Postdoc

Hairs can’t actually be suffocated as the growth is at the follicle level and it’s irrelevant what’s happening on the scalp itself. The exception to this is excessive exposure to sunlight as UVB goes deep. Some guys might choose to shave the hair where the system is attached, but personally, I wouldn’t as I’d want to see the little buggers growing. I’d suggest using narrower, stronger tape in front of the hairline and use plenty of solvent when releasing the tape.

Polyurethane ('thin skin') is much more durable than lace, but lace is generally preferred for full-size systems as it has a better look and feel. You've probably got a surround of polyurethane with lace in the middle, which is fine. It's strange revisiting all the hair system stuff after six years of ditching systems in favour of hair transplantation! TBH, having a HT was one of the best decisions of my life.

I think most HT surgeons would recommend clip-on systems as being better for the transplanted hair than ones that are glued or taped, although I doubt there's actual evidence one way or another. Probably the worst would be a glued-down, non-porous mono base. At the end of the day, hair just grows whatever you do to it. What sort of base is yours? French lace?

Well, guys routinely wear hats to cover transplanted grafts and you won't need to worry about grafts being exposed to the sun.

It's impossible for me to be categorical about that as it's all down to the attachment your stylist has used and making sure that the clips and tape are well away from the grafts. Make sure your stylist is heeding your concerns when you next see her.

Wow, that's certainly biting the bullet! There'd be more of a tug with a larger piece. I'm pleased it's worked out for you.

If you're wearing a partial system for a month at a time, the risk of traction alopecia should be small. Traction alopecia usually results from long-term use where there's a lot of pulling on the hair (e.g. weaving, cornrows and Sikhs' turbans). But keep the clips well away from those precious grafts. It's difficult to say exactly when I first noticed the bald patches from traction alopecia, but certainly not within the first five years. Gillenator may have a different experience, of course. Check with your stylist what clips she uses - that's crucial. And the front??

Hi Leftwithrope, I also wore systems with clips for a decade or more (see my weblog) and the traction alopecia was very significant, necessitating grafts into those areas. As you're planning to wear a partial, there should be less traction on your native hair - for instance, if you're sleeping with the system on - although this depends on the clips your stylist uses. The ones I used were about an inch long by quarter of an inch and they gripped the hair very tightly. Your biggest concern should be the front, and you need to ask your stylist what she plans to do about that before agreeing to anything.

When attaching a system with tape, the scalp is shaven up to where the edge of the system meets the original hair, which should give a seamless transition between added hair and real hair. If clips are used, the system needs to be larger so that the clips have got hair to attach to. I'm not sure what can be done about the front. You definitely shouldn't be using clips on transplanted hair. I suppose the only option would be to shave the transplanted hair in order to attach the tape, but I can't see your HT surgeon being too enthusiastic about that and it seems counterintuitive doing it after a HT anyway. Have a word with him and see what he says. It would be so much simpler to cut your hair and apply fibres. I think you'd be surprised how realistic they can look.

It's not so much how often you wear the system as where the clips are attached. You'll need a considerable overlap with your existing hair at the back and sides to make sure there's no chance of the clips engaging with the transplanted hair. Using clips at the front is a complete no-no, so you'll have to use tape in front of the hairline - again with a safety margin to avoid the transplanted hairs. It's obviously a difficult dilemma for you and I hope your hairpiece designer is inventive enough to consider what's really best for you, if that's the route you choose.

Clips are tricky because they can cause traction alopecia. If you were to go for a partial system, the clips would need to be well clear of the transplanted area. At the front, you'd need to use a narrow strip of tape in front of the transplanted hairline. Doing this as a one-off for your special social event might be okay, but I wouldn't do it for 5 months because of the risk of pulling on the transplanted hairs. As VicTNYC and Triple7 have suggested, cutting your existing hair and using fibres at the front would be the best way to go. Why not try a can of hair fibres and see what it looks like?

The general consensus seems to be that 5 alpha-reductase inhibitors like finasteride and dutasteride don't increase the risk of PCa. In fact, there's some evidence that finasteride may reduce the risk of low-grade PCa (Gleason 6-7) PCa. There was some suggestion that dutasteride could reduce the incidence of high-grade PCa (Gleason 8-10), but this hasn't been borne out in further studies. Taking both drugs together would be an unknown quantity.

No side effects from Dutasteride? Really? Spex, I suggest you read the following: https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2017/06/170622110452.htm Regards, Postdoc

Excellent write-up and incredibly clean work. You should have a fantastic result. I look forward to seeing your progress over the next six months.

Hi Jowin86, 2000 - 3000 grafts seems realistic and it's good that you've been to a number of clinics. The problem in the UK is that clinics spring up the whole time and most of them employ sessional doctors who simply don't have the training or track record to ensure a good outcome. The Kensington Hair Clinic and Harley Street Healthcare are cases in point. Dr May at the Wimpole Clinic has been around a lot longer, but his work doesn't bare comparison to the best in the USA, Canada or Europe. If you're keen to have the work done in the UK, Dr Reddy at The Private Clinic, Dr Farjo at the Farjo Hair Institute and Dr Ball at the Maitland Clinic should be on your list. I had my 3rd HT done by Dr Ball (the two previous HTs were with Dr Hasson in Vancouver), which is why I'd personally recommend him. Regards, Postdoc