spex

Have you tried finasteride 1mg daily as if not id consider it as you could avoid surgery altogether. Regards Spex

Bump for new readers 😎 Regards Spex

Hi Guys, Asked to write a recent article for The Telegraph on getting a hair transplant too young. There has been a great deal of media discussion surrounding the recent 18 year old who's father bought him a hair transplant for his 18th birthday which is complete and utter madness in my opinion. I was interviewed also on BBC 3 counties too about the young man a couple of weeks ago. Surgery is a last resort and getting a HT at the tender age of 18 only sets you up for a LONG road in my opinion. Article here : http://www.telegraph.co.uk/men/the-filter/no-18-year-old-should-ever-get-hair-transplant/ Let me know your thoughts - Do you also feel 18 years old is too young for a Hair Transplant ? Regards Spex

Bump for new readers 😎 Regards Spex

THE IMPORTANCE OF THE HAIRLINE The frontal hairline is singularly the most important feature of the entire head of hair. It is the aspect of our hair/skin interface that we, and others, see first. When we look in a mirror, or walk into a room, when someone sees us and makes eye contact for the first time, the hairline stands out. On a subconscious level, beyond the rational, it speaks volumes about our age, attractiveness, suitability as a mate, even about our health and vitality. Why is the hairline of such significance? It frames the face. This simple statement belies the artistic and cosmetic impact of this all-important frontal zone. One of the reasons that many men with frontal balding instinctively go for the comb-over? effect, is that it creates a hairline of sorts; it frames the face at the top and at the temples. The problem is that it is so patently obvious to everyone else as an attempt to disguise the balding. Framing of the face is an artistic metaphor. Imagine a painting without a frame. It may be a pleasing image, but it is incomplete. Add a nice, tasteful frame and voila! You have a complete, aesthetically appropriate presentation. Similarly, frontal hairline balding takes away the frame; restoring the hairline restores the frame. The resulting appearance is one of youth, vigor and vitality. PLANNING THE HAIRLINE Often, hairline planning is a compromise between the patient and the surgeon. This does not imply that the patient does not know what is best for him, or that the physician is wiser. What it does imply is that people have a tendency to want the hairline too high or too low. The low, rounded adolescent hairline will look inappropriate on a 40 year-old man. In fact, it may lend a caveman or Neanderthal appearance to his visage. Young men in their early twenties may require repeated explanation of the reasons for not creating an adolescent hairline for them. They still remember quite vividly (unlike the middle-aged man) their own, low hairline at the age of sixteen. Often, they are rather distraught about their loss of hair, and do not identify with their future selves at thirty, forty, or fifty. This is where the ethical hair restoration surgeon must explain and counsel for the patients benefit, rather than playing on fears and illusions in order to make a quick profit. Conversely, a middle-aged man seeking hair restoration surgery may fear that a hairline that is not adequately receded at the temples may seem unsuitable for his age. The fact of the matter is, that a hairline placed too high accentuates the balding, by focusing attention on the wide, high expanse of the forehead and frontal area. This concept may be easy enough to visualize if properly explained. At any rate, if one must err slightly to the extreme, it is always better to start slightly too high, than with a hairline that is too low. One can always, in a second session, bring the hairline down by artfully adding follicular units in front of the existing border. Still, it is much more desirable to get the hairline right on the first try. After all, the primary goal of almost all first hair transplant sessions is to re-establish the hairline and frontal region, in order to frame the face. This facial framework achieves the most dramatic cosmetic and visual effect of hair restoration surgery.

Bump for new readers 😎 Regards Spex

I have made several posts over the years which are a combination of personal experience with hair transplants and a combination of various patient experiences also. The various topics will hopefully allow newbies and patients at the start of their own HT journeys a much better insight into the journey ahead. HT Tips Patience Growth Times 8-16 Months Hair Greed Expectations Hair Characteristics Post op blues Down Time Shockloss Shedding on Meds Seasonal Shedding Maximising Hair Growth Travel Tips Drug Chart Topic - Forum By and for Hair Loss Patients "Research-Research-Research"

Hey guys, This patient recently called in for updates after his hair transplant with Dr Scott Alexander 6 months ago - 2125 via FUT. Wow to say the least this guy it grown gin quick and some!!! Regards SPEX

Hi there, Generally Dr Alexander is booked a few months in advance. Please feel free to drop me an email with your info and pics and I can gladly discuss your situation with Dr Alexander for you or alternatively better still get you in direct contact for a consultation. Email : support@spexhair.com Regards Spex

Hi All, This patient has recently received 1866FU via ARTAS with Dr Scott Alexander and team in Phoenix AZ last week and intends to visit the site and update us on his HT and his experience with Dr Alexander and his team. Another great result in the making!:cool: Regards Spex

Hi guys, Glad you found the topic of use. Ive a ton more info on my website along with videos too if this helps as enables you to get to answers fast. Regards Spex

Please feel free to add..... Here are some general tips - Please note they are from a variety of experienced guys! Before Tips 1. Stay local to the HT clinic 2. Get to the clinic early in order to not be rushed as this will allow you ample time to go through everything with the Dr. 3. Have a list of questions for the Dr that you want answering. 4. Take 2 loose hats with you. (one might not fit) 5. Take a travel pillow, very handy. Especially on the journey home. 6. Get to bed early the night before. Aided sleep is advisable. 7. Get a massage the day before. Loads of places down in China Town(NYC) 8. Wear a buttoned up shirt for the day of surgery. Easy to get on and off. 9. Avoid - Alcohol, vitamins, minoxodil, MSM 7 days pre op. Can thin the blood. 10. Wash hair the morning of the surgery and wear lots of deodorant. Its a long sweaty day you don't want to be stinking out the place 11. Make sure you have made your story clear to various people that you are away for the next 2/3/4 weeks 12. Make damned sure you've filled your Vicodin prescription BEFORE you get re-haired (de-balded?), as opposed to waiting until the night before because "hey, this is New York, of course I'll find an all-night pharmacy...) 13. I would advise taking the pain killers regularly, even before the pain starts 14. Have the clinic take lots of pre op pics in order to have a controlled comparison for post op Additional tips from other guys: 1. My tip to anyone travelling long distances is to fly home the day after surgery! At one day post-op I had no swelling and no pain because my head was still totally numb! I flew home four days post-op and my head looked like a balloon and the aneasthetic was beginning to wear off which made for a long and uncomfortable flight home!!!!! 2. Have the doc wash your hair the day after surgery...it reduces scabing and you won't spend the next two weeks looking in the mirror waiting for them to fall off. 3. If you are going to do zero percent credit card, sign up the month before the procedure not the month after. they don't like 10K balance transfer and won't give you a high enough limit. 4. Sun screen on the graft for the first four months. Otherwise if you get too much exsposure you'll peel really bad and have redness for months. 5. Read the post op instructions before you have the HT. Write down any key questions and tick them off before you leave the surgery. Its easy to forget to ask, what with the injections etc. 6. Use a bandana - its more comfortable than the baseball hat and covers more of the head. 7. Bring button-up shirts - easier to take off. 8. Figure out your communications strategy. I decided to tell people on a need to know basis which meant that I told only a few. 9. Do not watch comedy DVD's during the procedure - It can result in you laughing and moving your head at the wrong time! 10. 11. Take a MP3, IPOD or CD player Airport Security The best way to do it is to make sure there is nothing on you to slow down your smooth passage through security. Remove all items such as watch, keys, change, bangels, chains, ...anything that could cause a bleep.. As you walk through remove your cap casually and calmly. They will not specifically be looking at you head at all... you will be ultra paranoid They will maybe glance and then once your through that vital 10 secs just casually pop the hat back on. You will never ever see the sercurity guy again so who gives if he suspects..and the people behind you will be too stressed out taking all their crap off and sticking into the machine for scanning. Another alternative is you can always ask for a private room........ but to be honest , just not needed!! Immed After Tips 1.Never underestimate the recovery time needed. Get the absolute max amount of time off work. You will feel fine after a couple of days but you will look terrible. Its not so bad if you can wear a cap. 2. Remove all mirrors from your house, car, office etc Seriously! 3. Sleep upright /45degree angle to aid swelling 4. Apply huge amounts of Aloe Vera to both donor and recipient area 5 days after. (2 x a day minimum) 5. Distilled witch hazel helps with redness (apply 7/8 days post op) 6. Get on MSM (makes hair grow faster) 7. Drink lots of water / fluids 8. Bend at the knees for first 3/4 days 9. First 3/4 days just put shampoo in a cup and pour it over the recipient and donor area. Then build up to a shower but shield your recipient with your hand and dab on shampoo. 10. Have a couple of beers and soak your head in a hot bath prior to Staple removal 11. Rest as much as possible 12. No physical activity for 10 days then build it up. 2 weeks post op........ 1. Stop staring in the mirror all the time 2. Start up physical exercise gradually 3. Start Minox if you want to help speed up growth 4. Stop inspecting scar/ donor area all the time! Its takes months to fade. 5. Put the HT on the back burner now for at least 4/5 months 6. Take some clear pics to compare you situation at various stages Post op Redness Post-op redness will occur both in the recipient area and the donor area. The degree and length of time in which both areas will remain pink or red, will largely depend on the individual's skin tone. Redness in the recipient area occurs due to the presence of newly formed blood vessels and inflammation from the placement of the new grafts. Redness in the donor area occurs where the strip was removed and is basically a wound that will eventually heal. Once the wound has fully healed, the scar should appear as a pencil thin, white line that is difficult to locate provided the surgeon skillfully applied the latest techniques when removing the donor strip and closing this area. For individuals with a higher degree of hair loss, the redness will be more apparent than with those who are able to partially camouflage the area with existing hairs. Suntan (avoid burning) a few weeks prior to surgery. After surgery and once the grafts have shed, cosmetic attempts can be made to mask the redness in the recipient area. The hair surrounding the donor area can be cut as low as a #2 razor guard (1/4"), and still conceal the donor wound. Depending on the thickness and density of the individual's hair. Typically 1/4" - 1/2" of existing hair, is sufficient enough to assist with covering the area. Pimples Pimpoles may occur on the recipient area. This is normal and should not cause any discomfort. To the touch, a pimple may be a bit sore (as with a pimple anywhere else on your body). If pimples do appear, they typically do so a month after surgery. Many patients have reported pimples appearing for months after surgery. It is thought that pimples occur due to fragments of skin or hair that may have been caught beneath the skin's surface. I have recommended Tea Tree oil to a couple of recent HT guys who have experienced little pimples post op and it seems to have resolved their situ's - Also a very hot flannel applied to the recipient area can help draw them out and help! Scabbing and Shedding Grafts Once the grafts are placed into the recipient area, the grafts are held in by fibrin, produced by a chemical reaction in serum when the graft sites are made. Typically, the grafts will become fully secure by the eighth day. Scabs will begin to form the day after surgery. On average, scabs will remain present for up to 10 days. If a scab falls out and there is a hair present in the scab, this is completely normal. As long as blood is not present and tissue does not appear around the hair, assume the graft is fine. Once the scabs have completely disappeared, you will have the appearance of a buzz cut. Within the next 2-6 weeks, these hairs will begin to shed and the recipient area will appear as it was prior to surgery. The grafts are merely in a resting phase and will begin its growth cycle in approximately 3 months. The next phase of post-op surgery, is the most difficult; waiting for your new hair to grow in. Staple/Sutures Removal The staples or sutures (depending on the surgeon's technique) typically remain in place for approximately 10 days post surgery. Surgeons encourage that you come back to the clinic to have them removed, but will provide you with instructions for removing them should a visit to the surgeon not be possible. The scar that will remain once the staples or sutures are removed will become less and less noticeable as months pass and will eventually turn into a pencil thin, white line. TIP: Prior to having the staples removed or sutures removed (this tip is more applicable to staples), have a long shower and soak the donor area. When scabs are dry, there tends to be a tiny pinch when the staples are removed. Soaking the donor area will moisten the scabs and minimize any discomfort. Shockloss Shockloss is something that can be experienced when transplanting into existing hair although highly unpredictable. Shockloss occurs when the native hair is weak and isn't strong enough to resist the trauma thats going on around it. More often than not the hair that has gone into shock will grow back but after 3/4 months - after the resting phase Hair that goes into shock and doesn't return is hair that was inevitably on its way out anyway and wasn't strong enough to return. Increased trauma to a localised area will increase the chances of shockloss Shockloss is unpredictable and there is no hard and fast rule to avoiding it - especially if you are transplanting into existing hair. There are risk factors that either heighten or lessen someone's risk. Diffuse thinners seem more prone to shockloss than receders because the hair in a diffuse area is often less stable than that of a receder. Very often, a lot of the hair in a diffuse area is "on its last legs" and in the latter stages of the miniaturization process. NOTE: Be aware that everyone is different! We ALL heal and grow at different time scales. Be very patient and take pictures to enable you to see the results a little clearer. The realisation of the results will be hard for you to actually see as is so gradual. Pictures at 6-8-10-12-14 months are important to give you the visual realisation of the developments occuring to keep you in a positive frame of mind! All the best and heal and grow well all!!! Spex

This 32 years old Indian patient with Grade 7 pattern planned over 2 hair transplant sessions due to the the extent of loss. Luckily has good donor region to work with but planning is vital short and long term. First session- 3233 scalp and 456 body grafts used for hairline and midscalp and the results can be seen here after 6 months in. The patient has also noe been on finasteride for 6 months too to help stabilise and stop the progression of loss and help thicken things up ! See how well the patient has responded to finasteride ! As this result progresses I'll plan to update the topic to see this remarkable transformation. Regards Spex 6 months post op !

2235 FUT - 9 months post op his session with Dr Scott Alexander Phoenix Az. Patient very happy and sent over his updates and raving about his new head of hair and rightly so ! Further growth come too!! Regards Spex

I've been to Dr. Alexander for a couple of procedures. I decided on using him after much research and one procedure that I was not entirely happy with from another provider. Dr. Alexander fixed what was wrong from the other provider and the last procedure made my hair look like it did 30 years ago. He is extremely professional and thorough. He explained what options I had, did not try to "upsell", and documented everything done. He and his staff are consummate professionals. I will personally vouch for his professionalism and integrity. I would urge anyone looking to have a procedure done to consult with Dr. Alexander and avoid any of the mass market hair loss clinics that advertise out there. What you have in Dr. Alexander is a caring and completely competent surgeon. The procedure was fully explained beforehand. All care immediately following the procedure was fully explained and extremely helpful. The follow-up visit to remove stiches was about a week later. He then schedules a six month and one year follow up. After my last visit which was the one year follow up I was floored at the difference. As one doesn't see the back of their head that often, comparing the before pictures to what it looks like today is like night and day. My wife has even commented on how well my hair has grown in. Again, I can't thank Dr. Alexander enough for what he has done for me and how well the procedures have gone. There really is no one else that you need to consider when you are looking for a procedure to be done. Todd

Dr. Scott Alexander implanted 2305 grafts in the front of this patients scalp in order to repair a previous surgery performed locally a few years ago. The patient came back in to follow up and to express his gratitude to the Dr. You can see the great transformation here !! Regards Spex Pre Op Dr Scott Alexander 12 months post op Dr Scott Alexander

I’d say he’s a NW7 yes. Miniaturising Hair clearly around the edge which has responded well to meds which is great. Thanks for the postive and constructive comments. regards spex

Video presentation :

This is quite a remarkable newspaper article regarding a Australian patient who received 100% compensation after his hair "100% Guarantee" ...failed. Clinic held accountable in India for "gross deficiency and negligence". This is interesting.

Great job as always Dr Bisanga! Regards Spex

I've been around a while and seen a lot of hairlines from a lot of clinics. Feriduni's are great no doubt it and great he is a Dr too. hard to say whose the 'best' as many great hairline drs out there, but Feriduni is defo one of them! Also entertain Dr Bisanga too. I love his hairlines. Despite not a clinic on the lists here My NEW hairline is coming in a treat - I recently went to The Harley St Hair Clinic and had my session with Dr Kovecheva after seeing countless hairlines by her in the flesh. Simply lovely, natural and soft! My write up is own the forum and here : https://www.apetogentleman.com/perfect-hairline/ note: *I am a patient advisor for the clinic* Regards Spex

Great stuff.

This Bosley repair case came to see Dr Alexander a couple of years ago and came to update us with his awesome results yesterday in LA. Feast your eyes on this belta! Regards SPEX

Indeed - He got let off lightly from Bosley for sure. He admits it too. The growth in the front from them wasn't refined however was serval years ago with them. Regards Spex