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  1. How is this done along with the previous scar? Do they do it along the same place? Is this what is meant by 'scar excision'? If it is along the same place, is the strip going to be the skin immediately below the scar or above the scar or does it matter? Can they improve the original strip scar? Mine is quite thick so am hoping it could be improved. I know that the conditions that cause the first scar - such as degree of scalp laxity - will probably have a say in how the second scar forms. Maybe fact that skin will be tighter after the second HT could mean it stretches more.
  2. If you are going to get your maximum grafts you would need to use both FUE and FUT, I assume. What is the best way of combining these in an ideal world to get maximum grafts? Should FUT be used until all that can be taken is taken and then move to FUE or is it the reverse? Or is it all the same either way? I have had one FUT and then one FUE. I am considering what is best to do next.
  3. Yes, I could see the scar on a 4 or 5 grade before my FUE. I don't think I could see it using two mirrors but could see it when I took a photo outside and under bright light. I don't think anybody else seen it though as it was never mentioned to me. I'm pretty sure friends and family would have asked if they had seen it. The FUE above has probably not helped though. Yes, I think he did FUE above the scar because the hair below was less quality. An 'imported Harris punch' was used. I believe he extracted the grafts but techs put them in. Is this common? I think the extractions were motorised but I'm really not sure about that.
  4. Thanks Gillenator. That's a really helpful reply. I'm veering towards FUT. I feel since I already have the scar then it does not matter so much. From my experiences of each, I feel FUT would be easier to cover up in the weeks afterwards as I will not need to get a significant area shaved. I am not sure about beard hair. It seems to be mainly 1 hair per graft and would probably not be great along the hairline. I am wondering how the next strip would be done. Would it be cut along the lines of the previous strip? Is it above or below? Is it common for the scar to be improved with a 2nd FUT transplant? I am wondering do people that have had 1 FUT generally go for FUT afterwards as the damage is already done concerning strip scars? The area of my FUE surgery was above my strip scar last time. I think it was maybe a cm above. I will need to check photos again. I am hoping the doctor would not need to go in to the previous FUE zone as the hair density would be reduced here. FUT was a lot more painful than FUE and had more swelling. FUE was very hassle free. However, I'm now thinking FUT may be a better option in this case.
  5. I got an FUT 3.5 years ago (2,100 grafts) and then got an FUE 9 months ago (850 grafts). They were with different doctors. Both approved here. Unfortunately the FUE I had 9 months ago does not seem to have worked out. I will post further info on this in the coming days but I'm going to keep it separate from this as it's too much for one post. I am wondering if I've already had one FUT am I as well to get another one? Since I already have the strip scar worrying about that does not need to be part of my consideration any more. It is also quite a visible strip scar too (visible with a blade 4 and I think also 5). Perhaps the scar can be minimised with another FUT. If I were to get FUE it would be beard hair. The reason for this is that I can not shave my hair. Last time I got FUE I got the 'no-shave' technique where an area at the back was shaved and the hair above that was supposed to cover it. I was told that this would be fine when I returned to work in 2 weeks but it was not. The area shaved was around 6cm and it took about 2 months for it to look normal again. I tried to use concealers but not sure how succesful they were. Not easy applying to the back of my head! Perhaps I could have a couple of cm used but not 6cm like last time. I am wondering how many grafts I can get from beard transplants. I think I need about 1,000 grafts. However, beard hairs are about twice as thick so may not need as many. This may be negated by the fact that I don't think there are as many hairs per graft though. The problem with getting FUT is that this is quite a low number for this. Perhaps I may need up to 1,500 grafts though. I'm not sure at the moment. I am currently in Thailand. I am considering Dr. Path and Dr. Pong if I decide FUT. Finally, I read on Dr. Pong's website that not all patients are suitable for FUE. Perhaps this is a reason for my unsuccesful surgery last time as my growth rate appears to have been very, very low. My doctor never mentioned that some patients are not suitable when I recently contacted him about my grafts not growing. Any opinions greatly appreciated.
  6. On my first HT I started seeing hair regrowth after 3 and a half months. I had my second hair transplant 4 and a half months ago and see only a few tiny hairs. On my first HT by 4 and a half months my regrowth was a lot, lot better. I think it was about 40-50% of my final results. This one seems to be 1% of my final results. I thought the rates would be consistent with each other. First time it was FUT and this time it is FUE. I know growth rates are better with FUT. It was 3 years ago.
  7. Sethicles, man boobs are not primarily caused because of lack of exercise. A lack of exercise will make you fat all over, not just your man boobs. They are caused by a hormone imbalance which can be as a result of propecia. This means breast tissue, not just fat, grows there. You could do all the exercise you wanted and still grow man boobs due to a hormone imbalance. I must also point out that man boobs is very rare from propecia.
  8. I've always assumed sunlight shows hairloss at its worst. When I look at my hair in the mirror under a direct strong bathroom light and in the light in the elevator in my building it appears see through. Yet, in sunlight my hair seems quite ok. I'm a bit confused by this. Has anybody else noticed this? So are these lights stronger than sunlight? Would people not notice my thinning in sunlight if I don't see it in a mirror or with a photo? I've used the same mirror and camera to compare under sunlight and under these harsh lights.
  9. Hi Gwallt, that'd be great. There are not many pics of this out there. How long is your hair around the shaved part? My hair in that area is only just over an inch (I think) and have the transplant in 2 weeks. It's just over the minimum of 1 inch so hoping it's be ok.
  10. I have 15 days before I return to work. My doctor said that I could grow my hair longer than an inch and get the 'no shave' or stealth technique. This is FUE but only a strip of around 1 inch is used and the rest of the hair will cover this strip. This obviously mimimises the amount of grafts I can use but I don't need a lot anyway. Around 1,000. My other option is to shave all the back and side of my hair and hopefully it'll look ok after 15 days. The problem I have is that I got a FUT a few years ago so I need my hair to be around a number 5 around the FUT scar. This is why he suggested the no shave technique. I would need this to blend in with the shaved part. I've read that the shaved part will be the equivalent of a number 2 after 2 weeks so this may be hard to do. Does anyone know if a 'no shave' technique can look ok after 2 weeks? Also, is it possible to shave the back and sides to a number 1 or 2 or does it have to be bare blade? If it was 1 or 2, it would blend in nicer with the longer hair around my FUT scar after 2 weeks. 'no shave' technique - (Video removed by moderator)
  11. Yes, I've followed your progress as well as Shane13, QuestionMark, Johnny24, DE, eternaldenied, GaelicDawn and a few others. Some of you are still only a few months in but even the ones that had the transplant last year seem to just stop posting after around 6 months (unless they are a co-ordinator for Darling Buds). I see Midnightio75 has posted results after 13 months though. Wondering if there are any others.
  12. He seems to get a lot of great reviews here. I'm considering a transplant with him. I've seen many posts of people that were getting decent results but they stopped posting after months 4-7. This has happened in a few posts. Very hard to find any after 7 months. There may be 1 or 2 from his representatives but I think that is it. His work seems very good and I am encouraged by how well he is regarded but would like to just see some longer term results. Mostly everything was going well by the 4-7 month stage and perhaps they felt no need to post as all was good after that. The same question was asked here too but didn't get many responses. http://www.hairrestorationnetwork.com/eve/172024-need-speak-old-patients-dr-bhatti-1yr-ago.html If anyone can give me their experiences after 7 months or if they have any links of people's experiences please send them on.
  13. Hi, apologies for the long message but wanted to try to include everything. I received a transplant 3 years ago where I got around 2,100 grafts to the front of my head by Dr. Pathomvanich. He left the area or tuft to the front centre of my head which was a bit stronger than the surrounding areas and felt there was no need to work on that as it could be affected by shockloss. The temples were filled in and the area behind and surrounding the tuft was thickened. I was very happy with his work but feel I would like to have this centre front area filled in more as it has since become thinner. It is see through in sunlight and under lights. I need to use Toppik and would like to not have to use this anymore to conceal my thinning. I contacted Dr. Pathomvanich about this but he thinks that the area is not thin enough yet for a transplant and that working on this would be too dangerous for shockloss. I fully respect his decision as he is obviously someone who knows about the effects of shockloss. I am just seeing what others think and how they think the shockloss would affect it. Has anybody ever got a transplant on a similar looking area? I am wondering how dense do you think my hair is? I would guess that it is near 40 hairs per cm2, though many may be minituarized. I have zoomed in on the pictures and used a ruler in some pics. I have some pics with wet hair and hairs in the thin area spread out to get a good view of the thinning. At what stage would you think I could get a transplant on the hair so shockloss would be less likely? When it reaches 25 hairs per cm2? I feel that if I was to have a transplant with my hair at 40 hairs per cm2 then I would lose more than if I had one when my hair has thinned to 25 hairs per cm2 as the hairs are a bit denser. However, would it not all be the same as I would be starting out with more? I'm assuming I have 40 hairs per cm2 but obviously it may be more or less that. Here are the 2 hypothetical scenarios: 1) transplant when hair is at 40 per cm2 - lose 50% to shockloss (20 hairs per cm2) - end result from shockloss is 20 hairs per cm2 2) transplant when hair is at 25 per cm2 - lose 20% to shockloss ( 5 hairs per cm2) - end result from shockloss is 20 hairs per cm2. So although I lose more in scenario 1, I had more to start with so I would still have the same amount after the shockloss and before new hair grows. These are all just hypothetical figures but you get the idea. I am also aware that shockloss is unpredictable but that it is more likely when hair is denser. In short,I am wondering is there a density threshold for when it is safe from major shockloss?
  14. In the last few months I have been taking pictures of my strip scar. In some pictures it seems very visible. I currently got a guard 5 at the back and sides and it is still visible 5 days after this. I used to get a guard 4 after the HT up until I started noticing it (3 months ago) and no one ever said anything when it was guard 4. I don't know how visible it was then. When looking in the mirror I never noticed it. No one has mentioned it to me since I've started noticing it either but they must be able to see it if they look for it. My scar still appears pink at times although it doesn't always look pink in the pictures. Lighting can make it look a lot different. When I take a pic out in the bright light I can not see pink. When it is darker the pink colour comes out a bit more. It seems like it is about .8mm in the most noticeable part. This is quite large. This is also the part where there seems to be a small patch missing. I had shockloss on this after the surgery (should be in my previous pics) and maybe it hasn't all returned. It's quite small but I think I notice a patch in one side of my strip scar. As I said, I have not noticed this until I took pictures of it about 3 months ago. I got a number 4 that time and could see it in the pics, so since then I've gotten a number 5 but I can still see it. Maybe it has been like this for a year. I don't know as I only really inspected it closely in the last few months. I'm not sure when scars stop expanding and when pinkness should go away. My hair in that area is also not too dense which definitely adds to the problem. My HT doctor said that he took less grafts than planned as my density there was a bit low (He was meant to take around 2500 but took only around 2100). Anyway, here are some pics. I may post a video too as that makes it a lot clearer. I am looking in to SMP. Can SMP be used where I would get a 3-4 blade? as that's what I would get if I didn't have any scar. I have an area at the my nape that is thin also. I am applying rogaine to this. It appears to be reterograde alopecia. I've had this fluffiness and downy hair there for many years. I was looking at pictures of myself in 2007 and I could see my hair was fluffy and light there even then. I met with a place that deals with hairloss about 4 days ago (just after I had my haircut) to see if it was noticeable. I don't feel comfortable telling anyone or asking anyone I know. Although he couldn't see it at first, he then said he could see it in the sunlight. Maybe he could just see it because he was looking for it but the fact that he could see it at all is not so good. It's just a pain when I can't even shave to a 5 now and get away with it. Most pics are a close up. And the last 8 or 9 are a bit further away. It can look ok in some pics but not in others. Apart from the light, I think the angle of my head to the camera/person makes a big difference. Edit: Another thing I've noticed is that the far away shots seem to look a lot worse when they are the small thumbnails but when I open them the scar isn't as visible. I don't know why this is so. Anyone else think this or am I imagining it?
  15. Thanks MAGNUMpi, Perhaps it could be because I wasn't on Propecia as much from around month 9 to month 11 post-op but I would still think it should be thicker than this after 17 months even if I never had meds at all. Assuming all native hair in that area has gone (which I think is very unlikely so soon), I'd imagine it should be thicker with just the transplanted hair. It doesn't look this thin when looking in a mirror, outside or inside. I'm not sure which is more accurate the mirror or the camera? The camera with a flash also shows my donor scar on a no.4 blade (the mirror doesn't), though I don't think this is noticeable to people as I'm sure someone would have said it to me. Thanks for your input
  16. I've already posted a similar post on this but got no response so gonna re-post. Help appreciated! I got a HT of 2,200 grafts 17 months ago by a very reputable surgeon. By 17 months post HT it should be at its best as I've hear it takes 1 year and sometimes more for a transplant to show results. However my hair is looking terrible now. It looks very much like I will need another transplant. It is worse now than at 6 months post transplant. I was very happy with results after 6 months and didn't really need to worry about concealer then which was great and what I wanted from the transplant. Now, I definitely need it. I noticed it looking thinner about a year after my HT. I thought this may be because I wasn't taking rogaine and propecia anywhere near as much, as I was travelling for 3 months and not really in a routine. However, I'm not sure rogaine made much of a difference anyway as I didn't always use it on the front and top of my head. It was mainly just on the crown. I only started to use it (and propecia) a month after my HT so hard to say if it worked. For the past 4 months I've been using rogaine twice daily again but it doesn't appear to be doing much. I've also been taking propecia regularly since then (about 1mg every 2 days) but it also does not seem to be working. And, I've heard propecia only really works on the crown anyway. Anyway, even if I never used propecia or rogaine I would not expect my hair to look this bad 17 months after a HT. I was told it was between 40-50 grafts per square cm and it doesn't look like that all over (and that's assuming all my native hair is gone there which would make the regression extremely fast over 17 months). I've just taken a series of pics. I've used the flash in some and not in others and the pics are inside but right beside a window to let the light in so the conditions are a bit harsh. Previously, my pictures were not under daylight and not as close-up so it isn't easy to compare but I'm sure it was better at 6 months and and at 10 months it definitely was. I'm not sure it looks this bad in real life. Whenever I use a mirror outside it doesn't seem as bad as the pics I've taken, but I'd imagine the pics are more accurate. Maybe the flash makes it worse than it actually is though. I've heard of seasonal shedding but it's been looking thinner for 5 months now and this seems a bit long for seasonal shedding. I don't know if seasonal shedding has anything to do with it being summer or winter as I've kinda not been in normal summer/winter routine from travelling to southern hemisphere. I travelled from northern hemisphere to southern hemisphere in April (I noticed it thinner around June) and I've been southern hemisphere since then. I seriously doubt this has any effect though. I'm wondering what I should do. I'm pretty sure I'll need another HT but looking at other options first of all. I'm thinking of going for minoxidil 10% or 15% as the 5 % does not seem to be working. Also, applying the 5% twice a day is annoying especially if I'm wearing dermatch which means a lot of washing my hair. It is so frustrating after spending 4,500 euro and putting my life on standby for around 6 months. Pics labelled.......(I'm aware of the inconsistencies in lighting, distance, and my hair length in the pics but I hope you get an idea of the differences in hair quality) 1) Hair after HT. to show the are I had work on. He didn't touch the forelock/island at front as he thought this was ok and going near it may damage it with shockloss. This area seems thinner now though. 2)Hair after 6 months. 3)Hair after 10 months. 4 and 5) Hair now - inside with flash. About 5 cm long. 6 and 7) Hair now - Beside window. After haircut, maybe 2-3 cm long. 8-12) Just added these. Hair after 3.5 months to get an idea of the are I had filled in. Hair was beginning to grow in the temples. 13) Another of hair after 10 months. 14) Hair now from the front.
  17. This is a long post and I maybe should have split it in to 2 threads but I just kept it all in 1. No need to answer or even read everything. First part is about the meds and second part is about the HT. I got a transplant June 2011. It was at the front of my head. Everything was fine. After 6 months results were pretty good and after 10 months it was just how I wanted it to be. However by about 12 months it was noticeably thinner than at 10 months. It seems nearly as thin as it was before the HT (though with more coverage at front). I began rogaine and propecia from a month after my HT but didn't stick as strictly to the schedule from around month 10-12 so I'm guessing this has something to do with it. It's diffucult to say if these were working though as my new hair could have been from the HT. Also, I didn't tend to always put rogaine on the front of my head all the time (where I had transplant) as figured the transplant would sort the front. I concentrated on the crown even though that isn't too bad at the moment. Propecia doesn't work on the front so don't see how stopping that would make a difference. I had a small part at the front that my doctor didn't go near in the HT. This was like an island where hair was a little bit thicker than surrounding area and he didn't want to go near it in case it would harm the hair there. IThis seems to have thinned a bit which is giving a bit of a see through effect. But apart from that non-transplanted hair of the recipient site have also thinned. I have been back on the rogaine and propecia from month 13 to 16. Hard to say if they are working yet. If I were to assume it was the stopping of the rogaine that has caused the loss, I read that after a few months it goes back to how it was previously. Does this mean it goes back to the state it was before I took the meds or is it worse and it goes to the stage it would be now if I never took the meds? So if a person was a NW1, took meds for 4 years and then stopped for 3 months they'd be a NW1 or would they be a NW 3 or 4? Also, is it still possible to see a bit of regrowth after a few months by going back on rogaine at month 13 as I did? Anyway, I'm thinking of another HT I am thinking this HT would be only maybe between 800-1000 grafts, though perhaps more. The first was 2200, I think. It is density I need now. The first one gave me back my hairline but it is thinning again. I already have a strip scar from HT no.1. I am wondering is it a bad idea to get a strip scar for such a small session? as this will make my scalp tighter and waste skin for such a small session. Or is it a case of just cutting my skin thinner than for a bigger session so therefore it doesn't really matter? So they would cut it at 1/2 cm rather than 1cm? pics: (1) 6 months after ht (2, 3 and 7) now - 16 months after ht (4) immediately after ht - to show the areas done. (5 and 6) 10 months after ht Obviously they are all from different distances and under different lighting so hard to compare. i don't have close ups of 10 months but it definitely was thicker then than now. Thanks if you can help with any of the queries.
  18. But would I be right in assuming that the shedding could also be from the propecia if they are started around the same time? So would be hard to tell which one (or both) is effecting the hair. Also, if I don't seem to show signs of shedding does that mean that the minoxodil is not working? or can it still be shown to work without obvious shedding? Thanks.
  19. I have been taking finasteride for 2 weeks and no side effects so far. fingers crossed. i am considering adding minoxodil but i'm wondering if the best approach is to try the propecia on its own first. from what i've read there is no way to tell which is working when both are started at the same time. also, from what i've read the shedding is not as bad on propecia (please confirm?). would i be correct in assuming that if i added minoxodil to my regime after maybe 6 months the shedding would not be so bad as the propecia would have already thickened a lot of hairs and therefore there would not be as many hairs on its last legs.
  20. For those that have suffered side effects, when did they occur after you started taking the drug? What side effects did you get? What dose did you start with? and did you quit or lower the dose or frequency? Have done a bit of a search for this but can't really find out enough info on when I would expect to see side effects so I am looking for a bit more comprehensive info on this. About to start on it in the next couple of days. Most seem to say that they see side effects within first couple of weeks however I've also seen some that say many months.
  21. I have the same kind of hair above my ears as well and I think I have always had this. I looked at pics from 4 years ago before I started noticing my hair loss and the side of my hair above my ears looks kinda fuzzy, curlier and weak. Maybe I started reterograde alopecia before I started losing anywhere else but as far as I remember it has always gotten fuzzy and curly on back and sides whenever I've grown it. I think it was like this in my teens. Hard to tell if it was as bad though. I'll see if rogaine makes a difference there anyway.
  22. well those situations were just the examples people gave of other people feeling it. I just mean I don't want anyone to feel it in general. Doesn't have to necessarily be such a moment with a woman! Can be a friend in the pub mucking about and just patting my head (as rare as this is). I don't want to have to be paranoid about them feeling a ridge. The less give away signs and need for explaining the better.
  23. Just wanted to get more opinions on this question. I'm 12 days post-op so easily feel my scar. I just want to know if there is anything I can do to flatten it or does this happen naturally over time. I've heard of people mentioning here what happens if a woman feels their scar. How to explain. So, I'm wondering what is the likeliness of it to flatten if it can be felt by people. I'm considering micropigmentation if I ever needed it down the line but this would be pointless if the scar stands up.
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