gillenator

I agree. You definitely want to let your prescribing doctor know about the acute shedding. Yet at this point, once the shedding cycle has commenced, there is not much that can be done to stop it or even slow it down. The good news is that it will eventually subside and the hair will grow back. Every now and then I either hear from someone or read about someone who experiences the same shedding from the "initial use" of finasteride. It can also occur from the "initial use" of minoxidil and the shedding is not as uncommon as we might think.

Once in a great while I have heard of a few guys experiencing little to no regrowth in the crown, but mostly slower growth in that area of the scalp. And no one seems to have a plausible answer as to why...:rolleyes:

Some guys state they experience faster growth of these supplements and better hair quality. I used them myself but did not notice any real differences as compared to my procedures not using them.

If damage was done, it would IMHO mostly impact the rest of the regrowth process, not necessarily hair falling out.

Sam, IMHO, I am leary of using minoxidil for "first time users" so soon after a HT procedure. Not that I am trying to discourage you from following your doctor's advice, but some "first time users" experience excessive shedding from using minoxidil for their first time. And so whenever asked, I tell guys to wait until their procedure grows out. Sometimes the initial use of minoxidil causes the hair follicles to go into the resting phase which is confirmed by the evidence of the shedding cycle. In addition, I know that some docs advocate using minoxidil in the recipient area to jump start the graft regrowth but I am not an advocate of that either. The grafts will grow on their own and all that minoxidil may do is to start the regrowth a tad bit sooner, nothing more. That's been my observation anyway. I used it myself and did not notice any real difference or benefit compared to when I did not use minoxidil in my recipient area.

I usually go to a beauty supply store such as "Sally's" which is a chain store with multiple locations. If there is not a Sally's in your area, then try asking your hair stylists where a local beauty supply store is because supply stores have the largest line of products. I try and avoid buying from the styling salons because they are usually much more expensive than the supply stores.

Many guys style or comb their hair that way after a HT procedure for several reasons. One reason is that combing/brushing the hair straight back provides for extra visual coverage especially if the mid-scalp is thinning which is the case for many of us. You can call it a vertical comb back but it works. I style my hair this way to help create more visual volume which does make my hair look like more coverage or hair mass than what is actually there by actual density.

Marek, You definitely have a diffused thinning pattern and so the more apparent risk right now is the shock loss. IMHO, it would be wise to get on Propecia or some other form of low dose finasteride to see how you respond to it before having any surgery.

It never hurts to get as many opinions as you desire. You never know what you might learn from the discussions and if anything, you get more informed in the process.

One of the advantages with FUE is that the surgeon can cherry pick softer, less coarse grafts in the commencement of the hairline design. It is possible to have FUHT for harvesting the majority of the grafts used and if your surgeon also does FUE, it will enable him to cherry pick those softer less coarse grafts as well.

It sounds like the concern is being able to wear the partial system until the regrowth fully manifests. In my own experience of wearing a full system, I eventually lost all of the native hair inside of the perimeter of the system as well as where the tape and glue were situated. I wore full systems for 14 years with HCM. In my first HT procedure, my frontal zone was grafted in and I quit wearing the systems. In the next six months following my procedure, a fair amount of native hair grew back in the mid-scalp and even had some diffused native hair grow back in the frontal zone along with my new grafts. So my surgeon informed me that it was a lack of my scalp being able to breathe as to why I had lost so much native hair from wearing the systems for so long.

I agree, if there are no signs of regrowth at three months post-op, give it more time as you are no doubt right on the threshold of it coming through the scalp. And there is really no evidence to confirm that earlier growth implies a better more robust result. Congrats on your recent procedure...

IMHO, it is critical that both the patient and the doctor are on the same page regarding the placement as well as the density of the proposed hairline. Obviously the skill of the doctor regarding the size and type of grafts that will be used and the angulation of the grafts that compliment and accommodate the angulation of the native hair is critical. Even selecting the proper caliber of the grafts is important to produce the most aesthetically pleasing result as possible. Attaining native density is just not possible and really is not necessary in producing satisfying visual coverage.

Photos or Skyping can never replace the advantages of an in-person consultation. Scalp elasticity, donor density calculations and microscopic examination for diffusion and miniaturization can only be done in person. Yet photos or virtual consultations can at least provide the doctor an idea of how much hair has been lost, what Norwood scale the individual is at, and at least a glance at the donor zone. Once the patient shows up on the day of surgery, the doctor can do a preliminary evaluation to make sure everything checks out and confirms the candidacy for the procedure. A complete medical history however should be provided the doctor of choice well ahead of the procedure date.

Sam, Your symptoms should improve as each week passes, It does take six months or so to regain enough elasticity for the sensation of tightness and even the numbness to improve. None of these will have a negative impact on your regrowth so it just takes time for the healing process to manifest and before you know it, you'll feel normal again.

Many years ago when I wore hair systems, I used both polyfuse and tape to adhere the system to my scalp. The issue is not the tape but rather not covering up the grafted recipient area. Yes, it can negatively impact hair growth by using a system over the grafted area. You want the recipient area to breathe post-op.

I understand. Clinic #3 may see that you have a diffused thinning pattern that is advanced and therefore waiting awhile may prove beneficial to see if you begin to lose the thinning hair sooner than later. Once the loss manifests in a defined pattern, it will provide a more clearer idea of how much work is needed. Otherwise it's hard to say what the reasoning might be.

There are actually more consistencies between them than not.

Do you have any pics to show us?

Profuse meaning unusually protruding or bunched, even abnormally raised with acute inflammation. This would also be associated with acute pain. Does not sound like anything you have...

The toughest thing to do is to predict one's future hair loss and how extensive it may become over time. Yes we have family history yet there are variations person to person. One thing I have noticed over the past four decades is that one's so-called safe zone can change over time, meaning, the phenomenon of donor zone thinning. Yet this is not always associated with DHT related loss for everyone. For example, an individual in their twenties can have their donor zone microscopically examined and the doctor may typically find little to no miniaturization confirming a broad safe zone. Yet once the same individual reaches their forties, there can be changes to their safe zone. Miniaturization shows up in areas where it did not before. So yes, IMHO, the so-called safe zone can reduce over time as the individual ages. Does this happen to everyone? No. In fact, take the time over the next several weeks to observe men over the age of fifty and you will see that roughly 65% of them if not more have overall thinning to some degree. Yet there are some who never have any thinning whatsoever. I know of some men in their sixties who lost all color (pigmentation) but still have a strong head of hair both in terms of density and hair caliber. We do know that DHT deposits in the scalp. Does the DHT enriched sebum move to the donor area (occipital zone) over time? Possibly. Also, in my own case, my overall density is not what it was 30 years ago. My father never had MPB and he had the most dense head of hair without any recession to his hairline until he reached his mid-sixties. Although he retained his hairline, his overall density thinned out quite a bit and then in his seventies, considerably more. I am keeping an eye on my older brother who is 62 and has the head of hair that my father had. However, my brother's hair has not thinned out at all and still looks like he did in his thirties. I can clearly see that my past grafts (6900) have lost some degree of caliber over time but not much in terms of density. Yet having my first procedure in 1996, I have to say that I have no regrets and am still thankful for having decent coverage at age 60. There is no doubt in my mind that I would have no hairline at all and would probably be a true Norwood 6 if not for the four HT procedures along with taking low dose finasteride for the past 19 years...

A loosely fitted cap or hat is fine as long as it does not rub the grafts. A loosely fitted bandana is also a good option.

One of the primary potential side-effects from pain narcotics is nausea. So it's not unusual for you to feel the way that you did. That's why ibuprofen is a good alternative because the potential side-effects are not as dramatic plus having the anti-inflammatory properties to reduce inflammation and swelling. As each week passes, things will improve...

Creams tend to work better than gels because gels tend to dry out while a good quality cream will stay moister for longer periods.

Some guys try this approach under the supervision of their doctor. Another option is to consider starting low dose finasteride at a lower dosage or frequency and then adjust it if there are no side effects. If there are side-effects that cannot be resolved, they can always stop taking it.