youngsuccess

I apologize; I didn't see this comment until now. PM'ed.

You're a NW2 now; looks more like a mature hairline than prominent recession. Hard to say what will happen, but maybe you could get your scalp mapped for miniaturization.

Lookin' good.

Thanks, new2this site. tofueornottfue, Interesting; I wasn't aware that anathesia (sp) could cause permanent shock loss, but if too much was used, who knows? This is something we should definitely try to get an answer about. Feller's repair work looks top-notch so I'd be confidant that you'll see a big improvement.

..

Since there probably will be a more profound contrast between the color of your dark hair and the complexion of your skin, it probably wouldn't hurt to go a little higher, provided your donor allows for it. I also think 50 per cm/2 of transplanted hair is going to look a little different than native hair at that density, so it may take more to compensate, depending on the patient as Bill suggested. Also, if a couple two-haired grafts pop up in the hairline, which actually doesn't seem that rare, they are going to stand out more if the concentration of singles throughout the area isn't strong enough. IMO.

Were'nt you experiencing Propecia sides at one point? Could this be the issue again? Maybe, maybe not? Can you get it up when you masturbate? If so, that might suggest it's just some kind of performance anxiety when you're actually with a girl. If it's not due to actual side effects, and it's just a mental thing, I bet if you came clean to her about your struggle with MPB it would alleviate some of the pressure/self-loathing/paranoia that might be suppressing your libido.

Man, that looks impeccable. You also must have done a really good job at keeping the area. No chunky scabs or anything. Your post-op period so far must have been relatively comfortable, not having to deal with a lot of crusty-crust junk up there and also having a really good looking scar. Awesome stuff.

Looks pretty good. Man, we gotta' do something to spice up the off-topic posts section. I'll bookmark http://www.theproverbialtundra.com/ in the meantime.

John, If brevity is the soul of wit, then you are one witty son of a bitch. I think you've interpreted a lot of what I said a little too literally, but your points are fair enough and I will back off. I just don't think you are going to get the answers you seek on these threads. Feller goes above and beyond the call of duty and is the exception around here when it comes to taking the time out to post. I am glad he contacted you, and hope that others make an effort if they have been reading your story.

That's awesome. If you're serious, I hope you get picked to go on. Orprah would hook it up. Getting on that show = Win. HTN Represent!!!

I think exposure to the sun and hot, humid climates might be more of a problem than lower temperatures, although it's probably better to not spend a lot of time out in the freezing cold if possible.

I've apologized to you out in the open on another thread, so don't take this too personally. First of all: HTN affiliated surgeons contribute sporadically; they don't respond to most posts. People who want quick, practical information sometimes will get some replies, but I doubt that most doctors who work long hours are going to willingly engage in a legal debate over the weekend, unless it specifically involves their practice. And since the surgeons here are generally known for their superior work and ethical conduct, they probably don't feel obligated to answer questions about lackluster care, patients' rights violations, etc. More importantly: Since you've stated that your goal at this time is not repair, and since you've mostly ignored comments suggesting that you inquire about these options, I don't think most doctors here feel that there is much they can offer. You are having an existential crisis. Hair transplant surgeons cannot do much for you if your focus is on interrogating them rather than getting yourself help.

I sincerely would like to apologize to you. Are you considering repair work? Even in a worst case scenario, I'd imagine the grafts could at least be removed and you'd undergo some scar revision. But we have seen really great results from patients who originally had transplants that were just as bad if not worse. A lot of the pain you're experiencing could probably be over in relatively short amount of time.

Ok, handshake accepted. Your scarring is bad, but not so profound that another doctor couldn't help you repair it. I understand why you're doing what you're doing, but also invest some of your time in repair options. There is hope.

Fair enough. But you're no fun.

The Armani lawsuit thread has obviously lost traction. I propose that we continue the fun here. I've taken the liberty of rewriting your post in English so that I can actually respond. "Look, four-legged "DUDE": check who started insulting whom first. It is obvious that you are THE 16-time World Champ in the figure four leg-lock, because there are no other competitors in the homosapien group that have, like you, 4 legs. For the rest, you are confused, dude. I did not demand anything; I wrote a post expressing an opinion and asked a reasonable and justifiable question to the HT doctors."

The Armani lawsuit thread has obviously lost traction. I propose that we continue the fun here. I've taken the liberty of rewriting your post in English so that I can actually respond. "Look, four-legged "DUDE": check who started insulting whom first. It is obvious that you are THE 16-time World Champ in the figure four leg-lock, because there are no other competitors in the homosapien group that have, like you, 4 legs. For the rest, you are confused, dude. I did not demand anything; I wrote a post expressing an opinion and asked a reasonable and justifiable question to the HT doctors."

Looks more like a prominent cowlick to me. Rather than obsess over it and inspect it constantly, here's what I would do: Take a picture every couple of months, and look them over after one year (and obviously if you were thinning more dramatically you would notice before that point). If you see no progression of thinning, you're probably fine. Or you could see a hair loss specialist, preferably one who can map you for miniaturization in the crown area if it's really bothering you.

There is clearly an improvement at only 4 months, so I wouldn't worry too much about it. Why exactly did you stop Propecia? Also, both treatments require that you take/use them everyday, so if you're going with Rogaine, I think most people would recommend that you use it either every day or not at all. Don't want to mess around with growing hairs, then losing them, on and off. You've got to stay committed; otherwise, it's entirely counterproductive.

Who's the doc? Maybe less scarring because you're black and hair characteristics are usually thicker? I don't know. I don't want to make any allegations, but if he's telling you NO chance of scarring whatsoever, you should probably be suspicious. Most of the top docs who do FUE are very open with the fact that there is still scarring associated with this procedure. It's just usually not as noticeable, and certainly not a linear smiley scar like with strip. I would speak with Dr. Feller. Ah well, I'm off to bed, but keep researching before you do anything! Maybe a doc will weigh in on this.

Here's another shot, even more revealing: This is the type of pattern I've been talking about which I've see a lot in public. Obviously if you have good donor, you could fill in even more. And who knows, with some donor for crown sprinkling and a little dermmatch, you could have a decent look going. Not ideal, and probably somewhat controversial, but could be an option, especially if there are advances in FUE.

I think there will be some signs of scarring; however, will the average person suspect a hair transplant? I don't know. I think you could buzz it off with a #1 guard on a clipper without much detectability; a razor is another thing. If we assume that there is going to be scarring, you can still ask yourself if it's better to have the hair and a scar/scars, or no hair and no scarring. You would have to establish a good relationship with a doctor who is willing to plan things the right way. This is a good example of what I was talking about: This guy Zidane probably has not had a transplant since he has no scar. But if someone told me I was going NW6 and could allocate most of my donor to the hairline and front of the head, I think I would do it. Hypothetically, if these FUE Megasessions actually worked, you could accomplish this. But, I think this might still be feasible if you have the right donor AND can accept the scarring. I know some people are sensitive about the scar issue and I understand why, but honestly even with a scar I think I would look better like this than bald-bald.

I totally see the point in wanting a hair transplant even if you intend on sporting a closely-shaven look. Guys who have a hair line who buzz/shave their heads look a helluva lot better than guys with nothing who do the same. I mean, if you're a NW4 and shave off your hair, no one is fooled; you look bald, and without anything to frame the face. Obviously it's not the conventional advice, but if someone wasn't too concerned about the scarring, I could see the appeal. Over the past two years I've see a lot of guys who appear to be deeper Norwoods who shave down but also have retained a semi-youthful hairline and a little behind it. There is no detectable scarring, unless they're obscuring it somehow with makeup/concealer. Anyways, whether it's an odd natural pattern, or transplant, I always think they look better with the face framed and a little shadow effect on top than slick, shiny bald and shaved. I've wanted to approach them and ask if they've had work done a few times, but obviously it's impossible to tactfully broach that kind of subject with a complete stranger.

This is why people overreact when patients want to address the front/top but neglect the crown, but these others insist that the pattern would look unnatural. Out in the world you see a variety of balding guys; I've seen NW6-7s who have even seemed to retain some of their juvenile hairline. As far as HTs go, I think if the placement of the hairs is natural and the density is balanced correctly, no one out in public is going to be questioning or arguing, "Looks like he's got too strong a hairline to be balding that much in the crown" etc.