stratman

Dr Mejia, What is considered to be low iron levels? Is there a specific reading you could quote? My wife has been losing her hair for 15 years and her doctor has her taking an iron supplement because we found that her levels were low from regular blood testing. Her hair loss has become obvious and although she is putting on a brave face, I think she is starting to worry, I know that I am for her sake. I persuaded her to see a dermatologist and he was absolutely useless. Any info you could provide would be appreciated. Also, do you recommend seeing an endocrinologist?

No it is not used in lieu of 5% minoxydil as it contains it. I have been using it for the last month as my last ditch effort. I can say it smells good, but is a cream and yellow in colour which stains the pillow case and leaves the scalp with that yellow hue. Be sure to rub it in well as to try to avoid showing the the yellowness. I will reserve judgement on its effectiveness until the 3 month mark, but I am not hopeful as not even propecia has helped after 4 years of continuous application.

Spex, Very clever indeed!

NW5a As a fellow NW5A, I can really appreciate the great result you have achieved.You must be absolutely thrilled. My donor sides are a little thin like yours as well. Do you have any problems with the scar showing through, especially when wet? I like the way your hairline is well defined and consistent as well.

Itsabouttime, When you wrote that you had a booking with Armani sometime soon, did you mean you have booked an ht with him? If so did you put down a deposit? If you did and decide you want to cancel the procedure now, I can assure you that you have lost some coin. In my opinion I have no problem with Armani himself, however, he has to hire someone to manage his office in Toronto that actually does not treat people like they are buying a bedroom suite at LEONS. This is a big decision and short consultations are just not acceptable, especially when you are dealing with some kid sales rep whom is barely out of his teens. Read the posts regarding Dr Rahal.He stands by his work and offers personal attention both pre and post-op. Just my 2 cents worth for you to ponder. Good luck and keep your head clear.

2900 grafts is not alot to spread out over the entire scalp, especially when you consider the possibility of shock loss. I am wondering if doing a first session of the same quantity concentratinfg on the front third-half of your scalp would have been a wiser choice. You could have still covered the crown for some time if the pre-op pictures are anything to go by. Dr. Wong is obviously top notch and in the end I am sure you will be fine. Hope it all works out for you. Hang in there!!

That looks like an advertisement from the 1950's. Are you for real? You are in the wrong place if you are looking for fools!!!

Dirge, I am glad all went well as I am also due for my ht in a few short weeks with DR. Rahal. That was one hell of a snow storm, hope you had a good drive back home. That is alot of grafts in a relatively small area, you should look fantastic in a few months. I am going in for a larger session but by the looks of things , I have nothing to worry about. Congrats!!!!!!!

NW4, Just looked at your pics and must say you would be a perfect candidate for surgery with Dr. Rahal. Good Luck

I am pretty sure that at that length there is not much you can do to conceal outside of wearing a hair piece. It is simply too short and there is not enough hair on top for anything like TOPPIK to camouflage. You may have to bite the bullet and go as you are. Is that not how people already recognize you? good luck

About five years ago, I battled depression. The level of anxiety I experienced was unbelievable. I would get serious panic attacks out of nowhere. I panicked about getting the next panic attack and before I knew it my head was spinning, heart was racing, thought I was dying and I just wanted turn my brain off but could not. Hair loss was not the cause of my ordeal, but if these are some of the symptoms that you are experiencing as a reult of your hair loss, man do I sympathize and empathize with you. What I went through I would not wish on anybody and I sincerely hope you find a way to cope with your emotions. In the meantime panic attacks can be controlled, but only when you learn to no longer fear them. I suspect like some of the other guys have already touched upon, that you have other issues to deal with more troubling than the loss of your hair. Find out what it is that is nagging you and dump it in the garbage. Nothing and nobody is worth living in constant torture over. good luck

Marky, Do yourself a favour, hop in your car and take that 4 hour drive to see Dr. Rahal. I did just that a few weeks ago and am scheduled for an HT very soon. He is truly a pleasure to talk to and will never make feel pressured. Adrian is his patient consultant and is also very easy to talk to and listens to your concerns. Good luck

Jodirt, You know that has always been my main concern or battle with myself, to justify the cost of an HT. I am 40 and am weeks away from spending that amount of cash on my hair . I look at my wife and daughter and see where they could benefit so much more with that money spent elsewhere, like a good vacation or some home renovations that we are in need of.It really is that guilt that I have a hard time dealing with more than the actual fear of getting an HT. I have always been a hard worker and have a decent income from which I can eventually recover the cost, hopefully. I do know exactly how you are feeling.

I searched youtube for Armani Fue results. Don't look good at all IMO. Strong hairline designs with no density behind it. I am going to take a guess and say that your 1500 fue process was all up front and that you are a relatively young guy.While you are searching for pics from the Armani files, see if you can find some from diffuse thinners that required a mega session of 4000 plus grafts. I would love to see the final product.

I know what you mean. My wife says she likes the way I look with a shaved head. I , however, DON'T!!! The other issue I am wrestling with is, being a NW5, will I ever be really happy with the maximum density I can achieve? It seems as though I will forever be in this crazy game of trying to conceal my hair loss. I just hope that after it's done I can be pleased with the result knowing that other people may still view me as a man whom is balding.Know what I mean?

Hi mav, As good as your hair quality is for a transplant(curly), I suspect it is covering some areas of thinning as well, so please do keep that in mind when you plan for the long term as your hair loss pattern may accelerate or even change. I myself am going to Dr Rahal very soon and would definitely recommend you consult with him. Good luck!!

Hey Dirge, Congrats on your selection of a great doctor. If you feel up to it after your surgery, I of course would be very interested in hearing about your experience. I'm sure Dr. Rahal will do an excellent job for you! Best of luck Cheers.

Excellent results thus far!! I too am a NW5 and am a couple of months away from my Ht. Hope to have similar results. Any pics of the scar? Are you happy with how it has healed? Continued success!!!! Thanks

Thanks for the input guys. Bill, Thanks for tip on the exercises. I have started doing them and Dr Rahal said I had good laxity which was comforting. You are right, April is around the corner and I can already feel the anxiety level starting to rise. Gotta stay the course though as I know I will look much better in a few months. Dr Rahal estimated removing a strip of 33-38cm long. That is the only part that has me somewhat freaked out but is normal for the amount of grafts(4000 plus) needed I guess.

Hello everyone, I just got back from my visit with dr Rahal this past Saturday. I have a booking with him for April 11/08 but drove the four hours from Toronto to Ottawa to discuss my concerns/goals and expectations with him in person. First off let me say that his reputation of being a gentleman is well deserved. I arrived at his office two hours early and although things were a little hectic with follow up appointments and renovations that his clinic is undergoing, he offered to see me right away and spent the better part of ninety minutes with me. At no time did I feel rushed and he answered all of my questions in detail. We discussed what I should expect as a result of a hair transplant and I was comfortable with what we agreed upon. I left his office feeling very reassured and knowing that I indeed did choose a top notch doctor. I look forward to returning in two months time to begin my journey of reclaiming some of my self esteem and improving my appearance. FYI--I will be doing 4000 grafts via the strip method focusing primarily on the frontal third -half. The crwon area , although starting to thin ,should give me a few more years of decent coverage.

Hello everyone, I just got back from my visit with dr Rahal this past Saturday. I have a booking with him for April 11/08 but drove the four hours from Toronto to Ottawa to discuss my concerns/goals and expectations with him in person. First off let me say that his reputation of being a gentleman is well deserved. I arrived at his office two hours early and although things were a little hectic with follow up appointments and renovations that his clinic is undergoing, he offered to see me right away and spent the better part of ninety minutes with me. At no time did I feel rushed and he answered all of my questions in detail. We discussed what I should expect as a result of a hair transplant and I was comfortable with what we agreed upon. I left his office feeling very reassured and knowing that I indeed did choose a top notch doctor. I look forward to returning in two months time to begin my journey of reclaiming some of my self esteem and improving my appearance. FYI--I will be doing 4000 grafts via the strip method focusing primarily on the frontal third -half. The crwon area , although starting to thin ,should give me a few more years of decent coverage.

I don't know if I should be happy for him or hate his guts!!!!! Propecia has done absolutely squat for me after 2 and a half years..Man!!!!!

Yeah, it is a good look but only if you have a good looking head to begin with. Me I need the hair or at least somewhat of a hairline as my forehead is way too big. There are lots of goodlooking men with shaved heads, but you gotta try it first to see if it suits you. You may find that your head is full of divits and that is not cool..As far as bald heads go, in this case anyways...small and round is the best look.IMO

If you are thinking of going with Armani, make absolutely sure as you will be out a large deposit should you reconsider. Dealing with those guys afterwards is more frustrating than losing your hair. Are you even sure that guy you saw in person received a transplant. Did you see some of his own personal "before "pictures? Was his hair loss beyond a level NW 2 or 3? I am currently trying to resolve my issues with Armani. Pm me if you would like to discuss further. Good Luck

NG2GB, No my hairline is pretty sparse now but it was on the way out regardless. Propecia just accelerated the process. As far as how much I lost, it would be hard to quantify, but there is no real starting point on the hairline as it is all thin and jagged like.