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5 hours ago, Melvin- Moderator said:

The lighting in these photos are pretty bad. Can you take some pictures under bathroom lighting. I think a better solution that is way cheaper would be to use some sea salt spray. I get my hair looking pretty darn thick with sea salt spray, and it layers over the scalp and makes it look thicker.

https://www.youtube.com/shorts/-MzSNJ4GFqg

You know I saw a video of you talking about sea salt spray a while back, picked it up, and it works great! 

I'm very lucky. Unless I pull my hair apart, it sits nicely and you can't tell even under harsh light that there's thinning. The problem is, though, if my hair gets wet or, say, a woman goes to put her hand through my hair. I just wish I had something to fill in those spots. 

That said, I don't know how i'm going to financially or logistically pull off three trips to NY in a couple month span. 

On 1/16/2023 at 6:55 PM, EvoXOhio said:

SMPChat on Reddit showcases a lot of good (and bad) work. You can always go through there and look at options. 

Thank you!

6 minutes ago, EvoXOhio said:

I’m not a fan of theirs either. The density is too low and their hairlines are very artificial looking. 

Thanks, I appreciate your feedback so much. Seems like I may need to find a way to go to NYC often for a couple of months. Can't seem to find much in the Boston area. 

3 hours ago, EvoXOhio said:

They have a couple before/after results that are decent, but most of them are just terrible. I would avoid this place. 

If I could ask you for a little more time, could you let me know what you think of: https://www.scalpmastersri.com/gallery?

I promise to return your generosity with a full review of wherever I go for others to consult. Thank you so much!

29 minutes ago, EvoXOhio said:

They have a couple before/after results that are decent, but most of them are just terrible. I would avoid this place. 

Thank you!

4 hours ago, hairthere said:

Ok makes sense. If you want post some pictures and I can evaluate or feel free to text them to me 201-482-4529. I don’t feel everyone is a suitable candidate for thickening SMP and often turn people away. Also I’d be wary of any SMP clinic that readily accepts you as a client without making sure you’re a qualified candidate (unfortunately there are plenty that would.)

I appreciate that! Here's where I'm at:

1 hour ago, hairthere said:

"right now another transplant would be "an ideal situation for bad shock loss." So SMP it is.

 

A little confused here, if Dr. Bloxham said another transplant would be ideal why aren't you getting another transplant?

Sorry, he was saying "surgery would not be a good option at the moment," because transplanting into the diffuse thinning would be an ideal situation to cause shock loss and a net negative result.

I wish I could get another transplant!

Here's the website for the place: Removed link

Hi everyone,

I don't know what to look for exactly with SMP providers, unlike with FUE, so I hope someone can help. 

I have had additional loss behind my FUE and I am looking to add density. I contacted Dr. Bloxham who graciously reviewed my case and said right now another transplant would be "an ideal situation for bad shock loss." So SMP it is.

Here's what this place shared with me:

Just bumping this in case anyone sees it and has recommendations about SMP in Boston. Thank you!

On 12/11/2022 at 9:57 AM, SeanToman said:

Hi friend, I've done this personally.

Anything added in an improvement, no matter how slight. It's definitely worth considering in my opinion but know that it's mainly for the crown and FUE scars, but it can work to add density across the whole scalp.  Sunlight will always be against you also.

Here are a few examples;

(Before)

(After)

(Before)

(After)

hey sean just want to follow up when you have a minute! posted some questions above, thank you

On 12/11/2022 at 9:57 AM, SeanToman said:

Hi friend, I've done this personally.

Anything added in an improvement, no matter how slight. It's definitely worth considering in my opinion but know that it's mainly for the crown and FUE scars, but it can work to add density across the whole scalp.  Sunlight will always be against you also.

Thank you so much. Looks fantastic!

A couple of questions, if you have time.

Did you get SMP to your entire scalp, though, or only in specific areas? I had a phone consult with Scalp Micro USA and they insisted they had to do the entire head and charge full price.

Did you have to shave your head to have the SMP?

Lastly, any tips on researching a place? I am in Boston and don't see any recommendations on this forum. I'm not sure what to look for, either.

Thank you!

Hey everyone! Trying to find a reputable SMP to add density. I had a FUE in March 2021 and take 1 mg finasteride and use minoxidil.

I have some thin areas and want to do something about it but was told by Dr. Bloxham that another HT would be too risky right now for shock loss.

Do you have any recommendations for Boston? I'd drive to NYC for a hair transplant, but driving back and forth for multiple SMP sessions would be hard for me.

Thank you!

19 hours ago, SeanToman said:

Hello my friend.
Hoping to post a SMP related topic in the future once my final session is finished.

Very happy with the results so far, it's 100% an improvement!

If I where to compare with satisfaction;

7/10 for the HT results, +2 for the additional SMP; bumping to 9/10 in total.

Attached a few different lighting conditions.  Hope they help!

Wow! Man. So happy for you and look forward to continuing to follow your journey. Thanks so much for posting here for us all to see and learn from.

Looking forward to seeing the detailed SMP post when you have time!

On 6/12/2022 at 8:01 AM, SeanToman said:

Hi again, posted an update;

 

Compare to 8 months for reference.

Looks terrific! How are you feeling?

I am sorry if I am missing the details in your other thread, but do you discuss what was involved in the SMP sessions? 

Thank you for sharing!

7 minutes ago, SeanToman said:

Will be sharing in a couple more days.  Just waiting for it to heal.

Nice! Hope all is going well and thank you!

On 5/14/2022 at 2:57 PM, SeanToman said:

No noticeable scaring from FUE no. 

Going with Dot-Micro in Northern Ireland for SMP.

Very interested in seeing how this turned out (I hope great!). Any pics to share, please?

8 hours ago, StillAlive said:

Playful title aside, I wanted to chew the fat on the following :

When I was young, I used to wear my hair really long. As my hairloss started in my late 20's, I began cutting it shorter and feathering it, to preserve the illusion of fullness (as any of you that sported long hair will know, the weight of hair can expose the balding parts of the scalp, whereas, the shorter you cut it, the more voluminous it appears) and it worked really well. Certain lengths were out of the question as they exposed my horrendously gleaming skull but with the right cut, no one in their right minds would suspect I was balding. Around 35 I went for a regular short cut, which also looked alright, a full NW3. That used to work until I hit 40, when my magnificent NW4V pattern is impossible to conceal. 

Now I'll be getting a transplant in September and I'm keeping my expectations grounded and realistic. I wanted to ask anyone with a similar history to mine who went for it and got an HT :

Post transplant and provided that you do not experience further aggressive hair loss, it should be possible to wear hair longer again, preserving that illusion of density. I imagine there's always a cutoff point where it'd look bad, a bit like turning back time and going to the point where I was a NW2.5/3? It's a good thing those undercuts, fades and pompadours are in fashion lately  

 

I really appreciate this post, because my dream was (is?) to have long hair again.

While my fue fixed the front fairly well, I only had 1852 grafts and was not on fin at the time (now I am). That means the front grew in very nicely, but there was still progression of loss behind the ht.

I guess I could have long hair now, so long as I part it from the side. Otherwise, the part in any other spot is slightly too wide and reveals too much thinning. I can wear a pompadour sort of, but under certain lighting the hair becomes see-through. (I am strongly considering going back for a second ht this fall to try to fill in the area behind the first ht or maybe some smp.)

Which is to say...I think it is great that you are getting many more grafts than me but also I hope you consider starting finasteride. I am happy to dm about it, if you'd like. There are so many myths about this drug, it is really frustrating. As you likely know already, your donor is not limitless and you are starting off with 3500-4000 grafts. Without a dht blocker, the rest will without a doubt fall out and there will almost certainly not be enough grafts to cover the rest of your scalp. I don't mean to be harsh, I just want you to achieve your goals, too.

Honestly, I would have never noticed if you had not pointed it out.

Hey everyone!

Looking to book my second FUE (1200) to add some density and fill in loss behind my first FUE (1852 to the front).

The ugly duckling phase was very hard for me, even though I knew it was coming and would and did end.

Wondering what the ugly duckling phase is like for a second procedure? About the same? Less so because there’s transplanted hair there now?

Any insight appreciated!

3 hours ago, SeanToman said:

Hi, 3500 grafts.  
I'd say a solid 2200 was place in completely bald temples.
Would you happen to have an estimated percentage between month 7 - 10 of density improvement?

I was still making significant gains from month 7 through 9. There was a big difference for me between month 7 and 10. But hardly any difference between 10 and 12.

I agree with people who are saying in this thread and your original post that lighting and hair style makes a massive difference.

Something I've had to accept is that my hair absolutely will look see-through under some combing and lighting conditions. Accepting that my hair, despite all of this effort, will never look perfect in all conditions is tough. Fortunately, I think a lot can be solved or at least minimized by spending time with what hair style works best for you. There are also plenty of excellent posts about using fibers, etc, to help fill in problematic spots.

That all said, looking at your original thread and comparing with this post, I hope you are also excited about how far you've come. I think it is looking, man, and the best is yet to come.

Can you share how many grafts you got?

I also have one thinner side. I noticed density improvements between months 7 and 10, but not much between months 10 and 12. (I had 1852 to the front, so not a massive transplant either.)

Today is one year since my hair transplant.

There were times I thought it wasn't possible for this day to come and time never marched more slowly than during the ugly duckling months. But march on it did. 

The FUE with Dr. Dorin was the best money I ever spent. I am a tough critic, so there's no way I think it is perfect and I am already scheming on a second round. But a random gorgeous woman told me the other day she loves my hair and I nearly ascended into heaven.

I have some diffuse thinning behind the transplant and thinning at my crown, but not sure if enough to move forward with a second procedure without risking too much of the native hair. We did 1852 grafts and I never had an expectation of a thick hairline, but it is still a bummer to see the thinness in places and the right side is certainly less dense than the left. 

I am trying to grow my hair long, which was the driving dream of this whole endeavor, and I've learned (the hard way) about what hair styles work for me and which don't. For me, any style where the hair is lifted at all, especially pompadour style, seems to invite trouble if harsh light collides with it.

That's the problem, though, with an excellent illusion of density: it's easy to forget it's an illusion, too. Nothing like a friend's camera with a flash and harsh light to snap you right back to reality. Live, learn.

Right now, I am on 1mg finasteride daily, topical minoxidil twice per day, and I try to microneedle once per week. 

I haven't been great about posting here, as I intended a year ago, since this has been a very hard year otherwise. I am going to try to post more and will check private messages if I ever can be of help to anyone else. 

Okay here's some pics, not really trying to make it "look good," just showing where we were immediately pre-op and now are:

On 2/8/2022 at 11:24 AM, LaserCaps said:

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!

 

 

Can you say more about why long hair can be a bad style for post-ht? I am about a year since my fue and had hoped to grow my hair out. I thought it had been looking good, but last night someone took a picture of me in very harsh light and it looked so terrible. 

On 1/19/2022 at 12:40 PM, TEXAN35 said:

9 Month update:

I had good imnprovement from 6-9 months and still improving. The hairline even though not very dense looks natural. Overtime I still may need another front third hairline work in few years as more native hair is lost and crown work as my crown is also thinning (towards NW5). Currently my crown thinning can be very easlity concealed using a sprinke of toppik.  I chose a very conservative hairline to start with which is natural for someone in late thirties.  Of course now I want a little lower.  Not sure about temple area as it seems my hairstyle is fine without temples. 

I am also on Topical DUT.

My future options are

1) Get a 2500 FUT for front third hairline to lower it make it denser as more native hair are lost  and then 3000 FUE for the crown

2) Go completely with FUE in future for hairline and Crown

Wow. I think it looks great for 1400. Nice!