LaserCap

Now you tell me? I am not kidding when I tell you that I used to, no more, have 20-30 cups of coffee a day. Now I drink 2-4 large cups. Not sure what impact, if any, this had on pills, vitamins, hbp meds, etc. From time to time I do hear of studies involving coffee intake. Some are great and some not so much. I guess they'll find out when the open me up......Oh wait, they won't. I prefer BBQ than being 6 feet under.

I think it is important to remember that hair in the front grows forward. So, whatever you are seeing, visualize an inch below that. Yes you are thinning and to achieve the same density you appear to have elsewhere, this would warrant a transplant. However, it should be to reinforce and strengthen what you have....not coming down or adjusting as drastically as you've drawn. Remember, we are not getting any younger.....

Nice. The problem is the length of your current hair. It's so short it is hard to tell where exactly the loss is. Perhaps you can let the hair grow for a week? Then post the photos again. This should give us a better idea of what exactly you are dealing with.

OK, a couple of points to bring up. First one is carelessness. This is typically a 2 or 3 page document that no one will read. It kind of reminds me of the consent forms patients have to sign before moving forward with a procedure. I can count, with one hand, how many times a patient read the document. 2nd, why have an NDA? The goal is to prevent competitors from getting actionable information. But it is not generally competitors visiting with you...It will be patients. This does bring the issue of trust. Not only does the patient need to trust the doctor, the doctor, by creating such document, now has to trust the patient. (If you make it an issue, it will become an issue). If I was to create such document it would be to avoid any innovation becoming public and to protect confidential information such as secured storage. (patients photos, among other things). Thus, if there is an innovation involved, perhaps this would not be a bad idea. Understanding that information does lose value over time, one question I would have is - for how long should the NDA be provided for? What happens after that? If there is a lawsuit, who would end up paying?....and, if the patient is from abroad or another state, for that matter, what state law would be used? Perhaps arbitration would be best to avoid this headache. I would suggest an attorney to get started. Hopefully you can use the above to start the discussion........

Could be that your hair is cut so tight. Let it grow for a week or two. Do you intend to wear it the same way once the transplant is completed?

Global thinning refers to loss throughout the entire head, including the donor. Thus, if there is hair thinning in the donor area, it will thin wherever it is placed. If not interested in anything internal, give some thought to Rogaine, Laser and PRP.

Not the best set of photos. Have someone else take them. Working through unevenness is not a problem for an experienced doctor. That's not the question. The question is, what is causing your hair to be growing in in patches. There could be a medical condition other than a hereditary one causing the issue. The first thing I would do is go to a dermatologist and have them biopsy the area. You can also go to a couple of consultations with hair transplant professionals and see what they have to say. Right now you should be in the gathering info stage...forget transplants for a minute. Not sure if it's the style you've chosen to wear but it seems from the photos, that you may be experiencing global thinning. Have this checked. Lastly, if you've lost, you will continue losing. Get on a medical regimen to help you retain the native stuff and maybe even reverse the miniaturization. (Propecia, Rogaine, Laser and PRP). Do as many as you can. Give them a year. Take plenty of photos and repeat every 6 months. If everything goes well, you can then consider transplants. Doing transplants at this time is probably the worst thing you can do.....

If you are taking 1/2 of 1mg and it's working, I would keep doing the same thing. Monitor closely, (take photos), and adjust accordingly. Are we related? We are dealing with exactly the same issue. My grandfather was a class 10. My son has been on Propecia since he was 18. He is now 26 and enjoying a full set of hair. No transplants needed. I think they key is to get on the med as soon as you realize what's coming. And, give the medication a year. It truly does take a year to find out what exactly the medication will do. You can experience retention right away but to notice enhancement, if there is going to be any, does take sometime. Given your situation, I would wait.

For groups that have money....sure! I am talking more about the clinics that did decide to invest the money and then realize the mistake they made. Consider it is not only the cost of the machine. It is the additional investment that's a torn....a plan to fix it if it breaks, the amount the doctor needs to pay outside help, etc. And not to mention the size of the thing. Such a shame...So many units just there collecting dust.

I've been on Finasteride for about 2-3 years. Good for you. In this time, I've had mixed results. As in, some areas got better, whilst others worsened slightly. The medication is intended to help you with retention. Thus, if you look the same a year later, the medication did its job. If you look better, it just means the miniaturized hair thickened. Only a small percentage of patients experience this. My suggestion is to continue the use of the medication and don't stop. If areas look worse, it could be you are experiencing shedding of the native hair which is normal. I've also heard that finasteride is not as effective for the front portion of ones hair - is this true? And if so, should I continue with it whilst having mixed results? Based on what you've written, you should continue using the medication. You've indicated the front has remained the same. This means the medication is working. The fact you are showing visual enhancement in other areas should be enough to encourage you to continue and not stopping. The use of the medication is not going to facilitate a transplant. What it will do is help you achieve a much fuller set of hair. Keep in mind, no one with an advanced pattern has enough donor to allow for a full set of hair. It is imperative you retain as much of the native stuff as you can. Now, let me briefly get on your case about how much medication you're taking..... The parent medication to finasteride is Proscar. It is a 5 mg tab. Once Merck completed their studies, they confirmed that 1 mg was all that was needed to experience hair retention. They also confirmed a less than 1% chance of experiencing a side effect. By taking a 5 mg tab, you are multiplying the possibility of a side effect by 5 fold. Why do that? Talk to your doctor about taking 1 mg.

Fine hair gives you more naturalness. The other advantage you have is the fact you have blond hair. No contrast. My major concern is a medical regimen. Are you using anything?

I would not be surprised if, whomever has an Artas machine, uses it for marketing purposes only. It does attract many people and-in a way- does advertise the idea that they are keeping with the times. Once there for consult, however, they will try to push something else...FUT, FUE or whatever technique they are using. I think most in the industry realize that science has a long way to go. While I appreciate the fact the staff does not get tired, neither does the machine, this industry needs the human touch. The doctor and the clinical staff can "see." The machine can't. There are a number of factors involved and I can gladly walk you through them if you wish.....

In the old days, when I first came into the industry the global idea involved leaving a separation in between grafts. The concern was mainly grafts competing for blood supply. Thus, a patient would do a procedure and 4-12 months later he would return to fill in the gaps. To have a full set of hair, 3 procedures of about the same number of grafts was required. So, each procedure would do about 30% density. Further, a front would take 1200 grafts, the top, (middle area), would take 1200 grafts, and the back area would take 1200 grafts. Thus, if we were to apply this same concept to you.... a case of about 2400 grafts would give you that third procedure, and - by definition - fuller density....but.... You seem to have a very conservative hairline. So 2000-2200 grafts? Like I've told patients in the past, do as many grafts as you can afford - based on whatever the recommendation of the doctor is. Something to keep in mind is elasticity. I realize you've done FUE...But a couple of things to consider. FUT is in play given you keep your hair on the lengthier side. You've had no FUT before so your elasticity should be intact. Typically the cost is less and you can always put FUE grafts on the scar in the future. I would at least, so you can discuss all your options, talk to the doctor and see what he says and recommends. Are you doing any medical therapy to help you retain the native stuff? Remember, if you've lost - you will continue losing. A shame to have to return multiple times to replace what you just lost.

We should write "the book" on what is required before moving forward with a hair transplant procedure. The first part of the book should concentrate on the "proven" aspect of transplants and why they work. (Donor area, for example). Second part of the book should deal with historical info, evolution, and current methods available. (FUE, FUT) The third part should deal with the many things a patient can do to prep. From research to how to deal with cost, and maybe even what questions to ask during a consultation. This is harder than I thought as there are too many variables to consider. I haven't even mentioned the subject of trust. How can a patient know if the doctor is trustworthy, ethical, honest, etc?..... Most important is the research.....Reviewing results. It is about results after all. Oh, last chapter should deal with preventive therapies.

Consider Rogaine, a laser and have the doctor do PRP at the time of the procedure. Family history? What are you currently experiencing? Are you shedding? Miniaturized hair? Where exactly is the loss? What did the doctor recommend graft wise? FUE or FUT?

The problem with the comb, is most people don't know how to use it. It is labor intensive. I saw the best results when patients would leave it in an area for 4 seconds. Move about 1 inch in any direction and repeat. First from front to back and then from side to side. It took forever. I've become aware of many lasers. Most from abroad. Now you can easily find knock offs of Knock offs. There is a "by prescription only" laser made right here in America. It is only available through providers. Their name is, coincidentally, LaserCap. It is the only one I know has studies behind it. I read that the array of 224 lasers provides for ultimate results. There is also a model 300 which drops down and covers the occipital area. This model would be ideal for any patient experiencing global thinning. These models carry a lifetime warranty which is unheard of. As a side note, there are current studies on the use of PRP in combination with the use of a laser. Promising.

We've become such a litigious society...If this happened in real life today, someone would be getting sued. Joking aside, there are some interesting points about this...First the fact that the character supposedly used a hair piece before the transplant. If so, he would not have enough donor to achieve the density of the system. Second, a strong class 6 does not lose hair in the way the transplants were done, (middle of the forehead and from side to side). This is just another example of the negative wrap transplants get because of the way they were done originally. Honestly, we don't need any more jokes. What we do need is honesty. Ethical doctors doing all they can to improve their craft. Lastly, let me briefly say something about accents. This Country is a melting pot. People from all over the world. The freedom we enjoy is truly awesome and many value it. Instead of making fun, why not try to learn their language? We have a lot to learn as a nation.

You are in the right place by doing the research..... I've seen, first hand, the results of follow up patients during my time with Dr. Arocha. Not only artistic, but such advanced techniques he is able to achieve density in a single procedure. Very experienced. I would suggest you visit the ABHRS. This will give you a decent idea of the certification and credentialing of each of these doctors. Visit the websites of each. Look at results....It is always about results.

How short the hair needs to be will depend on a number of factors as many have pointed out above...I think it depends on ethnicity. If you're Anglo, and the hair drops right away, 1/4" ought to be sufficient. If you are Asian, for example, the hair tends to stick out when short. It requires length, (and weight) to drop. So maybe an inch? My suggestion is go to the barber and ask them to cut it as short as possible without being able to see the scars. Once you have the info you can then cut it yourself. One last thing. The difference between a bad haircut and a good one is 1 week. So, if you do go too short, by mistake, it'll will be OK in a matter of days.

Dr. Arocha, Dr. Gabel, Dr. Alexander, Dr. Mohebi, Dr. Farjo.

Follicles regain blood supply in 3 days based on 'Perez-Meza D, Leavitt M, Mayer M. The growth factors. Part 1: clinical and histological evaluation of the wound healing and revascularization of the hair graft after hair transplant surgery. Hair Transplant Forum Int. 2007;17:173–5.' I find all of this fascinating. But let's try to stay on subject. Members are quite reactive. No need to get another WTF.

If you read the very first post, hairtargeter asks about sun exposure....but he also mentioned...."In fact, my hair starts to look more dense after 3 months of the procedure and the vellus hairs have disappeared but I am not sure if it fell or transformed to normal hair. Thus, sun exposure has nothing to do with this, but blood does. The human body is amazing....But let me not go into another tangent....need to avoid the wtf's as much as possible.

Most clinics will tell you it takes 3-4 months for the hair to start growing. I've also noted that with PRP the growth comes in sooner. Does that mean that the "rooting" is faster? It'd be interesting to hear from doctors on this one. Wow, 5-7? Even plants take longer than that to start rooting.

I gather you are overly concerned. First suggestion is get in the shower, let your head soak in warmer water and start scrubbing with your fingertips. Get all crusts out. in 3-4 months the hair will start growing. You'll start noticing a change in about 6 months. Like many have noted, you will not harm anything by this time. Not washing, however, can lead to infections etc....WASH and be patient.

What's done is done. Many believe, if you are out on the sun for an extended period, you can freckle permanently. This is if you do it right after the procedure. The suggestion is to put sunscreen and a cap, which you should be doing anyway. No, I don't think this will harm anything. The issue is the fact that it typically takes 3-4 months for the follicle to reincorporate into the blood stream. The first growth is weak and it improves with time. That is, the shaft of the hair will thicken up. Thus, after 3 -4 months, you shouldn't notice anything. If you're noticing less hair, it may be because you are in the process of shedding - which is normal. I would suggest you take a set of photos now and another set in 6 months. What medical therapy are you currently doing?