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pkipling

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pkipling last won the day on August 25 2021

pkipling had the most liked content!

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Basic Information

  • Gender
    Male
  • Country
    United States
  • State
    CA

Hair Loss Overview

  • Describe Your Hair Loss Pattern
    Receding Hairline (Genetic Baldness)
  • How long have you been losing your hair?
    In the last 5 years
  • Norwood Level if Known
    Norwood III
  • What Best Describes Your Goals?
    Maintain and Regrow Hair
    I'm here for support

Hair Loss Treatments

  • Have you ever had a hair transplant?
    Yes
  • Hair Transplant Surgeon
    Dr. Parsa Mohebi
  • Current Non-Surgical Treatment Regime
    SocialEngine Value 23

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Follicular Genie

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  1. Personally, I commend you for trusting your gut and not moving forward with something you were unsure of. Stay patient, and keep reminding yourself that there really is no rush. Time always moves by faster than we realize, so even if you don't get a procedure for another 18 months, it will be here before you know it. Stay optimistic, keep researching, and keep listening to your gut/instincts!
  2. Never listen to the outlying reddit cases! Lol. If the dermatologist says it will go away after the course, then I would choose to focus on that and not let your brain get taken over by the worst case scenario. I'd stay focused on getting your skin cleared up now, finish the medication, and give your body a few months to bounce back before jumping to any conclusions.
  3. I would say that most likely, you'll be looking back to normal after 6 months - and hopefully with some significant growth under your belt. For reference, I'm attaching my photos, and the bottom left photo is me at 6 months post-op. (Top right is 4 months, and bottom right is 12 months.)
  4. It all seems to be healing really well! And you're right in that you shouldn't be able to see any results right now anyway. Month three is the earliest the grafts would even begin to grow, so even if they start now, you won't see the effects of that growth for a few more weeks or so. Hoping you're an early grower and start to see some quick improvement... (But also don't be discouraged if that doesn't happen.) The best thing to do is to try and put it out of your head and resist the temptation to obsessively look in the mirror for results 5 times a day...
  5. That mindset might seem counterintuitive to some, but I think reaching a point of acceptance with something like this (like you're doing) is quite healthy. As easy it is to say to be patient and hold out hope, I think a part of me would also want to surrender to the possibility, at least, of this not having the outcome you were hoping for... Which will set you up with a clearer head to be able to figure out how to move forward once the final outcome is here. I hate that this hasn't been what you were expecting/hoping for, but hopefully you get some answers that can lead to a successful procedure in the future should you want to do it again with a different surgeon. We'll keep hoping for some late growth for you, regardless!
  6. Happy to see all the resounding NOs here already. I went in with this same exact mindset when I had my first consultation with Dr. Mohebi, and he very quickly shut it down and explained why it would be a terrible idea and would not be an option. Lol. So I surrendered to his guidance and expertise, and we worked together to create a hairline that we both were happy with. And to be completely honest, in hindsight, I probably would be even happier with the initial/slightly higher hairline he initially proposed for me! We went a tad lower than he originally recommended because I just couldn't wrap my brain around not lowering it as much as possible... And while I have no complaints, his expert opinion/first suggestion was probably the slightly better route.
  7. While it's definitely possible, I imagine it would be somewhat tricky to pull off successfully (much like temple points require a particularly skilled surgeon), so you'd want to take that into consideration. And as Gatsby mentioned, it's really going to come down to what best suits you and your face and will look the most natural... All of which are things you would discuss with the surgeon when they're designing different options for you. If you find someone who can do it and it would look natural on you, it's definitely worth considering! I've always loved the way they look.
  8. Nope. The complete opposite, actually. Every single time it comes up in conversation, the response is always enthusiastic and inquisitive... Usually a combination of A) shocked that they had no idea, B) wanting to see photos and asking tons of questions, C) and usually bringing up how they or someone they know either also had a procedure or really wants to get one. I was so nervous when I first got my HT that people would find out, and it felt like a dark secret I was carrying around for a while... And I was so relieved to learn that all my fears were completely unfounded when I started telling friends about it and they were all soooo supportive. I'm sure there are always some judgmental people lurking around who might have a negative opinion or two, but I've yet to run into them in regards to this... And even if I did, I'm so happy/confident with my decision to do this that I can't imagine even caring for a second what anyone thought. If anything, I've become somewhat happy to talk about it when it comes up in conversation.
  9. You'll wanna sleep on a slight incline after the procedure as well to help prevent swelling, so I'd go ahead and figure that out ahead of time. I just stacked pillows methodically to give myself an incline, but they also make incline pillows specifically designed for this purpose. I used one after I had a nose procedure a couple of years ago and it made sleeping much easier. Your doctor will likely give you a list of things to get - and some surgeons even send you home with things as well. If you're planning on venturing out during the first week and want to remain somewhat inconspicuous, I'd recommend a snapback hat with a high crown that you can wear on little outings. These hats specifically allow you adjust them loose enough that you can carefully place them on your head and wear them high enough without any portion of the hat coming into contact with the grafts. A lot of guys are very conservative/cautious when it comes to this and avoid hats altogether, which is totally fine/valid - but if you're looking for a covering option, that's a safe way to go - especially if you need to be out and about out of necessity and need a way to block your scalp from the sun.
  10. I think you're definitely doing the right thing by waiting and trying all other avenues before rushing into a HT... Although, based on the current state of your hair, if it does end up being a viable option for you, I would definitely recommend it. Was your consultation in person? If so, did they give any feedback on your donor area? It looks great in the photos, which would be a big point in your favor considering you'd likely need followup procedures down the road. And since you like to keep your hair longer anyway, you could experiment with Toppik, as Davidn suggested. I don't have personal experience with it, but a lot of guys swear by it, and it may give you just enough coverage that it takes any urgency of a hair transplant off the table for a bit.
  11. Ohhhh this looks like it's going to be a phenomenal outcome! Not only does the work look extremely clean, but you seem to have really solid, reasonable expectations for what you want to achieve, and I'm excited to see the vision come to life for you. Looking forward to more updates as the months roll by. Great start to the new year for suuuuure.
  12. It does look a bit sparse to me in certain areas, but it's hard to say if it's enough to mean that you're not a good candidate for a HT in the future. However, since you're on accutane, I don't think now is the best time to assess this if I'm being honest - particularly since thinning hair is listed as a potential side effect of taking it. If I were you, I'd wait until a few months after you stop taking the medication before I'd give this too much thought. Congrats on getting the acne cleared up, btw! That's gotta be a huge relief.
  13. Ahhh YES, definitely go get a haircut. A nice, low fade would be ideal... Or anything to even it out. That's gonna make you feel way better and more confident about it, and will give you a more accurate depiction of how things are healing. Also, don't be surprised if it takes a few months before the donor evens itself back out. While it technically heals pretty fast, it can still take a few months for the density to start to look more even - particularly if there's any temporary shock loss in that area. Mine got increasingly better over the first 8 months or so after my HT.
  14. I agree with StillAlive that you may see an increased illusion of density even with a slightly different hairstyle. It's worth consulting with a stylist who could give their input on a different cut and/or styling products that would improve the overall appearance... Because even as it is right now, your hair seems to be in great shape! You may see a lot of improvement just by making a few cut and styling tweaks. As for dermatologist vs HT surgeon... Even if you don't want to get a hair transplant, I still think it's a better idea to get a consultation with a reputable hair transplant rather than a dermatologist. To me, it's the difference between going to a GP and a specialist. The dermatologist is going to be really well-versed in overall skin/scalp health, addressing any underlying skin conditions that could contribute to hair fall, etc... But I personally believe a *qualified* and *reputable* hair transplant surgeon is going to know the ins and outs of hair loss and the best ways to address it more so than a dermatologist would... And you can be upfront with them about wanting a HT to be a last resort. If you find a trustworthy surgeon, they'll be able to guide you regardless of if that guidance leads to a hair transplant or not.
  15. I was just about to make a post about this, because I started perming my hair last year. I get bored easily and am always trying to switch things up, and my hair has always been super straight, soooo it's been a fun way to play with different looks. I view experimenting with different hairstyles the same way I view experimenting with different clothes. If you wanna try out new looks for yourself, I say go for it if you're a good candidate. Of course, putting any chemical on our hair is technically going to "damage/compromise" it, but if done correctly, there's no reason we can't do all the things to transplanted hair that we do to native hair. Since my hair transplant, I've bleached it, had it chemically relaxed, permed it, curled it, etc. (all with Dr. Mohebi's blessing and approval)... And should any hair get damaged due to over-treating it, it just grows out and new, healthy hair will follow to take its place. (And again, if you're going to a professional who knows how to work within the confines of healthy treatment, proper chemicals, timing, etc., then there should be almost no risk of damage... And especially not permanent damage.) And not to refute what others are saying about it damaging the hair shafts, but from my experience and having close friends who are very successful hair stylists, I really do think it comes down to how knowledgeable the stylist is, and I think it's extremely low risk when done correctly. Some may think it looks like broccoli, but I love it and get tons of compliments on it - and literally nobody knows it's not natural and are shocked when I tell them it's a perm (just like they're shocked when they find out I've had a hair transplant), sooo... to each their own. Lol.
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