LaserCap

What meds are you on? In the medical world it's been known that 2 + 2 = 6. There is synergism when used simultaneously. I would encourage you to add Rogaine, Laser and perhaps even PRP. Give that a year. 3-500 grafts is NOT going to do anything for you. Consider 3-500 grafts is an eyebrow's worth of grafts. And, unlike the front and mid-scalp. the hair grown in a different fashion. We all share a whirl in the crown. This is the reason why it is the weakest point. The hair grows away from the point. Many procedures are required to achieve density. To fill it? 2 procedures of 800-1000 grafts at this point. A total waste of grafts in my view. It is important to understand, if you've shown the propensity to lose, you'll continue losing. If meds have been effective, stay on track. If you ever lose hair in the front and top, you'll have plenty of donor to address the issue. And, at that point, you'll care less about the crown. Keep in mind it is the front you see when looking in the mirror and the area others see when they interact with you.

Odd question. I'll tell you what I think. I find most people find the subject confusing as there are knock offs of knock offs. And the industry does not help either. The laser comb got the first FDA approval. All other units, regardless of efficacy, are FDA cleared. Thus, nothing else can ever be approved. Does that mean the laser comb is better? Not necessarily. For sure it is more time consuming. But as humans, we want it easy, so the caps finally arrived. Now I've even seen 12 minutes? Ridiculous? The cap I use is LaserCap. There are studies available and carries a lifetime guarantee. It is by prescription only. It truly fits under a cap and works for me. Now, ask someone else and see what they say..........

Do you have photos of results? How many are required? How often? How long do you have to wait for the next set? How much blood is drawn? Do you use a matrix? Why is that important? What machine do you use? How is the blood separated? Do you suggest a laser? Is it a good idea to do other therapies at the same time? What can I expect? What exactly is PRP? The most important being the very first question. It is about results after all. Things to look out for: No photos, walk away. They do a syringe size each time, walk away. They want you back in a week, walk away. They do not use a binding agent, walk away. They don't believe in other modalities, walk away.

I use LaserCap for a number of reasons. There are studies available. It is by prescription only and it carries a lifetime guarantee. Call Dr. Arocha in Houston, he is a provider.

PRP is not new. The problem is many don't know how to do it. They either draw too little blood, do not have the proper equipment, do not use a binding agent, etc. Do some research and start looking at photos of results. Call and find out what matrix they use. Also, the addition of laser therapy has been known to give exponential results when used simultaneously.

This is very typical.....You are fairly empty and do a procedure. 3-4 months later the hair starts coming in. Subtle - but it's there. 12 months later you have a matured result. Here comes the 2nd procedure. Exactly the same thing happens but now you have all the hair from the first procedure in the way and you'll have a hard time noticing results. Here is what I would do..... Have someone help you. Get the hair from the first procedure out of the way - and start taking photos. Wait a few months and do the same. Again, it will take a full year to mature the results. Hopefully you are doing some type of medical therapy to help you retain the native hair, (if you had any to save). This will also have an impact in the overall look.

Tons of people have done it. But be careful in the nomenclature. Traditional tattooing implies the eventual discoloration - and the color turning to a purple, red or green depending on the ink used. You would be better served by SMP which typically uses organic inks which get metabolized by the body. These do not turn colors. This process, which is done without the use of a local, will need to be repeated down the road.

As we age, it seems, everything that can go wrong will. High blood pressure, thyroid issues, sleep apnea, allergies, and other chronic conditions. And, of course, there are meds for everything. Having a PCP that can manage all these things is important to, at least, make life tolerable. Good thing there are plenty of doctors out there that followed a certain specialty. Had it not been for them,I'd be 6' under. It is vital, during the initial consultation, the clinic asks for a list of all the meds you take. Some can have a direct effect on the transplant procedure. If grafts are just popping out, it will just result in a very long day in the chair. I would share all these concerns with the physician. I'll venture to say you'll get different answers each time, but I doubt if they'll cancel the procedure.

Propecia, Rogaine, Laser and PRP are the modalities we typically discuss when dealing with this condition. If you can't do one for whatever reason, do the others and be consistent. It is important to also recognize there is a synergistic effect when these are used simultaneously. If you can't take Propecia, I would talk to the doctor about it and find out the cause. Sometimes is just a matter of timing, Perhaps taking it every other day does the trick. Maybe even cutting down the dose.

It is imperative to have an in-person consultation with a hair restoration expert for a number of reasons. The first being for your protection and that of the doctor. Imagine, a patient arrives with a self immune system, moves forward with a procedure and eventually nothing grows. Who is at fault? During the first meeting a lot happens. First you get to meet and measure the MD. Do you like him? Does he seem to know what he's talking about? Does he seem concerned about you and asks you what your goals are? Can he meet those goals? Are your goals reasonable? What about your scalp? Does the doctor get in there and really look at the donor? Do you have a rash of some kind? Does he determine the caliber of your hair? Does he draw in a hairline and discuss final placement with you? How about the staff? Even the place is important. Is it clean and plush? Do you have a private room? Will they provide lunch? Research is important. Doing a few consultations is part of that research. And you might learn a thing or two no one else touched on.

I would not be concerned.....and throw everything at it. The first thing I think of when I hear the word "discreet" is tentative. This means small numbers which, in this case, will do absolutely nothing. No visual change. So what's the best course? Do a procedure and do as many grafts as the doctor recommends. Why? Two points to consider. I recall a patient coming in and saying "I'll do a little and, if I like it, I'll do more." Worst approach ever. The patient will see no visual change. He'll be so disappointed with the results, he will not move forward again. The second point to consider is the fact - grafts take time to mature. This is not an instant solution. First it takes the mandatory 3-4 months before the grafts come in. The hair is so subtle that most will question results. It will take a good year to mature the results. So, get going and get it done. Get lost for a couple of weeks and then return. No one will know a thing. Lastly, get on medical therapy. Retaining what you have is imperative.

In the late 90's I was told "in 10 years." 10 years came and went and I still heard "10 years." Then cloning...."we're close! 10 years." Then it got interesting, cell duplication. It's been 10 years - nothing. My personal view........Science keeps evolving, I recall discussing pigs as their Gnome is close to ours...etc, including how basic the hair follicle is. (Quite basic when you consider the heart and other organs). You would think someone would have figured this out a long time ago. But think about it by level of importance. Hair is way down there. 10 years? Tell you what, add up every time you read 10, (70). Perhaps.....

Thanks for that short narrative. There are two important points to take away from it. Techniques and methods have improved and this has allowed for the industry, as a whole, to achieve greater numbers. Second, the assumption that all will go well. Let's address the first point. Science overall keeps improving and there will always be a better mouse trap. I gather the hair restoration will not be an exception and refinement will continue. Who is not to say 10,000 grafts will be possible in a few years given new techniques. For now, however, (given current techniques), I don't think it's a good idea. And, while I am talking in general terms, this would involve taking larger and wider segments, less elasticity and larger scars if an FUT, and a totally depleted donor if an FUE. Everyone is different, I'll give you that. Bigger heads - more grafts, but the pattern is bigger too. There are some great names in the industry. True artists who use newer techniques. It is truly exciting to see the densities being achieved in a single procedure because of it. It is always about results. And it's up to the doctors/clinics to take better photos and to promote. If you're good, advertise your work. If your're a patient, do the research, (as we often suggest). Find cases similar to your own and review countless photos until you find what you're looking for. Go to consultations, visit with the doctor. Get educated and ask questions. This is the way to minimize problems. The assumption just prior to the procedure is that all will go right. But we are human and mistakes will happen. If everyone does their part, we can help minimize this percentage.

It can. Give it a full year. Make sure to take photos every 3-6 months otherwise you'll forget.

You are right on time. Typically Rogaine will lose some of its effectiveness after 7 years but, by all means, continue using it. Adding another modality like Finasteride, or laser therapy, is just plain smart. Medical therapies are there to help you retain. From time to time you can enhance hair. Nothing out there regrows anything. Now the problem. People tend to rely on the visual effect. If you can "tell" a difference, the medication worked. If there is no change, the meds did nothing. WRONG! The medication is intended to retain. So, if you look exactly the same a year later, the meds did what they were supposed to do. But sometimes there is a visual change of more hair. That's because the miniaturizing hairs thickened up. This is enhancement of the hair. If that happens, you are one of a small percentage of patients experiencing this benefit. Please continue using it! When dealing with this debilitating condition, (hair loss), we typically deal with shedding and hair loss. The follicle gets tired of producing hair and it takes a vacation. This resting phase lasts about 3 months, the hair then returns. Hair loss is different. Go to the bathroom and turn the bright light. Look at the hair in the temporal areas, (corners). Notice the shaft of each strand. You'll notice some are nice, thick and robust. Others not so much. Yet others are so fine it seems they're withering away. We call this miniaturization. Once gone, it will not return. The time to do medical therapy is before the hair is gone. The miniaturization can be reversed. (PRP and laser therapy combination has yielded great results). There is plenty of documented info out there regarding the history of Finasteride. You should take 1mg daily.

I wish we had a hair crystal ball to learn exactly what's going to happen to each of us. But we don't. Agree, it is a complicated message and it can skip generations. And, to top it off, it can come from both sides. This reminds me of high school and learning about X and Y. Good, (or bad consultations), will not help determine where you'll end up. Hopefully it will educate you so you can make a decision that's right for you.

Please post photos of your entire head. Seems there is plenty of miniaturization. It takes a full year to see what exactly medical therapy will do. 3 month is nothing. It is encouraging to see there is still native hair to save....be patient and consider adding more modalities to the mix. Roggaine, laser and PRP.

You are young and already showing an early 5A pattern. Visit with a doctor and discuss medical therapies. (Propecia, Rogaine, Laser and PRP). These are the modalities we typically refer to when discussing this debilitating condition. Use them for a year and reassess.

The binding agent is typically a matrix. Ask them. They should be able to tell you.

You can get PRP at any time. It all depends on your circumstances and your goals. Take a lady with black hair and light scalp, for example. Women tend to keep the hairline and thin right behind it. She might decide to do a PRP to see what exactly it will do. Say in 3-6 months she experiences a positive result, (more than she thought she would), this might help her postpone a procedure for a while. Depending on the protocol of the clinic, she may do this a number of times throughout the year, or none at all. This scenario, in my view, is a good alternative for someone young. Particularly for those just starting to thin. Planning for the future often starts with medical therapies. For someone with a distinct pattern and with a relative amount of native hair left, (and considering a transplant procedure), if find it far more advantageous to do PRP at the time of the procedure. It can help bring in results a lot sooner and help reverse miniaturization of the native hair. PRP and laser therapy are an awesome combination. But be careful. Do research, view photos of results, etc. There are plenty of clinics out there that have little to no knowledge as to how to do it correctly. Some use a binding agent, some don.t. Often they take too little blood. If only a syringe size, that's not enough. Also, if they tell you to return in a matter of weeks, that's not good either. Have you decided on the clinic? What type of laser are you considering? Every detail you decide will make a difference.

Experience and quality of work dictate. It's always about results after all. So review photos until you find cases similar to your own - and you like the results. There are small clinics out there with great doctors. The doctor will do the consultations as well as the surgical work. In others, typically larger groups, the doctors are in charge of the surgical part of the procedure while the consultant does the consultations and takes care of some administrative duties. The difference is typically money. If the doctor can be doing surgery all the time and not "waste" valuable time in consultation, he can do more procedures. Mind you, this has nothing to do with how talented the doctor is. With regards to what a doctor charges...if more famous - find out why he is famous. Is that worth more money? If it gives you peace of mind, that the work is going to be impeccable, is that worth a few dollars more? And, if the associate charges less, it is perhaps because he's been doing this type of work for a lot less time. One thing to remember here is the fact the doctor with the less experience is still under the umbrella of the other doctor. In other words, regardless of who does the work, it is still the same clinic. So, both are responsible. I am certain both doctors would feel the same and, during the procedure, it is likely both would collaborate during the intervention. When a doctor is hired, he'll be trained before he lays a hand on any patient. Or at least we hope. If it was me? I would pay more and get the doctor with experience. Saving a few bucks can only lead to disaster when you consider you have to live with the "mistake" - whatever that is - for the rest of your life. It is easy for many to say - do the research. For someone with little to no experience, what exactly does that mean? While this industry is not regulated, there are groups that try to help. The ISHRS is one of them. Certain requirements need to be met before anyone can join. Go from there. You can also take a look at the doctors listed on this site. I'll bet many, if not all, attend ISHRS conventions.

This is far more common than you think. Kinky, as most doctors call it, will eventually resume it's normal characteristic. And you can help it along by using a texturing agent and by styling.

How do you know Finasteride was loosing its effect?

Yes you're young, but I would not call it "low age." You are a man and a matured one at that. Now let's study your email........ Some preliminary research....I think you need to do a bit more than that. The fact you've been relatively stable for a while means absolutely nothing. The only thing we can be sure of is - if you've shown the propensity to lose, you will continue losing. Oh, but wait...You're on Finasteride. The best thing you ever did. You may want to consider adding another modality like Rogaine or Laser, for example. 800 grafts is two eyebrows worth. Not much. Post some photos. Keep in mind, at one point, FUT was all there was. The only difference between a small and a larger procedure is the size of the scar. Think of a scar of about 2400-2800 going from behind the ear all the way to the other side. Half of that would give you 1200-1400. So now you have an idea what you're contending with. There are plenty of reasons why patients should consider FUT, particularly if they wear their hair long. The most important, however, is to maximize the donor. What part of the Country are you in? Do you mind traveling?

Typically hair starts coming in at 4 months. The shaft of the hair is very, very fine. At about 6 months you can start seeing a slight difference. At a year is when you can see a matured result. But there are cases in which results do not mature until about 18 mo. post op. So ,the first thing to consider is to wait. But.... I would schedule periodic appointments with the clinic that did the work. That way they can not say that you never followed up to any of your scheduled appointments. The second thing I would do is to keep taking photos, say every 3 months so you and the clinic can keep a record of what's happening. Are you doing any type of medical therapy?