Lennney

Good luck on your journey! Thanks for the posts, and keep them up!

Apply minox (I don't use anything near 1ml, since I use the spray nozzle, I just spray the base of my HT) and try to let it sit and dry for an hour to hour and a half. I found that once it dries, I can style my hair similar to pre-minox, but the minox will hold the shape of my styling. I think it's normal to loose the illusion of density after wetting your hair. For me, month 5 was the start of when my hair could pass as "normal". It improved greatly in the next month. Good progress in my opinion as well for the 5 month mark. The hairline is there, and so are the temples. Now it just needs more time to grow, thicken, and blend into the rest of your hair. Good haircare, with only concern being nizoral. I searched forum and saw Bill advocate against it (certain percentage one, forgot which), so I ditched it entirely. It still looks at me in the shower. Good job with RO water. Clean and easy to use for your scalp. Have you considered going full-time on biotin after the ~6 months Bhatti recommends? Hlptoronto and I have been looking at less costly mixes of biotin+FA that comes in the tinfal. Tinfal is nice and convenient, but substantially more than the individual components. I can't vote for or against PRP, but I will say this: I would do whatever the conventional wisdom says to do. If 70%+ does something, I would probably do it. I hate to go against doc's recommendation, but if the overwhelming majority do it, I would probably do it as well. With PRP, I don't know if most docs recommend/apply PRP for their patients. To illustrate, there's a good doc, I believe Diep, who does not recommend applying saline post surgery, and as a result, his patients have extremely crusty surgery areas in donor and especially recipient. His results are good, but he says it's not necessary. In this case, I would consider applying saline for a week or two because it's the overwhelming consensus, and I would do it. With PRP, I don't know if there's consensus either way, plus, the in-favor of PRP recommend using it earlier than 5 months to boost initial growth (I think), so idk if the "ship has sailed". I just quick checked and some recommended after HT (week or two) and again at 6 months. I honestly think that if YOU think it'll help, it's worth it. If you're undecided, or you think it's not necessary, don't do it. Maybe there's a study on it? I haven't looked into it, but I am curious to read about it!

Now you got me thinking of the basic advice of: don't wash your hair every time you shower. I was reminded of this by a BF of a friend. He said he stopped washing his hair (sometimes twice) daily, and more weekly. He said it took a few months, but his hair quality improved. Maybe minox does too much stripping of oils. All the people I've met who had amazing hair told me they didn't wash their hair more than 3 times a week.

Quick question: approximately how long after HT did your hair stop having the curl/ rigidity and start to behave like your other hairs? I'm curious as to when my hair will stop acting like a hair brush, and more like the softer existing hair.

Thanks. I may chalk it up to being a fast grower, but the results from HT are great. Everything I wanted.

I wrote some thoughts here, but I managed to loose it all, even with the editor thing trying to help. I can explain the points, but I'll just use bullet point format. What I basically said is: I am very pleased with my progress. I got my expected results (for the entire HT) very fast (at 6 months), and I don't know if I can expect more growth, but I feel satisfied with my HT. ******I was nervous for a trip I have in 1month, but am thrilled to be ready (hair-wise) for it. I booked it in December, before my HT. I fully expected to look less complete, like my 120 day result I am posting below. This progress has been a real gift.***** My only "improvement" I'm waiting for is the new hair to loose it's curl. Not a complaint, as it is expected and normal, but I think that will be the largest improvement to my look from this point forward. I look younger objectively. Coworkers, grocery stores, and especially restaurants think I am younger now. I get carded at restaurants like I did in my early 20s, maybe up to 25/26. I used to "never" get carded, where now I think I'm 5/6 or 5/7 in last two months. I made that point above to emphasize: "We are our own worst critic". If the world sees you as: younger, healthier, more attractive etc, let them. Don't feel like you have to keep improving your look to meet some Instagram expectations. Don't buy into the hype of others when it comes to hair. Everyone has different hair, and no one makes a huge deal about it. Look at Brad Pitt. He has great hair. Look again at his temples, they literally go above his eyebrows. If he was on this forum saying he just had a HT he would get roasted by members saying his temple points look ridiculous and unnatural. His temples do look unnatural compared to others. Kit Harrington has a wacky hairline compared to others. If members got those styles from a doc, I can already imagine the toxicity. Just own your appearance and don't concern yourself. You'd be surprised at what passes as "acceptable" to the eye test of the passerby. A massive take away is this: I am now ready, at the 6 month mark, to basically start my public life over. I mean this as, I don't post to social media or take professional pics. I am ready to update my social media from basically 6-12months before my HT. I need to update my LinkedIn with a fresher pic. It's wild, but I feel like I only have a passing resemblance to my prior self. I try to make sure I don't show coworkers pics of me before the HT (during India trip I had with SO, I only show SO by zooming in on only my face or only on SO). All of those pics from that trip were not posted. I am excited to actually share with my social world my travels and myself (if I didn't do a HT, I probably would have shared travels. Now that I know my appearance is changing/improving I guess I am choosing to wait). Anyway, thanks to everyone for following the journey. I think I will make updates at the month mark now. Maybe I'll continue the bimonthly thing, but IDK if it's necessary. Happy to answer any bullet points that were not clear, again, real bummed that everything was lost from first edit. Here is the pic for the ***** bullet point, where I thought I may be at the 7 month mark from having "so few" grafts. This is again at the 120 day mark.

Here is my donor post haircut. I didn't update in a long time, but I figured it's not worth mentioning (which I think is good). The real bummer is the crown thinning. I haven't been applying minox there in probably 1-1.5 years or so. I think I need to apply minox regularly there again. I'm honestly not surprised I'm thinning and balding at the crown, but of course it sucks. Oh well. As another member said recently ,"It won't bother me unless it becomes shiny" or something to that effect. I completely agree. If I start really thinning there, I think I'll change my hairstyle to a shorter on crown style, very similar to what @CosmoKramer is currently shooting for. It'll soften the transition from hair to balding area while also letting me keep the top long.

And now I have the post haircut pics. I washed my hair (in photos above) to get rid of minox and to make my hair easier for the barber to cut. The photos below are post shower and simply towel and air dried. No product/minox and no styling. The pics below are styled how I would before I go to work. Again, I normally use minox to hold the style, but I didn't use it here.

Okay, here are some updates. I took 4 sets of pics. All are post shower (used J&J baby shampoo, no conditioner) and no product/medicine. The first 4 are after towel + air dry. I didn't style hair at all. \ The next 4 is what I usually do when I go to work. I didn't use it here because it takes time to dry and I style it after, but I apply minox and it helps hold the style similar to hair product.

I've been meaning to update sooner, on the 8th (for the 180 day update). I tried to get a haircut but barber is still out, and isn't clear when he will return. I will get a haircut this Saturday and update then. I haven't forgotten, just keep getting delayed...

I don't know about mixing the two. After a HT, a common side effect is oedema. Rhinoplasty also has this. I don't know if this will lead to issues or complications with the rhino. You should Google to see if there are people in the world who did both, or if doctors have advice for the two.

I get it. I've had smaller "addictions" with gambling and whatnot. I was able to help myself, and my addictions never interfered with my life. You sound like you need help from a counselor. Getting help will free up your income to use on your health and for your kids' benefit. I wish you the best. Please reach out to resources. https://www.nhs.uk/live-well/healthy-body/gambling-addiction/

Use the search feature at the top, and select "content titles only" to search for your preselected clinics/docs. You are not likely to see the patients of these clinics respond in the next 3-10 days (before your potential HT) because most are not active daily. If you want their perspective, check their postings. From what I've seen, there is uncertainty with longevita. No one can confirm that a certain doc will be used over another. But again, you can find this by searching the forum. It's your money and hair/health. All of the docs mentioned are inexpensive enough for you to charge on a credit card. I've seen braces cost less. My point is: sure the cost is low financially, is the health cost (risk) also low? Turkey has many good clinics, and several bad ones. I think you should consider (read as: research) cinik and demirsoy if you are adamant on going to Turkey this summer. If you reach out to a recommended clinic, I can't say with certainty that they will have availability for you (this is a truly bold assumption). If you're settling on just whoever is available this summer (from the preselected and recommend options), it logically doesn't make sense to wait any further to book your HT. Book now as slots will only fill up. You'll be disappointed that you researched docs instead of just booking and going to get it done. There are other holidays, namely Christmas which affords time off from work, and from your kids' school. I and many others used this break to get our HTs done, and it allows you to wear a hat without question - something that is negligible for you Can you not place the money into a savings account and use it later? Does it disappear this September? You said you saved up, so I don't see why waiting months (not years) is impossible. You're committing to a permanent cosmetic alteration of your appearance, an appearance you're sensitive about. Do as much research as you reasonably can, and get the best doc that you can [afford]. Have you thought about this time next year? You'll have all the options available to you: you'll save even more, all your scheduling will be even better [for you and your kids] (and you can plan it months out), you'll guarantee the doc's availability, you can scan airline prices for the best deals (save money) and you can have all this knowing you did your best to find an ethical doc/clinic who wants the best for you. Maybe I plan too much, but everything goes a lot smoother when I do and I don't get any surprises. Do what's best for your long term interests.

If you're struggling to find a good clinic, maybe not committing yourself to a surgery date of less than 30 days would be a start. This forum has recommended docs, in its own tab, so I think you should look there. Those docs have at least some proven track record of success. For both advice for you to find a good clinic and get it for a decent price, you should wait til September or so to travel. If money is an issue for you, as you mention it several times, travel should be less during that time. Tickets will be a little less, and you'll have more time to research. Virtually all clinics in Turkey are technician run from what I've seen, and just about all charge the same. You'll get your HT for a low cost there. Your HT is your decision. Don't feel compelled to use a certain doc over another. If you have a bad result, you'll regret not trusting your instincts. Do as much research as you possibly can before you commit. The writing makes me feel like you're jumping into a decision blind.

This issue comes up a lot, so I will try to address it here as clearly as I can. I think a lot of your issue with the bald spot comes down to you having such a high contrast between the transplanted area and the surrounding hair. I'll make my point. The gentleman below (A) has some receding temples, but nothing too crazy. His recession is pronounced due to him having lots of hair on the sides and the top. The stark contrast between hair density and the void of density is what makes this apparent. Would the recession look less serious if his hair were shorter? I think yes. Another gentleman below (B) has a similar haircut and doesn't have as much recession. He still has recession, but if you notice, he can mask some of it away with a "lighter," less dense look on his sides + top. He doesn't carry the [exaggerated] look that (D) has. By keeping the sides less "full" (B) doesn't show the contrast, and the density appears more uniform. Dolph (C) has a shorter haircut and less density than (B) and more recession and thinning than (A). Dolph's hair looks a lot better than (A)'s because the transition from hair (not crazy dense) to thinning area (less dense) isn't as pronounced. Imagine Dolph with (A)'s haircut. His hair would not look good. Dolph is thinning and receding, but his hair looks fine because he avoids the pitfall of too much density. Would you critique Dolph's hair? Maybe. But at passing and general observation, his hair looks fine, and he styles it appropriately to minimize the effect of thinning/ recession. By contrast, you have more of (A)'s haircut. Any difference in density will be very obvious. The remedy to the contrast is a shorter haircut on the sides, and the use of thinning shears/ thinning scissors. You need to rid yourself of the bulk which makes it painfully obvious if any area doesn't have the same heavy density. Go for style (B) or (C) if you want to minimize the contrast. Keep your hair as it is if you're comfortable with styling over the less dense area. Again, I've seen many others, not just you, @Curlinginthesquatrack who have this issue, and I would use words to explain. I think this is as clear a demonstration I can make. (A) (/A) (B) (/B) (C) (/C) (D) (/D)

Thanks for the input. As far as expensive goes, have you given any thought to generics (?), Online stores [possibly India](?), Or going across border to Canada or Mexico or picking it up from travels abroad? Even if it was less expensive, it doesn't sound like you're looking to up dosage from your current regiment. But have you thought of less expensive means? Did you not like generics?

I only experienced a HT with a shave, but I would recommend it. 1. It made it easy to wash my hair. I lightly tapped the medication on my recipient/donor during the initial few days. It was nice to also rinse the medication off my scalp without having the long hair block the water/ hold onto the medication when it was intended for the scalp. 2. Showers. I appreciated the same ease in rinsing the medication and baby shampoo while in the shower. I blocked most of the water from the showerhead with my hand, and let only trickles hit my scalp, only with the power of gravity (rather than the PSI + gravity of the showerhead). 3. Not really a pro, but it was nice to keep a consistent look. I looked like ass, but at least the look was pretty consistent (ugly phase). I may have had to field questions of a skin condition if I had hair everywhere but the recipient. It is also easier to see the growth come in. 4. Yours looks fine, but the FUT scar and especially the FUE donor can look wacky with a partial shave. It looks like someone fell asleep at a party and had their "friends" shave a random section of their hair. I would recommend doing the partial shave if someone did the hair transplant behind an already established hairline. Other issues aside, I think it's easier to push hair back than it is to push hair forward (it's why we all get HTs, the hairline!). For me, I just accepted my fate. I've been in compromising situations where I had no control over my appearance. I looked like ass for a period. I just accepted it because I couldn't do anything at the time. (It only lasted a short while, so I knew I could fix it eventually). I just embraced the ugly duckling phase.

Steady progress and improvement! Hairline is emerging and the temples are coming in. Mine looked like yours; somewhat thin, but passable as natural. Mine have come a long way in just weeks. I'm really excited for your progress pics, the changes are just ramping up.

Clean work done, now you're on your way! Was there a particular reason you chose not to shave your hair? I was always curious about the partially shaved requests. From my perspective, it doesn't seem to help, and only makes washing/caring more difficult. Anyways, I know you had a rough time with sun and such last recovery period, I wish you the best this time around.

The results are transformative. You look much better for it! Good plan to do part now and part later. Easier to plan your next HT, but honestly, even without full results coming in, it looks very good (where I wouldn't get another HT, at least not soon)! The one pic where it is more head-on as opposed to a looking down pics it looks like your hair is age appropriate and reasonable. Again, you're not at the end of your results, so there will be improvement still. And you look great. Enjoy the new hair and the new look!

I forgot the user who said, "Don't plan on having it fail, plan to use a doc who you think will succeed" when there was talk of a "guaranteed minimum" number of hairs that survive, as opposed to using a doc who didn't have such guarantees. I saw good results on cinik since I had some reservations recommending before I looked into it (I won't go into why here), but my reservations were absolved. I think I also have a favorable view on demirsoy from prior reviews. I don't have an opinion on yasul. Your decision should not be on who will pay[?!] you for a bad result, but who you think has best chance of success. Absolutely no doc can guarantee your HT will be good (I've had long conversations about this), and a money back guarantee is at least comforting, but it should come AFTER you compare doc's skills assuming everything else is equal. If one is better without a guarantee, I would go with that one. Like I said, two I am familiar with and would say are good financial (cost and value) options with a good track record of results. Own your decision. Don't feel pressured to pick one your gut doesn't want. You should feel like you're picking a doc, not settling for one Best of luck.

Alternatives which have less symptoms, not really right now. You can try what other symptom sufferers do, and go on saw palmetto. As far as results go, you're in a bubble. The bubble is people who A. Are available on this forum B. Have accounts C. Took time to visit thread D. Have heard symptom warnings repeatedly on this forum. Again, these results don't see my former co-workers who have been on fin for 7 and 10 years, they don't get a vote. A+B is simple removal from the at-large population. This may skew results either way, but... C. Is the interest in this thread. This will invite the strongest opinions (same as reviews for a restaurant, only the really impressed or disappointed people review [and habitual reviewers]). This would be my guess at the bias. Logically there are more than (at the time of writing) 13 fin users on this entire forum. You're likely getting the negative reviewers who take time out to vote where other members and by extension, A. visitors do not. D. Many of the side effects are in the mind. I'm not arguing that there are not real side effects, only that there is a statistically small chance that a new user will experience them. Placing a placebo in the mind is actually very powerful. Please at least look at this article... https://www.painscience.com/biblio/fascinating-landmark-study-of-placebo-surgery-for-knee-osteoarthritis.html Long story short is, people with knee arthritis had same (favorable!!) results with a placebo as they did with the surgeries. It completely changed knee surgeries for osteoarthritis. When you're in an echo chamber which pushes a "lookout for symptoms", it becomes very possible to manufacture these symptoms, especially since the symptoms are largely mental and not physical. My guess for D. Is that docs warn the patients, but don't go on to tell horror stories. These patients don't hear the bad, and don't think about it. These patients would therefore not have a reason to look for the symptoms. These patients would then be less likely to make accounts A+B, and less likely to post in the poll C. Anyway, good poll to have. Like all polls and surveys, a lot of thought has to be placed into the application and potential bias.

Fantastic article link Nelson. I'll check the references to the conventions later when I have more time, but I read the article and it was very informative. References 5 and 13 are the largest "cons" of DHT, and seem to persist with the past and even improved methods: It is undeniable that DHT is more time consuming and requires more focus than the alternative methods. (#5) It is also therefore related that the increased focus and time consuming nature will be more prone to H errors. (#13). This isn't a critique of Eugenix, but the process. I know Eugenix works to get it right by using the two+ named docs (I mean this as "not amateur" but skilled docs) for a single surgery (at least that's what I understand, perhaps only one doc is used for surgeries of 2000+ grafts). A key issue Bhatti brings up is the medium which suspends the hairs for FUE and FUT. He says that there is great success with it, and it may not be worth the added "effort" to use the DHT method (costs, additional docs, concentration required). The article mentions Limmer, and his survival article from 1996. I bring this up because in the last 23 years, the HT medical community has come a long way. I can't pull the article up (maybe if I have more time and my computer, I can research it more), but perhaps his method of suspending the hairs is different and worse than the current methods Bhatti uses (and by extension, other docs use). I mean this as: perhaps graft survival as it is related to time-out-of-body isn't an issue that needs attention (perhaps compared to the other named issues of "physical handling, mechanical trauma, chances of desiccation, hypoxia, infection and grafts getting heated heated" sorry for formatting I didn't want text to be big, and I wanted to *strike* hypoxia, but can't on mobile...) With the claims of improvement from DHT over the traditional FUE and FUT methods, it would be beneficial for everyone involved to do a comprehensive controlled study of efficacy between those 3 methods. I think it's beneficial for patients everywhere if any 1(+) method is statistically superior to the other(s). Again, solid info as always Gabrielle! Thanks for the read!

Genuine question, how does approximately 2 inch length look like from the front. You can crop your eyes and face out if you're sensitive to your identity. I'm curious to see how you look 6+ months (and again 12+ months) from the front with 2+ inches of hair. Top down view doesn't tell the full picture (no pun intended). The density placed was always going to be less than the pre-balding Johan density. In my humble opinion, I think your hair from the front, with some length will be a marked improvement over your previous situation. I know some people aren't happy with "improvement", and want full satisfaction. In my humble opinion, as long as there is improvement, there is some progress. I think it would be helpful to at least see what that looks like. With the frontal+length pics, we could all see if you are improving, no change (in), or regressing with your hair situation. I wanted to "appear" not bald, not necessarily be not bald. Members continue to use hair products to style their hair in favorable way, this doesn't mean they're disappointed with results. Melvin and many other members style their hair with hair fibres, it doesn't mean they're unhappy with their results, or didn't achieve what the sought. It's your thread and I apologize for sidetracking it with the earlier posts.

Probably me Bill was referring to. Nebulosity repeatedly told me I wasn't going to be happy several times, and that it was imperative that I sign up/plan for another HT now. His comments to me are fine, because I don't have doubt another member may have. I do agree a constant insistence against a patient's happy results should not have a place here. Johan, you're free to feel however you feel about your HT. I still think you'd feel better if you grow your hair out.