hairbank

dhoose75............you're a stud.........no way to say it other than that ! You have to train 24/7 to maintain that, don't you bro??

You'll get varying opinions on this......... IMO........most people really can go back to work in two weeks and pull it off but strategically clipping the sides and back to match the top, when shaved down. I did, and I work in a bank, very professional environment................took some ribbing initially but blew it off so everyone quickly forgot about it and the hair grew back. Dermmatch to help scar coverage would probably help. If a person is NW 6 or so, maybe it's harder because there could be a remaining pinkish tint after 2 weeks but maybe not?? As for 1000 grafts, most skilled surgeons would not require you to shave down for that number so I think you'll be fine. Don't get me wrong, I did not relish shaving down and really would have chosen not to. However, in order to get the best results possible I thought it would worth it and would do it again.

Hi MH, Best of luck to you later this month with Dr. Epstein. He does quality work so I'm sure you'll do fine. Care to share your specs with us...........i.e. where you're at on the NW scale, expected grats, where they'll be placed, your age?? MSM has been rumored to help the hair grow faster. I did take it after my surgery for about the first 4-5 months and it "may" have helped............it can't hurt you, cause it's good for the joints, too, so it's a win-win ! You can buy it at Walmart and I believe you'll want to take 3000mg per day which I think is a couple of pills but check me out on that, it's been awhile. I used Nioxin Shampoo and Conditioner and believe them to be one of the best for the hair and scalp...........you may want to look into them. I was never a fan of using Minoxidil to jump start growth as I always wondered what it would do to my native, MPB-susceptible hair, and whether or not it would get dependent on it. I guess my advice to you would be not to use it as the hair will eventually come in fully with or without it. Patience is the key.............there's really NOTHING that you'll do that will drastically speed up the growth. It just take time. Best of luck to you,

Hey S-N-P, Looks great, my friend............it really does. Especially since you have more to come in the crown! Even without it, looks great as is......it really does. Oh, and please show pics when you let the 70's porn mustache come in..............i gotta see that!! lol! The Bowie eye makeup might not hurt either :-) !!

Yep, exactly right, dhoose! After my 2nd HT with Dr. Wong, I decided to start taking Finasteride just to stop the rescission of my hair down further on the sides and back, purely maintenance. Dr. Wong said to take it EOD because since it actively inhibit's DHT for a period of 72 hours..............so no need to really take it on a daily basis. And, yes, it has definitely worked for me as I for sure have minor regrowth in the hairline.

If it was just propecia I think it has been said you ought to take it the same time of the day but I have no idea if it matters. As for two meds................I'd be asking a Doc if I were you and had any concerns.

IH- Really looks great..............you've come a long way my friend. You've got to be thrilled!!

I didn't go to Dr. Alexander but I'd sure sit in the chair with him from the work that I've seen him do. I've become a big fan. His quality looks good and he can perform over 3000 graft sessions as well.

Yep............IF you have enough hair to work with, dermmatch can do wonders. It is a concealer though, not just a hair thickening agent like shampoos/conditioners......comprende'??

Sorry, messed around with this thread so much editing my posts my original reply is gone...............suffice to say that I think you're fine, don't worry!

Crap...........3 posts on this thread when I meant to make one! And I'm supposed to be a veteran on this site????

Crap...........3 posts on this thread when I meant to make one! And I'm supposed to be a veteran on this site????

Ooops!

TTDS- Sure, follicle transsection can happen, but I think you are correct in assuming that the liklihood is less with a skilled surgeon. Anytime you dense pack around native hairs I assume the risk is greater, but with a skilled Doc, since they will be taking all the necessary steps to mitigate risk, I believe it is less of an issue than you may think.

Bleach- Don't get your hopes up, my friend. Other than using a concealer, shampoos and conditioners that are "thickeners" may give you a "little" added benefit, but in reality I don't feel they add that much. I use Garnier Fructis for fine hair, a hair thickening shampoo...............does it help thicken my hair, yeah, probably. Would your average person looking at me with and without it be able to tell the difference............IMO, no, probably not. Surf Hair, also by Garnier Fructis, is pretty cool stuff. However, like any other product for us HT types, you must have enough hair for it to look good. I've found that it is a rare HT recipient that can actually gel their hair and get it to look non-thinning, even with the best of HT densities. I think HT hair looks much better dry and covers better dry. Just IMO!

Topher, To really evaluate your situation, I think I'd need to see a few more pics with better clarity, maybe an overhead shot and an exclusive profile shot. I have to agree with my follically challenged commrades on this though in that the hair you have now is better than most of us have. It is disappointing when you start loosing hair. I'm not going to tell you not to get an HT, rather, I'd recommend you try meds to see if you can stabilize the rescission, then see where you stand. HT"s aren't something to jump into, that's for sure, and I think you know this. 1200 grafts isn't that many by todays standards. You may want to do a little consulting and see what opinions you here about your loss? Also, you appear to have enough hair to style, my friend. Have you thought about styling your hair in a way that compliments your look better? You may want to go to a stylist and get their opinion. The right style to help frame your face can do wonders. Best of luck,

Thanks for the tips, dabuski! The 5 or 6 small meals for me will be hard because of my job and other things I juggle on a daily basis, but, who knows, maybe I can make it work?? I agree on the protein...........that seems to be the one thing that always gave me a kicker when working out. I'm assuming you meant you work out 3 days per week, right? And, each body part every time you work out? I'm thinking of trying a heavy week and a light week................more because of my schedule with my kids, really. I'd like to work each body part at least 2 times per week in the heavy week, but may try 3 if I decide to do what you're doing and hit it all at once. Then, the light week, might only do each body part once per week. Any thoughts on going back and forth, heavy then light?

Dermmatch thickens the hair and colors the scalp so there is lest contrast between hair and scalp.

NN, That's hilarious, man. Sounds like I need to order some of that stuff...........give me that youthful "flock" appearance. Sheesh, I haven't heard about the "Flock' for years.............like Duran Duran, The Police, Men at Work.........all those 80's bands. Brings back a few memories

I feel for the guys that had bad HT's or pluggy ones in the early days. Personally, I couldn't be happier that I had them. Hey, we all want more density and more hair, but, to go back to what I was 3 years ago.........NO WAY! Night and day difference.

Just keep focusing on the new hair that will be sitting on your head when it's done and the pain will go away! Seriously, I didn't think they hurt that bad at all. I truely enjoyed the whole experience and would have like to have seen it "from above". I"m still considering a 3rd HT and, if I go, I think I'll try to go in a day early to watch a procedure or two if they'll let me

Great thread, guys! Nice to know us hair geeks have more in common than just HT's! I've been an avid weightlifter since college.............for me that's been a few years since I just turned 41! One positive thing I will share is that I do think weight training for many years has helped me physically in the long run. And, though I'm just getting started again after a 1 year layoff, before my layoff, I was putting up the same weight as I did in College so if you stay with it you can maintain and increase for several years. I have a general question for anyone who wants it................I'm already fairly lean as I'm 6'4" and around 205lbs. My goal is to bulk up just a little but maintain definition. I've always tried to go with a high protein/low carb diet to acheive this in the past, but, by no means am I an expert in nutrition. Any tips on what type of diet is best to add some bulk but maintain definition?

I have to agree, Janna! Master Bill............what gives bro? Janna won't be that tough on us with this list thing.....will she? !! We can do it...........then again it could be getting kinda hairy (pun intended) !

TTDS- I used dermmatch for a brief period of time after HT #2 until it completely came in but don't use it anymore. The referenced thread is great! When I used it, I was really pleased with it because it doesn't come out until you wash it out. It is sort of like mascara I guess, you coat the hairs and scalp.............sometimes I would just coat the hairs and it would be enough to stop the see-through look. I found it best to lightly run a damp towel over the head after drying it to take out the excess.........this stopped it from coming off on my pillow. I've never used toppik personally and have heard it works good, but it will come out if you get it wet so I never considered it cause hey, I have to walk outside and it rains sometimes so I would be too paranoid ! Dermmatch is by far the most cost effective, that I know for sure. Even with everyday use a $30 disc will likely last you 3-4 months.

Keep in mind, if Finasteride or Duasteride comlpetely halted or reversed hair loss, we'd all be popping pills instead of getting HT's . IMO...........Either Fin or Dut MAY help you by slowing loss, providing minimal regrowth, or maybe for the occassional lucky guy you could really see some nice results. I view the meds as a way for me to drastically slow things down............in my case, really I just wanted to stop the hair from continuing to move down the back and sides. There's no guarantee with the meds or with Minox. As for Jayman117, he may still be seeing a big benefit from Fin and would substantially worse off without it, who knows for sure.