Maxxy

Welcome Q8,

At 9-10 days your grafts are fully secure, you're simply seeing shedding hairs accompanied with scabs and/or dry tissue.

Yes, it can go that wrong. You can end up spending all your money, have zero in terms of results and end up with massive scaring amongst others issues. If it went wrong you could be left absolutely devastated. You say you have done your research, if this was the case you wouldn't be considering moving forward; come on man, you haven't seen photos of past patients - let alone met any... you don't even know who your surgeon is going to be.

I have two questions that I'm hoping for some advice on.

I've been going through a shed since I started using Revita which is just starting to calm down, if I start working out/exercising is it likely to prolong my shed or make it worse?

Also, has anyone seen the adverts for and/or tried the Ab King Pro? It's an Ab training device (as shown in the picture below), basically it allows you to do ab workouts such as crunch like moves while supporting the back, neck and head. My thinking is that it should allow me to work my abs without having any detrimental effect/pressure on my scar... any thoughts?

Thanks

Bargain hunting for grafts is one thing (not something I'd recommended) and as you have said, to do this without any information or background is stupid. I don't want to sound too harsh here but you obviously know the massive risk you're taking, if you go ahead with the procedure without trying to find out everything you can about your doctor, past patients and the clinic would be foolish and beyond stupid.

Of course you're going be nervous and scarred about telling him but it's going be difficult hiding future procedures, even with small FUE sessions questions will arise.

Would you think less of him if he told you he had work done or planned on getting work done? Of course not... so if he does, then maybe he isn't the one for you.

the best way to get the most grafts is to do strip first and FUE second" makes ZERO sense to me.

It makes perfect sense to me. Below is a post that I wrote on another thread... others might not agree, but it seems very logical to me.

"In FUE, there is only so much you can take before the area looks thin, however, in a strip you are also removing the skin as a result you do not encounter that problem.

If you started off by getting large FUE procedures, then you pretty much have to continue with FUE. To get a strip procedure at a later date, you would have to get a wider strip taken as the donor would be depleted."

Shinners,

I'm not too sure how beneficial laser combs are, though I'm also considering trying one (I don't need the debate again, haha). I'd say give it a try if you like, however, there are far cheaper versions that will offer the same results (if any results).

Bill,

Hair beam's are very over priced laser combs, I won't bother linking to their site as we've seen it all before. They have 2 models - a basic one costing $883 and a Pro version costing $3,125

Hey Splitting hairs,

Yeah, I fully understand that Proscar contains 5mg of Finasteride and for my doctor to prescribe it would be doing so off-licence, I do have the option of getting a private prescription for Propecia or another 1mg version, as you do but personally I feel Propecia and the other 1mg version which I have been offered is ridiculously over priced at ??40 per month (or whatever the cost is now).

I can also understand his concerns regarding purchasing medication on-line, though as I said to him - unless he starts prescribing me Proscar (which some doctors do) I will continue to use the internet or foreign pharmacies while on holiday. I personally use UnitedPharmacies and have done for years, a company which I fully trust.

I didn't make the post to slate my doctor or question his decisions, I was just curious to see how many actually get their Finasteride prescribed professionally and if not what has their doctors response has been.

Hey Hair_me_out,

My doctor will prescribe finasteride but only at a very costly 1mg dose. As a result, I prefer to purchase it outside of the UK. I could always use Spex's contact, however, for me I have other options that have always served me well.

After reading a recent post by Dr. Mike Meshkin, it got me wondering; how many people on this board actually have Finasteride prescribed by a doctor, also, if not - is your doctor aware you are taking it and what has been their response? I'm guessing not many have it prescribed, the only posters I have really seen stating they have gotten it on prescription from a doctor has been new posters or HT patients (buying it from the clinic), even in those people I'm pretty sure this professionally prescribed option is sort lived option (apart from the people who get it from Spex's doctor contact, which is somewhat different).

I myself have only received the drug twice through "the proper channels", once from Dr Farjo (this was way back before GP's could prescribe it in the UK, at least it wasn't in my GP's little book of licensed medications so mine wouldn't give me it, lol). The other time was a prescription for Propecia (1 month course), I had just moved in with my partner and didn't want to explain the reason why I was receiving medication through the post.

I've tried a few times to get Proscar on prescription from my GP with no luck, this after whole appointment times being taking up discussing and explaining my reasons for wanting it; the subject has even been brought up during the medical centre's staff meeting. I have no chance of them changing their minds.

My doctor is fully aware that I get it Finasteride off the net though he isn't happy about it, I don't think a time has gone by in recent years when I have seen him and he hasn't warned me and expressed his dissatisfaction of me self-prescribing Finasteride, even to the extent that one time he pretty much shouted at me and asked me to leave his office, after explained to him that I will stop getting it online as soon as he starts given me a prescription for it.

If or when cloning comes out even the widest scars shouldn't be that much of an issue - you would have unlimited donor to transplant into the scar.

Personally I will be staying on the drug. I have always been aware of the risks regarding impotence, even though the offical stance has always been "stop and things will return to normal" I had little doubt that for some the condition could remain even if this was more of a mental barrier.

The risk of cancer has been floating round for a while now, it is a worry - don't get me wrong, but the numbers seem to be very low. I am in no way trying to play down this finding/belief, however, I remember watching on the news some years go that taking 2 aspirin per week for long periods of time can increase the risk of contracting a specific form of cancer by 60%. Now to me, 60% sounds a large percentage, though it is still widely used.

Will do ;-)

Take a chance,

How wide is your previous scar? Perhaps the doctor is concerned that they won't be able to get the required amount of grafts and remove the old scar due to laxity issues.

If I was you, I would email the doctor back and ask them for the exact reason of their concern.

Hey Spex,

I used it prior to my first transplant but I suffered a massive shed. I was applying it to bald scalp and after around the third month, an area of hair bearing scalp (around the size of a 20 pence piece) near the application site literally became completely bald.

This time I am only applying a small amount in the hair line where I had work done in order to test the area as I would like to use it post-op after my second surgery. I'm only using less than a quarter of a cap because I'm only applying it to a area around the size of a 10 pence piece to check any reaction on the transplanted hair. I know you're advised to use 1ml/half a cap but to me that has never made any sense; how can a small area require the same amount as a very large area?

It is good to know that you have not noticed any loss, as there are so many people I know had gone through some problems. Please just let me know from where you get this so, that I can let my friends to know about this.

Lol Namratasnv,

It's strange you would recommend it to your friends given the fact you know so many people that have experienced problems with it; could you not just ask your other friends where they got it from? Maybe you could even offer it on your site ;-).

Hey Spex,

Yeah it got here thanks, I think it took like 4-5 days.

Hey Gsu3113,

Maybe you could try a different version of Minoxidil?

There is a lot of work being done for new treatments and cloning, however, we have been hearing that cloning, etc is just around the corner for a long time now.

Only you can decide if it's worth waiting or not, as far as I know no one has any firm release dates for cloning or any other new treatment so it's likely to be a couple of years at the earliest before we see anything new and then you have to decide if you want to be first inline to try whatever new treatment comes out? Myself, I know I will be waiting at least a year or 2 before trying any new approach that reaches the market.

Welcome Gsu3113,

Have you tried using Minoxidil (Rogaine)? If not, I'd give it a go. It may not help much with your receding hair line, though I believe it stands a very good chance at thicken the rest of your thinning hair. Personally, I'd stick with the Finasteride and add Minoxidil then re-evaluate in a year's time; this will also give you the time to save towards any future transplant should you decide to go down that route.

NO it does not. Don't you see older men at the gym with full heads of hair.....?

lol, of course he will but that doesn't prove your point... some men can do everything wrong (for want of a better word) and will still have a full head of hair into their old age; DHT doesn't effect us all in the same way.

Princyluks,

I have read many times of posters believing weightlifting and exercise has sped up their hair loss, if it has or not I don't know but there is good reasoning to back up their believe.

Look at this -link- for a better explanation, I'm sure there will be a lot more information on this suspect maybe even with some science to prove or disprove this belief if you searched around.

Hey Megatron,

What makes you think the foam isn't being absorbed as well? The absorption of the foam is maybe it's biggest selling point.

To be honest I have never heard that shaving the receipt can prevent shock loss nor do I see how this is possible, unless it's due to the fact that the doctor has a clearer view and can place the grafts further away from the native hair and reduce the risk of transection when making the slits?

My understanding of the reason for shaving the receipt is that it makes the work a whole lot easier and therefore faster. There are also other benefits to shaving such as it's easier to see the angle of the native hair so the doctor has a better chance of mimicking this and it will be easier to see the 1,2,3 and 4 hair groupings so the doctor and techs will know the optimal areas to place each graft.

No doctor on this site, even the coalition members (which many people believe are all among the best in the world) come close to charging ?‚¬8.50 per graft. What exactly makes him so much better to justify that kind of cost?

?‚¬8.50 isn't expensive it's a complete joke, that's over $11 per graft for a strip.

Edit: Their usual charge is ?‚¬10, that's almost $14 per grafts :-S

I'm not sure, nobody knows how your scar will turn out but hopefully with a top class surgeon it will be minimal. There are guys who have had bad scars that have later FUE'd into it and been very happy with the results.

Personally, If I was going to have FUE I'd only consider a top clinic who has been using FUE for a number of years and treating a good percentage of patients with the technique. Say you went to DR. Feller, that's $10 per graft and let's assume you require 5000 grafts (most likely more) to get a pleasing result - you're looking at $50,000 in maybe 2-3 procedures.

With the large amount of grafts you would require, there is a good chance you wouldn't be able to shave your head right down without the donor looking severely depleted.

I know this isn't ideal and you shouldn't go into a transplant assuming you can later conceal any resulting scar but have you thought of visiting a top clinic for FUT? The likely result will be very minimal scarring which you could later FUE into if needed to.

Edit: As you have edited your last post I will add two things. There is no doubt about FUE leaving scars, it does and it will - the question is to what extent and how noticeable it is likely to be. Also, 3000 grafts isn't going give you very good coverage.

Hey Ram,

You can find a good list of questions in this -thread-, it's from 2007 but should get you started.