Dazed

I guess I was lucky in not noticing hair loos until I was in my 40s, but it really didn't bother me until I hit 60.  I figure I am only going around once.  I will let you all know how transplants work at my age in maybe 6 months.

I see most guys on here are fairly young compared to me at age 71.  I had my first FUT done in November 2011 - 2000 grafts, I was 64 and I had very good results, but knew I would eventually want more so Sep 10, 2018 I had 2300 FUE at age 71.  Depending on how this works out I may get another 2300 FUE for the crown area in a year or so.  The doctor says I have a great donor area.  My hair is mostly brown with graying on the sides.  I have done this as a retirement gift to myself since I retired in April, and I am planning a facelift in Costa Rica in January.  I am seeing a younger woman(not too young, but very hot) so that contributes to my desire to do these things.  Has anybody else ever started this late in life?  I am not looking for approval or disapproval of what I am doing, only wondering if anybody else has started this late.

28 minutes ago, sunny999 said:

Hi @Dazed Just want to follow up and see how is your hair growth progress are you seeing any issues or difficulties?

I has only been 2 weeks so I don't have any hair growth information.  I just noticed today  that some of the tiny scabs are gone.  The scabs this time seemed smaller and more densely packed than my last transplant in 2011.  I have still not touched my transplants, and wash my hair by pouring baby shampoo from a cup of luke warm water, and rinse the same way.  I allow the transplants to air dry, and also apply the saline solution about 6 times a day.  The hardest part of the whole thing was the numbing shots at the beginning.  Recovery has been a breeze except for the bad haircut.  The top of my hair looks fine, but the sides look like Alfalfa.  In retrospect I should probably just got a buzz cut before the procedure.  I just looked in the mirror and the majority of my scabs are gone.  The donor area is more tender than the recipient area, but even that is no big deal.  I liked Dr. Syed and Jess, and that is who you mostly deal with.  Schedule a consultation, you have no obligation and it is free.  They treated me great, but it is way too early to expect hair growth .  We are talking about 4-6 months waiting time.  I have done this before so I know what to expect.

Get a woman to show you how to use concealer.

Other than just your hair we need to be aware of skin cancer.  After all these years in the sun I now avoid it, and not just because of hair.

3 hours ago, literalno said:

only from UVB which is far lesser of UVA in terms of capacity to damage and ratio. That's why i'm concerned and looking for some anecdotal evidence of people who have walked in moderate levels of sun, say daylight for a few hours most days as is usual (but not in scorching weather) and still got great results. I really dont understand why a vet or two cant just chime in on the subject? please

By now you must realize that your perfect scenario may not be answered.  My first transplant I took 2 weeks off work and stayed covered all the time, but as I returned to work people would have thought it odd for me to wear a hat for an office job.  My hatless exposure was for 15 minutes at a time, but that was also in November when the sun was less intense, and I had no damage.  You need a select group who work outside and don't cover.  The answer to your question will only come from a very select group who may or may not even see this post.  I wish you luck, and think you may be overconcerned, but don't get frustrated if your message is not reaching the ones you want to hear from. 

I am a little fanatical about protecting the grafts.  You are probably overly concerned.  You didn't say how long it has been since your transplants.  Here is an article on sun exposure, and it is what I am doing.

https://www.chicagohairinstitute.com/blog/2017/02/20/avoiding-sun-exposure-after-hair-179641

Good, I was afraid you had done damage.  The angle of the sun should help you, but I would still cover that window.  Understand that I go a little overboard on the recovery process, and never expose the grafts to sunlight.

16 minutes ago, literalno said:

why would you say strip is easier? thought it's usually the other way around no?

I just found the strip process easier, and it didn't take near as long.  O f course you have to go back to get the stitches out, but after having both I prefer the strip, and you don't have to bother with the horrible haircut for months.  I was awake throughout the strip, but I slept through much of the FUE.

4 minutes ago, literalno said:

yes I will definitely do that for now, I'm just wondering any damage may have been done hence forth. Would someone with experience in hair transplants mind chiming in about how diligent or not diligent they were about avoiding any and all sun, and how they believe it affected or did not affect their results? I am pleading! Thank you 

You are really asking the people who were not diligent if that impacted their grafts, because I already gave you the answer to the diligent side.  You should rephrase your question, and ask what you are really concerned about.  Did you get a sunburn or feel that you had too much exposure to the sun?  I only post on here during the transplant and recovery process, but this is my 2nd transplant and I had great success with the first. 

No comment on migraines but I think the strip is much easier than FUE.  I have done both.

2 hours ago, literalno said:

my room doesnt have curtains and I wake up with sun shining on me sometimes, i'm wondering if that could potentially harm them? I'm deffs not getting burned but the sun could theoretically be shining on me the whole morning without me knowing it

I swear I am part vampire - a direct descendant of Vlad Dracule, and my grandfather did come from Translyvania.  I keep dark curtains on every window.  Why not just drape a blanket over that window for the time being.

My instructions are to not go over 30 minutes of bright sunlight, but I err on the side of caution, and wear a loose hat anytime I am in the sun, and that is not for very long, usually just in and out of a store..  The only other thing it says you can begin wearing sunscreen after 2 weeks.  This is my 2nd transplant, and I am being even more cautious this time than I was the first.  I will probably wear this hat in the sun for 4-6 months until the grafts start growing.  I hate hats and never wear them.  The choice is yours.  If you want to chance toasting your expensive grafts that is up to you.

Low Carb - enough said.

I avoid the sun at all cost..  I hate hats, so I stay out of the sun and I live in Florida.  6 day post transplant.

That's funny.  I didn't think about it until now but the doctor drew all over the top of my head before surgery, but when I woke up they were all gone. 

6 hours ago, Melvin-Moderator said:

There is no point in documenting results week by week, in fact most patients drive themselves mad trying to do this, after you have surgery you do not see results until the 3rd to 4th month. This is why we always advise patients to post their progress monthly not weekly.

Sage advice, unless you want to drive yourself crazy.  I know the transplants can take 4-6 months so waiting for that is worse than watching grass grow.  I remember with my first transplant that it just seemed like all of a sudden they were there.  I am only in day 6, but I do wish the donor area would grow faster so I don't have to walk around with this foolish haircut.  LOL  I hate wearing hats.

You might as well try to minimalize the damage.  If your doctor buzzes the recipient area there is no reason not to get a buzz cut.  YOU DO NOT WANT TO GO TO A BARBER AFTER THE TRANSPLANTS!  If he doesn't buzz the recipient area you can get one of those current styles that buzzes the sides and back.  Even with that your top will look like crap until the scabs fall off and you can really comb your hair.  I apply a saline solution often to the scabs so my hair always looks flat.  Day 6 for me and I have not touched the transplants.  I shampoo every day by mixing baby shampoo in a cup of luke wram water and pouring it over my scalp.  I use my fingers on the donor area, but do not touch the grafts.  I then use a cup again to pour over my hair and I let my top hair air dry.  DON'T TOUCH THE TRANSPLANTS!

@sunny999 Not really strange.  I was there from 8 AM until 5:30 PM with 2 people working on me.  Had the doctor done it alone it would have taken over 16 hours, and probably cost twice as much.   That may explain some of the crazy prices I see on here.  Both technicians had 15 years experience.  The doctor was very involved.  I may be wrong but I don't think you will find many doctors who do the entire job themselves.  This is a 2 man job.  One person does the extraction and the other person examines the extraction and does the implant.  I would say that the strip technique was much easier than FUE.  It was also technicians who did my 1st transplant that worked so well.  This doctor seemed to have more involvement than the 1st doctor.  Everything I read about this doctor was good.  I suggest you call for an appointment - it is free and you have nothing to lose.  1-888-430-6115.  The office is located on Sand Lake Commons which is a large group of office buildings off Turkey Lake Road right off I-4 - it is on the west side before you get to Sand Lake Road.  The donor area will be shaved and you will have a very bad haircut.  They did not shave the recipient area.  It has only been 5 days since my transplants , but at this point I have no regrets.  I am really babying my transplants and have not even touched them.  They use the NeoGraft extraction technique.  Don't schedule your appointment on your first visit because I waited about a week and they threw in an extra 100 grafts and PRP treatment to schedule.  Be ready for a very long day if you do this.  If you have any more questions feel free to ask, and as I heal I will probably have more information for you.

John Tinsley,  I am 71 and just had my 2nd transplant on Sep10.  2300 FUE.  In Nov. 2011 I had 2000 FUT at age 64, with wonderful results.  I could never figure out where I placed on the Norwood scale either.  I just knew my top was thinning.  This time I did it to get a fuller look in front, and the doctor said I have a great donor area, and in a year and a half I may consider filling in the crown area more.  If this transplant goes as good as the first I will be in 7th heaven.  I am being even more cautious with the transplants this time than I was the first time.  I mix baby shampoo in a cup of luke warm water and poor it over the transplants without touching them.  I do use my fingers on the donor area.  I then rinse with a few cups of luke warm water, again not touching the transplants, and I let my hair air dry.  I also spray the grafts with a saline solution several times a day.  Good luck on your journey!

22 minutes ago, jonfromozz said:

I use Herbatint, a natural color with no harmful chemicals.

Herbatint gets good reviews on Amazon.  It will be a good 4-6 months before I try anything, but that is now on my list.  Thank You.  I am looking to start with a medium brown and maybe switch to a darker brown later.

1 hour ago, Dr. Glenn Charles said:

There is no problem dying the transplanted hair once it starts growing.(4-6 months). Just make sure you are using one of the newer dyes that are safer and less harmful to the hair. ( Ammonia free, organic or plant based)

Does anyone have a list of the safe dyes?  I just Googled this.

https://www.goodhousekeeping.com/beauty-products/hair-dye-reviews/advice/a17382/non-toxic-hair-dyes-55021302/

I think I will just go with the Just For Men Shampoo.

Just had my 2300 on Monday and they did not shave the front.  I now have a terrible haircut with the shaved back, but hell some guys actually get haircuts like that.  They had to dye my donor area after they buzzed it to see the donor hairs so I am thinking I will need to dye my hair in about 6 months or I will have too much gray.  I am now in the waiting game to see the final results, and that seems to take forever. 

It is so important to achieve an even balance. One time when I had a beard I got it too dark and I looked like a terrorist.  LOL  I will probably try the medium brown from Just for Men and if that works I may transition to the darker brown.  I have gray around the sides, but I am not sure what my latest transplant will come in as.  I would love black hair, but that very seldom look right.

Since I just had it done on Monday it would be hard for me to say.  My hairline was already established from a previous transplant in 2011, and I was just getting supplemental work done.  2 very experience technicians did most of the work, but he was in and out constantly.  The numbing shots are the worst thing about the whole thing, and you may want to stay in the hotel next door after the surgery.  I drove home, but I was very tired.  I do like the doctor.