Tag Archives: hair transplant scar

Second Procedure: 5 Month Update (152 Days Post-Op)

If you would like to learn more about my story and how a hair transplant procedure can regrow your hair, feel free to email me or contact my patient educator Steve Cook at 305.416.8418 as well at steve@mcgrathmedical.com.

Hello everyone,

Today is Monday, April 11, 2016 and I am now 5 months post-op from my second hair transplant procedure.

More hair is gradually growing in behind the grafts from my first procedure so a lot of the thin areas like in my right temple are filling in. From months 4 to 6 the hair finally starts coming in but it comes in very patchy like the hair on your forearms so if it’s your first procedure you won’t be able to style your hair from the new hairline until about 7 months post-op.

As you can tell from my pictures and video I’m not home in Washington, DC as this week I am on vacation in Austin, Texas where I visited my friend and patient educator Steve Cook who now works for Dr. Dan McGrath. The best way to reach Steve is steve@mcgrathmedical.com or at 305.416.8418

As I’ve said before, Steve is a fantastic resource for hair transplants and is a wonderful advocate for patients and Dr. McGrath is a wonderful and talented surgeon who performs the multiple follicular unit procedure.

Unfortunately it’s more common to get a bad result in this industry than a good one so knowing which surgeons can give you an undetectable and fantastic result can put you on the right path.

Check back next month in May at the 6 month mark.

All my best,

-Lance

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Second Procedure: 4 Month Update (121 Days Post-Op)

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Hello everyone,

Today is Friday, March 11, 2016 and I am now 4 months post-op from my second hair transplant procedure.

Last month I mentioned that the 3 month mark is the most frustrating part of a hair transplant because after 90 days not much is happening. However after the most frustrating part of a hair transplant is, in my opinion, one of the most exciting parts because at 4 months you finally start to see some initial growth.

New hairs are growing in the weak areas in my temples and frontal hairline and what’s great is that the grafts from my first procedure disguise the new hairs from my second procedure so my progress will be subtle yet dramatic.

Following my first procedure it was a little strange having two hairlines up until the 7 month mark so this time around it’s nice to have one hairline and not have it so obvious.

My scar is looking great as I got a haircut right before this post with a No.4 guard on the back and sides and you could not see any noticeable crease line from the suture line. At this point I am back in the gym, the dojo, and the field and am not limited to any physical activity.

Check back next month at the 5 month mark as my new hair continues to grow.

All my best,

-Lance

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Second Procedure: 3 Month Update (93 Days Post-Op)

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Hello everyone,

Today is February 12, 2016 and I am now 3 months post-op from my second procedure.

At the three month mark, I’m still waiting for the new hairs to sprout up but have been getting a lot of ingrown hairs and pimples. This is a good sign as the newly transplanted hairs are starting to wake up and I can see a few more little spuds starting to poke their heads through.

When I was at the 3 month mark after my first procedure, I didn’t bother doing a video because there wasn’t a whole lot to talk about and in my opinion the three month mark is the most frustrating part of a hair transplant. You would think after 90 days there would be something to show for it but, alas, the hairs really don’t start growing until the 4-month mark.

I got a haircut the last week of January to clean up the back and sides of my head and my suture line has healed beautifully. I got a 4-guard and there was no crease line like how I had to be aware of after my first procedure. In fact, I think it healed so well that I could have probably done a 3.5- or even a 3-guard and you still wouldn’t see it.

Check back next month at 4 months post-op when the transplanted hairs finally begin to grow.

All my best,

-Lance

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Second Procedure: 2 Month Update (61 days post-op)

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Hello everyone,

Today is Monday, January 11, 2016 and I am now two months post-op from my second hair transplant procedure.

I hope everyone had a wonderful holiday season and a happy new year.

At the two month mark, my natural hair and grafts from my first procedure are finally growing out and I have a few little spuds from my second procedure that are just starting to grow. My hair in the back is now long enough to cover my suture line and it healed really well due to my prolonged absence from lifting weights and working out.

I also resumed lifting weights today for the first time in 2 months and overall I felt really well moving around and lifting again. I still have some residual numbness on my left and left-middle parts of the back of my head so it’s only a matter of time before I regain feeling there. I lost about 12 pounds of muscle over the past two months and I am following Mark Rippetoe’s Starting Strength program to help me get back to my baseline strength and gain some of that weight back.

Looking ahead, this year I will turn 30 years old and like I said last year at this time, I don’t ever have to worry about going bald or losing any more hair for the rest of my life.

It’s a new year, a new me, and we’re off to a great start.

Check back next month at 3 months post-op.

All my best,

-Lance

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Second Procedure: 1 Month Update (30 Days Post-Op)

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Hello everyone,

Today is Friday, December 11, 2015 and I am now one month post-op from my second hair transplant procedure.

After one month, not a whole lot is happening. I have some initial growth in the frontal hairline but not much else is growing from my second procedure. My regular hair and grafts from my first procedure are still growing out since my buzzcut on November 23 and the suture line has healed beautifully. For the past three weeks, I’ve worn a baseball cap at work and ever so slowly the hair around my suture line is growing out to eventually cover it up.

As I’ve said before, you must refrain from any heavy lifting or rigorous exercise for at least a month after your procedure so that the suture line can properly heal. I’ve been more conservative in my recovery in that I will resume lifting weights a month after my suture removal, so in the meantime I walk about 20,000 steps a day (about 10 miles) to stay in some level of shape.

In my extended absence from the gym I’ve lost about 11 pounds of muscle from just not working out.

Check back next month at 2 months post-op after we ring in the new year.

Happy holidays and all my best,

-Lance

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Second Procedure: Day 1 Post-Op

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Hello everyone,

Today is Thursday, November 12, 2015 and I had my second procedure yesterday afternoon.

The procedure took about 5 hours to complete and it was overall a very comfortable and relaxing experience and I was the only patient yesterday.

The first night after the surgery is always the roughest part as I slept at a 45-degree angle and took some Hydrocodone to help me sleep.

Overall I am happy that I did this again and I can’t wait to share my progress with you all as I recover.

See you all tomorrow.

All my best,

-Lance

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Second Procedure: Day 0

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Hello everyone,

Today is Tuesday, November 10, 2015 and I am at Day 0, the night before my procedure.

I just wanted to share with you all what the physical preparation is for a transplant procedure.

A few months before my procedure I am given a list of pre-operative instructions to follow so that my procedure will go well.

The major things I must do is three weeks beforehand stop taking any protein or dietary supplements that contain vitamin E that would cause a lot of bleeding and then two weeks before my procedure hold off on getting my hair cut, and 2 days beforehand stop drinking any alcohol.

If it’s your first procedure the sutures will stay in for 10 days and if you’ve had two or more procedures they will stay in for 12 days and will be removed by my primary care physician. The most important part to getting a great suture line is to refrain from any heavy lifting or intense exercise for at least a month after my procedure.

The reason why the right middle side of my scar did not properly heal is because even though I waited about three weeks after my first procedure to resume working out, ideally you want to wait about a month after your procedure before you resume any heavy lifting. Exercises like the squat, bench press, deadlift, standing overhead press, and olympic lifts all tense the neck and after the sutures are out the scar is still healing so it could stretch from those exercises.

In all, I’m super excited to go down this path again and depending on how I am feeling after the procedure I will see if I can post another video with pictures.

All my best,

-Lance

3 WEEKS BEFORE YOUR PROCEDURE

⇒ STOP using Minoxidil or Rogaine (to minimize bleeding).
⇒ Eliminate Vitamin E supplements.
⇒ Eliminate Multivitamins.
⇒ Eliminate any supplements containing Ginkgo Biloba and Ginseng.
⇒ Eliminate protein shakes and protein bars (most contain Vit. E).

2 WEEKS BEFORE YOUR PROCEDURE

⇒ We need to be aware of all the medication you are currently taking.
⇒ Please hold on to your present haircut and keep your hair in the back as long as possible.

10 DAYS BEFORE YOUR PROCEDURE

⇒ DO NOT take Aspirin (ASA) or drugs containing Aspirin: Tylenol may be used instead.

24-48 HOURS PRIOR TO YOUR PROCEDURE

⇒ Please provide our office with your pharmacy phone number (to call in your medication).
⇒ For your convenience pick up your pain medication BEFORE your procedure.
⇒ DO NOT drink protein shakes, energy drinks or any alcohol (wine, beer, etc.).
⇒ Avoid strenuous, intensive physical activity (ex. working out).

THE NIGHT BEFORE YOUR PROCEDURE

⇒ Wash your hair well with HIBICLEANCE (or regular shampoo if not given Hibicleance).

THE DAY OF YOUR PROCEDURE

⇒ The morning of your procedure wash your hair well with HIBICLEANCE (or regular shampoo if not given Hibicleance).
⇒ Do not apply any hair products such as mousse, hairspray, gel, etc.
⇒ Have a regular breakfast or lunch (filling meal is necessary to minimize any chance of stomach queasiness or dizziness).
⇒ Avoid wearing clothing that needs to be pulled over your head. Please wear a shirt with buttons or zipper. NO T-SHIRTS! For your comfort we recommend to wear loose, easy-to-put-on shoes.
⇒ As a mild relaxer/sedative will be administered before surgery, you should not drive car afterwards.

One Year Update and Final Result (365 Days Post-Op)

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Hello everyone,

Today is July 14, 2015 and I am now one year post-op from my hair transplant procedure.

To give you all an idea of how much hair I have grown over the past year, below are my before, after, and today’s one year post-op pics.

Overall I’m really happy with the result I have and I think my pictures really speak for themselves. When you compare what I Iooked like a year ago to where I am now with a thicker, fuller head of hair it’s unbelievably believable.

For full disclosure, I think one part of the scar on the middle-right side of my head did not properly heal because even with a 4.5 around the scar, the right side still looks like a crease if I wore a baseball cap. I got a haircut on June 25 where the barber used a 4.5 around the scar and then he blended the hair below the scar with a 2 and then blended the top and front with scissors, and that one side showed a crease instead of my left.

It’s entirely possible that one side of a scar could heal better than the other so as far as I know, I didn’t do anything wrong during the healing process.

The next question is whether or not I will have a second procedure and I probably will. I was told coming into this that one procedure can get you 30 to 40 percent more density and realistically you might need a second procedure to have what many hair transplant doctors consider a finished product. I have some areas in my left and right temples that had no hair a year ago that could stand to be more filled in, but like I’ve said before, from months 12 to 15 there is even a 5 percent push, so we’ll just have to wait and see.

But overall, I’m am so happy with what I see in the mirror and how it makes me feel every day.

To all of my visitors and followers of this blog it has been my pleasure sharing my experience with you all and I hope that this blog will help anyone looking to embark on their own follicular journey, wherever it may take you.

It has been a pleasure serving you all.

All my best,

-Lance

Check out my one year post-op video on my YouTube channel.

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Before (7-14-14)

before-left

before-right

The plan (7-14-14)

1 year post-op (7-14-15)

11 Month Update (335 Days Post-Op)

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Hello everyone,

Today is June 14, 2015 and I am now 11 months or 335 days post-op.

Needless to say, my results are fantastic. The hairline is lowered and straightened, my temporal peaks are built out, and I have much better coverage of my scalp with better styling options.

Now that my hair is really growing in, I get all kinds of compliments on my hair and some say I look like a different person. Overall this has been a great experience since the day of my surgery and I couldn’t be happier.

It’s hard to believe that next month will mark one full year since the day of my surgery. Time really has flown by and it blows my mind when I look in the mirror and see how different I look now compared with back then.

Check back next month for pictures of my final result!

All my best,

-Lance

Check out my 11 month post-op video on my YouTube channel.

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10 Month Update (310 Days Post-Op)

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Hello everyone,

Today is May 20, 2015 and I am now 10 months or 310 days post-op. I was out of town the past couple of days hence, why I am behind on this month’s update.

I got my hair cut on May 1, so this month’s pics show how much more hair has grown in since my last haircut in February at the 7 month mark. Whenever I get a haircut I have to make sure that the barber doesn’t go too short on the sides and back so that the thin scar won’t be detectable. The barber went a little too short for me with a No. 3 (3/8 of an inch) on the back and sides so my scar looked like a crease in my hair like when you wear a baseball cap.

The thin areas behind my restored hairline are better filling in compared with last month and lately I’ve been styling my hair in a fauxhawk. Before my surgery I could have never worn a hairstyle like this without it looking terrible because of my receding temples.

Even though my hair looks better now than before I started losing my hair in my early twenties, I still have another two months to go before my final result.

Check back next month at 11 months post-op as I close in on my one year anniversary of my surgery.

All my best,

-Lance

Check out my 10 month post-op video on my YouTube channel.

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