LaserCap

Never heard of anything medical wise that would have an impact on elasticity. Massaging the scalp and donor area can help. Have the doctor show you....

The maturity level is important. I think 18 is too young but it all depends on family history and other factors.I think most guys should try medical therapy to start with and see first what that is going to do, 2nd - to see if the patient is going to do the meds regularly. If both happen, why not do transplants? The writing is on the wall. The sooner they do it, the sooner they can keep their youth etc.....So after all is said and done....early 20's.

Even the haircut is better! This does bring up a point....Once you have hair, you can style it any which way you want. You may even have a "bad hair day" once in a while. You couldn't have one of those if you didn't have hair. Nice work.

One of the most recent posts dealt with this issue and I feel it merits discussing for the sake of all patients...... This can be taken a number of ways, so it is up to you to choose the road...... We are dealing with human interaction....and there is no "hairometer." Yes, there are instruments out there that help, but - as everyone knows - there are no "exacts" in science. Thus, it is likely, at the end of the day, there will be extra grafts harvested, or the count is short. If short, no issues, you just pay for what you get. But, was there a discussion during the consultation if this does happen? Discussing goals and priorities is important. But, what if there are a lot more grafts? Will they be on the house or do you have to pay for them? And, where will they be placed? There are clinics out there that will just place the grafts and charge nothing. I applaud them. Grafts are like gold and should be treated as such. Where to place them? If not discussed with the patient during the consultation at the beginning of the day, it is the responsibility of the Doctor, (or at least I feel it is), to decide where they'll benefit the patient the most. At the end of the day how exciting and humbling it is for patients to hear....."the doctor gave you $2000 worth of free work." Just created lots of intrinsic value and good will when phrased this way.....Some will say, you got 300 extra grafts. Can you equate this to value? I think people understand money. What do you think? Once the procedure starts, and the patient is under local....How can you go to the patient and tell him that he'll be charged for extra grafts? This may be even against the law.......It would be nice to find out........And yet it happens all the time. If you are planning on charging for everything that's harvested, discuss it with the patient beforehand. You could even seem helpful by , perhaps, charging a lesser amount for extra grafts. Opinions?

Early 90' work....nape hair was used. Back then it was strictly FUT. Thus, if you see scars down low, you know it was done around that time. The problem was, particularly if the patient was experiencing retrograde, he would lose that hair anyway. So. once they figured out what was going on, after they started grafting from behind the ear. This is where the finest hair can be found. This is important now-a days particularly if the patient is going to have hairline work. I am aware of a few patients that did, and/or are planning on body hair. The problem is, most - if not all - are single hairs and they do not offer a lot of density. Some years ago I gave some thought to the idea, if body hair was to be transplanted to the head, it would eventually grow like "head" hair. After much discussion with the doctors i worked with, the consensus was, the "area: would have an impact on the hair, but not enough to make it grow like the native hair we all share. Thus, if I was to suggest a body hair transplant, it would be to areas behind the mid back and only if the patient had no donor left. I actually thing that body hair would be good for eyebrow restoration. Never saw this procedure however. I' ve seen plenty of beard hair used. Works fine. What hair you decide to use, however, is directly correlated to what donor you have/don't have. Why use any of it if you have plenty of donor.

!. When the graft has been transplanted.....and it's inside your head. Most clinics will request you start washing 7-10 days post op. Gently massage with the tips of your fingers. in the ensuring days you'll see crusts just falling off. At about the 14th day - all will be gone.; If the doctor suggested you touch nothing for 14 days, follow his instructions. He is your surgeon after all. Spraying baby shampoo? Do you know how difficult is to spray something that thick? Most will tell you to pour the shampoo on to the recipient area and then rinse using the "cup" method. Put water on to a cup and pour on to the recipient area until the soap is gone. This is what was explained to me when I had my first 2 procedures. By the third procedure I just got under the shower, put my hand over the recipient area and let the water hit the back of my hand and let the water trickle down to the recipient area. I found this to be an effective way to get a lot of water into the area to rinse. It was just taking too long to rinse a cup at a time. Most times, I feel, patients are too gingerly when dealing with the removal of crusts. They feel they will harm the grafts if they scrub. 7-14 days post op you will not harm anything. Again, I suggest you follow your doctor's instructions. Don't leave the crusts there much longer. Hygiene is important as it will help to avoid infections, etc.

I'm surprised you started doing post op research 12 days after the fact. Have you scrubbed off the crusts yet? During the procedure a lot of things can happen. Sometimes the grafts are placed as soon as they're harvested. Other times, the grafts are placed in saline until the clinical staff is ready to trim. It all depends on how many cases are scheduled, if grafts are placing well, etc. It's all a timing issue. So, in a way, you are correct in assuming saline does have something to do with graft survival. Dryness of follicles can happen either because they're not kept moist, (prior to placing), or due to the equipment being used. There are units, similar to a vacuum cleaner, that aspirate the graft into the unit...The same unit is then used to place the grafts in the site the doctor made. The entire time "air" is used. This tends to dry the grafts. Other units are wet...same theory but the unit aspirates the graft along with saline to avoid dryness. But, once the graft is in the scalp, there can not be dryness. I know of a couple of doctors that do suggest saline post operative. They feel this will help minimize crusting or to facilitate removing the crusts. The use of saline will harm nothing...So, if the doctor suggested it, do it. You only brought up one element but did state post op instructions vary widely between doctors. How else do they vary?

They were left empty. Fortunately it was towards the mid-back area.

No, some do, (which is the right thing to do - in my view. And, at the end of the day, the staff can say "the doctor was able to give you $2000 worth of work that you don't have to pay, it's on the house." You would really be building intrinsic value. I am aware some try to charge the patient at the end of the day. The problem I see with this, not only do you come across sleazy, but think about it. What was agreed upon originally? And, the patient is still under the local at the end of the day. Do you think he is going to remember any of it? Surprise surprise when he realizes that he now has less money in the bank account. The only way to remedy this, on the side of the practice, is to have the conversation before anything happens so there are no misconceptions at the end of the day.

You are all right of course.....but.....(there is always a but)..... I've also seen cases, and it happened with me, where the doctor, (to save time), did all the recipient sites first without knowing what the count was going to be. This typically happens when there are 3-4 cases scheduled the same day. In my own case the doctor made 1200 sites but they were only able to harvest 1083. And of course, these ranged from 1-4 hairs. Typically, at the end of the procedure, the staff and the doctor will tell you how many grafts were planted. This particularly happens when there were lots more and you got them for free. And all of this, by the way, will be documented on the chart. Thus, you can always ask for a copy of this particular page. In it you'll also see the names of the staff involved in the case. Because we are all humans, mistakes are bound to happen. I've seen cases where the person counting lost count. So, nothing is 100% but the closest to it is what's documented on the chart. A few other things that will give you an idea of how many were transplanted; the size of the incision, the total area transplanted, and how tightly placed the grafts seem to be. Finally, ask the doctor at the beginning of a consultation...."how many grafts can you typically put in the front, (or the corners, etc). Then do the math.

What? I would ask again. Something does not seem right. Blood circulation to follicles? The scalp is quite vascular. What are you referring to? Weight lifting? Running? What? What blood thinner did he give you? For a month? To help circulation - specifically to the scalp? DOCTORS!!!!! We need help here.....

Pre-screened...I don't mean to hammer you....but...did you go to medical school? Why are you questioning the Doctor? Why go to him in the first place if you've taken matters into your own hands? Alright.....at a glance...staples? Why? Seems this is a thing of the past. Why do you think things were tighter post op? It is common to feel this after an FUT procedure. Did the doctor say anything specifically about this? The doctor will typically check elasticity before he gives his recommendation. How wide is the scar? Why is it that way? Did you sleep flat after procedure one? Did you, perhaps lift weights? Perhaps this is the way you typically heal. Wound healing and how you scar has a lot more to do with physiology than anything else. Hopefully you did nothing to aggravate the situation. "wound significantly increases strength in the early part of the healing" Where are you getting this stuff from? Leaving sutures for an extended time will typically leave unnecessary marks. I would clarify this with the doctor that performed the surgery. Not sure what, exactly, the staples will leave....19 days seems like a very long time.

The first part of the recovery is your mental attitude. If you think it's going to be a bitch, it will be. If you think it'll be easy...It will. The first thing to consider is you are having surgery. And, since you are having FUT, you will have sutures in the donor which will be covered by the native hair provided it is long enough so no one will be able to notice. The sutures do pull so there is some discomfort but not unbearable. Aside, you'll be given pain meds to deal with the issue. You will feel relief once removed which is typically done 7-14 days post op depending on the doctor and the elasticity you have. Make sure you ask about this during the consultation. I am guessing your front if fairly empty since you are considering a nice size procedure. Not sure where you're getting your numbers but 2500-2800 will typically allow for work in the front and blending some grafts towards the mid scalp so there is connection and you're not left with "islands" worth of hair. Christmas time is possibly the worse time to do this. You'll miss being with family, etc. But starting the 26th....OK. Do you drink? Party? If everyone knows you're doing this for yourself, then OK. Just prep. For at least 7 days you'll have crusts to deal with. It would be nice to see some photos to confirm how much native hair you currently have. It is likely you'll leave with a cap on. Are you used to wearing caps? So, you can go out all you want and still keep your privacy. The way I dealt with the issue, I told everyone. "If you say something," I said, "I'll kill you." No one said anything. Do not shave. The doctor typically prefers the hair longer. It will help to cover the work both in the donor and the recipient area. Besides, the doctor wants to see the angle and direction of the native hair so he can mimic the same. I took no time off. If you take 2 weeks off it is likely only a few people will be able to tell, particularly women. They're good at this kind of thing. Mostly because of the redness that remains for a short time after the procedure.

You can typically return to normal 10-14 days depending...... If FUT, avoid weightlifting, particularly anything pulling on the neck. This can lead to scar stretching. Do push-ups instead. If FUE, you can return to normalcy 10-14 days. Check with the clinic. (Did they give you typed up post op instructions)? Cardiovascular - typically you can walk after the third day. Running...7 - 10 days post op. Some will tell you a full 14 days just to be overly cautious.

My grandfather was bald and I wanted to be just like him. Didn't care about transplants. Then I was hired and have been directly and indirectly involved in the industry since. Immediately I was told I had to get this done otherwise how could I convince anyone to get transplants. So I did it, and I'm glad. My face has been in guidebooks and in commercials. No stigma. I've met thousands of people along the way. Some amazing work. Superb work always yielded positive comments, "I am glad I did it, "should have done it sooner." For the patients that came to me that needed help, (unnatural previous work), "I should have never done this." So, like I've always said, "it is about results." I think we can all agree, we are a society of "looks." We get inundated with commercials about beauty products all the time, Looking younger and fit it's where its at. Nothing wrong with trying to look younger. Surgery is part of our world and, if you can afford it, DO IT! Just please, do your research first.

There are a number of reasons why procedures fail. The most common issue is global thinning. If there is loss in the donor, the transplanted hair will disappear as well. Have you been doing any type of medical therapy to help you with retention of the native stuff? My first suggestion is go to the dermatopathologist. They can do a biopsy and give you a lot more information.

I am guessing you are 3-4 months post procedure? 6-7 of these is common. The follicle comes with a gland. The glad doesn't know what to do...a pimple forms. Once all resolved, the hair will grow normally. Best thing, use a warm compress and then just treat it like a zit. Because of the alcohol content, I would check with your doctor....Postpone Rorgaine until this is resolved. Or use Rogaine away from the bumps. Rogaine is systemic. No need to put it everywhere. Just pick one spot and massage in. The next day you can put it in another area. It is working your entire head. By using Rogaine twice a day you are getting 100% of the medication. Using it once a day, you're still getting 90%. Cut down to once a day and put it on before you go to bed. If none of these things help, go to your dermatologist. The can prescribe a number of steroids. Cleanliness is important. Wash daily.

Can't recall exactly...I was working for Bosley at the time. All the doctors came to Dallas. It was a big deal. By then I'd had 3 FUT procedures, so that was my 4th....Only 100 grafts. Strange feeling when compared to FUT. To harvest, which they did from the side, felt as if they were drilling, Sites and placement were exactly the same as in an FUT procedure. It was nice not having sutures. In 3 days you were pretty much back to normal. No difference, by the way, in how the local was done.

I should! Do you know I was the first person ever to have FUE done? Small procedure of 100 grafts. The machine back then looked like the ones typically used for spray painting.

When I first did this, more than 10 years ago, my head was bandaged immediately after the procedure. The next day the gauze was removed. 2nd procedure, the wrap was no longer used. I guess they figured out that it was not needed after all. 3-4-5-6-7 procedure - no wrap. You can now wear a cap, leaving a space between the head and the inside-top of the cap, (nothing touching the grafted area to avoid dislodging a graft). The way to avoid embarrassment is just tell them you had it done!

Love the taste. As a matter of fact now I've gotten into eating coffee candy. I purchased a huge can of Kopiko. Thought it would be better. So then I went to an Asian market and purchased some there. Not bad. I am searching for something slightly better and a little bitter. (Had a bunch of Cuban coffee while in Miami...it was great).

Nothing wrong with using products. What I've noticed, however, is the fact that people tend to over use it. The hair then sticks together and it makes see through far more apparent. So the trick is to use a little so the hair does not clump together. Something else.... From time to time you'll notice, particularly shortly after a procedure, (6 months), the transplanted hair grows a bit different than the native stuff. It will curl, grow in a slightly different direction, etc. Gel helps to train the hair so eventually it will do what you want it to do. What make depends on what look you are going for. Wet, dry, etc. I am a fan of Bed Head. They have an array of products depending on what you're trying to accomplish.

I've heard from multiple sources it takes a good year to see what Propecia will do. I personally did visually confirm retention in a matter of weeks. Enhancement did take time. Conversely, as you put it, I saw retention with Rogaine a bit sooner. Never saw enhancement of the hair. Thus, in my mind, I think - short term - Rogaine. Long term - Propecia. But......A combination of both would actually be best.

Yes I did. That doesn't even count all the coffee other people purchased for me. I'll tell you a true story. While living in Dallas we had a Starbucks within a few yards of our office. Used to go there every day, twice a day. Kept my receipts in the bottom drawer of my desk, (a file drawer). My secretary went in there accidentally one day. That afternoon she almost killed me. She said, "do you realize I could have sent my kid to college with the money you've spent on coffee?" 20 years later I've slowed down a bit. Went on a trip to Italy recently. Amazing coffee. Had my share.

For years I've heard doctors tell women in particular, to get on Rogaine 3 months prior to a procedure to help avoid or to minimize shock loss. Curiously, there was never any conversation about using it post procedure. That being said.... Never heard of using finasteride to accomplish the same for guys. Now-a-days I do hear doctors tell patients, if they are doing Rogaine, to get off for a week prior to the procedure and resume 10 days later. This has nothing to do with shock loss but with the procedure. If patients end up bleeding more, it can affect graft placement. (Grafts will pop). The main reason why to do the medical regimen should not be "shock loss." It should be to help you retain the native hair long term. And, if you're not willing to do it, get yourself a Laser. This is external to you. I would also talk to the doctor about doing PRP at the time of the procedure. This will not only help bring in the results sooner, but can help reverse the miniaturization of hair that is dissipating and going away.