Posted on Saturday 11 March 2006
I am now 30 years old, my hair loss story goes back five years when, at just 23, my hair started receding. At first I didn’t think much of it. But, when the thinning became more noticeable I found myself being the butt of jokes from well meaning friends about my impending baldness. At first I laughed at these jokes and didn’t let my mates know how deeply hurt I was. Little did they realise that I was overwhelmed with thoughts about going bald so young. I often thought about how devastated I would be when my hair loss progressed and couldn’t imagine women being attracted to me. My confidence and self esteem took a battering and I often felt depressed.
By this stage I was 27 and becoming increasingly depressed about my looming baldness. I considered shaving my head but felt sick about doing something that signalled I had resigned myself to being bald at such a young age.
I then started surfing what seemed like thousands of hair loss sites on the internet. I read about the advancements in the hair replacement industry and about the great results achieved from transplanting individual follicles in a way that looks completely natural. I read extensively about the techniques and success rates of surgeons around the world and then eventually narrowed my search down to a world leading specialist who practices in my home city in Western Australia.
My scepticism led to further research about this hair transplant specialist before I eventually plucked up the courage to make an appointment. I later discovered this surgeon was one of two female surgeons in the world specialising in permanent hair restoration.
This surgeon was very frank about what I could realistically expect from the procedure. I was surprised to find that she understood just how vulnerable and depressed I felt about my hair loss. She did not try to sell me her services and instead advised me to look up her resume and check out her credentials on the internet. She also suggested I look up the International Society of Hair Restoration Surgeons (ISHRS) which is the worldwide registry of all listed hair transplant surgeons.
After further homework I decided to go ahead with a transplant. I asked the clinic to provide me with contact details of three former patients. I spoke to all three clients and one gentleman offered to meet me for coffee so that I could see the finished product. When I met this man, who had a hair transplant three years before, I couldn’t believe he was ever bald in the first place. His hairline looked completely natural and there were no visible scars at the back of the head where the donor hair was taken from. I was convinced that a transplant provided the best solution and made an appointment to go ahead.
I was extremely nervous when the day of my procedure finally arrived (June 2004). I arrived at the clinic at 1.30pm was given a mild sedative and slept for most of the procedure which was all over by 5.30pm. I woke a couple of times during the 1350 graft procedure, but felt no discomfort. The surgeon gave me some medication to take at home. I took the prescribed tablets and had a great night sleep.
As expected after having 25 stitches in my head, I experienced a slight tightness in my head for four weeks after the procedure. After just four months I started to see new hairs sprouting up. The hair transplant specialist told me that within 12 - 15 months the hair will have fully grown through and my hairdresser won’t be able to tell that I’ve had a transplant.
It was the best thing I ever did.
I regret wasting so much time looking into other solutions, however I’m glad I did so much research into finding the right surgeon. I’d say that anyone who is considering a transplant should invest time checking out a surgeon’s credentials and make sure they are registered with the ISHRS
To view my website please click on
www.inperth.com.au/users/damo/
Thanks Damien
