Spaceman

If it’s thinning everywhere, including the sides and back then you may have diffuse unpatterned alopecia (DUPA). If that is the case, then you probably would not be a candidate for a HT. Do a google image search for diffuse unpatterned allopecia to see what it looks like.

Your safe zone looks fine and all of the grafts should come from there. I don’t know why he’d want you to stop Finasteride. You still have some hair in your recipient area and Finasteride helps strengthen that hair. If you suffer shock loss on top after the procedure then continuing on Finasteride would help prevent it from being permanent. Consider getting additional surgical opinions. To answer your questions directly, I don’t think it is standard practice for typical MPB patients. And I was on Finasteride before, during, and after my procedure.

Did you have hair loss or miniaturization in your donor area?

I don’t think it’s possible to change the direction. That was determined by the angle of the recipient site incisions. If your follicles had significant curvature to them then how they were inserted into the recipient sites may have played a part as well. But the direction of 3000 grafts is not changeable after the grafts have attached in the first few days. If you haven’t already, you can seek out a good stylist to help you find the right product and technique to style them in the direction of your choice.

Yes, I took Zyrtec occasionally post surgery, and didn’t have any issues. Actually it helped a bit with itching. Im not sure about mixing up a topical solution myself. I think I’ll ask a compounding pharmacist about it and see if they can do it with a proper base and hopefully using pure cetirizine without fillers. If not, then I’ll probably pass.

Yes, it is a small sample of only 85 total subjects, 18 of which were control. At the same time, two things stood out for me. First, the density measurements were made in a reasonably objective way, using trichoscan. Second, the standard deviation of the density increase of the treatment group was relatively small. Subjects were measured to have a mean density increase of 30.31 with a standard deviation of only 4.21. That means most subjects saw a density increase between 26 and 34. Unfortunately I don't think any drug company will ever fund a large scale clinical trial as cetirizine is already generic and very cheap.

Yes, I've seen some comments on Reddit from around that time too. Nothing conclusive though. I may try it, as I've taken cetirizine (as Zyrtec) orally for allergies and I have no side effects to it.

On average, 1 in 8 follicles is in telogen state at any time. It is in a resting state with no hair. That means some of the doubles, look like singles when they are extracted. The 2nd follicle in the graft is in telogen. So a graft with a single hair but two follicles can easily be mistaken for a single and implanted in the hairline. It is also possible for a triple to have two follicles in telogen. You need a high powered microscope to see the telogen follicles, and you need to examine every graft that goes into the hairline very carefully. Many FUE-only clinics do not have microscopes. It is normally not an issue for FUT surgeries because every graft is separated and sorted under a high powered microscope. Even with skilled technicians at the microscope, it’s possible to miss a few. I don’t think having a few doubles in the hairline makes a significant cosmetic impact, however, having a lot of them does tend to create a tree-trunk effect and make the hairline seem less natural.

Has anyone here tried topical cetirizine as a hair loss treatment? If so, what was your experience? There was a study published last year that showed topical cetirizine had clinically significant benefit in treating androgenetic alopecia. Cetirizine is a popular OTC oral antihistamine but this study suggests it has potential as a hair loss treatment when administered topically. Thoughts? https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/28604133 https://www.docdroid.net/2FwL4QP/101080-at-0954663420171341610.pdf

It’s likely that you can get this fixed. Your procedure and touch up were modest so you’ve probably have enough donor to reshape and thicken your hairline. 2000 grafts or so would give you a major improvement. I’d look at Konior or Gabel for your case. They do excellent hairline repair work and the size of the procedure is right in their sweet spot. If you are in Europe, look at Devroye or Feriduni. In Canada, Dr. Wong. Keser in Turkey if money is an issue.

You have an advanced pattern. Given that you’re in Portland have you actually consulted with Gabel? Did he think you are a good candidate and if so, what kind of procedure did he recommend? I would at least consult with him in person, tell him your goals, and see what your options are, even if you cannot afford him right now. And if he happens to tell you aren’t a good candidate or that your goals cannot be met, then listen to him.

I think you are going to have a tremendous result. It looks great at every stage.

The press release said that their process is set to begin preclinical testing. From Wikipedia, only about 1 in 5,000 treatments/compounds that make it to preclinical testing becomes an approved treatment or drug and usually it takes 5-10 years, sometimes longer. I do think we will get there one day, but it is likely to take a long time and will likely be very, very expensive at first. Probably six figures expensive.

You are looking great Dan, and your result will only continue to improve over the next few months. I see a little more swagger in your smile, too. ?

You seem pretty confident that your hair loss has stopped, yet you’re only 42 and lost most of the hair between ages 39 and 41. Are you sure it’s stopped and not just paused? Is that what Diep said? Or maybe you’re basing it on family history? It’s really important that you have a reasonable and realistic picture of where you are likely to end up before you start down the HT journey. Surprises down the road can be disastrous.