LaserCaps

Can you post some photos? Are you doing any medical therapy to help you with retention of the native hair?

If you are going to experience side effects, it will be within the first two weeks. If you don't, it's unlikely you will in the future. Further, and to answer your question, the grafts will remain. (if they were taken from the permanent area). When taking about side effects most refer to Fin, (which is now available as a topical solution). The rest are external to you. And, if you do experience anything, there are other things you can do to help you retain. In the event you say "NO TO DRUGS" - or any type of modality, I would then consider hair restoration taking that into consideration. If you are a Norwood 6, I would then start looking at the way patients lose their hair within that pattern. They will typically keep a forelock, little density in the mid-scalp and nothing in the crown. If you are OK with that look, move forward otherwise leave it alone.

You may want to consider SMP. I think of it as "monochrome." By adding hair to it, however, now it becomes multi-dimensional. It really does look like you have a full set of hair, (or the illusion of it). "Illusion" seems to be the key word today.

One reason why people may comb the hair straight back could be - they are trying to cover the crown. In my case, my wife just says I look younger that way. I think it is smart to part on one side. This allows for the most shingling of the hair. The point, however, is the fact that by having more hair, it will give you styling options.

Propecia, Rogaine, PRP and Laser are the modalities we typically refer to when dealing with this condition. The mechanism of action of each is totally different and are thus synergistic when used simultaneously. Fin, by the way, is now available as a topical solution.

Fine caliber hair provides for the most natural result. By definition, however, it would take more grafts that someone with courser hair. I think I understand what you mean about hair length. Perhaps 1/4 inch to a 1/2 inch would be a good length, (keep the hair from falling down. Work with your hair stylist on this. Are you doing any type of medical therapy to help you with retention and perhaps enhancement of the native hair?

Many "things" have an impact on this "illusion." First consider the limitation and characteristics of the donor area. Some believe there are over 101 different combinations of hair quality in the donor, ranging from very fine to very course. It is up to the doctor to choose the hair and to closely match it to what he sees in the recipient area. Fine hair for hairline, for example, often comes from behind the ear. (In the old days it would come from the nape. Soon thereafter they realized this was not such as good idea, particularly if the patient was experiencing retrograde alopecia). I've always heard, most patients start out with 100,000 hairs. By the time they are teenagers, they have lost 50% of their hair and they still do not realize they're experiencing any hair loss. We have also heard about donor area limitation. How much hair is available lifetime? 7 - 8,000 grafts? At an average of 2.2 hairs per graft.....So, you are asking 17,000 hairs, plus or minus, to do the job of 50,000. Of course, it is an illusion! Add more to the mix..... Color of hair also has an impact. Dark hair, light scalp does not help. The contrast makes it look worse than what it really is. Blond, salt and pepper, blend with the color of the scalp and will typically give the illusion of more density. Hair length, as well, will also have an impact. If too long, the weight will pull away from the area and make seem thinner. There always seems to be a perfect length that allows for the hair to look a lot fuller. Work with your stylist to figure out what this is. I have a question for you. If you are considering a transplant procedure, it is because you want more hair, not less. Why would you keep it so short? Just wondering. The beauty of transplants is the fact that now you can style it any which way. Comb-over no problem. Slick-back? No problem either. Obviously, your current pattern and numbers of grafts will also have an impact. The more shingling, the better. This industry has come a long way when you consider education and the equipment. Results can be as natural as nature itself. Just make sure you ask about credentials of the doctor. Someone told me long ago, the good thing about transplants - it's permanent. The bad thing, it's permanent. Thus, if natural - permanent. If unnatural - also permanent. Do the research!

Once the graft has been harvested, there will be a bit of stubble. This is what is used to transport the graft to the recipient site. From time to time that stubble continues to grow from the get-go. 7 days later the dry blood, (crust), along with the hair, will fall off. 3-4 months later the new hair will start coming in. What you're experiencing is totally normal.

Redness, it depends. If you have pale, light skin, it will last a bit longer. If you are tanned, this will help blend. The range? 2-6 weeks Donor, will depend on the technique. IF FUE, 3-7 days. IF FUT, it will depend on the length of hair. Sutures are typically removed 10-14 days post-op. ( You can pretty much return to normal after 7 days. If FUT, it is advisable to avoid weightlifting exercises that involve the neck for at least 6 months to avoid widening the scar. Typically no restrictions after 7 days Avoid direct sun exposure for 3 months. Otherwise, you can freckle permanently. You can put sunscreen and a cap after 7 days. Typically after 3 days all is secure. Most clinics, however, are very conservative and will suggest 7 days. It will again, depend on the color of the skin, what length hair you keep, etc. A month?

Cost of eyebrow restoration can vary depending on what exactly needs to be done. Is it the head? the body? The tail? The whole thing? It is more refined work when you consider the hair drops immediately and shingles. That is, the apertures are made more in a vertical fashion and not horizontally. Additionally, if you look at an eyebrow, some hair grows up, some down, etc so there is a lot of artistry involved. Typically, an eyebrow takes about 500 grafts, but not always. An in-person evaluation is crucial. Check on the credentials of the doctor. Does he have a fellowship in hair? How about Board certification? For how long has he been doing eyebrow transplants? Look at photos of results. What part of the Country are you in? Are you open to travel? Can you post some photos?

A few things to consider. Hair in the front grows forward at an angle. The hair in the mid-scalp grows the same way and provides the shingling effect. In the crown, however, we all share the whirl. It is the weakest point for everyone. Hair grown from the point outwards. (There is no shingling as there is no hair coming into the area). Let me give you an example, Draw a dot on a piece of paper. Draw a cross intersecting that point. Imagine that's the result of a procedure in the crown. Now, put your finger on the dot and turn the paper, (rotate a bit either up or down). Draw another cross. Continue doing this several times. It would take a ton of lines, (procedures), to achieve any type of density. We refer to this area as a sphere. It can eat a lot of grafts. Considering the donor is limited, if you use all your grafts in the crown, you will not have enough to address the front if that ever became necessary. At that point you'll be asking "why did you put all the grafts in the crown? Now I have nothing to cover the front - which is what others see when they interact with you. A much better plan is to get on as many modalities as you can and give them a year. It does take that time period to confirm what exactly they'll accomplish. If you are happy with what you have in the front, and the meds are helping you with retention, it is then prudent to start adding some density in that area. But you could consider something else. We refer to the horizontal part of the head as the front and top. You can go back as far as you can horizontally on the pattern to minimize the size of the crown. If the doctor works in a circular fashion, the area will still look natural. Even if the pattern expands, (and you dip into the donor), you would still be OK. Something to consider.

Wow, things in Europe do work differently. 3-4 month wait I can understand. 1-2 years? I wonder if the doctors are doing their own consultations. Are these 1 doctor offices? Just curious.

I find this interesting. A year wait? Wow.

That's right. There are only so many grafts that can be harvested per time. It will take a year to see the full result of the transplants, (unless you do PRP). It will also take a year to see what the meds will do in the back. Thus, you'll have more density in the front by definition, (transplants). Hopefully you'll experience enhancement in the crown because of the meds. You can then add grafts to the crown pending the outcome. I would encourage you to consider Fin, Rogaine, PRP and laser.

You've hit the nail on the head! Mos people expect. (If I do something, I expect something in return). When this doesn't happen, patients become frustrated and stop the medical all together - not understanding - the medication is not to help you grow anything. It is to help you retain and not lose any more. Thus, if a year later you look the same, the medical did what it was intended to do. There is documented evidence Propecia/Rogaine, is the best combo to help with retention, particularly in the crown area. PRP/Laser combination can help reverse the thinning. We are seeing results throughout the head.

You are dipping and the area is getting larger. Note the miniaturized hair all around the perimeter. Hopefully you are doing some type of medical therapy to help you with retention. If you were to fill in the entire area, and say you keep expanding the pattern, you would end up with an island of hair and nothing around it. What's worse, say you keep dipping, you could end up with what we refer to as a smile in the back of the head. In other words, you would end up chasing the pattern. If you end up using all your donor - and you lose hair in the front - you would have nothing else to fix it. To prevent all that you could consider working the horizontal plane. Go back as far as you can so as to minimize the size of the crown. By doing this in a circular fashion, the back would still look natural. As the transplants grow, they would help cover the area. Move fwd with caution.

Perhaps. I think a lot has to do with the education the doctors provide prior to surgery. His job is to do what you want, but also to keep you from doing something he knows is going to result in something less than natural. Thus, for the patient that decides not to do any type of medical therapy, I would start by asking about family history of hair loss. If all the guys ended up being a class 6, for example, I would then start looking at how exactly a 6 pattern losses hair. (A strong forelock in a very conservative location, with well recessed corners, and little density in the mid-scalp. Nothing in the crown). If you're OK with that look, then I would say - go for it without the use of meds. A better scenario is to do all modalities for a year. It truly takes that long to find out what you'll accomplish. Based on the result you can then decide if continuing the meds is worth the time and money.

Could you post some photos?

First thing I would do is let your hair grow. Many doctors at this stage could consider you a non-candidate. That is because you can clearly see through the hair and see scalp. This would be considered global thinning. If the hair is actually thinning, it would also thin wherever it's placed. A class seven has less hair than what you seem to have - so perhaps things are not as bad as you think. Again, let your hair grow for a good 3-4 weeks and reassess. Are you on any type of medical therapy? I would go to the mall and start looking at people. Look at the way a class 6-7 loses hair. They will typically keep a forelock, well recessed corners, some density in the mid-scalp and nothing in the crown. We want to be age and pattern appropriate.

You have an advanced pattern. If you've shown the propensity to lose, you will continue losing. Propecia, Rogaine, PRP and Laser are the modalities we typically refer to when dealing with this condition. The mechanism of action of each is totally different and are thus synergistic when used simultaneously. Propecia, by the way, is now available in topical form. Ask your doctor if this could benefit you. It is important to consider the donor is a limited resource for most, if not all, patients. You have to be judicious with your grafts. It is common in this industry to always give more value to the frontal area. It is the area you see when looking in the mirror, and it's the area other see when they interact with you. Having hair there will always serve you well. Medical therapies tend to be far more effective in the crown. So, while you are addressing the front and mid-scalp, you could be doing the medical regimen. A year later, pending your level of happiness in the front/and confirming the efficacy of the medications, you could then consider working farther back into the pattern to minimize the size of the crown.

Impressive density after only one procedure.

The four modalities we typically refer to are Propecia, Rogaine, PRP and Laser. Propecia and Rogaine tend to be most effective in the crown area. The problem, in my opinion, is the fact that patients expect. When they see nothing, they become frustrated and stop, not understanding the medication is not intended to grow anything. It is to help retain so you do not get any worse. PRP/Laser can help reverse the thinning. Thus, the caliber of the miniaturized hair can thicken up. There are tons of lasers out there and in all price ranges. Some with LHD lights while others with diodes. The best unit I've used is the LaserCap Pro which includes 224 diodes. There was a study done on this model and it was concluded that the array of 224 would allow for the most benefit. This is by prescription only and carries a lifetime warranty. It is only available through providers. So, to answer, the result will depend on the unit you purchase.

There are many reasons why people get a transplant. First, I think they become self-aware. So, if it bothers you, do something about it. It's important to understand, if you've shown the propensity to lose, this will continue. Consider medical therapies to help you with retention and perhaps enhancement of the native hair. So, if you have a transplant, by definition, you will have more hair than before. Now you'll have the option of doing whatever you want, including, (or not) using products. So, no - you do not need to constantly style anything. It is up to you. We have many patients who just leave it alone and put nothing. Multiple hair transplants can stem from a number of things. Most doctors believe grafts compete for blood supply. They will explain a base is required, and then multiple procedures are required to achieve density. Another example involves the patient...Perhaps he wants to move forward in stages. At the time of your research, it is important to ask about credentials. Where did the doctor learn to do this? Fellowships in hair are hard to come by. Fine hair will typically yield very natural results if done properly. You just need more hair to achieve the same result of a patient with coarser hair. At the time of your in-person evaluation, ask the doctor how many grafts it will take to work the area(s) you're concerned with. Post some photos. There are many contributors here who are willing to help by sharing their experience with you. Lastly, are you considering FUE or FUT?

I always go back to, "do the research." Find out where they learned to do transplants. Do they have a Fellowship in hair? I've met and worked for many doctors. Some branded "Pioneers," who were horrible. One in particular, yielded no results on any of the patients he worked on. I guess, if you've been doing it wrong your entire life, you will still do it wrong. I do value your point of view, considering the number of clinics out there who allow techs to perform the entire surgery. Let's start praying for the ignorant.

I tend to disagree. There has to be, (and there is), a huge difference between a tech and an MD. And while the tech is working under the umbrella of the doctor, I find it troublesome - to say the least - to allow techs to harvest and make sites. If something did go wrong...a lawsuit waiting to happen.