YoungGuy

I wonder what people's opinions on this are. I know that smoking decreases bloodflow which would theoretically slow down the healing & growth rate. For this reason, I initially quit smoing for a few weeks after my own surgery. However, then I decided to quit worrying and went back to happily puffing away. The hair grew out just fine (my HT was done by Dr. Feller in Long Island) and I'm very happy with the results at 8 months. Hard to believe more is going to grow! In all fairness I do have to say that I'm a bit of a workout junkie. I've scaled back the past 2 months and only work out 5 days/week, but worked out daily the the first 7 or so months after, skipping the months immediately post-op so as to not have the scar stretch. I'm also fairly young at 28. So, what is it? All else being equal: surgeon skill etc. If you're a lazy couch potato, don't smoke but if you exercise regularly, feel free to? Or is smoking just not that important?

Heh, ya, I had a girl I was speaking to stare at my hairline. I tilted my head down so she could get a better look while I stared at her breasts figuring, we'll both be happy. She got upset. Go figure.

Neither will work, so if you must have one, definitely go by price.

Yeah, it's pretty simple. Some hairs are genetically resistant to DHT, some are not. You move the good ones around to cover the area the bad ones fell out from. The way meds like Propecia/Proscar work, btw, is not by changing your hair but by inhibiting DHT so that the bad ones don't get "attacked" by it. Also the reason they'll fall back out if you stop inhibiting DHT with the meds.

- Make sure they do FU (follicular unit) grafts. - Check if they extract a strip or do FUE; both will give the same result per graft. Strip allows for a larger session and leaves a scar in the donor site, FUE is pricier. - Ask how many techs they have, how many years of experience the techs possess, and are they employed by the clinic full-time. This is important as the techs will do most of the graft placement. - Ask to be put in touch with actual patients, if possible. - Ask if they shave the recipient site. Some doctors do as it makes surgery easier and less error-prone, some don't because patients don't want to shave down. - Ask if they extract the strip in parts or in one piece. One piece is generally not a good idea, makes it easier for the doctor to screw up. - Make sure you get a prescription for painkillers ahead of time! - If you're not on Propecia, see if you can get the doctor to write you a prescription. Others will probably chime in with good info, this is all I can think of for now

Two points. 1. If you shave down, you hair will grow out enough to hide the HT in about two weeks. Take some vacation. 2. Nobody remembers what you used to look like after 8 months once your new hair grows in. And 8 months goes fast. Bottom line is, sacrifice your looks in the short term for a long term benefit. Why insist of having your cake and eating it too?

You went to a great surgeon. Congrats on the great results! You're going to end up looking very good

As a NW3, you likely need around 2.5-3k grafts to be happy with your results. MHR, Bosley and other chains like them will give you too few grafts (and charge too much) because their MO is to keep patients coming back for more. Just the nature of the beast. The good news is that you only had one small surgery with them and found this site in time to still end up looking good once you get help from a reputable physician. Why didn't you do all this research *before* you went there though? So many people do what you did and then regret it when all they had to do was browse the web a little bit first

And don't worry too much about side effects. They're very rare and you can always stop the meds to make them go away. Bear in mind that it'll take up to a year before you see a difference.

I started taking finasteride after my HT in January and it's made a noticeable difference in my crown. It's not a dramatic difference or anything like that - heck, it's only been 8 months - but there's noticeably more hair up there now than there used to be.

The fact that there are still people who claim laser combs work for regrowing hair (and those who believe them) are the reason all those foul-smelling snake oils still sell. Human gullibility knows no bounds. Just shine a flashlight at your head 3 times a day and you'll have the same result people. And all you're paying is the cost of the batteries.

Shock loss tends to occur both in the recipient and in the donor areas as far as I know. It's a normal response to trauma to the scalp which is surgery. However, permanent shock loss, while it can also happen if the hair that was shocked was going to fall out anyway due to MPB, sucks and can be a sign of a bad HT.

Sydney, It's nigh impossible to get 7000+ grafts in one session - you need to go in for several. They just can't get that many hairs out at once and still manage to staple your head shut afterwards There are exceptions, but they're real rare. Emperor - get a HT man. It works, and it's worth it. Just choose a good doctor, one recommended by this site, and you will not regret it.

I think he should be banned for a week before his incessant posting overloads the server. The DB probably has 2 sets of tables by now, one for everyone's posts and the other for Bill's

Most people lose their hair in one area and keep it in others. Diffuse thinning is when hair all over your head gets thinner & thinner simultaneously.

Hey, look on the bright side; if he gets side effects, having propecia around pregnant women will never become an issue. There's always a silver lining. (From personal experience: I got no sides. 98% of folks don't. Hell, my sex drive increased. I won't go into the sordid details.) Seriously though: propecia is probably the way to go if you and/or he are concerned. Should you become pregnant, as long as you don't crush the pills with your hands you will be fine. The reason it's not recommended around pregnant women is that it blocks DHT, which is a type of testosterone and may affect the development of an unborn child. However, as long as the woman does not handle the pills themselves the child will be okay. In other words, the man can pop propecia like M&Ms, contact with HIM is safe as long as you leave the pills alone. And for better or for worse, propecia is currently the best thing that can be done when a man is in the beginning stages of hair loss. A trabnsplant can be an option later, but for now his choices are a) ignore it and hope it stops, b) take propecia. Hair loss is extremely unpredictable; it may just stop on its own. If you'd like the boring lowdown on what causes hair loss and what makes it stop, just PM me or keep reading the forums

Hey, I'm bold and it makes me feel great. As for bald, that's another story

The advice she gave you seems honest & realistic. Personally I'd go up to 2000 grafts as a NW 2.5, but you're in the ballpark. However, you're 21 years old... that's real young for HT. I was 27 and I was still on the young side. So, be conservative. And seriously, think about taking a trip to the US. If you go in the off-season (fall/winter) you'll be paying $600 for a round-trip ticket, that's nothing next to what you'll pay for a HT.

More hair, you're in luck looking for a doc in NY as there's a good amount of excellent ones operating here. I don't personally know Dr. Epstein (I'm a Dr. Feller patient myself, and a happy one) but he has a good opinion around here. Which means a lot -) If he makes you feel confident, choose him. That's the important thing. If you can, try to meet a patient of his but other than that, you oughtta be in good hands.

Hey Bill, Yeah, about two months ago - once the hair came in - I stopped thinking about it, and subsequently visiting the forums. I really should get involved again

Most people are fine a week after. Me, I looked like crap for a month or more. But so what? I wore a hat. Besides, once the hair grows out nobody'll remember what you used to look like. And 7 months later, the difference is noticeable: 4 years older in the pic on the right, by the way. Scary how much difference a HT makes.

Cmon. 15? You're fine. Don't worry about it. If you're concerned then plan on getting a degree in finance, money attracts women more than hair does.

This weekend, I happened to run into two acquaintances I haven't seen in about 7-8 months: one was a friend I ran into when I was in his neighborhood, and the other a girl at a birthday party for her sister I attended. They didn't recognize me! The first friend I ran into on the street, and he was eyeing me strangely for a few seconds while his wife said hello, after which he did also (he's thinning, and so he later asked me about details once I told him I had a HT). But by far the funnier one was at the party. I walked in and the girl in question greets the folks I came with, stares at me with a quizzical look and proceeds to introduce herself. To which I reminded her how we all actually *know* each other there. The poor thing was embarassed while I was grinning like an idiot. It's amazing how much difference hair makes. Have any of you similar stories to report?

This weekend, I happened to run into two acquaintances I haven't seen in about 7-8 months: one was a friend I ran into when I was in his neighborhood, and the other a girl at a birthday party for her sister I attended. They didn't recognize me! The first friend I ran into on the street, and he was eyeing me strangely for a few seconds while his wife said hello, after which he did also (he's thinning, and so he later asked me about details once I told him I had a HT). But by far the funnier one was at the party. I walked in and the girl in question greets the folks I came with, stares at me with a quizzical look and proceeds to introduce herself. To which I reminded her how we all actually *know* each other there. The poor thing was embarassed while I was grinning like an idiot. It's amazing how much difference hair makes. Have any of you similar stories to report?

With the same number of grafts & the same doctor, the result in the recipient area will be identical with both strip & FUE. Having said that, strip allows for more grafts to be taken at half the price or less. Don't discount strip surgery, all top doctors around today perform it and will be performing it for a years to come. It is NOT outdated.