Speegs

Please be sure to take your time before pulling the trigger on surgery, better to do it right and take your time than to rush into an expensive and unsatisfying result.

You appear to be an excellent healer.

What are you fearful of happening exactly? 3 months post op your grafts are quite secure and either dormant or about to grow, whitening your teeth won't have any impact on that.

Could be slow healing nerves, have you reached out to your surgeon and let them know?

If you're concerned I suggest going to a dermatologist so that someone can look at your hair and help you gauge what's going on, to the naked eye in these photos nothing is evident. But you know your body better than we do, and it's possible that the time for preventative treatment could be near via finasteride. Is there baldness in your family?

Good to read up about this issue as it becomes more prevalent. Glad to see it being researched and explained by competent professionals, as there are a number of less than expert clinics out there offering PRP much the same way many are offering machine automated FUE. There's definite promise to be seen in PRP and Acell research, however, provided trustworthy and ethical medical professionals are leading the way. Thanks for the write up.

Always important to go to a doctor with a proven track record with both FUT and FUE, let's you know they are experienced in all the right ways and don't operate as a proverbial hammer that thinks everything is a nail. Dr. Gabel did FUT on me and I've seen his FUE work and am equally confident in his abilities, particularly because he's been so ethical about how he goes about it, he has always shunned the robot craze (he's a gentleman about it but I'm not, I think any practice still using one is a red flag). I look forward to seeing your pics, and I'm confident in a year or so you'll be a happy camper with your hair restoration. Keep us all posted on the journey.

Take heart and have patience, this is a year long marathon when it comes to getting your hair's appearance to unfold. The ugly duckling phase does not uncommonly mean a little shock loss, it will grow back.

Certain generics such as Teva are safe and reputable. I would be weary of many non western or Israeli generics.

The late Christopher Reeve was afflicated with that too, all of his adult life, he actually donned black wigs rather than color his hair for the Superman movies because when the hair would come and go was unpredictable.

Given his recent internet stardom, there will probably be increased scrutiny on him, will be interesting to see if he confides to the public about a hair transplant (particularly his own) as part of one of his lectures about self esteem and appearance/ perception.

A loose fitting cap can be worn almost immediately, provided the grafts are not being smushed or grazed by it. Be very careful placing and removing it, and make sure no one playfully yanks it from your head or pats you on the head for the first ten days to three weeks post op. Be judicious of your surroundings accordingly.

Be sure to ask if you can see some past patient photos that resemble your case or even speak with one via phone or email, that's a good way to gauge what they thought of their experience and you can pick their brain on what they went through and why they selected the particular doctor they did.

Any side effects you have noticed?

The West Coast of the United States is the closest place to get top notch surgeons for Aussies. Dr. Gabel comes to mind (I traveled from Texas to Oregon for him, not as far as Sydney to Portland, but still far). He accomodates American travelers so he would definitely accomodate an international patient.

Clean looking work, I'm a Gabel vet myself, but on the FUT side. Always a good indication of a quality surgeon when they have impressive results as both an FUT and as an FUE surgeon. I think a properly trained FUE surgeon needs to be equally adept at FUT, and have the microscopes in house to perform both. Keep us posted on the growth.

Can you provide pictures please.

It blocks more DHT than fnasteride, which some medical professionals feel could be excessive, but others swear by it. It's case by case. It's definitely advisable to start with finasteride and perhaps progress with Avodart later if the efficacy of finasteride isn't established for you, it's always easier to implement a stronger prescription in your body than to start with a maximum strength drug and replace it with a milder one down the line, at which point the milder one may be useless.

FUT maximizes donor density and plans for the future, especially important since you're young and if you choose not to be on finasteride.

With the first surgery yes, and with each subsequent surgery the change was more subtle, required photographs to really recall how dramatic it was.

Nope, month 9 is when most people actually start noticing the most cosmetic difference, and even then the next three to six months could offer even more density to come.

You need to give yourself at least a year on finasteride to see how it's working and if it halts hair loss or even regrows some hair. Take pictures every couple of months so you can compare. Realistically you need to hold off until 25 for transplants so that you can gauge how well finasteride is working and what your pattern is if it's progressing. I know that's frustrating, I started receding at 18, got on finasteride at 21, which kept me from progressing past a Norwood 3A, then at 26 i got my first transplant. I'm now 34, and after three transplants look 26...and probably looked 34 at 26 prior to the procedures when I wasn't wearing a hat. This is a long term game plan, you gotta think big picture, there will be no instant gratification unfortunately. So hang in there, stay positive, do your home work, and get on finasteride. That's step number one.

He and konior are friends, peers that respect each other, so you'll definitely be in good hands. I'd do an online consult with him, he's very personable and a straight shooter.

That's still a lot of hair for a 50 something, and with a juvenile hairline at that.

Everyone grows differently, telling you exactly what to expect month to month is impossible. Generally, after about a calendar year you can accurately gauge how well you're going to grow, sometimes it even takes up to 18 months, but most are able to have a good indication about the outcome of the surgery at the one year mark. Anything before then is case by case with each and every patient. The less than 6 month mark requires a lot of patience as it is generally the ugly duckling phase for most.