multiplier

Awhile back my dermatologist recommended one of these devices which has helped clear up my breakouts and skin tone. https://revivelighttherapy.com/product/dpl-nuve-professional-acne-treatment-light-therapy-copy/ Does anyone know if it's the same kind of laser people have tried for hair (e.g., laser comb or helmet)? Would be great to try the same device for both needs! Although very skeptical it'd help with much other than superficial healthy appearance of existing follicles.

I bought a comb way back in around 2002, used it for a couple years and really saw no benefit. I haven't been as in the loop with hairloss stuff in awhile but I now see they're selling helmets. But...I thought the jury was already in that these home remedy laser devices didn't work? Is this just more of the same?

Yeah, hard to know. It was a known and respected doctor who just warned it wasn't a great long term move. But I also don't know of any true controlled study that shows growth will reverse if scar tissue builds up from needling...?

I'm wondering if you "cycle" it — do it 1x/week for 3 months, then take a month off, then cycle again — would be less harmful.

I've been doing it every few nights, but it's expensive and I'm wary as some claim side effects. No idea whether to expect results.

I was speaking with a HT doctor who said about people who are microneedling: "Any type of chronic wounding will build up a lot of scar tissue overtime. These guys are likely seeing a temporary benefit, but I think they will actually accelerate and even worsen their hair loss in the long term." Anyone heard this?

Sounds like I'm gonna take the plunge with a Dermapen after seeing folks' results. Happy to report back or compare notes if anyone's interested.

Have actually done SMP here in NY for scars and the results are good. But I think it'd be weird if patches were SMP and patches were obviously #1 bladed hair.

Wow, I'd only ever read that 1x/week is all anyone had done safely. What I ordered in 2015 on Amazon and have been using since is called: "3-In-1 Kit Derma Roller by Diva d'or - Titanium Micro Needle Roller - 180/600/1200 Needles - Best Skin DermaRoller for Body and Face - 0.5/1.0/1.5mm N"

I've had 5 transplants starting since around 2001. Have a look at my blog/history if you're curious. Basically bc of persistent sides, I had to quit finasteride in the summer of 2015. 4 years later, I keep my hair very short and give the impression of someone with short hair who is balding at the crown. But, my worse case scenario is coming true which is that the horseshoe shape is starting to define itself and I'm now losing hair on the sides of the crown. Which means that in a few years, the transplanted area will detach from the sides altogether and I will be f*cked. Other than removing the transplants in some miraculous surgery, I don't know what else to do and am feeling very depressed. Depressed enough, I might just go back on finasteride (though I apply topical fin 3/4x week and have no idea if it helps). First I'll attach a photo from 2015, though obviously the lighting is very very different and I still had some native hair mixed within the transplants. Then I'll attach 2 photos from today that show the loss starting around the sides. My current regime: topical finasteride 3-4x/week, dermaroller 1x/week, 5% Rogaine 2x/day. Are there any other inside tips for small gains or regrowth I could try around the crown or any new developments in this world since I've been out of touch with the hair regrowth game for 5-6 years? Thank you guys.

That first MHR surgery I got created a much larger scar than was necessary for that amount and done by an inferior doctor/company. So once that damage was done, it was harder for subsequent doctors to do larger sessions all at once, as it was explained to me by Dr Shapiro.

Sorry for the delay, I've been out of town. Here are a couple photos. My donor density was never great and keeping my hair short was always the idea. Another note is that I quit finasteride due to side effects in 2015 so I have continued to lose in the crown. A couple months ago I did start topical finasteride though and have continued with Rogaine. I guess my main issue is that the hair on top sometimes goes bird's nest-y when I try to comb it. And it sticks straight up (but at differing angles) and is coarse whereas the hair around sides and back is very very fine and straight and flat. Just trying to soften the effect in the front, if possible. I'm currently cutting my own hair with clippers: #2 in back and sides, #3 on top.

Well, it's been a couple years and they still seem like they go unnaturally in different directions.

I've received a few transplants in the last 5 years and while it's done a relatively good job filling in the balding areas, to my eye there is no mistaking that the transplanted hair on top looks different than the hair on the sides. Currently I'm cutting my own hair with clippers: #2 on sides and back, #3 on top. I got SMP tattooing from Matt Iulo at Scalp Micro and it's done a great job allowing me to keep my hair short. But, still - the transplanted hair on top is unmistakably coarse, twisty and wiry. I'm trying to figure out how to soften the appearance. I've thought of dying my hair silver like some hipsters do nowadays But I think my hair would have to be longer for that. Same with straightening it - a hairdresser told me it would have to be at least 2" and that's not an option. I'm wondering if anyone here has succeeded in using softeners or conditioners or any other kind of procedure to help things look more natural. Thanks.

I just made a consultation appointment with Vinci here in New York. I would also like feedback about them.

Thanks hairthere - I want to clarify that Ahead was totally helpful, well-informed and easy about the whole process and it's probably just something in my biology and nature of my scar that made it fade. I will follow up with you via email. If anyone has seen photos of short hair with SMP on an FUT scar, I would love to see good examples or hear from people's experiences. I can't quite seem to find what I'm looking for via Google image search.

I am to the point where 3000+ grafts is simply not giving great coverage and the attempt by Shapiro to add 400-500 grafts to my FUT scar has amounted in negligible difference to the scar. So I would like to cut my hair fairly short — not shaved — and obscure the scar. Have you seen any photos of this looking decent? I have seen a few photos on HIS forums that show a shaved head and scar and it looked way darker than the skin. It was almost like a black stripe across the back of the head which is worse. FWIW, I went to Long Island and had temporary ink done there and it disappeared in 2 months. I am considering HIS for scar work, but am worried about it. Has anyone had this done in a scar with success?

Hi all. I wanted to weigh in with my experiences, some of which can be read in my posting history from 2011 when I suddenly experienced some changes after 10 years on Propecia. Below I'm going to post what I posted to PropeciaHelp.com, but which was never approved by their admin. I don't know why. I suspect because what I've experienced straddles the line between PFS and anxiety problems. But there's no denying the very distinct overlap in those symptoms and to this day, I don't know if they're psychological or brought about from finasteride. This is what I posted to PropeciaHelp, and also the personal history I give whenever I see on of the many urologists, endocrinologists and psychologists I've seen since 2011. Apologies if it's explicit, but I'm curious if it resonates with anyone. ------------------------ I wrote the above in early 2014 and am no longer seeing the girlfriend I described. Since then, I've continued to take 1/4 a Proscar every day. I took a doppler test with one of NYC's top urologists and was declared normal. I can get erections if I watch porn but there is a delay in getting an erection and some numbness and occasional difficulty finishing. I don't get morning erections or spontaneous erections throughout the day like I did prior to 2011. I am lucky to not be "totally impotent" as some have described it. When I'm with someone and with Cialis, I can perform, at least eventually. But undeniably, due to depression/anxiety or due to Propecia, my libido is weaker and sustaining the erection seems more difficult. Sorry for the length. I think it just helps to talk about it and try to figure it out.

Thanks, seeker. When I got FUE back in September of last year, I told myself and Dr. Shapiro that I was done with surgeries. But like many people before me, the concept of "done" becomes more abstract as you continue to lose more hair, especially now that I'm 40. There are many days I just want to shave it all and be done with it, but that FUT scar is making that impossible. I'm wondering what it is about SMP on a scar that makes people wary. This week I met with Dr. Dorin here in NYC. He was really down to earth and suggested he could do a very small FUE that would fill in the scar a bit more and touch up one of the temple points. But it would still require a shaved strip in the back of my hair. These days I have a pretty prominent job position that doesn't allow 3 weeks off for recovery time. Ideally I'd like to get SMP to cover the scar, wait a couple months, then shave down for FUE so the scar is sufficiently hidden. It's hard to put all these puzzle pieces into place and it has been 15 year process to try to look in the mirror and feel "good" about progress. Anyway, it's a lot to think about. I appreciate the feedback so far.

Curious why specifically? Just because as your hair grays, you won't know how the the ink will blend long-term? I live in New York. I had flown to Minneapolis to see SMG for those surgeries. So did you get temporary ink with them and it looks fine? And you have to go back every year? I did around 400-500 into my scar in September of last year. I'm still not sure if I'm seeing the final effects. But I do know that when I cut my hair short, there's still a faint line across the back of the head that would give some people pause. I would rather take steps to eliminate it altogether if it's possible.

Sorry for the photo quality, I can't seem to find the right technique for taking pics of the back of my head. I've definitely had good comments on the scar from people who would know. At the same time, when I see myself from the side, I can see that very white bright linear scar just underneath the hair and I'm always looking for ways to improve that. So has anyone done temporary ink on a scar and had a good experience?

My history: • In 2000, I got 800 grafts FUT from MHR • In 2011, I got 1400 grafts FUT from Dr Paul Shapiro • In 2012, I got 1800 grafts FUT from Dr Paul Shapiro • In 2014, I got 1000 grafts FUE from Dr Paul Shapiro, divided between scalp & FUT scar Photos: https://www.dropbox.com/sh/8xystm05q1tkwtb/AACANdkoF3iSZIhRopVjify3a?dl=0 I will make another post soon with my progress over the years. But for now, since overall coverage is not great, I would just like to keep my hair cut fairly short without exposing the scar. I visited HIS Hair Clinic in NYC last week and got an estimate of about $1500 for a couple sessions of permanent ink on the scar. The consultant mentioned it was quite a flat, thin and professionally handled scar and that SMP would be an easy job. Last year I had FUE hair put back into the scar but as you can see from the photos, it's still evident. Please give me your opinions on permanent SMP tattooing. I cannot tell in my research whether it's ready for prime time or something I would regret. Thanks.

I have been through 3 FUT surgeries and at this point (after taking some time off Propecia and paying the price), but my hair is sparser than I'd like. Feel free to look at my Blog for more details. My doctor, Paul Shapiro, said my scalp was simply no longer lax or ideal enough for another FUT, so we're going the route of FUE in a few months. Obviously this is more complicated since FUE will reveal a pretty long FUT scar until the hair grows back, although part of our strategy is to use 300 or so hairs to fill in the scar and allow me to keep my hair cut shorter. In all likelihood, this is the last hair surgery I will have. I have always been an average candidate, at best, and I don't mind having my hair pretty well buzzed. My question is: if I'm planning a solo vacation during this recovery time, how many weeks before the hair grows back and remnants of the scar are covered? It's a bit abstract now because we can't now how successful filling in the scar will be, visually. But I'm curious if others on this forum have had a similar scenario.

A little too swamped at work to respond in full quite yet, but wanted to say thanks to Bill for expanding on some of these ideas and clarifying a bit on stuff like recommendations vs endorsements.