SLA

22 hours ago, track_rat said:

Hi all, wanted to provide you with an update. You have been so supportive and encouraging, so thank you very much for that.

My procedure at Eugenix was clearly a very poor result. I don’t think there’s any other way to view it. I will never get the time I lost back, but here’s to hoping I continue to make progress and am at a point where I’m content soon.

Life stopped post surgery. I lived in a hat and was in a very bad place with low self esteem and an enormity of regret. After many tens of thousands of dollars and numerous visits to experts around the globe, I found a dynamic duo (Konior and Mwamba) that has yielded some success. We have plans to continue in the coming year.

Excuse some of the extra cropped photos. I value my anonymity very much but am sharing in hopes this helps somebody else.

Step 1: Konior  | ~450 beard graft removal and redistribution 

Before Konior surgery.

Day of Konior surgery. Focus was to remote the helmet head / birds nest of beard hair to yield a more natural blend, even if I looked more bald in the process. Goal was to look more natural and less people staring at me.

 

Step 2: Mwamba | 800 scalp grafts into outer ring, 500 beard grafts combination of filling in beard gaps and also lower horseshoe of head, 500 chest grafts into donor 

Mwamba had a tall order on this surgery. Objectives:

- Build around the island that Eugenix implanted on to try and merge the sections. You can see in prior photos there was nothing implanted in the outer ring and much of below, and things just looked awful.

- Implant into my neck/beard to restore the empty patches left by Eugenix.

- Implant into the top corners of my head where there was no work done prior.

- Remove the remaining Unger hairs from my temple that were not pulled in India. There were so many.

- Remove some hairs at the center of my hairline to lift it, as it was made to dip way too low.

- Do all of this with a no shave technique. 

 

The red rings here would be his focus for the second session we had about a year later. 

About 8 months later:

 

Step 3: Mwamba second session | 300 scalp grafts into various areas, some beard grafts into empty patches, some chest grafts into donor 

Objectives:

- Continue to rebuild back of head with empty areas. Mostly refilling the red rings shown above.

- Remove additional hairs from center of hairline to raise it. The prior session was less aggressive as a test to see how it would heal.

- More touch ups on gaps in beard 

I didn’t take as many photos here. I was comfortable with Mwamba, and it was a relatively minor session with only a few hundred grafts moving. 

After approximately one year, and current state:

 

The next session is with Konior coming up in a few months. We will be using scalp donor that I’ve been preciously saving to start giving me more volume on the top of my head. He has proposed a few sessions with a few hundred grafts a pop. It may seem nominal, but a few hundred in his hands can make a difference. I will also continue to see Mwamba to make use of body hair and targeting empty areas in the donor. 
 

Please let me know your thoughts.

Looks great!

Yes, Eugenix would be a good option! While hair color is slightly different from beard color, I don't think it is dramatically different. Also, you could always dye your hair like @Gatsbydoes.

6 hours ago, Bandit90 said:

Cheers mate! Probably worth sharing the photo of my hair shaved down just before my third sitting. given the area had just under 6k grafts taken from it at the time of the photo, it looks in reasonable shape. TBH I don't think id have any issues shaving down to a zero guard and drawing attention from general public.  Dr Sethi told me that the two techs who do the all the extractions at the clinic have been specialising in this for the past 12 years, which I really like. Also probably explains why they have good donor management. 

Totally undetectable scars!

On 4/7/2024 at 12:23 AM, MazAB said:

Hey guys! I wanted to wait and post again at the 1.5 year mark, as the improvements slow down considerably after 12 months. Although minimal, I have seen slight improvements with density and refinement over the past 5 months. I believe at this point, the final results are locked in, and feeling soooo good about it!

The importance of patience from when I started this journey over 2 and half years ago has absolutely paid off in every way. When I go back to page 1 of this thread, I'm still shocked with how the old version of me is unrecognizable. My family and friends are use to the new me, but every time an older picture pops up somewhere they can't believe the vast change from the old me. 

A major check box in my life has finally been checked and become my reality. Time to close the book on this chapter of my life. I am so grateful to this forum first and foremost, because without the strength of this community, I could have never gone thru with it. 

For all the casual lurkers on this forum, my advice to you is to do more than lurk. Research, ask questions, post pictures, and get involved with helping others more than yourself. If you approach your own jouney that way, you'll have the best chance at success and having the backing of this awesome community to help you thru every stage and phase of it.

Hats off to @Eugenix Hair Sciencesand this forum. I'm forever in debt to you! ❤️

 

 

@MazAB- Simply incredible results. You have been such an inspiration and a great friend. I couldn't have done my journey as I did without you and I am over the moon happy for you. 

See you in May!

Dr Das is excellent! You can see results on this forum of her work.

14 hours ago, Gatsby said:

 

Wow Addy! Only five months and your coverage and growth density has increased dramatically since month four alone! You have many months ahead of you which is incredible. Get ready to handle the coveted 2024 Best Hair Transplant of the Year! 🏆💯👌

Thanks @Gatsby for your continued support. Definite improvements for sure!...best HT of the year?...I am not so sure- LOL, but let's hope!

It is at this phase where I am thinking...will it continue to improve and if so, by how much? BUT I know I have many months ahead of me.

17 minutes ago, general-etwan said:

 

These doctors feel that based on the finasteride dose response curve, which flattens off at about 0.8 mg, 3-5 mg per week is all that is necessary to get maximum effect without letting finasteride over-accumulate in the body, which is likely what happens in many patients who complain of side effects.

Personally, I’m going to see if I can add dutasteride Saturday and Sunday, as others have done, and keep finasteride at MWF or maybe Monday through Friday at the most. 

Thanks @general-etwan- Yes, I have seen this video and I know they are not the 1st to say this. Not that they are wrong persay, but seems to be only based on observation and not a long term study.

I like the following link and trust Rob English from Perfect Hair Health as he is a medical researcher and is very thorough and always objective. There seems to possibly be some evidence of the 3-4 times a week theory, but is not conclusive.

Yes, dutasteride is also a good idea. 

I'm following your journey closely and rooting for you! I am confident that you will achieve your goals!

https://perfecthairhealth.com/how-often-should-i-take-finasteride/

On 3/28/2024 at 3:42 AM, general-etwan said:

I take finasteride 3 days a week and use minoxidil a few times a week when my hair is shorter. (Why only 3?...because more in-depth research has shown that the maximum hair-saving effects from finasteride max out around 3-4 mg/week, and higher doses beyond that don't seem to show significant benefit).

Hi @general-etwan- Very interesting. Do you have any links to studies which show how hair saving effects from finasteride max out around 3-4 mg/week? I would be interested in seeing it.

Much appreciated and I am a BIG fan of your journey. Sending you best wishes and positive thoughts.

4 hours ago, Stewie said:

Just shy of 2 month update, gave myself a DIY shave to back and sides, still some shock loss in a few bits that I can notice from where I was, but seems to be growing well so far and keeping calm about the whole ugly duckling phase atm, my donor still has a thick horse shoe around the top and the back especially still feels thick and full, which is mad after so many grafts from so many sessions. Cant wait to see what impact this last session does to the density overall

 

Amazing @Stewie

5 Months Post HT#2- 17 Months Post HT#1

Things seem to be continuing to trend as expected as I am definitely continuing to see improvements month by month. As I compare my photos to my month 4 photos, I see significant improvement and the donor seems to have bounced back nicely.

While the crown is not where I want it yet, I know it can take up to 18 months to fully mature and is on a different timeline than the front and mid-scalp. Fingers crossed for continuing to trend north 😃.

Thanks again for the support of everyone and for all the knowledge I gained from this forum.

Last photo is after trimming the sides this weekend which makes everything else look fuller. 

Very impressive!

7 hours ago, Bandit90 said:

Month 1 Update 

Nothing really to update , in the full-blown ugly duckling stage at the moment. I’ve opted to just let the hair keep growing, to get it back to the length where the illusion of density kicks in. I‘m certainly finding the recovery from this transplant a lot harder than the previous two, which is probably down to the fact I was enjoying having hair, and this feels like a big step back to go forward.

From what I can gather most of the shed seems to have happened. With the hair from the previous two transplants is growing in. Lots of redness from the procedure lingering, which will likely take a few months to calm down. The donor is also going through the motions and I’m just trusting the process that it will recover. Also the beard surprisingly looks ok, given there has been over 3.6k grafts taken. 

 

Looking AMAZING for 1 month @Bandit90!

You will get the illusion back by 3.5-4 months tops and this time will seem like nothing!

1 minute ago, SLA said:

This is far from a failure!

However, you will not know the true potential of the illusion until grown out at least 3-4 inches

23 minutes ago, Frosted Flaked said:

@BuffaloboyThats impressive, I didn't know you could do a graft count with an image like that! That was before the shed started, but maybe I lost some in the headwashes (I had three)...  but I doubt I would have lost 2500 during it, haha! I havent had a chance to see my Eugenix post op photos, which would be the most high quality images. Maybe I can get those photos and try the graft count on that one.

But who knows, maybe it truly isn't 5500 grafts, it's quite possible. I'm just gonna wait it out 18 months, and see If I'm a slow grower.

If this truly is a failure, I feel like it will be one step closer to accepting my baldness and moving on with my life... And I truly would love to finally reach that point of acceptance 😄

This is far from a failure!

9 hours ago, Frosted Flaked said:

Here is the clearest photo I could find of my transplanted area before little to no shedding took place. As you can see, it is not densely packed. The grafts were spread over the entire area.  I've also placed photos from today... and yeah, definitely not 100% growth, and there are still annoying gaps, but a lot of beard hair was used and they don't have the highest growth yield.

It's ok, I will never become Fabio and I'm ok with short hair 😆

Hi @Frosted Flaked- This is looking most excellent. The illusion with the SMP and hair looks nothing short of 100% realistic IMHO! As for ever looking like Fabio...you never know. Grow this long and go back for a 2nd/3rd procedure and you might be surprised with how super full (Fabio-like) your hair could look. Look at @Bandit90...he is quickly approaching Fabio territory!

On 3/3/2024 at 10:39 AM, Frosted Flaked said:

@SLA Looking great Adam! this is only the beginning and you have so much growth to look forward to. It will be a phenomenal result for sure!

Fingers crossed @Frosted Flaked...thanks for the continuous support!

7 hours ago, Zoomster said:

I’ve a funny feeling you won’t be needing a HT3 after this Addy….so much activity about to happen 👍

It is funny you say that @Zoomsteras at ths point I am feeling the complete opposite. I will just have to sit back and trust all of you trailblazers....fingers crossed.

21 hours ago, MazAB said:

Early stages couldn't be looking any better for you Adam! You have a long way to go, but trust me, it's a masterpiece in the making!

Fingers crossed @MazAB- Looking now makes me want to book the next flight out to New Delhi, but I understand it takes time

19 hours ago, Gatsby said:

Addy at only four months this is beginning to take off. The coverage is beginning to look excellent and your natural hair color and waviness gives an incredibly natural appearance. It’s only a matter of time now with the many months ahead of you. 👌💯

Thanks @Gatsbyas always, your words mean a lot.

Keep sending me your good vibes!

7 hours ago, Bandit90 said:

Looking great Adam, good early improvement happening between month 3 & 4, showing all the makings of being a killer result!  Never actually appreciated how good that cowlick is on you hairline is, until I saw this update. BTW If you wanted to take edge off the slow growing crown, you could even start to throw a few fibres in there. But keep hanging in there, the fun will start soon! 

Thanks so much for the support and encouragement @Bandit90- Fingers crossed for lots of fun 🙏

4 Months Post HT#2- 16 Months Post HT#1

So at this point, it is a waiting game as the shed period is (hopefully) over.

I am very pleased the way the front and mid-scalp have grown back as well as how the scalp donor is recovering after 6,700 have been extracted over the course of 2 procedures.

And now...there is the crown which accoring to @Bandit90begins to really blossom around month 8- let's pray he is right- lol. There is definitely growth and activity as I will just need to be patient.

The GREAT thing is that I never see the crown unless I use a double mirror, so I go throughout my day looking at the top thinking my entire head is as full and at age 50, I am not really self conscious about the crown filling it. Don't get me wrong, I want/can't wait to see it blossom fully, but I am not losing sleep over it now.

Of course when I use the 2 way mirror, I want to hop on the 1st flight out to India for procedure #3, but then remember it is just 4 months- just the beginning (and crowns take longer).

Thanks as always for the support and I hope others find use and hope in this thread.

9 hours ago, Gatsby said:

Ten days post op today. All scabs have gone. I'll update this in three months. ☺️
 

 

@Gatsby- The way your hair and donor looks now is awesome. Donor looks normal as if you just got a buzz cut. Yes, the current style looks like you are the front man in a ska band...but is that such a bad thing -lol? AND you look like 30 years old :).

This will be epic @Gatsby!

Dang @Stewie!!! Absolutely incredible!

4 hours ago, Bandit90 said:

Are you not getting itchy feet for a third and final pass 😉 ?

Let's see how #2 pans out, but for sure, you 3 timers are an inspiration!