The Doctor Becomes the Patient.
Dr. Charles Slack shares his firsthand experience with NeoGraft® hair restoration—from the moment he noticed his own hair loss to the procedure, recovery, and results.
When Hair Loss Becomes Personal
“I started thinking about it about three or four years ago. I began to notice that I could see the light shining through my hair when I was looking in the mirror. I didn’t really notice any specific bald spots, but certainly my hair was thinning and my hairline was receding a little bit. Having two teenage boys with really thick full hair I thought, ‘Hey I could be that person again.’”
Dr. Charles Slack
This is how Dr. Slack’s own story of undergoing NeoGraft® Hair Restoration began. But things got serious after grabbing a snack at the hospital one day.
“I was paying for a bag of chips at a self-service snack bar in our hospital when I noticed a man on the kiosk security screen. He was wearing my clothes and had a rather large bald spot on the back of his head. I turned around hoping to see someone dressed like me, but I was all alone… just me and my bald spot.”
This was the moment that led Dr. Slack to research the latest technology in hair restoration.
From Hair Plugs to Modern Hair Restoration
During his plastic surgery training in the 1990s, the “strip method” was used. The surgeon removed a large strip of scalp from the back of the head. The wound was then sewn closed, often leaving a noticeable scar.
The removed strip was divided into grafts and implanted as “plugs.” These could produce an unnatural appearance, and recovery was painful.
Dr. Slack knew he wasn't interested in that approach—for himself or his patients. His research, however, revealed an advancement in hair restoration called Follicular Unit Extraction (FUE).
With FUE, individual hair follicles are harvested one by one and implanted one by one. The technique avoids the long linear donor scar associated with traditional strip harvesting and allows for a more natural-looking result when performed well.
“It’s truly an art form, and it’s totally different than the way I was taught to do it.”
Dr. Charles Slack
NeoGraft® developed a medical device to individually harvest and collect hair follicles. Although it is often called the NeoGraft® procedure, NeoGraft® is a tool used to facilitate the FUE harvesting method.
Dr. Slack eventually chose to include NeoGraft® in his practice—and use it for his own hair restoration—because he believed the technology and technical support offered the best opportunity for success.
One aspect he particularly valued was the involvement of experienced hair transplant technicians. At the time, the NeoGraft® team supplied technicians with five to ten years of experience to assist with the procedure.
Not Everyone Is a Good Candidate
Before a patient undergoes a NeoGraft® procedure, Dr. Slack meets with them to determine whether hair transplantation is appropriate.
Some patients are young and likely to experience additional hair loss. Others have lost so much hair that there is not enough donor hair remaining to achieve the result they want.
“I’ve turned more people away than I’ve accepted because some are just not good candidates. I would rather them spend their money on something else instead of spending it on a hair transplant that won’t give them the look they are seeking.”
Dr. Charles Slack
The Haircut Before the Hair Restoration
Dr. Slack began preparing for his own procedure about a month in advance.
Because the donor area at the back of the head must be shaved to identify individual follicles, he wanted a haircut that would make the transition less obvious.
“I decided to have my barber kind of do a fade cut about 10 days before my procedure. She wouldn’t cut it as close as I needed it cut, but at least it blended in better after the procedure and didn’t look quite so ridiculous.”
He also appreciated having time for friends and colleagues to get used to seeing him with shorter hair.
“It also allowed people I knew to get used to my shorter hair cut before I actually had the procedure. To be honest, I would have never walked in and asked for that kind of hair cut but I actually liked it.”
Dr. Slack recommends that his patients consider a similar approach before hair restoration. Choosing a haircut that blends with the shaved donor area can make the change less noticeable.
What About the Pain?
Besides his hairstyle, Dr. Slack started thinking about pain control. As a plastic surgeon, his patients' comfort is always on his mind—but things feel different when preparing for your own procedure.
“The only thing I was worried about was having to get the numbing shots in the back of the head. Local anesthetics (lidocaine or Marcaine) are injected into the back of the scalp wherever the grafts are going to be implanted.”
He was not looking forward to the multiple needle sticks but found the experience less uncomfortable than expected.
“I didn’t really relish the idea of multiple needle sticks but they were surprisingly not that big of a deal. A little vibrating device is used to ‘distract’ the nerves during the injections, so it wasn’t nearly as bad as I thought it was going to be.”
He noted that some patients might be prescribed medication to help with discomfort or anxiety, but he did not take Valium or hydrocodone for his own procedure.
“Some people may want to take a small dose of valium or hydrocodone prior to the surgery, but I couldn’t really prescribe them for myself legally. I didn’t really need them anyway.”
Eight Hours in the Patient's Chair
Once his scalp was numbed, Dr. Slack was ready to begin. Harvesting and implanting the follicles took approximately eight hours.
The first several hours involved harvesting follicles from the back and sides of his head. Dr. Slack found this part of the procedure relatively manageable.
“I was face down on a massage table when they were harvesting from the back of my head, and I would lie on my side one way or the other when they were harvesting from the sides. When I was on my side I just slept.”
“When I was on my stomach I was on my phone, since there is a hole cut out in the head rest you can look through. I surfed the internet, answered emails and watched Netflix. So that was no big deal.”
The most challenging aspect of the day was simply spending so much time in one position. He appreciated opportunities to stretch, check emails, and take a longer lunch break after the harvesting portion was complete.
“I came back to my office – we ordered from Jason’s Deli. I had a nice corn beef sandwich and some soup. The technicians had a little lunch break, too. It felt good to get up and move around and not be in the chair.”
After lunch came the implantation stage. The team needed access to his hairline and the bald spot toward the back of his head, so he was positioned upright with pillows.
Although the process itself was manageable, sitting in essentially the same position became uncomfortable toward the end.
“When they’re putting the hairs in, you’re just sitting up in the chair and they’re putting them in wherever they need to put them in so you can watch TV.”
“We’ve got an iPad stand that you can use so you can watch Netflix or something else during the implantation. That’s the only time for me it got tedious. In that last hour, I was ready to be done and felt kind of uncomfortable sitting in basically one position for so long.”
Recovery Was Easier Than Expected—Except for Sleep
Once the procedure was complete, Dr. Slack drove himself home because he had not taken Valium or hydrocodone.
He wore a light bandage, watched the Mavericks game, and used Tylenol for discomfort.
The next morning, he washed his hair using the same careful instructions he gives his patients: gently pouring soapy water over the scalp and rinsing without rubbing or scrubbing.
“I’d say the biggest problem for me was finding a comfortable position to sleep in.”
Because grafts had been placed at the back of his head, he needed to avoid putting pressure on that area while sleeping.
“If you put the grafts in the back of your head to cover a bald spot, you can’t lay on the back of your head or you’ll dislodge your grafts. So the recommendation is you sleep with your head a little propped up off your pillow.”
“I used one of those airplane pillow that goes around your neck, and I just couldn’t get comfortable. It was really hard to sleep that first night but it got better the following nights.”
Back to Seeing Patients in Two Days
Having treated other hair restoration patients, Dr. Slack knew what to expect during the early recovery period.
“I knew I could go back to work in a couple days if I wasn’t self conscious about having some bruising, eye swelling, and maybe some scabbing.”
“I went back to work and saw patients two days after I had the procedure, and did surgery a couple days later. Remarkably, nobody ever really commented on how I looked unless I pointed it out to them.”
Dr. Slack experienced swelling around his eyes on the third or fourth day, but relatively little pain.
He managed the discomfort with Tylenol and described the experience as “not a bad recovery at all.”
Hair Restoration Results Take Time
Dr. Slack reminds patients that transplanted follicles may initially produce some visible hair growth, followed by shedding.
In his experience, it can take around eight months for new hair growth to become more apparent, and a year or longer to meaningfully judge the result.
“It isn’t Amazon prime. It’s not going to be on your doorstep tomorrow morning. You really can’t judge the results for about a year or so.”
Dr. Charles Slack
Even while waiting for the full result, he felt comfortable returning to everyday life.
“But by two weeks I went on a boys’ trip to Detroit to watch the Cowboys and the Michigan games. I didn’t feel self-conscious one bit, and it didn’t look like I had anything done. I was fine.”
These milestones describe Dr. Slack's personal experience. Recovery and hair growth vary among patients.
Understanding Hair Loss From Both Sides
As a plastic surgeon, Dr. Slack has spent his career helping patients address concerns about their appearance.
Undergoing hair restoration himself gave him a different perspective: that of the patient.
“Men don’t come in for a lot of procedures. They may come in for Botox, or maybe some liposuction, but clearly what bugs men the most is not having their hair.”
It was the same for Dr. Slack. His experience with NeoGraft® gave him a personal understanding of the questions, discomforts, anticipation, and patience involved in the process.
Considering Hair Restoration for Yourself?
Dr. Slack understands the process from both perspectives—as a plastic surgeon and as someone who has personally undergone NeoGraft® hair restoration.
Schedule a consultation to discuss your hair loss, available options, and whether you're an appropriate candidate for treatment.
