Minnetonka Mari

Montrose, Is the stiffness such that you can brush thru it easily? I've read some glowing reviews and quite a few from women, which is heartening. I think it's worth a try. Mari

Thanks for your reply, Montrose02. After reading lots about it, I did order the DNC and the Revita shampoo. I think I'll try using Rogaine in the am and the DNC at night, as I've read it's kind of gunky or oily looking once put in. Has that been your experience? Mari

I know this topic has come up in the past, but I was wondering if there's anybody who's used Spectral DNC for a more than a few months and if so, what their results have been? The place I order all my skin products from (Skinstore.com) has it on their website and they often have 20% off online orders, so I was thinking of ordering it and giving it a try. It's much more pricey than buying a 3-pack of Rogaine Foam, so I'd like to know if it's been effective for anyone. Can anyone share their results and experiences? Thank you, Mari

Thanks, Aaron and LNH! Mari

Aaron, Actually, forgot to mention that I did get some Dermamatch. I'm a bit confused about how to use it, though. If you use Rogaine morning and night (2xday), you'd have to wash your hair again at night to get the Dermamatch off before applying Rogaine. That sounds like a lot of hair washing to me, so maybe I'll just say the Dermamatch for special occasions. I must say that the folks at SMG were super nice and I did meet Dr. Paul Shapiro and he looked at my hair with his loop-glasses and answered lots of our questions. Mari

Back from my consult at SMG. I'm not thin enough on top to do HT, as I would run the chance of damaging the hair I have. I could have some HT on temples and widows peak, but they don't think I'd get enough impact from that. Double-edge sword, gotta get thinner to do HT and eventually NOT be so thin. So, for now, I'm going to try 1 X Finasteride a day (I'm 48yrs old and had tubal ligation so NO pregnancy risk), 2 X 5% Rogaine a day and Laser on the scalp 3 X week. I had pics taken and am going to have them re-evaluate in 6 months. Crossing my fingers that I get some result. Mari

From a woman's perspective, I think most bald guys look very cool and IMHO men who do the bald thing usually come off as confident, which is sexy. There are so many attractive men taking the bald option, that it's really become a very hip look. You can take a nerdy geek who was doing a bad comb-over, shave him, give him hip new glasses and it's like he stepped out of GQ! But there's nothing cool we women can do - boo hoo.

Good to know, Aaron. I looked at your HT pics and your hair looks great! I'm off to my consult shortly. Mari

Thanks gals, for responding, I appreciate it. It's a tough thing to deal with and as you know, it's embarrassing and not something you want to discuss with just anyone. I only talk about it with my husband and my sister, otherwise my whole goal is to act like nothing's wrong. But inside I'm thinking about it 24/7. Did either of you have the DNA test to determine why your losing your hair. I would like to have that and am going to ask Shapiro Medical if they can do it. I'm 48 and had a tubal ligation over 12 years ago - the only "babies" I have are the 4-legged kind . I'm wondering if I can try Propecia as part of my attempt to NOT go bald! I've also been reading about PRP (Plasma Rich Platlets) and I'd try that too, if I thought it'd help. I don't know what I'll do if I'm not a candidate for any of these things. Monoxidal is not doing much for me and I've been using it for 5+ years. Mari

Purplesky and LNH, Thank you for responding. I'm just at the point of having the consult next week. Will have to see what the Dr. says before deciding if I'll have HT. I feel like I want to do it before my hair thins more on top. LNH, I like hearing that after your scabs and sutures were gone your felt like your hair looked more or less like it had before. LNH, did you shed a lot? Why does the shedding occur? Again, thanks for sharing with me. I know I'll get lots of chances to ask questions next week at the consult, but it's hard not to be excited and want to ask others about it. I love reading about other women and what it was really, really like and how they feel after the fact. Mari

Hello, I'm a 48 yr old female from MN and just scheduled a consult for next week with Shapiro Medical Group. I've had thinning for the last 10-12 yrs and my widows peak, temples and crown have gotten to the point where I hate to see them get any thinner. I've tried laser treatments for thousands of $$ and have used monoxidal (although, my dermatologist told me I could use the full dose at night only and I've recently read that that was not right). I think this has slowed my lose, but not halted it. Actually, it seems like it slows for long periods and then I have a big shed and realize I've lost more density. My sister is very thin and so is my mother. Both have denser hair at the back, but very thin on top, temples and hairline. I know it will all be covered in next weeks consult, but I'd love to hear from women who've had transplant about their experiences and any answers to my questions as listed. 1) If I have my hair colored prior to transplant, will I be able to color it 5-6 weeks after the transplant? 2) How painful is the excision site and for how long? 3) Once the little scabs are gone, does your hair look more or less like it did prior to the transplant? 4) Can you wear a hat to cover the scabs or do you have to be extra gentle with them? Thank you very much for your time and info! Mari

Thanks Janna, I have an appt for next week for a consult at SMG. I'm lucky I live in the area. I've been thinning for the last 12 years (mom and older sister are thinned out) and hope that I can supplement my crown and temple areas. Let's just hope my donor hair is good. Mari

May I ask how long the area is noticeably scabby and/or irritated after the transplant? Thank you, Mari

I'm a 46 yr old female, been using Rogaine consistently for 4-5 years. I would love to have a transplant and can actually afford to do so. My concern is that I have thinned all over my head. The top of my head and temples are very thin. There is not really any area where my hair is thick. Where would my donor hair come from without leaving big gaps? Are there any women on the site that have had transplants and if so, can you share your experience/pics? Thank you very much.

I'm a 46 yr old female, been using Rogaine consistently for 4-5 years. I would love to have a transplant and can actually afford to do so. My concern is that I have thinned all over my head. The top of my head and temples are very thin. There is not really any area where my hair is thick. Where would my donor hair come from without leaving big gaps? Are there any women on the site that have had transplants and if so, can you share your experience/pics? Thank you very much.