TommyLucchese

It's good to know topical fin and minox is available in the UK though, Minoxidilmax is based in the US (I think) and until now I didn't know it was available here

I have been using topical fin and minox since October. I'm having great results with no side effects other than a flaky scalp at times. I am in the UK too and have never heard of that website..... seems expensive to me. I get mine from minoxidilmax and it's around £300 for a year's supply, basically the same as I was paying for proscar and rogaine foam.

How to research: COME TO THIS FORUM AND READ EVERY DAY FOR AT LEAST 6 MONTHS. Forget budget, forget the fact you have a week off work next month so that would be the perfect time, forget where you are located, forget that clinic in your town that has an opening if you book quickly, forget the 5 star reviews on Google. Read, read, read. Once people do this they will almost certainly make the right decision in the end. There's no way a sane, reasonable person will read here every day and then still go to that cheap hair mill and have regrets for life. People reading here will see the same names of elite doctors popping up in threads, they'll see results, they'll have more realistic goals, they'll be able to see the importance of choosing a quality doctor and formulating a long-term plan. They'll know it's better to save money for 3 years than to jump into it with a cheap clinic. They'll know that any clinic offering to fix their crown at 23 years old is probably a clinic you should avoid. This forum is an amazing resource and people just need to sit back, read, learn and absorb all the information over an extended period of time.

18 months - since my 'good' result at month 12 turned into a 'great' result at month 18. It makes no sense to rush it when your body is still processing the surgery. Give it time to heal and wait til you fully understand your result before you go for a second. I guess if your first HT was the hairline and the second is going to be the crown, then maybe it's different.

Was surprised to hear the name of the doctor associating himself with this.

I would also ask for your donor to be examined thoroughly and for you to be given the breakdown. I was happy enough to hear simply that my donor area was "beautiful" but now 9 years later it would be great to know how my density was and what my lifetime projection of grafts in the bank was. That way you will know if there's been any change to your donor area if you ever go for a second HT at a later date.

That style and the emo fringe are the epitome of 2000s. Beckham's curtains were the epitome of the 90s too.

Yeah if they aren't asking questions then I'm usually suspicious. This is a place to come to when you are looking to learn.

Wayne Rooney said he was delighted with the results when he posted a post-op pic of him in a car on the way home from the clinic.... i facepalmed

As someone who started receding at 16 and who had a HT at 23....you are a lucky man having the level of loss you do. I can't comment too much on your medical history...that's for a doctor to advise on. I know the first two names you mentioned have good reputations here - you should get in touch to arrange a consultation with each. If you're looking around Europe you could also get in touch with Bisanga and Hattingen. Hattingen are cautious and I think it's always good to get an opinion from someone who would turn down your money if they didn't think surgery was right for you.

Your description set us up for a very balding fella in the pics but you looked pretty good anyway to be honest. What did they say about the donor quality in person compared to the average patient? Was it better than expected but still below average? Or were the concerns unfounded? Looks like great work anyway, look forward to seeing the end result!

Seen your first pics and most recent (haven't read the rest of the thread) and i think you were well ahead of the game at 5 months. Looking even better now too. I saw big improvement on my hairline between month 12 and 18...and the crown takes 18 months. You're in for an amazing result. I think it's safe to name the doctor now, the HT was clearly a big success.

What doctor are you going with? You should ask them their thoughts. I've had FUT but am assuming the same principle applies - don't damage the donor area or the grafts. I think you'll be fine to drive (I walked around Manhattan the next day after mine) but you should avoid your head touching the head rest when you're driving as that could affect the donor.

Really happy for you... I was worried at first because I didn't recognise the name of the doctor and I thought there wasn't going to be enough density from those post op pics. But that's a really good result. You can enjoy life not worrying about your hair now. Congrats!

Have read through your old threads... seems like you didn't take the good advice members gave here, you could have probably got a great result first time and not needed a second transplant. Despite this, looks like it wasn't a complete disaster. Go with a good doctor this time and it should work out nicely. How's your crown?

I had big improvement on my hairline between month 12 and month 18. It's also well known that the crown takes 18 months... so if you're a slow grower, you probably won't know your final result until around 2 years post op. Be patient and don't rush into anything yet...I would wait until month 26 to be sure in your case

It's good you haven't committed... this is such a huge decision. You can always get more money but you only have limited "donor" hair on the back of your head that can be transplanted....so you need to make sure you choose a great doctor with a big track record of results. I went with Dr Feller in New York (Dr Bloxham is now the main surgeon there at Feller and Bloxham, he is very good) and next time I will go with Hattingen in Switzerland. Other elite names are Konior (Chicago), Hasson & Wong( Canada) , Bisanga (Belgium) , Eugenix (India), Shapiro (USA). I think there's one in Cyprus called HDC which is also very good. There are more clinics in Turkey that have great results for a good price but I never pay attention to those to be honest, so I can't recommend. There are many more but researching these will be a great place to start. Honestly, you need to choose a doctor that has a profile and track record similar to the names above. If you can only see see one or two real results and lots of untrustworthy reviews then you should think twice.

I googled "dr ziya yavuz hairrestorationnetwork" and found a couple of threads. I have no idea about this doctor but you found us at the right time - you should do all your research before booking a surgery. Spend 6 months here reading every day. Look at photos, find threads that show an entire year of someone's results, read discussions about what doctors people recommend etc. and also check out the list of doctors this forum recommends. Do not committ to anything for the next 6 months. If in 6 months you still choose Dr Yavuz then at least you can say you made that decision based on research, and not that you rushed into it.

I'm really interested in the order too. I understand combining them to maximise grafts, I just want to know if there's any downside to going FUT, doing a smaller FUE and then potentially a large FUT down the road.

Looks great...only 7 months too wow. I have a question... how many grafts are usually used for that temple bit that comes down on the sides? You can see it best in picture 7

Thanks! Both... feels and looks thicker but also had a lot of regrowth within existing hair It's visible in the last picture

How does this play into the traditional line of thinking that if fin stops working you can always fall back on dut? I would still rather have that fall back option but if topical dut is really this good then maybe it's time to rethink things?

No problem. You'll be ok - most people find this forum years after making some bad mistakes, you're very lucky. Here's my hair now....bear in mind I started minoxidil in 2005! As long as you stick to what works, you should be able to keep your hair for a long time.

I use 6% liquid minoxidil with half strength finasteride mixed in that i rub into my scalp. I get this from minoxidil max. I would recommend you starting with Rogaine foam 5% - maybe once a day, 3 times per week. Then after a month do it every day. Basically with all hair loss medication I think it's best to start slowly and build up as this limits the chances of side effects.

Sorry for 3 posts in a row but I just wanted to say that it's really good you found us this early. Because you're 18 and are suffering emotionally, you could easily be led into making a terrible decision that will cost lots of money and potentially ruin your hair. It's really important you spend a lot of time reading on this forum. This is a very honest community that will give you good advice that has your best interests in mind. The 4 products I told you about are the only things you should consider and are a great starting point - but you still need to do your research and learn more yourself.