Torn

I meet with a few docs over the last few years, most notably a 'top doc' in my area. They all mentioned that most if not all my native was gone. I suppose there might be some left but as one said 'thats all transplanted hair up there'. Since all of my past procedures were strip, I thought I would just max out strip and then go fue if necessary. The pain, numbness, ect Im used to (like others here I'm sure) but yes I am concerned of chancing a wide scar. I was hoping to incorporate a scar revision as well with the ht as I already have multiple scars. Also I guess I'm just tired of throwing money at something that never really looked good. That much fue could be very costly ! I'm guessing then that you're not convinced 1600 fu will make a difference anyway ?? And thank you for the recommendation I will contact Dr. Vories for a consultation should I decide to move forward. His pricing is .... " 2000 grafts- $8,000.00- usually covering hairline and mid-scalp" for fue.

I'm nearly 60, what ever fell out.... fell out. Should I wait till I'm 80 just to make sure

Thank you all for your input... I am concerned though if 1600 will make any difference at this point ? If I drop most or all in the frontal area as has been suggested would that make enough of a difference to warrant the expense and hassle or will I still be looking at further work ??? And more expensive work at that, as I will only be left with the possibility of FUE at that point. Or to put it another way... judging by the photos how much do I actually need (frontal third only) to create an actual full look ?

Hope these help....

Having been told I have approx 1600 grafts left via strip I'm concerned with how to effectively deploy them. And if 1600 will in fact suffice. How many grafts would you say I would need to properly fill both the mid scalp and hairline ? Please break the numbers into the two sections (hairline and mid scalp) And will the 1600 via strip suffice or do I need to consider fue as well ? I need to know this won't financially get out of hand before I go forward, as fue on top of a strip procedure could become rather costly. Torn

GreatPelo, I'll probably just leave them be. I was curious though as to if there was any scaring since it was done in front of the hairline. Though Raiden76 seems very happy with his results. I'm glad things went well for him ! Hairthere, Yes most likely I'll also be planting singles in front and around the plugs as well. I was just referring to the single native hairs in front of my plugs (circled in photo). They are my native hairs that surprisingly never fell out. I believe that is what Raiden76 was referring to when he spoke of fueing out single hairs. I'm glad to see there are successful repair stories out there !

Raiden, did you have any problems with scaring when you fued out the hairs left over from your original hairline ? I have the same situation but would be concerned about scaring considering they are in front of the hairline and very visible. Would you have any photos you could share ?

Thanks for all the comments and advice guys. There's a lot of insightful information here. Torn

Since Dr Beehner mentions the use of Plasma-Lyte solution, I'd be interested to see what his yield percentages are ??? Presumably somewhere between 74 and 90%... and hopefully closer to the 90%

The plugs are not that large, the amount of hair varies though. Certainly not as thick as they were. Hopefully the photos should help in judging both size and density. The plugs are scattered throughout but mostly concentrated in the top frontal area. Given what I have I'd like to cover the frontal third region (not sure of the proper term) it is approx 7 sq inches or 45 sq cm. Running from the hairline to about two inches back. That should hopefully help conceal the see-thru look. I would love to go 3 inches back from the hairline (approx 10 sq inches or 64 sq cm) but I don't believe I have enough donor to give it the proper density. As I was told I only have about 1600 donor left. This is not counting FUE though if that would be possible after all 'strip donor' is exhausted. Surprisingly, I think the placement is not that bad. The hairline is a high, but not necessarily a problem. I'd love to lower it but don't believe I have the donor to do so. Wish I could but I have to be realistic. I wear my hair Caesar style which helps conceal the high hairline. Id love to lower it as I said but that would just eat up more hair that I can't spare. My situation sounds somewhat similar to yours BeHappy in that my plugs have thinned out somewhat and are placed all over. With lose of native hair over the years I now have an overall thin see-thru look that I hope to correct if at all possible. Torn

I'm considering whether or not to remove my plugs or work around them. What are some of the pros and cons of each procedure ? If I decide to remove them what would be the best way to go about it ? Should the plug be removed as a whole unit, or would FUE be the better approach ? What are some of the better documented cases here good and bad of both approaches to these procedures ? I have a limited amount of donor left btw, of approx 1600 or so I'm told. Torn

Hairweare, When you say the dr did not completely shave, do you then mean the dr partially shaved your recipient area ? If so, exactly what areas did he actually shave and what was left unshaven ? Also how long was your hair when you had your procedure and did you feel it was at all a problem ? KO, You mentioned the difference was HW had mostly transplanted hairs to work around. What do you feel is the difference between working around transplanted hair as opposed to native hair ? Or a combination of both ? I have mostly transplanted hair I believe at this point. Should this be a concern for me ?? Gillenator, Yes transection and getting the right angulation of the existing hairs is my biggest concern. Though I suppose that comes down to judging the drs past work and speaking to prior patients. Of course I could just shave down myself.... but if it's not really neccessary then why go through it ? Thanks guys....

What are your opinions on no shave procedures ? A few docs I'm considering do not shave down the recipient area. And although that is a plus as far as concealing the work you've had done, I'm concerned if this method yields good results. That and if there are no negative aspects to it why then do other docs insist on shaving ? I'm not completely bald and concerned the existing hairs can only get in the way. Are my concerns unfounded ? What are your thoughts on no shave procedure ? Good, bad, indifferent ? Yes of course there's the obvious benefit, but I'm much more concerned with the end results.... as we all are.

I have multiple scars from prior procedures. Some have widened. Is it best to have a strip and scar reduction done in one session ? Or should they be done separately ? I'm hoping in excising the scar the doc can use the hairs removed ? Torn

Reading through the forums I notice there are doctors who do not shave or buzz down the recipient areas. I'm wondering if this is inherently a problem ? If not then what is the reason why other docs require it ? I would think that with the area buzzed it would be better to visualize for placement though if there are docs successfully performing procedures without buzzing then is it really necessary ? It's an attractive alternative, but I'm concerned it could lead to poor results ? Given the choice would you buzz your recipient area or leave it ?

I re-read and realized I never posted donor photos. I believe the back has little left to harvest though I'm wondering if you can combine a scar revision with a strip proceedure. Meaning by removing the larger stretched scaring take advantage of the hairs that will also be removed along with the scars. As to harvesting, I will most likely have to focus on the sides and FUE. Garageland, Speaking of laxity I'm wondering if since I've had multiple strip procedures and therefore have multiple scars would the scalp exercises have a negative affect in stretching already stretched present scars ? As to combing the hair back, I wish I could that would make life easier. However I suffer from Dolphin Head Syndrome, which has been exacerbated by my hairline being placed too high up. Presumably to save on hairs. I fall well out of the Rule of Thirds and therefore have to go with the Caesar/bangs styling to bring things back into proportion. So I will have to focus on adding density to the Frontal Area as opposed to the hairline itself. Blake Could you elaborate further on why you prefer dissecting and redistributing the plugs/grafts from the hairline ? My main concern with this besides the added complication, would be the loss of more hair in the process. What would the benefits of this be ? Torn

Thank you for your insight and encouragement guys... Garageland, I agree adding density to the hairline would only make it thicker and draw attention to the thin area behind it creating a very unnatural appearance. That and by doing so would leave less hair to thicken up the mid scalp region. This is my biggest concern. Not sure how to approach this ?? That is why I thought it best (?) to thicken up the area going 2 - 3 inches or so back from the hairline which would create a more natural normal appearance. And leave the hairline alone. I'm just not sure if this is the correct approach ? Unless of course I have enough to actually do both properly. It took a few tries (not easy to get clear focused shots) but I added the hairline photos you mentioned. I hope these are more helpful than the first batch. Yes, FUE is a consideration. Though it seems my laxity is still pretty good. I thought strip first, then FUE to maximize harvesting. Is this a realistic approach ? KO, thanks for the encouragement I hope you are right. What did you mean by hair characteristics ? Are you referring to the texture ? MusoInOz, actually I'm hoping I won't have to punch out the plugs. I felt it would just add more complications and I'm concerned I will lose more hairs in the process. It seems your sentence was cut off ? "I guess once you..." if you remember could you finish that ?? Yes I agree as you said Ive seen much worse ! Guys, How many grafts would it take to fill in that area behind the hairline along with the existing hairs ??? And, how far back from the hairline should one go to achieve a natural look ?? I thought either 2 or 3 inches back from the hairline would be appropriate. That would give me either 45 or 58 sq cm to cover (with existing hairs) . What repair approach would best address this situation ? Also to get the terms right, what is the area from the hairline back three inches or so actually called ? Thanks, Torn

Anyone ???

Hi all, I am a male in my late 50's, live in NY and have had three early 90's 'plug' procedures, and one recent strip procedure a few years back by a so called 'top doc'. Of which I was very disappointed with the results, as it did very little to add density or soften the pluggy hairline. All my procedures so far have been strip. Here's the problem.... the plugs were concentrated mostly in the frontal area/hairline and as I continued to loss hair I am now left with a pluggy and heavy hairline with little volume behind it which looks very unnatural. The hairline itself is now more pluggy looking because the hairs that were once there and blended with the plugs are mostly gone leaving only the plugs to fend for themselves. I was told by the 'top doc' after the procedure I had approx 1600 via strip left. The question is what if anything can I do to finally correct this ? I feel my options are... a) Fill in the area behind the hairline, as I wear my hair down (combed forward Caesar style) and deal with the hairline, which is for the most part covered by the styling. b) Fill in both the area behind the hairline and soften up the hairline. Which would leave less hair to fill in behind. c) Breakup the hairline/plugs via fue along with the 1600 or so available and fill in the needed areas accordingly. Possibly losing more hairs in the process. d) Call it a day.... The area I’d like to fill in behind the hairline is approx 7sq inches (or 45 sq cm ) going back 2 inches, or 9 sq inches (58 sq cm) going back 3 inches from the hairline. Not sure if I should be going back 2 or 3 inches from the hairline (the frontal third) ? And as I said I have approx 1600 or so left though that depends on the doctor doing the procedure. Is there enough available donor to make a difference ? Is this even worth doing.... and if so how should I proceed ? What is the necessary amount per sq cm I’d need to add to the existing hairs to make a difference ? And exactly where should I add it to make the most difference ? I'll just add comparatively the plugs are not that bad, as plug jobs go. I've seen much worse, but it’s certainly not natural looking at all. I suppose like most Im just tired of living under a hat, but yet don't want to go through the expense, hassle and embarrassment of yet another procedure which ultimately just yields poor results. I uploaded a few photos... how I usually wear it to cover, and messed up to show the area that needs work. All opinions, suggestions and experiences are welcome, I want to see this from as many points of view as possible. Thanks, Torn

Couldn't respond earlier as I and others weren't able to access the forums. Anyway, glad to hear you're happy with the results. Looking forward to seeing some photos. Yes Dr B is on my short list, and I will probably meet with him sometime this year. I'm assuming you're in the NY region, as am I. Of all the Drs available to you here in NY why did you choose Dr B ? Thanks for sharing your story... Torn

Thanks for clearing that up Q. The change is definitely very subtle though.

Thanks for sharing. Good luck.

Hard to tell any difference. Which are the before photos and which are after ?

Nice results for such a small session. Interesting what you can do with only 1600 grafts. Especially when the patient presents with fine hair. I'm tapped out myself and only have around the same more or less, and have been trying to decide whether or not it would be worth the trouble.... ?? When you've had poor results in the past it taints the decision making process.

Amazing one can Google 'whey isolate hair loss' and get over 200k hits on the subject yet there is no conclusive evidence either way. All started I believe by one Dr in FL. In some ways we've come so far in research and understanding, yet in others we're still in the dark.