Edsarn2017

Thanks for your supportive words @Melvin-Moderator It does not get any easier having gone through it three times before and knowing what to expect. I’m much happier with my hair now, as I was very worried about my donor area and whether it would be thick enough to look normal. Those worries have now gone, so any improvements from here on in will be a nice bonus.

Thanks @CosmoKramer not started micro-needling either. I think I’m going to wait until I’m 9 months post HT, just to be sure. Looking forward to starting it.

4 MONTH UPDATE The new hairs in my hairline having been coming through for a while now. They are much shorter and finer than my existing hair. My donor areas is continuing to improve. I think I might be tempted to get some temple work done in the future.....

I think this is one of the most natural looking hairlines that I have ever seen on this website. Congratulations. Amazing work!

Hi @CosmoKramer how are things going with the micro-needling? Has your hair continued to get better? I'm now 3.5 months post HT, so am keen to give it a go, but will give it another few months before trying.

Well...better than it was before!

Here are my 3 month post-op pictures. I feel my donor is now looking really good. Just waiting for my new hairs to grow....

This looks great, especially for 8 months. The hair should mature over the next 3-4 months and will look even better. I had my third surgery with Dr Reddy. He and his team are really good.

The crown can be really difficult to fill. I think I had over 3000 grafts inserted into my crown in my first three operations, and it is still not full. Have you considered SMP? That is something I think I might do, after seeing the results of my 4th op. There is a great thread on microneedling by @CosmoKramer that is well worth checking out. His crown looks great:

Thanks John. My recovery was a little slower this time, but that's probably due to the amount of grafts I have had in total. I'm really pleased with how my donor area is recovering. I knew it was a bit of risk taking out out another 3k + grafts, but the surgeon was confident that it would be fine. Just the waiting game now..... I will post again at 4 months.

Good question. Not sure, to be honest. Probably not as good as some people on here. The front of my hair looked pretty thin 12 months post my first surgery, but I think Dr De Reys is pretty conservative, given other doctors estimated double the amount of grafts. I was happy with that area of my head after my second surgery with the same doctor. It’s quite a big area that I’ve had filled - looks bigger in real life, as I’ve got quite a big head. . Excluding my fourth surgery, I’ve had close to 4000 (surgery 1, 2, and 3) grafts in my crown. I do have a massive bald patch though, and all doctors have said it is pretty big. I guess I’m lucky that my donor area is good. I’m beginning to think I could take more from the sides, if needed!!! It’s looking really good.

Cheers John - I've read your story too. Yeah, I am not expecting full coverage of my crown, but hopefully some improvement.

Wow, wow, wow @CosmoKramer!! I've just seen this after you commented on my post. This is amazing!! Your results from this are outstanding. I am now 2 months post HT, so will probably wait a good few months, but will give this ago using the pen. Thanks for sharing - this is awesome! 🙂

Cheers CosmoKramer! The picture from behind is when I am stood directly under a light, so I think it looks better in normal light. Once I get a bit of length at the back, I think it will be fine. Really happy with the sides too. Now it's just a waiting game.....been through this three times already, but I don't think it gets any easier 😞

2 MONTH UPDATE Here is my 2 Month update pictures. As you will see, my donor area has improved since my one month update - particularly the sides, where it looks pretty thick, even under harsh light. The back of my donor is improving too, but it is just taking a little longer - especially the bit near the nape of my neck. I am now confident, that when I grow it longer, that it will be fine. In terms of my recipient area, I've got lots of bumps and spots, but I've had that before and think it is good sign. I started taking propecia again - for a week - having been off it for almost a year since trying to conceive (and on and off since 2005). I have now stopped taking it. I will see what happens with this HT, before making a decision. I will get back on the minoxidil though, but my scalp is still pretty irritable, so will wait.

I’m doing that too. My missus loves my hair short, but I prefer it longer. Happy growing!

Are you taking Finasteride? I’ve been on and off it for years. Never feel great when on it, and always seem susceptible to colds. Going to try taking 1mg three times a week. I do respond well to it, but getting a cold every month in the winter puts me off a bit.

Hi is the link to my pre-op pics, before my first surgery, back in 2013:

Looks really impressive. Will you keep it short like this, or grow it out?

This looks great. Your donor looks really good too. I’ve actually had 9,133 grafts - all via FUE and across 4 operations over 6 years. I was a bit worried about my donor, but I’m now coming up to 8 weeks post surgery, and it’s looking a lot better Yes, if you go to my thread, I’ve put a link to my 1st and second surgeries (Dr De Reys) and my third with Dr Raghu Reddy. My first pre-op pictures are not great quality. I think they were taken with an iPhone model.

This looks great. Your donor looks really good too. I’ve actually had 9,133 grafts - all via FUE and across 4 operations over 6 years. I was a bit worried about my donor, but I’m now coming up to 8 weeks post surgery, and it’s looking a lot better

Hi Ahmeda87, I've had 4 FUE operations, and have experienced thinning in both my recipient and donor hair - surprisingly enough, I've had thinning in different areas across the four operations. For example, in my first op, one side of my donor went patchy, but my recipient was fine. I had no thinning after HT2 or HT3, but in HT4 I've had thinning in both my donor and recipient area. You've had great advice on here, from a lot of folk who know what they are talking about. I do feel your pain though. We have a HT to give us some hair on top, and in the short-term, we can actually look worse that we did before! I'm 6 weeks post surgery and my hair is not looking great at the moment (much worse than pre-surgery). I know it will look good soon, but it is such a slow process. I'm also a bit of slow grower - again, this has varied across surgeries - so try not to compare yourself with others at a similar stage post-surgery. Ultimately, it is about the end result and this is the result you have to live with. Some of us just take a bit longer than others, but you will get there in the end. You picked a great doctor and I sure you will be happy with the outcome at 12 months and this will be a distant memory. It is great that you are documenting your results, because this will help others on this forum. Happy growing.

No worries Melvin - I will keep them coming. I've found this site so useful, so if I can help anyone else, that would be great.

Cheers Shmiggy!! To be honest, I''ve been a bit concerned by it, but it has improved since my 4-week photos, and once it grows out again, I think it will ok. I knew it would be a bit of risk having more grafts, but I'd rather have it on top, that at the back/sides. My back-up plan, if required, will be to have SMP in my donor area.