Ultimately we all want to be happy. Most of us focus our life’s pursuit toward achieving that goal. In the context of hair transplantation, setting goals to achieve happiness is profoundly relative.
A patient starting off at a NW2 would probably desire a complete absence of recession as a HT goal. A NW4 patient would likely be ecstatic with a NW2 look. What about a NW7 patient?
I often see a broad range in this regard, from a NW6 who would be happy with a NW3 hairline to a NW6 who would like to get rid of all signs of recession. As a provider, the single most important factor in goal-setting is what the patient wants; what he or she would be happy with. Additionally, questions arise as to the provider’s skills and capabilities and the patient’s donor availability, personality, and disposition to persevere through a long and an arduous process. It is essentially a journey that the provider and the patient must take hand-in-hand in partnership to wherever the road leads.
These insights were driven home in my recent encounter with a very pleasant, middle-aged man who had presented with an extreme bald state. He had been:
Summarily rejected by many clinics due to his lack of donor and the vast area of his baldness.
Offered strip procedures of 3000 grafts by others.
He has rejected the idea of using a hairpiece and the mental enslavement that attends it.
He has tried the shaved bald look to no avail.
He presented to me at a critical point in his life when some life-altering decisions had to be made on the social realm. Choosing a slick NW 7 look would, by his estimation, irreversibly surcharge his potential socially. Moreover, he had about 1 year left to do something about it or settle for what the hand nature had dealt him in a slick NW7+ level of hair loss.
He stated to me (I paraphrase): “I am not looking for a NW2 hairline and do not expect the density of a NW2.” He just wanted to look like a thinning man whose level of baldness did not detract from his image unjustifiably, in the manner he had thus far experienced with the current state of his hair loss. “Give me some hair, give my face a frame of sorts, but leave me looking naturally thin in the process. That is all I want.” My staff and I had the honor of working on this interesting man and being part of his hair recovery journey. At the end, we all felt incredibly enriched on many levels that go beyond the mere recovery of hair.
that wouldn’t happen to be Ben Bernanke, would it?
Seriously, there is way too much real estate to cover even if his beard is harvested to its maximum potential. I doubt he can achieve a natural looking appearance.
But if there’s anyone who can pull it off, its Dr. Umar.
Hope this poor guy gets what he’s hoping for.
Question : What’s the 1 year social deadline about ?
» Agreed. This strikes me as an exercise in futility.
»
» » With all due respect I wish you would just send him home and not give
» him
» » any false hope but feel free to prove me wrong.
I don’t even think 8000 head grafts can give him anything meaningful to look at, not to mention it’s a mix of head and beard grafts in this case.
The age old argument against the restoration of a slick bald NW 7 patient is understood. These arguments are however premised on rules and limitations that have been defined by the existing standards, namely:
.
The strip method of donor harvesting, which restricts the surgeon to the
Head hair donor area (mid portions of the back and sides of the head) –Strip or FUE
.
With the donor supply limitations imposed by this method, it would be irresponsible to attempt a transplant on a patient with hair loss this severe.
The future of hair restoration should be premised on:
.
The absolute or relative absence of donor supply limitations
Genetic manipulation that renders DHT sensitivity a non issue
.
The restoration performed on the following individual was based on the above premise, buoyed by the fact that his expectations were very reasonable. Here he is 1.25 years after his hair transplant which was all done in 1 session:
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.
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As his upcoming video will reveal, he is thrilled with the result he got from his 8000-graft combined-donor surgery using SFET protocols. The negative impact of his severe bald situation on social situations have disappeared for him.
» Question : What’s the 1 year social deadline about ?
Unfortunately, I cannot reveal the detail on that. But it suffices to say, that concern has evaporated for him at this point. Soon to be added to this thread is a video of the patient from which his level of happiness can be gauged.
» » Question : What’s the 1 year social deadline about ?
»
» Unfortunately, I cannot reveal the detail on that. But it suffices to say,
» that concern has evaporated for him at this point. Soon to be added to this
» thread is a video of the patient from which his level of happiness can be
» gauged.
Probably marriage I’m guessing.
Having seen the after pics (and thanks for posting a top view which so many doctors try to hide), I would say the outcome is as good as it could be for him given the level of his hair loss. Of course its best to judge what it actually looks like in real life rather than in photos.
Still it would be good to see what his front hair line looks like up close. Ideally it should not look wierd as that would draw attention real quick. If it looks normal up close, then he got as much as he could have got out of this transplant.
» Dr Umar,
» it’s a massive bald area to be faced with, what was the % of head
» hair, beard hair & body hair used ?
»
» I think it would look better buzzed down, has he tried it ? Of course maybe
» that does not solve the “social situation” that you talk of.
considering where he was and where he is now it is a massive improvement…
i think thtas what low norwoods cant understand…when u r slik bald nw7 then even some hair is considered huge success, hair that will be there year after year…
he shd ve gone for nw2/3 hairline, this one looks too flat…and go for buzz cut…2mm-5mm…he can always do that…
big transformation regardless…
DR Umar can you make him buzz his hair and send us pix, just curious…i know itsa long shot but sure ppl wud love to see that…i feel hair wud look thicker n better…
» I think it would look better buzzed down, has he tried it ? Of course maybe
» that does not solve the “social situation” that you talk of.
He is happy with the way it looks now. As his video would reveal, his new hairline resembles what he had 16 years ago before he lost all the hair and he is thrilled with it. I do not think he would be buzz cutting his head. It does not go with his overal persona.
Encouraged by this outcome, he has since added another 4500 grafts to add density, while maintaining the current hairline position.
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