Balding Bad

16 hours ago, stephcurry30 said:

Looking good boyo. Who is your FUE surgeon? 
 

also I wouldn’t be too worried about watery semen. I would continue using finastiride normally especially if that’s the only side effect you are expericing! 

Why wouldn't you be worried about watery semen? It's a clear indicator of an adverse side effect.

Also, I went with Dr. David Josephitis at SMG...post coming soon!

Final thoughts, while I don't believe Fin really helped my frontal hairline, I do believe it helped tremendously in restoring my crown.

Looking back at my initial posts, it was clear my crown was beginning to thin out, but now that I'm looking at the most recent images of my crown, it's clear that it was restored and filled out some of the minor thinning areas.

My Fin regimen now will continue to be once a week. I was initially taking it on Tuesdays, but think I will move it to Wednesday to kind of even out my weeks. Hopefully I won't get any sides (watery seamen), but if I do, my next approach will be to take half doses (cutting the pills) twice a week.

Anyways, this should be my final post I believe. Thanks for following along. I'll begin a new thread shortly documenting my FUE HT procedure in the coming days. I'll post the link here, so stay tuned! 😎 

December 17, 2022

October 27, 2022

Even though this thread has essentially come to a close and is pretty much obsolete since I just underwent my FUE HT a few days ago, for the sake of thorough documentation, I will include the following months' photos that were not initially uploaded, which include September, October, (I unfortunately failed to document November) and December.

September 14, 2022

On 12/15/2022 at 3:58 PM, 5BetaReductase said:

Changes of consistency of semen is pretty normal for patients on finasteride. It shrinks the prostate so that will have an effect

I dunno man...that doesn't sound normal to me. Definitely sounds like an undesirable side effect.

We'll see how once a week Fin goes for me...

Wow, fantastic results. Congrats!!!

Just wanted to make an entry that I started Fin up again on December 13, so about 7 weeks off of Fin.

I also wanted to note that around November 27 I noticed the consistency of my semen returned back to normal, so just a little over a month from when I stopped. I decided to give it a few weeks afterwards to let the Fin run through.

That said, I think I will continue to just take Fin once a week and see how I perform with it. If there are no side effects, then I think my regiment will be just 1 Fin pill every week.

On that note, my HT is scheduled for next Tuesday...so this thread will officially be coming to a close. Thanks for following along!

Thanks for the update! Looking good! Glad to see it's coming along!

Congrats on the results! You still technically have a few months left for the full effect to kick in!

It's been awhile since I last updated, but wanted to provide an update that I've paused Finasteride with my last dose being on October 25th due to the return of watery semen...

I will wait for it to return to normal consistency and at that point I will either take just one 1mg pill a week or divy it up to two .5 mg per week. Not sure which one I'll do, but I'm probably leaning towards just 1mg pill a week for simplicity's sake.

On 9/11/2022 at 10:15 PM, Style22 said:

Have you had your procedure with SMG yet?

No sir, however I'm scheduled for later this year...so fingers crossed!

Thanks for the update, looking good! But I do see what you mean about wanting a potential 2nd procedure in the future, still it's a solid improvement!

Hey @Style22, any new updates?

As luck would have it, I started a new job and started seeing a new lady this year...of course it had to be the year I finally decided to pull the trigger on a HT!!! There really is no perfect time...ugh! lol

So my dates for the HT is Dec 21 and 22. Do we think that's too close to Christmas?

Greetings all! A little late, but better late than ever. Anyways, I've been on Fin 2x a week now since my last post and so far so good. I have nothing out of the ordinary to report, although I'm not sure if it's just in my head or not, but I feel like my frontal third is thinning out at a more accelerated pace now?

Photos below, you be the judge!

On 8/7/2022 at 7:40 PM, pkipling said:

I would imagine that most clinics take time off between Christmas and New Year - but no reputable clinic would just leave someone high and dry who had a procedure right before the holidays. My assumption would be that they would have a game plan in place for how to go about a followup appointment, how to get in touch with the doctor if necessary, and they would cover all their bases to make sure you didn't feel abandoned. It's also something you could discuss with them should you end up booking a procedure right before Christmas. 

Yeah, that's a very good point. I need to see what lines of communication would be available to me should I need it...but hopefully not!

19 hours ago, mafpe said:

5 days imo kinf od too near to xmas. i think it's best to have at least a week full of time that you can consult your doctor. just in case you have worries or if anything might go wrong. after 7 / 10 days, usually there are little to no worries left.

That is a valid point...

Does anyone know if most HT clinics close shop for the entire week leading up to the New Year (Dec 26-Jan 1)?

3 hours ago, Gatsby said:

To be honest and I'm sure others have experienced this. For some reason it never seems to be a great time to have a hair transplant. Either you're about to start a new job, you've met a new girlfriend, you've discovered you've just been invited to a wedding, etc, etc. I think the best time to get a hair transplant is when you can afford one and after all of your research you have nailed down the right surgeon and you have finally got a date for the procedure. Time does fly so I wouldn't worry about which season, etc either. All the best!

Gatsby, you couldn't be more spot on with this! I just started a new job not too long ago and they are pushing really hard for us to come back into the office...so the perk of WFH, where it would have been an opportune time to hide at home as I healed up, might no longer be an option...

But yeah, I've been sitting on this decision for awhile now and I guess there really is no perfect time...well, except maybe mid-2020-2021 when WFH lifestyle was the norm! 😆

7 hours ago, BeHappy said:

 

I agree. These are all the things I have mentioned previously as to why I had my HTs done in November/December. For those reasons I think that's the best time of year to get it done if you live in an area that gets cold winters.

 

 

 

Way over thinking it. This is just you getting nervous about it and your brain making excuses as to why you should cancel it. Things can happen at any time of the year when you go. The Drs dog could have died thye night before. A techs relative could have just had a heart attack, etc, etc. Life happens to everyone. You can make your same argument at any time of the year. What if it's in the Summer and the Dr is going on vacation next week and thinking he can't wait to be on the beach for a week.

 

 

Yeah, you're most likely right about me overthinking it and finding excuses to kick the can down the road some more.

I do appreciate your perspective about how life happens and how there are personal distractions/dilemmas that we can't account for, but I do feel like my Christmas concern is founded only because the holiday season is such a collective experience, so more people will be itching to just kick back and relax and be done with work.

And I also do think it's likely that the more seasoned techs will be off, thereby allowing more of the B and C team to fill in, right?

That being said, you guys have definitely helped qualm my nerves regarding a procedure so close to Christmas, so thank you! Although I still do think it'd be more ideal to get it during the first couple weeks of December, rather than right before a major holiday.

7 hours ago, pkipling said:

While I think you're overthinking it in regards to the clinic not being able to focus (or bringing in the "B-Team" lol) by having it done too close to Christmas, I think you're reasoning is very sound about scheduling your appointment in the winter - for all the reasons you mentioned. And depending on what your work/holiday time is like, getting it done mid-December could work out perfectly with your vacation time as well. But if you're choosing a reputable clinic, I think you'll get their undivided attention and care no matter when you get it done. 

On a side note, I had an emergency hernia repair surgery when I was 19 on December 23rd - and I felt very cared for and attended to the entire time. If anything, everyone was in the Christmas spirit and seemed to make it even more special for me... So who knows - it may be even more of a positive experience by having it done then!  

Thanks for the encouraging words. You're right that if the clinic is reputable then I will be receiving their undivided attention.

Also, that's a different perspective regarding getting a more positive Christmas-y, lovey-dovey experience from the staff! Glass half-full, I like that outlook!

11 hours ago, HappyMan2021 said:

I have had 3 HTs in the winter time and 1 currently that I had in this June. 

In terms of concealment there is no difference. Invest in a handful of fashionable hip hats and you are set. 

Keep in mind that even in the dark and gloomy wintertime, you should still wear a hat during the daytime because UV rays will still go through clouds and what have you. 

I suppose winter is better to get it done if you are super active and like to spend summers at the beach or whatever. 

But if you spend all your time indoors playing videogames it wont matter what season you get it in 🤣

I actually do think there is some small validity to the timing of your HT in terms of getting it done near the holidays and if the staff will be "A team" or not, but its all speculation and broscience. 

As long as you go to an elite doctor this should not be of concern....

I actually was a bit concerned with my latest HT because it took place Sat-Mon and I was nervous about having it done on the weekends. But in hindsight I actually think it was a benefit having it on the weekend bc the clinic was really empty and quiet and it was just me, the doc, and the tech. 

Just go to a good, reputable doctor and trust me you won't have to worry about these matters. 

Haha yeah, definitely speculation, but it's somewhat grounded in logic...even if it may seem farfetched...it's totally feasible.

Also, very interesting to hear that you got your procedure done over the weekend! Wasn't aware that clinics had weekend hours as well.

But you're actually right. If the doctor is reputable than there should be no concerns!

Appreciate everyone's 2 cents on this matter!

Wanted to field some feedback/opinions on this question and see if my concerns are warranted or not...

So to start out, I'd just like to state I very much like the idea of getting a HT during the winter months (specifically November and December). Some of the obvious reasons are:

1. It gets darker out, so there's less sunlight.
2. The ability to wear winter headgear to conceal the aftermath.
3. Avoiding people/social activities is easier since the cold or snow is a simple excuse.
4. The results timeline coincides nicely with summer.

That being said, how do you folks feel about undergoing an FUE HT procedure approximately five days before Christmas?

Personally, I'm a bit skeptical/concerned about getting an operation so close to a major holiday since I feel like the staff (technicians and potentially even the doctor himself) could be:

• Mentally checked out/winging it/not bringing their A game since they are thinking about/looking forward to being off and spending time with family and loved ones.
• The B or C team of technicians end up running the show since the A team is already off for the upcoming holiday weekend.

Is there any validity to this or am I overthinking it?