LaserCap

If, when it Texas, give Dr. Arocha a shout. At least you'll have a different perspective. I've seen him work on very challenging cases and his website - photo gallery is full of examples of the quality of his work.

Too early to tell. Give it a year. Crowns are tricky because of the whirl. The hair grows in a swirl - and not straight out but somewhat sideways. It does seem like an old technique when it was believed a separation in between grafts was needed for survival. This should give you some dusting. Density requires many grafts and multiple procedures. Are you doing any type of medical therapy? Seems you have a lot of miniaturized hair. You may accomplish far more with meds and give them a year as well.

Keep in mind hair is harvested from the donor area. That's because there is hair dominance compared to other areas. If the hair is permanent in the donor, it will be permanent wherever it's placed. No vitamins or products required. Some years ago copper peptide was recommended immediately post op to speed the healing process. That simmered down. So, when I read about a post op package of any kind, it's because the practice is trying to make more money. Your daily diet will typically address all that's needed. There are several studies out there regarding the intake of vitamins. Some say they work, others feel it does not do a thing. As for Biotin, it will not help with retention nor enhancement. It can, however, make the hair look as healthy as it can be. You mentioned shedding hair. That's normal and I would not worry about it. Many believe 100 hairs a day is normal. (The follicle gets tired of producing hair and goes into a dormant stage. That hair will typically return in 3-4 months. This will happen randomly to all the hair in your head - throughout your life. This is not hair loss. So if you see hair in your hands, tub, sink....smile at yourself because you know this hair will return shortly.........

It can happen, particularly the night of the procedure and perhaps even the next day. 5 days? I would continue going to the doctor. Have them wash daily and keep an eye on things. Are you on blood thinners? Just wondering.

$1500? Something is not right. Is that for one treatment or multiple? Keep in mind a binding matrix is also needed. The time of the doctor and the staff is worth more than that. Perhaps they're having a sale. I can only guess it is a few sessions, syringe size...with no results. Ask them for photos of results.

30-60 ml range in distill to 4--8 times platelet concentration but you need to look at clinical studies that have been done.

Dr. Arocha in Houston/Dallas Dr. David Melamed in LA, California Dr. Bauman in NY I could mention more but they're anecdotal.

There may be something to that..... But there are a few factors that also play into the equation.....What equipment are they using, how much blood are they drawing? Off hand, if the recommendation is 4 sessions, it is likely they're doing about a syringe size which is not very much. Call them and find out how many cc's they do in a treatment. How long in between each treatment? Realize this process is new to many practitioners. Many end up giving up due to lack of results. And, unfortunately, there has not been a convention of doctors yet, in which "trade secrets" are shared. I know of only 3 offices throughout the Country getting amazing results. Something else to keep in mind...After the 4, (and say it works), you'll have to continue treatments down the road otherwise you'll lose the effect. Ask how long they anticipate the effect will last for and how often you'll have to return to do more.

There are a couple of things that happen during a procedure. 1st there is the shaving of the donor. (There will typically be a short stubble along with the follicular unit so the clinical staff can grab it and transport it to the recipient site the doctor made). Each time the doctor makes a site, there will be a bit of blood. A few days post op this blood will dry up and turn into a crust. And, as this is happening, the short stubble continues to grow. At 7-10 days most recommend scrubbing off. This is when the "stubble/hair falls off. Some people call it shedding but this is incorrect. From time to time the hair just continues growing - which seems it's what happened in your case. This means absolutely nothing except you are 3-4 months ahead of everyone else. (Eventually this same hair will fall into the shedding routine. This will happen to all the hair in your head throughout your life...not all at the same time but in intervals). There are two types of loss. The one you see and the one you don't. The hair you see in the tub, sink, floor, pillow - is normal. The follicle gets tired of producing hair and it takes a vacation. That hair eventually will return. The hair you don't see is hair loss. Go to the mirror and look at your temporal areas. You'll notice the caliber of each shaft. Some are thick and robust while others are very fine. As the strand becomes thinner and thinner, (called miniaturization), eventually the hair does not seem to grow and eventually dissipates and disappears. As far as medical therapy is concerned.....If you've shown the propensity to lose, you will continue losing. It is imperative you do some type of medical therapy to help you retain and perhaps enhance the native hair. (Meds are not intended for you to re-grow anything. Nothing out there regrows hair. It is intended for you to keep what you have and hopefully thicken up the miniaturized hair). Propecia, Rogaine, Laser and PRP are the modalities we typically discussed. The mechanism of action of each is totally different and are thus, synergistic. Hope you're doing something otherwise you'll continue losing hair and have to return to do more grafts and never improving density.

Do you have dogs? Are you allergic? Typically rooms are cleaned before a guest arrives at a hotel. This is regardless if dogs are or are not allowed. This should not be an issue. If you want to take additional precautions, explain this to the clinic and have them put a light dressing which they can remove the next day. You can also ask if they can do the first wash for you, (which most clinics will do if you show up the next day for a post op visit).

How far is Texas for you? I would at least try Propecia. Rogaine, laser. Give it 6 months to a year. Perhaps there is a lot of miniaturized hair that can be improved. Yes, the sides are game. Black hair is the worse when it comes to contrast. Salt and pepper is not as bad. White/blond is the best.

I'm glad you're doing something - which seems to be working. Keep it up. You can have the doctor work as far back as he can horizontally so as to minimize the size of the crown. And, as the hair grows, it can help you to cover the crown - which I think is what you're referring to. That additional hair will also help the fibers work even better.

Do you mind traveling? Are you doing any type of medical therapy to help with retention and enhancement of the native hair? Hopefully the grafts are not too low on the forehead. A lot will depend on your donor and elasticity. You may also have FUE available, just need to confirm graft numbers. Gray/white hair is your best friend at this point. Have you visited with any other doctors?

There are truly no rules when it comes to where to add grafts. It all depends on you, your pattern, family history and just simply common sense. Can you do it? Of course. Is it prudent? The basis of it all is the donor area. It is a limited area with a finite number which we all share. Once gone, you'll never get it back. With current techniques, fortunately, we can now accomplish more than ever and really maximize yield. But yet, many still believe there is not enough donor available to allow for a full set of hair, particularly when dealing with an advanced pattern. Unfortunately your photo was not very good and I was unable to tell what exactly we are dealing with. So, let's answer your question...... You speak specifically of certain areas, but not the rest of your head. So, you go ahead and work the temporal areas and eventually you continue to recede. This would leave you with a couple of horns worth of hair. Typically you'll want the doctor to blend grafts to areas adjacent to where the grafts are placed to avoid this issue and guarantee a more natural result. Leaving you hanging will only result in you having to return for more grafts. The front is the most prominent area. It's what others see when they interact with you. Can they see the crown? No. Is it weak? Sure. But, depending on the pattern, we all share this issue. Why? Because of the whirl. Unlike the front and top where the hair grows forward at an angle, hair in the whirl grows away from the point. There is no shingling at all. It takes tons of grafts and multiple procedures to achieve density. (All those grafts could have been placed in a more prominent area). Hope you get the point. Once you're happy with the front and top, you can then consider grafts to the crown. That should be the last goal. And, honestly, 500 grafts into the black hole is going to do nothing. You seem to have a good amount of native hair. Are you doing any medical therapy to help you with retention?

How often do you have to do the PRP? Sounds like they did a syringe worth to be repeated. Do you know what qty they did? I doubt the doctor recommended the use Minoxidil to make sure the PRP works. It is yet another modality you can use to help retain the native hair and it's likely the doctor just doing his job. Did he also recommend Propecia and Laser? If having the stuff at home is an issue, take it to work and do it there. If the doctor recommended it, just do it.

Hair in the front grows forward at an angle. Hair in the mid scalp grows the same way. Since all hairs are "working together" we get to enjoy the shingling effect this creates. In the crown, however, we all share a whirl. That is, a point from which the hair grows in a swirl. The hairs are growing away from the point and no shingling takes place. So it's not that it is difficult to get coverage. It just takes tons of grafts which could have been used in a more prominent area.

First let's consider family history. 2nd, you're blond and that helps tremendously. No contrast between the color of the hair and the skin and thus you will look fuller than someone with dark hair and light scalp. 3rd, if you look at the Norwood chart, go to a class 6 and lightly, with a pencil or a pen, darken the top of the head. This means that you can be a class 6 with hair - but thinning into a 6 - which it seems you are starting to demarcate into. I'd venture to say someone in your family has an advanced pattern. At this point I think you need to concentrate on medical therapy to see if it will help you retain the native hair, (Propecia, Rogaine, Laser and PRP). I would give it a year and, based on the result, you can then consider additional transplants. There are two concerns to keep in mind. Being pattern appropriate and donor limitation. Say meds don't work, (despite taking or using the meds you still lose hair). Eventually you'll be left with a low hairline worth of grafts and nothing else. (A 6 pattern does not lose hair that way). Donor limitation is huge. You add grafts, you continue to lose native hair....no bump in density and you have to keep returning for more grafts to replace what you just lost. Eventually you'll run out of donor and be left with, possibly, an unnatural result. I can understand trying to maintain the youthful hairline. I get it. But eventually that will pass. Worst thing that can happen...You'll be a 100 year old in a happy home looking 30 and out of place. Everyone will know something up.

Isn't that a song?

Natural! Nothing left to say......

Dr. Arocha is in Texas Dr. Alexander is in Arizona

It is evident you are experiencing the hereditary condition given your temporal loss. But when patients also have "spots," it can mean a number of things including areata. The first thing I would do is go to the dermatologist and have them scope. If it is areata, the hair could return and the spot reappear somewhere else. And, if you do transplants, the condition can also affect the grafts. Your eyebrows just seem thin. The problem there is the fact we don't have such specialized hair anywhere else in the body. That is, grafts will typically be taken from behind the ear. This is where the finest hair is, (that's permanent). But the hair caliber will still be very thick in comparison to the hair in the eyebrow and it will stick like a sore thumb out and look unnatural. My suggestion is leave them alone. Have you consulted with a hair transplant doctor?

Agree. My understanding is that the 10% increase is only temporary and everything goes back to normal once the body figures out what's going on. With more testosterone, if only for a short time period, people should be wanting more, not less. That has always been my approach to the medication and never experienced side effects. The internet is truly awesome. It makes researching a lot easier than when I was in college having to deal with card file drawers. But I think people have to be mindful there is a lot of misinformation. Bet if you read that by taking an MM chocolate candy you'll develop some kind of side effect - guess what? The mind is a powerful thing.

If you've been taking the medication for some time and it's working, why would you get off of it? Don't. Yes you can shave. How visible are the pin-point scars to the naked eye will depend on what punch the doctor used. Hopefully no more than .9mm.

More or less.....hmmmm. What does that mean? If you've lost, you'll continue losing. When? Don't know. The modalities we typically discuss when dealing with this issue are Propecia, Rogaine, Laser and PRP. The mechanism of action of each is totally different and thus are synergistic when used simultaneously. And, if they work, stay on them. Getting off only results in losing what you would have lot. Let me give you an example. 24 YO male with family history of hair loss on both sides of the family is thinning the temporal areas, is receding and can start seeing scalp in the back, (crown area). He visits with the doctor and he's told it is too early for transplants and prescribes Propecia. 5 years later he looks exactly the same but wonders if the medication is working so he stops taking it. Within weeks he starts noticing more shedding than usual. At 6-8 months he can start noticing a 5 pattern developing. He resumes the use of Propecia but, by then it's too late. He lost what he would have lot had he not been on the medication. So, the first thing to do is to wait to see if you'll experience retention. To experience enhancement, if you're going to have any, typically takes 1 year. And, if you do, it may mean doing less grafts. By definition, yes you would have a fuller result because the native hair will be contributing to the overall effect. AND please stay on the med.

1st, your hair is too short. I would suggest you let it grow for 2 weeks and post the photos again. It would be nice to see the back of your head as well. You have dark hair and light scalp and this makes the loss look worse than it is because of the contrast. Can you see the Christmas tree pattern? Very common pattern. You've kept the forelock which is typically the last to go. But it is not only the temporal areas you're losing. You seem to be diffusely thinning in a Norwood 6 pattern. The first thing I would consider doing is getting on a medical regimen to halt the loss. I would give it 6-12 months to not only confirm retention but to see if you'll experience some enhancement of the miniaturized hair which you seem to have. (We'll confirm when you let the hair grow a bit). Transplant wise? If all checks out, concentrate to the front and blend grafts to the mid-scalp area to achieve uniformity. I would leave the back alone for now. You'll end up with more density in the most prominent area and still be pattern appropriate.