LaserCap

Oh, now I see what you mean. Up close it's a different story. A couple of things come to mind. Using the rule of thirds, (chin to nose, nose to eyebrow, eyebrow to hairline), where is your hairline supposed to be? If you have a conservative hairline and you can bring down the hairline about a cm, this would allow to stagger some grafts to add naturalness. You could also have some of the grafts punched to make them smaller, (less groupings). Lastly, electrolysis.

You may want to consider doing PRP and laser therapy. The mechanism of action of each of these is totally different and thus, are synergistic when used simultaneously. Give it a year, photos every 3 months and keep track. After a year you can decide if the added benefit is worth continuing the regimen.

What density are you trying to accomplish? How far back do you want to work? The problem is the contrast between the color of the hair and the color of the skin. SMP might not be a bad idea at this stage. What medical therapy are you doing?

Lots of factors to consider, but all things being equal and naturalness not being compromised, I would look at, How many clinical staff members will be placing? Are you doing FUE or FUT? I am guessing FUE. Do you know what system they are using? Are you doing PRP with the procedure? The nice thing about doing it in two days is the fact that the staff will not get tired as easy and it is a far more relaxed experience. You'll leave early on both days and can return to the hotel and get some rest. The worst thing that can happen is you feeling rushed. Eventually you'll question the process particularly if something goes wrong. Swelling typically happens about 3 days after the procedure. This tends to happen when patients get too active after the procedure. Relax for the first few days and follow the post op instructions, particularly sitting up at an angle while sleeping.

Your hairline looks fine and age appropriate for now and the future. If you lower it, as drawn, will give you more of a juvenile hairline. The only people who can carry such hairline are those that have more hair than all of us combined, (and adolescents). If you feel your temporal areas are a bit rounded and not blunted, You may want to bring the forelock (only) down about a cm. and leave everything else the same. The doctor could blunt the corner as well. If this is done by staggering grafts, this might resolve all the issues you have outlined.

Trust is a big component. But there are a few more things to consider.......Review tons of photos....Notice graft numbers and the density achieved with said number. Also, quality of hair. Fine, light hair will typically look more natural but you need a greater quantity to achieve the density of someone with similar numbers but with coarser hair. Next density. Given the instructions of the doctor to his staff, the staff could double up grafts per site. This will provide more density, particularly going farther back into the pattern. A comprehensive conversation with the consultant and the doctor are very important, particularly during the initial consultation. Lastly, look at the place, location, equipment...There is a reason for all these things.

Impressive....And after only 6 months? PRP really helped bring in the hair a lot sooner. And SMP? What a great combination given the contrast between the color of the hair and the color of the skin. Nice work Doc!

My grandfather was bald and I wanted to be just like him. I was not interested at all and was unaware that there were options available. The company I was working for was sold and I was out of a job. I was in Jamaica at the time and, while on return flight, a manager for a hair restoration practice was sitting right beside me. Great guy and we hit it off. That was on a Saturday. On Monday, while gathering my personal things I got a call from the HR department asking me if I would be interested in a consultant position. I accepted and relocated. Lasted 15 years. I have worked for a number of companies since. During my training, (bear with me), the consultant training me said, "if you've never been interested in hair restoration, you will never do research nor know anything about the industry." I believe that. So that brings up a point. How many people out there, considering the millions and millions that inhabit the earth, don't know about hair restoration? It is a very rewarding career. Unfortunately there are many people just getting into the industry that really know little to nothing. It is scary. I feel it is our job to educate and protect the patient. I am grateful for this site and the input...and the fact that you are allowing me to contribute if only sparingly.

Beautiful work Doctor! Did he do PRP at the time of the surgery? Is he doing anything medical therapy wise to help him with retention? Amazing density....

Just by observation of the photos it seems you are not demarcating down on the donor area. That could be the Rogaine working and holding your pattern. I once heard a doctor say that if you use Rogaine twice a day, you are getting 100% of the medication. If you do it once, you are getting 90%. Keep doing it particularly since you can not do Propecia. (You may want to consider 1/2 of the 1mg every other day. Perhaps this will help? Ask your doctor his opinion). Have you tried PRP and laser? Those are two additional modalities you can try. All these work in different ways and are, thus synergistic. With regards to your hairline, it looks good. Too much density starts looking like a wig. Remember, it is a transitional zone. To be a bit thin adds to the naturalness. Add grafts to your temporal areas? NOOOO. Say you do, you create a straighter hairline and then you continue receding, you may end up with a feminine looking hairline. Guys thin out in a parabolic shape. A bit of recession, such as yours, is appropriate for a guy...and appropriate for the age. Straight belong to children. If you are happy with your current density, and you continue retaining, you can them move forward with the crown. Keep in mind that this is the spherical area of the head and because of that it takes TONS of grafts and multiple procedures to achieve density. Most patients are happy with a "dusting" rather than full density. Everyone, by definition, (since there is a whirl), will be thin in that area. Talk to the doctor about the number of grafts he would recommend for you. Good luck.

1. Throughout my career I've heard from many practitioners that the medication is systemic. That is, regardless of where you put it, it is doing what it is supposed to do. Why do I phrase it that way? It tends to be far more helpful in the crown than anywhere else. The problem, as I see it, all modalities are meant for you to retain. People tend to expect. When they see nothing, they feel the medication(s) is not working. So, go ahead and put it one day in the crown, one day off to the side, next day in front...etc....Or just put it in the crown daily. it is working the whole head. Whether or not you see anything, that remains to be seen. I would give it a good year before assessing anything. 2. To just hit the native hair/or the transplanted hair, is going to be impossible. We know the transplanted hair will stay regardless, so the hair that truly needs the med(s) is the native stuff. 3. If you decide to move forward with the meds, it is a long term commitment. Why only do it for 6 months? First, you'll notice nothing in 6 months. Wait, you might see more loss starting out! Your body things you are creating havoc and will shed. Once it realizes this is actually helping, things will return back to normal. And, if you do continue, and stop, you'll go back to where you started. You lost all that time. With the current prices of all therapies, and if your goal is to enjoy a fuller set of hair, this should be a MUST.

Meticulous to the core! AND he does his own extractions which is awesome. Most clinics will have someone else other than the doctor do them. A shame. I am aware the Doctor has a new location and, based on the photo of the reception area, I am sure it is amazing and welcoming. I've met with the doctor plenty of times and his work is outrageously good. Nice work Doc!

There can be a HUGE difference between 6-12 months. First, did you do PRP with the procedure? This helps bring the grafts in sooner and can also help reverse the miniaturization of the native hair. Typically, when hair starts coming in, it is NOT the quality of the hair that is in the donor. The hair will be very thin, almost like vellus hair. It is not uncommon for patients to say, "I don't see anything, I just lost all my money." On top of that, not all hair come in at the same time, it can be staggered by several weeks. Then the hair starts maturing and taking on the quality of the hair from where it came from. How many times I have patients call at 12 months to say, "I can see a huge difference." Transplants do not propagate. Where the grafts were placed, that's where you will see new growth. This does not promote growth elsewhere. NOTHING regrows hair. Medical therapy, and I hope you are doing something, (Propecia, Rogaine, Laser and PRP), can help halt or slow the loss and sometimes can help enhance the hair that is dissipating and going away. I am under the impression that when patients go through the process, do a procedure and add the meds, they will see very positive results because of the patient is being proactive and doing everything he can. At that point you are really taking advantage of everything available to you. With regards to a 2nd procedure, this can be in the same area or on a different area, (say farther back into the pattern or in the same area to add density). This was and still is, very common in the industry. The universal belief is that grafts compete for blood supply. Some doctors will leave a separation in between grafts to make sure everything survives. Months later, typically 12 for most doctors, you can return and work around the separations and "fill in the gaps." By that time the first round is "in" and can not be damaged. The other reason why you want to wait is to allow the donor to heal before harvesting again. BUT now I have seen techniques that I call 3-dimensional. I think this has to do more with how the incisions in the recipient site are made. Instead of being 1 dimensional, (doing the apertures side by side), now they are done in such a way that the hair shingles and works together to allow for more density. It is now not uncommon to achieve great density with just one procedure, all pending on how many grafts you decide to move forward with. You bring up a good point. If you are completely bald and have nothing, the first procedure, again pending graft numbers, the change will be dramatic. The second, not so much because there is hair there already. Take a ton of photos and put them away. 6 months later do it again, and another set at 12 months. If things go right, you will see the change. If you started with some native hair, you better be on medications because eventually you will lose that hair and will have to return to do another procedure to replace what you just lost and not raising the bar of density.

Keep it up Blake! Nice results, It even seems it has helped you in the front. Impressive when you consider that the most results, in addition to just retaining, are typically seen 1 year after you start taking the medication.

Dr. Arocha has developed advanced techniques that allow for great density in a single procedure. Think of a 3 dimensional drawing. It is truly unbelievable. With regards to the shampoo, and I am very much aware of TSA and their antics, you can use baby shampoo. I am surprised to hear the crusts were up there for 3 weeks. Typically after 7 days you can scrub all that off. I realize how some patients are quite gingerly about this. You've just spent X amount of money and do not want to harm anything. The fact is, grafts are under the skin and you will not harm anything after the 7 days. I am curious, did you do PRP at the time of the procedure? This will typically help reverse the miniaturization of the native hair and will help grafts come in sooner. With regards to Propecia, I have been on it for 20+ years. No issues. And, if you never did experience anything, you never will. Generally, and most believe, that there is more testosterone with the medication than without. When I take it I think of it as a "benefit" to me. If you start thinking negative about it, for whatever reason, something will come up eventually, at which point you will blame the med for whatever you are experiencing.