Thehairupthere

If you were to remove grafts by FUE in the hairline and not transplant over it again, you can see little white dots like FUE scars in the donor area. You may be able to try and straighten out the hairline with another small procedure to the other side ,but without seeing you I'm not sure which option is best. Laser removal would not leave a scar if you wanted to even it out that way.

Once FUE is removed from your donor area the hair has been taken out so the hair will regrow where it is transplanted. So technically the FUE leaves your donor area thinner, but not to the point where it is noticeable, this is why surgeons selectively take grafts from a large area as to not take too much from one area. If FUE is performed to extract hair from the recipient site you do not transplant new hairs into the same hole, as it too large and the grafts won't be able to stick. In those situations if there is enough room in that area, they will create new incisions near the removed grafts and place them there. Sometimes older plugs are so large that you may even need a stitch to shot that hole closed. So in these repair cases it can require more than one procedure to fix everything. So with the first treatment it will definitely look better, but you should wait for the FUE incisions to heal for about 8-10 months and then perform another one into that area where you couldn't transplant earlier due to the FUE incisions in the recipient area. Removing the grafts you have may not even be necessary, that is something that you need to go over with a surgeon. Sometimes transplanting more into that area in the correct angle will hide the others and leave you with a more natural looking apperance.

Many people are good candidates for FUE but the qualities that make someone a bad candidate are people with poor skin qualities as well as poor quality of the existing hair. If the skin is not elastic, or has the right amount of collagen in the skin, it makes removing the grafts more difficult. This something that needs to be looked at during a consultation. Having dark hair does make having an FUE procedure easier for the surgeon to see the hairs, but everyone can have the procedure done including blondes, as surgeons can use dye during the surgery to help locate grafts.

The information you have is basically right. The scar from a procedure, if done correctly by a recommended physician will leave a fine scar that could go from ear to ear. It is difficult to notice the scar unless you keep your hair very short, usually shorter than a #3 on a razor setting. Not all patients are good FUE candidates, some people have better quality hair that makes them better candidates for the treatment, and therefore better yield.A surgeon would recommend FUT over FUE due to the reason above, but in many cases if the patient requires a substantial amount of grafts it could be in their best interest to go the FUT route due to the higher survival rate of the grafts, and also due to the patients financial needs. FUT in general provides better overall results but if the scar is something that really bothers you and you plan on keeping your hair very short than you should consider FUE, but know that the results could yield less hair density. Not all doctors perform FUE and FUT. FUE is less common in the industry, and some have technicians do the procedure as opposed to the surgeon. I would recommend doing a lot of research on those who practice FUE regularly and see their results.

It was ok for you to start showering normally and shampooing after 8 days post surgery. The itchiness is a normal part of the healing process, try to not scratch your head if you can. Use shampoo that help with itchy scalp such as selsun blue, or head and shoulders.

You are experiencing the normal shedding period from propecia, it usually happens between 1-3 months, but it is temporary. You will start noticing a positive difference in your hair quality and thickness around 6 months, but regrowth if it were to happen usually occurs closer to a year.

There are a few options that you can try. One option is to have hair transplantation into the area from your donor supply. Another option you may consider is scalp expansion surgery, where your skin would be "blown up" like a balloon allowing the skin to loosen, you would do this for about 3 months, and when that process is finished there will be enough elasticity in the skin to simply excise the balding area, and suturing the area closed. For an area like this I believe that the expansion option would give you the appearance you are looking for, but it does come with a significant life change for a few months, but the results may be better. Here is some more information about the process. Scalp Expansion Surgery for Alopecia Reduction: Medical Hair Restoration Option

You should not expose your grafts to the sun directly after the procedure. In fact you do not want to expose it to the sun for about 4 weeks. I'm not saying you can't walk around during the day without a hat for one month, but you need to be careful about getting burned on top of your head as that could damage your grafts. So do not expose yourself to the sun for too long. The scabs will be noticeable until day 8 when they will start falling off in the shower. For that first week you want to take it easy, nothing too strenous. You can walk around and enjoy the sites, but try not to sweat profucely in the first few days and I know in Thailand that could be a bit of an issue to avoid. Also you shouldn't drink for that time as you will be taking medication such as antibiotics and pain killers which should not mix with alcohol. You will look pretty much back to normal on top of your head about 8-10 days you will still have some pinkness that could last a few more weeks. If you hair is shaved the scar and stitches will be noticeable until your hair grows long enough to cover it. The scar will not heal completely until 6-7 months at the earliest. So I would suggest keeping your hair a little bit longer for the treatment that way you can hide it easier, but that's your choice.

Those Beckham photos are #1 or at most #2 on a razor, a scar will be noticeable with an FUT procedure.

I'm not sure if there have been any studies done for hair transplants and smoking, but cigarettes are known for constricting blood vessels, increases blood pressure, and increased carbon monoxide presence in your blood. All this together adds up to increased chances of damaging grafts when they are transplanted so it is safe to say smoking can cause a real risk in the survival rate of grafts, not even mentioning other serious health risks.

You need to decide what is more important to you. If you have the FUT procedure you will have a scar that will be noticeable if you keep your head shaved short. FUE is more expensive and less efficient as the survival rate is lower than FUT, as well as also limiting the total amount of grafts you will be able to get, so it depends on the extent of your hair loss. You could have the FUT and keep your hair relatively short, shaved to a #3 or #4 on a razor setting and it not being noticeable (after at least 6 months of healing). So think about your long term goals and decide with the doctor on what path is the best for you.

Dr. Pathomvamich in Thailand is a good option, his work looks good. The price may be high for this procedure but remember this is permanent and a lifelong investment. I'm not sure what they charge in the practice but I would suspect it's somewhere in the usual range of $3.5-$5 per graft. See if they offer payment plans.

I don't believe I misrepresented the length necessary to hide a scar. Like I said if you shave to a #1 setting on a razor, it will be noticeable, but with surgery some people heal better than others, so some people can get away with it, but not suggested. A #2 or #3 setting will give you between 1/2 inch-3/4 inch of length and will cover the scar, if the suturing was performed properly. There are doctors who use technicians for FUE but there are several who do not. So I don't believe surgeons are straying away from FUE because they do not want to do the work, but because some people are not good candidates for the treatment, as well as it not providing them with the most optimal result. FUE limits the amount of total grafts you can get and if a patient comes in with a large balding area, it may not be wise to go the FUE route but rather the more efficient FUT. Then again these are the questions the patient must ask themselves before being treated.

I think you have the best options in Europe laid out for you. If you are interested in more FUE surgeons in the US, there is Dr. True, Dr. Dorin, Dr. Feller, and Dr. Shapiro as you mentioned. All of those options are very good, as they are all top notch surgeons.

If you shave your head to a #1 setting on a razor, the scar from a FUT procedure will be somewhat noticeable, so usually a #2 or #3 are sufficient at hiding it, so about 1/2 inch is enough to hide it well.

Just as Takingtheplunge suggested you should consult with a doctor about forming a good long term plan if you do not want to use medication. Since you have had a bad reaction to finasteride, I certainly wouldn't suggest starting it up again, but you should consider using rogaine foam (minoxidil) as it works very well in at least stabilizing your hair loss. Once it's stabilized the doctor would feel more comfortable providing you with a more aggressive approach which will ultimately make you look better, consider it.

I'm sorry to hear that you're experiencing hair loss at such a young age, I myself went through the same situation. At your age it is highly recommended to start on finasteride (propecia) or minoxidil (rogaine) and use both daily for at least one year before considering having hair transplantation. This can potentially regrow miniaturized hairs that have been dormant while saving the hair that you still have. Dr. Rahal is a very good and capable surgeon I would highly recommend him. You do need to take this process one step at a time in order for you to meet your goals and not jump into a situation that won't benefit you in the long term.

The grafts that were transplanted should not shed at 3.5 months after transplanting, that process typically happens after 2-3 weeks after surgery. I'm not sure how you looked prior to the procedure, but perhaps it's your native hair in that area that is thinning out. Either way if you are concerned you should consult with your doctor and have him or her take a look at the situation.

0.5 milligrams of finasteride should be ok, but it will most likely only keep what you have, but not regrow any hair with only half the dosage. That being said even with 1 milligram it's not guaranteed to regrow hair, but a good amount of people see a positive change. Again it's very early on, keep at it for 6-12 months and see how it progresses.

Why are you only taking 0.5 milligrams of propecia per day and not the usual 1 milligram per day? I think you mentioned you were taking the medication for only about one month, which would lead me to believe that you are experiencing the initial thinning phase from the medication which many people experience which is normal. You need to take the medication for at least 6 months before you'll start to notice any changes, and about one year to truly notice any hair regrowth. Consult with the doctor who gave you the prescription for the medication.

Long hair transplantation is possible but it does make the process increasingly difficult as the surgeon will have a very hard time seeing what he's doing and the surgery would most likely take hours longer than normal. The hair that is transplanted would also fall out anyway after 2-3 weeks, which is normal due to the "resting phase" of the hair which will only start to grow by itself around 3-4 months after surgery. So the long hair process would seem unnecessary as it does not provide you with that look you are leaving with after a few weeks. After those 2 weeks your appearance would resemble how you looked before treatment, and then the normal growth cycle will ensue.

It is too early to determine that you have dodged the hair loss gene from your family, you are only 25, people regularly start thinning at older ages. After looking at your photos, it seems that bringing your hairline much lower would be as you said, risky as you may go on to lose more hair in the future and you would have used a major chunk of your donor for this hairline treatment. I would see a recommended surgeon from this site about treatment and start using propecia or rogaine to help retain as much of your hair as possible. After taking the medication for about 6-12 months you can get re-evaluated by the doctor and then consider having a treatment to the hairline and corners.

There isn't a difference between the year point and 2 years, the reason they ask you to wait one year is so that the hair they transplanted has reached it's final growing stage, so they can see where to add density the second time around. They also ask you to wait for complete healing of the scar, and scalp. Usually patients can come in a little bit earlier than a year like 11 months but that's if they see the above statements, where it would be safe to continue with the 2nd treatment.

Smoking and drinking alcohol does thin the blood, but you also should be taking antibiotics, perhaps with pain killers and possibly sleeping aids, so combining those medications with alcohol is dangerous. Both are obviously not recommended in the first place due to their negative effects on a person's health, but I would recommend not using any until your stitches have been removed and have stopped using the medications or about 10 days after surgery.

What you are experiencing is shock loss. If the native hair that has shed was considered healthy prior to surgery than the likelihood of it surviving is high, but if the hair was miniaturized and unhealthy than it may not return, but usually the surgeon will more than compensate for the shock loss once everything is grown in properly. Shock loss for most people usually lasts from 3-6 months but it can be longer in some cases.