hairweare

If your result was satisfactory to both you and the surgeon at 9 months, I would think that any subsequent hair loss especially in the recipient area where presumably your native hair was most susceptible to either progressive MPB alopecia or shock loss, should not be considered the fault of the surgeon.

Many safety issues in regard to exogenous HGH and Testosterone supplementation remain. I would advise to proceed with extreme caution before going down that road.

I would suppose that Umar being African and an experienced FUE surgeon would be a logical choice in LA.

It can be a problem but it is fairly routine for the clinic to request a holding deposit. I recently had a frustrating experience with an international bank transfer where the recipient clinic claimed non receipt despite informing them that the sending bank confirmed proper execution of the transaction. There is not much you can do about this situation as the receiving bank will not cooperate with you since you are not the account owner. Fortunately, after several months, countless phone calls and emails, the clinic "found" the missing deposit and agreed to refund it. If the recipient of the wire transfer is either incompetent or dishonest you could lose the money as your bank will only assist you in showing that the money was sent but what happens to it after that is not their concern.

I just sent another overseas deposit and this time it went smoothly. You are much safer with either PayPal or a credit card should the clinic be willing to accept an alternative form of payment.

I think that if you are content with getting a decent average result from a HT, an FUT in NA is the likely going to achieve your goal. However, if you are seeking that elusive "home run" and want to forever avoid the possibility of an ugly tight feeling scar across the back of your head, then start looking at plane fares and consider a 5-7 day trip overseas to have your procedure done by one of the elite FUE specialists.

I have had 3 FUTs and 1 FUE with a second scheduled for November. If I had to start over again I would have never considered FUT, but the real dilemma for those not living in or near either Europe, Turkey or India is deciding where and how far to travel. I know of only one surgeon in NA who does FUE exclusively and has years of experience but after two consultations with him I decided to go overseas. For FUT, there are several that I have been impressed with based on the results posted on this forum. In my case even before the scar widened a bit after the last procedure, my scalp has never really felt normal. You do get used to the slight residual numbness and tightness, but keep in miind that it is a deep and large wound that is created and as mentioned above, there is no guarantee that the scar will be nearly undetectable in any particular patient.

For such a short flight probably doesn't make much of a difference but it is a good idea to be seen at the clinic on POD#1 for cleaning and going over instructions. For a longer trip I would advise spending the day resting up in the hotel. You will need to keep the grafted area moist with saline frequently which may not be practical on the plane. If the procedure is FUE there may be some oozing and pillow staining on the first two nights after the surgery which is another reason you may want to wait a day before heading home.

I am wondering why we have not seen any posted pictures of either of these 800+ BHT with a completed result (> 7months). There are of course various reasons for this but it would be reassuring to see a final result that looked as promising as the immediate post op pictures had suggested.

.5 mg of finasteride blocks approximately 50% of DHT vs >70% with a 1mg/day dose Side effects of a drug can be either dose dependent or idiosyncratic to a particular patient so the answer to your question is not black or white.

I had an ear to ear FUT scar that had widened after my third procedure to 5-6 mm. It was flat and relatively soft but I didn't want to go through another surgery considering that I never really got over the paresthesia experienced since my first HT and didn't want to chance a fourth cut. My beard hair was a close match diameter wise and the grafts seemed to have taken from the get go and did not shed like the scalp grafts. At 5.5 months they are growing at the same rate as the regional native hair and has blended in nicely. I do recall that the implantation and post op period was significantly more uncomfortable than the other recipient areas as scar tissue does not respond as well to local anesthesia. Even soI have no regret doing it and would consider another 200-300 next time around if the scar is still visible after a short haircut. I have let my hair grow longer since my FUE in March and find that the improved density has made manageability and styling much easier than prior to surgery. The top is now proportional to the sides and I can comb the longer hair straight back where as before I kept it cropped short to conform to my head shape because it was too thin and had no body to it when grown longer.

I would not at this time advocate BHT megasessions. These donors hairs are primarily single follicular units and I would agree that growth cycles, texture and diameter may vary significantly from that of scalp hair. In my case as a NW6 and after 3 FUTs with approximately 5600 grafts my donor area was limited and already having a progressively widened scar, FUE was my best option. The first 1500 covered my hairline and top third and the 300 beard grafts have nicely camouflaged the scar. I am scheduled for another 1500 scalp grafts to fill in any thin area remaining in the front and to cover as much as the crown as possible. The previous FUT grafts in the crown were poorly placed and angled but should look better with some correctly placed hairs next to them. The results from the first session at 5.5 months has already exceeded my expectations. I would only recommend extensive use of BHT for extreme repair situations where donor scalp hair has been completely exhausted and there is no other alternative. When one is down to their last few precious scalp grafts it goes without saying that the choosing a surgeon who has consistently demonstrated superior FUE yields is of paramount importance.

In addition to 1500 scalp grafts I had 300 beard grafts with the latter placed exclusively in my previous widened FUT scar. At 5 months I would say that the beard hair is already well blended with the surrounding scalp hair. The contrast in diameter was 62 vs. 58 microns so this was a good match also because the beard hairs are oriented downwards. I wouldn't think that beard grafts would appropriate for most hairline placement due to their thicker caliber. Scars and crown mixed with scalp hair may be the ideal recipient areas for beard grafts.

In so far as telling where the grafts were extracted, even though I know where to look I am not able see any noticeable scarring under my jaw line.

I would think that there is far greater risk of poor growth, short growth cycle, low density due to single follicular units and greater expense to get any meaningful cosmetic result than injury to the donor site.

You do not describe what the side affects are but considering that you only took two doses of the medication the likelihood that it is attributable is highly unlikely.

Although he was an early pioneer I don't believe that he was ever a strong advocate for large session FUE.

Unless he has recently left NHI and gone off on his own Dr. Pak is still working with Dr. Rassman. While Pak does the vast bulk of the procedures at NHI, FUE is not something either physician is well known for presently. NHI primary emphasis appears to be FUT and SMP at this time.

Dr. Umar likely has the most experience with large BHT sessions. I would strongly suggest that you meet him first and that you do as much research as possible and write down your questions prior to the consultation.

Having experienced both, I would never choose strip over FUE for myself.

The drug is called finasteride and at the dose you are taking approximately will inhibit 60% of DHT the hormone that is responsible for follicular atrophy. If after 6 or more months you see that your hair loss has stabilized then you are getting a good response. Hoping for regrowth of what you have already lost is a remote possibility but shouldn't be your motivation to remain on the drug indefinitely. Worrying about the possibility of sexual side effects unfortunately will only make that issue more likely and should it occur may not be even attributable to the drug. Good luck and I hope it works out well for you.

5 months after 300 extracted beard grafts I cannot see any evidence of where the grafts were harvested. I shave every other day with a DE razor and see no change in the appearance of the skin whatsoever.

Based on these recent pictures showing at even a buzzed length you appear to have already achieved a "normal" as opposed to perfect result. Congratulations!

I would assume that the risk for transection during extraction would be greater in an Afro-American patient which may have been the reason for the poor growth in this case.

I would never advise a patient to travel such a long distance on the day of surgery. You will be groggy from sedation and or worn out from the ordeal. After being confined to a prone position for most of the day you will want to get up and move about. Sitting in a tight airplane seat for 10-15 hours would put you at risk for DVT which is potentially a lethal complication. Best advice is to follow up at the clinic on POD #1 for a gentle cleaning of both the donor and recipient sites and allow the doctor to take another look as well. You can then get a good nights rest and fly home the next day. I personally wouldn't wear a hat and take the chance that a graft might become dislodged. You will want to be very careful not to bump your head on anything, Seems like obvious advice but easier said than done! Don't be concerned about people staring, you don't know them and they don't know you. Besides you will be surprised how little you will be noticed. If you do wear a hat be prepared to remove it for security which may end up being an awkward moment. You should pay extra for an economy comfort seat and try to get an aisle because you will want to frequently spray your head with saline. I did it at my seat discreetly as the guy next to me was preoccupied with a movie. At one point he asked me if I was in the military so again don't worry about attracting stares because you won't.

$3300 for 2400 FUE grafts from a respected US surgeon in a deal that sounds too good to be true. Care to tell us who did your procedure? I also agree that photo documentation would give your post much more credibility.

No association with hair loss though there have been reports of hair growth on the palms.