LuciferLaconde

Hi folks, I kind of forgot about this forum, but figured I'd put in an update for anyone that might be interested. So at the end of 13th month mark today, I can conclude that the hair transplant has had overall, a marginal cosmetic improvement. Situation has remained practically the same as the pictures I posted at 6th month mark, actually I suspect its gotten slightly worse as perhaps the native hair have fallen since. Anyhow, it is what it is. Time to move on with life. Good luck to all on this forum!

Sad to say, for my hair transplant from a coalition surgeon, completed over 7 months ago, results have been fairly disappointing. I have seen no noticeable growth at all i.e. any new grafts popping out of the skin and growing from there. I had about 30% grafts that survived the shock loss, and these are the only ones that I can say started growing around 4 month mark. The others seem to have been lost unless one can expect any new grafts popping at this point. Almost since the beginning of HT (after shockloss), when I move my fingers through the scalp I can feel these stubbles, but they seem to have remained like that and not growing at all. I am 30 year old and got a FUT done with 2300 grafts. I had been checking this forum and doing research for a long time before going into this venture. They say HT success rate is over 95%, but for some reason there seem to be far too many cases of people that start the journey on this forum and report progress ending up with failure or less than satisfactory results that makes me question this high success 'stat'.

Just to clarify, this is not to suggest that one should be aggressive with removing their scabs post hair transplant, but just questioning whether if one does end up in that spot where the gentle scrubbing/massaging of the recipient area to encourage scabs to come off, and in that process slight picking using nails is a deal breaker or not. In my personal case, having underwent a 2300 graft fut procedure with a coalition surgeon, I was super careful the first 12 days and followed every post op instruction to the letter and spirit. However on thirteenth night, while taking shower (started showering twice a day since day 4 or 5), I was 'gently massaging at first then somewhat using a bit of nail in a couple of areas but don't remember anything too harsh. I'm about 14 weeks post transplant and so far have not witnessed any breakthrough of the grafts thru the skin, but my surgeon told me it shud be starting around week 16 to 17 mark, so just waiting and watching. But obviously this is a thought that keeps coming to my mind whether I did something that one time or maybe the way I managed showering had any effect on damaging the follicles under the graft... Keep in mind, per my doc's instructions, I didn't begin even touching the transplant area in shower until after 10th day , and until like a month post transplant he had me not use the power wash shower, just drop water through a jug.... From my research so far (Google post ht scabs pick), I have come up with 90 percent results suggesting that after 10 days it shud not be a problem, but like I mentioned earlier, there is one particular Doctor William rassman who seems to be very vocal in suggesting that this results a lost follicle and no growth takes place through the hair which had scab on it, whether doing so causes any blood or sting on the scalp or not... So when I read that, I wonder if that is the case why is this not so heavily highlighted as a never ever, under no circumstances, do type thing.

So I have come across several threads on different forums on this topic, and not sure if there is a consensus on this issue. The conventional wisdom goes to suggest that by 10 days post HT, grafts and follicles are securely embedded in the scalp and cannot be displaced or damaged. After ten days, most doctors recommend to lightly (not sure how that is precisely defined) massage on the hair during shower to loosen and free up the scabs. In doing so, you inevitably end up using nails or 'pick' scab which initially feels very loose but not so much. I have seen posts my most people suggesting that while it's not recommended,but not a showstopper, but then there's this Dr William Rassman (co-author of the study which established the 10 day graft security research) who swears by some research he performed and published in a medical journal that picking scab uptil even 21 days would damage the graft underneath and no hair would grow under it, despite there being no physical dislodging of the follicle or no blood that most people seem to consider telltale of a damage graft. No other doctors on realself or other websites say that, and most standby it it that while picking scabs isn't recommended due to risk of infection, but if it's not within 10 day window, it should not be a problem or cause permanent damage to HT Op. Can some wiser folks on this forum and docs shed some light on this? If this is true, then I would expect surgicle post op guidelines to say in BOLD and underlined to not ever under any circumstance do anything to scabs and especially no nail use. Mine never said anything, and my surgeon was very conservative IMO.

I have question. I had my FUT 2300 grafts placement procedure done 9 weeks ago. Majority of my new grafts shed between 2 to 4 weeks, but it seems that some (20 to 30%) stayed on... These dont seem to be growing, nor have fallen off. I am only basing this on touch feel of the grafts, no actual visual confirmation. Is this normal phenomenon? Do these grafts shed at some point and regrow, or they go into this mode where they stay put/as-is for months before growing? Or, these grafts never grow and just stay like this?

So I had my fut transplant of 2300 grafts 5 weeks ago. The clinic I went to gave us pretty conservative post op instructions, such as avoiding shower use (pour water via jug), hair brush etc for a whole month. After the 5 weeks mark I went for a hair cut today and I told the barber to use the comb on my recipient area a bit gently etc but he went on with the usual hard combing etc. Then at home I took a bath with a normal shower for first time after the hot, instead of using a jug or break the direct water flow on my head by putting hand in the way... And then went ahead and used my hair brush as I normally did before he... Not too hard rubbing against the scalp, and I saw a little bit of blood on the front portion of the scalp directly behind the hairline. Not a big wound, just a small portion possibly the size of a graft...I put a cotton swab and pressed against it and it dried and stopped flowing ... But I'm worried at what it could have been... Is it possible I caused damage to my grafts this late after The procedure? Is it normal to see blood in the scalp..?

Hi all, I have researched my options for hair transplant in the past few months in Toronto and narrowed down to Dr. Cotterill, Rahal, Seagre & SureHair. Based on my experience, only Dr. Cotterill & Seagre (Dr. Nelson Ferreirra) actually consult with potential patients, in Toronto atleast while the rest have marketing consultants doing most of the dealing. In Rahal's case, it looked like his marketing team is doing the main work to bring in the patients and only final meeting with the doctor before the procedure itself. Would anyone please provide some good recommendation for the best doctor out there, or if there is any differentiation in this case with these 4 option.

So after looking at all the dermatologist formulated marketing material on the web (and media) I have given in and dished out $230 US for 6 month trial of this product. I will use it as directed and provide updates to fellow baldies ... A little about me: I am 26 male and genetically 'condemned' to baldness. i have been noticing progressive hairloss all over the top of the head and hairline since I was about 18. I tried Propecia when I was 19 but then gave it up because of all the scary side effects stuff on the internet, (although I personally did not experience anything, but why take a chance... btw the supposed side effects go beyond just erectile issues... look at propeciasideeffects.com!) So now the hair (or lack of) have become noticably thinner and therefore I have decided to do something about it...