follicle

You said the money can't be refunded once the work has been completed, but it sounds like the work was not completed because you never went in to get your rug (and there is no way they completed the rug in the short time between you signing and canceling). You should call the credit card company again and insist that you did not receive a product or service and thus should not pay for it. I don't think the company can refuse the charge back. Generally, the credit card company makes the chargeback and then blocks the company from re-charging your card - the company has to prove that you received the product or service. Visa has a limit of two months for chargebacks. Perhaps you did not speak to a knowledgeable credit card rep. I would definitely try again with the credit card company or threaten to contact the better business bureau, state medical board, etc. That usually gets their attention.

Hi rb1, I experienced swelling after my first HT too. It started on day 3 and lasted until day 6 or 7. My eyes didn't swell shut, but they were both black and blue like I had been on the losing end of a bad fight and the bridge of my nose and forehead were large too. I basically looked like a fat guy (I only weigh 165 pounds!) Just apply ice packs to the area (try not to touch the grafts though) and the swelling should go away in a few days. Keep your head above your heart - no bending over or exercise. Apparently the swelling is most common after a first HT, I did not experience hardly any swelling the second time. Just hang in there, all should be well in a few days.

I was told to use Iamin gel, which came with the graftcyte kit, while the sutures were in to promote healing. After the sutures are out, you can use bacitracin, neosporin, or any number of wound care products available at your local drugstore, but it depends on what you mean when you say the "scar has not healed completely." If the scar has not closed, then you should not use anything on it and should see your doctor to see if perhaps you encountered some complications and what can be done about it. If it is closed, then it is safe to use neosporin and even scar healing agents such as Mederma for Scars and Scar So Soft. I've been using both mederma and scar so soft and my scar is now light pink and nearly invisible.

I had approximately 600 grafts placed into my crown area on my last HT because the doctor misinterpreted my question as to whether the grafts would cover the crown (I meant grafts placed in the vertex and angled backwards). I am Norwood 5 and need much more in the frontal and mid-scalp areas and no grafts should have been placed in the crown. I am now wondering if it would be a good idea to excise those grafts and move them where they should be or if that would be a bad idea and risk scarring or poor graft survival. I suppose I could be philosophical about it and think well at least I have light coverage in the crown, but I am terrified that the crown will continue to bald and I will end up with the "island of hair surrounded by a moat of baldness." Any suggestions from doctors or patients with an opinion are welcome.

I had approximately 600 grafts placed into my crown area on my last HT because the doctor misinterpreted my question as to whether the grafts would cover the crown (I meant grafts placed in the vertex and angled backwards). I am Norwood 5 and need much more in the frontal and mid-scalp areas and no grafts should have been placed in the crown. I am now wondering if it would be a good idea to excise those grafts and move them where they should be or if that would be a bad idea and risk scarring or poor graft survival. I suppose I could be philosophical about it and think well at least I have light coverage in the crown, but I am terrified that the crown will continue to bald and I will end up with the "island of hair surrounded by a moat of baldness." Any suggestions from doctors or patients with an opinion are welcome.

I am now totally confused as to where the donor hair should be taken from. My scar is below the occipital knot, others are above. It seems logical (to me at least) that the donor should be taken from below the occipital knot because that is the only hair that remains as you approach NW 6-7. I recall FUTzyHead saying his doctor said you should never take from below the knot and his scar is above. I've also seen it said that it should never be taken from above the occipital knot. Dr. Bernstein said in an answer to a different question that it is a general rule but everyone is different so it is not absolute. So my question to the doctors is just what factors must be considered when determining the proper location to take the donor from? If you take from above the knot and the patient continues to bald, that scar will be exposed to the world in a few short years. If you only take from below the knot, it seems there would be less total donor available.

I am now totally confused as to where the donor hair should be taken from. My scar is below the occipital knot, others are above. It seems logical (to me at least) that the donor should be taken from below the occipital knot because that is the only hair that remains as you approach NW 6-7. I recall FUTzyHead saying his doctor said you should never take from below the knot and his scar is above. I've also seen it said that it should never be taken from above the occipital knot. Dr. Bernstein said in an answer to a different question that it is a general rule but everyone is different so it is not absolute. So my question to the doctors is just what factors must be considered when determining the proper location to take the donor from? If you take from above the knot and the patient continues to bald, that scar will be exposed to the world in a few short years. If you only take from below the knot, it seems there would be less total donor available.

Mona and Leon, I went to a dermatologist today who also does hair transplants hoping he might have some insight into the problem. He said what Dr. Bernstein had said - that it is a risk that happens to some people. He however, recommended against dermabrasion as he thought it would be too risky and still not solve the problem. I asked about "micro-dermabrasion" which is used for facial peels and he said it may work but you would have to cut your hair real short because the vacuum action of the instrument would suck up the hair. That option is cheap but requires multiple treatments and probably wont have the desired affect. Turning to my questions about topical solutions, he prescribed "fluocinonide cream" (topical corticosteroid) and "retin-a micro" (tretinoin gel)". He also gave me a scar healing gel called "mederma". I also purchased the "scar so soft" product that someone on hairlosshelp said worked for him. I will try the prescription meds till they are gone and then turn to the others. I don't think I'll bother to return in a month for a follow-up - it will either work or not. Doctor wasn't too thrilled about scar so soft because it is a natural oil (doctor's don't even consider natural alternatives, it seems), but I'll try it anyway, it cant hurt. Mona - You are probably half way home now considering Dr. B removed some of the cobblestones. Perhaps you can try the other alternatives and see if they help any. Leon - Nothing they can do for corn-rows except excise them and re-implant or add new grafts to camouflage. As for the pitting, mederma and scar so soft are supposed to help that. The derm said the retin-a heals pitting too. I have been using graft cyte again and it seems to have made the bumps much smaller. Not sure why but it includes aloe vera gel and copper peptides which help the skin to heal itself. I will keep using these topical remedies and post back in a bit regarding the success I am having, if any.

Ron, I decided to buy Tricomin because I had used the graft cyte kit which contains copper peptides and Tricomin has the same ingredients (same company too, I think). I have no way to compare it against the alternatives such as salt water soaks, but I do think it helped me to heal quickly (all scabs gone in 11 days for 1st HT, and 8 days after 2nd HT). The shampoo works well and does leave my hair feeling soft and clean. The follicle therapy spray is suppposed to be more important and has been shown clinically to promote regrowth in *some* people. Like most products, I'm sure it works for some and not others. The follicle therapy spray has a leave-in conditioner. I only use it once a day, in the morning, after showering. I just spray it in and comb my hair and let it dry. Too soon to tell if it really helps to slow down loss or promote regrowth, but copper peptides can't hurt and at least it does condition your hair and make it soft.

TEAG95, Your question is one we all struggle with. Hair loss is progressive and relatively unpredictable. There is no definitive way to know if you will progress from Norwood 6 to Norwood 7. I know exactly what you are thinking. In my case, I am 36, Norwood 5, had 2 HT's. Front looks good but some of frontal forelock is natural hair - if it falls out later, I will have a hole in the center of my forehead and am wondering if I too should wait. There are a few generalities about the progression I have read: 1. The earlier in life the hair loss starts, the earlier it stops. Those whose hair loss starts very early and progresses rapidly to Norwood 6 often cease to lose their hair in their thirties, but no guarantees. If you are at Norwood 6 at age 29, your hair loss MAY be nearing the end. 2. If the hair loss starts much later in life, the less bald that person will ultimately become. 3. Hair loss can proceed rapidly for a few years, cease for a long time, and then resume later in life, but generally stablizes in your forties. You may want to wait a little while and try to observe your pattern of loss and consult with a doctor you trust on how best to proceed. If you go ahead with further transplants, you should transplant into areas that are likely to fall out in the future so that once that native hair is gone, you will still have the transplanted hairs with good coverage. I wish it were predictable, but unfortunately it is not and we all face the same problem.

Still havent seen any replies to these questions other than one kind soul who is in the same situation as me. From what I've read the cobblestoning condition is very common - certainly some of you doctors have some opinions on the issues I've raised.

mona772, Best of luck for a successful outcome. If you feel comfortable sharing your experience afterwards I would definitely like to know how it went and what your thoughts are on the outcome.

My second HT surgery resulted in cobblestoning on one side of my head. After 10 months, they are still present though relatively small and still soft. Grafts outside this area have grown rapidly, but many of the grafts within that area are only now beginning to poke through the scalp. Is the fact that the hairs seem to be growing very slowly indicative that the follicle itself may have been damaged or is it just that the hairs have a harder time poking through the scar tissue? In general, when cobblestoning occurs is any part of the follicle or its surrounding tissues exposed and susceptible to damage or is it just adjacent skin that got bunched up and formed the bump?

My second HT surgery resulted in cobblestoning on one side of my head. After 10 months, they are still present though relatively small and still soft. Grafts outside this area have grown rapidly, but many of the grafts within that area are only now beginning to poke through the scalp. Is the fact that the hairs seem to be growing very slowly indicative that the follicle itself may have been damaged or is it just that the hairs have a harder time poking through the scar tissue? In general, when cobblestoning occurs is any part of the follicle or its surrounding tissues exposed and susceptible to damage or is it just adjacent skin that got bunched up and formed the bump?

I, like many others, have experienced cobblestoning after a HT. In my particular case they are rather small and still relatively soft after 10 months. By posting questions and reading other posts, I have determined that the general approach for fixing the problem is either surgical excision or "spot dermabrasion" (from Dr. Bernstein). I am wondering if there may be yet another alternative that would work. Can any doctor here comment on any or all of the following points? 1. "repair work": many doctors perform corrective work, but most seem to be referring to repair of the old 4mm plug type of grafts, not bumps from mini-micro transplants. Does anyone actually repair cobblestoning by removing and re-implanting the raised grafts? Any risks with this approach and should it be done and given time to heal prior to additional surgeries or should it be done at the same time as an additional surgery? 2. "dermabrasion": Most of what I've read about this procedure indicates that the risk/reward trade-off is decidedly tilted toward risk and often does not solve the problem for cobblestoning after a HT. Any doctors with patients for which this approach actually solved the problem? 3. "topical scar treatments": Would the bumps be considered hyper-fibrotic scars? One poster indicated that a product called "scar so soft" worked for him. There are lots of similar products. Does anyone have any experience with this type of approach? Is it safe to use such scar/wound treatments on the scalp or would they possibly kill the follicle? 4. Other possiblities? What about topicals/shampoos that contain ingredients like SOD's (tricomin), copper-peptides (graftcyte), etc that are supposedly good for your follicles anyway. Obsessing over the bumps from a HT gone awry is far more stressful to me than obesessing over hair loss in general. Thanks in advance to any doctors who wish to take a crack at the above questions. Feel free to overwhelm me with too much information - I am interested in learning as much as I can about this particular topic.

I, like many others, have experienced cobblestoning after a HT. In my particular case they are rather small and still relatively soft after 10 months. By posting questions and reading other posts, I have determined that the general approach for fixing the problem is either surgical excision or "spot dermabrasion" (from Dr. Bernstein). I am wondering if there may be yet another alternative that would work. Can any doctor here comment on any or all of the following points? 1. "repair work": many doctors perform corrective work, but most seem to be referring to repair of the old 4mm plug type of grafts, not bumps from mini-micro transplants. Does anyone actually repair cobblestoning by removing and re-implanting the raised grafts? Any risks with this approach and should it be done and given time to heal prior to additional surgeries or should it be done at the same time as an additional surgery? 2. "dermabrasion": Most of what I've read about this procedure indicates that the risk/reward trade-off is decidedly tilted toward risk and often does not solve the problem for cobblestoning after a HT. Any doctors with patients for which this approach actually solved the problem? 3. "topical scar treatments": Would the bumps be considered hyper-fibrotic scars? One poster indicated that a product called "scar so soft" worked for him. There are lots of similar products. Does anyone have any experience with this type of approach? Is it safe to use such scar/wound treatments on the scalp or would they possibly kill the follicle? 4. Other possiblities? What about topicals/shampoos that contain ingredients like SOD's (tricomin), copper-peptides (graftcyte), etc that are supposedly good for your follicles anyway. Obsessing over the bumps from a HT gone awry is far more stressful to me than obesessing over hair loss in general. Thanks in advance to any doctors who wish to take a crack at the above questions. Feel free to overwhelm me with too much information - I am interested in learning as much as I can about this particular topic.