amthello

Hi there, It's been a while since I posted on this Forum. I had an FUT transplant last January in Belgium and results have been quite good. It was mainly focused on the vertex area and received close to 3000 grafts. I have a question re the scar. I note that on the left hand side the scar is like a bit bumpy. In the middle the scar is fine and you wont tell where it is. On the right hand side it is a little bit raised but it is really minimal.. It is not hurting me or anything. The scar is still a little bit pink. Did some of you experience this? Is it part of the normal healing process which takes longer? Or after 10 months I should accept it to remain like this?! It is not a big thing but I would like to hear from you guys. Thanks and I'll wait for your replies.

@Biffo31 In my case i did not thicken up the frontal part using finasteride. I think tough that it help me stabilise the hair loss as I see pictures of my father and brother at my age whose baldness was more advance. I strongly suggest you go on it asap... retaining what you have for a number of years is already an achievement by itself if you suffer from MPB. Also if you still got hair why dont you use a concealer like Toppik or Nanogen or Dermatch (there are others). I find them very useful especially. Re the surgery experience, it was good as in they really take care of you. However please note that it is surgery after all so you will feel occasional pain and discomfort especially in the donor zone (some here even say that is fun and that is painfree all over which in reality is not)... the procedure is quite long and exhaustive. The point is don't take lightly and that is why at your age I dont suggest you go through it. wait a couple of years while using finasteride.. if you get bored hit the gym and built a nice body by the age of 27/28... if hair loss is still an issue then it will be good to go for a permanent procedure. hope it helps

Biffo31 I can say something here since I just had an FUT transplant with Dr Devroye. I am 26 going for 27. I also was hesitant because of my age but knowing my family history I could already anticipate my hairloss pattern. After the consultation, we decided to just go for the vertex region only (even tough doing my temples would improve considerable my appereance) But if hair loss in front progresses, it will look odd. SO I tranplanted 2800+ using FUT.. I also started experience hairloss at 23... but I think you are still young for surgery.. give Propecia/Proscar a 2 year period to see the full result. You can also use minoxidil although i dont use it.

dear ukresponder thanks for the response. It's very good. Can I ask you 2 questions? 1. you said you have similar hair profile.. how many grafts did you receive in the first strip procedure? 2. how was the recovery stage? also how many days after the surgery did you need in order for the HT to go undectected??!

*to have an almost UNdetectable line spelling mistake

Thanks usafjay1976 To reply to businesspro.. I am no expert or doctor. But If you been thinning since January 2011, first start on Propecia/Proscar... it helped my a lot in slowing the thinning... just yesterday I saw a picture of myself before I started using it and I tell you, today it looks a bit better... so you should give it some time at least a year... I have been on it more than three years and I know that my hair cannot improve more if not through a HT... To be honest some surgeons did suggest I wait a couple of years. The reason being to see the full extent of the hairloss and be more confortable to intervene.. This is a reason why no doctor will do my frontal part. But since the hair thinning are on the crown it's quite diffuse they are able to determine the "outline" which seperated the area where i am loosing hair and which i am not. Re which between FUT and FUE? no answer. I was all out for FUE but since I would need a quantity of grafts which exceeds the ability of the doctor to do in one day.. he suggested I ll go for FUT... and it does make sense as it is less stressfull on the body and the yield/price/quanity is better. The scar might be an issue but then I never shaved by hair and i prefer to have an almost detectable fine line (with long hair) than an always detectable thinning/bald crown... for FUE you have to shave all your head which might be an issue for some.. I am more afraid of the first month recovery stage.. in such will i have a lot of shock hair loss or will my scar heal in a 1 months time before i go back to work.. (i took a 4 weeks off).. I will probably need to shave the crown so I hope the existing hair are still in place so that they grow back and hide the shaved areas..

Thanks a lot Irishsailor for the reply.. it was very comforting. Especially the fact that you are were also nervous on your second HT operation, even if you went through it once. if there are any other people out there who read this and have had a HT, I would like to read their views as well.. otherwise Happy new year to you all

Hello there... I am a regular viewer of this Forum but today i finally decided to sign up. The reason being is that I want to contribute to others my experience especially since i will be doing a HT procedure next month. I am 28 years old who has been suffering from thinning since the age of 22.. I remember the first time a friend told me I was loosing my hair i felt terrible, weak and with no confidence at all.. I have a maturing hairline but my crown has thinned a lot (visible now) and it is know moving to the middle/ In the beginning i went to my hairdresser who subscribed me some specialized shampoos, lotions and supplement (biotin, vitamins etx) I did not know anything about other treatments.. To cut a long story short, I started looking on the net and when I heard of Propecia I went to my Doc and got on it since then. . I believe that I helped me a lot in keeping or slowing a lot my hairloss.. I have to say both my father and brother are bald NW6.. so i knew i was heading there.. Then came concealers and I got hooked on them. I use ToppiK wherever I go and no one can tell I am loosing hair. Concealer used discouraged me from using minox as i have to wash my hair every night and its not always possible. Deep inside I know that i should do something more... I am quite athletic and well built and most female friends tell me they are surprised how they don't see me date more women. So last month I was in Brussels for work (i live in another country) and decided to visit Dr. Devroye. I must say he was very welcoming even tough he was tired after a day surgery.. I still wasn't sure about it but in the end I decided to go for a HT and booked. It's just only today when I went to do the blood tests that I realised, OMG am I doing this for real? Now i am having doubts and fear.. A year ago i wouldnt have dreamed of doing this (to fly to another country and have surgery).. Is this normal?! I am thinking I have made a decisio too rushly. I haven't told my family yet.. my brother had plugs HT years ago with little success so I fear they would think I would go through the same experience. Btw I will have an FUT for my crown primarily.. i posted a pic. what do you think?! sorry for length