In my opinion I think it’s best to work front to back. What does your hairline look like when you style it? If you can camouflage this I would try and hold off on using those precious grafts for a while. If you do have surgery going by your pics I suggest filling any disconnect between your lateral humps. This is again just my opinion and others I’m sure will chime in. All the best!
I’ve tried lots of things over the years for transplant redness (as well as scars). To be honest I don’t know if anything really helps to speed up this process. The good thing though is that it will definitely disappear in time.
Initially great. I owned it and threw a wig party. The last ten years was a drag and I would have loved to have just thrown them in the bin. I wore a hairpiece to hide a hairline scar (as well as my baldness).
Personally I would not lower your hairline any lower than it already is. Going by the photos you have provided I would not have any surgery. Are you taking any medication at the moment?
I was in a very similar situation as you. I started with 1mg a day and developed sexual side effects after 6-8 weeks. I stayed on the drug for another 6-8 weeks. The side effects stayed so I ceased the drug. I then waited two months so the drug was out of my system (and my libido had returned) and tried 1mg every other day. The same thing with sexual side effects happened again at about the two month mark. I stuck with the drug this time for six months in the hope that the side effects might eventually pass which they didn’t. After six months I ceased the drug again. I tried the same again on 0.25mg every day for for another five months at a later stage and again under the guidance of an excellent dermatologist using 0.25ml topical minoxidil for about six months which also resulted in my libido disappearing so I stopped that too.
You could try a topical version of Finasteride at say 0.1ml’s as many people who get side effects orally don’t get side effects topically. This could rule out the drug if you still get side effects. The benefit of a 5ari is that even as a Norwood 7 like myself who has had surgery, you want to still protect your donor (and transplant) from thinning over time. The donor is DHT resistant. It’s not DHT proof. I’m currently taking 5mg oral minoxidil a day with no side effects of any kind and it has made my hair fuller and thicker. All the best.
@knightfurii I would take the advice and begin finasteride now at 1mg a day as stated by your doctor. I would give this medication a good 6-12 months to see how much your hair will benefit from the drug. Even if you feel your hair is still the same in 12 months then you have stabilized your hair loss and the drug is working. This will then position you well if you decide to have surgery. However you may also be happy with the results of just staying on Finasteride. All the best.
Have you tried oral minoxidil? IMHO I would not get another transplant at this stage. Going by your pics I think it just needs to be styled more. How old are you can I ask?
Probably by 5-6 months I noticed improvement. At one year I definitely felt the full benefit of thicker scalp and beard hair. My hair transplant just felt fuller all round. Same with my donor.
@track_rat this is becomes the greatest repair of all time. Already those ilL placed beard grafts in the crown by Eugenix are becoming a thing of the past! You are down the home straight now proving that guts, patience and determination does work. Super happy for you. The next surgery will seal the deal for sure. 👌💯
You have a lot of hair to keep so medication would be your first option. Going by this one pic I would say you are a Norwood 5 going to Norwood 6. At 65 your hair loss may well have stabilized. But if surgery is on the card then I would still be looking at medication first. All the best.
I wore a hair system/patch/wig, etc for 25 years. Just use a normal hair shampoo and conditioner that ensures your hair and scalp is healthy. Don’t wear a hair piece at night. Have days where you give your scalp a rest by wearing a cap or nothing. All the best.