Bill - Seemiller

Hey PB, the truth is, I don't know whether it's shocklossed hair growing back or transplanted hair. Dr. True says that transplanted hair should start growing before the shocklossed hair, but who knows. Everyone is different I guess. I do feel and see some differences (though minor) in the hairline and frontal area as well...so whether or not that is shockloss hair growing back or transplanted hair, that I don't know either. But either way...I'm hoping that improvements will continue and that I'll be nice and thick in the next few months. Bill

I just posted a 12 weeks pic of the top. It's still way early, but I can see some difference between 7 weeks and 12 weeks. I would say from 10 weeks to 11 weeks to 12 weeks there's been a little difference each week....but compared to the 7 weeks pic, looks like there is a difference yes? What does everyone think for only 12 weeks? Thanks Bill

Verbal update: This is, rather than pictoral update: Some new hairs have sprouted this week...nothing worth posting...but at least it gives me a slight better shadowing affect behind my very thin frontal hair. I'm hoping that the next month will bring some good fruit. I'll post some 12 week pics tomorrow or sometime this weekend. Tomorrow is exactly 12 weeks, so it's very early yet. 3 months will be next week. Bill

Did you mention your concerns to your doc? I have heard it takes up to 4 months for the redness to go away, but I do know that there are some things that could potentiall irritate your skin: 1. Constant use of minoxodil could potentiallly irritate your skin, you may want to temporarily consider stop using it in the front if you use it until the redness goes away 2. There is talk that Nizoral shampoo could potentially irritate your scalp, especially if you are using immediately to a couple months post op. This happened to me and then I stopped using it for a little bit. I'll probably start using it again in another month Do you find your scalp is itchy? Make sure you aren't scratching it because it can further irritate your scalp. Talk to your doc also, because my doc (Dr. True) prescribed me something to help take away the redness. I used it for 2 weeks 2 times a day, and the redness was very much minimized. I basically have no redness left now. It's a prescribed medication and should only be taken as per the doctor's instructions. Sorry, I don't remember the name of it. Bill

I don't think this is against the rules...but here is what Pat the Publisher has to say on a similar issue. See Spock's updates in the photo section for the entire thread. Apparently, after reading this, I believe it is possible and you may still have much more growing to do. Do you have any before/after pics? Spock, I appreciate you giving it over ten months to evaluate your procedure with the benefit of time. Based on the description of your hair texture, your transplanted hair has not fully grown in or matured at this time. Some patients on rare occasions do experience delayed growth and not all their new hair growth appears until 12 to even 18 months. The immature hair characteristics "wierd texture" you describe are symtomatic of this. I think your heavy use of Rogaine, which was then halted several months after your hair transplant, may also be a factor in disrupting your new hair growth cycle. While your currrent growth is clearly sub optimal, I believe you will see continued improvement as new hair grows in and the existing transplanted hair matures into healthy terminal hairs. I would like to discuss your case directly with Dr. DeYarman if that is ok with you. Please keep us posted. Thanks, Pat

Unfortunately, this is seemingly becoming a trend that I am noticing. You are not the first person to post something like this. The truth is, I have no idea whether or not you are a very late bloomer or if you are a patient of an unsuccessful hair transplant. I'd also be curious to hear about anyone else who has experienced this and then has had the hair grow in, just very late. Typically, on average, you should see hairs starting to grow in by about 3 months, give or take, some start earlier or later, and probably by 10 months be at about 80 to 90 %. This is only the typical, but I don't know about the far extremes. Sorry, I wish I could give you some comfort, but the truth is, I'd be concerned in your position also. Who was your doc? Bill

Looks really good B Spot. Looks very promising. You should have some nice all around coverage and a good amount of density it seems. It's hard to tel from your before pics, but it appears you didn't have much native hair up there yes? 3100 grafts will give you some decent coverage, but don't expect too much. I really like how Shapiro placed the grafts though. Please...keep posting back with updates. Bill

Gorpy, Awesome man. You're gonna be thick. I bet you are excited eh? It's a long wait though....we just gotta wait it out. Bill

Thanks Gorpy, I hope so. I should know these things...but it's hard to go through this stage. Man if I could fast forward to December, all would be well. Do you have pictures posted? Bill

Wally, do you have any before/after pics I could see? I'm a fellow True patient...but only 10 weeks. Feeling discouraged because I went through some shockloss Bill

Hi all, still a bit discouraged. I've seen a few hair pops, but I still have much less hair than before the second HT. I'm only 10.5 weeks...which I know is incredibly early....I know I know....but man....this is upsetting looking in the mirror. Somebody tell me to stop being silly because it's way to early to tell. I'm just upset about all the shockloss. it would be one thing if I looked the same as I did before the first HT, but I look like I did before the first HT...which is terrible. Ugh.... No new hairs popping that I can see except for the few that started last week. Any encouragement or advice is appreciated. Thanks. Bill Bill

Hey Cas, Thanks for the photo update man. you are looking good! Seems to have been a slower month, but there is definately some growth going on. I look forward to seeing your pics in the next month or two. I imagine you should start seeing some good growth soon. Keep us posted! Bill

Hi Cas, 3.5 months look good man. I'd love to see some 4.5 month results. Please do post soon! Bill

Thanks guys for the posts. Mrjb, I'd still love to see some pictures of your pre and post op...but if I am correct, you don't have photos...am I correct? If you get your hands on a digital camera, take some post op pictures and post them. I'd love to see them being a Dr. True patient myself. Robert, Thanks man. yeah, there is definately some popping going on....nothing significant yet....nothing worth posting in form of a pic, but I'm sure I'll post some in the next couple weeks. Sometimes in certain mirrors I am seeing obviious shadowing like 5 o'clock shadow, and brigter mirrors, I don't really see much at all...but the journey has only begun. Not bad for just under 10 weeks. I'm experiencing no more shockloss, but I don't believe any of the shockloss hairs are returning yet...unless some of the hairs that are popping are the shockloss hairs. I was explained by Dr. True that the shockloss hairs typically return behind the grafts...so the grafts should start coming up first, and then shockloss hairs that will return will come back. Dr. True seems pretty confident that the shockloss hairs will return because they were all strong healthy hairs, the ones up front were all grafted, and the ones in the middle were native but strong and healthy most likely due to Propecia. I'll post pics in a few weeks. Oh yeah, the " " tags. I saw them but I don't care all that much. I know those tags are supposed to be line breaks, I figured it was some glitch or whatnot....but maybe I'll remove em sometime . Bill

bump

Thanks PB. yeah, it's nice to see something happening. There is activity a brewing....though there's nothing worth posting yet. I'll probably post something in a month or so which would bring me to about 3 months or a little more. So long to go though...I'm hoping and praying for a big difference. Yes, of course, if all turns out well....I'll be so grateful to Dr. True as I was to Dr. Katz for the first HT. Bill

Hallelujah to the Lord...for little hairs are starting to rise up once again. I was under suspicion for the last week or so that this might be happening, but then I figured...nah, it's too early...but I have confirmed it for sure today looking in the mirror as I would say each day or every other day I'm seeing and feeling maybe a few more than the day before. NOthing picture worthy yet of course...probably not for a month or two...but I thought I'd share and keep you posted. Let the games begin! Bill

Billydett, you and I are in exactly the same boat. I am 9 weeks along and am in waiting phase also. I've been through this before though...so I konw the results are coming....but I agree...the wait stinks! Bill

Hi all...sorry it took me awhile to respond: thinkingaboutit, yes, I did experience a bit of shockloss from the first HT also, and I felt pretty awful about that too. But once about 10 weeks hit, I started to see some minature growth, oh so very slightly, and by about 14 weeks, they were really coming in....and by about 6 months, I was happy with the results I was getting and all seemed worth it. so the moral of the story for me is probably...be patient....the best is coming! Mrjb, It is good to know that you have experienced the same shockloss and sadness that goes along with it. I was there before too...and I should know better....but I get caught up looking in the mirror and seeing less hair than before the first HT, so that is hard. hairworthy, it seems like you are one of the few who had growth start around the same time for both HTs. I was told by Dr. True, that a second HT, growth typically starts around the same as the first, but after a third or fourth HT, that may not be the case, and that it may take longer to grow. so here's hoping I just hit 2 months now. Oh how I hope in the next month that I'll start seeing at least some kind of growth. Bill

I never heard of Scalp Med...but keep in mind, that there are a number of products out there that promise to regrow your hair, and most of them are scams. The only FDA approved drugs are Finasteride in form of Propecia for MPB and Minoxodil in form of Rogaine (thoug generic minoxodil is just as good). Hair that is actually gone, where the hair follicle is no longer in tact really has no chance of growing back to my knowledge. Propecia and Minoxodil to regrow some hair for some people but mostly it's used for maintaining existing hair. Keep researching. Good luck! ---Edit--- I used Revivogen for about 1.5 years and the result was more hairloss. That's not to say that Revivogen made me lose my hair, because I believe it would have happened anyway...but it didn't help maintain or regrow any hair for me. I haven't found one post that claims this works. Though the shampoo was a nice shampoo....but nothing more. Bill

Good points Robert. I don't know if I'd trust them either, though it does make me curious how many people have tried them or anything like it and whether or not they are really legit or not. I mean, who would know without testing after all right? I think I'll stick with Propecia! Bill

Thanks Mike and Damo, Well, I'm only 7 weeks post op so I don't expect to be seeing anything yet of course...but the shockloss is frustrating because I look worse than when I did 9 months post op from my first HT. In fact, looking back at 9 months post op from my first HT, I find myself actually being jealous of my own hair at that point. Strange eh? So Mike...what kind of shockloss did you experience after your second HT? How many months post op are you from your second HT? When did your growth start to occur? Did the shockloss hairs also grow back in your situation? Is your hair more dense now than from your first HT once all started growing in? I am definately in that "waiting it out" period...and I know I have no choice. I can even wait it out as long as I know that the second HT results will make me look BETTER than I did after the first HT. With the shockloss, I fear that I won't look any better than after the first. What should I expect 8 months from now? You know what I mean? Should I be content in knowing that I just have to "wait it out" or should I be worried that the second HT won't make me look better than after the first HT? Thanks!Bill

For those of you who either know or preferrably, who has had at least 2 HTs...what are the chances that if I started growth at 10 weeks post op after my first HT, that I'll start seeing growth around 10 weeks again for my second HT. Anyone have real examples of when they first started seeing growth on their first and second? Which one starts faster typically...or are they about the same? I have heard rumors that it is possible that a second HT might start a little later? Does this typically vary from patient to patient, or has their been any consistency? If people could post their experience with this, I'd appreciate it. Thanks guys ! Bill

For those of you who either know or preferrably, who has had at least 2 HTs...what are the chances that if I started growth at 10 weeks post op after my first HT, that I'll start seeing growth around 10 weeks again for my second HT. Anyone have real examples of when they first started seeing growth on their first and second? Which one starts faster typically...or are they about the same? I have heard rumors that it is possible that a second HT might start a little later? Does this typically vary from patient to patient, or has their been any consistency? If people could post their experience with this, I'd appreciate it. Thanks guys ! Bill

Hi Anonymous and welcome to the boards... I use Nizoral 2% shampoo with no side effects. I am not familiar with any side effects of this shampoo short of possible itchiness and it has the potential to dry your scalp a bit, so I always use it in combination with a good conditioner. In fact, I personally like to use Nizoral every other day, Nioxin shampoo every other day, and Nioxin Conditioner every day. I love that stuff. Unless I am wrong, Nizoral isn't anything like Minoxodil or Propecia in the sense that you can start it and stop it anytime you want. But if I am wrong, someone dispute me. Bill