MazAB

My thought process there would be if you have an awesome surgeon who cares about you, and an unlimited suppy of beard donor, you only got one life to live, so go for it💪!

I know the crown has always been the biggest challenge for you Melvin. I'm so happy it finally all came together, congrats 👏!!!

It is definitely normal at 8 months, however even at a year when it all settles down and you have less of the kinky growth factor, you are still dealing with hairs transplanted far apart that can't support each other as well as closely packed native hairs. Because transplanted hairs are always far apart compared to native hairs, you don't have the benefit of the hairs supporting each other and keeping each other in line, especially with longer growth. I've noticed when using any oil based product, or even like the products I suggested it helps a ton with taming. The biggest game changer for me though was the 2nd transplant. Having greater density now, the hairs support each other much better and cooperate. No better fix than more density in my opinion.

Thanks @Big Rome! Really appreciate all the support and encouragement! Heart palpitations is the biggest reason why. Never had those with Topical but definitely have with Oral. After reducing it to 0.6mg per day, it has been reduced quite a bit, but after watching Kevin Mann's HairCafe video on the topic recently, and how it could have negative effects on the heart long term with some individuals using the drug, I've decided to get off entirely once I can begin microneedling again. I'm well aware that microneedling doesn't replace the profound effects you get with OM, but it will help to improve the absorption of topical much greater. I'm hoping because I'm on such a low dosage, that once I start microneedling, the greater effects of TM will offset the absence of taking it orally. It was not an easy decision to make for sure.

Thanks @ZeeMan! Here are the products I swear by. They are texturizing products that add a ton of volume and much needed controlability to the hair. I have personally struggled a bit with hard to tame transplanted hair as many do, but these products allow me to bend and shape the style I want without any effort. Absolutely love them, and find it helps with added density as well.

Month 9 I just turned 51 this month and it's so hard to believe that I started this journey exactly 1 year and 11 months ago. I was a Norwood 3 almost my entire life and yet I can't remember what my old receded hairline looks like anymore.😁 No better feeling than when you don't have to think about hair anymore, outside of what style should I try this month, LOL! The only area I hope to have just a little more improvement with is my left temple. It still looks good, but not as good as the right temple. Hopefully with just a few more months of maturity, the density will match better from the edge of the temple, blending to the back of the temple. More of a nit-pick than a complaint, and honestly if it never improved further I'd still be very happy with it. My diet, supplements and exercise regimen has stayed constant. I'm still taking Dutasteride twice weekly. Finasteride 5 times weekly. Topical Minoxidil 5% daily. Oral Minoxidil 0.6mg daily. LLLT - 5x weekly. Once I hit the 1 year mark, I'll cut out Oral Minoxidil altogether and add microneedling weekly with only Topical Minoxidil moving forward. I'm so happy with this close to final outcome. Thank you @Eugenix Hair Sciences for the incredible work you do day in and day out. The many lives you've had a positive impact on are immeasurable. I always knew I'd eventually get my hair back, but I never imagined or dreamed that it could look this good after doing it. I'm forever grateful for this incredible gift you have given me and many others.

So happy for you Adrian! Hair and love, no better combo brother! Follow my Journey with Eugenix and Dr Arika Bansal!

Un-Freakin-Believable John!!!

Looks great! I agree @Shadman, a second procedure for the crown you would be complete 😉!

Hitting your stride would be an understatement for you at 5 months Adrian. This looks more like 12 months, and the SMP is definitely an incredible added bonus for you! What a huge difference it is making for you this time around. Like I told you earlier, you took 15 years off! Love the hair style as well😉! Fun times ahead to see it all mature

You went to the right clinic and Dr. Somesh is a great surgeon. I had a chance to meet him for my 2nd procedure that he assisted with. Looking at the work rendered on you, no doubt you are in a strong position for a awesome end result! Will definitely be following this one! Best of luck and happy growing! Follow my Journey with Eugenix and Dr Arika Bansal!

Great result so far @V2.Schneider!!! Right where you should be at 8 months. You'll never get the balanced growth at 8 months. You'll have your strong spots and weak spots. It all tends to balance out better when you get closer to the one year mark. One of my own misconceptions was that I thought the maturity would come faster since my hair grew right away. That definitely was not case for me, and so many others. The hair tends to grow fast coming out of the Eugenix, as the process, techniques and science are top notch, but the maturity is the longer drawn out process for sure. Follow my Journey with Eugenix and Dr Arika Bansal!

The slick back looks awesome on you Karl! Definitely the best look on you, and if it hides more in the crown area then it's a double win. I would agree that is the better approach than the pony tail. I've always thought the pony tail had a more hippie look to it, which, knowing you, definitely doesn't suit your overall image. Looking better by the day Karl! I do have a suggestion for you though. Not sure what kind of hair brush you are using, but unless it's a boar bristle brush, the regular combs and brushes tend to cluster the hairs together instead of spreading them out evenly. What I've been doing is starting off with a normal wide bristle comb to de-knot and get the hair loose and flowing, then I use the boar bristle brush as the finishing brush, just lightly brushing and following the direction of the styled hair to spread out the coverage in the most balanced way possible. Looks cleaner this way, and also most importantly, A LOT FULLER! Trust me, it works like a charm and makes a noticeable difference in aiding to the illusion of density in my opinion. https://a.co/d/3MTFjE8 Follow my Journey with Eugenix and Dr Arika Bansal!

John, the amazing part about all of this is that if you stopped now and never got another hair transplant, nobody can say you've ever thinned out and lost hair a day in your life! If you go for a 3rd (which I know are in the plans for you), you'll have the hair density of a teenager, HAHA! Nothing more exciting than to be you right now! So happy for you brother!😉 Follow my Journey with Eugenix and Dr Arika Bansal!

Hi guys, here is my Month 8 progress. The widow's peak formation has probably been the most prominent in terms of overall thickening and maturity from month 7 to 8. I feel like the hairline has dropped visually because of of the growth in that area. I was keeping my hair longer on top and the sides but realized that as I grew it out, I was dealing with a lot more split ends and breaking as my hair would thin out with more length. Because I have wavy hair it was also curling out making it very difficult to style. I decided to cut it down a little on top, and go with the high and tight look. This is the first time I got a zero cut fade on the sides since the procedure and was the true test to see if the 5200 + grafts extracted would stand its ground and hold up in all areas. My hairdresser could barely see where the extractions were unless he really focused his eyes on it up close. And that was after he shaved me down at 0. With how homogenously the donor was managed, it really sets me up beautifully if I ever needed more work done in the future. I'm so fortunate to have had some of the best techs in the business at @Eugenix Hair Sciences managing that part of the procedure for me.

Definitely do not get a hair transplant. But if you are planning on doing it at some point, first see how well you progress with the Minoxidil / Finasteride combo. You need at least a year to know how well of a responder you are. Then, and only then, if you plan to move forward, find the best clinic for hairline reconstruction, as you will not really need to address any other parts of your scalp or temple points. If you do it, you need no more than 800 to 1000 grafts as you are no more than a Norwood 0.5, HAHA! Follow my Journey with Eugenix and Dr Arika Bansal!

Nobody more deserving than you Adrian! Like Adam @SLA said, just wait til month 8! So much more to come and I can't wait to see it all come together!

Wow Adrian! Reminds me of how quick growth happened for you the first time around. You're hitting your stride already at 4 months! Absolutely amazing 👏

Sorry I'm a little late to post my Month 7 update. I've seen some new growth, but I feel the majority of improvement is in the thickening of the new hairs. Let the months of maturity begin. 😁 Hard to spot weak areas, but if l had to point out areas slightly weaker than everywhere else, it would be the frontal center and left temple point. With it being only month 7, I have no doubt that has plenty of time for improvement as hair density will inevitably mature in the next few months, so it should catch up to everything else no problem. Oral Minoxidil kick-started the growth for sure, but I had to lower my dosage to 1.25mg daily because my heart rate jumped from 40 beats per minute to 60 when I was taking 2.5mg. No sides at all with heart rate at 1.25mg daily. To compensate for the microdose, I'm taking topical Minoxidil 5%, and upgraded my Dutasteride dosage to every 4th day, instead of once weekly. Taking Fin, of course, on the days I'm not taking Dut. That regimen has been working very well over the last 2 months. Thanks guys! ~Maz

@Bb111 World of difference from before and after! So happy for you man! You could absolutely benefit from a 2nd pass for density sake, but holding off could definitely have its advantages. Have you considered Dutasteride once or twice a week? My hair seems to have thickened with 2x per week or essentially every 4 days with also taking Finasteride 5x per week.

Why only Turkey clinics? Have you researched other clinics around the world? Turkey is not as known for the best quality transplants, but they certainly rank high for the cheapest. It is truly the wild wild west for hair restoration out there. You may strike gold with your results, or it may be disastrous. You are in a strong position with your donor, and you definitely want to maintain that with your clinic of choice, so keep your options opened for sure with other countries. Spain, Portugal, Belgium, and even India, have some phenomenal doctors at lower costs as well

Hey @caveman! Hope all is well! Could you post some recent pictures?

Good point, and if that's the case, then back of ears would be the better option with a more conservative approach 👍

@general-etwan another few thousand grafts and you are set brother. Everything looks so good, and a massive improvement in your overall appearance! The good news is that temple point grafts don't really deplete donor as it's coming from nap of neck and behind the ears. Those hairs are not often used for the top or crown so you could design out the temple points without much restriction from that perspective. Looking forward to seeing part 2 of this amazing journey 👏

Temples look good on you. I'd leave that alone and just focus on the most important thing which is naturalism in the hairline. Some of the best repair jobs I've seen, they did come down just a tad on the hairline and dense packed soft singles in combo with removing the multi hair grafts and re-implanting them in other areas for added density. The other approach would be coming down slightly and implanting singles around the multi's instead of extracting them. That is an easier approach, but with the downside of it still not looking quite right. I believe with as many multi hair grafts as you have in the hairline, the 1st option may be the better one, but that is for a very good, qualified repair surgeon to make the call on. Also, beard and/or scalp hair implanted back in the FUT scar would be a no brainer for you as well. Even if you ended up with a great procedure on the 1st go, that is something I'd probably want to have done anyway to have more options with hairstyles. Follow my Journey with Eugenix and Dr Arika Bansal!