In the early 90’s I received two hair transplants to help my rapidly receding frontal hairline. At the time I was probably a Norwood 2A-3A. I was in my early twenties and losing my hair, a debilitating situation at any age. Every morning a wave of nausea came over me when I found hairs on my pillowcase. I wore a hat 60 percent of the time, felt insecure 100 percent of the time and desperately searched for a solution to my hair loss and source of increasing panic.
My Decision To Have Hair Transplant Surgery
My First Hair Transplants
When I read about a hair transplant system I saw it as my miracle cure. I grabbed what money I had, paid for the expensive surgery and I underwent the procedure. My miracle cure turned out to be a nightmare. Whether the doctor was unskilled, the medical advancements were not there yet or the procedure was just a complete disaster for other reasons I will never know. I didn’t go back to confront them, I just hid. Years later I was told what had been done to me was borderline criminal. It was simply put, a botched job. The obvious plugs in my scalp looked like a cheap doll’s head. I was devastated. Before the surgery I at least had the option of shaving my head, now even that was taken away from me. There was nothing to do but hide the mess that had been made of my hairline.
Living With The Results
For 15 years after that original procedure I was forced to wear a hair system. It was essentially a toupee that was glued onto my scalp and changed every few weeks to hide the plug marks and dimpling on my forehead. I hid this from everyone except a few people I trusted and I obsessed over it daily. Could people tell? Was it obvious? Not a day went by that I didn’t examine it from all angles in the mirror. I now wore a hat 95 percent of the time and lived in fear that someone might jokingly pull it off and touch my hair. I became a master of excuses to explain why I didn’t want to go out with friends. The first thing I noticed in everyone from actors to the local homeless guy was how nice their hair was. If I had not even a dollar but a nickel for every time I thought about hair I would, without a doubt, be the richest man in the world.
I’ve done the math and over the years that hair piece alone cost me over 75 thousand dollars to upkeep. Not to mention that I drove over an hour to get it done as I was afraid of doing it locally in case someone found out. As much as it was a financial burden, I would have sold every possession I had to be free of the constant emotional drain.
One of the few times I was without a hat was when I was playing in the ocean. Even then my favorite pastime was tainted by the constant fear that if my hair parted awkwardly someone might notice. In 2012 the hair piece fell off twice in the water. I was horrified. Fortunately I was alone, but I became terrified to go in the water for fear it might happen again.
Corrective Surgery
At that point I couldn’t take it anymore. I became obsessed researching new technology and medical procedures online. I visited several surgeons who offered minor suggestions on how to fix my plug marks, but each time I left discouraged and hopeless. I combed the internet for another 2 months and found Hasson and Wong’s website. It was honest, informative and emphatic. I wasn’t holding my breath for miracles anymore, but for the first time thought there might be some hope.
I took a trip to Vancouver as soon as my schedule allowed for a consultation. The key to the visit was that Dr. Hasson and team understood my trepidation on the hair transplant process. After looking at my scalp, Dr Hasson told me he felt terrible about what had been done to me and what I had dealt with for the past 20 years. He explained to me new procedures and spoke honestly about expected outcomes. He didn’t promise miracles but offered an option that would potentially allow me to live hat free, troupe free and fear free.
After two corrective surgeries I have a nearly full head of hair and my hairline looks fantastic. I have the freedom I lacked for nearly 20 years. I can live without a hat, without fear of someone touching my head, I can play in the water in peace and I can live not bound by the constant insecurity of my secret. The transformation from an honest and respectable clinic has forever changed my life.
I cannot express my gratitude to Dr. Hasson and team for giving me the freedom to live my life again. I am an extremely private person and would not normally volunteer to share my story, but I would feel selfish not doing so in this case. I know I’m not the only out there spending hours online looking for hope. If this finds someone in a similar situation please know I’m writing for no other reason than out of understanding and empathy, and because I myself sought out stories like mine to help me. My 20 year saga has a happy ending only because I found the right, talented and compassionate people.
