splitting hairs

Hi Johnny, I've had a look at your previous pics and I think there's a definite improvement. I know you have had a tough time of it, but it's early days, try not to think about it. Lorenzo always stands by his work. Keep growing it out to see the full benefits of your transplant. Good luck with your wedding!

Hi Johnny, I think you have had fairly good growth. You only had 1600 grafts and your hair is still quite short. Let it grow out and try styling it. You are still only at 7 months. Most guys would kill for the head of hair that you have. You have re-established a facial frame, and in 6 months or so, if needed Lorenzo can add a few hundred grafts to improve density. Try not to worry about it. It actually looks good!

Bare in mind that transplanted hair will usually be 50% of your natural density, so differences in density between native and transplanted hair will be more noticable when shaved down. When grown out, transplanted hair gives the illusion of density, therefore to get the best coverage you should probably grow your hair out.

Congrats! What a transformation! You must be thrilled!

Hi Johnny, I think it looks really good. It isn't quite as dense as your native hair yet, but transplanted hair should usually be grown out to look it's best. How are you getting on with your scalp? I remember you were having some issues? Which shampoo are you using?

Just saw the doctors on their website. Definitely avoid. Don't make a decision you might regret. The FUE gold uses a motorised punch, which increases transection. Check out Dr Koray Erdogan in Istanbul who is also fairly reasonable price wise.

I think this was a bad move. Nowhere on their website could I see the name of the surgeon. If the surgeon is not recommended here then you are taking a shot in the dark. I would cancel and find a surgeon from the recommended list here after doing several months of research.

Hi, it depends what you want really. Do you want a strip scar? I would steer clear from Reddy just because he is so expensive. I dont think he is any better than the other two. Erdogan is a good option, but his graft numbers are always very high compared to others. I would also consult with Jose Lorenzo in Spain, and Bisanga in Belgium. Good luck,

Hi Johnny, Tbh I think it looks pretty good for 5months. There is more to come. However, I think you need to remember that transplanted hair shaved down that close will not really ever be identical in density to your natural hair, this is because transplanted hair should give an illusion of density, which will be when it is grown out. Do you have pics of your hair grown out a little?

I think this is a decent result. You've clearly had significant growth, but density is lacking. I think for 2100 grafts you have got a good yield. Lorenzo generally transplants at a lower density, which is good as it improves the yield. But if you want a second HT 1500 grafts will sort you out. Lorenzo also does unshaven procedures which may be good so u don't have to shave the recipient.

I would not go to Rahal for FUE. Just because a surgeon is brilliant at FUT, doesn't mean he is brilliant at FUE. If you want FUE, go to a clinic that does FUE exclusively, with a manual punch and you want the surgeon to be heavily involved in as much of the procedure as possible. I have seen a few sub par FUE results from Rahal also.

Was the patient on propecia??

I've seen some pretty awesome results of temple points from Dr Lorenzo! Check this out - watch the patients second procedure (second half of the video).

Has anyone heard of Dr Couto of the FUExpert clinic in Spain. He is very popular on the Spanish forums and is producing some solid results?

Steer clear! The only proven treatments are finasteride and minoxidil. Everything else is a scam!

If you are in Toronto, Rahal might be a better option as he is recommended here, so you can rest assured he has been vetted.

That should be fine. OK it with Lorenzo before using.

After 10 days post op your grafts are secure so make sure you massage your scalp. Salicylic acid is available as T/Sal shampoo by neutrogena, but check with Dr Lorenzo it's OK to use. It exfoliates the skin and removes build up so will be ideal for you.

The Clobex is a steroid so will only help with inflammation rather than sebum. It shouldn't be a problem. Try not to worry about it. You are in the doldrums right now and things may not look great just now, but it will all be worth it in the end. Make sure when you shampoo that you massage the scalp using your fingertips which will help to remove any build up. A salicylic acid shampoo will also help with that.

It sounds like you have seborrheic dermatitis. Dr Lorenzo has got quite a few results online of patients with scalp conditions so he knows what he is doing. I have seborrheic dermatitis also and am considering Lorenzo. He advised on Clobex 1 week pre-op. I have always found a salicylic acid shampoo to be good to remove sebum/build up. Check with the Dr before using any shampoo other than what's recommended. Also, make sure you wash your hair daily. Keep us posted how things go.

Congrats mate!! The difference is astounding! Probably the best thing you've ever done!

Hi Squiggle, Do you have any top down pics pre op? That will help us to make a better judgement. Whilst I think you should have better density, I do think there is a nice cosmetic improvement here. Your temple points look very nice and frame your face and your hairline design is good. Bear in mind also that you probably had at least 200 grafts per temple point, which would leave you with 1900 grafts for the Frontal third. You are in very good hands and I'm sure 1000 grafts will get you nice density. Out of interest, since you have been on finasteride for 15 years, have you noticed its effectiveness declining?

Firstly, people don't walk around with wet hair, so whilst it's a useful indicator of miniturisation, it doesn't mean you go placing a ton of grafts there. Secondly, if this patient has aggressive diffuse hair loss, surely that is a reason to be MORE conservative with his donor. Thirdly, transplanting in to native hair, especially miniturised native hair risks significant shock loss, so why take the risk?? It would be good to get other clinics opinions on this.

Dr Erdogan is known to use excessive graft numbers. You must remember that you will still probably lose hair in the future, even if you stay on propecia. 5000 grafts with your level of hair loss is beyond ridiculous and any good doctor will agree. Plus doing 5k grafts in one sitting will cause major trauma and reduce the yield. Looking at your photos you probably need 2500 grafts for a solid hairline and good coverage to the crown. Hair loss is progressive so don't use up all your grafts now. Keep some for the future. You are in a great position at the moment and just need a few tweaks, not a complete overhaul. Good luck

Congratulations! Your hairline design looks great! I'm sure you'll get excellent results! Are you from the UK? Also, how old are you? Are you on propecia?