hairlosscpa

Honestly I was concerned at your immediate post op pics but the growth looks pretty good. Odd that you don't know the number of grafts - how did you know what to pay then?

Hey all thanks for the follow up inquiries. I'll post pics soon! Overall I'm satisfied and there is definite improvement, just not as drastic of a difference as I initially expected going into it. 

Work looks very clean and refined. Congratulations!

Wow!! Great job

26 minutes ago, Etownone said:

So,  do you pay another $1500 for the 3rd session?? 

$700 for the 3rd if it takes more than 30 minutes. 

10 hours ago, Melvin- Moderator said:

Your hair looks incredible 

Thanks man!

8 hours ago, giegnosiganoe said:

Finally, we have a proper before/after example of SMP in the donor! What number are your back and sides cut down to in the pics? Do you know if it look better/worse if you cut them even shorter? Not gonna lie, I can make out the dots, and am curious how it would look outside in natural daytime lighting. Can you share some more pics in a week or two once it "settles" as you say?

I plan on getting my sides shorter in my next haircut in a week. Sides are probably close to a 4 guard right now. Yeah I can make out the dots too but hopefully it blends better in shorter hair or hoping the untrained eye doesn't notice. I do mistaken them for hair follicles sometimes and get excited it's my real hair coming back lol. 

Attached is latest pics 3 days after. Trying to be transparent here..same lighting etc. It's not a perfect solution by any means but I'm still happy with the outcome. I decided I will go for a 3rd session to even out some areas. 

Left side is before anything and right is current. All in harsh bathroom lighting fyi. 

2 hours ago, Etownone said:

So.... 

How much did this cost you....? 

$3k 😞

On 8/7/2021 at 10:49 PM, Etownone said:

Looks great, Are you still using the hair concealer in the after 2nd session pics?    

And, BTW, your HT on top was a homerun.    

No hair concealer! The SMP pigments may look a little obvious but has since settled and looks more natural. 

Thanks for the compliment man. 

6 hours ago, JohnAC71 said:

Massive difference! I know you mentioned a 3rd, but doesn’t look like you need it ? 

Thanks! I'm going to give it a month before considering a 3rd session. There are still areas where I'm like oh I wish a little was sprinkled there, or a tiny bit here, haha. But they recommended I give it time for the work to heal...overall I'm very happy. 

23 hours ago, Pephair said:

@hairlosscpaWhen doing the second, third, etc sessions, does the SMP have to be exactly on top of the previous pigments? If they're not does it turn into a larger dot?

My understanding is that subsequent sessions are filling various size dots surrounding the dots from the first session. They do not overlap...bigger the dot, the less natural it looks. 

Initial and after 2nd session 

Additional pics after 2nd session

Tomorrow is my 2nd session of SMP. I'll make sure to share pics. 

I always look at the two pics attached to keep my expectations in check and make sure I remain grateful to where I am. Pics are from 2012, when I was 23. 

3 minutes ago, 5BetaReductase said:

What grade is your donor in these pics?

It's between a 3.5 - 4. 

19 minutes ago, Melvin- Moderator said:

Concealer in the donor or on top?

Both. That's why my sides look full in that pic 

1 hour ago, Etownone said:

You got really good results from your HT and your first SMP session.   

 

What concealers do you use?     I've always used Dermmatch,    but lately I switched to TINT.  

 

I use TINT too! It's been a game changer especially for convenience and the hairline area. But recently I've been using a cheaper brand from Amazon which is basically very similar. I linked it below. 

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07MXRDNR2/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_glt_fabc_TRSQ5ZHYFT7MZMQFXPZH?_encoding=UTF8&psc=1

I also use Caboki around the midscalp and crown. 

I also use concealers daily and SMP just made sense to me to remove some of the effort required. I approached the whole situation as getting a semi permanent concealer job haha. 

Here is a pic of my hair with concealer day before my SMP session. 

1 hour ago, SLA said:

I see it now...it is barely noticeable. Any reason you opted for FUE in your 2nd procedure rather than going for a 2nd strip surgery?

I REALLY like how the SMP added density to your recipient area. Came out great!

2nd FUT then tap out with FUE was probably the right approach...I just couldn't deal with going through FUT again with the down time needed. Taking a strip of scalp off my head for a 2nd time just didn't sit well with me at the time. 

Thanks for the compliment! Hoping it gets better with the 2nd session. 

32 minutes ago, SLA said:

This is already looking good. I think we will see more and more SMP used as a density treatment.

In your signature, it shows you had an FUT in 2012. I can't even see the strip scar. Is it noticeable?

Thanks! If you look at my first picture in the side view, you can see the line from the strip. I had some grafts implanted into the scar during my FUE procedure which made it less noticeable.

I have had 2 healthy (grateful) baby boys while I was on finasteride. I made sure the medication was never near my wife and was always encased so there was no direct contact ever. A lot of this has to do with genetics and my doctors and wife's OBGYN never mentioned to stop use when I disclosed I was on that medication. 

3 minutes ago, Etownone said:

Whoa..    

I like the results.    I really like the results.  And you didn't even have to shave your head.   I got the same issues as you after my fue, so you just gave me some hope.   Especially since Cherry Hill is just a little down south from me.   

When do you go for the second procedure?? 

And let me say,  your hair on top looks great bro.    👍👍👍

 

Thanks man! It's been a long journey haha. Glad I can give something back to the forum.  

2nd session is tentatively scheduled for next Friday, 8/6. 

Overall the experience was great. It was definitely more painful that I expected especially around the temple and occipital area (never gotten a tattoo before). Hairline and midscalp were fine. 1st session took about 4 hours with maybe 20 min total of breaks.

Before and after shot - 1st session - back view

3 hours ago, EvoXOhio said:

Looks fantastic! What place did you end up going to?

Top Line Scalp Micropigmentation in Cherry Hill, NJ. They are affiliated with Hairline Ink. 

Thanks all for your support. This is right after the first session. There should be a lot more improvement in the second session since I do have diffuse thinning and covering my whole scalp around existing hair. May possibly need a third session too. 

*Top is before bottom is after*