biscuit

Nice documentation. Looks like you will have good results.

Just checked your blog, thanks for the documentation. IMO, you just need more grafts. Your hairline probably needed 4k-5k. Unfortunately you had to use a good percentage of your 3000 grafts on your temples (which now look very natural). So you only got about 2000 up front... not enough for a great look. Do your scalp exercises and go back for another pass. Best of luck with it.

Just be aware that a scar @ 6 months is not the finished product. Scar tissue continues to form for at least the first 12 months. It will thicken and harden somewhat after the 6 month mark, maybe a little, maybe more depending on your healing characteristics. The color of the scar changes over time. It goes from pink->tan->white for most caucasian skin types. Optimum match time with surrounding skin is around 4-8 months. Give it 12 months.

The forum search section is kinda hard to find: http://www.hairrestorationnetwork.com/eve/search.php Try searching for "meds" or "propecia" in the Hair Restoration Questions & Answers section. Select "Search Titles Only" to narrow down the threads.

I'm 53 and 7 years post-op from H&W with no meds and my hair hasn't changed. Unfortunately its very difficult to predict what your hair will do in 10-15 years. Great donor hair and a family history of limited hairloss helps your odds of success. If you're destined for NW7 then not much is going to stop it.

Just be aware that a scar that is 7 months old is not the finished product. Scar tissue continues to form for at least the first 12 months. It will thicken and harden somewhat after the 7 month mark, maybe a little, maybe more depending on your healing characteristics. The color of the scar changes over time. It goes from pink->tan->white for most caucasian skin types. Optimum match time with surrounding skin is around 4-8 months. Not saying you can't get a small scar, just that the scar looks best from 4 months to 12 months. Same holds true for FUE scarring.

The forum search section is kinda hard to find: http://www.hairrestorationnetwork.com/eve/search.php Try searching for "meds" or "propecia" in the Hair Restoration Questions & Answers section. Select "Search Titles Only" to narrow down the threads.

To address your opening question, 2000 grafts on a NW5 is not going to give you satisfying results. It's just not enough grafts to achieve an illusion of coverage. If you pack a dense area in front and leave the top/back untouched it will look very unnatural and probably force you to wear a hairpiece. Your strategy/goal needs to be around 5000 grafts to have decent coverage. It's difficult to get that many grafts from FUE without severely thinning your donor area and/or harvesting from areas that aren't as safe. If you can pull off a good look with a shaved head then work with what you've got. In your profession it's common to use a hairpiece for roles that require more hair, which is a great option for short periods.

Stop. Spend about 6 months reading the questions/replies here on the forum. Learn about HTs. Learn so you don't make a mistake that you'll live with for the rest of your life. Your question is akin to someone asking if they can buy a car without seeing or driving it. Sure, you can, but why would you want to? At least with a car you can sell it. With a HT, once you've taken the plunge there's no way to reverse what you've done. And it's on your head for everyone to see.

:rolleyes:

5 year info is in my blog link. I try to post photos once a year.

After looking at the gallery on Dr DeVroye's web site I suggest you meet some of his patients in person. The photos show the pre-op and post-op conditions nicely, but I don't see many photos of the final result. And in the end, it's the final result that determines your happiness. I'd guess a lot of his gallery patients will have thin coverage in real-world conditions. Primarily due to the number of grafts. 3,500 grafts is not going to cover a NW5. 5,000 grafts is a good estimate, more is better. Does he have the staff/facility to do more than 3,500 grafts in one day? If not you will end up going back for more surgery. Can you post some photos so we can see your current condition?

Mederma info: Mederma® Scar Gel | Mederma.com Mederma is a gel, Neosporin Scar Solution is a silicone sheet. Sheets won't work on your scalp because the hair will prevent them from laying flat on the skin. Most clinics will give you an anti-bacteria gel for post-op to reduce the chances of infection. They're not really intended to reduce scarring. Scar gels shouldn't be used until the staples/sutures are removed and the scabs are gone. I haven't seen conclusive proof that they produce any benefit.

21 years old is very young to be considering HT surgery. If you're destined for NW6/7 then you will need to plan very carefully to create a look that you're happy with for the rest of your life. Keep on your med routine and see what happens over the next 5-10 years. Hopefully the meds will prevent more loss.

Try a simple test. Grab some hair/scalp in the donor zone and move it back and forth. Scalp laxity varies from person to person, but when I try it my face doesn't move at all.