Since21

I'm not refuting this claim, but could the improvement in the consistency of your results also be due to your increased experience as a surgeon? Great read, by the way.

As Morgan Freeman says in 'The Shawshank Redemption,' Time draws out like a blade. It's driving me a little batty, to be honest. My social life is on hold.

They are most likely pimples, but don't pick them. Here is my doc's instructions for dealing with them: Warm compresses are fine. I would also encourage more aggressive shampooing by using your fingertips to lightly massage the scalp. These are probably related to new hair sprouts that are getting trapped beneath the skin. It is beneficial to facilitate the emergence of these hairs so that any retained debris can be expressed through the exit pore. An occasional patient will require low dose antibiotics if the inflammation cannot be controlled with local measures. Don't be afraid about hurting anything with fingertip massage as the follicles are well secured at this time. This will clear once all of the hairs have entered a regrowth cycle and have penetrated through the skin.

I'm 2 months out and if the 4-6 month mark is the most depressing, I'm screwed.

Like Joe Don Baker?

Curious, why are you referring to yourself in the 3rd person? Since21 thinks this odd.

Probably pimples, but consult with your surgeon and put your mind at ease.

Agree with Can't Decide. You can see a lot of his results on this forum.

I've been curious about this myself. I'm 2 months out from my HT and I started Rogaine 10 days post-op per my surgeon's instructions. I stopped after 10 days because I started shedding in my crown and I didn't like the way it made my scalp feel. I've been wondering if I should start again, but not really crazy about the idea.

What are you using? Did the doctor recommend it?

I did a google search and found this: http://www.hairrestorationnetwork.com/eve/147297-how-long-does-shock-loss-last.html Read the links provided in the thread and scroll down and read the doctor's response. It doesn't sound like you're going to get a definitive answer, but hopefully it gives you a better understanding of what you're dealing with.

They are a busy practice, so if they tell you they don't have an opening for a while, tell them it's an emergency and you were recommended to the doctor by another patient. Again, before you do anything he might recommend consult with your surgeon first.

Because you could very well be married and divorced by then and back out there looking.

Sent you a PM joejohns.

While I wouldn't discourage you from getting someone in LA to look at it, just be aware that most doctors outside of hair restoration have very little knowledge or experience with hair transplantation. So anything they might recommend, you should consult with your HT surgeon first. I know a great dermatologist in LA if you want a recommendation.

Have you contacted your surgeon?

Money and travel shouldn't be the primary considerations when it comes to hair transplantation, although I know that's not realistic for everyone. First and foremost you want a top surgeon who has a proven track record of delivering stellar results. Both Konior and Shapiro are considered among the best.

I wonder if Propecia and Proscar share the same inert ingredients.

This is similar to how I slept, except I probably slept a little more upright for about 3 weeks post-op - 2 pillows to prop me up at 30-40 degrees and the travel pillow to keep any pressure off my suture line.

I'm not 100% positive, but I think it was Proscar. The pharmacist quartered them all for me. I recently read somewhere that quartering the entire prescription might cause it to lose potency and to try quartering it one pill at a time. That said, when I switched back to Propecia, my pharmacist said several other people had done the same thing - tried Proscar, then went back to Propecia. Could be the placebo effect.

I'm an ordinary Joe and it appears those who experience negative side effects are in the vast minority. That seems to be the case on this forum as well. And the article from MensJournal is pretty critical. Obviously if you're one of the people who experiences side effects you're going to have a negative take on it.

It's hardly hit or miss: Merck acknowledged that some Propecia users – it put the number at 1.3 percent – experienced erectile dysfunction. But users should be aware of the possible risks and side effects. **outside link removed** Let's also not forget that as men age our sex drive (supposedly) decreases.

I'm not sure making a sandwich shirtless qualifies as 'real-world.'

I have two children so I know that women can be a little irrational when they're pregnant, but I didn't/don't wash my hands after I take Propecia. I would think the transference of anything that might be harmful to women from the unwashed hand of a man who has taken an unbroken pill of Propecia would be extremely unlikely, if not impossible. Now, if you're talking about a quartered pill of Proscar, then I would definitely be more cautious.

I take 1 mg daily in the form of Propecia. I tried Proscar and quartered it, but I experienced some shedding after switching so I went back to Propecia, unfortunately. It costs significantly more.