Stublue

Cheers for all the comments guys, really appreciate it. And yeah the centre forelock looks good from the photos i posted but there is a small patch just behind the hairline that needs some addressing. With the new hairline its hard to see the weakness so that's all good! Only a small touch up job is required though so happy days.

Hey all, time for the 9 month update. The growth this month was probably not strong as month 7 and 8 but that's to be expected I suppose because they were whopper months! Having said that the hairline continues to get better and thicken up so I am a happy chap. I actually met up with Dr. Bisanga and Steve the rep in London around 2 weeks ago and they were happy with my progress, especially considering how bad I had it at the beginning. The doc is happy that I have no gaps anywhere but the right side is lagging behind the left but he said that is quite common. I actually think the right side has improved noticeably in the last week so that's only good! On the shock loss, he actually said I had one of the worst cases of shock loss he had ever seen and that I was as slow a grower as it comes. Typical, but all worth it! But anyway, they said that I look good in person (better than the photos) and that I need to give the hair at least another 4 or 5 months or so to see the final result as I have only really had around 4 months of growth (as i was such a slow grower). The doc reckons my centre forelock needs around 200 or 300 grafts which he will sort out next summer as well as any other issues I may have. And thankfully it will be a small job and won't require shaving the recipient area, which I was worried about. I also raised the possibility of strengthening my temple points (hair greed) but I will wait and see on that as Steve said it can be a risk. So all in all, I'm happy with the progress and am expecting more improvement over the coming months. Let me know your thoughts. Cheers.

Cheers Johnny, as you said I have only really had around 2.5 months of proper growth so hopefully there is still more to come! Just checked out your own progress and all seems to be going to plan. As you said you are in the ugly duckling phase, which isn't easy, but you seem to be handling it well and it will all be worth it. The short hair suits you.

Just thought id post a few pre-op photos that I had with another clinic 6 months before I had the op with BHR. Just shows the big difference!!

Hey Loose, Yeah true, a small top up in the centre forelock and it will be happy days. The donor area is good thanks. The shock loss is 90-95% recovered i reckon and there is no obvious scarring. The last couple of weeks have actually seen some definite improvement both in the right side of the recipient area and the left side of the donor area. Just shows that a lot is still happening even at this stage and there should be more to come! Another month or so and hopefully the donor will be fully recovered. The shock loss has taken a lot longer to come back in than i thought it would but its definitely getting there.

Okay guys, so its time for my 8 month update. As you can probably see from the photos i have had another pretty good month. The hairline continues to thicken and the right side has seen some improvement, particularly in the last 2 weeks or so. I still feel it is a little weak (you can see its a bit weak in pic 4) but i know its only month 8 so i'm hopeful for more improvement over the next couple of months. As long as it continues to improve i'm happy. So all in all, I am happy with the progress, especially the last 2 months. As you can see from my thread, i am definitely a slow grower and I had some pretty bad shock loss in the donor area, so the journey has not been easy. But the benefits are worth it and my confidence has improved a lot. Not that i really lacked confidence mind you but I always worried about my hair. I actually had my first real compliments about my hair in the last 2 weeks. Firstly my father (who doesnt know about the HT, nobody does!) said he liked my new haircut, which is very rare as he nearly always complains that it's too short!! And then my mate asked me if I had done something different to my hair. I just told him I got it cut and he said it looked great. Weird but great to hear. Also, maybe its just me, but i have noticed a few people looking at my hair but not saying anything. It probably is just my mind playing tricks on me. Ha!! I'm actually meeting Dr. Bisanga and his rep Steve in London on Nov 2nd for a consultation and analysis of my progress. The aftercare has been very good and I have been told that they will address any problem areas like the area behind the forelock, which remains my main concern. Again, as i said in my earlier posts, its fairly easy to hide that area with the new hairline (pic 1) but it can look a little strange if my hair is wet or i haven't combed my hair (pic 4). So it is an area that definitely needs to be addressed. Anyway, feel free to make any comments or ask any questions. Cheers.

Cheers for the comments guys. Happy with it all so far especially after the rough enough start (shock loss and slow growth). And it will only get better over the next few months. Hairthere, the co-worker who actually quizzed me over the whole thing is gone now. Thankfully so as he would definitely suspect something now!! Ha.

Looking good jonny, everything is going to plan. I'm sure it will be a big success!

So I'm a couple of days short of 7 months post op so time for another quick update. I have had another pretty good month and things are really starting to kick in. Since month 5 i am really happy with the progress. Not having to worry about your hair is fantastic!! Just shows patience really is the key as I was a little worried at 5 months. As you can see the right side is still lagging a little behind the right so I'm hoping for some more improvement there. The centre forelock is also still a little weak as i pointed out before but its very easy to style the hair and hide any weakness. The concealer has not been out of the cupboard for at least 5 weeks!! I actually bought hair gel for the first time in a good few years last week. Haven't used it yet mind you as i like the dry look and wetting the hair makes the hairline look a little weaker. Maybe in another month or so as the new hairline thickens! Anyway i would love to know your thoughts or fire away with any questions you may have.

Hey Johnny, congrats on the HT. A few long months ahead but it will all be worth it. Im starting to reap the benefits now myself coming up to 7 months. Any pics?

Ha, meant to say im pretty happy with the results so far, not just pretty!!!

Cheers for the comments guys. Yeah im pretty with the results so far and it should only get better over the next few months. Liv72, yeah I had minimal growth at 4 months so try not to worry about it. The next month or two should see some big changes. I know its easier said than done but patience really is the key.

So its now 6 months since the HT so time for an update. I have definitely seen improvement over the last 4 weeks since my last update and that's all I can really ask for. It's becoming easier to style my hair now and I rarely use concealer (caboki) anymore to hide the loss right at the centre of the forelock. I do seem to be a bit of a slow grower but again all I can really hope for is steady improvement/growth which seems to be happening. My hair confidence is definitely improving. And the shock loss has pretty much sorted itself out and all is back to normal. I do still have a couple of concerns though. As you can see from the photos (photo 1) I feel that the area just behind the centre forelock will need further addressing in the future. The loss is still relatively obvious unless I comb my hair a certain way and it also makes the new hairline at the front centre appear a little weaker as there is no real hair backing it up (photo 2). I also think the right side is coming in a little weaker (photo 3) than the left and it appears to have a small area where there is little to no growth. But I realise this is actually quite common. So I suppose patience is the key! Anyway, let me know your thoughts if you have any.

Hey Olly, Yeah i agree that 1,800 looks a little light. I had 2,093 grafts with Dr. Bisanga in Feb this year and I have similar loss to you. Still very much in the growth phase so still awaiting the results. I was between Feriduni and Bisanga as both have excellent reputations. Simply went for Bisanga as he is slightly cheaper. With regards time off, i reckon 5 weeks is plenty. I only took off 11 days and while it was obvious that something happened to my head, i made up a story about an infection which seemed to work. I know that after 5 weeks nobody would have noticed a thing in the recipient area. However, i was unfortunate enough to suffer from shock loss in the donor which is only getting back to normal now. But by all accounts its a very rare thing. Oh and to answer your question, i think it's a brave decision to something about a problem that impacts your life daily. If a second procedure is needed down the road so be it. But i was fed up looking in the mirror and hating my hairline!!

Cheers guys, yeah just a matter of patience I suppose. Hope all is going well with your growth fitness!

Yep so the 5 months are up alright. As you can see from the photos there has been progress from month 4 but I suppose I was hoping for a little more at this stage. Some days when I catch a glimpse of myself in the mirror I am happy with how it has progressed but when i examine it more closely I can feel a little disheartened. While a good few hairs have sprouted through, the hairline remains very sparse and weak, especially considering i had nearly 2,100 grafts into a relatively small area. I am fully aware that its still early days and I am probably just being a little paranoid. Plus i am probably comparing my growth to some early growers on this forum, which doesn't help!! I know everyone is different but according to the general growth rate, 40% of my hair should have come through at month 5 and I feel that I'm not close to that. But again, I know its still relatively early and I'm probably just being very impatient. So here is hoping I have a good month 6. Some positive news is that my shock loss in the donor area has pretty much corrected itself (about 90% back id say). Any comments, fire away. I should say that the photos i have attached make it look a little worse than it actually is. They are under harsh light and i haven't combed my hair to help disguise the receding hairline. Basically, it looks better when I give it some style!!

Cheers for all the encouraging words guys!! Really helps to hear from people who have gone through the whole experience. And I know its all about patience now and I am trying to avoid looking in the mirror every morning to see if there have been any further developments! I’ll make sure to continue updating the forum as it has really helped over the last few months. And agenteye its not often I get complimented about my grey hairs so thanks. I must say I like the grey hairs too, adds a touch of experience and sophistication. Not that I lack any of that mind you!

Cheers Jonny, I have actually noticed quite a few new hairs since my update on Sat. So i reckon you could be right, certainly if the last 3 days are anything to go by!! This should be an exciting month.

So its now 4 months post op and i think things are starting to finally happen. Its hard to tell from the photos but quite a few hairs have sprouted through in the last month and' i have the very early beginnings of a structured hairline, albeit its very sparse. I certainly dont t think im an early grower but i appear to be on schedule i guess. The centre area seems to be coming in a little slower than the sides but I could be wrong as the centre area was pretty much bald so it may just seem more sparse. The shock loss on the donor area is still evident but is getting better slowly but surely. I was hoping that it would have been all back to normal by now but unfortunately not. I seem to keep on saying this, but hopefully the hair will have all returned in the next month. Anyway, that's it for now but feel free to make any comments or ask any questions. Cheers.

Brilliantly put OtherSyde! In many ways it takes more courage to get a HT than to go without. I dont often post but had to comment on your great post. Shaved heads suit some people but do not suit others. It certainly doesnt help when you are pale, which I happen to be!

Hi Bobilero, Just a few more hairs have sprouted through in the last 2 weeks since my last update but no cosmetic difference as of yet. But that's perfectly expected. The shock loss is still evident but getting better. As I said to fitnessjunkie its pretty difficult to tell what effect Keratene is having as my loss has always been very slow. As far as I can tell, my hair loss certainly hasn't got worse so I reckon it is helping to a degree. I only take the 1 capsule but you can take 2. I haven't suffered any sides so that's all good. I'll continue to keep a close eye.

Hi Johnny, Yeah the whole ugly duckling period wasnt too much fun but I suppose you have to take it as short term pain for longer term gain. Luckily, I have alway kept my hair short, especially on the back and sides so while the donor shock loss was far from ideal, it wasn't too bad for me. Plus the fact that I have quite a few grey hairs on the sides means that the shock loss doesn't stand out as much as it could have. The shock loss is getting better on a daily basis now so it should be back to normal in the next few weeks or so. Here is hoping anyway!! With regards MSM and biotin, I was taking smallish amounts (2,000 mg MSM and 1000 mcg Biotin i think!) for the 2 months or so after the HT. At that stage I ran out of MSM so stopped taking that. I still take the odd biotin supplement when I remember but not too often. I have a very healthy diet (im a qualified dietary consultant - a hobby) and to be honest I think supplements are somewhat overrated but each to their own. Having said that maybe if i had increased the dosages my hair might have grown a little faster as it seemed to take an eternity to get back to the pre-HT stage!

Cheers guys, yeah hopefully the next 3 months will see some serious growth! Im still taking keratene fitnessjunkie. I started around 2 months ago and so far I haven't really noticed anything (good or bad) but there are some other forums that are showing good results. I'm taking 1 capsule a day but you can take 2. Even without the meds I don't think I was losing that much as my loss seems very slow but then again I could well be wrong!! I just want to make sure I hold onto what I have especially now that I have had a HT. I haven't suffered any sides at all so thats a good thing. Hope your recovery is going well and you are starting to see some growth, It should be an interesting next 3 months!

Well it has been just over 3 months now since the HT so I figured its time for another quick update. My shockloss in the donor area has definitely improved. I would hazard a guess that around 50% has grown back so im hoping that it will be all back by month 4 but we shall see. I am continuing the shave down the sides and back anyway just to help disguise the loss. Nobody seems to notice anything anymore so that's all good. With regards the recipient area not much has happened to be honest but i figured that would be the case. You cant really tell from the photos but there are some hairs sprouting through. My middle forelock is starting to see some hairs coming through and I am delighted with that. I can only see around 5 or 6 hairs and while it would appear to be no different to what it was pre-op, the few hairs that are coming through are definitely making a difference to me and disguising the loss just by combing the hair is getting easier (as you can see from the second photo). I have been pretty much bald there for a few years so bring on the hairs!! So from all my research i believe this is when i should start to see some more significant growth. Hopefully i wont prove to be a slow grower as time seems to be going so slowly already! But i reckon im well through the worst of it anyway and it will be great to actually have a decent hairline again in the very near future. I am still concerned that the centre forelock just behind the hairline where the hairs were implanted will be weak after the full result but time will tell. I will probably give it another month before I update again but if anyone has any questions/observations please feel free to share them.

Hey fitnessjunkie, cheers for the well wishes. Yeah I'm pretty sure we are through the worst of it alright. Hope you are healing well too and ill make sure to keep an eye on your thread to see how you are getting on. We should be in for a good summer if all goes to plan, and i'm sure it will!!