fortune11

lots of good advice here , esp the list of surgeons listed by mav3gunther here Only disagreement i have with some other comments maybe --- I actually think 1600 is plenty of grafts for a decent hairline if placed properly . And my 2004 hairline transplant w Ron Shapiro was worth every penny -- as it has stood the test of time (12 years and running) and saved me enough donor hair for subsequent transplants on other parts of the scalp as my diffuse NW6 thinning continued to progress further. Besides the number of grafts , it is also matters a lot how they are placed to create that optical effect of more density . A lot here also depends on the coarseness of your donor - the coarser, the better .

The side scars can be a real problem as laxity is much less than at the back of the head. I had a tight scalp issue as well with my HT #3 (look up that thread if you can) . dark red / black scabbing very similar to yours and then ultimately their was some keloid (raised scar) formation. Dr Ron was extremely helpful throughout the process and even got me a pro bono SMP at another clinic (which faded with time unfortunately) to fill in the scar until the time I could see him again. Lack of scalp laxity is why I went the FUE route this time around and used the opportunity to fill in some hair in the scar, I really didn't want to take a chance with scar excision in case there was further expansion similar to the prior procedure. My experience - the scar will get a little better with time but what I see in your pics right now precludes anything less than #5 haircut on the sides/back even down the road. So you should mentally prepare yourself for that. BUT ... above all, the growth from my HT #3 was so phenomenal that it enabled me to change my hairstyle completely and be able to look 5-7 years younger than what i previously was. So the scar is a nuisance but will be less so as time goes on and the results of your HT start to come in. Right now at this stage and understandably so, all one can think about is the scar. So hang in there for now. Down the road you should reach out to H&W for scar repair since in my opinion they should be obligated to make at least one attempt to fix it , free of charge.

Blake - I am actually on the 2.5mg daily medication of Oral minoxidil prescribed by Dr Ron Shapiro post my recent FUE w him. I had an extensive discussion (via email) with him and am convinced that at this dosage it is no more harmful (in terms of side effects) than the topical version. He also mentioned that there were several ISHRS presentations done on this topic , notably by Dr Rodney Sinclair from Australia and Dr Pathomavich as well. Topical minox wasn't really effective for me so I am going to see if this oral version can change things up a bit (some people's scalps are not as amenable to topical absorption , i may be one of those). I will keep you guys posted on how this goes.

Congrats on the procedure . Regardless of how many grafts , it is still MORE hair and that can't be a bad thing for people like us who need it . I noticed you mentioned Toppik for concealment . It actually is not very effective at that short of a haircut (in the front) . I recently went through an FUE (Shapiro) and hair was buzzed short . I tried using toppik but it just falls on the scalp and creates unsightly black splotches . Dont believe for a second toppik reviews that claim it is just the method of application. IMO , it is all about hair length. You may be better served by cutting rest of of the hair a bit short to blend in a bit and then using something like dermmatch or one of those fill-in powders sold on amazon. good luck w the recovery and growth

Thx farmcat . What I mean was how long after the shaved scar and donor area (for the fue procedure) did your hair grow enough to be able to conceal the scar . Also , did you use any hair concealer products in the meantime or were you ok w the scar being exposed ?

farmcat how did your scar turnout eventually . I have a strip scar as well and recently went through FUE (which also filled in some hair into that scar) .

reviving this old thread I just had an FUE (Dr Ron Shapiro) and have started taking Loniten 2.5 mg daily per his recommendation, today is my first first day with it. He did make me aware of the sides and their frequency and it seemed reasonable parameters for me at this dosage. For me it is an alternate to topical but now reading this thread and seeing how some people here have seen better growth with the oral version, I am hopeful that it will have an impact on my FUE recovery , esp in the recipient area where it has been a bit slow to bounce back even after ~ 2 weeks post surgery (the donor is regrowing just fine so far). Will let you guys know what I see . FUE thread below for those interested. https://www.hairrestorationnetwork.com/eve/185663-recent-fue-dr-ron-shapiro-prior-fut-patient.html

I have used a total of 6500 from the scalp so far (including this FUE session), and then 300 from beard. i probably have one more FUE (~ 1000) left in me judging by how the donor area is healing . but will revisit that only if needed down the road (maybe 3+ years) The results from the second transplant (2,000) were not as good hence some of those 6500 were wasted I feel. Nonetheless , the result now is something I can live with , leaving a bald spot on the back of the crown which is age appropriate I feel. Being NW6 I can never achieve full coverage including the crown. to answer your other question. I did do scalp exercises before those FUTs but I am not personally convinced that they help much.

attached below. I am having a hard time uploading the extraction video. If someone can point me in the right direction. It is a .MOV file , size 72MB.

Hi - As some of you may recall, I have posted prior experiences of my FUTs (2004-Shapiro, 2011-Ziering and 2015-Shapiro). I am basically a diffuse NW6 and have tried to keep pace with my hair loss using HTs into existing hair. While I have used Rogaine almost forever , I did not start using Propecia until 16 months ago (after HT#3) . My scalp laxity during FUT #3 was not great and while I was happy with the grafted result, it did leave a prominent scar on the right hand side (see pic below pre op). Having been " stripped out" , the goal with this HT was to use FUE to 1) fill in the gaps in the frontal third (as a consequence of somewhat inadequate result from HT#2) 2) fill in the side alleys and importantly 3) fill in the scar, esp on the right side -- I must say here that I did try SMP into the scar with rather unsatisfactory results (done elsewhere, not at SMG) so this time wanted to use actual hair into the scar to get that coverage We used about 1200 hair from the scalp and ~ 300 from beard, 1500 total. The instrument used by Dr Josephitis (who did all the extractions) was a hybrid punch (motorized). Dr Ron Shapiro made all the incisions. I will not go into procedural details since people are already well aware of the high quality SMG process. There is a video attached below that you can look at for the extractions My donor area was completely shaved for the procedure and now at 10 days post op it has grown nicely to be able to conceal the procedure enough . The only problem I am facing is the shaved areas in the recipient scalp (alleys and frontal third) are taking their time growing back (the original hair , not the new grafts) and I am experimenting with some concealers now to figure out how to make it look reasonable. I am also taking some MSM and applying a liberal dose of Rogaine but so far it doesn't seem to be helping. Let me know if anyone has any questions etc. Overall I am excited and looking forward to seeing the new transplants grow whenever they do , but I am well used to the long and painful wait , having been through it three times before ! The pics below are pre op (shaved down) and also during the procedure . I will post the 10+ day post op separately.

ok , I just went ahead and bought some MSM -- starting w 1000mg dosage first, lets see how it goes. Thanks for the advice . My hair is still kind of stuck in the same level of growth as the day after surgery , even though it has been about 5+ days . I am assuming it is because of shock to the system which takes some time to recover from. I guess having only been through FUT so far and not having to shave down my native hair , I didn't pay attention to this problem until now . Lets see how much growth I get . If nothing else, I will try to mix in some nanogen with fill-in powder to create some illusion of density while the hair on scalp recovers . For now I am continuing to also take 2mg propecia a day. Will see if it brings about any further change .

I did the same (surgical cap). was much much more comfortable than wearing a baseball cap. your head is swollen as it is with all the numbing fluids in there so a baseball cap just becomes a bit too tight , alteast in my case . surgical cap was perfectly fine, people don't even notice is as many people are used to seeing medical professionals wear scrubs running errands around town.

Just had my HT and am wondering if this will speed up recovery of native as well as transplanted hair . Got a big chunk of my head shaved for FUE and want to get back in a presentable shape for the outside world as soon as practicable. Question is --- has anyone tried to up the daily dose from 1mg to 2mg (basically taking the same 1mg pill twice a day) and have they noticed any improvements / changes ? thank you !

Fellas -- Sorry I have been inactive for quite a few months now but some of you may recall I am a diffuse NW6 , have been through 3 FUTs and am "stripped out " . I do have a meaningful scar that can currently be concealed with #6 but starts showing up when I go below #4 cut . Now I am looking at FUE to fill sides of my crown area and also put some hair in the scar . Problem is , I cannot wear a hat at work (formal environment) and don't have the luxury of taking 1+ month off . FUE requires hair to be shaved down so concealment becomes an issue if you have an existing scar. How much time do you think at a minimum was necessary for you guys who have been through FUT and then FUE , when concealment (esp. with regards to FUT scar) was no longer the issue ? Thank you !

I am an example of NW6 , who has had successive hair transplants starting in my late 20s to keep chasing my hair loss over the years . do i have perfectly good head of hair ? no . I have balding crown which I know cannot be covered completely given that I am a NW 6 . But I do have a mature hairlines and midscalp hair which gives me a great look in photographs -- you know the ones at friends parties , weddings etc. Very few people converse while facing the top of your head or the back of your scalp and therein lies my argument -- you don't need to have a full head of hair to reap the benefits of hair transplants . This is why forward planning is essential , as many others here, including HT soon have said . It is not about if you have complete 100% coverage (which is a pipe dream anyways) , it is about having age appropriate hair which takes away the possibility that you will be mistaken for someone 15-20 years older than yourself.

I began balding at age 20, hairloss became noticeable as a crown bald spot around age 24, became a diffuse thinner on frontal and midscalp by 28 . At that point I said , what the heck and got my first HT at age 28 . As a result I kept my " look " , that is never had to deal with a totally bald area and then sudden hair growth where there was none. Hair transplant is why I kept my sanity and why I felt confident to achieve success in my chosen career. This is particular to men like me and I bet most of the people who are on this forum as well. I understand there are plenty of successful people who are bald and never let this affect their life or career , more power to them. I am not one of them. The decisions you take between the ages ~25 and ~35 are what set your life for good financially as well in your love and personal life , obviously there are exceptions. Just waiting till your hair loss has completely matured (say by age 40) and letting life pass you by makes zero sense in my world and my opinion. So yes, I agree w this patients decision and support California's viewpoint .

Congratulations Janna !!

That ATP solution is really a miracle fluid. I had a chance to use it the first time this time around (in Jan 2015) and my graft sites had zero itching and looked extremely clean , no redness at all . I would think this should be standard post op protocol by now for all HT surgeries.

Don't bother with any supplements they are useless for the most part and a drain on money. Only propecia / finasteride and minoxidil are of any real potency , and both are questionable efficacy when it comes to hairline and frontal third of the scalp. You are actually a good candidate for a transplant given your hair shaft thickness , atleast from what I can see in the pictures . Probably need 2000-2500 grafts but again, you will get the best advice from a recommended surgeon , many of which do phone and Skype consultations. Pick someone who is skilled with hairlines.

Congratulations esrec The clean and strategic placement of grafts reminds me of my first transplant w Dr Shapiro more than a decade ago. You are on your way to a beautiful , (more than) natural hairline . The hardest part now is waiting to get there ! BTW did Dr Ron use sutures or staples on the donor ?

I was a diffuse thinner when I got my first HT in 2004 on hairline, and have had two more since , all in between existing hair . Shock loss for me meant acceleration of the demise of existing weak hair but the new thick hair that came in more than made up for it. The transition between native hair to transplanted hair was gradual enough that no one was any wiser in the interim (except those who knew about my procedures). for context, I was not on finasteride until began using it for the first time this year. This also means that if you decide to go for another HT , you really cannot afford to have it fail as if you suffer shock loss as well , you will be worse off than before . That would personally bias me more towards an FUT procedure in the hands of a top notch surgeon.

I will grant the argument that the FUE dot scarring is better than the FUT linear scarring in the two examples being compared, and i think most will agree with that . But 1978's point is still valid --- One of biggest selling pitch for FUE for (eventually) high NW patients is , " hey if it doesn't work , you will still be able to shave it down and live a normal life as if nothing happened" . This patient clearly cannot do that . He will always have people asking him " hey what happened to you ? " . It is this part of the FUE sales pitch that I have the most issue with, even if we ignore all the arguments about the three forces , etc.

Good notes there. Dr Ron is a great choice . Having been under his scalpel twice (2004 and then again this year) , I can attest to his patient care ethics and transplant skills, especially on hairlines. When I first went to him , I only had a small 1600 grafts session on the hairline, but he made every single one of them count. Given it is your first time , scar widening will most likely not be an issue , most people have enough laxity in the beginning . I am only having problems with the scar this time around (HT #3) -- as the tension finally became too much (laxity gone) which no amount of scalp exercises before transplant can fix (I was doing the exercises for a good 4 months). Having been thus "stripped out" my final alternative to squeeze out whatever remaining donor I have is to go the FUE route. Plan is within the next 6 months .

India is actually a very affordable option for HT . The only thing I would say is the rupee being so low is not a "deal that won't last long" type situation. The $ is likely to continue to remain stronger against most emerging market currencies , including India, at least for the next few quarters.

KO - I was not on fin the whole time (I have only started recently 6 mos ago, after my HT #3). fin I think does help on the margin here.