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zenmunk

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Everything posted by zenmunk

  1. "Nice natural appearance," indeed. Good work! Dr. Lindsey, how long before conception would you recommend discontinuing finasteride for the best chance at a safe outcome? Thanks.
  2. A safe and simple bet: NOW Whey Protein Isolate (flavor of your choice, but I prefer Dutch Chocolate), and if you feel you need it, Optimum Nutrition Creatine (Creapure). I have seen no evidence at all that either product will contribute to hair loss.
  3. Congrats on your successful journey, bonkerstonker! I share your opinion about this community. It's been very educational and supportive.
  4. Very interesting, thanks GNX1. Dr. Wesley, thank you for chiming in. Do you subscribe to the practice of varying punch size in the manner described here? For example, a 0.9mm punch for multi-hair grafts and perhaps a 0.75mm or 0.8mm punch for single hair grafts? Or, do you largely stick with one punch size throughout a procedure?
  5. Thanks for your reply. In your opinion, is it common practice for most clinics to customize the punch size to the target fu?
  6. Could you elaborate on this statement, Spex? What do you mean by "better feel and understanding"? What have you learned or observed that may be valuable information for us? Thanks.
  7. My understanding is the thickness of the graft, the amount of tissue where the stem cells live, etc., is important for yield. It follows that the smaller the punch, the thinner the graft. Does this concern anyone?
  8. Thanks for your reply, Mickey85. It's interesting that the surgeon you're referencing said most of the time it's not one punch used. I have no doubt whatsoever that surgeons will use different punch sizes during a procedure. However, the frequency with which they switch them out probably varies greatly. For example, one well-respected rep. from a top-notch clinic has stated on a different forum: "For punch sizes for each patient, from what I've seen at our clinic and others I've visited, typically, one size punch is used through-out the whole procedure. You get into a mode with the punch and try to extract multiple fu in one punch. Be interesting to hear if this is not the case." With clinics like that, I presume the hairs are then dissected under microscope for singles, etc. as opposed to concentrating too much on extracting singles with the punch. So, different clinics approach it differently, I suppose. Regarding transecting hairs nearby, that will vary from patient-to-patient according to their density, I guess. If one has especially high density, then clearly using the smallest punch one can safely use would be prescribed. I'll ask you the same question I asked Spex: Regarding yield, do you think there is much difference between 0.75mm, 0.8mm and 0.9mm punch sizes? I mean, in terms of the dangers of transection and grafts which may be too thin? Specifically, I mean transection of the graft being extracted, not just the surrounding grafts.
  9. Thanks for your reply. My goal is not to get a HT and shave it all off. I agree that approach would be a waste. I would, however, like the option to buzz to a number one on the clippers and not have the scarring appear too noticeable. In the real world, who actually stares at the back of a person's head? Very few people unless there is something very unusual going on. I imagine the scarring from a 0.9mm punch would not draw much, if any, attention for the average patient with a #1 buzz. Regarding yield, do you think there is much difference between 0.75mm, 0.8mm and 0.9mm punch sizes? I mean, in terms of the dangers of transection and grafts which may be too thin? Thanks.
  10. Thanks for everyone's replies. Agreed. Although, I was told my skin coloration would be an advantage regarding the appearance of scarring via FUE. Well, "the smaller the punch the better..." is debatable. The concern is transection and/or grafts which are too thin. With the current technology/techniques, there must be some compromise, but the question is what is the ideal compromise? I think once a punch size is chosen for a procedure, it's probably used consistently from beginning to end. A surgeon may adjust higher or lower as needed, but my understanding is s/he will largely stick to the chosen punch size. Therefore, it's important to decide on the correct size from the get-go. And, you are correct, this doc uses a manual motorized FUE tool. My intention was to find a surgeon who will go with 0.8mm or less, but I'm concerned about yield. We'll see. What are the pros and cons in your opinion? No, I wasn't able to review healed donor images, but that's a very good idea. I will follow-up with the doc about that. Spex, what are your thoughts on scarring for the average patient regarding use of a 0.9mm punch? I second this.
  11. I had a consult recently with a recommended doc. He told me he prefers 0.9mm punches whenever possible. Anything larger runs the risk of particularly noticeable scarring. Anything smaller runs the risk of transection and grafts which are too thin. He feels like it's an acceptable compromise. What are your thoughts on 0.9mm punches regarding scarring and yield? Thanks.
  12. I second how good his consults are. Very thorough and informative. He's also a nice guy. His hairlines are among the most natural I've seen. His "scarless surgery" has the potential to be a real game-changer. Glad he made the cut (not that there was much doubt).
  13. Sweet. Thanks for the photo-documentation. Great to be able to add this form of SMP to our arsenal.
  14. Superstorm Sandy displaced me from my home for about a month. Just got back. Was a surprise to discover this many replies to an old thread like this. Thanks, guys. Yeah, I suppose there is no way to know for sure how long fin will keep working. I can say one thing for sure, though. jsnw is 100% correct! I tried a little experiment recently. After 14+ years on 1mg fin every day I decided to try 0.5mg every day for three months. I took good photographs every month from many angles to document progress. I am confident that I have lost some hair in that time. Not much, but some. I went back on 1mg per day about a month ago and I plan to stay on it until/unless the day comes that I just don't give a shit anymore. You are really taking a chance if you stop or reduce dosage. It may work for you, but it may not.
  15. Without pics it's hard to say for sure, but based on your description it sounds like you are not a good candidate for a HT at this time. Until the day comes when hair cloning will offer a virtually unlimited donor supply, you have three options: - Stick with shaving your head - Consider a hair system - Consider permanent or temporary SMP (Scalp Micropigmentation)
  16. Wow... That's one of the most ridiculous things I've ever heard. Yet one more example of big government denying freedom through the threat of force. A real loss to this community.
  17. Thanks for the clarification, hairthere. That's much more manageable.
  18. How visible the scarring is does depend on punch size. Also, patient healing; hair length; and, other factors such as sun exposure are also a concern. However, FUE patients would do well to expect scarring similar to beaverbuzz regardless of punch size. They may not get it (like s2thoudriver), but they should be prepared for it. It is surgery after all. There will be scarring. The only question is how visible will it be? If you go in confident that scarring will not be detectable, you may be very disappointed.
  19. It is a bit steep. It comes down to saving around $125 per month for two years. Then again, I paid close to $90 per month for propecia for many years, so I guess where there's a will, there's a way.
  20. See you when you return, beaverbuzz. Thanks for the buzzed donor shots. I think that's the kind of scarring all FUE patients should expect. Temporary SMP would probably make the scarring undetectable at that length. Good luck.
  21. So natural. If you keep it at that length, no one would ever detect it. Congrats.
  22. Thanks, jsnw. Good info. 0.5mg everyday or 1mg every other day is the same, so that's encouraging.
  23. If you're committed to starting the meds, then start right away. Don't waste anymore time. You may notice an increase in your shedding over the first 3 - 4 months from the meds, but those hairs will very likely come back stronger than before. I've been on the meds for many years, and it definitely made my thinning hair stronger at the crown and mid-scalp. It also slowed down my hairline recession.
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