbye Stitches

2009-10-23T14:14:41-07:00

On the 10^th day after my hair restoration procedure, I went to get my stitches removed. This was a happy day, as the sutures and the suture line are probably the most uncomfortable part of the whole experience. Trying to sleep when you have those stitches in the back of your head isn’t great, and it still gets sore along that part of my head. So I was looking forward to getting these out.

I went to a walk-in clinic near my house to get the removal done. When my name was called, I was greeted by a young male nurse. He took me to an examination room and asked me about the stitches.

Nurse: “So, you have some stitches to take out?”

Me: “Yeah, I have some stitches along the back of my head here…” (I point out the area on my scalp).

Nurse: “Oh, did you have hair restoration?”

Yes, that’s right - he knew exactly what was going on. It turns out that he had had three smaller procedures done over the course of the last several years in an effort to stay ahead of his hair loss (I know, bad pun), and had all of them done by Bosley in Seattle. He knew Dr. Winans and the staff at the office. And, I have to say, his hair looked fantastic. This guy is smart – get to it early, get a series of smaller procedures, and stay in front of the hair loss. I never in a million years would have guessed that he suffered from hair loss or even a receding hairline. I truly think that if you can pull it off, this is the way to do it.

So after we talk for a while about Bosley, hair loss, and hair restoration, the doctor came in and removed my stitches. It took him about 15 minutes. It was a little painful at times (he was a bit less gentle than I would have liked), and when he was done he vigorously rubbed the suture line with dry gauze. I have to say that I don’t recommend this plan of action. It hurts. He cleaned up the area, but I’m pretty sure there would have been a way to do it that wasn’t quite so unpleasant for me. However, he didn’t seem to respond to my cries of “Ow” or my squirming (he was old-school), and after about a minute of that we were done.

When I got home I laid down just to feel the back of my head against my pillow without the stitches. Mmmmmmmmm…felt nice…

-Seth

Mark's Pre-Surgery Consultation

2009-10-20T16:13:58-07:00

My consultation with the Doctor was comforting. He examined my donor area, looked at my balding area and explained that I only had a limited amount of graphs to cover a very large area. He explained that I likely wouldn't be one of the amazing before-and-after candidates, but that I'd be pleased with the results and would find that it was worth doing. His candor was reassuring. I understood the limitations, but felt any improvement would be welcomed.

The night before the procedure I couldn't sleep. Thoughts raced through my mind. Why am I doing this? I'm not vain, so why do I care about this? I know there will be some discomfort, so why put myself through this? Why am I fighting mother nature? But then I thought — why NOT do this? What if more hair makes me feel better about myself and makes me look younger? In the end, I decided this would be a good investment and worth doing.

- Mark

The Day After Michael's Bosley Procedure

2009-10-16T16:01:07-07:00

The day after my procedure I didn’t sleep very well. I should have taken a full sleeping pill instead of just half. When I woke up I realized that I had rolled off the mountain of pillows that I built to keep me from sleeping on my procedure area, however, I must have realized that I was to be very careful because I woke up with my forehead resting on my arms. Remarkably, I was in absolutely no pain. I took the pain meds as directed and was scheduled to go back to the Bosley office so they could shampoo my hair for the first time.

When I arrived I had a lot of very dried blood from all 2600 sites that were made. This was dramatically reduced after shampooing. I have to say Mari was very informative. I expressed some of my concerns and she reassured me that everything was going to be just fine. After she washed my hair she applied a gel to my suture area and then some medicated pads on the top of my head that were to stay for about 30 minutes. These pads were medicated with a copper peptide formula that is specifically for skin/hair grafts (my post-op kit also included a sprits bottle with a similar formula of copper peptide that was to be sprayed on the implanted area every hour or so). I asked Mari a few more questions while the pads sat on my head and once they were removed I was all set to go home.

If you want to know more about the procedure itself, check out this video that was done on the day of my restoration.

- Michael

Seth Garon: One Week Post-Surgery

2009-10-06T14:17:08-07:00

August 12, 2009

Officially one week since my hair restoration procedure, and I’m back to shampooing normally. This morning was quite pleasant as I gently massaged the shampoo and conditioner into my scalp with my fingertips, using small rotating movements. I could feel the crusts still in my hair, and there are a couple of small scabs that I could still see, so I tried to make sure I covered those areas. After my shower I combed my hair (although still quite gently) to try and remove as many of the crusts as I could. I found that my scalp is still quite sensitive, and so I did not ‘over-comb.’

This is a little different than my recollection of my last procedure. Then there was a two week time period between the procedure and being able to shampoo normally/comb my hair, and I remember the incredible feeling of pulling the brush (again, gently) across my scalp and removing all those little crusts. My memory is of it feeling great, not overly sensitive. This time I noticed a definite sensitivity on my scalp. It’s very nice being able to get to these things more quickly than before, but I think the extra week of healing time helped decrease the sensitivity. As I mentioned, I did not comb as vigorously and therefore did not remove all of the crusts. I did get most of them, though, and I figure I should have everything cleaned out after tomorrow’s shower.

-Seth

P.S. You can also take a look at the latest episode in my Battle Against Bald video chronicle, or view all videos on our YouTube channel.

Mark B. Decides to Try Bosley

2009-10-02T10:58:28-07:00

My hair started thinning back when I was in college. I remember watching my roommate carefully apply Rogaine to his scalp, curious if this magic potion would work. It didn't. Four years had gone by and he hadn't a hair of growth on his scalp (in fact, he had lost some more up top). My hopes still high, I decided to give Rogaine a try anyway, but to no avail — I saw no difference. I gave up on trying to preserve my hairline. Until today.

When I was younger, I remember my dad getting a hair transplant. I thought the plugs on his head looked terrible and doll-like. Years later he supplemented his plugs with Bosley and was really happy with the results (his hair certainly looked a lot better — more natural). My dad's Bosley experience inspired my choice to go through with my procedure today.

In my 30s I was dealt a blow with late stage testicular cancer, which necessitated heavy chemo protocols and baldness for a year. When my hair regrew it was considerably thinner. With my health largely in check, I decided it was time to give Bosley a shot and attempt to restore my hair (and take back my youth, in a sense). Another contributing factor was the large number of people who would say, when admiring my baby girl (with a bountiful head of hair), that she "obviously didn't get her hair from me." I wasn't wounded by these comments, but I began to realize people viewed me as a balding man, and I wasn't ready for that. It was time.

Stay tuned as I chronicle my experience with the Bosley procedure!

- Mark B.

The Day of Michael's Procedure

2009-09-28T08:42:12-07:00

My appointment was 7:30, however, I arrived at about 7:15 and was greeted with a lunch menu and some other paperwork to fill out prior to starting my procedure. After filling out the forms everything seemed to happen very quickly. I needed to remove my shirt and put on a gown, and then we started administering the meds to help keep me calm (and let me tell you, I needed them). As soon as those kicked in it was time to administer the stuff to numb my head. It was interesting because I hate needles, however, they really know what they are doing and made me as comfortable as possible. In fact, I hardly felt the shots since they used a crafty technique of using a massager to distract me from the injections.

As soon as my head started feeling numb my memory got a little fuzzy from the drugs given to me earlier, but I remember Dr. Winans talking to me about the procedure and letting me know he was about to start the incision. From that moment on I really don’t remember much until the Dr. asked me to sit up in the chair a little. I asked if he had started yet and sure enough the donor tissue was already removed!

All of the staff was extremely gentle, professional and kind. They asked me if I wanted to stand up for a few minutes and stretch, and continued to do so about every 60-70 minutes. After I sat back down I was pretty much back to myself in the sense that I remember the rest of the day. I watched the technicians when I would stand up to stretch as they were carefully dissecting MY follicles from the donor tissue and, I have to say, it was pretty neat how the whole process works!

I sat back down and Dr. Winans began to make the “sites” for the follicles to be placed later. As he made the tiny incisions one of the nurses was counting them out 100 at a time until they reached 2600. From this point until the end of the day Dr. Winans had started on the next patient and left me in good hands with the technicians and nurses, and periodically came in to check on how everyone was doing. I chose a movie to watch while the process of actually implanting the follicles into my scalp began. I know it sounds crazy, but it was a pretty relaxing day! I literally sat in a chair while everyone in the room was working. They were constantly asking me how I was feeling and if I needed any more sedation. Shockingly, I did not have any additional sedation the entire day.

Mid way into the day we all took a break for a little while and I ate the lunch Bosley provided for me and soon after it was back to the chair so the rest of the follicles could be placed. I watched a 2^nd movie and before I knew it everything was done! I ended up having 2554 implants, which is pretty close to the estimated 2600 Dr. Winans had predicted the day before. Needless to say I was pleased with his ability to come so close.

I was then carefully fitted with a hat and given specific instructions for the next 10 days. I was also given a kit to take home. I had to ice my forehead every 15 minutes for about 4-6 hours, take the pain meds supplied to me as needed and sleep in an elevated position.

-Michael

Itchy!

2009-09-23T10:19:51-07:00

Five days post-procedure:

Last night the itching was the worst it has been. In fact, I woke up in the middle of the night because of it – the itching literally jolted me awake. Thankfully I caught myself before I just start scratching. It’s actually surprising how aware I’ve become of the transplanted area in my sleep. Even though it itches, I don’t scratch it; and even though I’m out cold, if I move in my sleep I adjust my position in such a way that I don’t disturb the transplants. I’ve talked to other people who have had the same experience. It’s a subconscious adjustment we make – our bodies apparently know what to do even if we’re not thinking about it.

Anyhoo, the itching that night was particularly aggressive. I actually got out of bed, took a pain pill and a Unisom (an over-the-counter sleeping pill), and fell asleep in a recliner so I could keep my head elevated. This wound up working quite well! I was, admittedly, a little groggy in the morning, but I was able to sleep soundly through the rest of the night. After 1 week I can actually start gently touching my scalp and scratching any itches directly, so I’m very excited about that!

-Seth

The First Day After My Bosley Hair Restoration Procedure

2009-09-18T15:45:32-07:00

I had a follow-up appointment in the Bosley offices at 9:30 a.m. I met with Mari (another technician I had met during my first procedure), and she took me through the after-care steps and gave me the new Bosley post-op kit.

This post-op kit was a new development and deserves some explanation. Last time when I was done I was given some Bosley Anti-Dandruff Shampoo and Conditioner. It was explained to me that for 14 days I would need to wash my hair using the “pouring” method – which basically meant that I would have to pour big cups of alternately soapy and clean water over my head (click here to read about it). Now, the procedure is different. First off, the shampoo and conditioner are now made with a copper peptide formula, which helps speed scalp recovery and restores nutrients and elasticity to the skin. There is also a moisturizing spray which can be applied every hour (if desired), also with the copper peptide formula. You can begin washing your hair immediately, starting the day after the procedure, but for the first week you need to be very gently, carefully patting the transplant area. But you can hold your head under a softly running shower-head – in other words, no more “pouring.”

They also gave me several sets of special healing pads. Basically, you open a big silver pouch and inside are three pads approximately the size of a Wet-Nap which are saturated with more of the copper peptide formula. Each pouch contains three pads, which you lay strategically over the entire transplanted area. They stay on for about 30 minutes and soak your scalp with the healing liquid. Last, there is a tube of moisturizing gel to apply along the suture line.

After one week, you can go back to shampooing your head normally (although if you’re like me, you’ll be more gentle than usual) and combing your hair. This cut the recovery time in half from my previous hair restoration. Not to sound too “sales-y,” but I have to say I was impressed by how Bosley has continued to innovate, not just in hair restoration surgery itself, but also in post-op aftercare.

Anyway, as Mari was explaining all of this to me, she shampooed my hair and applied some of the healing pads. When I was done I took a cab back to the train station and headed home, excited to see my family!

-Seth

Michael's Pre-Op Thoughts

2009-09-15T15:40:06-07:00

After talking with a co-worker that has gone through this procedure before, as well as one of my best friends that had it several years ago, I had many thoughts flying through my mind – mostly fear, but I also had excitement and shock. No matter how many times you hear that it won’t hurt, it is hard to believe. I was told that the worst part would be the itching and not being able to shampoo the way I am used to for a while after the surgery. Hearing that still did not calm my thoughts of how much I projected the pain would be during my time in the clinic. My friend apparently drove home (from Seattle to Monmouth, OR- about 250 miles) so I knew it couldn’t be THAT BAD. But everyone has a different threshold for pain, therefore, I was still afraid.

The night before my procedure I met with Dr. Winans for my consultation. He took measurements of the back of my head and was guessing he could get about 2600 grafts (implants). I was pretty shocked to hear this so he drew a mock up of where he wanted to put the implants. I agreed with his suggestions and I was on my way but not without some instructions for the night before and the morning of the surgery. Basically, I was not to drink coffee, consume alcohol or workout, and I was told to have breakfast prior to my 7:30 appointment.

I'll keep you posted as I move through this process. In the meantime, check out the interview I did on the eve of my procedure, or take a look at my profile page to learn a little more about me.

-Michael

The Day of my Bosley Hair Restoration Procedure

2009-09-11T15:54:40-07:00

On the day of my second hair restoration procedure I had to go into the Bosley offices early in the morning. My consultation was scheduled for 7:30 a.m., and I got there just a little earlier than that. I was greeted by Brenda, the same woman who had originally greeted me the first time. I filled out my lunch order and some other paperwork. Then I went back to the consultation room, and soon I met with Dr. Winans, who had done my first procedure. He, of course, remembered me, and we discussed my goals for this time around. Originally, what I had hoped to accomplish was to add some thickness to the area of my first procedure (the front and top of my head), fill in a little bit on the sides where the transplanted hair meets my natural hair on the sides (what some guys refer to as “the channels”), and fill in some of the area on the back of my head, which has been thinning all along (I did not have any hair transplanted into this area during my first procedure). Dr. Winans told me that, unfortunately, we had neither the time nor the donor tissue available to do all of that. He said we could take the donor follicles available and spread them out over that entire area, but that it would result in my basically having thinning hair everywhere. So in the end we decided that I would get the same amount of grafts as my first procedure (1900 or so), and we would focus on the front and top again as before – the goal to have thicker hair in the areas that I myself and other people see when they look at me.

One note here is that ultimately I am o.k. if my hair is still just a little bit thin looking. For who I am, my family history, etc., I think this will look natural. I also feel that since I know I won’t be completely bald (as all the men in my family ultimately have become), I’m gaining a huge advantage. This is just my theory, so I guess we’ll see how it plays out.

At any rate, once we were done with the consultation and drew up the plan of action, I was taken to the procedure room. Actually, all of the staff members who worked on my procedure were people who had been there before – Angel, Chris and Grace were the three technicians who were with me for most of the day, and they all remembered me from last time (they were also all very friendly and professional). I was actually impressed that they remembered me, as I assume they’ve seen quite a few other patients in the last three years. Or maybe they were prepped before I came in and they did a convincing job of pretending to remember me! Either way, it made me feel comfortable.

I was given an antibiotic and valium orally, and a shot of something I still can’t remember the name of – which pretty much knocked me out for the beginning of the procedure. In fact, everything went exactly the way I had remembered it in many ways. I was essentially unconscious or ‘sub-conscious’ up until lunchtime. Then I ate and became a little more aware of what was happening. I watched “Iron Man” and the first half of “Fletch” (yeah, showing my age just a bit here), and by about 5 p.m. I was done.

The one major difference between this procedure and my last was how I felt afterward. The first time around, the last hour or two seemed to drag – and by the time I was done I felt like I had been there for a very long time. This time around, I was surprised to hear that they were finishing up – for whatever reason I expected it would take longer. Also, after my first procedure, I was very groggy and out of it. This time, I felt great! When I left the building I actually took a leisurely stroll back to the hotel (it was a gorgeous night in Seattle), I called my wife, I felt happy and (more or less) clear-headed. I can only surmise that the big difference is that the second time I knew what to expect, and was physically and mentally prepared. I may have had less anesthetic throughout the day also, which made me less groggy when it was all over. Whatever the reason, there was definitely a big difference this time. I can now see how some guys can go back to work right away, or just head home and have a normal evening.

-Seth

Have I missed anything?

2009-09-02T07:55:00-07:00

Is there a subject you’d like more information on that has not been covered? Shoot an e-mail to battleagainstbald@gmail.com and I’ll see if I can help you out!

Thoughts on my Second Hair Restoration Procedure

2009-08-31T14:17:27-07:00

After my first hair restoration procedure, I was unsure if I would do it again. As I have mentioned elsewhere, I think I was mentally unprepared for the surgery. I was very casual going into it, with very little expectation and, to be frank, not much thought. It seemed like a good opportunity, so I hopped on-board. Afterwards, I realized that this is, in fact, a cosmetic surgical procedure. Non-invasive, out-patient and proven to be sure, but a surgery nonetheless. It takes some time to see results, and it takes a little more time after that for the transplanted hair to ‘settle’ into its new home. So within that first year, I thought that it was a good experience, but most likely not one I would repeat.

Then a couple of things happened. The first was the magic balm of time. As a second and third year went by, the period of time I spent dealing with the effects of the procedure were put into some perspective. It no longer seemed like quite the traumatic experience I thought it was. Or, more properly speaking, I realized how much of that trauma was self-inflicted (read: unnecessary) due to my lack of experience with the procedure.

The other thing that happened was that my native hair continued to fall out. After my first procedure I decided not to start taking any medication to prevent further hair loss (Rogaine, Propecia, Proscar, etc.). This was due to my bad experience with Rogaine, and my desire to have kids in the near future (although I know that there is no real proof that Propecia/Proscar have negative effects on male fertility, I opted not to risk it). So although I know why I made the decision to avoid these, I did see my hair continue to thin. Basically, I got to a point where my transplanted hair was all there, but almost all of my original hair was gone.
Now, I realize that this means that without my hair restoration procedure, I’d basically be totally bald by now (thank goodness I’m not). However, when the opportunity to have a second procedure came up, I decided that I wanted to take it. This time around, I want to add back some of the thickness I lost, and I need to get pro-active about keeping the hair I have. I’m thinking I’ll try Rogaine foam.