clerksband

It's been 2 years since my HT. Can I dye/color my hair or is it ill-advised if one has had a hair transplant?

On 5/11/2020 at 9:10 AM, pvlife said:

Did you find an alternative?

 

is John Frieda’s shampoo actually that bad for a hair transplant?

I decided not to dye it for now. Didn't wanna risk things.

I stopped taking Fin months after my HT due to sides. And now I'm seriously considering skipping Rogaine all-together. I already only take it once a day instead of two. It leaves my hair super-plumb and greasy.

Has anyone stopped taking these post-HT and noticed any negative effects?

I had my HT more than a year ago. I'm happy with the results. My hair is medium-light brown but in the summer due to sun exposure it can get very blonde. I really liked that effect, and being that I don't have as much free time as when I was younger to spend in the sun, I decided to use a lightening spray (Go Blonder by John Frieda). I loved that the effect was gradual, you didn't went from brown to blonde in a day. 

But after having the HT I got advised in not applying it anymore due to its harsh chemicals and peroxide. What's the best alternative? Is there something that gradually gets your hair blonder without damaging one's hair?

Are those ingredients considered harsh?

Haven't used any dye since the HT. Pre-HT I tried other brands occasionally. My worry is that post-HT hair might be more sensible or something like it.

It's been a year since my HT, very happy with it. Now I'm considering applying the shampoo/dye Just For Men Control GX. Can anyone tell me if it's safe and will not damage my hair, please?

Ingredients

Water/Aqua, Disodium Lauryl Sulfosuccinate, Decyl Glucoside, Cetearyl Alcohol, Glycol Stearate, Ethanolamine, Cocamidopropyl Hydroxysultaine, Guar Hydroxypropyltrimonium Chloride, Dimethicone, Sodium Cocoyl Isethionate, N,N-Bis (2-Hydroxyethyl)-p-Phenylenediamine Sulfate, Acetic Acid, Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice, Chamomilla Recutita (Matricaria) Flower Extract, 1,2,4-Trihydroxybenzene, Cetearyl Glucoside, Erythorbic Acid, Sodium Sulfite, Phenoxyethanol, Caprylyl Glycol, Stearamide AMP, Panthenol, Manganese Sulfate, p-Aminophenol, Laureth-4, Laureth-23, Sorbic Acid, Etidronic Acid, Fragrance/Parfum, Limonene, Linalool.

I personally haven't noticed any changes in my hair after stopping taking Fin. I still take Rogaine, though.

I wonder if Rogaine works worst if you haven't washed your hair that particular day. Is there any correlation between having your hair superclean and the absorption of the product?

My best gains appeared between month 6 to num 10 post-HT. I wouldn't worry to much.

I think my Rogaine treatment is working as I don't notice any shedding of hairs and my hairline looks as fuller as ever. But the downside is that Rogaine leaves my hair really greasy and plumb in the mornings. I'm considering only applying it at nights. Who here is doing the same? Does the effect is still the same or equivalent? Do you think it's the right choice?

I'm the original poster, so I figure I should update my situation. I'm almost a year out of taking Fin and I 100% think it was the right decision. The sides disappeared after a few weeks for the most part, and then a few months later they were completely gone. My sex drive / quality of erections / ejaculation and everything is a good as ever. 

Also, I didn't notice my hair falling or in worse shape than before. I still take Rogaine, though.

I wanna start this topic to encourage people who are on the fence about getting an HT, to help them getting a new perspective. The decision to undergo surgery took me a really long time, and every step was filled with paralyzing doubt and dread. Getting the money, trying to know whether I was a suitable candidate, picking one doctor instead of another, mapping out the time off work, the pain of the surgery and the inconvenience of the days after, then the first months where you don't see any progress and wonder if it's all been for nothing... It was all draining, but in the end it's been 100% worth it. A HT won't give you happiness or solve all your problems, but it would be disingenuous to say it doesn't help. 

I think that, for a newbie, this forum can be very helpful and informative but also discouraging at the same time. You can get lost in between all the people disappointed by the results, the botched jobs, complications post-surgery, sky-high expectations... But the thing you have to remember is, most people have really good results. And once they get them, they get away from forums and go back to living their lives. It's healthy in a way, but it leaves a very skew vision of HT. So let's use this occasion to talk about the effect HT has had in your life, and spread some good vibes.

My case was mostly thinning and low hair density. I still had a good hairline but you could see my scalp, which made me very insecure (much more than I'd have admitted at the time). I tried Toppik and other hair concealers, but the effect made the hair look dirty and quite unnatural. I keep telling myself it wasn't so bad, but it was. Only now, a year post-HT, I can feel the difference. My confidence greatly increased, I feel much more at ease with myself and that translates to your environment. Thinks like flirting, having a heated debate with a coworker are much more easier now. Before I either felt I alternated between being too agreeable or too aggressive in order to overcompensate how I was feeling at the time. While post-HT I'm just calm and relaxed, secure in my habilites, which inspires respect. 

And the thing is, most of the time, no one will know you had any change done. Unless you're completely bald and come to the office next time with a full set of hair, people won't know. They'll say "you look great, you've been working out?" or "new clothes? love your new style". To them you just look younger, healthier, more well groomed and put together. Even if if for you, it's clear that the only difference is the hair, they don't, and won't put 2 and 2 together (at least consciously).

Everything isn't rosey, though. There's always like things you wish had knew before the surgery or details that you're unhappy with. In my case, in hindsight, I'd have corrected a bit my mature hairline. Also, I didn't ended up getting as much thickness and density as I'd have wished. But those are minor nitpicks, overall. My main and only big regret is not having done it sooner. 

My final advice to everyone considering HT is, by all means, get as informed as possible in regards to the procedure. But don't let the avalanche of information paralyze you, either. Try to get the best doctor possible, and know that in the end, everything is a leap of faith. You could get killed every time you cross the street, but that doesn't mean you have to be a shut-in and never leave your house.

 

Laser??? What do you mean?

On 12/6/2019 at 3:32 PM, LaserCap said:

It's your hair! Treat it as such.

Avoid shampoo that contains alcohol. This dries the scalp and that's when flakes begin. Baby shampoo should do the trick.

You can color your hair all you want.  I would allow a hair dresser to do it however.  It may cost a bit more but they're the experts when it comes to this.  I know of cases where a guy ended up burning his scalp because he didn't follow instructions. Going rate for this, by the way, is $35 - $60.

Keep a keen eye on shedding.  If it increases, add Laser to the mix. Not sure for how long you used Propecia. But, if it was for a lengthy period, you'll end up losing what you would have lost had you not been on the medication.  This can take up to one year.

1. I knew about baby shampoo during the months after HT, but not in perpetuity... 

2. I only used Fin during the first month post-HT.

In a few days it'll be just 1 year after I got my HT. I'm very happy with the decision and the result. In hindsight, maybe I'd have wished to correct a bit my hairline and to have gotten a bit more density. But those are minor complains, honestly. I've ended up with a result that looks natural and also miles better than what it was pre-HT.

I've got several questions for those with (at least) 12 months post-HT:

- Do you follow any particular regime still?

I'm on Rogaine twice a day, but stopped with the Fin shortly after having side effects. Haven't noticed any worsening yet.

- What kind of champu/conditioner/scalp treatment do you use?

- Have you tried any tint? If so, what kind so it's not bad for the hair?

- Any particular recommendations or tips, NOT-to-dos ... ?

14 hours ago, Rolandas said:

Don't give false hopes for people! They will start rubbing rogaine with big hopes...

Like I've said, if I see that it's just a random comment from someone a-la "hey, looking good! like your new haircut, looks superfull", then I don't feel like getting into my medical history. But if I see genuine curiosity along the likes of "wow! your hair looks amazing since last time I saw you. Mine is starting to fall off, I wish it was like yours", of course then I'll explain the whole procedure and will guide him and answer all doubts. 

Quote

You could always say it’s due to rogaine/propecia (as some celebs have done), but it’s nice to break the stigma if you’re brave enough. It’s very silly that hair transplants are seen as plugs by most people.

I think this is what I'll do. If someone mentions my hair offhand, I'll just say that it's Rogaine. But if I see real curiosity due to the other person suffering from alopecia, then I'll be totally straight and explain the procedure.

I appreciate all the answers so far. I want to clarify a bit more about my situation. My worry is not about being ashamed or trying to hide my HT, as I had absolutely no problem in explaining it during the weeks after the procedure when I had my scabs in display. The issue here is that I'm in some kind of grey area in where I have no idea on whether people will notice it or not. Could it be that friends see something "different" but can't point out if I got in shape, or is that I dress differently or what. Or it also could be that it's very evident that I got a lot more hair. So if someone says anything about my appearance just to make conversation and I immediately start rambling about my HT, it could be a case of "too much information". But on the opposite, I really don't want to lie or deny that I had anything done. 

It's a weird in-between.

Just to clarify, I am NOT talking about going back to work 3 days after HT surgery with all your scabs showing. No, I’m talking about people seeing you for the first time post-HT when it you’ve already grown a full set of hair.

A bit of context, I had my HT around a year ago. I was living abroad due to work, and only now I’ll be coming back home and hang again all my old friends. The thing is, the bulk of them haven’t seen me post HT and I’m a bit nervous on whether they’ll notice something or not and how to react. My case is a bit tricky because it’s not like before I was half bald, it was mostly thinning (hairline has stayed intact). Obviously, there’s a difference but it’s not super-evident at first sight. I don’t know if it’s best to be totally straight and talk about my HT or try to defuse the conversation and say that I started applying Rogaine snd it worked wonders on me or something.

Did any of you had a similar experience? How did you handled it? Any tips?

Thanks for this, Luke! Really appreciate it.

It's a bit of a relief that you can see a bit your scalp too. Don't get me wrong, I'm not happy your hair isn't superdense (which it still isª). It's that it looks so incredibly thick and dense in all the other photos that I thought my HT wasn't that successful in comparison. Now I see that it's more a case of my bathroom mirror light being superstrong and that it's natural too.

Hi Luke! Can I ask you a small favor? Now worries if it isn't possible, but could do shot the same kind of photos but in the harshest light possible? I say that because I had my HT almost 11 months ago, so my growth should be basically complete. And my hair looks good, much better than before the surgery, don't get me wrong. But at the same time, it's nowhere thicker and denser as yours. If I look it under a potent and harsh light, I can see my scalp in the front. Now I wonder if that happens to you too depending on the light or it's that my HT hasn't provided as much density as you have.

I'm around the 10 month mark post HT and I wonder if I can use Nioxin products for my hair. Anyone else uses it? Are they safe for HT hair?

That’s a really thoughtful answer. Re: medication, I’m doing Rogaine twice daily.

Just for the sake of discussion, let’s image I hadn’t had HT yet and wanted to, how much graphs do you think it would be to correct the hairline?