JohnnyDrama

That's great to hear Greg! I'm doing good......I'll get some pics up in a few days for my 6 month anniversary!

Avoid. I just did a quick search and found that Garageland......a very popular and experienced poster has been to him years ago....and posted the following experience: Do yourself a huge favour and stay away. Research the docs on this site and you'll end up in good hands!

Ok....I didn't know that. To be honest, I couldn't say for sure if it is better or worse. Only the clinic would know that but the fact they are offering it must mean they are confident in the process. I would like to find out a bit more about it. Also, yes I would put Dr Mwamba in the same category as Drs Bisanga and Feriduni. I was lucky enough to meet all 3 of them in the space of a few days and was very impressed. Dr Mwamba actually trained with Dr Bisanga for several years under another doc and learned their trade together.

Are you sure about that? I could be mistaken, but I think you have it the wrong way around. I think Dr Mwamba can leave the recipient site unshaven, whereas the donor will be shaved regardless if having FUE of over 500 or so grafts. How many grafts do you think you will need? To answer your original question, yes I believe Dr Mwamba is one of the top global FUE doctors out there. I visited his clinic and met him for him to assess my situation and I think it must have lasted about 70 mins. Very thorough and professional setup there, on top of being a very nice bloke too.

Hey Stinger, gonna try and keep the thread-based pics to monthly updates mate......but if you want to PM me your email address I'll send on a few I've taken today for ya! Also just noticed.....the thread has over 20k views!

Great minds indeed Stu! Ya I guess every individual reacts differently to the different options out there, so hopefully it suits us.

Thanks lads......things are still kicking in nicely. Have let it grow since getting it cut on Dec 23rd. I'll get more pics up in 2 weeks time when I hit the 6 month mark. Just a note regarding a change on the regimen / medication side of things: I've decided to give my body a break from Finasteride for a while (still experiencing sides every now and then, albeit not quite as bad since lowering my dose). I still want some form of anti-DHT blocker in my system though so I'm going to try out Nettle Root (500mg daily).

Hey fitnessjunkie......any update mate? I see you're closing in on the 1 year mark?

Denny........the work looks brilliant mate! You've had a tough enough ride over the last few months, so you deserve the massive transformation that I'm in no doubt you're in for. You have some scary stats on your side that should make this a monster transformation! Happy growing!

He's talking about the 'TiffanyGraff' poster mate!

My clinic gave me hydrocortisone cream for my donor and it worked well. I used MSM, but haven't heard that it affected nerves like you mention.

Two top surgeons, but I will admit to being a BIG fan of Dr Koniors work. If all of the FUE surgeons on the planet retired tomorrow and I needed another HT.....I think there'd be a very good chance I'd be making my way to Chicago.

Re nettle root, I've spoken to a few very experienced hair loss veterans who have tried a lot......and a few currently use it as their anti-DHT blocker instead of the likes of Fin. Many people just do not want to go the Fin route, and others go there and get sides so alternatives need to be explored. From what I can see, 3 things that are in hairloss vets regimens would be one (or a combination of): Saw Palmetto, Nettle Root, or Keratene Alpha retard.

I think you're going about it the right way Greg. My advice would be to start on something like 0.25mg or 0.5mg, two or three times per week. Then maybe every one to two months, very gradually up it, assuming no sides are evident. Personally, I started out 4 years ago on 1.25mg daily. Looking back, I would have started on something along the lines of what I suggested to you. For two years I didn't notice a thing, but then I started noticing sides. This could very well have had something to do with another drug I was on for my skin - Roaccutane. Either way, since then I have changed my dose to 1.25mg every MWF, then to 0.5mg daily 5 months ago......and now I'm thinking of coming off it for a while just to give my body a rest from it. Thinking of going on Nettle Root for a bit to still keep some anti-DHT stuff in my system.

Excellent post sl! If every person who first ventured online when starting out on their hair journey came across this, they'd be doing well. Funnily enough this time last year I started out with a VERY similar structure and plan. Can't recommend in-person consultations enough.....you learn a lot about your situation and also get a great feel for the doc and clinic.

Looks about as good as you could have wished for Othersyde!

Best of luck....you're in very good hands. You should be in for a fun summer, and it will just get better and better from there. I also feel your pain about swimming etc. I was a diffuse thinner with loss just in my midscalp......so anytime it got wet, it got terribly exposed and there was this big gaping white patch in the middle of my head. Put me off participating in a lot of physical activities! You'll be a new man in a few months!

Any updates Irish?

Looks great Grigriman. I'm 4 months ahead of you having been to BHR too. The next 2 months are the toughest, after that it's all fun. Keep us posted!

Best of luck Arekk, you're in good hands!

Thanks for the comments guys....much appreciated! Looking forward to some birthday beers tonight! Ya Greg, that Roaccutane stuff is nasty, I was on it at 16 and again at 29. Not fun! Hopefully the nasty cystic acne stays away for good this time.

I'd go along with the others mate......you've been unlucky twice already it seems, so do yourself a BIG favour and save your cash to give to a truly proven surgeon! It could be the best decision you will ever make!

Terrible. Haha, only kidding Greg.....you pull it off from the front anyway! Any other angles? And regarding the timeline.......am I right in saying your second op was 2 months after your first? It's just quite unusual to see such a quick turnaround for another procedure.

I'd agree with the others and hold firm for now. Stick with the meds. See how things are in a couple of years. I'm lucky to have had a sun holiday each summer throughout my 20s. (I've just turned 31). Each summer used to act as a barometer in terms of my hairloss.....as my photos year on year would expose a little more scalp in the sunshine. When I was 26 it hit home, and I started getting comments about it. 6 months later on my 27th birthday I visited a clinic and they suggested meds for a year and come back to them. I did this and the meds certainly stalled things. They bought me an extra few years before I took the jump. The closer you are to 30, imo, the better. You have a pretty good head of hair right now so, even though it may not be what you want to hear, I'd sit tight on the meds for another while yet.

I've been using a non-sulphate shampoo since my op 4 months back. Look up 'Jason Natural Care'. Their whole range is sulphate-free. I use the biotin-enriched shampoos and find them great. The bottle also lasted 4 months, and that was with daily washing! So value for money too.