CosmoKramer

Here is a great info wiki on microneedling for all interested to check out: https://www.reddit.com/r/tressless/wiki/microneedling

Good luck man! Stick to it for at least 6months...I’ve recently seen some info from some studies that show topical fin to be better at fighting scalp dht than oral fin.

@Melvin-Moderator if it’s cool, I’ll post the microneedling reddit wiki here and on my microneedling thread...and will be updating mine with some recent photos.. Here is link: https://www.reddit.com/r/tressless/wiki/microneedling

Exactly! When I set the derma pen to 0.5mm or even 1mm I barely feel as if I’m doing anything, and I doubt it’s reaching the full dept as I don’t rest the needles in one spot for too long, just slightly firmly but quickly...enough to feel the blood rushing and pumping to my scalp, which I like...and using a derma pen is definitely much better for possibly quicker results than one may get with a roll, just my experience and opinion, though a roller is better than nothing.

Yes, this is the assumed “norm” to get some results and I originally started with 1.5mm 1x a week, although I see better results with 3-4x a week, for myself personally my skin heals well and I don’t push the pen needles too hard and even though I have it set to 2mm due to my HT hairs in the way I know that the derma pen is not actually going the full depth of 2mm....but yes, that’s a good protocol to start with that you listed...nothing is set in stone as it’s taken a lot of people experimenting with different routines.

Hi Youre donor looks good, I think 3k or more grafts in your frontal 1/3 should be good in you’re case. My advice, bring along older photos of yourself with less hair loss to show them as well as any photos of hairline examples that you would like. Good luck!

Very nice results!

This is why a lot of bodybuilders also take propecia/Finasteride and aromatase inhibitors to counteract the excess T and any excess conversion to DHT or estrogen. Personally, I take a few nettle root extract capsules an hour before I hit the gym as nettle root prevents Testosterone from binding to SHBG and lets it roam free in the body...I do notice a slight boost occasionally.

Here is some good motivation if you haven’t seen these guys progress...if it’s cool to post these as they are from Reddit or another hair loss forum (if not, feel free to remove). The last 2 photos the guy looks to have had DUPA and his progress looked great. These are 2 different people just to be clear, 1st screen grab is one guy the other two photos is a different guy.

Great to see your own microneedling progress thread, @Melvin-Moderator! Definitely following! I too noticed a faster heart rate if I applied my Minoxidil right after a session so now I wait at least an hour or two and it less of an issue, and yeah , it shows that the Minoxidil is absorbing better. Two week is way early and the only progress you’ll see is shedding of any native hairs that are miniaturized or in the process of miniaturization as the better blood flow/oxygen/nutrition to the bulb kicks it into action, I shed a bunch the first few weeks and this was before I even started incorporating any Minoxidil (which I did about a few weeks later). I would definitely recommend getting a small glass atomizer or spray bottle and fill it with filtered water then add some drops of peppermint oil and spray your scalp with it before each microneedling session...as wet hair makes it easier to use the derma roller so as not to damage existing hairs and the peppermint oil drops get the blood flow going too.

Unless you roughly rubbed the aloe on your recipient area daily the first few weeks, then I might be concerned but otherwise you should be fine and as @Melvin-Moderator said, just apply it to your donor if needed.

Hey man, Seems like you’ve done everything properly..,from pre HT stabilizing your hair loss to your research. The work looks nice and clean and glad to see more patient threads from this clinic. Best of luck with your progress!

You’re welcome! Cool man! 👍🏻

Looks great Craig! Your donor area in the photo looks fantastic almost like you never had any grafts take let alone 5,015 of them!

Hey man, Firstly, I think you pull off the shaved head look really well and have a good shaped head and it looks good....I would say grow a good beard and rock that look but I totally understand wanting your hair back. I think it important to let your hair grow out a few inches in order for you and any ht doc to asses your exact current hair situation and how advanced the loss has been, then I would look at the Patient posted results on this forum for similar Norwood cases to yours then have a friend or family member take many clear photos from all angles and send them to surgeons for opinions and if possible go to any reputable HT surgeons in your area for an in person consultation. I would suggest you give microneedling a try and get back on the medication as the combination could surprise you with some results, as I, had used Minoxidil on and off for 15 years and barely saw any results until I combined it with microneedling...and an HT, and I would say I was close to a NW 5 before anything. Also, take your time doing plenty of research, you want to get it right the 1st time.

Remember his tv commercials when I was a kid, even though toups are not my liking, his openness likely helped many....and the $45 million he sold his company was icing on his cake.

You don’t need an HT, your hairline looks fine and if it were made lower it would look artificial.

Hadn’t seen this thread before today...fantastic results! Congrats man! Mind me asking your age?

Thanks Melvin! Oh cool, definitely interesting in seeing your progress too, post it! 🙂 Yes, I definitely recommend using a derma pen over a derma roller, it’s just more efficient and in my opinion effective as it stamps the skin rather than using a roller that may create longer grooves as it rolls. Follica’s method is using their own type proprietary “pen”.

New microneedling progress update: Its been around 7 months of my microneedling routine and there’s been some very good progress and some not so good. The very good: Im seeing great improvement in my temple peaks/triangles as the newly grown hairs are getting longer and thicker (not thrilled with the Minoxidil flaking as it gets itchy and annoyingly but funny enough in the last 2 photos I itched a bit too much above the peak and it looks like the hairs got stronger), you can see the new hairs thick and dark in comparison to my native grey/white hairs. And even better...I’m seeing new black follicle dots and fine hairs in the center of my hairline growing just below my transplanted hair...an area that has been bald of any hair since around 15 plus years and the most stubborn... I don’t know if is newly created hairs or miniaturized hairs now reawakening but glad it’s happening. The not so good news: The progress in my crown is that over the past 2 months due to some harsh shedding most of my gains shed...but that may be a good sign as I hope the hairs are going through a new cycle to grow thicker new hairs...and I am starting to feel some stubble in my crown so hoping they all grow strong too.

This is a certain state’s senate bill...not a federal bill right? I wouldn’t go to one if no actual MD was somewhat involved.

NYC?..🗽nice! Just saw your 4.5 month update...progress still looking good and as it should...don’t worry about it looking thin, still early in the game, I truly saw an improvement even from months 12-15 and up to 18 in the form of ht hair thickening and maturity.

👍🏻

Touch-up progress looking good, Marshall!

That’s fair and reasonable.