HairToday72

Sorry its been a while since I last updated. I returned to Dr Umar last may (2012) for another 3000 grafts to add density and build up the front. At just over 7 months post surgery, really happy with progress and results. Have attached some new pics to my profile if anyone is interested. Best wishes all. Thanks for all the kind messages and support over the last couple of years on this long journey.

Thanks b. Feel pretty good about how it's turned out. I know some maybe younger guys wouldn't be happy but being 40 and having been totally bald for nearly 20 yrs before its been a life changer for the better!

Not been on for a while but just posted some 18 month pics. Thanks for everyone's support, best wishes and comments throughout my journey - this community really helped me through. Planning on going back next month for a second pass focussing on hairline and front. Will probably journal my progress if guys are interested.

Hariri, Exercising my right to reply I don't agree with you that dr Umar messed up my case and that was not the consensus of comments and messages I received. I see you chose to link to my 6 month result rather than full year. In actual fact he took my totally bald nw7+ scalp (a toupee wearer) and gave me back a life. It's a dusting of hair rather than a thick lush head of hear but I am happy and think its an improvement from where I came from.

Hi lisco, haven't been on the forum much lately but got a mail to say you'd updated. Your result looks great so far especially for only 6 months, I'm really pleased for u and u deserve it after the tirade u got when u first posted. Bonkers... guess u won't be saying told me so after all! Lol

Speaking as a recent patient I would definitely vote for Dr Umar. Aaron, in terms of selection criteria for bht, if you don't include the use of beard hair in that category (considering many fue doctors are using it successfully to a greater/lesser extent as donor of last resort) then I can say the doctor did not accept me as a patient for the use of bht (chest, legs, arms etc). He advised it was unsuitable in my case and there was no need to use it anyway considering I had sufficient scalp and beard hair to use. I am going back for a second pass next year and again he is not willing to use that hair in my case.

Yes I would say at least 80% now the hair has grown in and matured. It looks like many top fue surgeons (some recommended on htn) are now doing beard grafts to a greater or lesser extent. Sooner or later beard has to be considered a donor source, even if it be of last resort. Obviously I can speak for ppl who had a bad experience, there seems plenty of those for all types of surgery and doctor, I can honestly say my quality of life has improved since my ht, which is after all why we're all here isn't it.

Hey Mac, I just read ur follow up email. Best of luck with it, I think the important thing is that u chart ur progress here so other guys can see how ur dispute was resolved. I hope u and dave81 follow this through and keep us all posted. The good thing is that these days people know their rights and won't stand for bad service. There are great hair replacement (toupee) companies out there. If u know what ur buying and ur comfortable with it then go for it, I don't get why there has to be such mystery when u buy a system.

Thanks guys. The plan is to add density to top, front and hairline. There isn't anything left to take from the sides of my scalp but I think there is still some left at the back which has grown back and recovered well. I am going to go for 3500+ grafts if I can get away with it. Still quite a lot of beard donor to use. I hear you about smp, i haven't ruled it out but it's gonna be another 12 months after the next surgery before I can decide if to go that route. Aaron, how's ur progress m8? Your last set of pics looked great.

Finally at the 12 month post op mark, just posted my pics. Planning on a second procedure in Jan to add some more density to hairline and parts that didnt grow so well.

Hey Ryan hope all is well mate, drop me a mail sometime let me know how ur getting on. I would try hdc in Hendon, nice independent salon they do a good job there and won't rip u off. At least in my experience.

Well I wasn't wearing the same wig for 20 years!. Over the years I used all of the top salons in London, I stayed in touch with new developments and tried every type of system. I agree with you wideparting that there is much you can do to prevent getting busted including constant clever styling. I also agree with they guy posted earlier who said that there are too many life situations that crop up along the way - windy days lifting the front or sides up and everyone seeing the line (and all the hair on the system lifts, not just a few hairs unless you use tons of product), those intimate moments when they get too close to touching your hair.. My family, friends and work colleagues are all very forthright and yet nobody said a word. I think it's the fact 'they know' 'they know you know' 'they think you know they know'. You can't honestly tell me you havent been in a situation where someone makes a seemingly random hair joke.. Hey I'm not down on systems, as a cosmetic solution i think anyone that has or wants one should go for it if they think it will help them (i wouldn't leave the house without mine on) but I just think people need to be realistic about what it is, it's limitations and not to be delusional about how it looks to others or live in denial that they are not bald because they have a system glued the their head. I don't mind being proven wrong mate, why not post some pics so we can see how good your hair looks?

Having been a wearer for nearly 20 years in my opinion the only person who believes the hair system is undetectable is the wearer. You convince yourself nobody knows, you even forget you've got it on - but believe me nobody else does. The only reason others don't say anything is because most people don't, not to your face anyway. I thought I got away with it more in my early 20s, probably because it was hard to believe someone that young would be wearing a wig. As I got older I became an object of ridicule, despite the fact nobody would ever say it to my face.

Agree with Aaron that skeptical optimism is needed, hard not to get excited as odds are one of the upcoming regenerative treatments will work. Having said that it is a shame these guys have never grown a single hair on a human head yet. He called it a cellular hair transplant (hair replication/cloning/multiplication), which is more alike the Farjo/intercytex work than histogen which is a medical formula. Some interesting questions, if they can regenerate pre-existing hair how will they stop it miniaturizing again - they don't know. If they can grow new hair what direction will it grow. I guess we'll eventually find out!

I totally get the idea they replicate Dht resistant hair cells and inject them on a bald spot to regrow a new hair. I don't think it's a new concept, Dr Farjo was doing similar research back in 2009 with intercytex which came to an end with unanswered questions. The Replica site lost me when they said the injection would somehow also regrow pre-existing minaturised hair. As soon as it started to cycle surely it would be attacked again by dht and fail to mature?

Did your grafts shed post op?. Here is a link to an article by dr Bernstein I saved when I was shedding: Shedding After Hair Transplants: Hair Transplant Recovery | Bernstein Medical - Center for Hair Restoration If your grafts didn't shed post op, then it sounds like u fall into the third category the dr describes. Unless someone else has any ideas. At 2.5 months it's unlikely new hair growth would have reached the surface and pushed through, let alone shed. It could be shock loss of naitive hairs but you are ruling that out.

I'm sure you paid top dollar for your ht, and you are fully entitled to some aftercare if you have worries. I would email the clinic and/or doctor with your concerns. That said, I found this a great forum for support and advice through the 'ugly duckling stage'. a coalition Doctor even posted some advice. Based on my recent fue ht I had 3 types of shedding - some grafts shed around 3-7 weeks, others grew really fast then shed around 2 months and some didnt grow or shed immediately but shed as new hairs started to comethrough. There's tons of posts on here about post op shedding, some really good ones from a guy called spex worth looking up, essentially the sooner the grafts shed the better. Apparently the norm is for new growth to start 3 months after the hair has shed. I think the message here is it's way too early to be worried but still think you should be getting some reassurance from your surgeon. Happy growing m8

In the Daily Mail today (so it must be true): Jab to end baldness 'ready in five years' using fat cells from sagging bellies | Mail Online Sounds great but these cures are always '5 years' away...

Lisco, i dont completely agree with the slamming your hts got on here. Yes, your immediate post op pics look shocking as all post op pics normally do. Your 4 day post op pics look a lot better to me. The donor looks consistent with a recent fue procedure, nothing unusual there. On the close ups it looks like the grafts have been placed evenly inbetween native hair, and if youve got a good number of 2s,3s and 4s then i dont think you'll have anything to worry about. The pattern of placement on the crown looks like the surgeon has tried to create a swirl pattern, the grafts look widely placed but again close up you can see much of the grafts have been placed inbetween native hair. if you have nice thick hair and a good hair count per graft this may well turn out ok for you - remember its all about the illusion of having hair when it grows in. Keep your chin up mate and think positive, look after your grafts etc. I dont really care if I get slated for saying this to you but dont let anyone tell you your ht hasnt been a success only a few days after surgery. Best wishes.

Just posted my ten month post op pics...

Hi steve, I doubt you could claim on your credit card if the small print says 2 month guarantee on the hair, 6 months on the base. What is totally outragous is what use is the base stuck to your head without any hair in it after 2 months. As for lasting 2 years, no chance. The only way it would last 2 years is if you didn't wear it. If you had six units and rotated them on every visit, that might work I suppose. All the scientific terminology bamboosals you into thinking it's some kind of state of the art medical procedure. most people would go running out the shop after being told they were going to stick a toupee to your head with pva craft glue. Hair not matching is down to what was ordered and the skill of the stylist. I found a good stylist could do wonders with anything, they have tools to thin out the hair to blend it etc. What are you going to do now?. If your system is worn out it could take upto 8 wks to get another one custom made. you might be able to get a stock system quickly. You didn't say what you paid but I would tell them your not paying any more than 500 pounds and that's it's. Shop around mate there are quite a few companies out there who do exactly the same thing cheaper. That's interesting what you said about your hair not growing bk underneath. I long though that all the chemicals (solvents and adhesives) contributed to accelerating my hair loss.

I've long thought that someone Like Dominic littlewood or watchdog should investigate the selling practices of hair replacement clinics. It still shocks me to read that a customer doesn't really know what their buying and then can't get help or support afterwards. Hey steve, id you can recall what you were told and what you signed, you should be able to claim on your credit card. I'm willing to bet it's all covered in the small print. ALL hair replacement systems fade with continual washing and sun exposure. All hair systems will shed hair over time. I don't know what a partial membrane is supposed to be but if it's a poly (plastic) base the hair will shed quicker than a mesh base. I am amazed that you don't seem to have been sold some kind of plan that involved several systems so that when yours wears out you can swap it over, so the old one can be repaired or thrown away.

Hi bijv, Can you share a bit more about your experience, what you were told you were getting and what actually turned up?. It would be good to know whether the 1500 was for one or several systems. In my experience most company supplied systems cost around 500 each and that includes fitting. They make a bundle on this if you compare the ones you can buy mail order.

Your young so chances are your hairloss is early enough you will benefit from meds such as finasteride (propecia) and minoxidil which at your age should help your situation or at least stabilize it to buy you time to research and wait till you can afford a procedure with someone you want to go with.

Hi again gemmamatt , The glueing was something I did myself as it was much cheaper. The glue itself was about ?10 and lasted ages. When you go to the salon to have it done they call it a regroom and normally cut your hair at same time, this is about ?50 give or take. The total bonding only works on poly bases tho. I never had much trouble with itching or heat but I read some horror stories about people who had an allergic reaction to the glue and it seemed to burn or blister their skin!. When u get hot or sweat more often it makes the glue melt quicker and need reattaching. Pokerboi- i think all the different bases have their pros and cons, I personally preferred the poly bases because how natural they looked and felt but they are disposable as they are delicate and wear out in couple of months, by month 3 a lot of the hair sheds and the colour fades. This is a shame if you have a system you especially like. The other bases were generally more durable and can last a year with good care, recolouring and maintenance. They are normally made of a mesh material with the hair tied into it, some companies do a lace front on them which look good (the lace wears out quickly). This is actually really only a common/standard toupee u can buy anywhere on the net, although at a salon they will normally charge you more and make the system an inch bigger than your bald area, shave into your hair an inch, then hard bond permanently the system to your head around the perimeter of the system. The only way to remove it is for your hair to grow so it can be cut off. It has the effect of looking like your hair is gradually growing longer as the system moves forward. At the front u use toupee tapes to reattach every few days .