Wunder

I'm feeling very discouraged about my hairline. In total, I've had three FUT procedures since 2012 (total of 5700 grafts). All work was done to the frontal and mid-scalp. Unfortunately, despite using finasteride, my crown is also thinning out and I'm going in for a fourth FUT to address that. I have very good donor supply, so my surgeon is confident we can address the crown and add enough density there. My main issue, though, is with my hairline. After so much work, I'm still not happy. I don't know if the work is subpar or I just have unrealistic expectations. When I look at my hairline, it looks very unnatural and rough. I requested all my before and after photos from my doctor, which I'll post as soon as I receive them, so I just attached one closeup. It's not great, but hopefully you can give me a quick evaluation. The third FUT (performed one year ago) was supposed to add more density to the hairline. When I post the progression pictures, you'll obviously get a better sense of the result; for now, though, I expected more. More to follow, but just wanted to get some initial thoughts.

I am 3.5 weeks post-op, 1500 FUT. This is my third FUT procedure: first was roughly 2300 grafts and second was 2000. I was a Norwood 3A or worse when I started. The third procedure was aimed at increasing my density around the hairline. I have attached a couple of photos because I'm looking for some opinions on my recipient area. I'm not concerned with the redness because I'm very fair skinned and I was red for 2-3 months following the first two procedures. My concern is with the somewhat lumpy texture. I can't recall if I experienced the same thing after the first two procedures. I realize it might be tough to see in the photo, but hopefully you can see a bit of what I'm talking about. Any reason to be concerned? I've heard of cobblestoning and pitting, but don't think I'm experiencing that. Second, what are your thoughts on my temples? When I look at a closeup, the hairs seem like they are a different quality than the rest of my head and they look sort of "spread out." Keep in mind that my hair looks quite a bit thinner than what it did prior to this latest procedure. My surgeon doesn't shave the recipient area, but a lot of surrounding hairs were cut when the incisions were made. Can't tell if what I'm seeing is partly due to that or if the work isn't refined enough. To me, it doesn't look natural.

Interesting. Well, at least now I know what's going on. While I'm disappointed and don't want to have a second transplant, I know that I went into this process with a very clear idea of what I wanted my hair to look like. I'm most of the way there, but I want more density. At 13 months, I doubt I'm going to see a huge improvement. There's probably no sense in waiting another 5 months. I think I'll see my doctor and book a second session.

I am 13 months post-op, 2200 FUT. Prior to surgery, I had a severe receding hairline and was thinning significantly in the frontal region. My surgery went well, I waited patiently, and I started seeing good results around months 6-7. My hair got progressively fuller up until the 1 year mark. During months 6-12, I definitely noticed that my hair was wiry and a lot wavier than it normally is. Overall, it looked very good. I was pleased with the density, although I did feel that the hairline still lacked a super dense look. However, I understood that it could take up to 18 months to see the full result. Fast forward to now, one month later. I'm very concerned with what's happening. It seems like my density is decreasing. I haven't noticed any major sheds, but it could have snuck up on me. Also, my hair is no longer as wiry and wavy. When I comb it back, there is clearly a bit of a see-through effect. Also, in the mid-region, it looks thinner than it did a few months ago. By the way, I've been on Fin 1 mg EOD during the entire 13 months. What's going on? Should I be very concerned? If I need another surgery, I'll book it immediately. I have the money to do it and I'm very eager to see the result I'm looking for. Before I do that, though, I just want to solicit some opinions. Is it foolish to go in for a second round before the full 18 months? More importantly, any ideas as to why the hair looks less dense after it seemed like I achieved such good results during the standard growth phase?