imissthebarber

Aderans only recently got involved with intercytex so the effect of their increased funding isn't really visible yet except that they are paying for more expensive and widespread trials. How much does money help with medical research? I'm sure it's a factor but there are plenty of others too.

Dude you've got to look at the long-term picture not just whether you will look in 12 months like you did 12 months ago. In 12 years will you be able to afford mentally and financially yet another HT to keep up with the continued hairloss which seems all but certain given your bad reaction to propecia? 12 years after that what are you going to do when the donor has run out and the hair hasn't stopped?

I'm sure we all wish we look like we did when we were younger but it ain't gonna happen. Even for those who are totally happy with their HT other features will change.

I hear what you're saying believe me, it's just there are no easy fixes.

1) It depends whether you have staples or sutures. With staples only when they are out, First few nights are the worst. Use an airplane neck support cushion and several pillows.

2) Cap straight away, but not wool or knit. If it is knit it can get a hold of the grafts and tug them out. A normal baseball cap or prefereably XL sized cap should be fine as long as it doesn't touch grafted areas.

3) Start gently, by day 7 or 8 you should be able to wash fairly normally but DON'T rub too vigourously.

4) I'd leave that for at least 2 weeks and preferably much longer. Even once the grafts are secure the scalp needs time to heal and all that stuff won't help. Also the transplanted hairs will die.

5)I don't see a problem once the follicles are secure as long as the heat doesn't harm the scalp. Also don't forget if your scalp is numb, as is likely when nerves are cut, you might not feel pain like you should. This means you could be using too much heat and not realise. This may not help with growth or scalp healing.

Ultimately the proof is in the pudding and you won't know until you try. Even if propecia doesn't stop MPB totally it can significantly delay it and in some cases cause hair regrowth. Anyone thinking of taking it should carefully investigate possible side effects first.

I know this has been talked about theoretically for a while but I was just wondering if anyone has actually had it done? How did it work out? Also would be interested to hear the thoughts of any Dr willing to make the time to comment.

This is my understanding of how it works in a nutshell. If anyone wants to expand or correct that would be great. Extracellular matrix is a type of cell which provides a scaffold for wound healing. It is also an information transmitter requesting stem cells to migrate to the wounded area. When the stem cells arrive they are somehow able to form tissue, and I believe muscle, in a way that is very comparable to the natural pre-wounded state of the area. In other types of wounds this has been demonstrated to show a significant return to normal tissue rather than scar tissue in the wounded area. ECM can be applied in a variety of forms, such as a powder or a sheet, to a human wound. It can be made from the intestines of a pig through a complex chemical process which I don't pretend to understand.

I know this has been talked about theoretically for a while but I was just wondering if anyone has actually had it done? How did it work out? Also would be interested to hear the thoughts of any Dr willing to make the time to comment.

This is my understanding of how it works in a nutshell. If anyone wants to expand or correct that would be great. Extracellular matrix is a type of cell which provides a scaffold for wound healing. It is also an information transmitter requesting stem cells to migrate to the wounded area. When the stem cells arrive they are somehow able to form tissue, and I believe muscle, in a way that is very comparable to the natural pre-wounded state of the area. In other types of wounds this has been demonstrated to show a significant return to normal tissue rather than scar tissue in the wounded area. ECM can be applied in a variety of forms, such as a powder or a sheet, to a human wound. It can be made from the intestines of a pig through a complex chemical process which I don't pretend to understand.

I think LMS is making some good points that too often get overlooked.

I totally agree. Minox was originally a medication to lower blood pressure so if you are getting pains around the heart it is not something over which you should be taking any chances.

Propecia is the single most effective drug for preventing hair loss so why not look into taking that instead. You will need a prescription but many docs are willing to prescribe as long as you are aware of the risks.

I think that is not unusual. They are thicker at the end where they had grown pre-op. The shock of the op made them grow thinner but those particular hairs never fell out altogether. Often a small percentage of hairs do this whilst most fall out before regrowing.

Good to have you back Leeson, was a little worried about you for a while back there.

You need to let it grow out a lot more than that. At that length the doctor won't be able to make out certain aspects of how wavy it is and how it naturally falls. The consultation won't be a total waste of time if you don't but it won't be as good as it could have been. I've been there and done it.

I think in most cases the changes will only be very subtle, if any, during that time period. By 12 months you should be seeing most of the results.

I'm pretty sure I spotted an Asian guy with a shaved scar in the film "Jarhead". He is in a scene near the beginning where the main guy is just arriving at the barracks.

I think you are in a similar position to myself. I have decided to wait to a year. I think it depends on how big your first session was and if you are planning to transplant into the same areas again or different areas. If you had a big session first time waiting will allow more time for laxity to return. Not waiting means more risk of a bigger scar. If you are transplanting into the same areas waiting gives more chance for the final density and hair texture to be established. Not waiting could mean you use too many grafts in an area that could still be thickening.

Theoretically waiting more than a year could allow continued improvement in the ways I mentionned but a year is often quoted a sensible waiting period.

All the best man.

I've read it can take longer to grow on a second HT.

Tell him he's adopted.

LOL - Very amusing Severn. I think it goes without saying that you should take this as a joke and shouldn't do this! The emotional distress this could cause to the child would be much worse than what you may have to go through for the next few months while the hair grows in.

Hang in there buddy.

There's a long way to go yet. You will end up with more density than is showing in these photos. Don't panic, it's a marathon not a sprint.

Sorry to hear you're not happy. Is there anything you would have done differently? Are you saying you wish you hadn't done it? What's your plan now?

All the best man.

Good luck mate. If you have 3.5 weeks then you would have time to let it grow back to at least a #3 and likely #4 if that's any better. The transplanted hairs may not grow as quick and obviously they fall out before re-sprouting.

I think I read somewhere that if you leave the scabs too long - say 14 days plus - this can cause a small number of grafts to come out when the scabs come off.

I've also heard that this is quite common. Because more grafts were placed on the right side I assume that there was more loss on the right side. This indicates the blood supply is more compromised on that side and may take longer to recover to serve the transplanted hairs.

Just so you know hair grows about 1/2 inch per month so if you shave down by week 5 you should be equivalent to having shaved to a #5. (Except for possible redness in recipient, donor, shockloss and transplanted hairs having fallen out.) The scar won't be mature for 6 months so there wil be a more redness and hair around the scar will therefore have to be longer to cover it.

To state the obvious if you shave it takes time to reverse it. Do it early or don't do it at all.

If it was only so easy! Seldom does everything go as planned in HT; I suggest do #1 and go from there...you never know, perhaps there may be some new treatments by the time you are ready for #2.

 

It may sound silly, but mental toughness is important in HT - the first 6 months can be a huge deterrent from going thru the process again.

I pretty much agree that things may well not go as planned and it can be a tough emotional journey which could last well beyond 6 months. One thing to bear in mind though is if you go for strip (and FUE to a much lesser extent) it is a one way journey. Even if you regret doing it you may still have to go for HT2 to keep up with future hair loss. It's easy to be confident you're going to get a great result beforehand but look around this site plenty of guys are less than happy with their results and that doesn't mean that none of them went to "top" docs.

Dude I think you've had some sound advice here and I too can relate to a lot of what you've said having worked in high-pressure blue-chip IT environments and coping with losing most of my hair.

Anyway, I'm glad you've shared your situation with us and I hope it is some consolation, however small to know that you've got some brothers online who will support you and have had many of the experiences you've described. It's a cliche but often people really do find 'a problem shared is a problem halved'.

I'm glad it is working out for you man. Dakota3 shaves, I've seen one or two others that do. Many look to shave to as low as they can get away with often #3 or #4. If you can do a #2 that's a bonus.

Dakota3 shaves scar