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cueball16

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Everything posted by cueball16

  1. Fascinating read. I'm impressed with how well the beard area has healed up. I've been thinking about beard hair into my scar next time round
  2. I had a second procedure in November 2017. FUT 2285 grafts. I will be posting towards the end of this month.
  3. Thanks Chris. Yes hairball would probably be more appropriate now but I'll always be Cueball at heart
  4. Ernie. Thanks for the comment. Yep it's pretty crazy. It's been some transformation but I'm not done yet. But yeah, looking at those pictures side by side really makes me appreciate the radical change. Feel like a new man. Hairball!!!
  5. Thanks mosd. 1. I think 2,000 would be a good aim for another strip. I don't imagine there would be many more than that available. FUE, maybe 600? 700? Total around 2,500 grafts which I think would finish it off nicely 2. I hear your point mosd, and it's a tricky one...I wouldn't lower it much, just slightly and then square it off. For the procedure I had, the hairline was perfect - but it was placed conservatively due to the extensive loss and the large area that needed covering. I think that if we go for a higher density for the new hairline, the existing one shouldn't need too many more and maybe we can concentrate the remaining grafts mid scalp. I'm still not sure, will need to meet Dr Wong before making a decision. I would take a lower hairline over a thicker crown. Just my preference. Thank you for the tip, I will definitely get some clay.
  6. Final results. I have been extremely pleased with my result. I still think that there are possibly another 2 stages of restoration remaining until I am completely satisfied with my hair. Dr Wong has done a phenomenal job. The transformation has, unquestionably, been remarkable. It's amazing what can happen in 12 months. I will be eternally grateful for having the means to undertake this journey. I often think back to a few years ago when, from a financial point of view, I could never have done something like this and I feel for the guys out there who are badly affected by their hair loss and don't have the means to tackle their problem. I spend a lot of time talking to people about hair loss, encouraging them to try products like minoxidil, and using my story to motivate them. A friend of mine recently started it and has been extremely pleased with the difference it has made. It's important for us to share whatever information we have to people who need to hear it. I might post again in 6 months if I notice any more changes, and I will of course respond to any questions or comments, as always. Thanks for reading
  7. I'd say some of the pictures are a little flattering. It is still pretty bare around the crown but the lighting makes it look better than it is. Not by much but just thought I would point that out. Lowering the hairline and improving the frontal third would still be my priority.
  8. Sorry for the long period of silence. I have been pretty busy with work but I did take all the photos for months 10, 11 and 12 at the right time, give or take a few days. They all look about the same, not much change after 10 months.
  9. Nothing major to report. The hair around the crown seems to be maturing, maybe the odd few new ones coming through. I had a close inspection around my hairline and actually saw one or two new hairs coming through which was surprising at this stage. I met with David Anderson 2 weeks ago. He was happy with how things are looking and took some photos for Dr Wong to look at. Dr Wong thinks we can get another strip and aim for around 2,000 grafts. It is hard to agree on a concrete plan without him seeing me face to face but we're hoping to lower the hairline marginally and square it off slightly and really beef up the frontal third. I'm not really bothered about the crown - could always use some beard hair or FUE scalp hair down the line. The front is the most important thing for me. This is only a preliminary plan until I actually see Dr Wong. I think he may be coming to London this summer. I'd like another procedure towards the end of 2016. Pictures attached for this months update, feel free to comment.
  10. Don't freak out dude, totally normal. This is the hardest part of the whole process. Be patient and stay calm!!!
  11. Kind words Dutchie. Much appreciated. I am looking for a bit more than just work on the crown. I want to go for a more density at the front too. The crown isn't really that important to me, I'd rather have a stronger frontal third, though I appreciate if it was much more dense than mid scalp and crown areas then it would look a little odd. I'll see what next weeks consultation brings in terms of a professional opinion and then take it from there, though you're right, I should wait another 6 or so months and see how it's all looking. I do expect the crown hair to thicken a fair bit
  12. I would say the hair fell out for around 6 weeks. By 6 months the donor area was back to normal. Just be patient bud, it will grow back, it's completely normal.
  13. 8 months update - a few days late but I did take the pictures a few days ago. I have been experiencing some shedding for about a month now. It is a slight concern now because I thought it would have stopped by now. I was using Alpecin Caffeine shampoo which I stopped a couple of weeks ago as I thought maybe it was too harsh. Maybe it's Regaine as I have been on this around 6 months now. I have noticed it when I apply Regaine and look at my hands after, I can see 10-15 hairs. They are usually either very fine hairs or just very short stubble. Can anyone shed some light on this as to why it may be happening? Has anyone else experienced shedding 7-8 months post op????? Apart from that - it's all going well. I have definitely had a fair amount of growth around the crown area, as expected it has come in later than the rest. The rest of the hair appears to be slowly getting thicker, and obviously longer, this is all adding to the overall appearance. I'll be interested to see the comparison from this point at 8 months, compared to 12 months post op and see how much change their is in terms on the thickness and maturity of the hair. The hair around the crown is rather fine but no doubt it will thicken over time. I can see why some people say they see changes all the way until 18 months post op and even beyond that. I am meeting David Anderson next week which I am very much looking forward to. I can't wait for him to inspect it in person and potentially start working on planning the next phase of my transformation. All feedback is welcome, looking forward to hearing what you guys think.
  14. N00b, thanks for the congrats. I just had a look at your thread. You need not worry about the scar. Yours looks good to me - probably better than mine did at the same stage. The cream was just antibiotic cream just to stop any infections. I used bio oil on the scar, from one month post op until around 6 months post op. Whether this had any effect on the scar or not, I don't know but it's cheap to buy and it wasn't going to have any adverse effects so I thought 'why not?'. Apart from that I was careful not to do anything strenuous and avoided lifting heavy things for a few months. I have my hair cut very short on the sides and back and you can't see the scar (as you can see from my photos). Also, try not to worry about the shock loss, I had the same thing, I noticed it even though my head was shaved most of the time for the first 3 months. It will grow back. Don't panic.
  15. This is a very impressive transformation. You must be so pleased. Congratulations!
  16. Beard hair can be used but I imagine that would be down the line. I think meds are important. Even though it's been a while since your hair loss stopped, it could regrow some hair I think. It's worth doing but get some professional advice on that. You could start regaine now I guess. Feel free to send me a private message if you want to chat about anything mate
  17. Congratulations pal. You've made an excellent choice, they produce fantastic results in difficult cases.
  18. You have received some very good advice, it's been interesting reading this thread. Everyone seems to agree on one thing - and that is realistic expectations. I hope you are able to have a procedure. I know it's hard to accept that you'll never have 'a full head of hair', but with a conservative hairline placement and careful planning by an experienced surgeon, you could still have a pretty good transformation. Try not to get disheartened. You really have had excellent advice here, even though it was not what you wanted to hear - you needed to hear it. Definitely keep us posted on what different clinics advise you to do Best of luck
  19. Dutchie, thank you for the comment - you're right, they did do an amazing job, I feel very fortunate to have been in such good hands. I would say Norwood VI is about right, maybe slightly worse but not quite a VII.
  20. KevinC, it's just my opinion really, to me it just looks as if they have all grown. Maybe there are a few around the crown which haven't come through yet. As a general rule they do take longer in that area. I try not to look at how it 'should' look at a certain point in time. Some people have all of their grafts grow by 6 months, some people find new ones coming through after 12 months. I am basing this on what I have read in these forums. Some people say they notice that the overall appearance improves all the way up to 18 months due to the hair maturing and thickening. It's different for everyone, and for this reason, I try not to look at timescales some people have posted in the past. Yes, they are a good guide, but if someone who is a slow grower starts panicking and stressing themselves out, it will take even longer. I may be wrong! But yes, you should wait at least a year before judging the results really. I'm not judging mine, I've just accepted that I probably have no more/maybe very few grafts to grow and I'm just hoping for the hair to thicken! I will judge at 12 months. As for adding density - the density in my donor area was low to start with, which is unfortunate considering the large area I need to cover. If Dr Wong comes to London this summer, I will hopefully meet up with him and see if he thinks we can get another strip, even if it's only 2,000 grafts. There is no point worrying too much about it until he gives his judgement on it - he might say we can get 2,500, he might say we should take some FUE grafts instead. Depends on how the scar has healed, laxity etc. I would love to be able to get another strip. Maybe some FUE at a later time and I am also considering beard grafts. I sound a little hair greedy now !!! I would love to be a 10,000 graft man but it's highly unlikely with my donor density. I would consider body hair grafts but I worry about a low yield. You being a Norwood VI, a strip surgery with H&W is, in my opinion, the way to go. Covering a large area, extracting a large amount of grafts, achieving a high yield, H&W are as good as it gets. Have you been on Regaine? Or Finasteride? Definitely read the blog if you get a chance - I'm sure you'll be able to relate to a lot of it. Sorry for the essay!
  21. Thank you for that message, and thank your for all of your help the last 3 and a half years. Looking forward to meeting up soon hopefully!
  22. JON86, thank you for your kind words and for reading my blog. I like that you termed it 'an insurance policy on your investment'. It just makes sense to use the meds, right? For the 2 minutes of my day and the small amount it costs, it would be crazy not to bother with them. I have read that some people have had procedures and never been on any meds. I know some people start meds after their procedures - surely it makes sense to stabilise the loss first so you can plan it all better. I must say, I have a great deal of sympathy for those few who have tried Finasteride and had to discontinue due to side effects. We all know what it can do for us. I actually read one guys thread earlier and he couldn't even stick with Regaine because his face would swell up, poor guy.
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