Client testimonials

There are many Ziering five star testimonials here, and I agree with them all, but I wish someone had posted what the actual game day procedure was like, to demystify the process and put me at ease, so I’m doing that. Hope this helps someone.

First off – I’ve had this procedure done twice.

I had my first procedure 6 six years. Today I got the stitches out from my second procedure, which I had last week.

Here’s the thing, this actually works. I was pretty much bald. I hated the way I looked. It was hard looking in the mirror. I didn’t look like me. I didn’t feel like me. I would see other men with great heads of hair and I would get annoyed and angry.

Now I have A LOT of hair. I do. It’s crazy. I have so much hair that people in my life still laugh and say, “It’s insane how much hair you have.”

THIS WORKS – that’s the most important thing. And it lasts.

As for the actual procedure — my big thought is this — It’s actually much LESS of an experience than you think. When people ask me how was the procedure and recovery, I answer, genuinely, “It was no big deal.” It’s local anesthesia. I was awake. I was listening to podcasts. I watched some Netflix, it was actually kind of fun. Especially the last 4 hours as three very fun and professional woman put the follicles, one by one, into place, on my head. There were snacks. They got me a great lunch. I haven’t been to many spas, but I’ve been once or twice and that’s the vibe: A super-professional, high end spa where you get a new head of hair.

As for the recovery, because that was a part of my hesitation –also MUCH LESS than I thought. They gave me pain meds for 4 days, I only used them the first day. There’s a simple cup-hair-wash protocol to clean the grafts, some Bacitracin, but that’s it. Very little pain. I was perfectly fine that night. And they give me a one-page chart to X off the post-procedure home care instructions (which is mostly spraying two solutions that help heal the grafts and some ice packs if you have swelling, which I didn’t.) But the chart is very helpful and makes it easy to walk through the minimal steps. And it’s always satisfying to X things off a chart.

To me, what’s best about the procedure is that it’s gradual. It’s not like the next day you suddenly have a fake looking shelf of hair that looks like bad plugs. It takes several months to grow in and that’s the best part. It’s gradual. I still have friends who have never said anything. Never noticed. And I was bald. And now I have a lot of hair.

As for the second time, (last week), I had always wanted to have it done again. Badly. The front of my head looks great (I had 3000 grafts) in round 1, but I still had baldness on my crown and wanted that filled in.

I returned to Ziering and this time spoke with Isabella. She’s the best. Incredibly knowledgable, warm, easy to talk to, plenty of laughs, easy to get a hold of, a pleasure to work with.

Dr, Calder came into the room and we discussed at length the best way to approach the crown of my head. He put a lot of thought into what I wanted and weighed that against his very experienced opinion of what would work best and how to achieve the best results.

I wasn’t nervous this time, knowing what to expect. This time was more just impressed. Everything is just incredibly “pro.” Front of house staff is terrific and friendly. They pamper you through the intake. There are nurses, technicians and support staff everywhere to attend to your every need.

Again, it was no bid deal. The procedure was most of the day but again, went by incredibly quickly. Snacks. Lunch. Podcasts, did a little work on my phone and got to know the technicians who were just the best. Good laughs. They care. They want you to look good.

So if you’re nervous, to say it once again, in all caps, because I wish someone had told me before my first time — It’s NO BIG DEAL. IT’S LESS THAN YOU THINK. DON’T BE NERVOUS.

And a few months later you have actual hair. Your own hair. Taken from the back of your own head.

And they validate parking!!