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There may be different laws in place from state to state, but as Melvin mentioned, it's illegal for anyone except the surgeon to score the grafts/puncture the skin in California. I thought that was a law for the entire United States, but that may not be the case.

I would definitely start off taking 1mg daily and see how you respond to it. Reducing it to every other day is fine, but daily would likely be the optimal path if it's possible for you.

Yeah, I agree with Ryan that you might wanna take a break from anything harsh on your scalp and see if that helps the redness subside. It seems like your scalp may be extra sensitive, so try being very gentle with it for a couple of weeks and see if that helps. Oh - and the aloe vera is definitely worth a shot!

Holy crap - this news report is wild. So happy that this got brought to light, and I hope they get the toughest legal repercussions imaginable and that this entire business model goes up in flames. I've been around this forum for so long that I forget that there are millions of people out there who aren't well-versed in this industry and it's so easy for them to be taken advantage of. Hopefully a lot of guys learn from this and end up dodging a bullet. Also, $2/graft in the US is absolutely insane, and I hope this thread helps any newbies reading this that that is a huge red flag.

There's likely an endless list of things people could tell you, but off the top of my head, here are the most important... It's going to look worse before it looks better, and don't expect to see even the slightest hint of results until at least 3 months after the procedure - and a full 6 months before you start jumping to any final conclusions. Manage your expectations based on your own unique situation and what is possible for you. Many people compare their results to the results of someone else who may have a completely different hair loss history/profile, so make sure you're keeping things in perspective. Nerves are normal! It's even okay to second guess and get cold feet leading up to the procedure. As long as you've done proper research and know that you've chosen a reputable surgeon (which you have!), trust that you'll be in good hands and try not to let the nerves take over. Don't overanalyze every little aspect of your scalp, hair, grafts, etc. the days and weeks following the procedure. That can really be a slippery slope and leave you a constant state of stress. Many people worry about "losing grafts" after a procedure, so a few things to note: Losing grafts isn't as common as people think. If a graft has been dislodged, there will be blood and it will hurt. If not, you're fine. Even in the worst case scenario that you did lose a graft, it won't have a visual impact on the final result in the slightest... So even more of a reason to not let it worry you. The most crucial time post-op is the first 72 hours. After that, research shows that it gets increasingly harder to dislodge a graft day by day, so that by Days 10-14, the grafts are secure. Post-op care: Follow your surgeons post-op guidelines carefully, but also remember they're just guidelines. Every surgeon on here has their own unique set of rules to follow, so be mindful that should you need to come on here looking for some post-op guidance, that the answers can sometimes vary greatly, so don't let it overwhelm you. When in doubt, refer back to your surgeon and let them guide you. Hopefully that helps! There's definitely way more, but you could browse the forum for past threads on this topic as well... Although, you're likely more prepared than you realize, so don't overthink it too much.

Is this you, or a picture you found online? If it's you, did you ask the surgeon about it? I would imagine that they're wanting to make it look more natural and not so linear, buuuuut... This isn't that. This looks oddly very linear and unnatural, and also very evenly spaced out, so I'm not sure what they were going for with this. (I also don't recall seeing it ever done like this, and it doesn't seem ideal if I'm being honest.)

Yeah, I think it's in the range of normal - though maybe on the later side. Definitely not something to be alarmed about, as it's not indicative of anything having gone wrong. Washing your hair a little more aggressively may help expedite the shedding process if you'd like - and there's no risk because the grafts themselves have been anchored/secure since around Day 10.

This is almost 100% temporary. It sounds like your scalp is likely just recovering from the trauma of the surgery, and the nerves can also get irritated. Mine felt somewhat similar for I think the first month or so after the procedure, but it eventually subsided. It's not something that everyone goes through - but it's common enough that you shouldn't be alarmed. If I were you, I'd keep my surgeon in the loop about it and see if they have any recommendations for you about how to navigate it or if they have a way to help it subside. Oh - and at 4 weeks, you can definitely wear a hat. In fact, you can resume all normal activities at this point. The only thing you need to be mindful of is to avoid sun exposure (specifically sunburn) for the first 6 months post-op.

I'm not too familiar with him. Once the dust settles and you see how your hair transplant turns out, you could always do an online consultation with @Parsa Mohebi, MD and get his input. Even if traveling doesn't end up being an option for you, it's always nice to have opinions and guidance from some top surgeons that you're drawn to. I hope this works out! Also, in regards to travel, as Berba said up above, be very mindful that you don't make location a deciding factor on who you choose... Especially if you end up needing a repair. Choosing based largely on proximity can end up causing more problems and costing more money than traveling otherwise would. Hoping this all works out for you!

I'm still very baffled that each day was 12+ hours for less than 1,000 grafts each day, but it's not my place to figure out his method to the madness. Lol. If the end result is great, I suppose that's all that matters. I mean, it's nice that he wants to take his time and all, buuuut geez. Zero chance I'd be okay with that personally as I would completely lose my mind - but that's why there's no one size fits all surgeon out there for all of us. Glad you made it to the other side, and looking forward to seeing your progress!

Congrats on a successful first day! Any insight as to why he broke up an 1,800 graft procedure into two days?

I think the best thing to do before you let this stress you out too much is to wait at least a few more months and see how this all looks visually once you have more significant growth. It doesn't look ideal, but there's no way to know at the moment if it's gonna be 10/10 bad or like 3/10 bad.. Which would be the difference between definitely seeking a repair or it being something that's quite manageable and doesn't look visually jarring. I know waiting is difficult, but it's key for any of us to at give it at least 6 months before we jump to any conclusions - even in situations where nothing is particularly wrong. The time will pass before you know it, and you can reevaluate then.

Sorry if I'm not completely following what you're saying here... But it's not a binary situation that "taking finasteride = stopping hair loss" and "not taking finasteride = inevitable hair loss". For some men, getting on finasteride early and staying on it is crucial in regards to slowing down their hair loss. For others, it's not as big of a concern. It varies on a case by case basis, and not taking finasteride in no way means that you're going to lose all your hair long term and you'll have to accept the inevitable fate of having to shave your head. My apologies if I'm mishearing what you're saying, but whether or not someone should take finasteride, how universally effective it is across the board, etc. is a more nuanced conversation than what it appears you're saying.

Fortunately, I've been able to get it under control to the point that I've not used Nizoral in a long time. As for the frequency, for me it was a matter of not going longer than two days without washing my hair. If go more than two days without washing it, and thereby letting product build up on my scalp for a couple days, that's when an outbreak would occur. So as long as I'm A) using products that don't irritate my scalp, and B) washing my hair frequently enough that I don't get irritation from oil/buildup, then I'm able to keep things under control. It'll likely be a little trial and error figuring out how your scalp best responds to such things, but hopefully you'll get there!

Hi Alfie! I'm so sorry the pain is so bad for you. Persistent pain at this level isn't normal at all, so I'd definitely seek medical attention as soon as possible. I've been on this forum for years and don't recall anyone ever experiencing something as severe as what you're describing, so I'm not sure how much we'll be able to guide you here. Keep us posted with how things go - especially if you find something that resolves this for you and/or gives you relief. Wishing you the best!

Every country and state are going to have their own laws around this, but I know in California, it's illegal for anyone but the surgeon to do the actual extractions. I seem to remember that being the case all across the US, but I can't speak for certain on that matter. International laws are typically a little looser.

Are you referring to taking finasteride in general? If so, that's a different scenario, as this is speaking about the benefits of of taking it leading up to a procedure with strictly as a way to minimize shock loss. In that case, what he's explaining is that based on research, shock loss itself is relatively rare (10-15%, but taking finasteride in advance has been shown to cut that percentage in half. So if you're only looking to take finasteride temporarily as a precautionary measure to prevent shock loss, the medication would definitely help - but since the risk for shock loss is already low, it's not going to be a huge deal if someone decides not to take it. It seems like you're speaking about the benefits of taking finasteride long term, which is a different conversation than what this video is about... And though there are definitely benefits to doing so and it's almost always encouraged, there are valid reasons people don't take it (myself included), and it's not always a definite death sentence for your hair as many people would like to believe.

I'm fascinated by this and just now catching up on some of the threads! Could be a great option, especially for people like OP who are extra concerned about scarring. Although I don't understand how hair can re-grow when the entire graft was removed... What is the hair growing from? It just re-creates itself out of thin air? If that's accurate, I'm going to need to find a dumbed down explanation because that doesn't even seem physically possible. Lol

The question of whether or not to take finasteride (Propecia) before a procedure gets brought up quite a bit, so here's a video of Dr. G explaining the benefits of doing so. TLDW: The main benefits of taking finasteride before a procedure is to help minimize the risk of shock loss. Shock loss occurs in 10-15% of patients, and studies have shown that taking finasteride 30 days before the procedure can cut that risk in half. And while taking finasteride is almost always recommended, it's not a necessity - and even if shock loss does occur without the finasteride, it typically resolves itself within a few months anyway. The general consensus around here seems to be to take it before a procedure - even if you don't want to stay on it long term. However, for those of you that are adamant about not taking medication, it's not going to be a big detriment.

This looks really great! It made quite the aesthetic impact for a relatively small number of grafts. Lots of bang for your buck. I also could've probably gone without the pain meds - and definitely didn't need them after the 2nd day or so. Waiting for the hair to grow is by far the hardest part of recovery - harder than any of the physical pain tbh lol

Everyone's gonna heal/scar differently, so there's no way to know for sure just how noticeable it would look, buuuut - as the others said, even if it's mild, it will still be something. So then it's just a matter of what you're personally comfortable with and what you consider "bad." If you're on the fence about it and you already like the way you look with a shaved head and you think you'd be bothered by even a small amount of noticeable scarring, then it really would be worth considering not getting a HT. Once you do, you can't go back. Not sure how old you are, but you could also keep a HT as an option in your back pocket and see if your hair loss has stabilized years down the road. If you reach the point where you feel like you have minimal loss and it's not gonna progress much more, then it'd be worth considering.

You're likely to find a lot of variance when it comes to the answers, because there aren't any universally agreed upon guidelines for these sorts of things. It can make it quite confusing tbh, which is why it's always the safest bet to just follow your own surgeon's guidelines. (Although I've seen some very outlandishly conservative guidelines over the years that have been very safe to disregard. ) Dr. Mohebi's pre-op protocol says not to drink alcohol just one day before and one day after the procedure, though I know there are surgeons who require more. One of the main substances Dr. Mohebi is strict about is aspirin, which he says needs to be stopped 10 days before the procedure. As for the day of surgery, you'll likely not be able to consume anything after midnight the day before for anesthesia purposes. Leading up to that, I don't think there are a lot of restrictions in terms of food.

I don't think it's accurate that more than one graft can be placed in a single recipient slit... I know that's not how Dr. Mohebi and his team work, and I've never heard of anyone doing this. Your initial understanding of the difference between follicles and grafts is correct. For instance, you'll see in my signature that I had 2,001 grafts but I also have the breakdown of how many follicles/hairs each of those grafts had. If you had 1,400 grafts, I would think that means you would need 1,400 recipient sites. Perhaps ask the doctor to clarify on the chance that you misheard them, because that doesn't make sense to me.

Nothing to worry about at all! Those grafts have been super secure since about 10 days post-op. On another note, I had a former barber years ago who used to do this to my hair and I hated it... But it was also the reason I realized how much my hairline was receding. Lol. He would completely buzz the thin areas of my hairline (without even asking me) and it made the hair loss so much more apparent. Yours doesn't look bad at all in comparison, but I think it's still such a strange thing for a barber to do. Never heard of someone else doing this until now.

I really hate to see that this still happens, and I'm sorry you're going through this. I'm glad you found this forum and seem to be making the most of it. While it's not an ideal scenario, you'll definitely have the proper resources/knowledge moving forward to formulate a really solid game plan to repair this. Thanks for sharing your story here, as it really helps highlight just how important thorough, detailed research is for other people looking for a hair transplant. Keep your chin up - and we'll collectively hope for the best!