my hair transplant

June 2008 - I am happy

2008-06-21T04:01:00.000-07:00

Me in 2008 June.

I like the way my hair transplant turned out. Now, I can keep a buzz cut as well as grow my hair long.
It has been a very happy experience for me and I wish to thank all those who gave me valuable advise during different stages of my research prior to hair transplant.
I also wish to thank all the capable doctors who did online consultations for me and gave their time and opinion.
Most of all, I wish to thank Dr. Arvind Poswal and his efficient staff. They are wondermakers. I remember them fondly each time I look in the mirror.

2 months later

2008-06-20T06:47:00.001-07:00

All pictures taken outside after my buzzcut. Its been 2 months since my hair transplant. A lot of the grafts shed in first month as Dr. A told me they would. I am impatiently waiting for new hair to start sprouting.
Meanwhile, the buzz cut gives me a shadow of a hairline.

The second day of my 1st hair transplant

2008-06-20T06:07:00.000-07:00

My hair transplant surgery - first day

2008-06-20T04:50:00.000-07:00

The day of the surgery
Thats me … apprehensive – you bet!
The first hairtransplant is the most fearsome. No amount of reading prepares you for the morning when you know you have to go for surgery. But, it was a piece of cake.

As many say, less painful then visit to the dentist. In 2 days, I got 1885 grafts.
The first day was 870 grafts on Rt. side of hairline (439 scalp. 191 chest, 236 leg and 4 beard grafts). The 2nd day was 1015 grafts (473 scalp, 452 chest and 84 leg) to complete the other half of hairline and front.

My choice of hair transplant doctor

2008-06-20T04:39:00.000-07:00

Choosing a hair transplant doctor can be very tough. Nearly all the good hair transplant doctors have something very special about them. I chose the one that fit my requirements. Let not my choice bias your decision. Just as I did, choose your doctor based on whom you feel comfortable with. One whom you feel can deliver the things you wish from your hair restoration. If possible, meet his former patients, see results that come close to what you wish to restore and talk about your wishes frankly to the doctor.

I chose Dr. Arvind Poswal (aka Dr. A). He had worked wonders for many other patients. I met some of them and got in touch with many others through email. All of them held him in high regard and were happy with their hair transplant. Dr. A went over all the details with me, what I wanted, what was possible and what were the pitfalls. Unlike some others, he is passionate about the work he does. He discusses all the bad possibilities (future hair loss, need of more and more HTs), in great detail. I liked his scholarly approach.
Most important he had done similar youthful hairlines as I wanted. He was not limited to strip and could harness a lot more types of hair.
Also important for me was the cost. I do not know about the millionaires who can choose to let cost not be a factor. For me it was, and is.

I was fortunate to find Dr. A and I feel he is not only a very accomplished hair transplant surgeon, but the best value for money too.

Good pictures finally (2006)

2008-06-20T04:30:00.000-07:00

These pictures were adjudged good enough for online consult. A positive step towards my hair transplant.
However, given my age and my hairloss, I was advised to not go for a hair transplant by some.

Better pictures does not mean you are less bald

2008-06-18T03:17:00.000-07:00

It just means the others can see how bald you really are. Where your future HT doctor is concerned, thats important I guess.

Thats me in 2006

2008-06-18T03:02:00.000-07:00

At 21 years age (born 1983), I was considered bald. That’s the pits.
At 23, thats 2006, I first sent my pictures to different hair transplant clinics. Choosing the right (best) hair transplant doctor for my needs needed me to go over the different methods in detail.
It was about my freedom from the bald look and freedom from having to worry over my hair.

I was advised by many in the web community about the benefits of fue. If I had to get a transplant, I decided, it was going to be fue.

Oops! Too much hairloss. That’s me in 2006.

I cant believe I used that combover.

All doctors told me they wanted better pictures. Hair removed to side to show the hairloss.

Lesson #1 - Take good pictures. Dont hide your hairloss from your doctor.

Start of my hair transplant journey

2008-06-17T00:16:00.000-07:00

Hello, and welcome to my blog.
I recently decided to document my hair transplant journey. I lost my hair at a young age and nothing worked for a long time. I used many medicines, lotions what not to no benefit.
After many years of anxiety about my hairloss, I decided to go for a hair transplant. I contacted doctors world over. Many refused due to my young age, others due to my extent of hairloss. Some did not want to give me the hairline I wanted. They wanted to give me an old man's hairline.
Finally, I got my hair transplant the way I wanted it. It changed my life for the better. I am so happy with the entire experience, from start to finish, that I feel I should document my journey for everyone to read.
Its a sort of paying back to the online communities that helped me make one of the most important decidion of my life.