Balding Bad

7 hours ago, mehereyouthere said:

Thanks! Yeah I agree the density is lacking but I really like the way the hairline is turning out and that was my main concern going in (plus I use fibers everyday so the lack of density I can deal with, although like I mentioned in the other topic, the goal is to get to a point where fiber isn't needed). I have also found out by scrolling through this forum the last couple days that aside from the HTs that everyone universally agrees are amazing, I have different views than a lot people on here as to what constitutes a natural hairline as well as grading final results.  But yeah I agree density is an issue and hoping it'll be fixed when HT3 results are in

You and me both. Hopefully we can both attain the density we are truly satisfied with!

Taking your pre-op hair into consideration, HT 1 and 2 definitely helped boost your frontal third to a very nice place...but, if I were in your shoes, I would not be satisfied with the results. There's a sparseness to it that I don't feel is acceptable. Hopefully your 3rd HT will get you across the finish line!

1 hour ago, mehereyouthere said:

Haha I gave up on perfection after my first HT tempered my expectations and made me have a far more realistic outlook on this journey. I had ~3700 grafts between my first 2 HTs but I think the first one I lost some grafts. My third was a week ago and I had 1599 grafts. You can see a couple pics of before my HTs 1/2 and after here: 

Thanks for sharing, look forward to reading about your ongoing experience/journey!

4 minutes ago, mehereyouthere said:

Gotcha. Similar mentality about wanting to not need to use fiber daily post-HT, but no such luck after my first 2 HTs. I'm hoping my third HT is finally the one where I can walk out of my place without fibers and still feel confident and not insecure.  When I saw your post I felt like we had similar hair/ diffusion so I was bummed when I got to the end of your topic and saw you were unhappy with your results so far. But best of luck with your journey I think like you said you're one 1500- to 2500-graft HT away from your goal.  

 

I guess we're all chasing after perfection. Although I'm curious, how many grafts have you received in total with the 2 HTs? And how many more do you plan on receiving for your third?

5 hours ago, Hair4Days said:

Another 1500-2500 would put you at 3800-4800 total just in your frontal third. That would be way too much considering your total donor capacity was said to be 5-6k. I was thinking 500 if anything for a slight boost in the hairline, but i think this result is good the way it came out. It looks really natural and undetectable. Once you get too dense in the hairline it starts to look obvious you got a hair transplant and i personally would be thrilled it doesn’t have a fake pluggy look. This will also age well. I would try living with it for a while before adding to it. Good luck!

Yeah, I'm aware of that and I would essentially use the bank on my frontal third, but to be completely honest, I'm okay with balding/thinning in the crown. The frontal hairline is essential for me because it helps frame my face. Also, while balding in the crown wouldn't be ideal, I'm more accepting to that and concealment with the crown is much easier to accomplish compared to the front of your hairline.

Ultimately, I don't want my frontal third to be "too dense," but dense enough that the thinning/see-through effect isn't so apparent. Definitely in no rush for a 2nd procedure though.

14 hours ago, mehereyouthere said:

I feel like fibers with your existing hair would provide a pretty good illusion of density.   

I've tried it actually and it does help obviously, but my goal with a HT was to avoid having to use supplements like fiber to mask the thinness. Moreover, it's just a huge hassle to apply...I can't see myself doing it everyday.

On 11/7/2023 at 10:55 AM, consequence said:

I agree, though it is an improvement, it's not a thick or robust hairline for 10 months.

Have you thought about PRP or laser helmets? I know you can't take oral finasteride, topical? Oral minoxidil? Ketoconazole shampoo?

Please keep us updated.

Nah, PRP is just way too costly for it to be a sustainable option and I'm very iffy on laser helmets. If anything, I'd potentially consider derma rolling.

I'm sticking it out with oral Fin and continue to use topical Min every evening.

On 11/3/2023 at 2:04 PM, ALittelTeal said:

Would love an update on how everything is going!

I'm massively late, but all updates have been posted if you're still interested in seeing how this turned out.

I think the biggest takeaway is that regardless of the hair on top of your head, you're able to grow one sick beard! 😝

3 hours ago, davidjosepha said:

I would say it's a quite good result. I understand it not being everything you hoped for and I don't blame you for being disappointed, but I think it still looks quite good, and definitely a huge improvement from before the surgery.

The 'bonus photos' are interesting, they're not what I would have expected seeing the other photos, which look significantly better. However, your hair is 'combed' (by means of the hat) in a way that doesn't look as good as it could, even ignoring the hairline issues, so imo the problem there ends up being 'if I don't have my hair styled optimally, the thinness of my hairline is more noticeable'. It'd be great if you didn't have to think about that at all, but I wonder whether you can work around that just by being careful about how you style your hair, and when wearing a hat, put it on such that your hair is pulled back, rather than to the sides. You also may want to consider keeping the sides shorter so the contrast does some of the work for you.

There are folks on this board who put in a whole lot of work every day to have their hair styled such that the thinness isn't noticeable, and unfortunately for many, that's just the reality of the situation (see Melvin's post on transplants being an illusion of density). You're lucky to be in a position where you could likely make the density a reality with another surgery, but I understand if that's not the route you want to go down. If it were me, I'd probably look into filling in the front a bit more (particularly the front left), but I also wouldn't feel self-conscious about where it's at now.

Congrats! And I'd also be interested to see an update in 3 or 6 months to see if there's any change. I wouldn't count on it, but sometimes there are still improvements to be had past the 12 month mark.

Thanks for your 2 cents!

Yeah, my hair seems to look the worst when it's either dry or not styled. I think the reason it looks best when wet is because it uniformly thins out ALL my hair and a combed look makes it look more evenly distributed versus dry where the thinness becomes more apparent. My left side of the hairline is definitely lacking when compared to the right, so the thinness becomes even more glaring.

At this point, I'm very mindful of what will help and hinder the illusion of a "full" head of hair. So that's immensely useful with moving forward.

SMG did offer a discounted rate if I was to go back to them for a 2nd procedure, however I never got the details of what precisely that "discount" would be. Although, with decisions like these, money is not really the main concern, the final results are. Do I think SMG could pull off in a 2nd procedure what they couldn't deliver during the 1st procedure? Who's to say? It's a roll of the dice really...

At any rate, I think for a hypothetical 2nd procedure 1,500-2,500 additional grafts would probably put me in a place where I would walk away truly satisfied with the results.

And yeah, that's a good idea. I think I'll try to provide an update in March and then in June 2024 just for good measure. In the meantime, thanks for following along on my journey and I look forward to seeing how your results play out. From what I've seen so far, you're on track for some really great results!

Anyways, I know I essentially spammed the hell out of my thread, but for those that are interested. I posted updates for October, November, and December 2023.

I guess at this point October and November updates are kinda moot since the December update is the most crucial, but if you wanted to take a look and read through my summary for Oct and Nov, they are there

BONUS PHOTOS

So I took these 2 images after returning home from a 2-mile run, wearing a hat the whole time. When I took off my hat I couldn't help but be letdown seeing my hair. To know that it was the 1-year mark, yet see how weak and see through the frontal hairline was, was very demoralizing...but it is what it is, and we gotta keep moving forward!

Onward and upward and more hair in the future (I hope)!

DRY HAIR - DIMMER LIGHTING

DRY HAIR

WET HAIR - DIMMER LIGHTING

DECEMBER 21, 2023 UPDATE (365 DAYS POST-OP [12 MONTHS])

Okay folks, this is the one y'all have been waiting for. The ONE YEAR update! Crazy to think a year has gone by...time flies! During this year, I've had highs and lows. So how do I feel one year later..? Well, to be completely honest AND objective, I have to say that I'm doing a helluva lot better than where I began in December 2022!

Do I have a hair line? Yes.

Do I have my frontal third filled in with hair? Yes.

And has this procedure met my expectations? Yes and no.

Overall, my progress from October and November more or less paved the way to what December 2023 would be. I didn't think hitting the one year mark would bring about any drastic last minute changes, so I was quite grounded going into this month/anniversary. My grievances and complaints that I was vocal about throughout the journey continue to ring true. I still do find the frontal hairline to be less than stellar and the overall density to be lacking (quite a bit). 

I went from someone who was clearly thinning and balding to someone who looks like he's beginning to thin and bald.

However, in my November 2023 post I did state that I was tinkering with an outlook/attitude change and realized this is how my hair would be going forward, so I needed to either embrace it or continue being critical of it...I ultimately decided to embrace it.

So December was the first time ever I wore my hair out in public (wet, slicked, combed, and hair sprayed) WITHOUT the concealment style (since it looks best that way, in my opinion). And you know what? It wasn't bad. We are our own worst critics after all, so all the glaring flaws would only be apparent to me. Sure, maybe someone with a really critical eye or who is as obsessed as we are with hair may be able to pick out my flaws (see through effect, lack of density), however I decided I'm willing to overlook that so I can live a more fulfilled life.

Moreover, I also reasoned that my hair actually does look decent-to-great in low lighting and with December getting dark out much sooner, the lighting would work to my advantage. So while daylights saving is still in effect, I'm comfortable with wearing my "exposed" hair out in public...once summer rolls around I will probably reassess, but for the time being I am EMBRACING my hair.

This is as good as it's gonna get...that is until I get a 2nd procedure. So what's my future outlook?

Well, I understand that there can continue to be improvements/refinements up until 18 months, so I'm gonna continue to let the process play out. Like I mentioned in my prior post, I'm not rushing to get a 2nd procedure, but it is certainly something I will want down the line.

Overall, am I happy I chose SMG? Well, hindsight is always 20/20 and I can't say that I'm over the moon with the current results, but, in my opinion, they did a decent job. BUT when I take into account the financial aspect and how much I paid for this and what the "final" results are, I will say that I do not believe it was worth the price of admission.

There are obviously clinics in Turkey or elsewhere I could have gone to for a fraction of the price and achieved the same exact results that SMG gave me...but of course I would have been gambling with my own scalp and the increased likelihood of me getting butchered or botched.

So I decided to pay top dollar to avoid these grisly uncertainties and ultimately the top dollar yielded decent results.

Could I have been a one and done procedure? Maybe...maybe not.

But I still do find my initial graft count of 2,309 to have been low and clearly it was. Moreover, Dr. Joe did concede it was when I had my convo with him at the 6-month mark. I think if I had initially received 3k+ from the get go, I'd be much happier and satisfied than I am today.

Would I consider getting my 2nd procedure with SMG? Honestly, I dunno. I certainly don't feel as confident about them as I was when I first went in. It's not a resounding yes from me, but it's also not a flat out no. I'd have to really, really ruminate on it. And to be frank, I'm honestly leaning towards another clinic...but this is all speculative and who knows what I might or might not do.

Anyways, in closing, I'd say this was a mixed bag. Has this procedure been lifechanging. Yes, I would say so. Compared to where I was in December 2022 to where I am now in the photos seen in December 2023, it's a drastic change. But that being said, the "final" results are not a homerun. When you look at my head from above it looks thin. When my hair is dry it looks even worse and is absolutely see through. So what's my final score? I'll be generous and give it a range.

5-6 out of 10 is my FINAL SCORE!

Agree or disagree with me, but that's my opinion/verdict and I need to be true to myself.

Anyways, you all came for the photos...so here you go!

WET HAIR 

DRY HAIR - DIMMER LIGHTING

DRY HAIR

WET HAIR - DIMMER LIGHTING

NOVEMBER 20, 2023 UPDATE (335 DAYS POST-OP [11 MONTHS])

As we begin to round out the year there wasn't much more meaningful improvements in my opinion. It more or less was the same as the prior month. Same issues continued to persist, which are low density in the frontal third and my hair looking very poor/thin when the hair is dry.

I continued to utilize the concealing styling technique, although I must admit that around this timeframe I started thinking about embracing my hair as is. I realized it wasn't going to get any better and getting it to a place where I would ultimately be truly happy wouldn't be until 2-5 years from now since I don't want to rush into another procedure. I spent a lot of time, money, and effort to get my hair to where it currently is and I shouldn't/can't hide behind the concealment and hat forever...

Thus, the seeds were planted for potentially wearing my wet hair out in public since, admittedly, it does look quite good to me and passable as long as it's viewed head on...but for the month of November I dared not venture out with my hair "exposed."

During the course of October into November through, my Fin usage was once again altered since the sides still remained/got worse (become even more watery), so I decided the best thing to do was to scale back my intake even more. So on 11/18/23 I decided to only take Fin once a month, every Thursday, still at the .25mg dosage.

Why didn't I just go cold turkey completely? Well, I recognize that if I want to stave off future hair loss, Fin is (for better or worse) my only real weapon in the arsenal. So dropping it completely would only do me harm in the long run, but if I could somehow manage the most minimal dosage/intake and build a tolerance then that would be preferable.

Hair rating for the month of November I would still keep the same at 4 out of 10.

WET HAIR

DRY HAIR - DIMMER LIGHTING

DRY HAIR

WET HAIR - DIMMER LIGHTING

OCTOBER 21/22, 2023 UPDATE (304/305 DAYS POST-OP [10 MONTHS])

First of all, major apologies in my supreme lack of consistency. I acknowledge that it's been an entire quarter since my prior update, however I always intended on following through and made sure to continue taking monthly photos but obligations with life and a general lack of impressive results (in my opinion at least) contributed to dropping this in terms of priorities. However now that we're in the new year and I've got some downtime, I wanted to provide the community with an update on October/November/December 2023 and account for the full year's documentation.

For October I can't really say there was much drastic improvement over September or August. And in my honest opinion/assessment, it seems my results really topped out/peaked in those 2 months. I feel like everything after that has more or less been the same with MAYBE minor aesthetic improvements since none of the original concerns regarding weak frontal hairline/weak density was ever allayed.

I do want to flag that around 10/15/23 - 10/20/23 or so I did notice I began to exhibit sexual side effects (the return of watery seamen) with only taking Fin 4x a week at .25mg dosage. So on 10/27/23 I decided to scale back my intake to just TWICE a week, every Tuesday and Thursday, to see if that would help mitigate sides.

Overall, my review for October would be the same as September. Good from head on angle (especially when hair is wet), but if you observe hair from above or if hair is dry then the aesthetics become worse. The see-thru effect is still blatant depending on the lighting. If you look at photos in the "Wet Hair - Dimmer Lighting" section, you'll see prime examples of how the illusion falls apart when there's a light source behind my hair. It has, what I would call the scaffolding effect, where the transplanted hairs do give off a framework/lattice structure for the basis of hair, however the sheer lack of density makes it look incomplete and just odd...or just makes my hair look "thinning."

October's score would remain the same at 4 out of 10.

Please note photos below were taken during the course of 2 days.

WET HAIR

2 hours ago, HairFunk said:

Balding Bad - I personally wouldn't touch it as it looks very natural, almost as though it has naturally crept back a little bit. In other-words no one will ever know you've had a hair transplant and as you get much older this will look really good vs a highly dense wall of hair on your hairline in old age. 

Your question reminds me of another user on here 'Greg' who was on the fence about topping up his hairline repair. The general consensus from the forum was to leave it alone as it looked very natural. Not sure what he did in the end, you could reach out to him.

https://www.hairrestorationnetwork.com/topic/53283-softened-hairline-result-opinions-please/

I personally like recreated soft and loose hairlines with a good use of single hairs. Always a natural look vs super dense and looking like work has been done. Certainly have a good think. 

 

Thank you for your feedback and I will definitely take it into consideration. To clarify, I'm not looking to rush into anything at the moment. I'm just thinking out loud and voicing my opinion in real-time. I'll obviously contemplate a 2nd procedure very thoroughly before pulling any triggers. What's important is that I see the one-year journey through first.

Thanks for providing "Greg's" thread. I'll look into it and use it to reflect on my progress thus far.

In terms of my hair line, I'm perfectly okay with a soft hair line. What bothers me is that it's immediately sparse and thin right behind the already fine hair line, thus giving off the impression that I'm thinning out (still). I think this hair line would be suitable if I was in my late 40s or early 50s, but in my mid-30s, I am actually still passable for my late-20s, so the visibly thinning hair line just doesn't fit...there's a clear disconnect with my still youthful looking face.