Hair Transplants and Hair Pieces (Toupees)

[ngasportsfan]

The last couple days I've shaved while I was taking a shower, and it hasn't happened again.  Thanks for everyone's words of encouragement and advice!

[CzEchsMiX86]

Hey Fellas,

First post here. 30 years old. I hope this an appropriate place to vent and get personal. I'm going to share my story which led me to where I am today on this forum, dealing with a very difficult predicament with my hair/scalp.

In my mid-20's I had a few deaths in the family including two parents and my grandmother, and became very depressed. Around that same time my wife had an affair. After a year of counseling and no progress, I asked for a divorce. I moved to Texas to be close to my family and start a new life.

Meanwhile...my hair began to thin rapidly from the trauma and I made the rash decision (with my best thinking at the time) to get a hair transplant. Had my brother-in-law not just had one done, I probably would not have done it myself. I was able to see his up-close and it looked great, no scarring. So...I went ahead with it at the same clinic he went to. I guess I felt like maybe this was ONE thing in my life I could try and control...(best thinking). None of my older brothers have hair loss so that added to my denial.
Main question I had for the clinic was if I could still shave my head without any scarring when it thinned out in the future.... of course you know their answer. Anything to make money and no regard for someone's future well being. This was one year ago...

So!...here I am now with progressively thinning hair and a very "irritated scalp", small raised bumps everywhere where the hairs were transplanted (all over the top, crown and hairline) and scarring in the back of my head.... it's completely halted my life. I began to understand the reality of the situation a few months ago and have slipped into a deep depression, living in limbo land...and feeling like I need to find a solution soon and move on with life.

I've always been resilient, have overcome many hardships, but this one has pushed me over the edge. Do I have some degree of body dis-morphia? Probably. But I think it's safe to say this would be difficult for any man to deal with. One of the worst parts about this is not having many people to talk to who can understand/relate.

Of course anyone on Hair Transplant forums will tell me to get on meds and have another transplant done. Anyone on Hair System forums will tell me how great a hair system is. And anyone on an SMP forum will....well you get the point. I expect anyone on this forum will suggest that I shave my head and learn to love myself with a bald, scarred scalp. I do take your opinions seriously and have great respect for many of you who have shared your stories or are simply hanging around the forum still to support others in their journey.

Just hoping for some genuine non-biased opinions. If you have/are currently dealing with something similar, how is it going for you? If you haven't dealt with HT scarring, try and put yourself in my shoes and ask yourself what you might do.

I'm a musician and I own an outdoor game rental company (that I've put on hold), and like everyone else, my professional image is important to me.

My hair is thinner now than it was before the surgery, and as those of you who have had HTs know, as my hair continues to thin it will look more awkward as original hair falls out and HT hair stays on top. I'll attach some photos.

I don't want to dwell in the past. What's done is done. Just want to make the best decision for myself moving forward. But it is overwhelming to say the least.

Thanks for the support guys.

Chris

[Sir Harry]

Welcome to the group, Chris!

Sorry that you had to go through all of this at such a young age, with the losses of various family members. Divorces aren't pretty, either, I've had two (both of my parents are two-time divorcees as well).

As the guy who started this thread, the membership here understands that this is not the place to be judgmental to people who made the choice to get HT's (we all have done things in life that we later had second thoughts about) It's ok to offer suggestions, but in the end it is up to the individual to address their personal situation and whatever they decide, we will still respect their decision if we don't necessarily agree with it.

Looking at your pictures, the transplant job doesn't look too bad. However, when you pull your hair back, I can see where the thinning is, and it doesn't look like you've found your long term answer. FWIW, I got SMP two years ago, but it wasn't because of a hair transplant. I was balding, but I had a bigger issue with scars from keloid and cyst removal. I just went ahead and got my hairline done on top of the scar coverage for cost reasons, and for the most part, it has enhanced my appearance. Maybe you can see a dermatologist to start before looking into making your next move.

The good thing is, at 30, you still are young enough to do something about your situation. It's nice to have a good looking image, but I think image is a bit overrated when it comes to being a businessman. Yes, good hygiene is important, but if you put more emphasis on your product and less on yourself, you can still be successful.

Maybe you could try buzzing your hair shorter to start so that the dermatologist can see what he/she can recommend to help you with your scalp issues. If you decide to get another HT, we understand, but do you really want to butcher your scalp-and wallet-anymore? If you go the SMP route, it's best to shop around, and you don't have to get the whole head done, just the parts you are OCD about. Regardless of your next move, we're here to support you. All the best to you and keep your head up.

[ngasportsfan]

It's not a bad looking HT by no stretch of the imagination.  The biggest thing you will need to come to grips with is that the other hair will continue to fall out, and probably at a higher rate with the trauma to the scalp due to the HT.  I'm 51, married for 28 years, have three children, and still worry about my scars.  So, no amount of "don't worry about it" will work.  However, I'm much, much better off now than I ever was, and it gets easier and easier to not worry or care, and I understand it's always worse in my eyes.  But, the worry is not all gone.  Unfortunately, that's just a part of it now, and I think accepting that does help a lot with everything. 

My only advice is whatever you do, don't let another HT surgeon talk you into spending more money on more HT.  You are just repeating a cycle that will never end, and eventually, you have nothing else to transplant.  I loathe those people, and believe with every fiber in my body that they will tell you absolutely anything to get you to spend more money.  Oh, and don't be talked into a weave either.......been there, done that....and it's worse than worrying about HT scars! 

The good thing is it doesn't affect your physical health, and you puts you in a much better place than millions of other people who have serious defects, cancer, sickness, etc.  That's what I try to do.....tell myself that regardless of what I think about my scars personally, I could be much worse off. 

If you decide to shave, there are some things you can do to reduce the scarring.  I had my first procedure about 27 years ago, and though the process is slow, I have reduced a lot of the scarring in the back of my head with a derma brush I bought off Amazon, and generic scar gel I get from Walmart. 

[CzEchsMiX86]

Thanks a lot for the suggestions and support guys.

I have to be thankful there are at least some decent options out there to try and improve my situation. I am pretty dang self conscious of my scalp already since the scarring is obvious in any kind of light.

SMP is pretty risky, especially for a pasty white guy with a fairly low transplanted hairline...but I've been looking into it.
I'm definitely not going under the knife again or risking my libido with meds.   
I've also been looking into some hair system options...pricey and not ideal...but no option is perfect at this point.

I saw a couple of dermatologists and hair transplant doctors about repairing the scarring and they've told me nothing can be done about the bumps all over the top of my head. I have heard of some people having success with fraxel lasers but very unlikely.

My transplant may not look like a failure but my hair was thicker before the surgery a year ago. Other than the sparse half inch hairline that was added. So yeah, I've researched enough to know that I will continue to lose original hair on top and have lost it sooner than I would have if I didn't have the procedure done.

Pity is a killer. I don't want to be a victim. I chose this. Now I need to choose how to proceed and own it. Still looking into options and won't be rushing anything. Nice to just vent on here. Thanks for listening.

Chris

[cbusdave]

Hey everyone,

I came across this message board in a depressed state over my HT in January 2015. It looked okay for about a year but I'm really starting to thin out and it looks awful in bright light (see attached photos). I Googled "FUT hair transplant regret" and found a few threads on here talking about the relief that shaving brings. Like a lot of guys on here, I feel like a fool for having been duped by the smooth-talking "salesman" at the hair clinic. I feel like a fraud and that my thinned-out, spread-out hair looks obvious to everyone. I often catch people's eyesight go up to my manufactured hairline, and it's an overwhelming sense of dread.

But the consistent message I've read on here is that guys living with their HT regret have decided to shave and feel a sense of relief, like a burden has been lifted. I think I'm going to pull the trigger and do the same. I'm a little anxious about what I'll look like, but I want to take back my life, stop shutting myself out from the world for fear of what others think.

I've got the strip scar on the back of my head, but I say F it. I might look into fixing up the scar (although I'm wary over even more procedures to my dome) down the road, but right now I feel like it's better to live with an exposed scar than exposed goofy-looking hair plugs.

Anyone else in the same boat or gone through the same thing to offer advice?

[reddog]

I don't think you look bad, Dave. Maybe you should try a buzzcut first?

If you're set on a headshave, go for it. At the very worst, it will grow back fast. Most of us are here because we love the look and feel of a bald head. It is a bit of a shock at first, and it takes about 30 days for you and family/friends to get used to it. I loved it from the first headshave of my full head of hair 4 years ago.

[cbusdave]

Thanks Reddog. I think I'll buzz first to a 2 level and then go full shave if I don't like what I see. Haven't buzzed since well before I did the procedure, and I'm worried the close cut could make the scarring and plug areas look worse.

[reddog]

Oh, that's true about the scar. Well, give a buzz a try and see how it looks. I started with a short buzzcut, and immediately hated it, so a minute later I did a OOOOO cut, jumped into the shower and shaved it bald. Wow, I thought it looked great. I was surprised to get about 98% positive comments.

[cbusdave]

I'll report back on the buzz (or shave if i go that route). Thanks for the quick reply and this board is a great place for support. Just searching through previous posts shows I'm not the only one in this situation.

[Sir Harry]

Welcome,  Dave

Thanks for sharing your story and for the pictures.  The good thing is that even after you shave, there are many options on how to handle a shaved or buzzed head, as well as scarring. Best of luck, and feel free to ask questions about anything.

[hctr]

It's been 2 months since my FUE operation, the biggest mistake of my life. I would much rather have the FUT scar! Some people look and think you had a surgery or an accident, no big deal. Some people see that you had a HT when you were younger and now just don't give a f@#k! FUE scars looks like a bad tattoo or a disease.

I am scared as hell how my scalp is going to heal. So far not so good, still red and I can see the permanent cobblestoning and hyperpigmentation. I feel like a fake loser getting a HT... And unnatural! These 2 months have been the worst. Anti-depressants and sleeping pills for the first time in my life. Can't imagine how many people the hair transplant business destroys.

I am jealous to anyone who has a healthy scalp, no matter how much hair.

[Sir Harry]

It's been 2 months since my FUE operation, the biggest mistake of my life. I would much rather have the FUT scar! Some people look and think you had a surgery or an accident, no big deal. Some people see that you had a HT when you were younger and now just don't give a f@#k! FUE scars looks like a bad tattoo or a disease.

I am scared as hell how my scalp is going to heal. So far not so good, still red and I can see the permanent cobblestoning and hyperpigmentation. I feel like a fake loser getting a HT... And unnatural! These 2 months have been the worst. Anti-depressants and sleeping pills for the first time in my life. Can't imagine how many people the hair transplant business destroys.

I am jealous to anyone who has a healthy scalp, no matter how much hair.


@hctr Sorry I took so long to give a response, but how are you doing? Are things any better?

[CzEchsMiX86]

Hey guys.

I posted in this feed in 2017. You can scroll up to see my photos. Hair Transplant failure. Thought I’d give an update...

I let my hair grow longer and used Topix for a while and that actually worked pretty well, even tho it was a temporary fix. I then tried out a couple different types of hair systems. That actually went fairly well, no one in my family even knew it wasn’t my hair. When I told my sister she was shocked. The only problem is that I know it’s not my hair, and I feel like a fraud. Not to mention it kind of gets in the way of your day to day life and is harder to excercise with, you’re always a little worried when you see a doctor under bright lights, get a massage or when you’re intimate with a girl. Obviously a life changing ordeal.

I’m currently looking into SMP again. I found someone near Vancouver, BC (@inkbarber) who does incredible work. If you’re considering SMP take a look at his Instagram account.

I shaved the top of my head where the hair system is placed so I’ve been able to see the scars etc pretty well. Has anyone else with HT bumps noticed any healing after time? Seems as though it might be getting slightly less noticeable. Of course I have white pigmented scars all over the back and sides of my head as well from the FUE punches.

Here are some scalp photos. Maybe with some sunshine and a derma roller I wouldn’t be in too bad of shape?











And here are a couple photos of the hair system:








Open to thoughts/opinions from anyone who has been down this road.

Thanks!

C

[CzEchsMiX86]

Dave, did you end up shaving down to see how it’s looking? Any improvement in scarring since you u last posted? Hope you’re finding some peace of mind despite this crummy situation.