LaserCaps

Find out about credentials. Where did she learn to do transplants? Try to learn about medical therapies and all you could be doing to help you retain and enhance the native hair - which is also a component to consider. Meds do take 1 year to see what exactly they'll accomplish. Perhaps just waiting that one year is not a bad idea....Far better than to have an unnatural result which you'll have to live with for the rest of your life. Now, if the doctor has a fellowship in hair you'd be in safer ground.

Nice reply. I'd like to add to this - Once happy, it is likely a patient will stop posting, and totally disappear. Will likely not revisit with the clinic, (unless the thinning resumes down the road). It is also likely the patient will not write a review either. A funny thing about humans in general. Wait until something goes wrong....Will run to the computer and write the review. PLEASE!!!! regardless of your experience, write it. There are so many people just like you; researching, reading about the experiences of others.....and just trying to get comfortable with the whole idea. We can truly have an impact in this industry if we all work on this as a community.

I'll share my point of view with you. If I do something, I expect something in return. There is always an expectation. I think most people are like that. Can't tell you the countless of times I've heard, "I used the medications but I didn't see anything." The medications are not intended for you to regrow anything. It is to help you not lose any more. So, if a year later you look the same, the medication did what it was intended to do. The combination of PRP/Laser, (if done properly), can help reverse the thinning. Do some research on this.

The quality of the photo depicting your trimmed hair is not very good and it's impossible to decipher hair caliber. The photos showing the donor do show a degree of retrograde. The photos of the front show the fact you are experiencing loss, (miniaturization). A couple of things....You have black hair and light scalp. The contrast is making things look worse. The good news, there is still a lot of hair you can save by considering all modalities, (Propecia, Rogaine, PRP, Laser). I would encourage you to do them for 1 year and reassess. Based on the result you can then decide if all the effort and expense are worth continuing the regimen. Hopefully you will also improve the back and sides.

This has happened through the years....from time to time. I am certain all clinics, overall, have had some sort of experience with this. It is not uncommon to have a patient come in and question results. It is also well documented - matured results can take about 12 months. Something else to keep in mind is the simultaneous use/nonuse of medications to help with retention. So, if you do a transplant but go on and lose more of the native hair, you'll probably see no visual change, (you'll never be empty because the grafted hair will remain). I am sure there are plenty of members that can chime in with their own examples. Are you doing anything medically to help you with retention? Lastly, how many grafts did you do and where were they placed? If you did a minimum number and the grafts were planted diffusely through the entire pattern - you would also see little to no visual change. So, many factors involved.

Typically you can return to normal after 7 days. You should avoid weightlifting, particularly anything related to the neck, for 6 months as this can stretch the scar. Pull-ups, push-ups, leg presses, all that is fine.

I read this and start worrying. It is important to recognize you have a genetic condition. If you've shown the propensity to lose, this will continue. Hopefully you are doing some time of medical regimen to help you with retention of the native hair. Don't let things get worse!

No. Typically hair starts coming in at 3 months. In six months the caliber will improve and you'll notice a visual change. Yes, it takes 12+ months to see final results. And, while this does have a direct correlation as to when to consider another procedure, that has to do more with healing than anything else. Thus, if FUT, you have to let the wound heal. Most believe 8-12 months. If FUE, you can move forward sooner. Taking a conservative approach is not a bad idea. Allow the first procedure to mature. The doctor will then be able to "see" and work in between what was placed the first time. Are you doing any type of medical therapy?

This is more common than you think. In most cases, (when PRP was not done at the time of the procedure), results can be delayed. Most mature at 12 months but in a handful of cases it can be as long as 18 months. It is important to realize, when the hair starts coming in, it will be vellus-like. The caliber will improve with time. Eventually, it will be just as strong as what you find in the donor - which is from where the hair came originally.

Based on the photos, it seems, you are thinning diffusely through the pattern. Let's start with some basic concepts. If you've shown the propensity to lose, you will continue losing. Everybody has limited donor and there is typically not enough to allow for a full set of hair when dealing with an advanced pattern. So, when you look in the mirror, what is the first thing you see? How about when others interact with you? (The front). So, start there. (It is also important to keep in mind you want to be age and pattern appropriate. Class 5/6 will normally keep a strong forelock, medium density in the mid scalp and nothing in the crown. The front will normally be well recessed and in a very conservative location. (The farther back you start, the farther back the doctor can work). A common range of grafts, donor permitting, is around 2500 grafts. Propecia and Rogaine, most believe, are the best meds out there for hair retention in the crown area. Get on them and stay on them. You may also want to consider PRP/Laser. You should start noticing retention within a few weeks. It does take a good year to see if you'll experience enhancement of the native hair. Are you open to travel?

Most believe the grafts are secure after 3 days. As a precaution I would call the doctor and ask.

I was just reading this "reply" and it occurred to me....Yes, the job of the doctor is to do what the patient wants - but also to keep him from doing things that will result in something less than natural. Second, and the point I want to make, the doctor has the prerogative of not doing the case - for whatever reason. Could be because the patient is an actual non candidate - or because he just has unrealistic expectations. This, in itself, is scary. The patient could then go visit with another group, perhaps one with no experience, and they will do what the patient asks. Perhaps going back to the doctor that turned you down would not be a bad idea and find out exactly why he made that decision. A bit of leg work but better to make sound decisions.

If you were deemed to be a non candidate, why make all these plans? Oh, but wait. You are tightly shaven...Sometimes this kind of gets in the way and the doctor may think you have poor donor when in reality the opposite is the case. Other times, and it's likely to be the case, you may be experiencing some degree of thinning in donor which would result in subsequent thinning of the grafts. So, my first suggestion, let your hair grow and reassess. The second thing, take advantage of this time and get on a medical regimen, (Propecia, Rogaine, PRP, Laser). Do them religiously for 1 year and reassess. If you do improve, you may end up having more options.

It should not have an effect on the transplants. What shampoo are you using? It is typically the alcohol content which will dry the scalp and create the flakes. Why not try baby shampoo?

This applies to just about anything....But so true in the Hair Restoration Industry. When we say, "Do the research" what would you suggest to a patient?

The original LaserCap is one of the most widely copied technologies in the world. Many of these can be found online for low prices. They look similar but you should try to avoid them for many reasons. These are typically low strength, poor quality and frequently malfunction or break down after a short period of use. None of these copies carry any type of warranty. LaserCap Pro, which is the unit I use, is prescription strength, carries a lifetime warranty. It works with pulsed wave light emission. This allows the laser diodes to cool during each treatment. This allows for higher levels of energy without excessive build up of heat. This unit is discreet and fits right under a baseball cap. There were studies done on this particular laser and is by physician only. I've had this unit now for 5 years and works for me. When comparing the dose of energy per treatment, no cap comes close. Most will provide less than 1 J/CM squred. LaserCap provides 4. Most people, I find, are very opinionated when it comes to their modalities of choice. "If it works," I say, "keep doing it!"

What are you talking about? Many people think they will become handsome in a month......I don't think that's true. Any process in our body is a complex system that requires much time. Not sure what you mean. Going to the bathroom (1 or 2) takes little to no time. But there are times when it is necessary to speed up all the functions. Like what? for example.... only could help me because that is the city where the best specialists work. Perhaps we should all go there! But I want to note that accelerating such processes is undesirable, leading to irreparable consequences. Again, what are you talking about?

I think a lot of members feel the way you do about hair. That's why we're here. I can understand hair styling. If too long, it pulls away and makes the see-through more evident. If too short, there is not enough hair to cover and now you can easily identify the pattern of loss. There seems to be a length in which your hair shingles and looks fuller. Ask the barber, perhaps he can help you. So, you are going to wait a year to start doing something about it? Most believe we start out with about 100,000 hairs. You lose 50,000 and you still do not realize you've experienced loss. Do you have family history of hair loss? I would start by visiting with a dermatologist and consider getting on some type of medical regimen to help you with retention of the native hair. Propecia, Rogaine, PRP, Laser. These are the modalities we typically refer to when dealing with this condition. I am certain there are members here who can guide you. I am curious, why do you want to wait?

There are other modalities, other than Fin you can try. PRP, Laser....etc. And now Fin and Min are available in pill form. Consult with your doctor and formulate a plan. Doing transplants in the crown without a medical regimen is just not a good idea. You'll end up chasing the pattern and end up using whatever donor you have left. If you continue thinning the front, which will likely happen, you'll have nothing left to fix it.

Agree, all FUE leaves a scar. The smaller the punch, the less visible it will be. With regards to the number of hairs, I guess it depends on the equipment being used? Perhaps it has to do with the hair quality? I'm sure there are a number of factors involved.

Not sure what part of the msg you had an issue with.........

Why consider any type of medical therapy to help with retention? To conserve native hair. Why? It is a fact, if you've shown the propensity to lose, you will continue losing. The donor is finite and limited. And, if you have an advanced pattern, no one has enough donor available to allow for a full set of hair in the front, top and back. If you do get started on any type of medical regimen, it is important you continue. Once you confirm it works, (you experience retention), why would you get off of it? To return to where you started it - and resume losing hair? That makes no sense. This subject is well documented. Most feel meds tend to be far more effective towards the crown. So, for those who wish not to do any type of medical therapy, go ahead and concentrate the grafts towards the front and top - but forget about the crown. If you do put grafts there, (think of the area as a circle) and then go on to lose all the native hair around it, you'll end up with an island worth of hair - and an unnatural pattern.

I have met with doctors with great bedside manners who had just entered the industry. Had no clue what they were doing. So, my first question...Did you ask the doctor where he learned where to do this? In that first paragraph you do bring up something which we hardly discuss but is important, "a procedure I know the doctor is going to do." Think about what happens the day of the procedure. You arrive, meet with the doctor, designs the hairline, answers your questions, etc. The clinical staff preps you and a local is administered. You then fall asleep and the last thing you remember is the clinical staff placing the grafts. (You did not realize the doctor made sites, etc). When you finally wake up, the staff is still working on you - and you are now under the impression the doctor did nothing). It is important to realize it is typically the doctor who will do everything surgery related. Make sure to find out what exactly the doctor will do. In some clinics the tech will be performing the surgery. If you do end up moving fwd, let us know the total number of grafts harvested. Need and what can be realistically harvested are two different things. Like others have suggested, get on a medical regimen to help you retain. Try doing more than just one modality.

It takes a full year to see if you'll experience enhancement. It takes only a few weeks to see if you'll experience retention. Oh.......but wait! Did you say "shedding?" That's normal. (The follicle gets tired of producing so it goes into a dormant period for about 3-4 months. That hair returns. 100 hairs a day is the norm. Under a bright light look at the hairs in your temporal areas. Notice how some strands are thick and robust. Others not so much. There may be even some that are so fine you can't hardly see them. We refer to this process as miniaturization. This is the hair we are trying to hold on to and to enhance. When this happens, it looks like regrowth, but it isn't. It is enhancement of something that hasn't left the building. I would encourage you to continue the meds. Take photos and keep track of what's going on. I would also consider adding other modalities to the mix. The recommended dosage is 1mg per day. Why not do that?

And the debate continues. This is directly correlated to FUT vs FUE. The whole point of FUE is to minimize scarring to the max. Anything larger than a .9mm will result in a circular type scars in the donor. This defeats the whole purpose of an FUE. The use of a finer instrument, .9mm or smaller, will also result in a much smaller graft. Not a lot of meat to the graft. Not as many hairs per graft, say 1 or two. So, coverage is just not there. Smaller numbers too...and you are slowly but surely thinning the donor - which does not happen with an FUT. Regardless, as a consultant and part of this community, it is our obligation to educate so the patient can make an informed decision.