ciaus

Most of us mistakenly judge our hairloss based on when it first becomes noticeable in the mirror. The reality is that it starts sooner than that, years sooner, because most guys have to lose about 50% of their original hair density before it even starts to become visible to the naked eye. You've lost more than you realize, and at only 40 you've got plenty of years for additional spurts and very gradual loss you'll need a photographic record to track. Without taking a DHT blocker you're definitely increasing the odds of running out of hair, but at least you have a good positive attitude and willingness to accept the worse case scenario. If things ever go really south look into hair concealers like hair fibers and Dermmatch if you haven't already. They have to be re-applied after washing your hair, but they can dramatically improve the appearance of thinning areas. You may want to even sample them now before your hair transplant, see if they are something you'll be able to lean on down the road if needed.

Like has been said, tap water is fine especially for cleansing. Do your best to relax and take it easy, stress management is more important than tap vs filtered water.

Derek did another good video on him just the other day before this surprise appearance at the whitehouse. He's promoting a book and doing some interviews, and the guy interviewing him who happened to also be bald asked about his hair. Derek's convinced he's been lying in general and for too long to ever admit it now. He goes back over the history and shows some pictures at times after his hair made the amazing recovery in the early 2000s that indicate he was definitely using a hair system at least some of the time. Also touches on a guy that tried the Regenix BS that Matthew has been promoting, documented it on youtube, and shows the letter from the CEO trying to bribe him to not go public about failing to get the results.

May be overkill, but if you are prone or have a family history of skin cancer in general, and are outdoors alot, may be worthwhile to look into "UPF" rated products. Ultraviolet Protection Factor (UPF) indicates how much UV radiation (both UVB and UVA) a fabric allows to reach your skin. https://www.skincancer.org/skin-cancer-prevention/sun-protection/sun-protective-clothing/

There's a forum search in the top right that you can use to check out topics relating to beards like the ones below, whether to improve the beard or use part of it for the scalp. May help to give you some ideas and questions for your doctor interviews.

There are definitely some variables that go into how well this is going to work, but you don't want to be overly pessimistic. While extreme fading is possible, its a worse case scenario and not that common. Stay focused on what you can control: your expectations and preparations. We can't do anything about how quickly our unique physiologies break down the ink, and you're only going to find out how fast that is after getting the work done. -letting the scars age and flatten out for at least a year -addressing any excessive raised scar tissue with kenealog injections or scar revision surgery -BHT or some scalp hair into the scars will also help for the reasons stated -make sure you go to an experienced SMP artist that has dealt with alot of scarring, do your research -don't expect anything like one-and-done for life, probably getting touchups to address the fading every few years. Worse case if you need to do touchups too frequently it will probably be better to just give up on the shorter hair styles. On the bright side, you have it much easier than guys who need to cover their whole head in SMP. If it doesn't work out you just let your side hair grow out.

All except my second reply about how we're waiting for reports back on guys smoking DURING the procedure. Just to be clear I meant that as a JOKE, should have added an emoji. I got a thank-you on that one, hopefully also meant as a joke. If any doctor will allow you to toke up during the procedure, run as fast as you can without falling! Or at least use a fan to blow your smoke away from the doctor so he doesn't get a contact high.

Correct, when you've allowed for at least 2 or 3 weeks of normal healing to occur hair dye is not going to effect your results.

The concern with hair dye ingredients is irritation at the surface layer when the skin is still healing from the surgery trauma. The actual follicles that we are concerned about are well below that. And they get anchored into their new blood supplies by no more than 10 days after the surgery.

You're fine at 26 days, even 2 or 3 weeks if you are healing normally.

We're still awaiting outcome reports of smoking DURING the procedure before we can finally put this topic to rest..

edit-on second thought

This isn't a hunt, and its got nothing to do with what you 'appreciate and honor.' The discussion tone here has been light throughout, with the exception of you. These are all public government or advertiser published photos. It's not like we're rummaging around for private photos to mock. And I'd be willing to bet the one of the cop was a joke he's in on, growing or attaching the hair specifically to take the picture. You've made your personal feelings known again. There's no need to voluntarily continue exposing yourself to what 'disgusts' you.

I started reading this topic thinking it was new. Apparently he just died today, damn that sucks. Great actor, RIP. One of his lesser known movies was one of my personal favorites, NARC from 2002.

Yea we all know hair loss is difficult, mostly from first hand experience around here. But the human capacity for humor developed primarily as a way to deal with adversity. We should all work towards a level of perspective and maturity where we can laugh about things, especially hair.

I just did some searching around, judging by their college graduation dates from their BIOs they are about 10 years apart. I think with the cop it's more of running joke that he's in on. The rest of his hair is neatly buzzed, he may have grown it out just to take this picture. But with the lawyer, its so bad its almost like he's got some kind of body or hair dysmorphia where he can't see himself the way everyone else does. I think we have all probably styled our hair, or put on some clothes that we initially liked when looking in the mirror. But then you see yourself like that in a picture and suddenly you see what others see. Somehow this lawyer sees himself this way even in their ad media and keeps it up.

Reminded me of seeing commercials for these brothers/lawyers. Funny to see one letting nature run its course while the other hangs on in about the most ridiculous way possible. Maybe the forum can retain one of these brothers for representing us in all future legal matters? Lets take a poll on which one...

If you're 'worse off' from the time you started minoxidil, its not because of the minoxidil. The sooner you start it, the sooner you get any potential shed out of the way. The reason people with male pattern baldness continue to lose hair is DHT. Minoxidil doesn't do anything to stop DHT. Minoxidil is just a growth enhancer for hairs that have not been completely destroyed by DHT. Finasteride or Dutasteride are the medications that address the DHT problem. And minoxidil doesn't 'wane' over time in effectiveness, it just seems that way because DHT continues to attack your hair follicles until they shrink so much you can no longer even see them with minoxidil growth enhancements.

I've watched videos about this guy too. Until there's a 'cure,' addressing hair loss will always be a dice roll, with better odds the longer you can strategically wait. And if you are able to take the studied approved medications like finasteride and minoxidil without side effects, they are still no guarantees, but you are at least maximizing your odds of achieve good coverage throughout your lifetime with minimal transplants. To all those younger guys reading this, I know its hard when hormones are raging to let this time pass while your loss patterns emerge enough to be addressed in the best way possible, but it's going to give you the best overall return Try to spend these furious years developing your career/financial/emotional maturity aspects until at least your early 30s. Contrary to popular belief, there's still so much vitality and life to enjoy throughout your 40s,50s, etc. I'm in my mid 40s and still feel pretty much the same mentally and physically as I did in my 20s.

Well said, but to be fair we also have to admit there's some legitimacy to your insecurity. We're almost the same age, and my younger sister recently remarried to a guy a few years younger than us. He's taking on her two kids and they got one of their own on the way. My hats off to both of you for ensuring the continuation of the species. I've been arguably too selfish just playing the field, seeing how marriages around me have always failed miserably. Call me worthless, but I count it among my blessings to have gotten this far without being so smitten to have thrown all caution and my sperm to the wind! Just try to learn and play the current 'game' as best you can. Realize you're up against the long span of history where the underlying evolutionary psychology/biology that has made men and women complementary developed, clashing with the more recent 'social experiment' by affluent western societies to make men and women equals in everything. All the social norms and legal barriers that have historically kept families together, through even the worst, have been pretty much abolished. Add to that the economic mobility women now have to earn the resources men traditionally provided (and the ability to still extract them through court systems that function as if we are in 'traditional' times), and it means relationships, and the downstream quality of the upbringing of your children, are at the mercy of 'wants' more than 'needs.' And according to divorce statistics, that can have a failure rate as high as a coin toss according to some statistics. Who knows how this will all pan out in the longer run, though its not looking good with birth rates in all of our 'advanced' economies doing this experiment declining below replacement rates. Keep your finger on that relationship pulse as best you can, and the lines of communication as open as possible. There may come a time, before the primary job of raising the kids is over, where it may end up being a worthwhile investment to address physical attraction ques, like hair, in order to help keep the fire burning and the family together. And if you've read this far without being interrupted by the twins or your wife, bravo!

Having new born twins at 44, congrats and yikes at the same time. No guessing about it, their needs will come first until your mid 60s at least. You have life's problem in reverse, starting with kids and trying to become more attractive. But you're not aging backwards like Benjamin Button! With money in short supply, maybe its time to change what's in your head, rather than what's on top of your head? Sorry don't mean to sound harsh.

Yea we tend to focus 1000x more attention than the regular people we are around all day. People accumulate asymmetries on their heads from things like childhood scarring, etc. If you were getting SMP all over your head for a shaved look, maybe, but even then who cares about around the ears. Its about avoiding the horseshoe pattern on the top your head that really effects how your face is framed.

Yes it works wherever there are receptive hair follicles. I've noticed my beard and arm areas have gotten thicker and more dense. It doesn't happen all over though, like in my case I still don't have any back hair thankfully. And if you take the oral, or even apply the topical to your body long enough, it can convert the smaller vellus hairs into thicker terminal hairs permanently. Search for 'minoxidil beard' on youtube or google in general, guys that aren't even losing their scalp hair will take minoxidil just to thicken and fill in patchy areas on their beard.

To the OP, yes my transplants have helped maintain my confidence. I got smaller procedures and jumped on the meds early before it became obvious I was losing. Like has been mentioned, its important you do good research and go to a top doctor so you don't make your situation worse.

He's probably not taking classes, or if he is its not because that would be the best way to meet them. All you do is upgrade your rotary phone to a smart phone, then start surfing those dating apps, maybe some sugar sites. Its never been easier for emotionally financially mature middle-aged guys that take decent care of their appearance.