Ellie

Hi Michael, Thankyou for the information, thats very interesting. I think Vitamin D deficiency is often neglected in the UK. The NHS does not advocate testing so many people are unaware if they have a deficiency.

I dont think you need to worry, I think its only prolonged lack of sunlight that could cause a deficiency...Vitamin D can be stored by the body. This explains it, lack of vitamin D alters the hair cycle .... What Vitamin Am I Missing If My Hair Is Thinning? | LIVESTRONG.COM

Hi Dr.Lindsey, Yes its me, Ellie from England... Happy New Year and I hope this is a great year for you and your family.. I hope everything went well with Julia's scan ....I got a recent e-mail so i know she's doing well , great news.. I think i have got the Vit D deficiency because i have avoided the sun for years, thinking it would age my skin, never giving a thought to my bones! Thanks for the advice, i am improving my diet to help things and i hope we get some sun this summer.. The FUE grafts you did for me are growing strong, its nearly two years since you did them, time flies..... So pleased with the work you did for me, I still feel very lucky that I found such a good surgeon..

I recently got my Vitamin D level checked and I am deficient even though i take the UK RDA in suppliments. This is a growing problem, especially for people who don't get much sun, the best source of vitamin D. I asked my GP to test it but he declined, saying it wasnt necessary, some GPs will test Vitamin D but many will not. I found 'City Assays' on the net which is a Birmingham UK NHS hospital which offers a service for ?25. They send a kit which includes a skin pricker and I had to place four drops of blood on the collection paper and then post it back to them. Very good service, the result is back within 5 days and easy to read result. Apparanty one of the symptoms of vitamin D deficiency is thinning hair, it alters growing phases. Hoping mine improves now i am increasing the suppliments. Opinions differ on how much vitamin D is needed to get correct a deficiency. I have read that 1000IU is needed per 25lbs of body weight daily and should be taken with some dietary fat as it is fat soluble. This high dose should only be taken until the correct level is achieved. Then it should be reduced to 2000IU daily.

Permanent hair colors do make the hair look thicker because they swell the hair shaft because they penetrate the hair follicle. Unfortunately this has a drying effect on the hair but its not usually a problem when the hair is kept short.

Some hair colours have no amonia or peroxide so are not damaging to the hair. They will wash out of the hair after a couple of weeks, depending on how often the hair is washed. Wella colour wash and Clairol Beautiful Browns are both good, no chemical hair colours. They are a good place to start to see if you like the look.

Hi Everyone, I havn't posted for a while on the forum but Dr. Lindsey told me that my photo's were posted so i wanted to confirm that everything has gone well with my grafts. My bald patches were basically scar tissue from an endoscopic browlift so they were very white and concave. They were especially noticeable when my hair was wet and on windy days i was conscious of them. They had bothered me for a couple of years before i decided to seek some solution and thats what led me to the forum...so pleased i found it and it eventually led me to Dr. Lindsey via Spex. I travelled from the UK but it was definately worth the journey and I enjoyed visiting Washington, the whole experience was enjoyable. I only had 200 grafts so I didnt experience any trauma or need for any concealment of the surgery. The grafts went into scar tissue which can sometimes mean there is reduced blood supply so the grafts potentially have less chance of survival....luckily mine grew very well, one side showed really early growth which was really encouraging. The left side took the full 12 months to mature and the hairs still seem to be getting stronger and thicker. I only have good things to say about Dr. Lindsey and his team....basically they are good at what they do. I don't usually do recommendations but i would not hesitate to recommend Dr. Lindsey to any of my family or friends. Thanks to everyone who posts on here because it is a valuable source of information and of course thanks to Dr. Lindsey and his team for their skill . Not forgetting Spex for all his help...

Thanks for the replies...guess there's alot of stuff that has an effect on hair and its not my imagination :rolleyes:

And this link has a whole list of stuff that can cause hair loss! :eek:, but no mention of antibiotics... I think they only cause hairloss in people with sensitivity.. Drugs That Can Cause Hair Loss | Women's Hair Loss Project

I did find this info which mentions antibiotics , along with alot of other stuff ! Hidden dangers to your hair | Mail Online

Has anyone else noticed that after a course of antibiotics they get a shedding of hair? I'm sure I have read somewhere that this can happen and i definately notice a link myself. Or is it just coincidence?

Dr. Lindsey, Thank you for updating us on Julia's progress and for posting the link to your fundraising site. After visiting the site its evident how strong you and your family have been to deal with this and how strong Julia has been to cope with all the treament. I hope all goes well with this final stage and Julia will be back home very soon and enjoying her ski trip to Utah. Good luck with the 'IronMan' race next August, it is a very tough combination and I read that five people have died doing this which indicates how very tough it is. The Very Best of luck. Ellie

Hi, I havn't posted for a while but just wanted to update as Dr. Lindsey has posted my six month pics. The growth on my right side was early and strong, the left side has been slower but the hairs seem to be growing and maturing slowly. I am very happy the hairs grew as they were placed in scar tissue and they looked so white and noticeable, they are both nicely disguised at this stage. It would be nice to have more growth on the left side but I'm happy because i don't notice them now, even when my hair is wet . I'm happy with my result and so pleased i had this small procedure vai FUE, i didn't really want another scar, especially as i don't scar particulary well. Thanks to Spex for all his help and of course to Dr. Lindsey and his team for their skill, I really appreciate it.

So pleased to hear Julia is doing well with her treatment . I'm sure all the love and support she receives from her family and friends is keeping her looking so well and positive. Good luck with all your running, thats a fantastic charity to support, Good luck in NYC.

I agree its a really natural result. I have strong eye brows and have plucked them for over 30 years in all kind of styles and shapes but they have always grown back . I guess its just depends on your physiology if they eventually dont regrow. I believe it can also be a sign of hypothyroidism when the outer third of the eyebrow thins.

Honey, I dont know anything about the surgeon you refer to but if you have any doubts i would delay things and do more research.

I truly hope this young man gets a great result, he really deserves it after going through so much.

Very natural result, hes obviously very happy.

I saw Rooney on TV last night, Its unbelievable that he has that much growth and density so soon. If its concealers then its very misleading and unfair to give unrealistic expectations to others with hair loss. If he uses concealers at the moment he should be clear about it.

Many Docs believe moist healing is the best way to heal a wound. There are plasters and dressings, I think they are called 'hydrocolloid' dressings which keep the wound moist while it heals and can reduce any subsequent scarring. Dont know if these should be applied where there are sutures. Dermatix and Bio oil shoud only be applied once the wound has healed according to the instructions. I think the majority of HT scars heal well just left to heal naturally. My scars became hypertrophic because of excessive tension on the scar, they healed well but started to stretch and distort months after the surgery.

Forums like MakeMeHeal have a rhinoplasty section and Miss Js Facial plastic surgery forum is excellent. Its an op with a high revision rate so lots of research is required.

I tried Dermatix for a scarring problem but it wasnt for a HT scar. My scars were 'high end' hypertrophic ( raised , pink and stretched) and it didnt work for me. I was told by surgeons that the only proven silicon treatment for scars is silicon sheeting but that would be impossible to use within the hair. Your scar isnt mature yet and it can take 18 months for a scar to mature and it can continue fading for longer. I had to have kenelog injections and eventually had to have kenelog mixed with 5FU but my scarring was unusual. I'm pleased to hear the silicon gel has given you some improvement with your scar and I think it will go on improving over the months ahead.

I viewed your pics and i think your HT is progressing well, the hairline looks stronger and your getting better density.

I thought IV drips were used when patients couldnt have fluids by mouth because they were going to have a general anaesthetic. Taking enough fluids via drinks should be OK for a HT i think unless the patient has some health issue that requires IV fluids.

Dr. Lindsey, Its good to hear the surgery went well and Julia will be back home soon, I'm sure Buddy will be pleased to see her. Your family will be in my thoughts and prayers during the months ahead.