CHB81

I had it last November and I wasn't very happy with it to begin with (non-coalition). I can't say that I can visibly see results but it doesn't really matter as my top is going fairly quickly now too. I might've gone for another FUE if the top was more stable. Oddly, Finasteride seemed to work incredibly well in the first few months but now I have started to noticeably shed again so I am about to concede to the inevitable. I'm likely going to keep on the meds for another year just in case, but if things keep going they way it is then I'll just be wasting money after that. I think I'm going to be shaving down sooner rather than later but I'm very apprehensive of the recipient zone appearance. I have enough native hair to conceal them on a #1 shave but I'm uncertain of how a 0 or razor would look. The donor area is a bit noticeable with a 0 buzz but it doesn't bother me with a full top. However if the hairline is as noticeable then I am going to be in trouble. Even if the scars are more superficial, the wounds in the recipient area are far more concentrated. I seem to have a lot of flaky skin on my scalp... its not that apparent as dandruff but I can certainly see it flake off in moderate sized chunks. Its pretty itchy too at times. But I am hoping the constant skin shedding might help fade the scars even though I can't really see any at the moment. I guess to be more specific I just want to see the recipient zone razored from any HT, not just FUE. I think it will give me a better idea of how to plan for the future.

Thanks doctor, I don't think the scars are very apparent if at all but the human eye is really good at picking out slight imperfections. You're right in that I won't be able to tell what I will look like without taking the plunge, but I was hoping there would be some pics out there. I do have some discoloration in the recipient zone and it seems to trigger after a hot shower but subsides quickly. I am obviously very apprehensive venturing into razorland because I only had the HT in the hairline which will be easily discernable if anything is even slightly off. I'll probably have to do it at some point though since HTs are just not sustainable for me at the rate I'm going.

I'm considering going this route now rather than pursuing more grafts but I have no idea how it would look. I've shaved the donor area with no guard and there is some noticeable scarring after 1000 FUE but nothing I can't live with. The question I have now is regarding the donor hairline which is a bit concerning. At this point I don't want to shave down to test it because the growing phase would be worse than before since a bit more loss has occurred. There are some spots that are pretty much still bare after FUE and I cannot see much scarring up close but I have a feeling that might change from afar. I do tend to heal small scars nicely on my face but I'm not sure how 1000 in close proximity would look. The punch used was 1mm. I'm aware of laser and dermabrasion but I have no idea how they work, the effectiveness in this scenario, or who would be reputable.

I didn't like my result and I just found one of these as well. I'm not sure what it means but I also have a lot of stubs that haven't grown for almost 10 months now.

I have a similar pattern with more native frontal hair and slightly more density up top. My head is a bit more round on top as well. I had 1000 FUE in the hairline (non-coalition) and not entirely happy with the recipient density although part of that is due to losing more native hair. Looking at your pics and my own I think we have to concede that all the thinning areas will most likely be totally bald one day. I tried using the graft calculator which is great for the top/crown, but I think the formula can vary too much hairline to hairline. For myself and assuming good yield, I'm thinking 2000 grafts in the first inch and a half probably provides pretty good density. Maybe another 1700-2500 to round out the remaining frontal 3rd. But on top of that you have to consider that having an HT with native hair creates other problems as the native hair sheds. I also felt like you about the drugs at first but changed my mind quickly once I shaved down and saw what was clearly happening. Luckily I researched it more and more, felt more comfortable, took a chance and don't see any side effects after 8 months. That part is up to you. In terms of a HT I personally think you have to decide if you would be willing to take it all the way and have your entire head done at one point. This will likely mean multiple surgeries and many months of downtime. Also consider you may have to change your hairstyle to hide a strip scar as your hair is fairly short on the sides which makes it appear thin in the harsh light. Know that you might not be able to change your mind about the whole thing after the first HT. I have to say that even with a lot of native hair, the downtime is very trying on your confidence. I would pay a few visits or email a few more reputable clinics to check your donor supply which would probably help you come to a conclusion. Be wary of all claims and being told what you want to hear. Do NOT rush like I did. Even at only 1000 grafts you cannot afford to squander that precious donor supply with bad yield and scarring. Not sure if any of this helps but thought I'd share, its a tough choice but again I'm kind of in the same boat with one HT experience.

Didn't want to create a new topic for this but I had someone mention a eyelash growing serum that apparently works for growing and thickening. Its called Rapidlash and seems to have *some* credibility. Just curious if any of the active ingredients have any affect on other hair?

Not sure how long ago you had the procedure but I had one done 8 months ago and it took months for it to go away completely. It stopped being noticeable after I believe 2-3 months but I also had native hair to mask it. Odd thing is that after a hot shower and/or combing in the recipient area it will still become red for a brief period as I assume more blood is able to reach that area somehow when stressed. I haven't noticed any effects after drinking and I do turn red when I drink. It makes me wonder if having a HT in an area with a lot of native hair makes shedding/miniaturization in those areas accelerate. I'm also concerned that the area will become even more noticeable if I have a second HT in the same area like I plan to do.

I had FUE done as well and quite a bit of native hair at the time so I went back into work after 2 weeks. No one really said anything although I had a bit of pink in my hairline. It was slightly masked by the native hairs. I kinda just holed up a lot and didn't really go out too much until about 3 months out. I didn't have good results still but had enough native to get by. Now I have to go through the ordeal again later this year with less native hair so we'll see how that goes...

I'm pretty sure you won't have the result you want in 10 months. There would be progress but chances are the hairs wouldn't be mature/thick enough for your liking.

I've posted this before but just giving you another reaffirmation that this doesn't seem to be uncommon. I have more than a few grafts that are stuck as stubble and it is the start of my 8th month. You may be completely different so don't let that panic you either. I wish I could show you but I had FUE into my existing hairline which is much longer so it isn't visible. The good thing is that you can actually see the progress which I'm sure you will be paying close attention to as agonizing as that can be.

I was hoping to avoid the strip vs FUE battle that will never have a winner. I had a good feeling that the general consensus for full coverage would be a 'no'. Still I was hoping to be proven wrong as Sparky may end up doing, even if that is a unique case. I fully understand that strip has higher yield and is much cheaper but that is not always the most important thing. Most obviously is that I do not want to be burdened with a strip scar and change my whole appearance at this stage in my life understanding that I may need to in the future. I wonder if other guys with different (longer) hairstyles might not be able to see this side of the FUE fence since they don't have the same issues. Personally I do not *appear* to have much hair loss at all. At this point I would be happy with the hair I already have if no more was lost. However I don't believe this will be the case, at least not in the hairline. I do believe the meds are working to some degree and I would like to see how far I can take it combined with FUE before resorting to strip which forcibly changes my hairstyle and to some extent my perceived lifestyle, as I want to maintain what is in my mind a youthful look. I was recently on vacation in a busy metropolis and had the chance to analyze the hairlines and balding patterns of similar men. I was surprised at spotting more than a few persistent hairlines and thinning (sometimes extensive) of the top/crown. Although perhaps they too had some work done, many of these men appeared to have a decent enough coverage/comb-over where FUE could possibly bridge the gap allowing for a thin to moderately covered appearance with a strong frame. I think that could be acceptable at an older age. Planning conservatively is always advisable which is why I would like to have the option of strip if the need arises. I may be in a different boat than most of the posters on this board as I am in the earlier stages of MPB and my first doc told me that I have 'great density'. While I don't feel that I was nearly as informed about the world of HTs back then as I am now, I am currently seeking a second opinion including a mapping and analysis done from a board recommended doctor before doing any further work. To answer a previous question about my results, I did not go with a recommended doctor previously which is why I would like to reinforce the work that was done. If the outlook was positive enough I would go for another 1000-1200 FUE into the hairline to define and strengthen it and possibly another 1000 or so into the remaining frontal third as I do not need that much density to have a full look. If absolutely necessary I would consider strip for top coverage later on in a few years hopefully. Of course I don't want to blow all my donor too soon with FUE, but similarly I don't want to commit to strip and find out later that I didn't have to. I think this is a reasonable strategy to present to a doctor, at least for me personally but likely a few others too. I was surprised that I wasn't able to find greater interest for this type of planning from doctors and patients alike.

Everything you've outlined is certainly true and makes sense. However I'm at a point in my life where I want to maximize the look and feel of my hair while I have the opportunity. So essentially I would like to do things in reverse since I'm already somewhat locked into more transplants having done the first already. Having said that, I feel fairly comfortable with FUE scarring since I don't seem to have much in the donor or recipient. I haven't shaved down the recipient again to verify but I have worn a zero buzz on the donor several times and I don't feel that it shows up much at all. Obviously it would be more apparent with more extractions but I rarely go down to zero anyways. My previous procedure evenly covered about 1" of the hairline with 1000 grafts. Although it seemed like it was enough, looking back I can see that the grafts were placed to help with density rather than designing a hairline. The additional thinning is thus becoming a problem and the recipient area is showing very uneven results with many grafts stuck as stubble even after 8 months. I would like to stick with a younger hairstyle for a little while longer. I know it will cost much more up front than performing strip now and would probably last a short time. Still I'm curious more than anything and am trying to determine how many FUE grafts I would need to cover the hairline with good density while maintaining enough untouched space for a strip later on if necessary.

I thought my hair was doing pretty well since my first FUE into the hairline as loss was not very noticeable but I left town for 3 out of the last 5 weeks and noticed that my hair loss really ramped up when I was out of town. I maintained my same regimen of Nizoral and Finasteride on time. Just wondering if anyone has had a similar experience?

I forgot my original account details for user CHB8 so I had to create another one. I've had one FUE in the hairline of 1000 grafts and it doesn't seem to be enough for full coverage as I've started thinning a fair bit in the last month. The results from the first procedure don't seem to be very apparent at the start of month 8 so at this point I'm looking for another procedure this year. Personally I'm looking for a dense hairline and I'm okay with a less dense look in the back. I only have visual problems in the hairline at the moment and it is just in the middle of thinning so I still have a lot of natural hair. The crown and top is more stable with the finasteride so I can hold off on that for a while. Since I started with FUE this got me to wondering if it would be reasonable to have full head coverage using FUE alone. I wear my hair shaved down on the sides and back so this is the best option for me at the moment. I might be able to go for strip down the road if I choose a more conservative hairstyle. I'm not sure how a doctor would compensate for this.