Yep Tommy Flanagan has guts alright. I don't know if the glassing happened before or after he started as an actor. I just know how it occurred listening to Ridley Scott commentating on him in the director's cut of Gladiator.
This morning I received an email reply from a marketer for Hasson and Wong after sending them the pics I have put up on here. He has stated that they feel I am likely a good candidate for hair restoration and believe I need something around the 4,000 graft range. However going on my photos alone will not be enough to assess my case which I understand. I have to send better pics and additional photo's of my donor area to reveal more of my donor scar area. Also they want video's of me showing my laxity of my scalp.
They state, assuming I have good laxity (which I don't believe I have) and density (which I think I may have) that they should be able to cover most of the hairline scar on the left, but not the right (their words and I'm assuming by styling the hair to come forward??). Also I should get 'some' decent mid scalp coverage. My donor hair would have to be 'exceptional' to get much, if any crown coverage.
My first response to this is not about me but to all the young guys out there, most importantly those around 18 - late 20's. Learn from my mistakes not yours, for f***'s sake! You do not want to be making decisions like this still at the age of 50!!! You only have one chance to get it right and that means stick with the meds (if they agree with you) and stay on them! Do not start carving up your scalp with a hair transplant until the very last stages of trying everything! There is no way at 18 I would have considered being seen wearing a wig for dead! At 25 Dr Richard Shiells (now retired), Australia's best surgeon when all we had were still punch grafts and mini grafts (same thing really) said to me if I gave him a million dollars he would not touch my scalp (this is pre FUE/FUT). I have so much respect for his honesty. He recommended that I see a person he knew about hair pieces. For some reason the idea seemed ok at 25. I even had a 'wig party' with my friends the night after I had it fitted!
Anyway I'm digressing but my point is that you may be shitting yourself now about seeing yourself bald in years to come but your thinking DOES AND WILL CHANGE about worrying about 'will I go bald or not? You just can't see it let alone believe it even if you could see it when you are that young. Coming from me that's a huge call!
So getting back to Hasson and Wong. I know myself pretty well and I'm pretty hard on myself. I can imagine after flying over there all the way from Melbourne, having shelled out more than $15,000 (and more with flights, etc) plus all the post op down time, then the 12 months of a shaved head waiting game to see the outcome which I don't think will be enough. Their is no way that they could fill in all the crown. And having half a head of hair would look sh*t to me (even at age 50). I would also have to go back to being self conscious of hiding the scar with what little hair that I have. Look, it may not be that bad but the problem is that I won't know until after I've gone through it all and once again putting my life on hold (mentally) for another year!
Like I said I will go through with sending them more visual information and demand to look at comparison patients like myself to get an idea on what results I could expect. But having just received the email today, my immediate gut feeling is not one of excitement (which it should be) and also of finally putting this thing to bed. My main wish is for others young enough and virgin scalped to learn from this too. Wishing everyone well.
Kind regards,
Oncall.
