Tag Archives: natural transplants

Second procedure: 9 Month Update (274 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 Thursday, August 11, 2016 and I am now 9 months post-op from my second hair transplant procedure.

As the months continue to fly by, I am just so happy with how much more hair continues to grow in, justifying why I did the second procedure.

I had my most recent haircut on July 24 and decided to do a No.4 guard on the back and sides. I was very pleased that I didn’t have any sort of a crease line in the back of my head so I’ll continue cutting my hair that short from now on.

A year ago at this time after I celebrated the one year post-op mark from my first procedure, the scar on the right-middle side of the back of my head was a lot wider than the left side so whenever I got a haircut I couldn’t go shorter than a 5-guard without the crease line showing up.

In other news due to popular demand, I’ve done some hair styling videos solely for the YouTube channel so check them out when you get a chance!

Check back next month at the 10 month mark.

All my best,
-Lance

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Second procedure: 8 Month Update (243 Days Post-Op)

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Hello everyone,

Today is Monday, July 11, 2016 and I am now 8 months post-op from my second hair transplant procedure.

I have to admit that I’ve been looking forward to this month’s update for a while. This month and today in particular mark some important milestones in my life. In a few days July 14 will mark the two year anniversary of my first procedure, but today is even more important because not only am I 8 months post-op from my second surgery, today is also my birthday.

That’s right, 30 years ago today, little Lance came into this world kicking and screaming weighing in at almost 10 pounds. As I enter the third decade of my life I can honestly say that I have never felt or looked better.

Below are pictures of me from various points in my life at ages 14, 22, 25, and 27 right before my first procedure. You can definitely tell how much my hairline had receded and how much the hair transplants lowered my hairline and built out the temporal peaks.

Now that I am closing in on my final result for my second procedure, at age 30, I finally have the hairline I should’ve had all along.

Check back next month in August at 9 months post-op.

All my best,
-Lance

2001: Age 14 going on 15

This is me and my dad at a taekwondo tournament right before my 15th birthday in May 2001. Notice how square my hairline is in my right temple and how my dad is a class 7 on the Norwood scale. My dad has been bald his entire adult life.

2009: Age 22 going on 23

These are pictures of me at a formal event during my senior year of college right before my 23rd birthday. The first pic is actually of two other people, I just happened to be standing in front a mirror next to them. I had a really bad haircut that showed my level of recession and it can’t look any worse than this horseshoe-shaped thinning pattern.

2011: age 25

These pictures were taken from when I was just beginning to notice my receding hairline in 2011 when I was 25 years old. Not long after I took these photos, I knew I wanted to do something about my hair loss and went to Bosley for my first hair transplant consultation.

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2014: Age 27 going on 28, a month before my first procedure:

These pictures were taken on a cruise I went on in June 2014 a month before my first surgery.

And this is the formal picture you take on a cruise. As you tell, I had such deep temporal recession that it was difficult getting a decent picture from either side. Whenever my ex-girlfriend and I used to take pictures together, I always had us retake the picture several times because I was so self-conscious about how much of my forehead would show.

Compare all of those pictures from ages 22 to 27 and now take a look at how much more hair I have at age 30:

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Check back next month in August at the 9 month mark.

All my best,
-Lance

Second Procedure: 7 Month Update (213 Days Post-Op)

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Hello everyone,

Today is June 11, 2016 and I am now 7 months post-op from my second hair transplant procedure.

After the 4 month mark when you start seeing initial growth, the 7 month mark is another exciting time in the hair transplant process. Last time at 7 months I got my first haircut that blended the newly developing hairline with my natural hair and I couldn’t have been happier.

This time around I see a lot of new growth and density, especially in the weak areas of my temples. I haven’t had a haircut since April 30th so I’m a little cautious about how short I can get the back and sides done without a small crease line showing up. As I mentioned in last month’s update, my scar has stretched a little bit but that has more to do with my scalp’s flexibility and weight training habits than the surgeon’s work.

In other news, one of my followers Aaron had his first procedure a month ago on May 12 and has written his own hair transplant blog called Follow My Hair. If you get a chance, definitely check out his blog.

Check back next month in July at the 8 month mark.

All my best,
-Lance

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Second Procedure: 6 Month Update (182 Days Post-Op)

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Hello everyone,

Today is Wednesday, May 11, 2016 and I am now 6 months post-op from my second hair transplant procedure.

At 6 months post-op more hair is gradually filling in the temporal peaks and temples where my recession used to be and I’m pretty happy with how things look and there’s only 6 more months of growth to go.

I got another haircut on Saturday, April 30 and the barber used a No.5 guard on the back and sides and then lightly trimmed it with a comb and clippers to go a little shorter.

Last month when I visited my friend Steve Cook in Austin, Texas, I had Dr. Daniel McGrath examine my scalp and he had a lot of great things to say about work done on me.

One thing he brought to my attention was that my scalp’s natural flexibility and weight training habits can lend my scar to stretching some but if it is something that really bothers me I can either have the scar cut out and I could be stitched together again via trichophytic closure or I can have my linear scar filled in via FUE. At this point it is a little too early to tell if I’ll need that but it’s good to know that if it really does bother me it can be corrected.

If you’d like to get in touch with Steve, the best way to reach him is steve@mcgrathmedical.com or at 305.416.8418.

Check back next month in June at the 7 month mark.

All my best,

-Lance

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

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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 12 Post-Op

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Hello everyone,

Today is Monday, November 23, 2015 and I am now 12 days post-op from my procedure.

I had my sutures removed by my primary care physician this morning and I feel a million times better now that they’re gone. The suture line will continue healing over the next year so for the next month I will refrain from lifting weights or any intense exercise that tenses my neck so that the suture line will properly heal this time around.

As I’ve mentioned a few times before, the right-middle portion of my first suture line did not heal well because I rushed back to lifting weights a little too early and my scar stretched.

Even though my post-op instructions said I can lift weights two weeks after my sutures are removed, ideally you don’t want to lift weights again until a month after your procedure

After you remove the sutures, the suture line is still healing and exercises like the bench press, squat, deadlift, and overhead press tense the neck and can stretch the scar.

One resource I recommend talking to about resuming working out after a hair transplant procedure is my friend Steve Cook who is the patient educator at Dr. Dan McGrath’s practice in Austin, Texas. Steve has had numerous hair transplant surgeries and was a champion body builder earlier in his career, so he has a wealth of knowledge about the recovery, growth, and the actual procedure. You can contact him at steve@mcgrathmedical.com.

Now comes the hard part: all of the waiting you have to do before you see any sort of progress.

Thank you for following my recovery and I will share my next update at the 1 month post-op mark on December 11.

All my best,

-Lance

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