LaserCap

If you go to a clinic it is likely they'll set you up with a Sunetics unit. You have to go there 3 times a week and pay a fee. If you purchase a cap, it is yours to keep and far more convenient to use at home. I am a fan of LaserCap. It's made in the US, carries a lifetime warranty and it's the only one in which studies were made. Dr. Arocha and Dr. Alexander are providers as this is by prescription only.

The same crap we've been hearing for years.

Awesome...70 and still active....and care about your looks. We can all learn from this. A lot is discussed during a consultation, including the fact, if you've shown the propensity to lose, you will continue losing. Sometimes it can be gradual, other times rapid...no rhyme or reason. But let's not confuse the issue. There are two types of loss. The one you see and the one you don't. The one you see, shedding, is normal. This will happen randomly throughout your head and throughout your life. The follicle gets tired of producing hair and it goes into a resting period. That hair returns. The hair you don't see, however, is hair loss. The hair you don't see is caused by miniaturization of the native hair. Go to a bright light and look at the hairline area. You'll notice some shafts are thick...Others finer. Eventually those finer ones will dissipate and wither away. The Doctor must have seen a lot of those miniaturized hairs if, without discussing it, gave you a prescription for Propecia. I'll give you my opinion...... Obviously you have the option to take or not take the med. Typically, when dealing with a young man losing hair, the recommendation is to do meds. He moves forward with a procedure, goes on to lose more native hair and there is no bump in density. He'll never be empty, mind you, due to the transplant...but he'll now have to do another procedure just to replace the hair he just lost. Considering how limited the donor area is, had he taken the medication, he would be enjoying a much fuller set of hair - FOR AS LONG AS HE TAKES THE MED. If he stops, eventually he will resume losing. At 70, however, what is your goal? Just to have a bit more density? You'll probably achieve that with the procedure you did. My first inclination is NO. You've probably have lost what you were going to lose. But, if you do decide to take it - give it a year. In a year you'll either look the same - which means the medication did what it was supposed to do, or you'll look fuller. It's not because you regrew hair. Nothing regrows hair. It's because the medication enhanced the native hair.

Smart.

At least. And possibly do the laser at the same time.

You are dealing with two issues. First the shedding. All the hair in your head will shed eventually. The follicle gets tired of producing and takes a rest period. That hair returns. This will happen randomly throughout your life. Propecia helps with retention as well but it can also help enhance miniaturized hair. Specifically - hair loss has to do with the shaft of the hair becoming thinner until it finally dissipates. People have a tendency to say "I improved" or "I look worse." Meaning? This is all based on observation. The medications are intended for you to keep what you have. Thus, if a year later you look the same, the medication did what it was intended to do. If you see visual improvement it is because there was enhancement of the native hair. Not because there is regrowth of any kind. Nothing regrows hair once it's gone. It has been documented - when you first start using Rogaine, you might see more shedding than usual. This is normal. The body is trying to deal with the issue that there is an irritant out there. Once it figures out that it is harmless, you'll start experiencing retention. Far more in the back than in the front. Reason? Who knows. Finasteride - not so much. What I do have observed is the fact that within weeks patients report far less shedding. And it truly takes 1 year to see if there will be enhancement. And, again, you'll notice far more in the back than in the front region. If you do take the med for years, like I have, it would take a full year to get all of it out of your system. In your case, based on your report, I would get on it and stay on it. It seems it was working...why not continue when you consider you did not experience any side effect and the cost is dirt cheap? By the way, I get mine at Costco Online. Three month supply of the 1mg tab $14.

Laser therapy works on the cellular level. It promotes blood to the area. More nutrients, help to the follicle. It is used 3 times per week for 30 minutes. Minoxidil tolerance? What does that mean? What about patients that suffer from high blood pressure? The have to take the med daily......If not they can die. This is not as drastic, but if you can keep all the hair you have...I think, personally, the $5 per month you are going to spend is well worth it. So say that 20 years from now you are destined to have nothing. Do you think you'll be saying "perhaps I should have done it when I had the chance?"

FUE, FUT make a difference?

So how do you know what sides you'll have? The only way to know is to try the meds. If you do experience hem, just stop the med. What is typically explained during a consultation is the fact there is more testosterone under the medication. So, you should be wanting more, not less, (interest in sex). Why people experience side effects is beyond me. The writing is on the wall. If you've shown the propensity to lose, you will continue losing. When? I have no idea. So, let's say that you are destined not to lose anything. No harm, no foul. But let's say you will lose all the hair you have. If you start the medication and it works, you'll likely look the same as you do right now. So, is retention important to you? The sooner you get on the med, the sooner you can stop worrying about this. Typically the medications show enhancement, if there is going to be any, far more pronounced in the crown area. Most have reported little to no enhancement in the front. Thus, I would not count on it. Most guys report far more shedding when they start Rogaine. The suggestion, however, is to continue using it until the body figures out what's going on. Once it does you'll start noticing retention and a lot less shedding. Now, to address one of your questions. Say you use the medication for 10 years. And 10 years from now you're destined to lose all the hair in the crown. If you stop the medication, you'll see that same loss. It would be the same loss you would have incurred in the 10 years but it will be rapid. So, it's not that you'll lose more. You'll lose what you were supposed to lose. Once the hair is gone, it's gone. You want to wait? Go ahead. It is likely you'll have less hair then and we'll have to have the same conversation we are having today. The recommendation is to do Rogaine twice a day. This way you are getting 100% of the medication. Using once a day gives you 90%. So, I would suggest once a day, (at night before you go to bed). A word of caution. Rogaine tends to be the most effective for about 7 years. The effectiveness does drop after such time. Just continue using it. Have you done any research on laser therapy? This is external to you so you would not have to worry about side effects.

It all depends on the doctor. Some want to be ultra-conservative and will allow for a few more days. Generally, you can start walking within 3 days. Easy cardio after 7 days. No restrictions after 14 days. When it comes to weight lifting, particularly if you did FUT, is to avoid anything that will pull on your neck. This has a tendency to widen scars. Instead do push ups, leg presses, etc.

What is your recommendation for weight lifting?

Based on the photo you provided, yes your whirl looks fine.

Get a piece of paper and a pencil. Draw a dot anywhere. Draw a cross intersecting the dot. Now turn the paper counterclockwise say from 11:00 to 9:00. Draw another cross - again intersecting the dot. The dot represents the whirl. If you look carefully at the photos you submitted, you'll notice that hair grows outwards from the dot and in a circular motion. Let's do another exercise. Draw a small circle and, without lifting the pencil, continue drawing in a circular fashion so that you are creating larger circles as you go along. This is how the hair grows in the crown area. By the way, you do not have fine hair. It is not super coarse either. Perhaps medium caliber.

Always here to help

The photo on the left tends to always be depressing----the right is always happiness. Hopefully he is doing some type of medical therapy to help him retain the native hair. Otherwise I see him returning in the future.

Regardless of how you style your hair, the part-line is always going to look weaker. Try combing from right to left and you'll experience the same. Minor thinning? Perhaps. Yes, you seem to be maturing your hairline. Go to the bathroom under a bright light and look closely at the hairs. The shaft of some is thicker than others. Off hand I noticed a few. But that's just it, a few. We need to halt the loss ASAP. First so that you can keep the "mop" as transplantedphil eloquently put it, and to keep you from going nuts. Go do a couple of consultations...have them scope and take photos of the front, top and back and have them email the images to you. Repeat in in 6 months. Also discuss medical therapy. (Propecia, Rogaine, Laser and PRP). The mechanism of action of each of these is totally different and, when used together, there is synergism. A word of caution, Patients tend to freak out when they see hair in the tub, sink, floor, pillow, etc....This is NOT hair loss. This is shedding. The follicle gets tired of producing and it takes a vacation. That hair will return. This will happen randomly to all the hair in your head throughout your life. So, if you see hair everywhere smile at yourself because you know this is only temporary. Miniaturized hair however, is loss. The meds are meant to keep what you have. So, if a year later you look the same, the meds did what they were supposed to do. If you start noticing the "thinner" hairs thicken up, well - that's just icing on the cake. Only a small percentage of patients experience this. If you do, continue using the meds as they're working extremely well. This might seem to you that you are re-growing hair. No such thing. Nothing out there regrows anything. It is enhancement of the hair you have. Last thing. While stress is not the cause, it can exacerbate the issue....stop it. Be proactive and get to it.

At 20, testosterone boosters? Why? It is my understanding the body converts testosterone into DHT all by itself. You adding these boosters only leads to more DHT which is the culprit when it comes to hair loss. Typically for those doing testosterone - which mostly applies to older guys, the recommendation is to take a DHT blocker, (which is what Propecia/Finasteride is). This way you get the benefit of the testosterone but do not experience the side effect - hair loss. Talk to the doctor about the modalities we discuss when dealing with this debilitating issue, (Propecia, Rogaine, Laser and PRP). Are you under the care of a doctor? Or just decided to do this on your own? Now let;s talk about your pattern....early stages of loss. Due to the testosterone issue? Perhaps and likely given the family history you described. Your temporal points and sideburns do show thinning...and some curl which is typical of a patient experiencing DUPA. I would bring this up at the time of a consultation with a hair restoration expert, (the doctor), and see what he says. The other thing that doesn't help you is the fact that you have dark hair and light scalp. The contrast always makes it worse than what it truly is. Lastly, the whirl. The hair grows away from the point, not like how the hair grows in the mid scalp and the front. There all hairs grow forward and the hair shingles. I would encourage you to consider getting on a medical regimen to help you retain and perhaps even improve what you're dealing with.

Impressive! Considering he had little to nothing in the front, it is truly wild to achieve such density with only one procedure. Is he doing medical therapy including laser?

Peptides have been around for a while and, apparently, can have a positive effect. I am aware a couple of clinics have incorporated this into their post op kits....It is up to the consultant to convince the patients that these are a "must" after a procedure. Of course, there is money in there for the consultant. Supposedly this can help with "quicker" healing. Not sure what it can do long term for the transplanted nor for the native hair. The transplant industry sure keeps taking turns and not always for the benefit of the patient. But you do have to realize, while we do share the commonality of being human, we all have our own unique traits. And just because something works for you, it does not mean it will work for me. So, like I've told patients, "if it works for you....continue using it." Most modalities do take time....say a year. If you do end up purchasing the stuff, make sure to share your experience. It'll be interesting to see what happens. I am not holding by breath, however.

What exactly are you feeling? The "true" side effect is lack of interest, sex wise. It's like turning off the faucet. So, besides no interest, what else? Where are you getting the medication? Have you started taking it every other day as per your doctor's suggestion? What have you noticed hair wise? Did your doctor suggest any other modalities?

Best time to do PRP is at the time of the procedure. It can help bring in the results sooner and also help with reversing the miniaturization of the native hair.

It is common for clinics to have and offer their own product line. It's yet another way of making a bit more money. Typically they'll give you a package deal when "selling" the procedure. The fact, however, you don't need any of it to add to the success of the transplants. Medical therapy, (Propecia, Rogaine, Laser and PRP) are the only modalities we entertain when discussing hair retention. These do work in different ways and are thus synergistic when used simultaneously. I do see some of these listed. Check around for pricing and you can make a decision where to purchase. I would suggest an alcohol free shampoo, (baby shampoo). Alcohol dries the scalp and that's when flaking begins.

So many components. Huge improvements in the last 20 years. Plugs are truly a thing of the past. People are far more aware than ever before....they're doing the research and generally, are more educated on the subject. The fact that this site exists, and the fact that it has has so many participants just adds to the mix. Lastly, the competition and all it entails.

No. I am talking about mascara that women typically use to hide wrinkles. They can match the color, etc.....

No restrictions after 2 weeks. Mascara tends to work well. Go to the beauty counter at any of the major stores in the mall. The "make-up artists" are really good at this.