TakingThePlunge

azn_guy, A lot has already been said here but allow me to add to your peace of mind. I'm quite sure that your scar is going to improve over the next few months. After my fist HT I could buzz down to a 3 without the scar showing at all. I'm only 1 1/2 months post-op from HT #2 and my scalp was considerably tighter this time around but I'm hoping for the same results. Keep us posted! TTP

creepingback, I'm very sorry to hear that your HT has left you feeling this way. I looked back through some of your earlier posts and managed to find some photos but it would help greatly if you would post some updated pics. Have you consulted with any other doctors to find out if you would benefit from a scar reduction procedure? All the best, TTP

Congrats Sparky!

AJ, Welcome to the site! You are starting out by asking some very important questions. It was a very good move getting on the meds in order to stabilize your loss! With regard to age, it is only one of many factors that a doctor must consider before determining if you are a candidate for hair transplantation. As Sparky has already mentioned, HT's involve long-term planning. It would be a waste of time, money and precious hair grafts to plan for a NW4 head that ultimately ends up being a NW6. Without photos, it's impossible for any of us to give you any relevant advice. Start by researching our recommended coalition doctors and schedule some free consultations. That will you give the best idea of what you are in for if you are indeed a candidate. As for the rest of your questions, like so many other issues surrounding HTs, the answers vary. After my first HT I was noticeably pink in the recipient area for about two months. The second time around things seem to be fading faster. Most folds will tell you to wait at least 10 to 14 days before donning a hat. How long it takes for your HT to be unnoticeable has to do with how much native hair you still have, if your doctor requires you to shave and your skin tone. Again, speaking from experience, after my first HT, since I had almost no existing hair in the recipient area, it took a good two or three months. After the second one, I was able to go out in public after one month with no fear of detection. Hope this helps and keep the questions coming. That's what we are here for. TTP

My experience with finasteride is pretty much the same as Mike's. In a perfect world, I would prefer to not be the "med guy" too and I struggled with the decision before my HT. My doctor didn't push the issue but I knew that the best way to get the most from my investment would be to use the drug. I'm glad I did! Not only have I not experienced further loss. I'm fairly certain that my hair has thickened in the crown. Everyone has to decide for themselves but side effects are fairly rare and in the vast majority of cases they are reported to be temporary.

Dr. Lindsey, Thanks for the laugh and for confirming what I already believed! Fancy shampoos are hype! I did use Johnson's Baby Shampoo for a couple of weeks post HT just because I felt it was mild but scent is my number one factor when choosing shampoo. TTP

I'm not seeing any photos here.

I had my transplant with Dr. Alexander and, despite my first transplant not meeting my pre-op expectations, I have no regrets and returned to Dr. Alexander to HT #2.

One of my favorite results I've seen in a while. The hairline frames his face nicely and overall he's got a great, age appropriate look!

Looking good Dr. A! Very nice hairline design. He must be very happy.

Thebutterflycollector, Thanks for coming back and keeping us updated! The Farjo Clinic is a recommended clinic here. It appears they do have a location in Manchester. Location: Farjo Medical Centre - Manchester Arthur House, Chorlton Street Manchester United Kingdom M1 3FH 0870 7555 495 +44 161 2373517 Here is the link to their site. Although, based on your age and degree of hair loss, you are not a candidate for a hair transplant, I think calling the clinic may be a great first step. They do charge 75 pounds for a consultation though. Wouldn't it be free for you to visit your GP or a dermatologist in the UK? At the very least, The Farjo Clinic may advise you over the phone about what your best options are and who to see. Here is another blurb from their site, If you would like a consultation with us after assessing the information we have provided, or simply want more information then please talk to our Patient Affairs Co-ordinator, Michael McHugh on: 0845 3 132 131 or e-mail us your query Again, I wish you the best of luck and do come back after you've spoken to a doctor! TTP

Slaps, I'm sorry to hear that you have such a negative take on hair transplantation. While I do agree that there are many people out there who have been disfigured by poorly trained or unscrupulous doctors, by choosing your doctor carefully and planning for the future, there is no reason why modern hair transplantation techniques should not result in aesthetically pleasing results for many years to come. Those of us who have done our research know that we are playing a numbers game. Take my case for example. I have used a total of 4350 grafts to rebuild by frontal third with an estimated 3000 in reserve to address future loss. I believe my hair loss has been stabilized for the time being with medication but one day I will probably lose my crown. At the age of 41, I'm quite certain that my hair will look good until I'm at least in my early 50's. This is acceptable to me. At that point I may either need another procedure in my crown or perhaps there will be better options on the table. I can't say I was depressed over hair loss but I definitely spent way too much time thinking about it. Now I don't think about it much at all. My first procedure garnered rave reviews from friends, family and my hairstylist. I have since gone back to lower the hairline and add density and I'm confident that I'll be thrilled when it all grows out. There are many naysayers out there. Even many guys here will advise a new member to try shaving their head first to see if they like the look. Of course it's the easiest and cheapest way to go. More power to you if it works. It didn't work for me and I'm very happy with the decision I made. All the best to you, TTP

Glad we're back and no data was lost!

Campbell, Typically a patient will have some flexibility in the design of their new hairline but there are many factors involved. The density of your donor area and characteristics of your hair follicles combined with your degree of balding have all got to be taken into consideration when determining how many grafts you can dedicate to your hairline. As I'm sure you already know, hair transplantation is a numbers game. Doctors must try to find a happy medium between the area to be covered and acceptable density. Most doctors will work with their patients to find a design that fulfills all these requirements and complements the face. Hope that helps! TTP

I took off over 30 pounds this past year. I started out doing it in a very unhealthy way by essentially starving myself and walking a lot. I know that's not good but it was what I needed to do at the time. By the end of the summer I'd gone about as far as I could using that method. I'd shed about 20 pounds and two or three inches off the waist. In January I started the Insanity workout and shed another two inches and the rest of the pounds while eating proper meals 5x per day. I was truly amazed at the effectiveness of that workout! Now I'm back to high school size and was beginning to develop abs for the first time in my life. Not bad for pushing 42 years! As soon as I'm cleared to exercise again I'm going to hit it hard and take myself the rest of the way. Move over "Situation." Make way for The Revolution!

I take my 1/4 generic Proscar at 5:00 am. At around 8:30 I take a multivitamin and one 1500mg MSM caplet with breakfast. Late afternoon/early evening I take a second MSM caplet. I have no idea if there is any rhyme to my reason but I like the idea of splitting the MSM up throughout the day. It seems like I've heard that your body can process only so much of something at a given time.

I was a lot more concerned about my hair loss in my early to late twenties. By the time I hit my thirties I'd grown into my hairline and it was still thick enough that it looked pretty good. It wasn't until my mid to late thirties that disaster struck. When it became apparent that my hair had become too thin to do anything with I started buzzing it down to about a #2 up top and decided that I'd better get used to being bald. I have a great friend who had already been shaving bald for years for the same reason and it looked great on him but I really didn't like the way I looked. I just couldn't reconcile the image I had of myself in my head with the cue ball in the mirror. What made me feel the worst was that my dad hated the fact that I was buzzing my hair down. He wanted me to "grow it out." Evidently he wanted me to replicate the comb-over he's been sporting for the past four decades. My dad is 78 and he just doesn't get that the horseshoe ring around your head and combing your hair over is just not an option these days. In his mind, only Kojak and Yul Brynner can get away with being bald. He never missed an opportunity to ride me about my latest haircut or tell me how awful it looked on me and we got in many arguments about it. I tried explaining to him that I had no other options short of hair transplantation and that, in this day and age, shaving was the only possible option for balding men to have any hope of still looking cool but he wouldn't have any of it. If it weren't for his continued pestering I would probably have been more comfortable and I may not have pursued my HT. That is not to say that I have any regrets about choosing a transplant but I would have preferred to be comfortable in my own skin and save the money and down time. Funny thing is that when I had long hair he used to bug me about that too! There’s no pleasing the man! After I got the first HT he kept commenting on the extreme cost. I told him that nothing is more cost effective than being born with quality genes. I don’t want to pain my dad as a tyrant. He’s a great guy and very generous and supportive in every other way. We are really very close. This was just something he couldn’t understand and I guess he thought he was helping me somehow. Oh yeah, incidentally, he used to be a hairdresser!

Mane, This is a truly great result. You must be very happy. Thanks for keeping us updated! TTP

kid, Welcome! Spend enough time on this board and all your questions will be answered. It would really help us advise you if you would post some pics. Stick around and keep us posted as you progress. All the best, TTP

I very nearly got out of the chair minutes before my first procedure and ran away! Didn't sleep much the night before either. One huge mistake I made was refusing the anti-anxiety medication I was offered. I was climbing the walls by midday. The second time around I took the pill and brought my IPod. I listened to relaxing music and drifted in and out of consciousness. The whole thing was over before I knew it. Have a great day tomorrow. After it's all over you'll feel elated and truly satisfied that you made the decision to finally do something about your hair loss. All the best, TTP

reywd30, I understand your frustration and also your excitement to move ahead but take some time to research these forums. The doctors that are recommended here have all had to demonstrate skill and consistent, positive results. Prices will vary from doc to doc but most here will advise that cost and proximity should not be the deciding factors when choosing your HT doctor. You can contact Spex here. He is the UK patient consultant for Dr. Feller. Spex will be happy to speak with you and, depending on your location, even meet with you to discuss your options. I also recommend investigating other doctors and scheduling a few free online consultations before making a decision. Best of luck to you and please keep us informed of your progress. TTP

Chris, Welcome to the board. You've come to the right place! If you're not familiar with the coalition, this link will provide you with all the information you need to know about how doctors on this site are recommended. A search of this forum will provide volumes of quality feedback and documented results from all of these doctors. Everyone here has their favorites but most people will tell you to do your research and select three or four that you like. If there is no one in your immediate area, set up some free online consultations and go from there. Best of luck, TTP

I'm not sure why you want to avoid generics but I've been using generic finasteride for the past year with positive results. I pay $60 for 90 pills and quarter them. That's a year's supply! You'll still save bunch using Proscar over Propecia but for me, every dollar counts.

I agree with Bill. FUE is generally more costly, provides a lower graft yield and carries a higher risk of failure. The primary reason one would choose this route is to avoid the linear scar that you already have. Perhaps you have another reason for considering this method? Typically the interval between HTs is one year. As I understand it, this is in order to give the grafts time to grow and mature. If your second HT is in an area not previously touched, I don't see why six months would be a bad idea but the best advice anyone can tell you is consult with your doctor. TTP

flyg, I'm inclined to agree with PanamaJimmy. One of the frustrating aspects of getting a HT is the insane variation in aftercare procedures from doctor to doctor. What you have described doing certainly falls within many of the recommended guidelines you can easily find on this forum and seems to align with my own doctor's recommendations. After 7 days, I'm confident that your grafts were rooted enough to sustain rubbing with your fingertips to remove scabs. But, definitely check with Dr. Farjo just to put your mind at ease TTP