Birdness

Hi

I was wondering what the timeline for scar stretching was. If it occurs, does it occur within a few weeks/ months ? At what point can one say that the scar will be more or less stable?

sheraz,

 

Thinning hair is one of the of the many known side effects of Accutane (isotretinoin). In many cases, this hair loss is temporary. However, for those susceptible to the effects of androgenic alopecia (genetic baldness), there is always a chance that these weakened hairs may not regrow.

 

I have no documentation to support this, but I suspect that Rogaine (minoxidil) may help to counter the increased balding from Accutane as it is a vasodilator that increases blood flow to the follicles. But, I would certainly discuss that with your dermatologist.

What about topical Retin-A, any effects on hair growth/loss ????

But does the hairline appear more natural as the maturation occurs?

Yes, the above statement mirrors my experience. The full maturity into naturalness starts after 12 month post op. My hair started looking more natural at the 14 month mark.

Are you referring to the hairline or overall ?

Do any patients have personal experience with the hairline softening and become more natural with time ?? All responses welcome.

After a HT, do hairlines become softer and more natural in appearance? If so, what time period?

Thanks

How long does the transplanted hair take to mature?

What exactly happens as the grafts mature??? Do they get thicker?? Other changes?

Does anyone know if Hasson and Wong recommend minoxidil post op?

Attached are some 6 week pics. Sill in the awkward phase where the side needs to be long enough to cover the healing scar and the top is thinner and growing much slower then the sides. Baby steps. This part sucks. "4700 total grafts w/ Dr. Konior" breathe and repeat. I hate this stage.

 

All pics under very bright light. Pic of just hair is the donor area.

Does Dr Konior recommend using Minoxidil post op?

I am curious whether all surgeons recommend starting Rogaine-minoxidil post op?Input from patients of different doctors would be appreciated. Also, when is it started

Post op ( days, weeks, months???)

What can be done to help speed up resolution of redness in the recipient area?I am 3 weeks post op and it is still fairly red although slowly diminishing. I have slightly olive skin so I thought it would resolve faster. How long does the redness last on average?

Thanks

Which one will produce less redness of the scalp post HT: Rogaine foam or solution ?Thanks

Any difference between the generic brand of minoxidil 5% solution or foam between Costco and Walmart?? Wondering about tolerability, formulation, etc. thanks

If a scar will stretch, when postop does it occur? First few months or years?What are the risk factors?

Thanks

That's exactly why I suspect he may be exaggerating: Insecurity and ridiculously high expectations causing a warped view. And also because he won't show us any pictures - he only rants and complains, and then gets another HT.

 

 

 

For me, the way I see myself in my head is the way I'm supposed to look. I considered MPB to be a crime by nature against my inner self, forcing me to be treated crappier by people and be instantly placed on "ignore" by a lot of women without even getting a chance. Getting an HT only restored me to what I'm supposed to be. I don't know if there's a God or not (not religious but not really an atheist either) and I really do not care, at least in this respect; when it comes to me looking how I want and living how I want, the only will that matters is my will. Not genetics, not any God, not nature, just mine. So if I look in the mirror and I'm happy with what I see, then that's how I'm supposed to look. Same for you.

 

Additionally, as for your concern about "deceiving people," you aren't really deceiving them, are you? Because an HT is permanent. You're not going to go home and take it off like a toupee, or wash it out like concealer. You're not going to "trick" a girl into coming home with you or dating you, and then subject her to your embarrassing secret of thinly-disguised baldness (like women do with fake hair and makeup all the time, by the way). Maybe this guy with hair didn't used to be you (just like the guy who went bald wasn't the same you that had great hair a few years before, but became the new you)... But it is now. This is the real you now, and there's no going back. And you should be happy about that, because you made yourself.

 

 

Never feel guilty about having upgraded yourself in some way that masks some meaningless and superficial aspect of yourself - an upgrade that simply removes you from the radar of the shallow, socially aggressive troglodytes that surround you - and preventing them from degrading and ridiculing you. Should you have to put up with your value as a person and self worth being lowered because of a simple aesthetic detail that has nothing to do with your abilities or true self? Of course not. Will you be? Yep. Just like the smart, pretty, compassionate but chunky girls that cry themselves to sleep every night as the world chips away at them and makes them live as self-hating invalids. So always remember that society wronged you first, and you're only reacting and taking the logical course of action. If baldness weren't a negative stigma in society, no one would bother with hair transplants or other crap, would they? But society demands it and punishes those who don't acquiesce. So it will get a convincing facsimile of what it demands - and those who would judge deserve to be deceived.

 

And furthermore, I have absolutely no qualms about deceiving our shallow, demanding, abusive, materialistic society. Women wear makeup and wigs and slimming under-garments - all shallow lies to boost their attractiveness. Attractiveness is a currency, and I'm not forfeiting it just because society or some idiotic, low-brow, surrenderist loser moral system says I shouldn't be able to exceed my born "place" in life or that I should just take it up the ass from genetics or arbitrary unfortunate circumstance or whatever. I mean what? Like some people get born pretty and then walk around their whole lives and get compliments and preferential treatment and get paid better (yes, all true - there are decades of study in this field) as if they achieved something? And those of us who aren't so lucky are just supposed to accept some shitty supporting role in life as invisible second-class citizens and live in their shadow begging for handouts just because of a random roll of the genetic dice? Fµ?|< that. As long as you're not harming someone else, you have the right to have anything in life that you can build or take. That's capitalism. That's freedom. Love it. Live it. Never look back.

 

I see balding guys take crap time and time again, whether being automatically discounted as potential partners by judgmental women or just the occasional smart-ass comment that I know digs at them even though they try to hide it. As I stand there with my permanent "fake" hair as a contrived piece of my social armor and camouflage, there is never one second where I think to myself, "Gee, I sure do feel guilty since I know that I really actually belong over there getting degraded and ridiculed at with the bald guys who haven't made an effort at self improvement, and here I am over here, irresponsibly avoiding the righteous punishment that I justly deserve for... uh... getting born, I guess." The drunk retards in those YouTube Epic Fail videos should be ridiculed - for their idiotic choices. You and I should not suffer ridicule for the way we were born. And the only way to avoid it, sadly, is to take charge and modify the way we appear to have been born in order to fool society's sensors.

 

Life isn't a ball game or a boxing match with rules. People like to try to make social rules that benefit themselves and people like them, but those aren't real rules. Consequently, there is no such thing as cheating in real life. You are what you make yourself, and that is final.

 

Remember that. And believe it. Because it is absolutely true.

 

/rant

 

P.S.- I sound more anti-social than I actually am. I'm not a crazy aggressive weirdo time-bomb and I don't outwardly or actively hate society or anything; more like I'm just vaguely annoyed at the widespread stupidity that tends to permeate middle-class culture; I mostly just ignore it, and it only really gets under my skin when I have to suffer at the hands of said stupidity - which doesn't happen much anymore since I now have good hair. And it also sort of ticks me off to see someone made to feel bad about a condition they were born with and then feel guilty and beat themselves up about having made it better for themselves. It's like a lose-lose situation, a catch-22 that victimizes anyone without perfect genetics, like in that movie Gattaca.

One of the most insightful posts on the subject I have ever seen !!!!!!

The route I am choosing is to shrink my crown by about 70% with density close to what I had done on the front and top (which gave me very good density in those areas) as opposed to hitting the whole crown at a density that would be noticeably lower than the front and top. It's all a matter of preference I suppose. However, I do think it critical for any crown patient to make sure the laterals are done well to make sure your head is framed and your profiles from the side look good.

Agree it is a matter of preference. Not sure what the right way to go is. How big an area in theory will be left over? Did your surgeon recommend one way versus another?

If one looks in the real world there are many examples of men with relatively good heads of hair but thinning in the crown. Thinking this might not be a bad solution.

I measured my crown area today and if I did it right it seems as though I have about 120 sq centimeters (NW6) with a little over 3000 grafts (it's been 4 1/2 months) I think that comes to 25 grafts per sq ctmts so we'll see what happens.

 

Graft counts (1s 254) (2s 1043) (3s 1611) (4s 128)

 

Keep us posted. Do you have any pics even though early stages? Have you done the front half already? Surgeon?

When you say 30, I assume you mean the average. A good doc will not place 30 evenly thorough out your crown. Instead, they will place at higher density in certain areas of the crown and less in others so the average would be 30. I do think 30 in the crown (assuming your hair is at least medium) can look good if done right.

Yes , avg 30 FU/ cm. My hair is straight and more on the fine side, however.

Hs anybody tried 30 FU/cm in the posterior half/ crown area?? Clearly the density in the posterior aspect of the scalp can be less than the anterior. All in an effort to increase the area covered. In an older gentleman, the consequences of a thin crown are less significant than in a 30 yo for example. Opinion?

If someone restores the anterior half of the scalp with reasonably good densty HT ( say 40FU per cm) what is the minimum density for the posterior half to have a reasonable cosmetic result. I am a NW 6 and ideally would like to cover as much an area as possible .. BTW I am in my mid 50's age wise. What is better thin coverage throughout or a bald island at the crown????

Any issues with using Cialis/Viagra post HT surgery ??? How soon??? I know that these drugs can affect blood flow. Physician input welcome.

How quickly should biotin/ MSM etc be started after HT ? The sooner the better or need to wait a while?Doc opinions welcome.

take a look at my profile youll see my hairline post op looks very high, imo any higher than this (7.5cm) is unacceptable

7.5 cm measured from where???

If you look at the original hairline transplanted right after surgery they seem a little high in most cases. Once the hair grows in does the hairline assume an apparently lower position because there is now volume to the hairline or is it initially an illusion that it is higher than it should be??

In other words, did someone think his hairline was too high right after the transplant only to realize that it was perfect a few months down the road?

Thanks