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LaserCap

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LaserCap last won the day on December 1 2019

LaserCap had the most liked content!

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About LaserCap

  • Birthday 12/24/1959

Hair Loss Overview

  • Describe Your Hair Loss Pattern
    Receding Hairline (Genetic Baldness)
  • Norwood Level if Known
    Norwood V
  • What Best Describes Your Goals?
    I'm here for support

Hair Loss Treatments

  • Have you ever had a hair transplant?
    Yes
  • Other hair restoration physicians
    Dr. Bosley
  • Current Non-Surgical Treatment Regime
    Propecia (Finasteride)
    Laser Therapy or Comb

Representative Information

  • Name
    Al Llop
  • Years in Hair Transplant Profession
    > 10 Years
  • Email Address
    als_house@comcast.net

About the Representative

  • Have you Ever Had a Hair Transplant?
    Yes

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LaserCap's Achievements

Veteran Real Hair Club Member

Veteran Real Hair Club Member (6/8)

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Reputation

  1. I like the color hair you've chosen. Less contrast, looks fuller. I am glad you are on finasteride. If you do it again, concentrate on the first 1/2 starting in front. Continue medical therapy. You do keep your hair fairly long, why FUE? Just curious. You may want to have the doctor do PRP if and when you have a procedure done. This can help bring in the results in sooner but can also reverse miniaturization of the native hair.
  2. While I know nothing about Ireland, your post does bring up a couple of points. Most, like you, will look for clinics in your area. Makes sense. But you are going to perhaps invest thousands on yourself, be open to travel and increase your chances of a success. If the doctor in your area is good at what he does then this really becomes a moot point. The second point is a "not expensive" clinic. Can you hear the red flags and the sirens going crazy? You are actually playing with fire. Do you realize anyone can do hair restoration? All they have to do is read up on the subject and open shop. There is no regulatory agency policing anyone. And the doctors that realize this are or are making arrangements to become members of the ISHRS. Mind you, this is not a regulatory agency, but it is a group of doctors trying to achieve and establish credibility. (And here you have to be careful as well. Imagine a doctor coming from abroad, he does not speak the language, starts taking photos with established members....Returns to his Country...and starts publishing the photo and claiming he is now a member of the organization. If that doctor just started getting into the industry - start praying for all the people he will touch down the road). If you are considering transplants, we can assume you are experiencing hair loss. Do you have family history? What stage have you classified yourself as? Can you post photos? Have you considered medical therapy? Have you visited with any doctors?
  3. This is far more common than you think. Bacteria just crawls in on any of the apertures and there you go. Visit with your doctor so he can give you what you need. Some will use steroids, others will prescribe a medicated shampoo, etc. It is important you follow up with your doctor. At 3-4 months, you may also experience some pimples. A handful to a dozen is common. This happens because the hair is starting to grow and the gland block it. Just treat it like a zit with warm compresses and clean it. That should take care of the issue.
  4. There is always a better mouse trap. Or is there? For years doctors did MPRs..Then came the plugs. Then came mini-grafts, Follicular unit transplants, and now the semi-automatic/robotic. Making slits has been proven to work and doctors are now getting creative. Where I used to think it was a requirement to do multiple procedures to achieve density, now I find some truly innovative techniques that allow for a much fuller look in a single procedure. It is all about graft placement to achieve this shingling effect. A few years ago I visited with a group that used a semi robotic unit. It would "suck" the graft into the unit, (almost like vacuuming), and simultaneously the unit would make the site and place that same graft in its place. It was awesome to see. The key to this particular system, it worked on a "wet" concept. Thus, the graft would always be moist. Consider how much air/power is required to get the graft and to then put it in place. This could very well dry up the graft. This would result in a not very viable graft. It will be interesting to see what is developed in the next few years. In my view the human hand and the experience of the doctor count a great deal. A robot can not "see" while the doctor can. Cross sectioning is minimized, etc. Making sites in the angle and direction of the native hair can better be done with the hand of the doctor. More to come. It will be interesting to read what others think about this. Cool topic.... My question...who is doing the harvesting...a tech or the doctor? If it's a tech, and the unit does most of the work, the tech would be in charge that entire time. I have an issue with this. There has to be a difference between a tech and a doc, (years of education). Don't you think this is an issue?
  5. The pandemic sure has put a monkey wrench on everything...that should be taken into consideration. Typically, however, post op visits are important - particularly if something is obviously wrong. That's at the very beginning. 3, 6, 9 and 12 month intervals are also important. Most agree you will not enjoy the full result of the procedure until a year post op. So say the results are noticeable bad, the doctor will be the first to say,...."but you never came to any of your post op visits." Not that anything could be done, mind you. But it is a defense mechanism all seem to have when someone complaints. But again, we are living in strange and challenging times. Like pkipling suggests, arrange for a Skype consult and document your results. Keep in touch with the clinic. This is just a smart practice.
  6. A couple of things to consider. There seems to be extensive history of loss. And, if you've shown the propensity to lose, you will continue losing. That's a certainty. Fortunately you are still enjoying a lot of native hair. Like others have suggested, get on a medical regimen. Propecia, Rogaine, PRP and laser are the modalities we typically discuss when dealing with this debilitating condition. Most believe there is synergy when these are used simultaneously. And, it takes a good year to see what they can do. Your idea of just using meds for 1 year is a total waste of time and money. Let me explain, Say you are destined to lose all your hair in 1 year. You get on meds and you experience retention. A year later you look exactly the same. If you get off the meds, you will lose all the hair you would have lost. So the idea, once you decide to do meds, you have to do them for as long as you want to keep your hair. Getting on and off meds is just plain stupidity. Next thing to keep in mind is donor availability. Donor is finite and eventually you'll run out. No one with an advanced pattern has enough donor hair to allow for a full set of hair. It is imperative you get on meds. If your parents are concerned, bring them with you to a consultation with a hair professional. I am certain they'll get on board once the doctor educates all of you.
  7. Hello Ian and thanks for the update. I know you mean well - and may even be trying to help the doctor out with your feedback. The effect, however, is totally the opposite - at least in my opinion. Let me explain. Unless you did PRP at the time of the procedure, it really takes about 3-4 months for the hair to start coming out. And the quality is vellus-like. That is, it will be a good 6 months for you to tell if the work was any good. Further, it will take a full year to mature the hair and "really" be able to ascertain what you got. So your email is a bit preliminary. While there is some value to the fact he only does one patient a day, (concentrates on you only), this truly means nothing. Experience, results....Did you talk to her about her upbringing in the hair restoration world? How about photos of results? How long has she been doing this? If she's been doing this for a week and 1 a day, that means she's only done 5 cases. (It would be nice to know for how long she has been practicing). "The team was outstanding." What does this mean? Were they fast, slow, made you feel comfortable? Did they talk during the procedure? Were you watching TV the whole time? Who put the local in? Did that hurt? Were you hot or cold? How about food...Did they provide lunch? Not getting on you....but this is a good example - and a common one. Many come her for advise and experience of others. Be detailed, I am sure everyone will appreciate it and you will then be doing the doctor a great service. I gather you did FUE.Do you know what size punch she used? How did you find her? Does she practice close to you? What did they suggest post op? Did they send you home with products? Did she recommend a medical regimen to help you with retention?
  8. What an artist! Very intricate work....Natural results. It is always about results.
  9. Not with the amount of loss you have. I think it's important to recognize hair in the front grows forward at an angle. So., as the hair grows, it will automatically land about 1/2 lower. I have a question...... Why do you think you have your current hairline? The human body is fascinating. Acts, reacts, balances itself, etc. What you currently have looks natural and normal - because it is. And, it is all based on the pattern you're developing. If you are set on adding transplants to the front, despite everyone's suggestions, I would encourage you to move forward conservatively. See the result. If it is still too high, you can always add. If too low, you can't ever go back. Start by strengthening what you have.
  10. You have a diffused pattern. It is a lot of loss and you are still a young. And, if you've shown the propensity to lose, you'll continue losing despite the salad you have chosen to do to help you retain. Honestly, take the avocado, put the oil on it and eat it. This is doing absolutely nothing for your hair. If it did, you would not be in this predicament. (You did indicate there is loss in the family - hereditary). There is a tendency for many to say "I am losing my hair." They are typically referring to the hair they see in the comb, sink, pillow. This is shedding and not loss. The follicle gets tired of producing hair and takes a vacation. This resting period typically takes about 3 months and the hair returns. Hair loss is different, you do not see hair loss. Under a bright light look at the hair in your temporal areas. Notice the strands. Some are thicker than others. We refer to this thinning process as miniaturization. Eventually the hair withers away and disappears - never to return. It seems by the photo - you are experiencing a lot of this. Propecia, Rogaine, PRP and laser and the modalities we refer to when dealing with this debilitating condition. What exactly did you experience with Propecia? Be specific. Do the others. Many believe there is synergy when used simultaneously. Give it a year and reassess. Nothing wrong with doing transplants as long you are smart about it. Consider the donor is finite. There is only so much. It is also important to recognize it is the front you see when looking at yourself in the mirror and it is the area others see when they interact with you. You will never go wrong by strengthening what you have. Even working the mid scalp would be OK. But why not the crown? Two important points. We all share a whirl. The hair grows away from the point and there is no shingling of the hair. It takes many, many procedures to achieve a "dusting." It is OK to be thin in the area. Get the front and top done and leave the crown for last. Once happy, you may then consider it - if there is donor still left. (Imagine a patient doing the crown and putting all available donor in that area. He then loses the front and now has nothing to fix it with). Be judicious with your grafts. Lastly, you mentioned lowering the hairline....I think the salad is affecting your mind. Children, young adults and perhaps people with full sets of hair have lower hairlines. Everyone else will mature the hairline as they age. The hairline will recede - sometimes with aggressive temporal recession. So imagine filling in your corners. The hairline keeps receding, you'll end up with a couple of horns. Please visit with professionals, do a few consultations and look at photos of cases similar to your own. I would also go to the mall and just sit. Look at the way people lose hair. You will NOT find a class 5/6 with a hairline in the middle of their forehead. I'm sorry you're dealing with this. I truly am. Fortunately you still have options. Research.
  11. I lose a patch of hear every day, at least that's what my wife says. LOL. Could be just a bad haircut. If look at the entire area, I would point out similar spots - not just the one you are concerned about. Areata? Maybe. Let your hair grow. If there is a patch, it will become very apparent and distinct. Have you ever had patches before? The hair can return...and the patch can reappear elsewhere. Right now it is doubtful...Perhaps you need to change barbers.
  12. I admit it, I color too. It is true, we want to look younger, (and the spouse does too). But there does come a time when you are just too old and the "paint" starts looking funny. At that point you start looking like a caricature. So you can start showing a bit of gray on the sides. A mark of "distinction" they call it. Yes, I guess that's appropriate. When it comes to white hair, it does help with the contrast issue and does help. It almost seems as if you have more. At a certain age, and this will depend on many factors, it is truly a balance between youthfulness and hair density. I would encourage you to go to a professional. Get ready to spend the big bucks. $100 is not unheard of for color and cut. But you'll look good for a month? Post then.
  13. Seems you are in the early stages of loss....but wait, your temporal areas are receding - so perhaps a bit more advanced. 3? Visit with a professional so he can assess your case and give you a proper diagnosis. The whirl also seems to be a bit more advanced than 0 loss. The only thing getting in the way is the tons of hair you seem to have and how stark the color is. The more contrast, the more evident the loss is when, perhaps, there is no loss at all. Perhaps SMP or just a camouflaging agent would address that issue, (try Toppik). Side effects from Propecia/Finasteride are well documented and can happen. Typically you'll find out within the first 2 weeks of use - which is apparently what happened. The lack of memory and other issues could be coincidental. Speak with the doctor about these issues. Rogaine, PRP and laser are the other modalities we typically discuss when dealing with this debilitating condition. I would urge you to discuss these options with the doc. They can help slow down the loss and sometimes stop it all together. I would give them a year to see what they can do and then consider the next step.
  14. The word "sometimes" comes to mind. There are millions of people in this earth so anything can happen. But typically, 3 months. The issue, however, is the fact the quality of the hair is different when it first starts. It is vellus-like. It then takes a full year to mature. Eventually the hair will match the characteristics of what you have in the donor, (as it is there if came from). Sometimes the hair can start growing from day 1. This just means this particular patient is ahead of everyone else by 3 months. But it means nothing. Sometimes it can take 12-18 months to get a matured result. There are many conditions out there that can have an effect on hair.
  15. The basic premise behind this type of decision is directly correlated to how hair grows. Hair in the front grows forward, so does the hair in the mid scalp. As this happens, there is shingling - which allows for the illusion of density. In the crown, however, the hair grows differently. It swirls. We refer to this area as the whirl. Get a piece of paper and draw a dot. From the dot draw a a cross so that the dot is right in the middle of it. +. Imagine that being procedure 1. Turn the paper in a circular fashion only a few degrees and draw another cross. That would be procedure 2. It would take MANY procedures to eventually fill the circle. The hair is growing away from the point and there is no shingling. What does this mean? The donor is finite. Imagine you use all of it to address the crown area. You then lose the front and you have nothing to fix it. At that point you're going to wish you had never filled the crown. The front, after all, is the area you see when looking in the mirror and the area others see when they interact with you. As BeHappy has suggested, your best option at this point is to get on medical therapy. (Propecia, Rogaine, PRP, Laser). Give it a year. A year from now, based on what you experience, you may then consider grafts. Understanding, if you get off the meds, you may resume losing. Potentially you'll end up with an island worth of hair and nothing around it. (Island effect). Lastly, because of the whirl, we all share this weak point. It is OK to be thinner in that area. Leave it be for now, get on meds and reassess.
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