Hair Transplant Blog - Bobman's Hair Loss Story

Month 10 - Crown Shots

2006-05-03T10:39:00.000-07:00

I decided to post my outside shots with my hair slicked back in the sun.

Rear

Right

Front

Looking Upward

Hair Transplant 2 - Month 9

2006-03-23T10:25:00.000-08:00

Before the Trip to Seattle.

I let the hair grow a bit to show Mike how things have progressed.

3/4 Profile Before Haircut and Highlights

Front After Haircut and Highlights

3/4 Profile After Haircut and Highlights

Left Profile After Haircut and Highlights

At Home Combed Back

Overhead: The Crown

Hair Transplant 2 - Month 6.5 - Haircut

2006-01-11T15:06:00.000-08:00

Time for a haircut. It has been 6 1/2 months from my crown work ( HT 2)

Shaggy Front

Shaggy Side

Shaggy Back

Right Side - Freshly Cut

Back - Freshly Cut

Overhead - Freshly Cut

Front - Freshly Cut

Happy Shot - Freshly Cut

Hair Transplant 2 - Month 6

2005-12-27T14:56:00.000-08:00

Six Months into HT 2

Right Side

Left Side

Back

Crown

Friendly Front Shot

Hair Transplant 2 - Month 5

2005-11-24T18:30:00.000-08:00

Crown - HT 2 - Month 5

Top

Front

Right Side

Left Side

Overhead

Hair Transplant 2 - Month 4

2005-10-31T11:49:00.000-08:00

Month Four for Har Transplant #2 - Restoring the Crown

Messy Crown Shot

Side View of My Messy Head

Overhead Shot

Right Side

I'm now starting to grow my hair....I hope to let it grow as long as I can stand it. I think the next four to six months worth of growing, then see where I'm really at.

Front

Hair Transplant 2 - Month 3 (HT 1 - 1 Year)

2005-09-23T11:36:00.000-07:00

Month 3 for Hair Transplant 2 (to restore the crown). 1 year for HT 1 !

Back Shot

Crown Grafts at 3 Months

Overhead Shot

Frontal Area

I experienced some shockloss on both sides near the ears. They're already starting to fill in...I think at this rate, by month six or so, they'll be back to normal.

Right Side

Left Side

Feeling pretty good overall. I'm enjoying my ability to grow or buzz my hair now. Life is good.

Hair Transplant 2 - Month 2 (Hair Transplant 1 - Month 11)

2005-08-24T11:31:00.000-07:00

Front Hairline

You'll have to excuse my messy appearance, I wore a hat while I was doing yard work today. My first hair transplant grafts are progressing nicely.

Profile

Overhead

Crown Overhead

Hair Transplant 2 - Week 2

2005-07-10T15:12:00.000-07:00

Staples come out today and I get a buzz cut so that the grafts from the first transplant and this transplant will be the same length when the HT 2 grafts grow out.

86 Staples Removed

Just Before the Buzz Cut.
Serious bead-head going on here.

Crown Shot Before the Buzz Cut

After the Buzz

Crown and Top After Hair Cut

Scar Shot Rear

Hair Transplant 2 - Week 1

2005-06-29T19:57:00.000-07:00

This is roughly a week after my second hair transplant. This hair transplant will restore my crown area.

Swelling
Some swelling in the temple area. Totally normal. It will go away.

Side Swelling

Notice the swelling on both sides. My ears are hardly visible....ha ha ha. I also had some on the back of my neck.

Overhead Crown Shot

The HULK (Bobman version)

Hair Transplant 2 - Surgery Day

2005-06-28T14:15:00.000-07:00

Hair Transplant 2 : Restoring the Crown

Finally at Hasson & Wong. This is Joe, a Hasson & Wong Hair Transplant consultant and hair transplant guru on the forums. Joe is a great guy and if it wasn't for his story and support, I would have never had an HT with H&W....period.

Crown before the hair restoration surgery. I'm in month 9 of my first hair transplant surgery, which filled in frontal hairline and the top between the hairline and the crown.

This transplant (Hair Transplant 2) will take care of the crown.

Crown

Finished Crown
After grafts have been transplanted

Hair Transplant 1 - Month 9 (2 days before HT 2)

2005-06-21T13:02:00.000-07:00

Soaked Hair

Soaked and Combed

Right Side Soaked and Combed

Left Side Soaked and Combed

Overhead Shot 1

Overhead Shot 2

Overhead 3

Front Hair Dry Close Up

Right Profile Dry

Left Profile Dry

Front Dry

Hair Transplant 1 - Month 8

2005-05-24T12:10:00.000-07:00

Just Woke Up!

Overhead

Side View

Front

Hair Transplant 1 - Month 7

2005-04-08T16:33:00.000-07:00

Some shots on March 31st and today after my haircut.

Outside

Front Shot

Close-Up After Hair Cut

Back Shot

Hairline Left

Hairline Right

Left Side

Right Side

Head Tilted Down

Another Close Up

Hair Transplant 1 - Month 6 - Before & After

2005-03-31T16:19:00.000-08:00

Before Hair Transplant 1 -- 6 Months After

Hair Transplant 1 - Month 6

2005-03-11T15:31:00.000-08:00

Back

Top

Left Profile

Right Profile

Close Up of Top and Frontal Hairline

Frontal Hairline Tilted

Hair Transplant Mugshot

Hair Transplant 1 - Week 23

2005-03-03T12:09:00.000-08:00

Front Hairline

Front and Crown

Smile ;-)

Hair Transplant 1 - Week 22

2005-02-25T14:59:00.000-08:00

Top - Hair Combed Forward

Overhead - Combed Forward

Front - Hair Combed to Side

Profile - Combed

Angle Combed

Hair Transplant 1 - Week 21

2005-02-20T14:51:00.000-08:00

Week 21 and a couple days later slicked back

Just Sittin' Around

Goin' For It Futzy Style

Hair Transplant 1 - Week 20

2005-02-10T13:48:00.000-08:00

Front Stand Shot

Right Side

Left Side

Rear Shot

Left Angle

Right Angle

Overhead

Outside Front

Outside Right

Four Years Ago

Hair Transplant 1 - Week 19

2005-02-03T13:30:00.000-08:00

Hair Combed forward and to the side with the front flipped upward.

Hairline Profile

Front

The other side

Hair Transplant 1 - Week 18

2005-01-30T14:37:00.000-08:00

Front

Top

Left Profile

Right Profile

Hair Transplant 1 - Week 17

2005-01-21T14:33:00.000-08:00

Combed down, just for the fun of it!

Angle

Top

Hairline

Hair Transplant 1 - Week 16

2005-01-13T14:28:00.000-08:00

Soaking Wet

Hairline

Front and Profile

Hair Transplant 1 - Week 15

2005-01-06T14:11:00.000-08:00

Front

Hairline

Overhead

Hair Transplant 1 - Week 14

2004-12-30T14:03:00.000-08:00

No hat going forward.

Profile

Top

Hairline

Overhead

Stud Pose (for the ladies only) w/Flash

Hair Transplant 1 - Week 13

2004-12-23T13:48:00.000-08:00

These pictures show the start of something B.E.A.-utiful!

Top Close

Top

Top Tilted

Hair Transplant 1 - Week 12

2004-12-16T14:43:00.000-08:00

Angle

Profile

Top

Hairline

Home

2004-11-02T12:25:00.000-08:00

The following photos of my hair loss give a good indication of why I started thinking about getting hair transplants. As you can see, not only is my front hairline gone, but my crown is all but gone but for a few sparse hairs.

This marks the beginning of my journey. I've decided to get my hair transplants at Hasson & Wong.

You can view photos of my progress in the Archives.

My Hair Loss Story

2004-10-01T09:29:00.000-07:00

Hair Loss Begins

I started going bald at the age of 23. Before that, I had a very full head of hair. Never in my wildest dreams did I think that I’d go bald in my twenties. I mean, I ate right…exercises…took my vitamins…What the Hell!

When I would go out to the clubs, something I was having fun doing since I turned 18, it was an ego booster to get the compliments on how “good” you looked. And make no mistake about it…the hair helped….me at least. As time went on, I started to look like the old guy at the club…and thank God because had I not started to go bald…I’d probably still be a professional clubber. Everything happens for a reason, right.

Hair Pieces...NOT The Hair Loss Solution

Ok…now fast forward a couple of years at age 25. Very thin on top…growing it long and slicking it all back. I didn’t like that I was gonna be the bald guy in the pictures at my own wedding, so I went out and joined the “hairpiece” club. Of course, it was better than what I had and at the time, and my main goal was to look good for my wedding.

I wore the thing for six years, off and on. Even though the hairpieces looked Ok….they never really made me feel fully secure. No matter how anyone tries to justify them, they’re just a form fitted hat with hair. A separate part of you…like a shirt or a pair of pants…then after a very short while, they start to get worn out. Needless to say, they weren’t cheap and maintenance wasn’t either. I started to feel lousy again…but stifled my pain by eating. I found myself eating all the time and ballooning up to 220lbs.

Fa(s)t Forward - Fat and Bald

Now here I am at 30 something….fat and bald. When I took a good look at myself in the mirror and found myself starting the need to squeeze into size 40 waist jeans…I thought to myself…”this is bullshit”. I may not be able to do anything about being bald, (so I thought at the time) but I sure as hell can do SOMETHING, ANYTHING about all this fat! So, I did. Went to GNC, bought some vitamins, cut out as much carbs as I could…and being Italian, that’s not so easy. Started riding the stationary bike about 10-20 minutes three to four times a week, and about 8 months or so later of consistent action, I was down to a lean 179lbs. I was skinny again….Whoo Hoo! Clothes fit better, I felt fit again….great.

The Right Hair Restoration Surgeon

Now fast forward a couple more years and I’m 35. The infomercials for MHR and Bosely are all over the TV lately. So, I decided to call and get the “FREE” information kit to see what this is all about. I decided, dammit I’m gonna go for it. And decided on MHR. But didn’t really know what the hell I needed. Heck, I didn’t even know why I picked them other than their commercials looked well. Then I got a “holy shit” idea and started to look on the internet. Somehow I found Hasson & Wong and called their number. Now, mind you I’m also chatting with MHR, Bosley, and Brandy MD and so on. I was on a mission to find THE BEST.

Finding Hasson & Wong

I’m at home, and going through some rough times with my wife at the time. But I got the call and was “able to talk” that day. Doug from Hasson & Wong was on the line and was very nice in answering all of my questions. But, he also knew I was VERY hesitant about actually “taking the plunge” with anyone. So a shorter time later, I get a call from Mike Ferko. Right away I knew he wasn’t trying to “sell” me, but rather educate me to what is out there, how it all works and what I should expect from a clinic.

The Best Hair Transplant Surgeons in the World (period!)

Now I’m becoming astute to the hair transplants industry, in the way everyone considering an HT should. Then I started looking even closer at the consistency of all the hair restoration clinics. Hands down, Hasson & Wong had the best after hair transplant photos I’ve ever seen.

But what separated them for me the most was that they were updated and adding new patient photos all the time. Even better, I got to visit actual hair transplant patient websites and follow their journey AS IT WAS HAPPENING to boot! I was hooked. No other clinic was doing what they were, with the amount of grafts and patient output. It was prevalent that Dr.Hasson and Dr.Wong were serious about patient results and pioneering a new precedence in the hair transplant industry. In short, I knew I had found two of THE BEST surgeons in the world. (period)

After some time of doing all that, I called Mike back and scheduled my first hair transplant for September of ’04. Just after that, my wife of 11 years decides to move out. After trying to reconcile about four weeks later I come to find information that lead me to file for divorce…that very day I also called Mike Ferko and basically cancelled my surgery. Then, thought about it for about an hour or so and figured, “screw that!” I’m not gonna let her keep me down anymore! So, I called Mike back and told him my thoughts. He was and still is so easy to talk to, that I knew I had made the right decision to go forward.

I had made my decision and planned out my plan of attack. My ex never knew what I was planning…and I’m sure if she did, she would have made me feel wrong in some way for trying to do it. Looking back, I can honestly say…my success in this matter was and still is and will remain bitter sweet revenge.

My First Hair Transplant Megasession

So my plan was to do as large of a session, a megasession, as we could and go from front to back. I had normal elasticity, great donor hair and a blank canvas for my doctor to “paint on”. The only thing I was nervous about when I met Dr.Hasson for the first time was if he would be able to make my hairline look natural and fit me. After about five or so minutes of Dr.Hasson drawing, then erasing, then drawing and erasing over and over, all the time squinting with one eye making sure he had it just right. He showed me the mirror and my worries were over. He nailed it. After that I just enjoyed the ride.

The first time we got 4,849 grafts. We covered the front and mid part of my scalp on top. As that grew in I started to feel alive again. Every month, the metamorphosis started to take place and at around month 5 and 6…I had a full (frontal) head of hair. Everyone started telling me how young I looked. And to be honest, I didn’t mind that I had a bald spot because the second part of my plan was to return in 9 months and address the crown.

My Second HT - Restoring The Crown

In June of 2005, we did just that. We harvested 2,955 grafts and packed them all in the crown area. It was quite a large gap to fill….but the end results turned out fantastic.

Now, having my head of hair back had given me an sense of confidence that is immeasurable in words. I honestly feel as if I’ve been given back 10 or 15 years of my life. Kind of a “do-over” if you will.

How Do I Feel About My Hair Transplant Experience?

Having the transplant with Hasson & Wong was the best move I have ever made in my life. Knowing that I was fortunate to have chosen the best clinic and the premier surgeon, and having the support of their staff and patients before, during and after my hair transplant has been and continues to be a treasured experience that I will forever be grateful for.