xtatic5

Skin elasticity varies from person to person. It will eventually stretch back out, just be careful not to stretch the scar.

I take 5mg biotin and ~7g msm daily. MSM is methylsulphonylmethane. While biotin increases the hair's thickness and growth rate, MSM makes the hair softer and lengthens the anagen phase (maximum length increase). MSM also has other health benefits unrelated to hair.

Darren, do you have curly hair? I do and before biotin I also had handfuls of hair in the shower and sink. I am not suffering hair loss at all.

All people shed 50-100 hairs per day, but those with curly hair will notice more in the shower because it gets tangled and doesn't fall from the head until agitated. Straight hair does not tangle and therefore falls throughout the day.

Wherever your HT was performed, that is certainly a wider than average scar, xtactic5.

Thanks Dr. Wesley. What is average? Is it common for a scar to heal asymmetrically? That this section of the scar is more red than the rest leads me to believe that it's a bit delayed in healing.

Thanks Gill, even since my last post I've seen improvement. I sprayed some Neosporin on it and the pinkness is all but gone. I also feel as though the surrounding hair is slowly closing in on it.

Is the area that is pink and sensitive also raised or puffy?

Mostly no, but there are two bumps and a small scab. I poked it with a comb about 2 months ago so I blame it on that. This is also the only area where hair has not grown through yet.

I would agree that you're going to get biased responses when it comes to outdated transplant techniques. I would venture to guess that a majority of active members on this forum are within five years of their first transplant and are unfamiliar with flap surgery. The thought of a surgeon offering such an invasive surgery given the less invasive methods available today is unsettling to us folks. Case in point, some members are already demonizing the strip method in favor of FUE. I don't know that I'd discount a surgeon simply because he performs old techniques as well as new. He's probably just been in the business for a long time and never removed it from his list of available services (why would you? More potential revenue). Though I suppose one could make a case for ethics.

hey august..

If you want to do some tests yourself.. just get a dark marker and fill in the "thin" spots on your scalp. It sounds stupid, but at a distance you can get a general idea of what a denser hairline will look like. You can try that, or some concealer like Toppik.. although I have never used it.

 

Good luck

That's what I did except I used black makeup that I had purchased to disguise a haircutting accident. I tried several hairline designs, took pics, and shared them with the doctor.

Each surgeon typically has their own style of hairline based on what they think looks natural and is safe given your situation. You may need to consult with several in order to get what you want.

I'm expecting an undetectable scar. At 4 months most of it is, but there is one section which is pink and sensitive and about 3mm wide. This area also had the most scabbing post op. At what point should I stop expecting improvement?

I remember reading that at 6 months 70 percent of the hairs will have sprouted. At 10 to 12 months 100 percent of the hairs will have sprouted but will continue to thicken for up to an additional 6 months.

That really depends on the composite of the scar. Some are more tougher in texture than others. Basically, the hair follicles on the beveled edge can begin penetrating the scar right away unless they go into dormancy. The time period that the individual hairs actually break the scar surface vary, but at four months post-op you should begin seeing hair come through your donor scar by now, and especially should be visible since the scar is roughly 3mm wide.

 

If you did have the tricho closure method, I would have thought that would have been pointed out to you especially if you have a tight scalp. Some docs will opt for using staples for tighter scalps or a double-closure technique.

 

I would recommend that you contact your doctor's office and ask them to look into your medical chart to find out if you did in fact have a trico closure done. A 3mm scar is generally wider than expected and some guys will either consider a revision when appropriate or have FUE added in the scar at a later time once everything is healed.

 

You may want to ask your doctor about doing scalp exercises ahead of time before having the revision because you do not want to end up with another wider scar.

Thanks for the info. Actually, I spoke too soon. I have a "go-to" section of my scar which is actually the worst of it (probably because I keep messing with it). Upon closer inspection, the rest of my scar is considerably narrower, paler, and does have hair growing through it. This particular section is about 3 inches long. The first 2 pics are the bad section, the last 2 are the good. I apologize if it's difficult to see, my hair doesn't part well.

How long does it generally take for hair to emerge through the scar? I assume that I received a tricho closure but we didn't actually discuss it and my scalp was described as "tight". I had a density of 70 grafts/cm2. At 4 months my scar is hairless and ~3mm wide.

Ingrown hairs/pimples in the recipient area are normal. I have those too and they're harmless. I also have developed some pimples on my crown (no hair loss there) but this could be a result of my new diet/supplements and hair care routine.

Regardless of what your pictures show, you cannot assess density at 4 months. Some people don't even start growing until 4 months.

After a hairline lowering transplant, how does the body react in the recipient area? I've heard that the capillaries grow and thicken to increase blood supply. How about sebaceous glands? Does the former forehead ever truly become scalp tissue?

There is no scale in this picture. How long/old is this hair? If you've been taking Propecia for over a year and the miniaturization happened a few months ago, it might have nothing to do with the pill.

Where on your head did this hair originate? If it's from the frontal 3rd, where Propecia is ineffective, then it might have nothing to do with the pill.

Wow! Which fue docs are transecting 20-30% of the grafts?

These figures are not for specific docs but are based on my own research from a variety of sources. Although, I was told by a coalition member that FUE was not possible for me because my hair was too curly and unpredictable under the surface. I should also note that the 1-2% transection for FUT is in addition to the 10% of telogen grafts that are discarded.

While FUE bypasses some of the inconveniences of FUT, it does come with a lower yield. 20-30% of your grafts could be lost to transection vs. 1-2% for FUT. The transection rates are higher for curlier hair.

Thanks for your reply, xtatic5. I'd have thought my question would have garnered greater interest but maybe people need to see pictures.

 

Anyway, I'm not on any medication or supplements because I'm not losing my hair; the procedure was just to lower my hairline.

 

I'd appreciate any additional responses.

I'm not losing hair either. Biotin and MSM increase your growth rate and thicken the hair shaft.

I can't help you since I'm only 2 months post-op but I had the same type of procedure. I sure hope I'm not waiting 18+ months for mature hair! Are you taking any supplements? I'm on Biotin and MSM+C. I hope it helps.

My goal was 2700 grafts. I was told that scalp exercises were not necessary for this size of procedure but it was my choice. I got lazy. I only got 2300 grafts. Now I may need a 2nd procedure if the density doesn't pan out. Coulda..woulda..shoulda...

By "misalignment" I assume you're referring to a raised scar resulting from the overlap of skin. I'm only 2 months post-op and my scar is virtually flat..

Just because you lowered your hairline doesn't mean the old hairline will now be reactive to the medication. It usually doesn't respond well in the frontal 1/3 but it certainly can, just not for the majority of patients. It usually works well for the back 2/3 of your head so don't be surprised if it keeps thinning in that area. Usually over the course of a patient's life they will require another procedure in the front to accommodate for more native hair loss.

Thanks for the info Thehairupthere. Is the reason it doesn't work in most people because the blood supply is less in the frontal 1/3? I thought that maybe by extending the scalp 2.25cm the blood supply behind the new hairline would increase.

Sadly Bobilero you're not the first person that has mentioned this problem

I've read that Propecia is not very effective at the hairline. I recently lowered my hairline 2.25cm. Would Propecia now be effective on the old hairline? Just wondering for the future.

I also never developed scabs. I had little specks of blood for a few days after surgery and then clear flakes of skin after. I still have the flakes 5 weeks later although parts are starting to shed with the hairs.

I was also pleasantly surprised that she never really asked for money. It was only after suture removal while we were leisurely chatting that she bashfully mentioned payment. I handed her a wad of bills in a travel pouch and she didn't even count it. She just said she trusted me and that was it. She's clearly not in it for the money.

As I reminded another forum member, Dr. Radha has been on this site for little over a year. It will take time for her to build a portfolio of fully grown patients. One cannot expect 100% of patients to share their experiences, not even 25%. What you can measure, though, is the ratio of satisfied to unsatisfied patients. I have yet to see any patient fail to recommend Dr. Radha.