NARMAK

Sounds good. I definitely think wet hair is a good thing in terms of showing coverage too but definitely great to see you go through the full spectrum and exposing it in all those different lighting types and situations.

Frontal hairline is looking solid. I noticed you have the hair combed back over the crown, hopefully when you do a full update, can we see it more naturally exposed? I think even with the slick back looks like it's definitely coming in well all over.

Personally i think it's because the majority end up at a hair mill and get a hairline way too aggressive for them and their future hair loss potential. If you're not on finasteride or similar, a good clinic will weigh up your suitability on other factors and potential progression. Melvin for example is a great example of somebody who couldn't tolerate Finasteride but his result from where he started to where he is today is simply outstanding.

If you want to use it, you can, if you don't, then you don't have to. It's always a personal choice but i just wanted to dissect what you said above a little bit. Just because you get to a certain age and the hair loss seems stable, it's not a guarantee it won't start getting worse and quickly. There's many examples of people having this happen to them. That's why even somebody on medication could be fine for a while, but then the hair loss accelerates past that point where it stays effective and it becomes worse, even when using Dutasteride for example. Unfortunately those people are very unlucky, but they are out there.

Great and well viewed choice. Thanks for sharing and wishing you well with the hair transplant. Just like i said, i don't think you'll probably be able to get good enough length for a curtains hairstyle till maybe 6 months minimum.

Take it from somebody who at 4 months post-op hasn't regrown hair long enough to do that hair style, it probably isn't going to happen if you went completely shaved. You might also depending on your hair loss situation need to wait till 9+ months depending on the implanted density to really be able to rock that hair style properly. Do you mind sharing where you are getting your hair transplant from? I'm not one to try and stop people from getting one, but if you're about to go to a hair mill, it would be completely wrong of us not to tell you to stop, turn around and run for the hills. Even if it means losing a deposit you made have paid. A hair transplant is for life and then any that goes wrong, takes even more money and emotional toil to fix if it can be at all.

OP, welcome to the forum and hopefully you find good advice here like the above to stay away from hair mills. I know you said you used Minoxodil and regret it, but i would like to understand why that is. Now another point you raised is not taking Finasteride because you have a fear of side affects. That's understandable but there are things you can do to mitigate it and imo, it's folly to say you won't consider it before a hair transplant but maybe after. Dr Cuoto i could be wrong, but is by far and away the absolute best name you mentioned. The only issue however, is that i believe he doesn't operate on patients not having already been on Finasteride perhaps 6 to 12 months prior. Hair loss is progressive and the only weapons we have against it don't even guarantee we stop it completely but can slow it down with Finasteride to inhibit DHT and then Minoxodil to work on whatever mechanism of action it seems to in order to help regrow hair, albeit, only for as long as you continue to use it indefinitely and it only masks DHT hair loss for so long.

There can be a shedding process but even the transplanted hair will shed by the first 2 to 3 months, so it shouldn't negatively impact you long term but get better results. Usually i only think you should try one treatment at a time to see how effective it was, but that also depends on how much hair loss you had and what your restoration goal is. You underwent 4000 grafts, that doesn't seem like a small amount, so it's difficult to say unless somebody had come here beforehand and just wanting help with their hair loss. Post-op it's harder to say, but i would say Finasteride at the very least should help you over a longer term keep good results.

A doctor saying they believe PRP alone will maintain native hair and transplanted hair, whilst telling you to come in at practically every month at a cost of maybe a few hundred isn't giving an alarm bell? Doctors who don't push Finasteride as an absolute must merely have to inform you of what can happen and then the responsibility is yours. Doctors who are providing an aesthetic service who don't want to take on patients that they feel will have a sub optimal result without being on medication are also free to refuse you. I think you are incorrect on PRP as a holding solution. There are modern solutions that can help better preserve grafts whilst out of body, but it's not PRP.

Just to add to this though, because OP has been taking Finasteride and Minoxodil as part of the treatment plan, there's literally no way to separate the two now to see what kept what unless OP was willing to risk losing any ground maintained by either. I don't think Microneedling is seen as something where you lose ground per se if you stop like Minoxodil or Finasteride though, so that should be a safe route to combine with switching to Dutasteride. It's kind of interesting that you guys have such a well established hair loss snake oil company in Australia. The UK at least to my knowledge never really had one. I wouldn't say Manual, KEEPs or whatever else recently on the market in the UK are but they're certainly using the new social media age to get into the market quickly and making money. I don't think they price gouge much at all. It's fairly competitive.

Considering the cost of PRP and the lack of scientific evidence to support it being as effective as Finasteride, i would seriously be questioning the motives of this Dr. It seems like they're using a slight fear mongering tactic to up sell you. Finasteride in general imo is an extremely important component of halting or slowing hair loss. Moreso the latter for the majority of people. It's now cheaper than ever before and it's been on the market for 20+ years and if it was that bad, i'm fairly confident to say it would have been yanked but the media being the media, they deliberately sensationalise the drug as a boogey man and its what stopped me from trying the medication back when i was 21. I wish i could go back in time to start earlier and that's coming from somebody who was classed as a Norwood 2 at 32 before my hair transplant. So i would say there's still every reason to take Finasteride. A common misconception is that the donor area is "permanent" and DHT resistant but it's actually still affected, just to a much lesser degree and that's why imo people still see and feel the hair thickening up anecdotally when they're like 40 or 50 and had a hair transplant and started using Finasteride for the first time. You can also stop or reduce dosage if you experience side affects. Permanent side affects are extremely rare but like all medication any and all possible sides HAVE to be listed or the company is opening themselves up to lawsuits galore. There is evidence to suggest Merck weren't honest 100% in their clinical trial data, but this isn't exclusive to just them and this one medication. It's an industry wide problem. However, as i said, drugs been on the market 20+ years. If there was many problems, it would have had been taken off or at least had a significant uptick in people reporting problems, which in todays social media age is a guarantee.

That's right, Dutasteride is basically like a stronger version of Finasteride but it's not officially approved for hair loss in most places, which is why it's used "off label" like Oral Minoxodil. Depending on the size of the needle, if its 1mm to 1.5mm, you can do it just once per week. Probably recommended to do it that way but i guess it's preference too. In terms of the derma roller, i did start with that but personally i would recommend using a derma pen instead. It targets the area more effectively and causes the "right" damage instead of potentially cutting hair shafts like derma rolling can tend to do. So it's more recommended imo. Your hair around the frontal area could potentially regrow by adding in Microneedling, switching to Dutasteride and maybe a little boost with Nizoral but i always tell people, never to take regrowth as a guarantee, it's a bonus. Keeping what you had and hopefully thickening it back up is the main goal if the hair in the area hasn't gone past the point of saving. That's also why i recommended taking progress pictures monthly under repeatable lighting.

You're welcome. There's usually for off label hair loss use a 0.5mg dosage. You can completely switch over but you may want to do it over time like switching it once or twice a week, then slowly increasing the dosage. Just please be aware and not to freak out when you do start shedding because this is really common when people switch over. There's no specific brands per se you have to buy, but there's Dr Pen i believe which is supposed to be a branded version if it's not a bootleg that should be quite good. On the day you Microneedle you can skip using Minoxidil too and will still get a boosted result, but again as with anything, it's going to be best for you to take pictures to track your progress. In terms of age and hairloss management, it seems like you have done well to get to where you are with only now seeing the hair loss start to progress. So, the next natural step imo is to increase DHT blocked via Dutasteride, Microneedling to help boost growth and whatnot. Nizoral is going to be marginal, but a little boost on top of everything else is probably better than nothing and if i'm honest, dumping that snake oil Ashley and Martin stuff for generic versions will actually save you a TON of money. Good luck and hopefully you can post updates on how things have gone. Eventually if you do decide to get a Hair Transplant, that should definitely be done with a lot of research but if you can ever avoid it, it's even better. I needed one as i was never going to get my temple points again without it, but i wish i had started medication back when i was 21. Good ol fear mongering put me off.

I think pictures are probably nit always the most accurate reflection because of the issues with different sensor focuses etc. Sometimes also the way the hair falls can make it look worse. In some pictures my crown looked awful and in others, it looked fine. Yet naturally feeling the whorl area, you will feel its not adequate because of the way that it splays out and naturally makes density look less than the other hair, even if you don't have hair loss there. Central whorl patterns or close to it and double whorl patterns probably make the issue look worse.

Oh boy, @LookMaxxi'm not even going to quote your above post, but i read the screenshot and the poster didn't specifically say it was a "good result" but i understand why you would infer that based on all the other stuff that's cited about the example you gave. However, i know English may not be your native language and maybe some things can be misinterpreted but the rest of your post, it's uncalled for and that's me being diplomatic. You are more than likely going to be either banned for that or given a severe time out for reflection and given a final chance. I strongly, strongly suggest you just step back and think about how you're letting your hair loss situation potentially affect you to such a degree that you need to use that language against strangers on the Internet. Perhaps i'm wrong and it's nothing to do with your hair loss at all, and it's just the way you are, but just because hypothetically somebody hasn't been with a woman or a different partner, there's no reason for you to even touch on that in this way. It's none of your business and nothing to do with hair loss in this context. Yes hair loss can affect physical attractiveness for men and women. That's a fact, nobody is going to dispute that but what character a person truly has in them, that's above and beyond anything superficial and that's what a person needs to maintain and look for in a partner. Your young hot 18 year old or whatever you think of being with, their looks will fade and all that's going to be left is that personality and entitlement you may have allowed to get with them and when they don't look so good to you anymore to be able to put up with, you're heading for Trouble Town. Bottom line, this threads been significantly derailed by extra talks. OP asked for help, hopefully he found the information to deal with hair loss helpful and imo realises despite how much it may hurt right now due to the emotional attachment, that he's better off and somebody else will come along with some effort that's right for him. Concentrate on yourselves as i've said, and self improve. There's no need to come online to forums and just be petulant for nothing. It has no good outcomes and it leaves you a temporary satisfaction.

In terms of age, you're not at a bad age per se, but what you have going against you imo is that third picture. Whether that is temporary or indicative of further hair loss needs to be established. It's not a good sign. What dosage of Finasteride and routine of Minoxodil are you on? I think you might also want to consider adding Microneedling into the mix with a derma pen once a week at 1mm to 1.5mm. It should boost your results for sure. That said, let's move on to your budget. First thing is, you need a proper evaluation from a professional. The forum here has a solid list and i would look at the options in Europe. Being in the UK, it's a short flight to most places that are solid for the price but the £ has taken an absolute battering and i'm so happy i went when i did in May. You're probably going to have to do 2 things. 1 is save up more now. It's not something to cheap out on. This things going to be with you for life and you need to get it right out the gate. 2, give it 6-12 months to resolve your hair loss issue and save more, but narrow down who you want and get on their waiting list. A lot of doctors are booked till 2023 if they're usually solid. Dr De Freitas, Dr Bisanga in Belgium are just a few of the names you can look into and see patient results on this forum for Europe. I think what might really help is for you to blur your face on a front facing picture but keep the eyebrows visible as a landmark. They call it the glabella. Hold your hair fully back or slick it with a comb etc. and then draw out what hairline you want. Then take two photos of a 3/4 profile view on the left and right, and draw out another "Ideal" hairline you want. Bear in mind, you are going to get some opinions advising you against what you're drawing, cause its really common what a 20 odd year old wants from a hairline, VS what they age into 10+ years down the line and potentially if they lose more ground which you might be affected by.

I wore a cap loosely after the first headwash i think. So that's okay and not really an issue. Scratching your scalp post op i don't know depending on the time that's passed, particularly a few weeks if it will affect you because the hairs generally anchored in by that time to the dermis, and will either grow or fail. That's the body doing what it does, however, for me, within the first weeks, i didn't want to personally be responsible by itching. Get a slightly over sized stretchy zip hoody, then zip it up, slip your arms out the sleeves and sleep with them around your mid section. It's the BEST way to sleep imo in the first week or so post-op with a chunky memory foam pillow.

That's not just your frontal third, but extending into the midscalp. I know you said you have had 4 FUT procedures, but you haven't mentioned anything about having been on medication at all. If you aren't already, Finasteride is your first step. It may help restore the area if there's native hair there to save and thicken as there seems to be. Also, you could try Minoxodil as well but i personally recommend trying one thing at a time unless you want to be really aggressive and willing to commit to the routine. Overall, i think if you could even get any extra hair, it may be best to evenly distribute then use fibres to give a fuller appearance rather than making it look lop sided.

Personally i have a dry scalp often flaring up into dandruff but the saline spray probably helped keep mine at bay. I don't know if a hair transplant intrinsically would spike your scalp being oily. I would probably say that after the first week, you can probably wash more normally but if you get an oily build up, i think it's best to ask the clinic for their professional opinion to deal with it. My clinic recommended Dove as a shampoo because apparently its very mild on the hair. However, i do think this is something you have to customise for down the line as well. Sometimes you have to shampoo maybe a few times a week where some people can skip it for weeks and also, maybe dry shampoo might be better for you down the line. Perhaps not right now.

First off, welcome to the forum. Secondly, you need to start medication like Finasteride because your hair, it looks like it's about to get further hair loss in your midscalp. Give it at least 12 months for the medication to start working. How old are you and where are you from? Also, what's your budget? If i had to take a quick guess, the clinic you probably asked are a Turkish place or at the very least a hair mill. Maybe you do need that many grafts, but it's a high number, and a majority of the donor area sometimes for a single procedure depending on what they planned.

That's a helluva journey Melvin. Definitely inspirational for people looking to try regain their hair and in terms of suffering some of the issued you did with regards to medication etc. I definitely am sticking to the 12 months and longer timescale for maturity. It's helpful seeing yourself and other people who have posted showing the thinner less pigmented hair begin to thicken and mature as the months roll on.

Temple points sometimes despite their subtlety are definitely essential imo. Is the Dry picture from before you had any surgeries at all Vs now? I'm going to hope my hair gets as dark or thick as yours looks over the next 5 months for the temple points and blends well. I do think your hair may be a little more thick than mine, but could be slightly wrong. I know my beard definitely at a certain length it becomes curly and it's why i wouldn't want to need to rely on that in the future.

I would say for me, i started noticing more hairs shedding just after the 1 month mark and it continued until the 3rd month almost ending in some spots. However, after Month 4, things are starting to improve and even enough to the point where i feel more confident to style the hair and have it visible in public under dim lighting or indoor. Bright sunlight etc. and i'm going all Dracula to hide it lol. Luckily it's heading to Winter and that makes it easier. I would say though that i am feeling the first hair transplants the most challenging because you can do all your research, but going through it is the real challenge. The knowledge you have though hopefully makes it a little easier.

@LookMaxxthis is i guess the bit i focused on and missed the bits where you said you didn't permanently suffer from such sides as there was a lot of text. So thanks for the clarification. I do mean it in the nicest of ways, but you do have some things you probably need to work through because it seems like hair loss has psychologically going by your posts i've been able to see, affected you in a very strong way. I think you would benefit from reframing your perception of how you let hair loss affect your life. Not saying the problems you highlighted aren't real, but to what extent you let them affect you psychologically is something you will have a degree of control over.

Look, i completely understand where you're coming from. To me though, my response is mostly directed at individuals in general though too reading what i posted. I feel like on one hand, i want to help people, but on the other hand there's this weird area where it seems like people attempting to operate with integrity and not be shills, somehow don't manage to get as visible. It's like all those "Alpha Male" YouTubers and their BS. There's honestly no set "This is what to do in life" because there's billions of us and what works for some, doesn't for others, but i said it before and i'll keep saying it. Don't place your value in the superficial. Yes, your 20s are a physical prime year BUT as a man, in todays world with the way most developed countries are. Focus on your money and building a solid financial foundation. Keeping your hair should be a goal, whether through medication or HTs, but not become an entire focus of your whole being. That's just unhealthy from a mental standpoint and will, perhaps lead a person down a dark path and potential outcome at an extreme. Hair Loss is most definitely devastating but to what extent you let it rule your life does come down to you.