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Hi DJ,

I had 3000 total grafts...well 3049 to be exact .

Thank you so much for the replies guys....it really means alot to me. It's so easy at this stage to have doubts cropping up...especially about the middle front of my forehead being thin.

Great to know that I am where you guys think I should be!!

Thank you so much for the encouraging words! I agree about the hairline, he really did an amazing job with it. I'm a bit worried about the thinness of the front, but the sides are looking really dark!

I'm wondering how many more "new" hairs I can realistically expect to sprout in the next few months.

Well this is my 5 month update. I'm very VERY interested to read comments about it, so please chime in.

Thanks!!!

Here you can see close ups of the right and left side as well:

http://s188.photobucket.com/albums/z212/cello_miami/

I can't find the original discussion on shaving for a transplant. I'm wondering if anyone knows the link (between Epstein and Feller).

I want to know if the issue is in shaving the recipient site or the donor strip and what the dangers are of not shaving (I didn't shave for my HT).

Thanks!!

I guess what I'm asking is at what point, looking in a 10X magnification mirror, should I expect that no new hairs will sprout?

I read that by 5 months all the transplanted hair should have sprouted.....not matured, but sprouted. Is this true? I know maturing continues up to a year and beyond, but what about sprouting (i.e. teeeeny little hairs starting to poke through)

Thanks so much guys!

The reason I'm concerned is that I read somewhere that by month 5 most of the transplanted hair should have started to grow. I'm not talking thick hair, but should I be seeing at least little teeny hairs all over in my 10X mirror or is it really ok to see nothing at this point?

I agree this is one of the more common questions, but then again seeing as my Doctor was just kicked out of the Coalition for sub-par results.....kind of changes thigs a bit. I woke up literally sick about this!!

Hi guys. I just read that my HT doc was just removed from the coalition (Epstien) and now I'm starting to freak because I'm at 4.5 months and I would say maybe 30 to 40 percent of the grafts have grown in....meaning the rest is bald skin and that's looking under a 10X magnification mirror.

The hairline he created is amazing, really beautiful. But if my grafts don't grow in I'm going to look like hell. I have seen others at 4.5 months with almost all of the hair at least starting to sprout. Should I be worried? SHIT!!!!!

Hi guys. I just read that my HT doc was just removed from the coalition (Epstien) and now I'm starting to freak because I'm at 4.5 months and I would say maybe 30 to 40 percent of the grafts have grown in....meaning the rest is bald skin and that's looking under a 10X magnification mirror.

The hairline he created is amazing, really beautiful. But if my grafts don't grow in I'm going to look like hell. I have seen others at 4.5 months with almost all of the hair at least starting to sprout. Should I be worried? SHIT!!!!!

well as for that topic, there are some things that require a medical background and serious SERIOUS knowledge, but I would not image planting hair into holes would be one of them (not to downplay that job as I'm sure it requires significant training...just not 4 years in med school plus residency!)

I've been dying to know the following...

I realize that you make very good money, however meticulously poking 6000+ holes in peoples heads day after day, year after year, I would assume gets incredibly tedious.

That's 30,000 pokes/week, and 120,000 pokes/month...and each hole must be carefully placed.

Another question: Do you hands ever start to hurt...or your eyes for that matter (having to look for hours on end through a magnifying glass).

I hope it's ok to ask...I've just been dying to know!

I've been dying to know the following...

I realize that you make very good money, however meticulously poking 6000+ holes in peoples heads day after day, year after year, I would assume gets incredibly tedious.

That's 30,000 pokes/week, and 120,000 pokes/month...and each hole must be carefully placed.

Another question: Do you hands ever start to hurt...or your eyes for that matter (having to look for hours on end through a magnifying glass).

I hope it's ok to ask...I've just been dying to know!

Thanks for the encouragement Bill! I honestly have never looked in the mirror so often....if I had a nickel for every time I checked my new hair in the mirror....

Well I figured I'd post an update. This is 7 weeks and 2 days:

http://s188.photobucket.com/albums/z212/cello_miami/

I honestly didn't expect it to be doing so well this early in the game!

WOW! Your hairline looks absolutely amazing! ESPECIALLY for 4 months.

Dr. Epstein is a genious. Although my hair hasn't grown in yet, I remember looking at the hairline he created on me up close and thinking "how the hell did he do that?"

Anyway, congrats. I'm only 3 weeks out with almost no grafts left

Thanks Aaron! You were great too! Both you and Dr. E were amazing.

Well I'm at week 3 and have lost probably 95% of my hair .

Josh, I don't know how many he pakced in as far as hair per centimeter, but it was ALOT! hehe

In a study of 12 male patients with MPB, 3% topical minoxidil was administered twice a day to the transplant area starting 48-72 hours after hair transplant surgery. Two patients demonstrated hair growth without the usual shedding 2-4 weeks after surgery and two additional patients had regrowth within 4 months after post-surgical telogen effluvium.

In another uncontrolled trial of 16 male hair transplant patients with MPB, minoxidil 2% was administered for 4 weeks prior to surgery, interrupted for 3 weeks, then restarted and continued for 3 months after surgery. The study found that in 71% of grafts, partial or total hair was still growing without the usual shedding that occurs 2-4 weeks after surgery.

The effectiveness of administering topical minoxidil prior to hair restoration surgery was also documented in a double blind study in which 12 males with MPB were randomized to have either minoxidil 2% topical solution or placebo applied to the donor area for 6 weeks prior to transplantation and to recipient areas for 17 weeks after surgery. After 17 weeks, significantly less grafted hair was shed by minoxidil-treated patients as compared with placebo-treated patients (22 vs. 52%).

http://www.morphollica.com/news_interviews/minoxidil-ha...ansplants-dr-lee.php

In a study of 12 male patients with MPB, 3% topical minoxidil was administered twice a day to the transplant area starting 48-72 hours after hair transplant surgery. Two patients demonstrated hair growth without the usual shedding 2-4 weeks after surgery and two additional patients had regrowth within 4 months after post-surgical telogen effluvium.

In another uncontrolled trial of 16 male hair transplant patients with MPB, minoxidil 2% was administered for 4 weeks prior to surgery, interrupted for 3 weeks, then restarted and continued for 3 months after surgery. The study found that in 71% of grafts, partial or total hair was still growing without the usual shedding that occurs 2-4 weeks after surgery.

The effectiveness of administering topical minoxidil prior to hair restoration surgery was also documented in a double blind study in which 12 males with MPB were randomized to have either minoxidil 2% topical solution or placebo applied to the donor area for 6 weeks prior to transplantation and to recipient areas for 17 weeks after surgery. After 17 weeks, significantly less grafted hair was shed by minoxidil-treated patients as compared with placebo-treated patients (22 vs. 52%).

http://www.morphollica.com/news_interviews/minoxidil-ha...ansplants-dr-lee.php

I started again with minox on like day 11. Actually I'm using Nanominox from Sinere which contains sophora extract. Sophora was shown to make hair go from telogen to anogen so my hope is that it will KEEP my transplanted hair in the anogen phase so it won't shed.

Thanks djdennis...you've give me real hope of keeping my hair (although I did shed about 20 last night)...especially since we had the same doctor!

Thanks for the input guys! Glad you like my hairline Thin!

I hate to sound like a broken record, but I'm on day 10 and ZERO of my transplanted hairs have shed and they are growing like crazy.

In fact, at this point it looks like I have a bushy crew cut. Since they are obviously growing, wouldn't that mean they are alive and well? In turn wouldn't that mean that they MIGHT not fall out?

I hate to sound like a broken record, but I'm on day 10 and ZERO of my transplanted hairs have shed and they are growing like crazy.

In fact, at this point it looks like I have a bushy crew cut. Since they are obviously growing, wouldn't that mean they are alive and well? In turn wouldn't that mean that they MIGHT not fall out?

good advice Bill, but I'm already attached

DUDE YOU'RE RIGHT, I'M GOING TO DO IT!!!!!