SuperC

Could someone help me understand what the light-colored bumps are all over the recipient area? I don't see this with every surgeon, just some, and yet no one ever seems to mention it. Is it the extracted graft tissue not being dissected and discarded, but implanted into the recipient area with the follicles? if so, how does this effect the scalp surface after healing? Edit: I forgot to mention, the work looks great! What a massive transformation this will be!

I've never heard that Minoxidil contains any addictive substances, and a quick Google search returns no strong evidence to the contrary. If you discontinue use later, however, you may lose any "gains" you had as a direct result of the medication. There's no harm in waiting until your growth has matured before deciding if Minoxidil is right for you. Personally, I wanted to see what my results would look like on their own before deciding to start Minoxidil. Otherwise, I felt like I'd be too afraid to discontinue use later. Now that I'm almost 10 months post-op and satisfied with my results, I have no reason to start Minoxidil and, thus, nothing to fear.

After 13 months? Not unless you've seriously injured yourself. Your transplanted hair is now just as durable and resilient as the rest of your hair.

Either way, keep your head out of the sun.

Neither. These aren't generally considered effective treatments for hair restoration. Are you on any medications, such as Minoxidil or Finasteride? Typically, the best approach is to stabilize your hair loss via medication and then, if desired, restore thinning areas by way of a hair transplant.

The perfect surgeon doesn't exist. It's up to you to choose the one you feel is right for your situation.

I'd also like to know who the surgeon is. This sounds like a strange recommendation. Generally, once the scabs have been removed, it's best to let things be.

Not sure. I just don't see any reason why you wouldn't have far better growth with your previous procedure. It's uniformly poor, as opposed to being patchy or anything. This suggests to me that there might be a more fundamental issue impacting growth, but I'm certainly no doctor. If it were me, I'd ask my primary care physician about it and follow their advice, including running any tests or ordering bloodwork as they see fit. Get as much information as you can, you know? Good call on speaking with a dermatologist, by the way. Perhaps get a second opinion from another dermatologist who knows more about hair and hair transplants.

Have you talked to a medical doctor? It may be wise to get checked out for any sorts of medical conditions that affect growth before going in for another transplant.

Yes, the call was absolutely worth it for me. I'd already submitted high-quality photos for her to review prior to the call, so our time was spent covering my most important questions. I felt like I was getting answers straight from one of the most highly-regarded hair restoration surgeons in the country, if not the world. She was actually the first surgeon I spoke with during my research phase. Talking to her really set a high standard for me beyond that point, and as patients in this business, we really need to keep our standards quite high. Anyone considering paying what Dr. Nadimi charges probably isn't worried about $200 anyhow. It's really nothing in the grand scheme — the cost of about 20 grafts — and I wouldn't personally schedule a procedure with someone I'd not spoken with directly, so I'd say it's definitely worth it.

It sounds like a business run by someone whose time is valuable. Costs tend to increase with skill level, as well as demand, though there's not always a correlation. For instance, last year I paid $200 USD just for a quick FaceTime call with Dr. Sahar Nadimi of the Chicago Hair Institute. She's widely regarded as one of the very best in the business. I doubt many folks would say that was just a money grab. Her time is valuable and I was willing to pay for it. It's unfortunate that you didn't get the good news you were hoping for. Really, that sucks. There's certainly no harm in getting a second or third opinion, and there are lots of other surgeons who might be better equipped to address your unique situation. I just don't know that complaining about the cost of a consultation really helps your argument.

Generally it takes 12 to 18 months. It's not uncommon to have concerns at 7 months post-op. Consider sharing photos of your progress (including some from before and after the procedure), as well as the name of the clinic and surgeon, if you'd like more insight into your specific case.

Did you not research the reality of hair transplants? https://www.hairrestorationnetwork.com/topic/52489-are-hair-transplants-an-“illusion”-of-density/ Did you not research the techniques used by your surgeon before choosing them? Also, please name the clinic and surgeon. Although, I have a guess based on your username and the way their work looks (which seems fine to me, for what it's worth).

Sounds like a question for a medical professional.

What clinic…?

Please don't.

The clinic knows the patient's case and details about the procedure better than anyone. They should be the first point of contact for advice related to post-operative care and recovery. Of course there's nothing wrong with getting feedback from others, but not in lieu of contacting the clinic altogether. I think it's a good idea to remind people that communicating questions and concerns with their clinic is not only acceptable, but an important part of the recovery process.

I'm sure your patient coordinator would appreciate the opportunity to advise you throughout your post-op recovery. Especially if the alternative is asking a bunch of people on the internet.

No one needs to take Finasteride, but if you don't take some kind of 5α-reductase inhibitor, your risk of experiencing further hair loss around the transplanted hairs is significantly higher, and your risk of experiencing regret would follow suit. If you experienced significant undesirable side effects with Finasteride, talk to your doctor about trying a lower dosage, or using an alternative medication such as Dutasteride.

I would add these photos to the other post instead. It already has some attention from forum members who are following the topic and waiting for you to respond.

You already posted about this yesterday, where you received plenty of responses and didn't reply to a single one. What do you expect anyone to do to help you?

Hints and excuses aren't helpful. Please name the clinic and surgeon.

You posted something similar not long ago. It seems like you're obsessing a bit over every little detail of recovery, which isn't healthy. Try not to put undue stress on yourself while recovering from surgery. Everything looks good, just follow the clinic's post-operative care instructions and stop fixating on every detail of how things look right now. It's a slow process, which is going to get worse before it gets better, and it won't happen at the same rate throughout the recipient area of your scalp.

I don't see how you can possible know this. Besides, the shedding phase doesn't suddenly and completely stop just as the next phase begins. All of your hairs are in their own precise state within the growth cycle. Your transplanted hairs will enter this normal cycle eventually, but they will do so individually and at their own pace. Just sit tight and try not to overanalyze it.