tacale

Only a few hundred? Would have thought the full 2500 would be needed to add density?

I'm still considering Saifi. He did a good job I think. The dilemma is between the conservative solution he offers -1500 grafts vs most others who are offering 3000. Maybe there's wisdom in using only 1500 and saving for another transplant in case of further recession. However since I was largely bald and most of what I have on top now is transplanted hair, I hope there's not so much left to recede and I can go with someone who will transplant a few more grafts to get some more density.

Thanks for your help. My first doctor was Dr Marwan Saifi in Wroclaw Poland. I need a second surgery because I was almost entirely bald on top, but only had 2300 grafts for the whole area, knowing I would need more later. The density is very weak obviously. A massive improvement over what I had but probably only half the journey. I don't expect top density - because I was too far gone, just want as much of an improvement as possible. My fear is that some doctors will transplant over what's already there or risk transection, and with only maybe only 3000 grafts left over in the donor I'm hoping for someone who will really make the most out of every single graft, combining with what I have for the best result. If I may post pictures here, I have 1 from before surgery and 2 different angles from after.

May I ask for your advice on the first two -Laorwong and Maras, when it comes to doing second transplants/ top ups? Laorwong or Maras are my preferred choices for my second op, but most of the results I see from them, or from any doctor, are naturally of first transplants, creating a new hairline. In my case I have the hairline and hair already transplanted by a doctor previously, and am looking for someone who can add density in between the transplanted grafts without damaging them. I don't think any doctor really specializes in this so much but am struggling to verify if they or any doctor is the right one for this.

I think the best approach is to read reviews every day. Even if its just 5 minutes or you look at a handful of reviews. The more you read the more youll learn. Ideally you aren't trying to rush it so can follow this process for weeks/ months. When you see a doctor you like for their work/ price/ logistics etc reach out to them. Some of them have long waiting lists so get that process started. And search the internet for all reviews you can find from them. But also don't fall in love with the first doctor you like. Keep reading reviews. Try and get to a shortlist of at least a few before you commit. Even if you like one doctor, the review of a doctor that suits you even better could be right around the corner.

What do you mean by hairs that are likely to fall out in the future anyway? Mean ones close to balding areas which are probably next to fall out? Or just if someone has aggresive balding all hairs are expected to fall out at some point?

Thank you for the advice both of you. My question is basically- what to those on this site who probably know a lot more than me or have had or seen similar experiences, see as the potential cons of doing an operation 2 straight years. I don't see a big disadvantage to doing it now rather than in a few years but wanted to check if there's something I am overlooking. You say I may consider larger sessions, but if I already have had 2300 or so and now go for a large session say 4000 wouldn't that leave me with nothing left for the future? I'm hoping 2000-2500 will be enough to add some good density leaving me with a little bit potentially to still work with in the future if necessary.

HI all. Wanted to ask for advice on how to proceed. I had an operation 16 months ago and would like to go and do another one, but want to be sure I'm making the right decision and not rushing in. My (33 years old) case is a little different to most. Prior to my first OP I was about a NW 5 and in a position where i needed around 4000 - 5000 grafts for a good result (pic from before the Op) However, I was unsure with all the travel restrictions at the time so decided to go for a local doctor who would only do around 2500 (in the end closer to 2000) who was available without too big a waiting list. My logic was rather than wait and keep researching for the right doctor to do the whole operation, which knowing myself could have taken a long time to decide, I'd just pull the trigger get at least some of the work done, look better and potentially be able to do more down the line. Well here we are now. I am quite happy with the result I got, considering I had almost no hair on the front 2 years ago and didn't use many grafts. I no longer look mostly bald and if there isn't a light right above me it looks like I do have hair. However, my hair is still obviously very thin, its pretty much just the 2000 grafts that cover the entire front where there was almost nothing. When I cut it short it looks like I have none but of course at longer lengths the illusion works as intended (eg below) So getting more done would be desirable and I would like to get one in the fall/ winter. Perhaps another 2000 to cover some gaps The reason I am unsure though is because I have tried Fin a few times and had sideeffects, despite pushing through for months thinking theyd go away. So I realize that unfortunately I won't be able to rely on a DHT blocker for the next 20 years like most transplant patients do. Therefore I would be limited to hair transplants as my sole way of combatting hairloss moving forward. My fear is that if I rush in to get another 2000 grafts done, I'm left very thin for the future as DHT perhaps continues to erode my hairline. So should I be more conservative and wait a few years for a top up - be happy with what I have now, or is there no risk to getting the grafts I should have in the beginning (say 2000 for 4000 total) and then in 7 years deal with whatever the situation is?

I believe Dr Arshad's formula has 0.2% fin. Would that not be too strong?

Thanks for the advice. Surprises me because I thought with small amounts of the topical solution one would take it every day twice a day. May I ask how do you calculate the 0.75mg? Is there a recommended drop ammount that gets the equivalent of 0.25mg and since you do it 3 times a week its 0.75? Do you order multiple bottles to save on the transport charge?

Hey all, I wanted to ask about the Topical Fin options in the UK. From my research I have found 4 UK sellers. Forhims, Sons, Manual and The Hair Doctor. Probably there are others I have not found. My main criteria to decide is the firstly the strength of the fin and secondly the application. The dosages offered from what I saw are : Manual: 0.1% fin 10% min The Hair Doctor: 0.2% fin 5% min. Forhims: 0.3% fin 6% min, Sons: 0.1% fin 5% min Forhims seems to be the most popular and perhaps I should have saved myself a lot of time by just ordering it straight away. However reading reviews. I was alerted to the strength. Some saying this is too much and I have seen calculations that this is the equivalent of 3 mg in tablet form. Scared off a little, my preference now would be for the less potent alternatives, particularly Sons as it has 0.1% fin and 5 % minox (which I already use seperately) Is this the right analysis? I guess the stronger solutions could simply be used less to reach a smaller dosage, (eg 2 sprays instead of 6) but that would risk not getting enough minoxidil. I noticed also that Minoxidil Max has (amongst other versions) 0.05% fin (5% min), smaller yet and Dr Mwamba who’s product I learned about on this forum from the moderator has a 0.025% fin version (no minox) a tiny fraction of what is in Forhims. So is 0.3% too much? is 0.1% also very high? Of course these products being international carry a high transportation cost so my preference would be for the UK options if they are good. Finally, regarding application I am not sure which of the products uses a dropper. This would be my preference as I heard with longer hair (my transplanted hair is only passable when long) spray doesn’t reach the scalp that well. Or is that overthinking it? Thanks for any help

I would plan to switch from topical min/fin under the assumption that the min would start to wear off at some point. At least I have heard minoxidil loses effectiveness.

Hi all, I have a couple of questions about fin and min, I think a little different to the usual ones. I am having a transplant in 5 weeks, NW5 and realize I should also start on some treatments to tackle the problem from both angles. I am considering, min, fin and potentially a laser thing. With the minoxidil the doctor said to pause min just before and a for a few weeks after the surgery. So might as well wait till after to start. With the finasteride I have a preference for topical fin though the first question would also apply to oral. My first question is, is there a risk of starting fin so close to a surgery. I’m thinking specifically about the shedding that takes place in the first months of fin. If I start so close to surgery that I'm in the shedding faze at the time of operation, can that affect my donor hair? Or alternatively can that mess up my look in the front so it looks even worse on the day, offsetting the analysis, grafts going in the wrong places? And then with topical fin, would the advise to pause for the surgery - especially when the wounds are fresh, also apply? Secondly I would like to ask about the theory behind products combing minoxidil and finasteride into one topical solution. How to tackle the future problem that one of the two stops working. If I understand correctly, minoxidil might not work as long term as fin (it could lose its effect after a few years). So taking both in one, I might not notice when it stops having an effect, and potentially continue taking something that isn't working any longer? Would it be a good strategy to use a topical min/fin solution only for two years and then switch to just topical fin? And then touching on that, is there a transition period between different fin products. Would my body respond to topical fin as a different chemical than the topical min/fin combo and therefore lose some of the gains - a renewed 3 month shedding faze before it restarts working? Or even transitioning from topical to or from oral fin, would the body treat that as a different product, again gain loss, renewed shedding etc before it starts working? Thanks for any thoughts.