gillenator

I had 4 separate FUHT procedures and you would never think that my donor area was thin. My original donor density from what I remember was in the higher 90's per cm2 however I was also told that my density did vary somewhat throughout the occipital zone where strips are typically harvested. This is not uncommon. IMHO, your donor zone should look fine after your second procedure "providing" that you have adequate scalp laxity to accommodate the strip that will be taken. The goal is to heal with a thin strip scar so that you end up with hair intact on either side of the scar. Some will say that when the scalp is stretched after taking a subsequent strip will reduce the remaining density in the donor zone. Yet what they don't state is that the scalp does relax eventually for most individuals and does not impact the overall visual density post-op. Your overall donor density would have to be really low for that to occur. Also, my total grafts from FUHT are just under 7,000 and yours at roughly 3700 is not a huge number to date. But at the same time Trans I would recommend that you get some estimate from your surgeon as to how many grafts you would potentially have left to harvest providing again, that you have the accommodating laxity. Otherwise you're looking at FUE for the future.

justgotfue, The hair stubbles that grew are the grafts that continued on in the growth phase and did not yet go into dormancy. Otherwise they would have shed or just not grown any longer in length. The stubbles that are not growing are probably grafts that did go dormant but for some reason have not shed the graft hair yet. Eventually they will. So at 2-3 months post-op, new growth is on its way and eventually the hair will shed. If the stubbles won't pull out, then I would just leave them alone and check them again in another month or so. I am assuming that the stubbles you are referring to are the graft hair right? Soon you will be seeing lots of new growth especially when you get beyond the fourth month post-op...

It's best to define and then calculate the surface area that is being restored, and then to pre-determine the level of restored density to be attained. That will give you the best estimate of grafts to be used. Each procedure has set-up costs for the OR which include the staff.

If these stubbles are graft hair, then at this point in time, they are undoubtedly dead hair shafts. They should come out fairly easily by pulling on them. And no, removing them won't hurt the transplanted follicles. Pretty soon you should start seeing some regrowth!

Schwelm, One option is to start low dose finasteride in a smaller dose or frequency to minimize any potential side-effects. The dosage can be increased over time to the recommended 1 mg daily but only consider this under a doctor's advice and direction. Propecia was developed exclusively for treating MPB at 1mg tablets and requires a prescription. Most GPs are not very informed regarding the treatment of MPB which has been my overall observation. Another thing. Only low dose finasteride is effective in inhibiting excess DHT which is the source of the problem with MPB. Minoxidil does not inhibit DHT but can help with rejuvenating some lost hair and increasing hair caliber. Finasteride is most efficient in the crown area if you thinning there as well.

Well at least a good part of your grafts already grew in and if your recipient area did not burn, that's also much better than having a substantial sunburn in that zone. The healing beneath the epidermis (outer layer) is the dermis layer where the blood supply to your grafts exist. It takes longer for the healing in the dermis layer to take place and the transplanted follicles are dependent on that blood supply to survive. A substantial burn can potentially do damage to the follicles in the six months following a HT procedure. You still have some growth left and as long as you continue to see that, you should be fine.

Yep, lots of guys wear a buzzed/shaved head and compliment it with some facial hair like a goatee. Looks fine to me...

jay9, I see that you are a new member of this community, so welcome... It is not real unusual for the donor scar to have redness at this point in time post-op and it could be partly attributable to the level of collagen that you have. Applying a good quality aloe rich cream can help improve the redness and if it lingers on, contact your surgeon to get some advice on using a topical steroid cream which also can help. Over time, the redness should dissipate as your healing process fully manifests. I would also advocate that you may want to keep the length of your hair in the donor area at least 1 inch or so in length to hide the scar until things improve. Congrats on your recent procedure...

Hawk, It looks like you are between a Norwood class 6 & 7, and probably headed for a true class 7. It all depends on where the grafts are going to be placed and what level of density they are placed at. Are you looking at building a higher placed hairline with most of the grafts going into the frontal third zone?

Both would not normally cause or induce a shed cycle. If you are shedding, it's probably related to something else.

Very normal what you are feeling. The itching is from the effects of your scalp healing and as a result, can also be more dry because of this. A good quality aloe cream and even shampoo and cr?me rinse can help to bring moisture to your scalp and will reduce the itching. The other tingling sensations are also from healing taking place under your scalp. It's both nerves and blood vessels repairing themselves from the many recipient incisions made for your grafts. Congrats on your recent procedure and you should be seeing lots of growth...

xabi86, If the new growth is of thicker caliber (hair shaft diameter) and even more pronounced in color, then those are probably the new grafts growing through your recipient area. Yes, both the native hair along with the transplanted hair will come through the scalp. If your native existing hair was more diffused, then you should notice a difference between your regrown native hair and the "new grafts" growing in. This is probably what you are seeing and feeling (stubble). On average it takes roughly 3-4 months post-op for the new growth to come through the scalp however you may an early bloomer so-to-speak. It really takes up to 12-14 months post-op to fairly judge the final results of any procedure. Yet even at 6 months post-op, you should be seeing lots of growth from all of those grafts. Congrats an your recent procedure xabi86 and keep us posted on your progress...

Also, be sure to keep your hair length in the donor zone at least 1 1/2 inches to hide the scar.

Chris, Don't worry. After one month, you should be all healed up in your recipient zone and actually, it's a good thing that the results take up to one year. Why? Because the transformation is more slower and less noticeable on a day-to-day basis...

Hey Paulygon, nice to see you on the forums again buddy. Did not know you are going for round two...best wishes to you and let us know how everything turns out...

No kidding? Wow, I have only seen a small number of guys use that combination of surgery in the frontal core with a system behind it. I also know of some guys who use a system for just their crown while dedicating their grafts for the frontal third zone and mid-scalp. And I have to say, many of them have a full head of hair and looks awesome...

steelers, You appear young in the photos. Either way, yes IMHO you are beginning to show signs of thinning in your crown, both light loss and diffusion. I would not recommend surgery at this point however. Why? Because starting surgery in your crown now can potentially make the situation worse with accelerated loss. You are more of a candidate for Rogaine Foam, once per day, and also go in and talk to a qualified doctor about low dose fiansteride providing you are not too young. You may find out that using minoxidil (Rogaine) will stimulate some growth back in that spot.

Now that looks very good for a guy your age. Looking forward to seeing this same angle once everything grows out.

Lefty, There is nothing wrong with having some second thoughts. Too many times I see guys, especially the younger ones just jump into HT surgery without doing their homework. As Ailene wisely stated, there is also the preventative part of the equation. If you have native hair that can be treated without surgery, that's a significant part of the overall strategy to maintain a restored appearance. I also was a Norwood class 5 at the age of 40 when I got started with my first HT procedure. Have been using low dose finasteride for the past 16 years with success, mostly keeping my crown intact from getting any worse. Had four separate FUHT procedures for a grand total of 6900 grafts and have never regretted any of it. Have been enjoying a restored appearance since 1996. You mentioned being a class 5 and yet not knowing your family history, as long as your goals are realistic and you work wisely within your own limitations, you should not end up being disappointed. Also, from many years of observations with both FUHT and FUE, I have the opinion that for those individuals that will need or want upwards of over 5,000 grafts in their lifetime, FUHT is the way to go providing you are a good healer and you go to a competent skilled surgeon. Notice that I stated "over" 5,000 grafts. Anything up and beyond 5,000 grafts will require many extractions with FUE and can potentially thin out the donor's "safe" zone if the donor zone density is average or even below average. I base this opinion on countless examples that I have observed. With having four separate FUHT procedures, I still have one thin strip scar and lots of hair above and below the scar. I wonder what my donor area would have looked like with 6900 extractions...:rolleyes: And it's not that I am pro FUHT and anti FUE. They both have their place. And it depends on the patient's goals, their potential for future loss, etc. that determines the best approach for that particular individual. This is why there is not one technique that is best for everyone. The key is to plan your restoration over a lifetime and do proper diligence with you research. The more informed that we are, the easier the decision becomes... Best wishes to you Lefty and enjoy the greens before the winter gets here...

Calvin, Congrats. Your hairline design looks good and nice to see that you did not bring it down too low. Good placement and wise on your part for saving some donor for the future...

From my own observations, a good quality Aloe Vera cream/gel works the best up to 3-4 months post-op. I have heard of witch hazel having some level of effectiveness but not as much as Aloe. If the redness persists, contact your doctor for some advice on applying a steroidal cream. There are some over-the-counter creams yet they are generally at lower concentrates as 2% or lower. You don't want to use steroidal based creams too early as they can potentially make the scar worse. In many cases, time alone to heal will do the trick...

For most individuals, the redness in the scar will dissipate completely however the time table does vary. From my own observations, at around six months post-op or so, the scar is thin and resumes normal scalp color. This is providing of course that the scar comes out thin with normal healing. And some guys opt for the trico method of closure, and if successful with hair growing through the scar, it's very difficult to see the scar even when the hair is wet. It's a good idea to keep the length in the donor area at least one inch or so for those guys who had their procedures less than six months ago.

Sounds perfectly normal and many guys end up experiencing some level of shock loss within the recipient area and even the adjoining areas. IMHO, the toughest part of having the procedure is waiting for the regrowth to occur. And being South Asian makes no difference whatsoever...

A fair number of HT patients seem to experience a slower rate of regrowth in the crown area if that's what your doctor was referring to.

The itching is also a sign of healing. Doubtful that you are doing any harm however you might try lightly rubbing with your fingertips instead of scratching. And I agree that using a moisturizing shampoo and conditioner will greatly help with the itching sensation. However read the bottles before purchasing any shampoo products because often these products have alcohol based additives which would be counter-productive because they can dry the scalp. Congrats on your recent procedure...