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I agree that it's very odd that he would ask you not to post photos until the 12 month mark. There's no logical reason for that. If you'd like for the forum to look at the progress you've made at 6 months to see if it looks on par with a positive outcome or if something seems off, you'll simply have to post those photos. 

As a general rule, I wouldn't worry too much about not having significant improvement at 6 months. It's still relatively early. Now if it were month 10 and you've still barely seen any improvement, that's a completely different story. 

Either way, I suggest you post photos and let us give you some input and feedback.

You seem to have the right outlook here: It's not completely "botched", but it also doesn't seem like it's shaping up to be a very successful hair transplant. Even if it does improve over the next 4 months, I think it's safe to say it probably won't be to the extent that you'll be completely happy with it. (Hopefully I'm wrong!) The later stages of growth (especially 12 months and beyond) are more for refinement, improving hair quality, etc. - and not so much about significant new amounts of coverage. 

I'd be concerned about the surgeon not doing the extractions. In the US, it's actually illegal for anyone but the surgeon to do the extractions. It's one of the most important aspects of the procedure, so that could explain why the results aren't optimal. If that's a misunderstanding and the surgeon did do the work - and he's known for delivering high quality results - you may want to look into what physiological factors could be at play that would cause the grafts not to grow in a satisfactory way. 

Either way, this is likely something that can be resolved in the hands of the right surgeon - especially if they're able to figure out why the first one wasn't successful. So take your time researching other surgeons and exploring what your next steps are. And best case, you'll see significant improvement over the next few months that will make a 2nd procedure even easier and more straightforward! Fingers crossed. 

On 6/4/2022 at 7:44 PM, Gatsby said:

How many graft extractions did you have that requires camouflage? I had SMP for a couple of ugly ‘punch graft’ scars in my donor area. It was about 80% effective. Compared to what the scars looked like shaved down it was a God send! For FUE scars, SMP is far more effective due to the geometric pattern that is hard for the eye to pick up. It does however require an SMP artist who is well versed in this type of work. 
 

Honestly, every time you post a picture a of your scar repair/SMP procedure, I'm floored at how great the results are. I feel like this level of high quality SMP is hard to come by. How often do you have to touch it up? 

The great news is that it seems like you lucked out by only getting 800 grafts the first go around - especially when having the procedure so young (which typically isn't advised without at least some very thorough planning and foresight). In hindsight, you could've taken the time to do more research and really work on finding a world class surgeon who could help you formulate a longterm, conservative game plan for how to best address your hair loss.

You seem to have a great grasp on what your goals are while also having realistic expectations about what you can achieve. You've lost a fair amount of hair already at a young age, so you'll need to be mindful about how you choose to use the grafts you have. This forum is a great place to start exploring different surgeons, learn even more about hair restoration, and find other users who are/have been in similar situations to yours. Keep browsing and asking questions, and don't be in a rush to get this resolved overnight. If you take your time, you'll be able to narrow your choices down to some really top quality surgeons that you can schedule consultations with before making a final decision about your next steps. With the right surgeon, I think you'll be able to get the results you're looking for. 

On 6/2/2022 at 11:10 AM, ciaus said:

 

There are definitely some variables that go into how well this is going to work, but you don't want to be overly pessimistic. While extreme fading is possible, its a worse case scenario and not that common. Stay focused on what you can control: your expectations and preparations. We can't do anything about how quickly our unique physiologies break down the ink, and you're only going to find out how fast that is after getting the work done.

-letting the scars age and flatten out for at least a year

-addressing any excessive raised scar tissue with kenealog injections or scar revision surgery

-BHT or some scalp hair into the scars will also help for the reasons stated

-make sure you go to an experienced SMP artist that has dealt with alot of scarring, do your research

-don't expect anything like one-and-done for life, probably getting touchups to address the fading every few years. Worse case if you need to do touchups too frequently it will probably be better to just give up on the shorter hair styles. On the bright side, you have it much easier than guys who need to cover their whole head in SMP. If it doesn't work out you just let your side hair grow out.

 

Great points here. I think this could be trickier than you think for it to look completely natural at a zero shave. If it's worth it to you, it's definitely worth a shot. But given all the variables (time, money, uncertain results, maintenance, etc.), I would personally consider a slightly longer hairstyle and seeing if that's something you could be okay with. 

Feel free to post pics as well if you want more specific feedback. 

I would run this by your doctor, but witch hazel has been suggested in threads in the past as a natural way to help reduce redness as well. I can't speak to how effective it is, as I just let mine run its course and time do its thing, but it's something to look into if you feel so inclined. 

On 6/3/2022 at 12:54 PM, throwaway95 said:

Thanks for the insight. I will be going to see Rahal in person soon but just was hoping to set realistic expectations for myself while waiting for the appointment date. Is it common to see significant changes from month 10-12 from where im at in the picture? Understandably it seems most people think im going to need to have more work done which I'm really hoping to avoid.

It's definitely possible that you'll still see significant improvement, so all you can do in that regard is wait and hope for the best. However, it also seems to me like the issues aren't nearly as noticeable when you're not pulling your hair back and deliberately exposing the hairline. That's that plus side of having your hair type, as it can be quite forgiving in terms of looking even more dense than it may actually be. 

It's good you have a followup appointment with your surgeon, so hopefully seeing him in person will help put things into perspective and he can give you some guidance. And if you do need a followup procedure in the future, just remember that getting a minimum of two procedures is the rule and not the exception - so don't let it dishearten you too much. Hopefully it doesn't come to that anytime soon though. 

Amazing coverage and outcome! It's amazing how just how much more youthful a successful hair transplant can make someone look. It's like magic. 

Hair quality/hair type will be a big determining factor in this, and based on your photo, it honestly looks like you could pull it off. Only way to know is to try it out, so I'd say get to growing and see how it starts shaping up! If you have a good stylist, you could also work with them during the process, because different products may work better than others for your hair as it gets longer. Hope it works out!

Yo, my fellow perfectionist!  I'm glad you seem to be at peace with this, and I hope you don't feel like any of us want you to defend yourself for being disappointed - we're just offering our perspective of what seems to be a universally agreed upon opinion in this thread that you have a fantastic set of hair and your transplant is pretty much as good as it gets. I actually prefer your hairline to the one in the thread you posted and compared yourself to. Yours looks way more natural to me, as it's very possible for a hairline to look "too perfect/dense/linear" etc., which a lot of us don't think looks natural. Perhaps it comes down to preference, but for me, I'd take your results any day over the one you consider to be your ideal outcome. 

I remember when I went in for my consultation with Dr. Mohebi and explained to him what I wanted my hairline to look like, and he kindly explained to me that what I thought would be a "perfect hairline" would in fact look very unnatural... Like a Ken doll. Maybe with some time not thinking about it so much, you'll be able to find a way to be satisfied with the outcome you have. 

You're spot on that having realistic expectations is one of the most important factors of a successful hair transplant, and yours may have been a tad unrealistic. And while you wait to get that followup procedure, try to find ways to enjoy and celebrate this home run of a first procedure in the meantime.   

Even though I'm not a doctor, I feel very confident in saying that having "too many scars" isn't an issue in the slightest when it comes to a hair tranplant. I've never even thought of this as a potential risk/concern, and I think it'd be more common knowledge if it were something to be mindful of. Personally, I've got quite a few scars of my own, not to mention the 2001 FUE "scars" in my scalp and I'm a-ok.  

On 5/28/2022 at 11:40 AM, Golovkin89 said:

 I hope I am not the only one in the World 🤣

Oh man! This is wild and I have never heard of anything like this from hair fibers. Are you able to compare the ingredients list of all the different products and see if there's a common denominator with all of them? If there is one and you could figure out what that is, then you could look into any reported side effects with that specific ingredient. That might be your best bet at the moment to figure out what's going on here. 

While there's a chance you may see significant improvement over the next few months, the 8-12 month growth period is usually more about the hairs themselves getting thicker (and transforming out of the "fine baby hair" look that new grafts sometimes have). You can definitely expect that aspect to continue improving, but I'm not sure just how much more density you can expect at this stage. That said, they're correct that it's always advised to wait at least a full 12 months to see what the end result will actually look like. 

Your current results aren't horrible, per se, but I definitely see how this wouldn't be satisfactory if they stay this way. Hopefully you do see significant improvement over the next few months, but unfortunately all you can do right now is wait and hope for the best. And if you end up wanting a second procedure, this forum will be a great resource for you to decide on how to go about that and which surgeons you should consider. 

Here's a video of @Parsa Mohebi, MD performing an FUE procedure and highlighting a step by step process of how the "Simultaneous Extraction and Placement" method works. It's a technique that improves the efficiency and growth of transplanted hair by significantly decreasing the amount of time the extracted grafts are left out of the body before being placed into the recipient area. He explains how this allows him and his team to work in such a way that grafts are only left out of the body for 10-15 minutes before being inserted into the recipient area, and he's found this helps with the survival rate of the grafts and improves overall results compared to traditional methods where the grafts are left out of the body for longer periods of time. Let us know if you have any questions!

Official Video Details: 

Simultaneous extraction and placement of FUE grafts is a novel technique of hair restoration that improves the efficiency and growth of transplanted hair. FUE hair transplantation has been gaining in popularity the last few years over the more traditional methods of hair restoration. Along with the increase in the number of FUE patients, we have been improving the efficiency of our procedures. The survival rate of FUE grafts has been the subject of many studies in the last few years. Included in those studies were comparisons of strip and FUE follicular grafts and comparisons of the FUE grafts that have been implanted by forceps and implanters. We now have more information about the methods we have available to minimize the manipulation of the fragile FUE grafts and how to improve our growth rate even more.

Simultaneous Extraction and Placement FUE is based on some modifications of our previous methods and some of our equipment that allows us to implant the extracted follicular unit grafts into the recipient areas shortly after they are extracted.

There are several elements involved in performing simultaneous extraction and placement techniques such as:
Creating premade sites
Chasing method of graft harvesting
Serial extraction and placement
Placement of grafts with our novel implanter: Mohebi Inserter
Use of magnifying loupes with high focal length

I agree that SMP doesn't seem to be something that would be very useful for you, and a followup hair transplant would likely be the way to go. As a general rule, followup hair transplants are almost always necessary, so it's great that you've been able to go this many years since your first successful one before needing a second pass. Not to mention, the crown is notorious for needing some extra attention, so it makes sense that that's the area you're needing addressed.

If you're going to get a 2nd transplant, there are benefits to both FUE and strip. FUE has greatly improved in the past decade, and I think it would be worth considering, particularly because they can use FUE to insert grafts into your existing strip scar to make it even less noticeable. That would probably be the route I'd go. However, since you already have the strip scar, another strip procedure would also likely be a great option - and just like FUE, those procedures have improved a ton in the past 10 years as well. Some surgeons use a technique called Trichophytic closure in which they close the strip in such a way that the hair follicles grow through the scar tissue, which can help minimize the appearance of the scar. Either way, a followup procedure seems like the best bet. 

Posting pictures here will help some of the users be able to give you more specific feedback, but it seems like you'd also be well served by starting to explore different surgeons and getting some consultations with your top choices. You'll then be able to compare and contrast their different recommendations and start formulating a game plan for your 2nd procedure. 

13 hours ago, TheBigM said:

Cheers all for your experiences shared. It is a little reassuring to know everyone else is going through similar issues.

Just didn't expect it to be this long...... let alone upto 6 months.

 

Hair has pretty much well out now and my hair is in desperate need of sorting out but Hay, it's a long game. 

Yeah, the waiting period you're in right now is often the hardest part, but you seem to be right on track and the work looks clean! Make sure to keep your scalp out of the sun, and try not to analyze your hair every day for your own peace of mind. The more you can actively try to forget about it, the less stressful the ugly duckling phase will be. Then hopefully around months 3-4, you'll look in the mirror and be pleasantly surprised to see some growth. The fun times are just around the corner!

On 1/26/2021 at 5:33 PM, deitel130 said:

Out of curiosity when scalp hairs or if scalp hairs are used would they grow long on eyebrows or does the recipient area change the characteristics?

Hi Deitel! Just seeing this question on the thread. The transplanted hairs would grow longer than traditional eyebrows, so would require regular trimming. 

I don't think either one is necessarily better than the other, and really just comes down to personal preference and what you're comfortable with - but I will say that driving 600 miles after a procedure is a bit ambitious, and personally, I don't think I would've enjoyed a drive of that nature after mine. I love a good road trip, but flying is more efficient and you'll get the whole process over with faster. The main downside to driving is that you might be a bit uncomfortable for the first few days after the procedure, and I don't know how that will effect the drive or how enjoyable it will be - so if you do drive, it might be best to wait about 3 days after the procedure until any initial swelling, discomfort, etc. is gone. If you're at a hotel with a flexible cancellation policy, you could always play by ear if you're really not keen on a flight. 

If it were me, I'd take the plane. You'll be home before you know it and you can start resting and recuperating faster. And you'll probably be able to wear a loose fitting hat on the way home and you'll have a mask on, so you likely won't draw many looks. 

On 5/22/2022 at 4:41 PM, Robbert said:

What I've read is that beard hair should be used as a filler, never as a stand alone to be transplanted on large areas without any other type of hair?

Also, won't beard hair start to curl when it gets longer?

 

Yeah, you wouldn't want strictly 100% beard or body hair anywhere in your scalp, as it simply won't look natural. But in an area like the crown, which is notorious for being difficult to achieve optimal density, beard and body hair can be a good option to add amongst other hairs, transplanted or otherwise. Of course, this depends on the unique specific qualities of your donor hair, beard hair, body hair, etc. If your beard is a completely different color, texture, etc., it may not be as viable of an option. Different surgeons will have a different perspective on how best to use it based on your specific circumstances, so getting some consultations with a few of your top surgeons is a great place to start. They'll be able to look at the big picture and help formulate a longterm plan based on your end goals and the resources you have. 

Yep, completely normal! This typically resolves itself within a couple of months at the most - sometimes sooner, sometimes a bit later. The punctures made in the scalp don't go deep enough to do any actual nerve damage, but they can irritate the nerves. Regardless, it's not anything to be alarmed about as is. 

Hi Kris! Eyebrow transplants definitely aren't as common as traditional hair transplants, so I'm sure finding good examples are hard to come by. They do pop up from time to time, so you can do a "eyebrow hair transplant" search in the forum for different cases if you'd like. 

Here's a thread of an eyebrow transplant that @Parsa Mohebi, MD performed a couple of years ago that you can check out as well. 

Hope this gets the ball rolling for you!

I haven't had a beard to scalp HT, so maybe others who have can chime in with their own personal experience. However, you're spot on about the beard hairs being thicker than scalp hair, and for this reason, they're a great option for transplanting into the crown portion of the scalp. You'd want to make sure to use scalp hair for the hairline and frontal portions, but beard and body hair are great ways to get extra coverage for those with more advanced hair loss. 

It would be very uncommon for that sensation to last a full year. It varies from person to person, but I think a few months would be on the longer side of average. I don't know if there's any hard data/research to give a definitive answer, but 4-6 weeks seems like a safe bet based on years of reading various reviews. And some people barely experience it at all.

From my own experience, my recipient area was completely fine. It was the donor area that was a bit numb/achey for the first month or so, but even that was fairly mild and nothing to be alarmed about. 

On 5/6/2022 at 8:16 AM, mr_peanutbutter said:

so what kind of hairstyles go hairtransplant guys usually go for?

I don't think there are any set types of "hairstyles for people who've had hair transplants", primarily because every hair transplant and individual case is going to be different. There are so many factors that come into play in regards to the best hairstyle for a person after a hair transplant. Some people will be quite limited, and some won't - and there are so many different factors that come into play to decide this. If you're concerned about styling your hair after a HT, your best bet would be to find users on the forum who you share similarities with in regards to hair loss, number of grafts needed, hair type, etc., and see what works and doesn't work for them. 

As a general rule, 24 is quite young and many doctors wouldn't even consider it. It's not out of the question though, and there are ethical surgeons who will consider doing it depending on the circumstances. It seems like you found a doctor who is willing to do it, so take that as a good sign. 

And coming from someone who'll be 40 in a couple of years, I can assure you that most people still care about what they look like even when we're that old. You don't have to believe us though. Lol. 

And some unsolicited input... Perhaps consider shifting your mindset about how you're "settling to date fat and ugly women..." Hair transplant or not, I don't know if that's the type of attitude that's gonna attract the type of women you seem to be interested in. There are way more factors at play when it comes to dating and what people find attractive than just appearances alone, and you may be shooting yourself in the foot by viewing women (and yourself) through such a critical lens.