NoTakeBacks

Like Spanker said, successfully transplanted hairs will have the same susceptibility to thinning as their former neighbors on the back and sides.(Which is greatly reduced if not eliminated due to their DHT resistant nature See Blake's post for details) It's important to remember that by thinning, we're referring to hair shaft diameter. Most elder gents will have some overall thinning/reduction in hair shaft diameter as they age. Note, this won't be isolated to just the grafts. If it occurs, it will effect the grafts, crown, sides and back; it'll be an overall thinning. Some are effected by this more than others, just like each individual is effected by MPB differently. Obviously some guys will die with a thick dense head of hair, but the majority of men who reach 65+ will experience some generalized thinning (overall wispier hair). It's just a fact of aging and genetics.If your grafts have stuck around for 1-5 years post op, there's no reason to suspect they'll just spontaneously die and fall out in the next 20. My $.02.

7 months post op is quite some time, so you're pretty safe to use any product that would be normally used. If you're talking about your moisturizing your scalp and not so much the grafts (IE: Hair Conditioner) then you could always try pure Aloe Vera. Aloe is often recommended even in the early days of transplants. I personally used an aloe spray the first week and going forward.

Thanks man. I guess cause of my diffuse pattern and age. Better to play it conservative. I can go back and get another for density and touch ups if needed (probably will). But I'm real happy with the donor, I haven't had my hair cut down to any razor guard length in awhile, so I'm happy that #8 is completely safe.

Woop Woop! Buzzed my hair down to #8 (Wahl) on the sides and back; can't tell shit. Next stop #6! I'll try uploading better quality multiple angle shots later. =D

I was prescribed Vicodin, which I filled the day before. You could add Acetaminophen or Aspirin to the mix, as your body processes them differently than Ibuprofen(Liver vs Kidney). 800mg of Ibuprofen is one of the heaviest duty OTC you can rock though. You can try Naproxen (Aleve) but I don't know if it can match 800mg. Maybe get aspirin with a slight muscle relaxant. And as always don't drink, as your liver and kidneys are gonna be taxed enough if you decided to mix and match OTC pain killers.

Agreed. For only 1700 grafts that is some pretty good coverage considering the area and degree of baldness. Personally, from where you came from, I think you look respectable Pulpedfiction. With that said I'm happy you and the Doc worked things out and went through a second procedure to add some density. Not to speak for Pulpedfiction, but he did state that non-permanent solutions weren't his bag, and that he did try Toppik. So with that said, I doubt if one were not keen on applying concealer everyday, one would not want to be handcuffed to periodically purchasing a "hair replacement system" and having to get one applied for the rest of their life. At least I wouldn't. I would rather spend a few uncomfortable hours, and then months of anxiety/babying of lil' follicles, to end up with my own hair. Hair that will grow and change with me. Hair that is not foreign or synthetic. Certainly not hair that's glued to my head. Even though both are a means to the same end, I would not only feel like a sham, but also squicked out that there's some inanimate netted object glued to my head...

That last picture is an awesome look; especially considering his starting point! It even holds up well slicked back. It's cool to see similar cases to mine in graft count and loss. =D

Those were some damn fine results and only at 4.5 months! Can't wait for the 6 month update. I'm nearly at 5 months, and I don't know if I can pull off a normal cut yet.

Hmmm, do you have any reasoning behind picking up Nettle Root JD? I used to take it with Vitamin C & Echinachea when I was feeling rundown, but I never did any research into using it as a daily supplement. What's your take/research on it? I considered trying Saw Palmetto, but the lack of medical findings are kinda meh. So I'm stalled out on the SP front, and just take MSM, Biotin, Fish Oil, E, D2 and a general non-synthetically derived Multivitamin.

Nice man! With the new hair and beard combo it's gonna be hard to associate your forum icon with your current results. Your friends and family have a right to be amazed. Grow follicles grow! Question though, how long did you wait until you started lifting again? I recently tried 3 sets of elevated push-ups @ 4 months, and even that has me feeling kinda wary.

Not an expert or vet, but looking at 2010/1, seems like you've always had fine caliber hair. The density does seem higher back then, but it's hard to tell due to your fine caliber and low res pics. I wouldn't say you're experiencing alarming recession and miniaturization, as the temples and whatnot show typical maturation. However, I would keep an eye on your forelock and frontal third to see if the miniaturization progresses (hair shafts get thinner), as you are only 18. There's always Minoxidil and Finasteride at this stage. Also due to your fine hair, I think a shorter cut suits you best. Does your family have any history of MPB?

I like the hairline design! That and your hair texture should make for some great results in the end. It's always hard to gauge actual growth vs expected vs other patients; just good ole human nature to reach for the stars. I echoed similar thoughts on my 4 month post, where I realized I was subconsciously measuring the transplant growth rate to my normal hair growth, despite knowing about Telogen etc. Silly brain. Best on sprouting!

Thanks for the replies guys! Feedback is always great cause no matter how much I try and step away to objectively judge, it's just not comparable to outside opinions. I'm really excited to hear that around 5 months is when a lot of people's growth kicked into overdrive. Right now it's hard to see the forest from the trees. I'm just waiting patiently till the day I can attempt to style it like I used to. Anyway, here's one more pic with hair dry and down after a day of hat wearing. Once again fluorescent lighting, no flash, hair looking crazy as I tried to finagle it so the recipient can be seen.

H'okay, I'm back for my 4 month update. While the months themselves have gone by quickly, the realization of how long a hair transplant actually takes to come to fruition has finally dawned on me. You can read it on paper and be all, "Pffft...9 months to a year? Whatever." But actually living it is a different story. No matter how much preparation and research I'd done, I still get the feeling like an antsy kid waiting to open presents. Another thing I never realized until now, was how many haircuts I would've received, and how fast my hair normally grows. However, thanks to this hair transplant things were put into perspective. Despite reading about transplant timelines, and knowing about the phases of the hair cycle, I must have been subconsciously thinking "Okay...in 4 months my hair should be like x, based on past experience!" Except that's comparing apples to oranges and whatnot. So, while I rationally knew the hairs would be in Telogen for awhile, emotionally I was expecting normal growth rate.Thankfully, I'm a pretty cool cucumber. Now for more waiting! And of course, the pics! Frontal and profile of hair, greasy from Minoxidil application, shot under fluorescent lighting but no flash. I know it's too early, but I most definitely will want subtle temple points restored and a possible .5cm to 1 cm lowering, while maintaining a mature hairline. Cheers!

In light of your recent post in this thread, I can finally relevantly thank and comment the above quote! Thanks for taking the time to write all that out. I have the same outlook and notions, but never took the time to put all that into words. Hell, the reason I choose this handle stems straight from the same school of thought expressed in your post. Basically, this is how I am supposed to look; this is how I DID look. Screw you nature/genetics...THERE ARE NO TAKE BACKS. I'm reclaiming what is mine. You had no right to give me something so awesome and cruelly decide to take it away. I won't go down without a fight, mark my word. Plus same thing about society, et al. Tons of people in their everyday life, use shit that's more fake when compared to the logistics of a hair transplant. It is our hair. They're just being relocated where something once was. There's a reason why this is called the Hair Restoration Network. Bonus points for Gattaca reference.

I use Regenpure/Revita 2 to 3 times a week and have tried various Volume Boost shampoo's for the non keto days. Right now I'm trying Dove for Men Thickening.

Very Nice! I love the varying pictures, especially that a wet hair shot was taken. Results and smile speak for themselves. Quick Q: How long ago was the small FUE procedure performed, and what was the target recipient?

Nifty! You/Bisanga had a nice lil forelock to work with MH. Grow well and try to enjoy the ride! (Though that's much easier said than done. )

You touched on most of the answers yourself! Most transplanted hairlines will fall into the more conservative side, because if progression and donor area allows, one can always lower it in the future. Whereas, if someone goes for a way too aggressive hairline, one might be chasing it for the rest of their life and run out of the oh so finite donor hair in the process. As to the illusion and transformation of a hairline... you are correct that immediately post op can look a bit higher vs 9 months+ Aside from the gents who slick their hair straight back, the volume you speak of does indeed help make the hairline appear slightly lower, thanks to that "puff" effect as Dr. Feller would put it. Whether or not a patient changes their mind about a hairline being too high or not, depends entirely on how much they get bit by the Hair Greed Bug, and what prospects their donor area has. I know personally I'll probably want a slight touch up of my temple points/slight lowering at some point (considering all holds up), but I refuse to make a decision until I'm 14 months out. At that point I'll know if I can justify another session or not. IMHO. :]

Cool, your donor is certainly making progress. It still is noticeable, but a lot of that is due to redness. It doesn't look like it's been widening, so that's something to be thankful for. Yeah, you'd be surprised at how many natives survive when the colonial transplants get dropped in. For me, it was a sobering experience to see the state of my natural hair so clearly and come to realize "Well...this would be me give or take a year if I just let my hair ride."

And how! That truly is exceptional, he's a lucky guy. Genetics + doc = excellence.

Very nice! Like the density and design, it holds up real well even with the hair to skin contrast. Very solid and natural!

Do you have your own razor + guard? If so, I'd suggest starting at Guard #5/6 and working your way down if you think you can manage. Personally, I just let it grow wild until recently. But I let it grow quite long pre-op in anticipation, and just went full on scruffy mode.

Yeah...I wouldn't say it's a "terrible" post, as I see the good intention, but KO's totally right concerning the latter. Guys hairline is strong as fark and only has very minor temple recession. Hell not everyone is BORN with a perfectly straight hairline, and I can only hope (and wait) that my end result will be similar to what he has naturally. HL sufferers are some of the few people that will scrutinize and dissect anyone else's hairline to the extreme extent. I know I wasn't paying attention to any other guys hair when I had an impenetrable wall of hair lol.

Dude has good facial thirds, strong forelock, good bone structure, a strong jawline, and looks to be a big guy all around. With that said, just having temple recession isn't going to hurt him unless his entire hairline falls out... Not saying there's no hope for hair loss sufferers(no woe is us lol), just pointing out Miss Universe isn't marrying some short, out of shape guy with a completely thinning hairline. THAT would be a story. ;D