Tag Archives: stitches

Second Procedure: One Year Update and Final Result (366 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 Friday, November 11, 2016 and I am now one year post-op from my second hair transplant procedure.

After two procedures and more than 12,000 total hairs, my follicular journey is complete. My hair is full, thick, and has the design and shape I feel I should’ve had all along.

Below are some pictures of me that compare the results from my first and second procedures, and it was worth it for me to do the second procedure.

My linear scar healed much better this time than last as I spent two months out of the gym and had to reset my programming. Fortunately, or unfortunately, I was sick a lot this year and haven’t really maxed out much so I was able to maintain my strength and muscle mass while my suture line continued to heal.

 

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These pictures compare my results from my first procedure with Dr. Huebner back in 2014 to my second procedure in 2015. Although my hairline and temporal peaks have been built out, you can still see some thin areas that needed to be filled in. Compare them with the pictures from my second procedure, and you can tell how much thicker my temples are. You’ll also notice my left corner used to be more round and is now more square. 

As I mentioned back in July when I celebrated my 30th birthday, whenever I look at pictures of myself prior to my two surgeries I honestly don’t recognize the man I see in those pictures and I’m glad that’s not me. The hair really does make a difference in my appearance.

Splitting hairs

Unfortunately my second scar has also stretched, although not as bad as my first one, so at some point this upcoming year I will have my linear scar filled in via FUE.

To all of my followers and anyone out there looking to embark on their own follicular journey, I hope I’ve provided the best possible map. It’s been a privilege to share this journey with you all and as always if you ever need to reach me, I’ll be here to help you embark on your own follicular journey wherever it may take you.

All my best,

-Lance

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Second Procedure: Day 12 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, 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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Second Procedure: Day 11 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 Sunday, November 22, 2015 and I am now 11 days post-op from my hair transplant procedure.

I don’t have much to say in this post other than tomorrow morning I finally get the sutures removed as they are slowly driving me crazy.

When you have your first procedure the sutures stay in 10 days after your surgery and if you have two or more procedures, the sutures must stay in for 12 days. This is because when you have multiple procedures the scalp has less elasticity and needs more time to properly heal.

All of the crusts are gone and as I mentioned yesterday if you have stubborn grafts, don’t pick and pull them out. Even though the hair will still grow, save yourself the blood and hassle by not doing that.

Check back tomorrow for my Day 12 update where I finally get my sutures removed.

All my best,

-Lance

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Second Procedure: Day 10 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 Saturday, November 21, 2015 and I am now 10 days post-op from my hair transplant procedure.

Earlier this evening I picked the last crust that was hanging on and after I pulled it out a lot of blood came out with it. I thought that I permanently lost that graft but my surgeon reassured me that the cells from the follicle’s bulb are firmly in place so hair will still grow out of that one spot. Word to wise, don’t pick your grafts!

Last time at the 10 days post-op mark I had my sutures removed but when you have two or more procedures, you must wait at least 12 days post-op to have the sutures removed.

I remember saying to myself last time I did this at the 10 day mark I don’t think I would’ve been able to do two more days of this but here I am a year later and I need to have them in for two more days.

All of the crusts are gone now and I joke that without the crusts and my natural hair super long, this is what I would have ended up looking like had I not done anything about my hair loss.

Check back tomorrow at the 11 day mark.

All my best,

-Lance

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Second Procedure: Day 9 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 Friday, November 20, 2015 and I am now 9 days post-op from my procedure.

Almost all of the crusts are off minus the remnants of that blotch on the left side of my scalp and a few multiple follicular units in the very back but they will be off by tomorrow.

I am now three days away from removing my sutures and then I’ll be out of the woods.

Check back tomorrow for Day 10 post-op.

All my best,

-Lance

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Second Procedure: Day 8 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, November 19, 2015 and I am now 8 days post-op from my hair transplant procedure.

A lot of the crusts are finally coming off and I don’t have to put much pressure on my scalp for them to slough off. I figure the larger grafts in the back and that big blotch will be the last thing to go before my sutures come out next Monday.

It’s strange when you think about it that you move a ton of hair from one part of your head to another only to have everything that was moved fall off like nothing ever happened.

Check back tomorrow for my Day 9 post-op update.

All my best,

-Lance

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Second Procedure: Day 7 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 Wednesday, November 18, 2015 and I am now 7 days post-op from my hair transplant procedure.

It’s hard to believe that I am now one week post-op from my procedure. The day of my procedure came and went and now one week has passed.

More of the crusts are starting to flake off and my natural hair as well as the grafts from my first procedure are starting to grow, showing what my scalp looks like.

I recently watched my one week post-op video from my first procedure and two days after that video all of the crusts fell off in the shower, so I imagine they will probably come off this weekend before my sutures come out.

Next Monday my sutures will be taken out by my primary care physician and there will be a few crusts where the sutures were as well so after those wash off, I will get a hair cut to blend everything together.

Check back tomorrow for my 9 days post-op update.

All my best,

-Lance

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Second Procedure: Day 6 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 Tuesday, November 17, 2015 and I am now 6 days post-op from my hair transplant procedure.

The grafts in my frontal hairline are becoming crustier and are flaking off like I have dandruff and are healing well. Later this week I will put more pressure on them when I shower and I imagine by Friday or Saturday they will almost all be gone.

The swelling in my face is gone and the sutures in the back of my head are still itchy but the tightness comes and goes.

The recovery process entails several stages like the swelling and tightness, the grafts, and the sutures but I know that once Day 12 comes and the sutures are removed, it will all be worth it.

Check back for tomorrow’s post at 7 days post-op.

All my best,

-Lance

[wpvideo R0mrVVyx] Photo on 11-17-15 at 8.41 PM Photo on 11-17-15 at 8.42 PM Photo on 11-17-15 at 8.42 PM #2 Photo on 11-17-15 at 8.42 PM #3 Photo on 11-17-15 at 8.42 PM #4 Photo on 11-17-15 at 8.42 PM #5 Photo on 11-17-15 at 8.42 PM #6 Photo on 11-17-15 at 8.43 PMHello everyone,

 

 

Second Procedure: Day 5 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, November 16, 2015 and I am now 5 days post-op from my procedure.

More of the crusts are starting to flake off in the shower and the swelling that was in my face yesterday is beginning to subside. I figure by Wednesday the swelling will be gone and all of the crusts should be gone by this weekend.

One week from today I will have my sutures removed and I find that the tightness in my suture line comes and goes but every day I am improving and feeling better.

Check back tomorrow for my Day 6 post-op update.

All my best,

-Lance

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Second Procedure: Day 4 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 Sunday, November 15, 2015 and I am now 4 days post-op from my procedure.

I have a bit more swelling in my face particularly in my eyes, but unless I point it out it’s not a big deal.

I had a small scare early on Sunday when I scratched part of my suture line and a small piece of suture wire came out. My surgeon told me that in addition to the main suture line that keeps my head together, he used a bunch of smaller suture wires to ensure that the donor site was perfectly approximated and would properly heal so if a small additional piece of wire came out a few days later, it wouldn’t be a big deal. So although I had a small scare, I have nothing to worry about.

As more of the grafts begin to scab and crust off, I feel like I am turning the corner in my recovery.

Check back tomorrow for my Day 5 post-op post.

All my best,

-Lance

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