LaserCap

You've made a couple of points that no one seems to have paid attention to. You were born this way. Seems by the photos that we are dealing with a contrast issue - more than anything else. That you were born with a high forehead? I'll give you that but, based on what you've said, it seems hair loss may be a minimal issue. So, I have a couple of questions. 1st, family history. Be specific. 2nd. Have you had a consultation with any doctors. You mentioned Turkey. Did you actually meet with them? Did they give you a recommendation? How many grafts? It is important that you visit with a couple of doctors. This will give you encouragement. Why? you might ask......because they are confirming your candidacy. They are examining you. They want to make sure that the donor area is not affected by any condition. Farther, they are ruling out conditions other than a hereditary one. Third, they are looking at the whole pattern and determining if their is a pattern forming. If so, the first thing they'll recommend is medical therapy. Lastly, they will give you a recommendation as to the number of grafts they will need to do what you are trying to accomplish. They are confirming your candidacy. You seem to have decent density throughout. To achieve that type of density in the front, might take multiple procedures. Ask the doctor to be specific as to his recommendation. Why are you considering Turkey? Is it because it's near to you? Are you open to travel anywhere for the best and most natural result. Start looking at photos of post op results. It is always about the results. Lastly...put a lot of value on your donor area and be judicious with your grafts. Once they are gone, you'll never get them back...which brings up the next point. Have the doctor check your elasticity and ask how many grafts lifetime does he think you have.

First, let's address the "if it didn't work" part. It does happen, mind you. But it it extremely rare when you consider the initial consultation with the doctor. Once he examines you and gives you a recommendation, (and he knows what he is doing), you have just been approved as a candidate. (There are conditions out there, other than hereditary, that can have an effect on hair transplantation). By approving your candidacy, he has ruled out all of these conditions. With regards to scarring, this will depend on the type of procedure you chose to move forward with. But with the advances in the industry, including the instruments, (the size of the punch, for example), I venture to say that scarring would not be visible to the naked eye. Additionally, the idea of doing transplants is to show that now you have hair! Why continue shaving? If so, stay away from it and save your money. There are great doctors listed on this site. Go to them, have a consultation. They'll be glad to show you typical scars.

Interesting subject, particularly when you take into account new techniques. There are doctors that can achieve amazing density with a single procedure. I call it the 3D effect. It has to do with positioning of the grafts and the concept of shingling. Hair in the middle grows forward, as does the hair in the front. So, as the hair from the top comes down, it kid of lands on top of the hair in the front, creating density. This same concept applies to patients that comb their hair to the side which, I think, is a smart way to create the illusion of density. But, to do this, you do need grafts......tons. It would be interesting to find out from the doctors the numbers they typically work within a cm2

Most will agree the characteristics of the donor hair is different than the rest. There is hair dominance that will typically remain regardless of where it's placed. Somehow the hair retains a memory. This is why it is the hair mostly used in hair transplant procedures. This hair requires no medication. Unfortunately, the donor area is finite and there is typically not enough hair in that area to allow for a full set of hair, particularly when dealing with an advanced pattern. It is essential the patient retain all the native hair to allow for a fuller look. This is why the medication is prescribed before or after a procedure. If there is no native hair left, no need to take the med. What are the two different lobbies, as you put it?

Of course! The thing we don't know is, how much hair would you have lost had you not been on the med. Say nothing. Then getting off the pill would be an easy decision. But say that you were meant to lose all the hair in your head. If so, that's exactly what will happen if you get off of it. (You would resume losing up to 1 year for the effect to be completely off your body). Like I've told patients, if you decide to start, keep on it. Getting on and off is just a waste of time and money.

Are you using the foam or the liquid? Are you doing the medication once or twice a day? The med does contain alcohol which tends to dry the scalp. That's where the irritation comes from. Many believe, if you use the medication twice a day, you are getting 100% of the medication. If you use it once a day, you are getting 90%. Cut to once a day, that should help. 2nd, the medication is systemic. No need to apply it all over. You can change the area. One day in the back, one day off to the side, one in the front, etc. That should also help. If the condition persists, visit with the Doctor. He can typically suggest something to use and perhaps even give you a script.

The medication tends to be, visually, far more effective in the crown. Is it because it is enhancing the miniaturized hair? Perhaps. Through the years I've noticed a number of things. First, it can help with retention. I've seen young guys even minimize shedding. They seem to look the same year after year. I've seen other patients with lots of miniaturized hair in the crown....return with a fuller set of hair. Enhancement of the dissipating hair. It can happen. I've seen cases where the patient seems to be improving everywhere, (enhancement), but not the front, (retention). So, it almost looks as if they are thinning in the front. Lastly, I've seen patient slow down the loss, but they are still loosing. In this case, is it worth taking the med? Sure. Just add other modalities and see if you can halt it all together. If, after doing all available modalities you are still experiencing loss, get off the meds because they are not working. So, in summary. Everyone is different and the medication can affect patients in all sorts of ways. If it is "partially" working, I would continue....but also add other modalities to the mix. If it is doing its job, and you are retaining all over, keep going. (Important to understand the medication is intended for the patient to retain. If you are enhancing, that's awesome as only a low percentage of patients experience this).

I takes a lot to dislodge a graft. The first few days are critical but I've heard most doctors say that in 3 days all is fine. But, for the sake of siding on conservatism, patients are told in 7-10 days they can resume normal activity. You can start patting down gently, (no scrubbing), as soon as the first day. (The recipient area. The donor can be massaged gently). 18 days is overkill...Not only that....if you still have crusts up there - you need to get them out of there. At that point this becomes a hygiene issue that can lead to infection. This brings up a good point. Do you realize that once all is done, procedure wise, you are still under the local? I'll bet most patients, if not all, do not remember the post op instructions. That's why most practices will give you typed up information. Why not return the next day and have the staff wash the hair for you? This service is typically included and should be highly suggested to all patients. It would help to reinforce/repeat the post op instructions. Last...did they give you post op instructions? Why not follow them?

If you are truly experiencing side effects, here is a few things other patients have tried..... Start taking it every other day..... If you are splitting, change to the brand name and vise versa. This is a bit more important than most realize. Consider that the pill does not come pre-scored. That means not every day you will have equal portions. Some days you'll be getting more medication than on others. Could this have an overall impact? Perhaps. Many believe that the side effect with the medication is less than 1 percent at 1mg. By taking a 5mg tab, (changing to Dutesteride), you are increasing the chance of the side effect by 5 fold. Fortunately, and enhancing what hairman 22 indicated, there are other modalities you can start using if you do decide that Propecia/Finasteride is not for you.

If and when this happens, we will have figured out the hair gene. At that point this should be cell based. Come in the morning, we'll take a very small sample. Return the same afternoon or the next day and inject millions of cells. Everyone will enjoy amazing hair......

Great before photos....Need same position photos, post procedure, to admire the work.

Not ever. If you really think about it...When things started, it was the old plug. FUE is a glorified plug, just smaller...but same concept. You know the saying, "the more things change, the more they remain the same." So what is the next step in the industry? Perhaps refinement of the surgery? Medicine wise....more potions? Perhaps cloning. I remember 20 years ago the subject came up...everyone getting excited....and then I heard 10 years. In a recent conversation at a convention, if fact, the same answer was given. Why? Because it is far more important to deal with life and death issues than it is to talk about something so insignificant as hair, (in comparison). Kidneys, heart, liver.....Those take priority. Cloning the follicle is somewhere down there on the list. And lastly, consider everyone that is involved in hair restoration. Companies, doctors, manufacturers of equipment, manufacturers of drugs, finance companies, etc....If that happens they'll be out of business. Too many hands in the pot. Never.

Not a very good photo. Seems you are developing a 5 pattern? The concern, however, is how patchy it is. Have you visited with a derm? It may behoove you to schedule an appointment and confirm that you are dealing with alopecia. That being said, all modalities available today work in different ways and are thus synergistic. Simultaneously would be the way to go. But both medications tend to be most effective in the back area - with Propecia being the most effective. As Dr. Bloxam indicates, if you are just going to use one - go with Propecia.

First, they work using magnification. 2nd, doubtful they would shave, otherwise they would not be able to see where to go. I recall having to send away patients because they were too tightly shaven. The Doctor could not even identify the pattern. But let's say that during the site making phase, the doctor inadvertently cuts an existing hair...no issues, he just gave you a haircut. That hair will continue growing. When it comes to shaving, it is best to allow the clinical staff to do that the morning of the procedure. They have worked with the doctor enough time to know what his preferences are.

There are a couple of factors to consider. First, if the patient has shown the propensity to lose, he will continue losing. When? Who knows. 2nd, and as an example, consider a patient thinning his temporal points. If the doctor only works those areas and then continues to thin farther back into the pattern, he will end up with two horns. It is advisable most times for the doctor to blend grafts to the area right behind the grafted area so that there is always connection. When I see photos of work not blended, it truly gives me shivers. But this all depends on the type of loss we are talking about. Say the patient has no loss whatsoever but is dealing with a birth defect, then it is OK to just work the area of concern and not blend any grafts to the perimeter. I am not sure if I understand the shaving aspect of the question. If you shave, the doctor can not see what he's doing. You are best to leave that to the clinic. They can cut and shave based on the needs and wants of the doctor based on whatever work is going to be done.

I know of a few patients, they seem to be doing well. You do bring a good point about Minoxidil. Many believe it is most effective for about 7 years. Then the effectiveness declines, (but you are still getting effects from it). All medical therapies seem to work better when used in combination as the mechanism of action is totally different for each.

Guys with full sets of hair, and there are some, are truly the worse patients. (And I mean this in a good way). They are great observers. They are losing a millimeter off the corner and they are having a fit. They often confuse contrast with loss. I think they want to get the surgery done just for the thrill of saying "I had the surgery, now I have a full set of hair." One of the problems is, when you do have a full set of hair, you also tend to have a very low hairline.You had it your whole life, and this will continue. If ever there is a bit of maturing, you can bet the entire family will be present at the consultation. We are a culture of perfection. Look at TV commercials. Beautiful people are always front and center. Why not use regular folks? So, we all strive to look better, younger...etc. Without realizing it, we compete. For work for love, for most things. The problem, when it comes to hair restoration, is patterns. This is why it is important, before a consultation begins, to realize what pattern you are. This will dictate the approach of the doctor and the clinic. Be honest with the patient and discuss all options including medical therapy, and what can be achieved. A disappointed patient is a trouble patient down the road. It's all about painting the right expectation. Will you lose some patients? Perhaps. But that patient will always remember and, without fail, will say...Dr X told me about this, should have listened to him. Name and integrity is all we have.......Now let's educate and help some patients.....

Good luck.

Oh, I forgot. What a great opportunity to "teach" young guys about hairline design. Hair in the front grows forward. So, by definition, the hairline will typically end up lower because of this fact. Stay conservative as this patient decided to do. Eventually you can always return and lower it. What you don't want is to be in a happy home, 100 years old, with a hairline of a 25 year old.

Dr, how many grafts? Has he continued any type of medical therapy. (other than Propecia)? Seems he has a lot of native hair that may be contributing to the overall density. Nice work, I iparticularly enjoyed the staggering in the hairline. Blunting a bit on the corners would have been an added dimension of naturalness. Typically it is African Americans that end a point in a sharp angle.

Do you have any photos of before and after? It is about results at the end of the day. What is the cost, how long does it take, and - like any other modality, do you have to continue doing it to keep the effect?

Back in the day we could offer to do a 2nd procedure as soon as 4 months later. Back then it was professed that a certain separation between grafts was required to safeguard the survival of grafts, (grafts competing for blood supply). This was appealing for the patient that knew he wanted as much density as possible in the shortest amount of time. The fact that we also allowed a 10% reduction in fees helped promote the idea. The problem with this approach, in my opinion, is the fact that you are going back to a tender wound in the donor. Why not let things heal before moving forward? 2nd, many believe not all grafts come in at the same time. At 4 months the doctor, inadvertently, could damage some of the grafts that were implanted during the first procedure. Why not allow everything to mature to then repeat? A 2 day procedure is NOT considered 2 procedures, unless the doctor harvests from the entire donor area on the first go-round. Say he is doing FUE, he should do 1/2 of the back and complete the next 1/2 the next day. Or, FUT one day and a small FUE the next day. The idea is to harvest from a different area. But in most recent years I've found true geniuses. They can achieve unbelievable density in a single procedure. I call it the 3D effect. It has something to do with the way the incisions are made and grafts placed. By allowing a shingling effect, the results are fantastic. Hair restoration sure is evolving. Things keep improving...We'll see what the next few years bring.

What you are currently using contains alcohol and will contribute to the dryness. Have you tried the 5% Minoxidil foam? Just get a cap full, put it in your palm and place it on any one area of the scalp. Press down and rub in the same area. Not necessary to spread out as the medication is systemic. The next day you can change the area. This should help keeping dryness to a minimum.

It depends on a number of factors. Let's start with age. Many believe, the older you are, the safer you are. If you are young, and already experiencing loss, this will continue. Similarly, if you are experiencing retrograde, it is likely to continue as well. The question is, what exactly is going on back there. Is the patient losing from the top down as well? Medical therapy is a must. There is a company out there that carries a laser that covers the entire head. The unit actually drops down on the sides and covers the entire donor. If there is an improvement, move forward, (understanding that treatment needs to be continued - otherwise the benefit is lost. For the patient that is a lot older, experiencing some retrograde but has stopped advancing, the question, is there enough donor in the safe zone to make an impact? It is sad to think about all that suffer this in particular.

The pimples and bumps are normal. The follicle comes with a gland. As the hair starts coming in, the glad does not know what to do and a pimple forms. Once the hair starts growing, all of this returns to normal. There is also bacteria involved that crawls in. 1/2 doz of these is typically normal. Again, this is just a sign that the hair is growing. Most believe hair starts growing at the 4 month mark post procedure. The first growth is rather weak. The hair is bellus like and the shaft will thicken as it matures. Takes a good year to see the full result, and sometimes this can be delayed up to 18 months. Let it be and be patient.