Coligion

wanthairs, I agree that more information needs to be addressed on this issue. There always is uncertainty with transplants (future recession and "permanent" donor hair to name a few), but with all the recent posts on this topic it almost seems like something else is at play? I would love to think everyone is just dealing with temporary shedding, but I'm not going to kid myself....Nobody wants to have to worry about losing precious grafts 1 to 3 years post operative. This is extremely disconcerting.

How many hair transplants we have is determined by: amount of donor hair available, scalp laxity, and how well we can handle the mental and physical toll brought upon by each surgery. There are other factors invovled (like finances), but I believe these three are key.

It's usually recommended to have been on Propecia for 6 to 12 months before surgery. Propecia/Finasteride is supposed to help reduce the potential impact of shock loss to your existing hairs. Age is something else to consider for shock loss. It's usually the younger patients (as well as diffuse thinners) that get hurt the most. Regardless, I think it'd be a good idea to start on the meds

TakingThePlunge, what are the hair transplant doctor's repsonsibilities to a patient when the end result is not what was envisioned? Common sense would tell us that they should stand behind their work, but I know that is not always the case. Dr. Alexander comes highly regarded, and I would hope a solution could be determined without financially impacting you the same way the initial transplant did. Can anyone share an experience when your transplant did not come out as discussed and a quality resolution was put into place?

Thanks for sharing that. I'm glad to hear you've gotten some positive reinforcement on your decision. I've been following your blog, and I know the last couple months have been anticlimactic for you. What are your plans if over the next 2-3 months you are still unsatisfied?

I can also relate to pimples showing up late in the game. I'm 7+ months out of a strip procedure and never had any pimples until about month 6. They are few and far between, but I have had a couple show up now.

Dr. Alexander, this a very natural result. It looks like you shaved the temporal region, but not for the crown. Was this your decision, or the patients? When you work around existing hairs, do you feel shock loss potential increases if the patient does not choose to shave?

What would be the recommended time frame for wearing a ball cap post op normally (not having to worry about putting it on safely and touching the hairline)?

Buffalo Soldier, have you taken any pictures of the suture/donor area?

Looks very clean How long was the surgery? Hope to see you keep your blog updated and best wishes for a speedy recovery.

Have you talked to Dr. Alexander recently about your concerns? I would like to know his thoughts on your progress thus far.

This is also something that worries me. Sure, modern hair transplants may look great 5+ years post-op, but what about the long term results? I know your donor hair is supposed to be permanent, but it can also thin just as our other hair. I'm really curious to see how transplants performed today will hold up 15 to 20 years from now.

The camera lighting/angle must not be showing my concerns well enough. Here are some pictures taken a month ago that will clearly show my thinning. http://i722.photobucket.com/al...igion/7-18-09/10.jpg http://i722.photobucket.com/al...ligion/7-18-09/7.jpg http://i722.photobucket.com/al...ligion/7-18-09/8.jpg http://i722.photobucket.com/al...ligion/7-18-09/9.jpg

Hi all. I'm planning on having a second surgery this December, but I was hoping some of the experienced members on this forum might be able to give me some useful advice before I choose what and what not to do. Some background....I started noticing hair loss about 3 years ago. I have a diffuse pattern in the frontal 1/3 and mid 2/3 with recession around the temples. I've been taking Finasteride for over a year now (started June of 08). I believe I got some stabilization from the medication, but nothing remarkable. I decided to undergo my first surgery in February of this year. I didn't want to have work done on my hairline for fear of future recession (mid-twenties candidate), so I decided on a 1000 graft transplant 1 inch back of my hairline in the frontal 1/3 zone. I'm now 5 months post op and growth is very slow. My first surgery was conservative, and I knew I would have to have another in a near future. I live in Arizona and met with Dr. Alexander over a month ago to discuss my options. I'm writing to the members here because I would like honest opinions on what would be beneficial to me given my current condition. I know I have a decent head of hair at the moment and I don't want to make matters worse. But as of right now, I know I want my hairline addressed (specifically the left side), but only to strengthen it, not lower it. My biggest concern is having work done on my diffuse section. I know Dr. Alexander likes to shave patients, and I would be willing to do so if that would give myself the best opportunity for success. I tried to upload some pictures of my areas of concern. These were taken right after a shower with no hair spray or concealers of any kind. Thanks for your time and any input is greatly appreciated. http://i722.photobucket.com/al...ligion/7-18-09/2.jpg http://i722.photobucket.com/al...ligion/7-18-09/3.jpg http://i722.photobucket.com/al...ligion/7-18-09/4.jpg http://i722.photobucket.com/al...ligion/7-18-09/5.jpg http://i722.photobucket.com/al...ligion/7-18-09/6.jpg

Hi all. I'm planning on having a second surgery this December, but I was hoping some of the experienced members on this forum might be able to give me some useful advice before I choose what and what not to do. Some background....I started noticing hair loss about 3 years ago. I have a diffuse pattern in the frontal 1/3 and mid 2/3 with recession around the temples. I've been taking Finasteride for over a year now (started June of 08). I believe I got some stabilization from the medication, but nothing remarkable. I decided to undergo my first surgery in February of this year. I didn't want to have work done on my hairline for fear of future recession (mid-twenties candidate), so I decided on a 1000 graft transplant 1 inch back of my hairline in the frontal 1/3 zone. I'm now 5 months post op and growth is very slow. My first surgery was conservative, and I knew I would have to have another in a near future. I live in Arizona and met with Dr. Alexander over a month ago to discuss my options. I'm writing to the members here because I would like honest opinions on what would be beneficial to me given my current condition. I know I have a decent head of hair at the moment and I don't want to make matters worse. But as of right now, I know I want my hairline addressed (specifically the left side), but only to strengthen it, not lower it. My biggest concern is having work done on my diffuse section. I know Dr. Alexander likes to shave patients, and I would be willing to do so if that would give myself the best opportunity for success. I tried to upload some pictures of my areas of concern. These were taken right after a shower with no hair spray or concealers of any kind. Thanks for your time and any input is greatly appreciated. http://i722.photobucket.com/al...ligion/7-18-09/2.jpg http://i722.photobucket.com/al...ligion/7-18-09/3.jpg http://i722.photobucket.com/al...ligion/7-18-09/4.jpg http://i722.photobucket.com/al...ligion/7-18-09/5.jpg http://i722.photobucket.com/al...ligion/7-18-09/6.jpg

Thank you for the reply. The thing is, I didn't use hardly any force at all. If I didn't remove it then, it would have detached during a routine shampooing. I've noticed many grafts falling out this way the past month, but none produced blood like this. After 4.5 months, I should be seeing growth, not continued loss.

I'm 4.5 months post-op from a 1000 graft surgery just behind my hairline from Dr. Keene. In the past month, I have been noticing bumpy, dandruff like flakes forming randomly around the recipient area. These flakes always fall off and contain numerous hairs inside them. One in particular was very itchy and I couldn't resist the need to remove it. I was horrified to see the graft came out and blood began to emerge. Why am I possibly losing grafts almost 5 months post op? I would have thought this could only occur in the first few weeks after surgery. I attached pictures of the exact graft and the blood when removed. I am very discouraged and worried.... http://i722.photobucket.com/al...3/Coligion/hair1.jpg http://i722.photobucket.com/al...3/Coligion/hair2.jpg

I'm 4.5 months post-op from a 1000 graft surgery just behind my hairline from Dr. Keene. In the past month, I have been noticing bumpy, dandruff like flakes forming randomly around the recipient area. These flakes always fall off and contain numerous hairs inside them. One in particular was very itchy and I couldn't resist the need to remove it. I was horrified to see the graft came out and blood began to emerge. Why am I possibly losing grafts almost 5 months post op? I would have thought this could only occur in the first few weeks after surgery. I attached pictures of the exact graft and the blood when removed. I am very discouraged and worried.... http://i722.photobucket.com/al...3/Coligion/hair1.jpg http://i722.photobucket.com/al...3/Coligion/hair2.jpg