FUT Pre-Op Information & Agreement

11669 Santa Monica Blvd, first floor, LA, CA 90025

IMPORTANT: NO IBUPROFEN (ADVIL) for two weeks and NO ALCOHOL for one week prior to procedure.

No Adderall, Antidepressants two days before (text Dr Sean if you take any)

Your surgery is scheduled for: Your Date @ 7:30am

The price breakdown is at the end of this packet.

 

If you have any questions please call Steven at (310) 866-6997 or Dr. Sean at 310-237-8760. For Dr Sean, text is preferred.

Cancellation and rescheduling policy:

Please note, we care about you and thus we perform only your procedure on the date you have selected. So, please give us at least 2 weeks (14 days) notice for cancellations and rescheduling. Cancellations or rescheduling less than 2 weeks result in the loss of your deposit. It is almost impossible to fill a day on short notice.

Discounts for appearing on Social Media: OPTIONAL

You can get a discount for appearing on Dr. Sean’s Social media.Please inform Dr. Sean Before hand if interested @ (310) 237-8760.

There are various discount; Options include:

  • No face demonstration of procedure for social media $300 discount (example here)
  • Full procedure video of the procedure: $2,000 discount (example here)
  • You can also sell your after picture (no face) for $500
  • There are other ways you can get a discount. Speak with Dr. Sean

Stay Hydrated: Two days before the procedure, hydrate yourself very well. We like at least two 20fl Oz of Getorade each day in addition to drinking water. Do not come in dehydrated.  We recommend eighth 8 ounces (total 64 ounces) of fluids (about 2 liters) a day. This is not a lot. We like at least two 20fl Oz of Getorade (40 ounces)  each day for electrolyte replenishment. Do not come in dehydrated. However, on the day of the procedure, don’t drink too much, you don’t want to be running to restroom every few minutes.

Things to avoid  TWO DAYS before the Procedure: Please simply contact Dr. Sean for guidance.

  • No anti depressants like Paxil, Prozac, lithium, wellbutrin or other antidepressants.
  • No Adderall.
  • These are not definite NOs, so speak with Dr Sean.

Things to avoid THREE DAYS before the Procedure:

  • Dental procedure
  • Any procedure requiring lidocaine for numbing

Skin Donor preparation prior to FUT procedure:

  • You need a heat pad. Any electric heat pad from any pharmacy is recommended.
  • Sometimes the skin in the donor area is tough, making the procedure more challenging. There is a way to help soften it prior to the procedure.
  • Sometimes the skin in the donor area is tough, making the procedure more challenging. There is a way to help soften it prior to the procedure. Dr Sean will call you specifically with this information the night before.
  •  
  • I would like you to take a 15 minutes shower. This is divided into watering the Recipient area (where the grafts are placed ) and the donor area ( where the grafts are removed from).
  • Of this 15 minutes, six (6) minutes will be directed towards the Recipient area.

RECIPIENT AREA SKIN PREPARATION, six (6) minutes

  • Turn on warm (not HOT) water and rinse your recipient area.
  • For the first three minutes (3), let the conditioner sit on the recipient area, massaging it intermittently.
  • Then, stand under warm water (NOT HOT) for additional three minutes

DONOR AREA SKIN PREPARATION, nine (9) minutes 

  • Turn on HOT water  (NOT TOO HOT,  DONT BURN YOURSELF)  and rinse your donor 
  • The first three minutes (3) massage conditioner into the donor area, massaging it every minutes
  • Then, stand under hot water for additional six minutes

This is a total of 15 minutes, do this the night before the procedure and the morning of. Then , do the heatpad on the donor area.

 

HEAT PAD SKIN PREPARATION – DONOR AREA 45 minutes

  • The donor area consists of three sections: (A) the right side area above right ear, (B) the back of the scalp and (C) the Left side area above left ear.
  • Turn the heatpad on on and sleep on the Left side (A) for 15 minutes (DO NOT BURN YOURSELF), then the middle are (B) and then the Right Side (C) . This will make it easier to remove the grafts.
  •  
  • PLease perform the shower and heatpad night before and the morning of the procedure. Please do not do more than the requested time. 
  •  
  • Please contact Dr. Sean for questions

Before Your Procedure:

The video for pre-op instructions is located Here & the video for scalp exercises prior to your procedure is located Here.

We like you to begin performing scalp exercises starting now. Simply grip your hands together placing the palms on back of your scalp. Massage moving the skin up and down. This loosens the skin. Also, place  your palms on the temples  above the ear and  massage up and down. Please perform these for  about 30 minutes a day from now. Also, while taking a shower, allow warm water to hit the back of the scalp and perform these massages. Another method is to purchase a rice bag (heatpad). Microwave the rice bag for 30 seconds and sleep on it for 10 minutes. Then while in bed, massage the back and the temples accordingly.

The video for FUT post op instructions is located Here. Please watch the above videos a few times (after the procedure). It is very important. Dr. Sean will review it with you in detail as well.

  1. What to purchase:

We have provided links to items on Amazon. Please inform us if Amazon links are not working.

Advil (Ibuprofen)

Tylenol (Acetaminophen)

Travelers pillow (link here) is recommended to allow you to sleep with your head elevated for the first few days. This will accelerate healing and reduce swelling. All other post op kits will be provided.

If you like to wear a baseball hat afterwards, purchase a truckers hat (it has more space). Please get one that is adjustable. A good one I found on Amazon is Here. Bandanas work too.

Johnson and Johnson Baby Shampoo for washing your scalp. Link Here.

We will provide you with Tylenol with Codeine.

Compression stocking for the day of the procedure. Amazon link here.  They prevent blood pooling at the feet level.

 

  1. Payment: Full payment is due on the date of surgery. Cashier’s checks, cash, or credit cards are all acceptable.
  2. Haircut on procedure day: Do not cut your hair short in the back. Leave it at least 1 – 1.5 inches long. So, please don’t get a haircut for one month prior to the procedure. This way, you can cover the wound area immediately afterwards. Please wash & condition your hair the night before. Do NOT apply gel, mousse, spray, etc.

You can wear a baseball hat in a few days.

  1. Stop taking these medications: Two week prior to the procedure, stop use of aspirin and aspirin containing products such as Advil, Motrin, or ibuprofen. These increase bleeding. Please stop taking any Vitamin E & multi-vitamins. Also, discontinue the use of Rogaine (Minoxidil) two weeks prior to procedure.
  2. Start taking these medications: Vitamin K tablets can help prevent bleeding. Please take Vitamin K1 1000mcg, twice a day for 4 days prior to procedure. Link here.
  3. If you have high blood pressure: Please make sure you take your blood pressure medications daily. Ideal blood pressure is between 120-140 (the top number). If your blood pressure is more than 160 on the day of the procedure the procedure will have to be cancelled. If you take your blood pressure medication in the morning, please do not forget to take your medication that morning.
  4. Alcohol, Marijuana and Spicy Foods: Please discontinue Marijuana few days before for the procedure and Alcohol two weeks before. Alcohol increases bleeding. Whiskey and hard liquor affect the bleeding the most. No spicy foods the day before the procedure.
  5. Exercise: Please no heavy exercise the day before your procedure. Light exercise is ok.
  6. Sleep: Aim for a full 8 hours of sleep before your procedure. Being well rested helps a lot!
  7. Hair Dye/Coloring: If you color or dye your hair, do so several days before your procedure. You will not be able to do so again until 4 weeks after!
  8. Follow Ups: Please plan to see us the day after your surgery. We ask that you come after 2:30pm the following day. We would also like to see you again a few more times during the next couple weeks after your surgery. After that, every few months to track progress. Front desk (310-315-4989) to schedule a time. If you live out of town, simply facetime Dr Sean.
  9. Medical professionals (or if you live with them): Please wash your entire body the night before and the morning of the procedure with Hibiclens (antibacterial solution). You can purchase Hibiclens from any pharmacy or link here. Even if one of your family members works at a hospital, it is required that everybody in the family washes themselves with Hibiclens. This prevents antibiotic resistant infections. Also wash the bed sheets and pillow covers.
  10. YouTube: Please do not watch too many procedure videos beforehand! They can make you unnecessarily anxious, and it is important that on the procedure day you are as relaxed as possible.
  11. Eyebrow transplant patients: No Botox or Dysport 6 months prior to eyebrow transplant.
  12. Hydrate yourself: The day before the procedure, please drink plenty of water.
  13. Keloids: If you develop keloids, please contact Dr. Sean right away.
  14. The procedure may involve the use of ACELL® or Amniofix® is for wound healing.

ACell® is regenerative medicine that helps the body heal itself at the cellular level. ACell technology with MatriStem® contains a protein complex called an extracellular matrix (ECM) which helps foster new tissue growth. ACell MatriStem is an FDA-approved product that is used to heal wounds. Acell use in hair restoration is an Off label use.  More information can be found on Acell.com.

Amniofix® is a human tissue allograft made from part of the human placenta, the amniotic membrane. AmnioFix provides a biocompatible human extracellular matrix and retains 300+ regulatory proteins and  supports the healing cascade and protects the wound bed to aid in the development of granulation tissue in acute and chronic wounds. More information at https://mimedx.com/amniofix/.

 

Day of the Procedure:

  1. Getting to the office: LA traffic starts getting heavy around 5:45AM. So please plan accordingly. Also, please take into account applying conditioner to back of scalp for 10 minutes morning of and standing under warm/hot water for additional 20 minutes.

The new office address is 11669 Santa Monica Blvd, Los Angeles, CA, 90025. Parking is located behind  the building, the entrance is on Santa Monica Blvd. We occupy the entire first floor. 

 

  1. What to wear: Please wear comfortable, loose fitting clothes. Please do not wear tight pants or shirts. The room does get cold and chilly, so wear long loose pants and long sleeve shirt. Please wear a button down shirt or one that is loose, but one that has long sleeves. It does get chilly in the room. Under shirts are ok as well. . At the end of the day, you will need to put your shirt back on and if it is too tight, it will rub against the grafts. Also, don’t wear shirts that are too fancy, as you may have to toss them out afterwards.

The shirt we like is Here. Ideally black.

 

Women, please wear a sports bra underneath your shirt.

 

Due to COVID, we are restricted on using blankets, if you like to bring a blanket thats fine.

 

  1. Breakfast: Eat a good breakfast before coming in, i.e. a bagel & cream cheese, breakfast sandwich, etc. Eating some fruit or a protein bar is not enough! Since we give you medications, its better not to take them on an empty stomach. Carbs are important on procedure days. Due to COVID, may nearby hotels don’t offer
  1. No Coffee! Decaf is fine. If you get withdrawal headaches by not having coffee, please inform Dr Sean. He will give you coffee.
  1. Blood Pressure Medication: If you regularly take medicine for blood pressure, take it before arriving (this is repeated, we know its important)
  1. Be relaxed: The procedure is not hard on your system, and our staff will do everything they can to make your experience as comfortable as possible.
  1. Leaving at end of day: Please arrange a ride for after the procedure as you may feel too tired to drive through LA traffic. Whether that means staying at the hotel nearby, having a friend/family member drive you, or planning on using Lyft/Uber is up to you. Please bring Pjs just in case you like to spend the night at a hotel.
  1. Special Medications: The pharmacy delivers your medications on the day of the procedure. These include antibiotics, anti-swelling medications etc. The pharmacy will contact you to confirm your legal name, date of birth etc. As standard, everyone gets Xanax (helps you relax). However if you prefer Valium, please inform Dr. Sean one week prior to your procedure. Just text Dr Sean (310) 237-8760. Further, if you have received any opioids or xanax from any pharmacy within the past one year, please let us know. California law prohibits two different pharmacies dispensing restricted medications.

After Your Procedure:

  1. Help hair growth: A special protein shake sold at the office is called HelpHair. It comes with a multivitamin. Take the shake in the morning and the multivitamin at night for six months and your hair will grow back faster. This also has biotin in it so no additional biotin is necessary.   If you like to get the generic version, which is cheaper you just need to add a biotin a whey protein concentrate. The generic Whey protein concentrate I like that is cheap and good is Nutricost Whey Protein Concentrate (click here). Its 5 pounds and not that expensive. You would need to take it with Biotin 5,000 (click here)  a day. 

Other nutrients to add include

Vitamin D 2,000 iu once a day (link Here). Please note that taking more than 5000 iu a day requires blood work.

Gelatin 600mg Twice a day (link here)

The Helphair shakes and vitamins we sell at our cost, but if you don’t want to take that brand, you can order the generic version off of Amazon Here. Please supplement with Biotin 5,000 mcg a day (link Here).

2..Avoid Trauma: Avoid sunburns, overexposure to sun and tanning booths. Please play it safe, injuries or any blow to the head may prevent the hair follicles from growing.

  1. Stop Smoking: Smoking cigarettes or marijuana constricts blood vessels which can limit the amount of oxygen that gets to the grafts. Please refrain or at least cut down for the weeks following your procedure. Marihuana edibles for sleep may be ok as they may not have the constricting effect on the blood vessels.
  2. Swimming: No swimming for 4 weeks after the procedure.
  3. Medications: Dr. Sean will order you Keflex antibiotics, so if you have allergies to penicillin, please let him know. For those who work in a hospital setting or are prone to ingrown hair, he will order Doxycycline.
  4. Weight Loss: Significant weight loss in a short amount of time can cause hair loss and prevent your hair from growing.
  5. Diet: Good quality high protein like fish (tuna),meat, eggs, nuts (almonds),organic chicken and protein concentrate (no Isolate) will make your hair grow fast and strong. Vegans and vegetarians, please contact Dr. Sean for a special protein diet.
  6. Follow Instructions: Please follow post-op instructions for washing, etc. carefully. These will be provided on the day of the procedure.
  7. Follow Ups: Please see us the day after your surgery. We will want to see you a few more times over the next several weeks, and then check in every couple months after that. To schedule follow ups call the front desk at 310-315-4989, they will be scheduled after 2:30pm.
  8. Motorcycle Helmets: 4 weeks

During your consultation, Dr. Sean estimated that he could safely extract and place 2000 grafts. On the day of your procedure, Dr. Sean will reevaluate the area and the amount of grafts he can extract. If he placed more than 2000 each additional graft will be $4.90. If he places less than 2000, your price will be reduced accordingly.

Acell information can be found Here and at Acell.com

All Clients Are Welcome to stay near our practice!

Nearest airport: LAX

You can look for hotels in 90025 zip code or the surrounding area. Try not to stay too far please.

We consistent get good positive feedback from Holiday Inn Express (0.4 miles away), Found Hotel (0.5miles), or Comfort Inn (1 mile). The city of Santa Monica and Beverly Hills are simply very close as well.

Steven Cohen: 310-866-6997

Dr. Sean: 310-237-8760

 

Scroll to Top
Skip to content