PerfectFew

Thanks! I'll keep everyone up to date.

Thanks. So far, I can't think of anything I would have done differently except perhaps using more saline solution post-op. My scalp has been a little dry and itchy. Also, it was helpful to be tired the day of the surgery. I slept through 90% of the day, so the time went by very quickly. Other than that, just follow your doctor's instructions. Another thing the doctor recommended was to follow up with a Minoxidil regimen starting after 5 days and to go for 3 months. Good luck!

I purchase Dermatch a few weeks ago and I absolutely love it. I used Toppik for a long time before trying Dermatch. Since I just had my HT on March 6, I am holding off for a while. I haven't yet tried the Toppik/Dermatch combo yet.

I posted this message to the surgeon reviews on accident. I am reposting it here: Greetings folks. I have created my weblog and added 3 photo entries. Please view my hair blog to see the results so far. On March 6th I had my surgery performed by Dr. Brian O. Goertz in Bellevue, WA. Dr. Goertz transplanted 2500 grafts. The surgery took approximately 7 hours. I have experienced virtually no pain and I am so far very happy with the procedure. Since I am only 12 days post-op, I cannot give you any advice yet. I can only tell you that the research provided by this forum and others has made my first HT experience a good one so far. Please take a look at my pictures on my blog and let me know what you think. There is one picture the day before the surgery, one picture the day of the surgery and one picture 12 days post-op (today).

Greetings folks. I have created my weblog and added 3 photo entries. Please view my hair blog to see the results so far. On March 6th I had my surgery performed by Dr. Brian O. Goertz in Bellevue, WA. Dr. Goertz transplanted 2500 grafts. The surgery took approximately 7 hours. I have experienced virtually no pain and I am so far very happy with the procedure. Since I am only 12 days post-op, I cannot give you any advice yet. I can only tell you that the research provided by this forum and others has made my first HT experience a good one so far. Please take a look at my pictures on my blog and let me know what you think. There is one picture the day before the surgery, one picture the day of the surgery and one picture 12 days post-op (today).

Greetings folks. I have created my weblog and added 3 photo entries. Please view my hair blog to see the results so far. On March 6th I had my surgery performed by Dr. Brian O. Goertz in Bellevue, WA. Dr. Goertz transplanted 2500 grafts. The surgery took approximately 7 hours. I have experienced virtually no pain and I am so far very happy with the procedure. Since I am only 12 days post-op, I cannot give you any advice yet. I can only tell you that the research provided by this forum and others has made my first HT experience a good one so far. Please take a look at my pictures on my blog and let me know what you think. There is one picture the day before the surgery, one picture the day of the surgery and one picture 12 days post-op (today).

Thanks bro. I talked with my doc today and he mentioned almost the same thing. Good advice. PerfectFew

I have seen people post that their HT scabs are gone after 10 days. I still have a significant number of scabs (all white in color - never had any bleeding!). I am wondering if I am missing something? Is my scalp too dry? All of the graft hairs are still intact and appear to be fairing well so far. PerfectFew P.S. I am gathering the content (pre/post pics etc.) for my webblog so you can see my progress. I will reveal my doctor at that time. So far, it has all been positive, but it is too soon to give advice either way.

I have seen people post that their HT scabs are gone after 10 days. I still have a significant number of scabs (all white in color - never had any bleeding!). I am wondering if I am missing something? Is my scalp too dry? All of the graft hairs are still intact and appear to be fairing well so far. PerfectFew P.S. I am gathering the content (pre/post pics etc.) for my webblog so you can see my progress. I will reveal my doctor at that time. So far, it has all been positive, but it is too soon to give advice either way.

It is unfortunate that you had a bad experience. The key issue here, however, is that you did not spend the necessary time researching. Showing up for surgery without knowing what they were going to do only demonstrates that you went for all the wrong reasons. I wish you best wishes for your future efforts to correct any damage you have. Make sure you spend the time researching it better next time. PerfectFew

Thanks for the advice. I have to lay off the concealers for a few days since I got my first HT on Monday (03/06). I am going to be posting some pics very soon.

I heard that Matthew MConaughey has had 2 hair transplants.

I got my Dermatch yesterday (First Class Mail - 4 days). It took me 15 minutes to apply it and it was not nearly as messy as Toppik. I took your advice about wetting and towel drying after applying. It worked great. The color match for me (dark-brown) is almost perfect. The key thing about this product is to stay back from the hairline when using the applicator and don't apply too much. Once you comb it through, it really fills in nicely. So far, I give this product 2 thumbs up. PerfectFew

The problem with dying the hair is that it shows more contrast with your skin. I would only suggest doing it if you continue to use a concealer. I got my Dermatch yesterday, and I must say that I like it better than Toppik. It took less than 15 minutes to put it on, and that was my first time. The color match (dark brown) for me was great.

Thanks for the advice. I have lots of "fine" hairs, but they are not very long. Anyway, I just received it today. I'll let you know how it works for me. Maybe I'll post a few pictures.

I've been taking it for about a 1 1/2 years. I don't have any erection problems or bitch tits (wouldn't that be interesting... lol). I do have more hair, but I'm not looking like Johnny Depp because of it. Those stories are definitely scary, but I don't necessarily worry about it. The dosage of Finasterid taken for hair loss is very small. I'm willing to take the risks involved if it means I can keep my hair. If I grow some bitch tits, hypogonads or get a limp noodle, I'll let you know right a way. On a side note, I had a recent blood workup (6 weeks ago) to test for diabetes, prostate cancer and testosterone levels. My testosterone was absolutely normal. This was a routine checkup unrelated to any condition, just something I do once a year because my father had prostate cancer. So, I say -- Study the risks, talk to your doctor and make your own choice.

I can't remember the exact brand I used, but I bought it at the drugstore. Basically, it didn't make a big difference. I have dark hair, so it just made the contrast of my skin more noticable. For a short time, it made my use of Toppik a little better. If your hair is not as dark, it might be ok. I don't think you'll see any huge improvement. Really, I think Toppik (or other concealer) is the best way to go. I just received my Dermatch product in the mail, so I'm gonna try that and see if it is better than Toppik. I'll let you know my feedback as soon as I give it a try.

I haven't heard any horror stories. If you know of some, I would love to study them more closely. Please post links to them. The side effects of Propecia are very well documented: Less then 2% of the men in the clinical studies experienced sexual side effects (libido, difficulty in getting erection etc.). The side effects went away after stopping the medication. Those who continued the medication in spite of the side effects saw a decrease in those side effects to 0.3% after the 5th year of treatment. There have also been some allergic reactions like rash, swelling and itching. These reports are very uncommon. I have not heard of one person who suffered any long term affects or died from taking the drug. I don't want to promote this drug, but it is hard not to recommend it as an option since it works so well. Anyone who is considering it should do their own research, however, and talk with a qualified doctor. Nobody on this forum (including me), except for the few physicians, are qualified to prescribe it. I only know that this drug absolutely works for me, and I have not seen one single side effect. I am very happy I decided to take it, but I only wish I had done it sooner. I would have much more hair today. On a side note, I personally think candy is much worse for you than taking Propecia. The sugar content in candy has much worse effects on your body. Adult onset diabetes is one major side effect of sugar. Propecia (Actually, Proscar--a larger dose for treating enlarged prostate) has been shown to decrease the incidence of prostate cancer: http://www.ishrs.org/articles/finasteride-prostate-cancer.htm Cheers, PerfectFew

I have dyed the fine hairs. Dying your hair is not nearly as damaging as bleaching. Really, it is just a stain and doesn't seem to damage the hair at all. Also, dying your hair doesn't have any long term effects on MPB type hair loss. I have talked with my hair doctor about this. The causes for MPB are very specific and not affected by dyes.

After using Toppik for quite some time now, I am going to switch to Dermatch to see if the results are any better. I ordered my first batch yesterday. Robert's research in this topic peaked my interest. If for nothing else, the messiness and ease of use factor. Some days I skip the Toppik and just throw on a hat because it is a little inconvenient. I will give you all my opinion once I try it out. PerfectFew

Excellent. That's an extreme closeup, and it looks great. You are truly fortunate. PerfectFew

You are probably correct. I really hope it becomes a relic, and they get better treatments. The fact that there is no data for men younger than 18 years is not necessarily a bad thing either. The studies I know of were only conducted for men ages 18 to 41. I really wish I could have started taking it at your age. That is only my opinion, however, since I know it is working for me. The sad fact is that it wasn't available for me 17 years ago. If I had started taking it when it first became available, I probably would not be discussing it on this forum, since I believe would still have a full head of hair.

There is no data either way regarding the effect of Propecia long-term for people your age. I agree that you should do some reading about how Propecia works. Minox may also be a good alternative, but do your homework there. Make sure your pattern matches the way Minox works. Otherwise, you could end up wasting your time and money. As for side-effects, studies show that men who have taken it over a long period of time (not sure the exact duration) have shown a decrease of incidents of prostate cancer (25% decrease I believe). The drug was originally intended to treat enlarged prostate (still used that way today). My advice: listen to your doctor. If you are truly concerned, get a second opinion from another doctor. While Propecia seems to be harmless, only your doctor knows your medical history. Everyone has an valid opinion, but prescription medication decisions are best left up to you and your doctor. Propecia has worked wonders for me, but I am 37, and I did so at the advice of my doctor. My hair has stopped falling out, and I have some minor growth (didn't see any regrowth until after 1 year of taking it). Good luck, PerfectFew

John, I think you will need at least 1 year to fully evaluate whether Propecia works for you. Most of the research shows that, if it works for you, it will stop hair loss after 6 months, but any new growth won't be seen for at least a year. That has been exactly my experience with the product. I have some new growth, but the hairs are so fine that they are hard to notice. My MPB seems to have completely stopped, however (knock on wood). PerfectFew

These products (including the "Avacor" product you may have heard about) are very similar. Here is the information I found out about them through my research: They don't grow hair and they don't prevent hair loss. They will give you a "fuller" looking head of hair after 1 use, at the expense of "fried" hair. It is like a perm solution that causes your hair to "frizz out". That is why they say it only requires treatment every 3 months. Basically your hair is damaged and will require 3 months to grow new. You will get a much safer and cheaper result from using a concealer like Toppik or Dermmatch. PerfectFew