giantanddwarf

More photos would be good. Doesn't look bad by any means though, from what I can see, and surely looks better than plugs. Your right temple density is a little irregular looking. I imagine it's the same with the left, but it's disguised by the combover? Toppik would remedy the problem easily. And yes, obviously a second HT would improve density.

I got the 'max pack' today. How long did it take for your scalp to clear up?

Looks like you're on your way. Once you get longer hair, it will be easier to compare to pre-op.

...half the problem would be solved. Am I right? There's a 1-2 week post-haircut window I have to not worry about the wind. After that, the wind blows and at least some of the front of my scalp shows :rolleyes:. No wind and hair loss is definitely easier.

Also I think it looks great in the other pics

I'm sure he went to a reputable surgeon. I saw one pic in which it looked modestly unnatural from the angle the pic was taken from. But a modestly unnatural look is not a problem if the person looks better than they did before, which he does. That he was always fully shaved in the years prior probably contributes to the insensitive/inaccurate commentary. People just have to get used to it. He's plausibly 10 years "younger".

Are you on medication? If not, consider it. Your hair caliber and "fall" are good and that's a plus. You could also consider going shorter.

Fast forward a couple months and my chest hair volume/thickness has now reduced beyond even pre-fin levels, along with that of my eyebrow hair. And scalp shedding has ground to a halt. I am mildly concerned about my eyebrows (though I would gladly accept the tradeoff, of course). Do long-term fin users recover their eyebrow volume? My skin-hair contrast is low so it's not a huge concern, luckily.

I first checked it three months ago, around when I began fin again. I have eaten more greens over the past few months, but I doubt that means anything? No changes in physical fitness, or if anything, a bit less exercise than usual. I have undergone quite a bit of shedding past few months - could this be the reason? I am very curious as to what could account for this. It really is a significant change.

Pretty nerve-wracking these days. Quality of the barber makes or breaks it. I like a relatively short and clean cut look but given that I have pretty noticeable temple recession, it has to be done right. A year out from some Konior artistry and hopefully that will no longer be the case

Over the last 3 months my scalp has undergone a very noticeable, perhaps even "major", increase in laxity. Within this timeframe I have started using fin and also started using non-SLS,etc. shampoos. I don't think either of these account for the change. What could maybe acocunt for it? Does it portend anything? I know it helps with harvesting, so that's good, but anything else?

By most accounts, Nizoral can cause shedding. Is this because of Ketoconazole? I use Pura D'or shampoo and it also has Ketoconazole. I am wondering if I am at risk of a "shed" as a result.

Also as you mention shock loss is a possibility. Sometimes it takes longer than the amount of time it's been for it to grow back, if i understand correctly.

Pretty sure you look better. The "after" pic is in harsher light, so I can see how it might be thought to look worse. But even w/o considering the light I think the "after" pic looks better. From what I can see a minimal amount of toppik is needed to touch up the crown, and you don't even necessarily need it to begin with.

Hear you, for sure. I inferred his lack of research from the casualness of his reply, the fact that Nioxin is the only ingredient in his regimen, and my general sense of things.I think its accurate but there's a chance I'm wrong. He's 4A and I am guessing will go 5A in the absence of meds. So either no crown loss or not that much, making restoration easier. I think a weakish "full" head of hair is possible, which would be a marked improvement. But if he can't get a decent hairline then yeah, you're right, might be best to not invest the time, money and energy.

Nothing like exploiting a hugely debilitating problem for men in the name of a little Halloween cheer and cash. That the treatment is likely a sham only makes it worse. The article just left a very bad taste in my mouth...everything about it. Edit: I am talking about the newspaper, not the doctor/clinic

Agree to an extent on the drugs. Permanent fin side effects seem quite rare though. And don't studies show a relatively high % benefit from rogaine? I tend to think people slack on rogaine over time because it's so tedious to apply and requires confronting one's hair loss each time it is used. I would like to help him but don't want to step on any toes by prying any further. Then again the stakes are an advanced 4A look vs. a fully restored look.

Several weeks ago I ran into a friend I hadn't seen since high school. He was balding very noticeably and quite bothered by it. After telling a story about a girl from several years ago, he sighed very heavy heartedly and said "...but i can't play that game anymore", citing his balding. And his mood was just generally very somber, obviously derivative from his hair loss. Hard not to feel quite bad for him. A couple of weeks later I message him on facebook to see if he's on fin and he replies "nah I'd rather be bald than deal with those insane side effects I've heard of. I'm using nioxin though so hopefully that is helping". Those "insane" side effects "you've heard of"? Nioxin as the sole ingredient in your regimen? Hello, Rogaine? It seemed obvious that he had done little to no research on balding/balding treatments, despite how advanced his hair loss was and how much it affected him. I bet he would have said something about "hair plugs" if I had broached the topic of hair transplantation. This raises the question of what percentage of men are aggressive in trying to fight MPB, whether through medication and/or hair restoration surgery. Is there any data on this? I cannot wrap my head around going through aggressive MPB but doing nothing to fight back. But it seems more common than one might think. My friend has killer donor, can afford hair transplantation, and could have a continuous smile on his face within 18 months if he got on the ball. Sorta dumbfounding.

Yeah, it does seems like awfully quick for an improvement. But I noticed today that when I run my fingers through the crown, I can't feel any skin. Hasn't been the case in 3-4 years. Would always be able to make some skin in part of the area I was feeling around feel "cool" from the touch of my fingers. My temples are another story though. Quite a bit of hair shed from that area and it doesn't appear to be coming back, though I maybe see a few new hairs sprouting. Given that I've responded so thoroughly to fin in the crown, does this mean that I probably won't see any further benefits in the temples?

Not many girls on here from what I gather. I've seen clinics post results from female cases though. You could probably find them using the search feature.

:rolleyes: Better than HT? No way. Couldn't hurt to try though, provided no deleterious side effects. Just don't get your hopes up.

Two and a half months ago I began using fin again. I am wondering if it has done anything for my crown. On the right is 1 month into fin use, and the left was taken about 30 minutes ago (both pics are w/ wet hair). Seems like it might have brought an improvement already. But the apparent "quality" (i.e. the fullness and overall aesthetic impact) of the crown can vary a lot across different pics, and do so independently of its actual "quality". Or at least that's my observation. Does this look like a genuine improvement? Seems awfully quick if it is, which makes me think the apparent difference might not be an actual difference.

Interesting. Does it volumize though? Good information regardless as I have a pretty irritable scalp.

Ethylparaben, propylparaben, butylparaben, and methylparaben are all ingredients listed on the bottle. Are there safe/not safe "parabens" or something? Regardless, to have the effect it does, this shampoo has to and does do a number on your hair.

It's a great volumizing shampoo. Maybe the best I've used. Lots of parabens though and you can just tell it's very harsh on the hair. I only use it for special occasions.