thanatopsis_awry

4k, depends on your goals, though.

Congrats! Hair changes everything -- aesthetically speaking, of course.

Kinda "funny" how just as a peaceful revolution of (anti-Armani) thought started to crop up on HLH Shane passes off the reigns to Pats....who, just as the results start to peep through -- his own, included -- he goes MIA.....all around the time of Homa's accusations and the mystery Armani thread deletions, etc....PGP, I don't know if GhostTown or ShillTown is the better descriptor!

Balody is spot on -- just to clear that up, as I'm quite happy w/ my HT! Dewayne, exactly....!

BeHappy, I wish I didn't get a HT from Feller so what I'm about to say carried even more weight, but you are misinterpreting an opinion and drawing a bogus conclusion. That said, MPB is a dynamic "disease"/"affliction"/"ailment"/"genetic disposition". It affects different people differently. A NW8 w/ a 4k donor will never have a total transformation (most lower NWs won't, either); however, this does not mean that when you take hair from a negligible zone and create hair in the area where the "disease"/"ailment"/etc ***was*** that the MPB is not being cured and that the HT is acting as a cure. Also, Feller never said -- and I'd bet my thumbs never will say -- that HTs are a universal ***panacea***, which is where your confusion lies; he has never said and never will say (plz for my thumbs) that HTs are a ***panacea*** where he can take a random person, let alone anyone, and give them a full restoration. In part this is semantics, but you are obv taking an aggressive stance vs. someone you have an agenda against and misconstruing words -- intentional, or not. You could replace Feller w/ Dr. Bosley and my stance would be the same though my words would be even stronger.

Anytime we are dealing w/ opinion -- especially opinion essentially centered around what is and is not "beauty -- there is a high degree of relative subjectivity. The two questions are of what caliber work Rosanelli does, contrasted with the question of what does it take to get recco'd. Both are subjective, but the former, especially. I wouldn't say Rosanelli does bad work; I honestly would not recommend a family member to him, either, not that that is a be-all-end-all barometer. I don't think anyone is saying that there is not improvement in the documentation, or that the work is some travesty. Rather, as doctors get better and better -- and more and more transparent -- the standards that people have developed and become accustomed to become ever more stringent and dynamic. Coupled w/ really poor documentation and a lack of megas (which always impress people) and we have the reason why most are leery of actually coming out and saying: "I nominate Rosanelli and feel he should be recommended".

Every first-hand account of a Bosley experience that I have seen/heard of has ranged from horrific to mediocre (when compared to other options). When compared to the supremely consistent, world-class clinics that transparently exist there is really no reason to go to a corporate hair-mill like Bosley and roll the dice.

It's very rare but some people do have extremely poor yield for reasons outside of personal neglect on either the patient's part or the clinic's. Principally, though, I'd tend to think that "clinic neglect" is both more widespread and also more associated w/ the large scale SNAFU you're touching upon.

The work looks great and yer coming along nicely. This should def yield a super-dense hairline.....like Eman/Bill I have no clue why someone would question the density.....

It was very gradual for me. Around 5months I really felt like I had minimal growth; I took some pictures and when I objectively looked at them it was clear that I had demonstrable growth. From then on I started to notice greater density with each passing week. As I would go to style my hair I noticed more and more that it looked better and I had more options. Also, when I went back to Dr. Feller for a 8month "check up" and I saw my pre-op pics I was blown away. They looked much worse than I had ever imagined, and I actually saw a few that I didn't recall putting in my weblog or w/e that were just mind-boggling.

How many grafts are you going for? Hasson tends to do larger sessions, which may be a factor for you; Wong has a reputation for having a particular knack for crowns (and hairlines, actually). Either way you are making a great decision -- I would try to split the hairs by seeing if one or the other suits your particular case "the best".

I can certaintly relate to your general query. My op, which gave me virtual restoration, has been a success; however, a won battle doesn't end the war. Already, I am seeing the beginning signs of the future to come -- and it includes the same continuation of alopecia, though at a "retarded rate". That said, I'll answer your ?s as I see 'em. 1. It would continue to look like a "well done hair transplant". I would kill for my hair to not change an iota from where it currently is (I'm like 10ish months out from my HT). 2. The HT will stand the test of time insofar as it relates to how much native hair deteriorates over time, juxtaposed with your "tolerance" for whatis and is not acceptable density. Basically, you should almost always *be prepared* to undergo further operations at a later date. Of course, as you go through an op there is less and less ground that you ever would have to even worry about. 3. Not totally sure what you mean here, but from what I'm assuming, I'd say ya. 4. Geneally speaking, the goal is to always maximize the "illusion of density". Transplanted hairs are situated -- and angled -- to supply maximum perceived density, naturalness, while working with native hairs. 5. It's all relative. It's part of the game, though, like I mentioned earlier, to always be prepared. Of course, you don't *have to*, and you may not ever *need to*, but you are obv at an overall disadvantage to go into a war that you may not be able to properly go about finishing. That said, even if I knew I wouldn't, for w/e reason, ever attack my crown and vertex, I would still have gotten my hairline done. 6. You should pretty much go into getting HTs w/ high confidence that you will be able to suitably confront your MPB. You have to factor in age, rate of loss, pattern of loss, $, will, hair charachteristics, and what you will and won't be satisfied with. IMO, some people prolly should "call it quits", but for many, I think with proper planning and execution quite a bit can be accomplished.

Questions may remain the same, but the people behind the questions don't.

Rahal is most assuredly not "overly-conservative" in his practice, so he must have had some strong reasoning. Did he elaborate to you why he doesn't feel you are an acceptable candidate? Regardless of whether another doc says you are a candidate, I would take Rahal's words into consideration when making your ultimate decision.

You've been maliciously forced to undergo a true travesty, and for that you deserve a great deal of empathy and compassion. The scars you now carry -- physical and psychological -- won't heal quickly nor easily. *But*, they can be healed. I'd implore you to consider, in the form of simple consultations, with a few clinics who are without question of the highest caliber in skill and ethics. At the same time, know that options -- good options -- do exist, and that you are not forced to live the rest of your life in this state. Focus on little changes and actions while you plan out attacking the big changes and actions.

It looks good, for sure; take some pics w/o flash + show off the hairline if you can, tho. It looks perfectly dense based off the pics, either way, and the look should only get better.

I trust this will get you to the "illusion" of density required to pull off a cool look and square you away for the time being! Look forward to seeing the outcome; you deserve a great one.

Looks to be coming along nicely; still early, too, especially if you are an average (or slow) paced grower. IMO, I'd get Cooley to document your result at ~10-12months. I'm sure he'd love to have your photos "on file", as well.

I've cultivated a sixth sense for eyeballing stellar and quick growers! Not exactly the 6th sense I'd have at the top of my wishlist, but nonetheless..... Your hair really does look remarkably thick even when wet at this pt. too!

You've always seemed like a good guy, and very enthusiastic; your transformation is certaintly profound. I wish you the best and it certaintly seems sound for you to "get into the business", but I honestly couldn't see you working for anyone but H&W. Well, I could, but I don't see anything nearly as fitting as w/ H&W.

What did I tell ya?!? A swift grower on the fast lane to hairy-beastdom.....

By virtue of the procedure itself, there is certaintly more room for "creative harvesting" by using FUE vs. FUT. That said, reality deals all a hand where we have respective donor "safe zones", and that different areas of the body deliver a different quality of hair. This radically nullefies the ability of FUE's theoretical ability to harvest a superlative # of grafts. There is also a radical different in growth rates; generally speaking, the growth rate is weaker and more erratic. Specifically, the yield gets increasingly shitty as you harvest more grafts. It goes back to the process itself -- FUE, which due to inherent forces placed upon the uber-delicate grafts leads to problems w/ yield. FUE is a very attractive procedure, and I will be doing it myself once I am stripped out (which I find to be the ideal way to max out your donor). Of course, where there is honey there will be apes, and the attractiveness of FUE attracts a lot of charlatans.

I think additional work of sessions in the ~2500 range that show clear growth and artistic touch would be nice. The work looks pretty solid; but, while "huge" sessions shouldn't be the end-all/be-all, impressive sessions of the ~2500 range would certaintly be nice to see. Also, sessions exemplifying high(er) density. I have a pretty moderate attitude towards recco's; they should all certaintly be of competent doctors that are in a class well above your average bloke or hair-mill. But, when I factor in the reality of the "patient pool", and how decisions often end up going down, I'm not sure how beneficial it is to have a radically small, elite handfull of clinics as opposed to a more (geographically) encompassing field of physicians that all perform solid work. At the end of the day, as well, cream -- err, results -- will rise to the top for people to see.

The media conjoining with a pet-cause, together laying on a bed of $/power.....my parents got bilked out of ~$600; most importantly, I (and them, actually) had the pleasure of paying $ and wasting emotional/physical energy on false-hopes. At a time when $ is valuable, and for people where emotional energy is sacred, LLLT is a disgrace and a disgrace that should be met w/ *zero tolerance*.

Def grow your hair out and get some good pre-ops to really do justice to the HT. Thx for the updates either way -- it looks solid!