kiwidan

1 hour ago, Shadman said:

I also think that from the top view wise it looks like that area can be improved. Give it two more months, there can be some more improvements. Do you've any plans for touchup ?

I think so. But super busy this year. It might be a 2025 job.

I just looked at your log man. Your results look great. Congrats!

Does this look like 3000+ grafts from Cooley? 

12 hours ago, jjsrader said:

Find the optimal hair length for illusion of density - use the shingling effect of combing to the side.  Use protein-enhanced shampoo & try some hair volumizing powder or something similar.  I found that dyeing my hair a bit darker than my normal brown/auburn color (dyed now to very dark brown or espresso) helps.

Finally, I had my entire balding zone & scars filled in w/by Mark Weston (a form of scalp tattoo that is deeper and more permanent than regular light SMP).  Mark's retired now.

I'm doing another 2K later this month for behind hairline & center midscalp.  That'll take me up to 10.5K and I have not ruled out another final FUE of hopefully 1K from scalp.  Might do FIT farming w/beard hair into scalp hair & place the scalp hair donor into recipient area.  If not I may scatter 1K up to 2K beard hair over mid scalp and towards the crown.

I've used dutasteride since 2003 and before that finasteride since 1998.  Worked my way up to 30% rogaine lotion over 25 years before switching to oral minox about 5 years ago. 

If your family history is strongly balding & your personal genetics are to lose all your hair on top and crown - all you can really do over 30-40 years is slow it down & keep the donor strong and healthy until you are out of donor.

My hair looks very normal now w/the permanent tattoo & darker hair color and I keep my hair length at 5.5 months of growth on top and front for maximum fullness appearance. 

Try and make peace that to most people you look like you have hair as you grow older - alot of people that are not hyper focused on hair see the framing effect of a frontal hairline and 'coverage' throughout scalp without a noticeable bald spot and say to themselves - oh, he's a guy w/hair.  Simple as.  It's like 95% of people.

The other 5% will be hyper critical - but nothing you can do about them.  It's just their nature. 

I wore hats/caps/bandanas alot w/a full head of hair & after my 1st hair restoration surgery at age 23 - I still do. 

Personally, I did all this just for me so I didn't see a 'bald' head in the mirror each day. 

Coverage is a good thing - it's never enough for us, but at a certain point you accept thinning (but w/hair) or you max out your donor & then you concede that you have done everything you could do & make peace with it.

Personally if I were you I would finish off your limited donor w/a very skilled surgeon in the U.S. or in Europe because if you decide to have another 1-2 surgeries you'll really need a low transection rate & a surgeon w/a good eye for giving you most visual coverage w/limited donor grafts.   Sure it will cost more, but it's towards the end of the road - make a wise choice if you go that route & then live w/the outcome.

Just my 2 cents.

Appreciate this. I’ve always considered my self to be a slow balder - especially compared to some of the other chaps here.

What I can do immediately is go from 1mg Fin 3x a week to daily. I’ll give it a whirl. 
 

In terms of your HT surgeon suggestions, why would you personally not choose Eugenix given their recent track record. 

Aside from graft survival in frontal (I’ll reserve full judgement at 12 months) I only wonder if some grafts were placed at interesting angles - I feel like there’s a cluster of fringe hairs facing the wrong angle. I’m not picking but if I can’t talk about it here where can I.

17 hours ago, OleBaldy said:

It seems to me the longer hair coming from the less dense area is pulling the hair away from where it needs to be to create illusion. As Melvin said styling to side might improve that.

19 hours ago, Melvin- Admin said:

Looks like it’s definitely improving. I would suggest combing it to the side, to provide maximum illusion of density.

Yes agree with both of you. These pics aren’t how I style my hair but to illustrate the density of over 4000 grafts (mixture Cooley + Eugenix). 
 

I definitely see improvements from my Eugenix surgery. I look better from all angles - except maybe above 😂

55 minutes ago, jjsrader said:

You'll probably have to max out your donor to get fuller coverage.  Simple as.  I'm in the same boat but older (57) and doing another 2K to fill in behind hairline into middle of scalp (after 8.8K grafts).  You could take dutasteride & oral minox to keep your donor strong.  You probably need higher DHT protection.  Good luck.

Got a link to your profile.

And if you’re in the same boat how do you style your hair. I live in the windiest city in the world and it’s killing me!!! 

I’d kill for topical Dusteride. And maybe I’ll just have to suck eggs and do a low dose of oral min and deal with puffy eyes? 🤷‍♂️

42 minutes ago, Melvin- Admin said:

How did it look before? Do you have similar angles.

Here you go.  
 

These are indicative but unfortunately we don’t have good before pics showing us the hollow in the middle. 

Either way I don’t feel like my journey is complete. 

10.5 Months - Different angles 

I'm very anxious right now. I feel like I'm going to need another transplant, hide under my cap, or need to shave it down to a number that obscures my FUT scar. Fingers crossed my 10.5 - 12.5 months make a big enoiugh of a difference (frontal) where I don't need to worry about that. 

Note my graft positioning was as follows:

Frontal - 1680
Temples - 360
Mid - 720 
Crown - 1572

Considering that I already had 3000 grafts in the frontal region from Jerry Cooley... I'm nervous. 

10.5 months

TRYING to style it but struggling with frontal 😢

On 2/23/2024 at 5:54 PM, Gatsby said:

Donor and crown 

 

This is awesome in every way! I’m inspired when I see this. 
 

I had resigned myself to never being able to go that short again but now I’m not so sure!!! 
 

SMP Adelaide seem to have done a nice job. Are you glad you went there / did you do a lot of research?

Also was that before you had grafts placed in scar? I’m guessing not.
 

17 hours ago, Melvin- Admin said:

Im not seeing scalp in the frontal third. I think it looks great. Are you on any meds?

Yep. 1mg propecia 3x week. Any more and my nuts hurt terribly AND stop working.

Zoomed in for you. You can see my scalp under a thin fringe and behind that a combed over flap of hair. 

9.25 months 

Hi team HT. You all know the story, I’ve been busy with life. Trying to push on through. Chin up. 

I feel like the temples and crown are doing alright.

Im terribly anxious about the frontal area and top. No matter how I style my hair I can always see scalp. Example attached.

It doesn’t look like I’ve had 3000 grafts from Cooley AND a Eugenix HT 😅

More images same day of transplant

Not really sure if this is the right angle but it does tell a story

Month 4 

Come on grafts you can do it!!!

5 hours ago, Spring15 said:

Everything to be expected at 3 months. Progress should begin shortly

Thanks bro! I have high hopes for 3-4 months

12 hours ago, A_4_Archan said:

@kiwidan

All of them went for a ride but they are just about to reach back home forever....😊

You will soon end your shedding phase and than the game begins 

I can understand your concern about your donor but it takes time for the hairs which you would have lost due to shock loss to grow back...so give it some more time and evrythng will look normal...

Thanks! I never really thought about shock loss  in the donor - been too busy thinking about my precious grafts

Three months.

First week vs three months.

Where oh where have all my precious grafts gone.  

Any thoughts or comments on donor from side view. I’m not overly concerned but I wonder whether it looks over harvested to you guys.

Day 28

It's been an interesting week as I have been noticing lots of small black transplanted hairs falling out. It's a nerve wracking time, I know shedding is inevitable but I have clearly been in denial about it. 

From a recovery point of view things are going great. 

These photos are here for me just as much as they are for you.

I've marked out the areas where my new hairline was transplanted so I can monitor it and review on day 365. 

Looks amazing!

Day 10

From the front the grafts look plentiful. I couldn’t be happier.  

My own mental jury is still out regarding the crown. 

It looks less full of grafts. But they could be the light. I’ll take some naturals soon. 

 I already have graft greed, I’m thinking about going back in a year to get my fut scar filled up. Or maybe just some of it.

Thanks bro appreciate it! 

22 minutes ago, Melvin- Moderator said:

Here’s an update. The left picture was taken in late April, 1.5 months ago. 

Not much of a difference, but if you close up, it does look like my lower crown is slightly thicker. Same room, same lighting, almost same angle. 

No sides to report on 4x per week application.

I reckon. I zoomed in a lot and looks a bit better - maybe add micro needling now and that might do it 🤔

p.s. how about giving me edit access on my Eugenix log already 😉 

I’ve had a beard for the past 15-20 years. It was the first time I’d seen my face in a long time - it felt right to keep something!! 
 

Have you had an HT?