ambitious6831

Much thanks for the responses. Above shows numerous hairs in an area where I definitely never had hair before (they're a good 1-2cm from my hairline). Now the long ones are obviously hairs which haven't shed and are yet to go dormant as gillenator points out. But there are many which are super short (literally 0.1mm long just poking through the scalp), so either these have shed and left the tip intact, or they've shed and continued to grow through the surface once again. I definitely haven't shaved or cut these hairs.

So as expected my newly implanted FUT hairs began to shed around the 2 week mark. What wasn't expected was the hairs that started to grow in less than 2 weeks later... it's not just one or two either, not loads, but there are quite a few very small hairs just pushing through the surface here and there. I wasn't expecting any growth for another 2 months at least, is this unusual? I've followed my post op instructions which have included using Keratene shampoos/serums a lot. Is it reasonable for a hair to shed, grow a little again, then shed and enter a dormant phase? Or perhaps many hairs can be here to stay this early? In which case brilliant, but it might look a bit silly with only some coming in here and there months before the others.

Almost 3 weeks post op FUT and some of the newly implanted hairs have started shedding as expected, but there are still a few sticking around and it (unsurprisingly) looks a bit ridiculous. Is there any harm at all in shaving them so it doesn't look so bizarre? Especially given that they'll probably fall out within the next month anyway. My only concerns are: - Shaving the new hairs will upset them in some way - Shaving them will take them longer to fall out (and enter the resting phase) I'm certainly not going to pluck them or anything like that.

It's been suggested by my clinic that I use a Keratin shampoo/serum a week after post-op to encourage hair growth. Could someone please provide some light as to why this is necessary? Is it actually necessary, or does it simply speed up the process? The reason I'm uneasy about it is because researching a little online, there are so many horror stories related to Keratin use, especially around it acting as a cause for hair loss. Is this considered rare or does it shed hair in the same way as minoxidil? Of course the newly plant grafts will shed, but it's the shampoo affecting my existing hair I'm worried about.

Thanks Bill, appreciated. I just ordered some concealer which should hopefully cover me until my hair grows a little longer.

I'm only a couple days out of surgery so it's no surprise the scar is at its worse now, but when I'm back to work in a week and a half I'm a little worried it's going to be really obvious. I'm hoping the following make a huge difference: - it will have healed more and be less red then - I can't wash my hair with my hands yet, so my hair is very thin and clogged together (like it looks when you get really sweaty) - my hair will be a little longer. It was longer enough to cover the scar line, but quite a bit has been shaved around it. Did anyone else who had FUT first look at their scar and think, "Wow it looks like someone's sliced my head off and reattached it!" Really happy with the placements, it's just this which concerns me.

Thanks Bill. So we don't think there's a 'certain age range when you lose your hair', meaning we could in theory skip over this period with Propecia - then stop using it once we're safely past that period. Shame as that would have been ideal!

Is there any benefit to using Propecia prior to surgery, for a year after, and then pulling the plug on it? I'm sure Propecia is very effective, but the reason I want to avoid it long term is because my hairline is now pretty stable - and the expense/side-effect risks might be somewhat unnecessary in my case. It's been suggested I take it for a year after surgery (to be on the safe side), and I'm just trying to understand why? Wouldn't you not to take it long term, or not at all? Perhaps stress caused by a FUT operation can damage hair, and Propecia helps to reduce that damage? With regards to shock loss, it's my understanding that no drug can prevent permanent shock loss. Of course some might argue there's little harm in staying on it for a year anyway, but I'm concerned my hair might react to me suddenly coming off the drug. Any knowledgeable input is much appreciated.

I've been quoted ~€6000 by Dr Feriduni and Dr Bisanga for a 1500 grafts FUE procedure, and having researched these doctors extensively I'm sure they'd be a very good choice. But whilst I accept FUE is the modern approach, I think FUT suits me much better. I've never had my hair shaved (it would look ridiculous for months), and a scar really isn't a problem for me at all. I've also read FUT can produce better results, although I'm not treating this as a solid claim. So my question is, are the Belgium doctors well famed because of their hair transplant skills overall, or mostly because of their expertise in FUE specifically? I'm also curious to see how much cheaper FUT would be.

Thanks, interesting read. It sounds like something which will be ironed out in the coming years/decades with more research. I'm hoping temple-refilling is likely to reduce the chance of shock seeing as this will be small compared to other procedures.

I've long been tempted to head to Belgium for an FUT to restore my thinning temples. This is not expected to be a major transplant, requiring only 1,500 grafts or so. But I can't get over my worry concerning shock loss at the treated site, and I'm wondering how others felt/feel about it? Or whether I'm over-reacting. When shock loss does occur, can this be quite a large chunk of hair around the treated area? As in are we talking millimeters or centimeters. Permanent loss I hear is rare, and as my hair line seems reasonably stable now I hope the hairs will be strong enough to resist this. But temporary loss (if big) would be terrible also. I understand it grows back, but destroying your confidence for half a year of your life isn't something you should take lightly in my opinion. Do we have any stats on the likelihood of temporary/permanent shock loss? Would very much appreciate people's inputs on this.