I started lossing hairs when i was 18. I started using minoxidil twice a day and a year later my doctor adviced me to start taking propecia. For 3 straight years I did that religiously and did get positive results. But, It was pain in A**. So, I quit the treatment at 21 and within 4 months, lost all the hair and was norwood scale 6. Nevermind, I wore cap all day long for 2-3 years and after which shaved my head bald and liked it. For past 5-6 years been kept my head shaved. I went for Hair Transplant (FUE) about 4000 grafts (which includes 3500 grafts form side and back of head plus 500 grafts from beards) in Sept, 2012. 

The surgery went on for about 9 hours the first day and 5 hours on second day. I was awake all the time, talking to doctor, his technicians and on my cellphone. It wasn't painfull at all.

Day after surgery, I took a cross-continent flight (18 hours long). And yes i was given Do's and don't by the Doc. Which I had to ignore for obivious reasons. The important one I would like to share is: that I had beer day after surgery (which doctor advised to avoid for 3-4 days) and the side-effect was i had bad hic-ups for straight 6-8 hours on the way to airport, while waiting for my boarding pass, while waiting for 3 hour delayed flight. Not to mention, with my head swollen like Frankistein, it wasn't pleasant experince at all.