hairbank

Thanks, Spanker. I'll check him out and see what the results look like. Any others specifically known for FUE at this time worth checking? I've been out of the loop for awhile and many of the names escape me.

Thanks! Yes - spent many years here, had many friends and was so thankful for the guidance received. I really enjoyed it! Hopefully I was able to help many others with my time here as well. Even after 3 HT's and over 7500 grafts I confess I'll never say never on going back ---- there's always that touch up to the hairline and hey, you can never have enough density, right?? ARTAS, eh? I'll have to check it out though it sounds as there as some questions as to its proven success as claimed. When I heard my friend mention 6000 grafts FUE in one day, knowing that # to be a full day for even strip surgery, I had my doubts. I'll check Dr. Jose's work. In my estimation, my friend having virgin donor, I was thinking he could get 5000-5500 in a strip mega session. What's the average max for FUE in one session? Doing the math on your number I suppose 2000-2500? Thanks!

If they recommend shaving it then I'd shave it. My first HT doc didn't require but it was only 1200 grafts and not dense packing. The last two shaved it down. It seems for really dense packing most docs prefer this.....,I'm sure it's easier to see and work with and you have to live with the results for life, right?? I was freaked about having them shave but did it anyway. I'm a professional who wears a suit everyday in an environment where a neat and clean appearance matters. I had some looks and questions from co-workers about the haircut but trust me, we're much more concerned with ourselves than others and if you handle it well your co-workers will be on to the next person or hot topic to discuss in no time. A couple of guys at the gym I frequent asked and I told them toying around with shaving down all the way but wasn't gutsy enough to go whole hog the first time. No biggie and in no time your hair grows back. I took two weeks off from work and the day before returning strategically clipped all other hair to match the closely cropped top! Hard to remember for sure but I believe I used some dermmatch to help the donor area blend. It really looked okay just had a little bit of a red tint to it. When clipping the rest of your hair you just pay particular attention as you clip around the donor scar and go.

Hello all! I used to hang out on this site but it's been at least 4-5 years since I've been around. My last HT (3rd) was done in 2008. Overall I've been very satisfied by the results and if I had it to do over again.........I would! :cool: I've been completely out of the HT loop for the past several years and am trying to help a friend who is considering a HT. Virgin scalp.........no HT's and he's probably NW5-NW6 with pretty decent donor density. We were talking yesterday and he mentioned hearing or reading of some sort of robotic type FUE. Is this really out there? He said up to 6000 grafts in a session -- is this true? Anyone with information on this please chime in. For my $.02, if money was no object I would have had FUE versus strip. I'm very pleased with all of my results but have to admit I'd like to sport the close-cropped look once in awhile but if I clip below 3/4" around the scar evidence of the HT starts to show. I'm not wanting to start a strip vs FUE debate......been there too many times. Just looking for info to help my friend. He has the $$ and within reason that's no issue. Just looking for the best option for him and trying to get myself updated on any new techniques which may be of benefit to him. Thanks!! Hairbank

As I mentioned in my post - I'm not claiming anyone will get the results waittosee has gotten. As for his intentions.............what would lead us to doubt it's true? What's the point? His posts don't mention that he's selling anything. My point is this.............I think many of people "beginning" to lose their hair could at the very least hang on to what they have for a long peroid of time with meds and put off the HT until much later. I wish I'd known then what I know now, about 16 years ago when my hairloss started to become noticeable.

Click this for waittosee's results if you want to see them. Now I'm not supposing you'll have results anywhere close to this - but, they're so amazing I do think it's encouraging that the meds do really work, and work well for some people. More than enough reason for a person to try the meds before jumping in the HT chair.

I agree with the above advice. I will add that though Fin is supposed to help in the crown more than I did notice mild regrowth in my hairline from it and I started taking it at age 39 - I'm 41 now. So, maybe you'll have success. If you want to see some "blown away" results for meds, search for waittosee's thread here. The guy litterally went from like NW 4 or something close to NW 0.............best results I've EVER seen, bar none!

Nizoral is an anti-fungal shampoo and may dry your scalp out if used more than a few times a week. It think it says to use it every other day but just check the directions on the bottle. If you're looking for a quality shampoo/conditioner I'd go with Nioxin as recommended. I have used it before and liked it, and, it really is great for keeping the scalp and hair healthy to promote optimal hair growth conditions.

Most people do have a little shock-loss around the donor scar........I'm 5 weeks post op today from HT #3 and have a little so I really wouldn't worry about it. The shed most people are concerned with from Finasteride is usually directed at DHT-susceptible hair that is weak and may not return. A Finasteride Shed is merely a more than normal amount of your hair getting kicked into the telogen (resting) phase, which lasts anywhere from 6 weeks to 2 months. I wouldn't sweat it. You're still fresh from the HT pretty much. I think my shocked hair from HT #2 came back just after 2 months - I could tell the difference between it and new HT hair because the shocked native hair came in thick like beard stubble whereas new HT hair comes in thin and wispy then thickens over time. Hope this helps -

Kudos to you for doing your homework and researching these things. No matter what, I'd encourage you to try meds for awhile before getting a HT. I know some others will disagree with me, but, 20 yrs old is too young to get a HT. You have zero idea of how far and how fast your loss will progress, plus, your balding pattern overall seems undetected at this point............who knows if you'll start losing in the crown or thinning in other areas? Hang in there, keep researching and, if you feel comfortable with them, see if the meds can help you at least hold on until you know more what you're dealing with in terms of an eventual overall loss pattern.

You mean either of the "two", right? gallup56 - not making light of your question, but if you'll use the find feature here you'll find more discussion threads on this topic than you can shake a stick at. It comes down to this - it's purely a personal choice. Each has shown to be effective against hairloss. Since Duasteride inhibits 5AR type II and type I, and Finasteride only type I, it stands to reason more DHT will be blocked with Duasteride. Each come with the risk of sides..........Dut maybe a little more but people have reacted to them differently so the only way you'll know how "you" react is if you try them. One key point to mention is that it really is a lifelong commitment with your choice because any hair you keep or regrow because of them will be lost if you quit. So, I encourage each person to do some soul-searching before jumping in. It took me a couple of years research and thought to become comfortable taking Fin but I'm glad I did because I did react positively to it. Best of luck -

My questions are 1) My doctor told me that cutting the pills will yield different weights of finasteride. He said this is a drug that needs to be taken 1mg everyday. So did you see any effects of taking different miligrams on your body? Dr. Wong told me every other day is fine......if that didn't help, I can always step up to a daily dose. The theory is that Finasteride actively inhibits DHT in your body for a period of 72 hours thus no need for a daily dose. I have not had any side effects. 2) Why are you taking every other day instead of everyday? See above 3) Pill cutters that I found can only cut in 4 pieces not 5. Can your pill cutter cut in 5 pieces? No, people that cut Proscar cut it into 4ths. Actually, it may be better that you're getting 1.25mg since you'll be a little off one way or the other. I don't think the varying doseage will matter that much

If it isn't yours, it won't be a genetic match and your body won't accept it.

Not in my case.........it looks identical to that of my native hair in color and characteristics. The only difference would be that it's not as dense as what it was before I lost hair - that's it.

The first thing I'd do is see your GP and get some advice. I suppose it could be a side of Fin but if you didn't experience it right when you started taking it I'd say not. It could be your slowing down a little with age, it happens, but zero performance at all....gotta be something else. I'm 41 and don't get excited like I did at 21, but, have never had any issues in the performance department. Now my interest and drive isn't what it was when much younger, but, when it came down to the nitty gritty never a problem performing. Your divorce and some issues about women could very well be playing a role too. I went through one last year and it's the most emotionally draining, gut-wrenching, heart-wrenching thing I've ever endured.