imissthebarber

I think it is pretty unusual not to suffer significant shedding. There is definitely a time delay post-op before the shedding starts, it was around 5 weeks post op by the time most of my shedding had happened although it started around day 12.

Yes that is what I would expect but I was asking because obviously HT1 reduced the laxity so I want to be sure that I wait long enough for it to come back as much as it is going to come back.

This is a great post auggie, I'd like to encourage you to post more often on here. The question of whether HT's look natural is often taken for granted on this forum. Do people who don't know about the HT or the fact you have "more hair" ever make comments after all the corrections or is it just funny looks?

Thanks Bill.

How long should someone wait for HT2 to optimise the scar? I often hear 12 months quoted as the waiting period before HT2 but isn't that more about seeing the full results from HT1? Is there any benefit of waiting more than 12 months to get a thinner scar from HT2? If so how long should to wait?

How long should someone wait for HT2 to optimise the scar? I often hear 12 months quoted as the waiting period before HT2 but isn't that more about seeing the full results from HT1? Is there any benefit of waiting more than 12 months to get a thinner scar from HT2? If so how long should to wait?

I think it is a good idea to stay in an apartment for a week or so, it is more comfortable than a hotel over a longer period especially as there is a separate bedroom and living room. Plus you can follow up with the clinic if anything goes wrong and you can most likely go in every day so that they can wash the hair for you so the grafts won't come out and the scabs get cleaned up nicely. Also it will give time for any swelling to settle down before you go home.

I find comments like this less than helpful. We are talking about the rest of chin_up's life. Propecia does prevent further hair loss in 90% of males over an observable period of 1-2 years. Many people on this site report that it has been effective for them over a longer period than that. However, others also report that after finding it effective for a few years the effects wear off. It is available via prescription although many gp's may be unwilling to prescribe it. This is because it can cause other side effects. Propecia (chemical name finasteride) was originally developed to fight prostate cancer. Search around this site and you will see many reported side effects some of which are quite serious. The bottom line is that yes you should plan as though you will lose all that hair, although propecia could help you maintain it for many years. I cannot stress strongly enough that you should not rush and do not assume that a HT is necessarily the solution. Some people on this site report that a good one has had a positive effect on their lives but others with bad experiences have reported extremely negative reactions much worse than they had experienced through just losing their hair.

I agree that this is something that doesn't get talked about enough. Having the scar showing could be distressing for an old person. A constant reminder of a mistake they made in their youth, or just their youthful vanity. On the other hand, there may well be better treatments in forty to fifty years. I also agree that there is not much point in worrying about something 40 years down the line.

I am about 7 months post-op and have been careful about not doing things to stretch the scar. I hope to go swimming soon but the scar is much more visible when my hair is wet. I was thinking of using a swimming cap but when I used it pre-op it was very tight. I wouldn't want to stretch the scar. Can I go ahead and use the swim cap or not? Any advice welcome.

I am about 7 months post-op and have been careful about not doing things to stretch the scar. I hope to go swimming soon but the scar is much more visible when my hair is wet. I was thinking of using a swimming cap but when I used it pre-op it was very tight. I wouldn't want to stretch the scar. Can I go ahead and use the swim cap or not? Any advice welcome.

Meds - propecia is effective at preventing further hair loss in 90% of men and causes significant regrowth for many. Hair tranplants are about supply and demand. If you lose more hair you will have more demand but no more supply so most people try to restrict further hair loss via meds. Some however, are concerned about the risks of medication so don't do it. 1. No idea 2. You'll have to make up your own mind, asking to meet several former patients could help although they are likely to put you in touch with happy patients. Still you will be seeing real results. Maybe try to find some other farjo patients directly. 3. With no hair it would be very noticeable, but depending on a number of factors the likelihood is that shaving to a #4 would hide it. You might get away with a #3 or if you are very lucky a #2. 4. Depends on surgeon, waiting lists of 2 months seem to be standard. BUT, don't rush into this, it is a one-way street and there is no going back. You should research thoroughly and make sure you are totally comfortable with your decision. Many recommend a minimum of 6 months serious research to make sure, as best as possible, you have thought about everything involved. 5. Good question Some people are cool with losing their hair or at least come to terms with it. Many don't know what can be done. For some it can look good, especially guys with darker skin, nice shaped heads and good physiques.

Whats Up - Can you post some pictures dude so people can advise you best? Some people naturally have a forelock that hangs in there when hair behind it is gone but not sure of the pattern you currently have, it sounds like you think it won't look natural if you let this happen in your case.

Thanks Jason yes that pretty much covers it.

I wore a ballcap type hat straight after and I believe most people do this. Don't wear a woolly hat as this knit can get a grip on the grafts and pull them out. I guess in Summer you won't be doing this anyway! A ball cap only puts pressure around the rim of the hat. Check with your surgeon but I'm pretty sure they will advise you the hat is OK as long as it is clean. A few weeks post-op the grafts should be well and truly anchored, and around that time most of the transplanted hairs will have fallen out anyway. But a few short(who am I kidding, a few long months) later they will start growing again. Have you been doing your scalp exercises? Good luck.

Keep in mind that if you consult with a doc that only does strip they will likely tell you that strip is the way to go. I'm not saying it isn't but a doc that does both could give you the pros and cons of both methods. Also are you taking meds to prevent further hair loss? (If you do take them you need to be aware of the possible risks. Many people on here are taking them having decided that they can live with the risks.)

This is a huge decision that will effect the rest of your life. Please don't rush, it would be much better to go to a good doc even if you have to wait until next summer rather than go to a bad one because they can see you sooner. Are you taking propecia? Bear in mind that your hairloss may well continue and you don't want to end up with a hairline then a gap behind where recession has continued.

I haven't gone through your maths in detail but the numbers sound about right to me EXCEPT that you don't have 10,000 to work with. If there are 10,000 in the safe zone the likelihood is you have around 5,000 to work with. If you took out all the safe zone you would be left with no hair at the back of your head a and a visible scar. I think strip scars tend to be pretty much the same length whether they are 2000 or 4000. The difference may be from 25-31cm (dependent on head size etc. and how aggressive the doc is). I'm pretty sure that 37cm would be going outside the universal safe zone. The number of grafts is mainly determined by the width of the strip removed. I guess you could ask whether the doc could take a fatter shorter strip, but as your calculations show it won't be that much shorter. For most guys the issue is how short you can wear the hair after you've done it. Put it like this, how many people do you know with 21cm scars on their head? Not too many right. So even if your scar ended up at 21cm you'd still probably want to hide it. A 21cm scar because the strip was wider might be more visible than the longer thinner strip as it would have to be closed with more tension and therefore the risk of stretching would likely be higher. Anyway, it is your call, best of luck with whatever you decide. You could always consider FUE if you don't want the long scar. Also don't think it is all about the numbers because it definitely isn't. Although Asians may have fewer hairs they tend to be thicker. Dr Rassman recently stated that a coarse hair could have 3-4 times the volume of a fine hair. So even if you have 20% fewer hairs than caucasians this will be likely more than outweighed by the thickness of each strand.

Hair can recede from the neck up towards the lower part of the ear so this is not part of the safe zone. If you look at some old men with the horseshoe pattern fully developed you will soon see cases where this has happened.

I agree that this is an excellent article. I would also add that IMO it makes sense for a potential HT patient to consult with a clinic that offers both FUT and FUE (or at least separate clinics that between them offer both). This way they should get the best opinions on both sides for which technique might suit them best. I do have a question though. Dr Ron mentioned as an advantage of FUE Does this mean that excising and reclosing a widened scar is the better first course of action (rather than filling via FUE) where it is possible?

I did this and had a lot of swelling but I would still recommend it as I found it meant there was less pressure on the staples so it was more comfortable.

Good work PGP! jonrctim - I've made this mistake before, sometimes there's a few different sections and you can't remember which one you posted to, you can always use the find feature to locate old threads.

My swelling was quite drastic for a few days but I could see no problem. It was worst around days 3-6 but quickly back to normal after that.

In your other thread you said you think you need min 8000 grafts. Even using FUT this is not possible for everyone. If you are unsure about these docs why not consult with them all in person and ask to meet some former patients. This could help with your decision making process. They can also advise you on the best strategy for you.

Unfortunate - It would be good to get some updates. Especially have you had the FUE to even things out on the right side yet?