slick old

I noticed shedding of miniturized hairs then it began to trail off. After about 3 or 4 months I could see lots of shorter hairs growing so I knew something was happening. Try not to pay too much attention to every hair that falls it really will drive you crazy.

Hey all thanks for the positive comments guys. I met with Dr. Paul today to talk about a possible second session. Goals are doing some minor temple work and to increase density overall. My hair looks very good laying flat but I'd like some more density to try different hair styles. I'm about 5'7, not a tall guy by any means so the overhead view is important to me. Plus being a younger guy I have a lot of friends who get a kick out of messing up my hair so there are times when I feel it's still too thin for me. Overall I think the Dr. and I came up with a pretty good game plan. I won't be getting a low broad hairline like most of my friends, but we do plan to put a small amount (~50 grafts) into the temples to square them up more. Dr. Paul stressed these hairs may end up looking odd someday when I recede more so I may end up needing to get them removed later on. He told me to think this over carefully and decide if this is something I really want to do. The rest of the plan involves starting 3-4cm behind the hairline and working backward to the front of the crown. Hopefully this will make my hairline look lower by reducing the see through effect I have now if my hair isn't laying flat. The good news is that my donor is better then I thought (100+ sq/cm) so density is very good but he also stressed that this may not be the case later in life as the donor area thins as we age. We talked for a good hour and made quite of bit of drawings on my scalp so I know exactly what he would be willing to do. He said this a bit more agressive then they usually go so again shockloss could be a concern. It does look like most of the shockloss did come back so that was good to hear but it's hard to tell for sure. I haven't set a date yet and will probably have to wait a few months to get my finances in order but I think this is something I want to go ahead with. Still planning to think this over some more before making any decisions. Will definetly post back if/when I set a date.

Hey guys thought I would post the 1 year update pictures from my recent visit at SMG. I met with Matt and Dr. Ron and we all agreed the progress looks very good. However I've still been using dermmatch to give a fuller look which I'd like to get away from. I have a meeting scheduled with Dr. Paul to discuss the possibility of a second session. I'd like to make another pass to the same area as the first surgery hopefully going into the front area of the crown this time. I'd also like to do some hairline work to close the temples and do some lowering to the left side hairline which is uneven with the right side and bothers me somewhat. I hope with another 2000-2500 I'll have a nice full look that will allow me to ditch the concealer and experiment with different hair styles. I now see what everybody means by "hair greed!"

Hey guys I will definitely keep the updates coming. I remember someone saying to approach this like a science project. Take lots of photos at regular intervals and let the results speak for themselves. I'm glad to have taken monthly pictures along the way because from 5 to 6 months I didn't notice any change but by looking back I can see there has been some definite improvement. I haven't had anyone come right out and ask about my hair but the "balding" comments have stopped. It's really interesting that no one notices! I wonder if any other thinning guys at work wonder if something's up? If asked I would probably say propecia and leave it at that. I haven't told anyone except my HTN buddies and not one person has said anything, even friends and family that have known me for years! As far as my shocked hair returning it's hard to tell. I notice the front is thinner than the rest but I do feel some stubble and can see lots of shorter hairs there so the good news is hair is growing but I can't tell if it's transplanted or shocked hair coming back. I have to say a lot of credit is probably to the finpecia I've been on for about a year and a half now. Comparing the pre propecia to now you can easily see how the quality of the hair has improved quite a bit. I'm just glad I did something when I did. I'm sure if I wasn't on the meds I would be looking pretty thin today. I still have some paranoia about my hair but mostly I'm at ease and it feels like a huge weight has been lifted off my shoulders not worrying about it every second, every gust of wind, every strong light, etc. I think the dollars spent for surgery were well spent, while other friends my age are spending it on new cars and other unnecessary things, I'll keep my paid off car and spend it on something more important that will give me way more satisfaction than a new car!

Hey guys went into SMG the other day for my 6 month checkup and we snapped a few photos. There's nothing in my hair in these pics but I was having a serious case of hat head that day! It's really amazing how much progress I've made and without the pictures I'd never believe how far I've really come. The change is so gradual that I never noticed the improvement until I get the before & after pictures side by side. I'm not sure why my hair looks so dark in these pictures, it does change color with the seasons but I think these might exaggerate the color a bit. I had both the Shapiros examining my scar and they agree it's nice and thin but the redness will take a little longer to fade with my fair complexion. Dr Paul commented that he had seen my pictures on the forum and thought I may have had some shockloss. I hadn't noticed any but it's hard to tell as that was the fist time I shaved my head in several years. We're hoping the shocked hair will return and he says if it will come back it should begin to grow soon. *Fingers crossed* B Spot- Thanks for the advice and kind words, sorry didn't see your comments until now. I was talking with Matt about how I've been trying to keep my mind off my hair and have been taking a break from the forums for a while to focus on other things. I think this has been a good thing for me and the time seems to go by alot quicker when I'm not searching hair sites all day every day :-) Keeping my chin up now just trying to find myself a lucky lady (or 2!) Cheers all, will update in a couple weeks for 7 months.

Thanks for the replys fellas. I think the blonde hair is both a good & bad thing in my case. It's a close match to my skin tone which is also pretty pasty white but at the same time since my skin is so light I have redness that lasts for months if I get a deep cut or scrape. The redness on the scar line really stands out against pale skin and my light blonde hair. I was a little surprised when I saw the scar after the haircut but now looking at it a few days later under bathroom light it's mostly unnoticable. I definetly notice the scar getting better by touch and I'm hoping as time goes by the redness will fade more and then hopefully it won't be visable. I did get the trico closure and tried to take it pretty easy for a few months after surgery but I did have to do some heavy work after a few months out. So far nobody has said anything but I don't think I'll be able to shave the back to a #2 like I used to ever again. That really doesn't bother me that much as I think a little more length on the back looks better anyways. I'll be sure to continue posting scar pictures to judge if it gets any better or not. I'm a little jealous of some guys who's scars are totally unnoticable after 3 or 4 months. Looks like it will take some more time for me.

A few days shy of 6 months. Got a hair cut yesterday and here are the follow up pics as promised. I gotta say guys I'm starting to feel like I'm talking to myself here! 2 comments in the last 3 months, not very impressed! Oh well I'm mostly posting updates for my own benefit but comments are appreciated. I hadn't noticed how much improvement my hair has made until I got this cut. My hair is about an inch long on top and it looks fairly full at this length. Last time I cut it this short pre-transplant I got a lot of long stares and some comments on how thin my hair was looking. I go into work yesterday and all the girls are commenting on how much they love the new look! :-) The corners are still a little high for me so I'm hoping for some more thickening but this may be something I will have to learn to live with. During my consult dr. Ron made a comment that after the ht I will still have a higher hairline but it will be much more full. I think I'm starting to realize what he was getting at. I will try to get a better picture of the temple angles on my next update. If it's true that by 6 months I only have 50-60% growth I am excited for the next few months! I'll keep updating you guys but come on give me some comments here, good, bad, indifferent! Thanks :-)

Your hairline reminds me of my own, low in the center and slightly receeded corners giving the V shape. You do have great results for only 3 months. I bet in the next few months your hair will be looking excellent. Do you have any immediate post op pictures?

Hey guys 5 month update time! I'm happy to report that I can no longer see back into the crown from my hairline anymore. I've been noticing some growth in the midscalp and the temples are starting to fill in but I'm hoping there is alot more to come. I'm going to get a cut in a few days but wanted to get some pics of my hair as it looks now so I have something to compare with. It seems that having longer hair on top helps quite a bit with coverage. I'm just hoping my density will be enough that I can wear my hair a shorter style. Anyone else get nervous when going to the barber? :-)

Congrats troy stories like these are always good to hear! I've noticed that with my hair starting to thicken the ladies have been giving me extra attention lately as well. Is it the added confidence or the extra hair that draws em in? Probably both but to rip off MHR "it's the hair dude!"

You definetly look quite a bit younger. Congrats!

Try running your head under the faucet after applying the dermmatch. It's a pain but it does work to get rid of the excess. I found dermmatch will change the texture of the hair and can feel chalky sometimes. Be careful getting on and off the concealers people may know something is up. Personally I hope to ditch the stuff when my ht grows out. It sucks having to put in every day and wondering if it's undetectable. I'm confident it is but there's always the small chance. Troy for your 10 months will you post your hair spiked? I wasn't able to pull that style off even when I had hair but I'd like to see what 40fu/cm looks like overhead worst case. Thanks

Thanks for the comments Troy and Pat. I called SMG and spoke with Janna to get more details about my surgery. The donor strip was 1.4 cm x 17 cm long and was removed in 3 sections. Total grafts were 2094 3 more than I thought. Hopefully I'll get a lot more coverage out of these 3 "bonus" grafts :-) Graft breakdown is as follows: 1s 364 2s 1086 3s 536 4s 109 2095 total, looks like I got another "bonus" graft in there somewhere! Recipient area was approx 100cm2. Total hairs 4580. Average 2.2 hairs per graft. I hope I'm doing the math right. I do remember at the end of my surgery they had to split some of my 2s up to go into the hairline. I do agree with the idea that we should be counting hairs as well as grafts for the full picture.

4 month update. Have seen a few new sprouts but nothing major yet. Had pretty bad folliculitis at 3.5 months which I was given antibotics for. Everything seems to have cleared up pretty quickly but I do still feel a few ingrown hairs across my scalp. The hair on top is about 2, 2.5 inches long which I haven't cut since surgery. I did get the sides and back cleaned up a few weeks ago. Hair is about an inch long on the sides and the scar is no longer an issue. It's still pink and slightly raised in spots but it seems to be getting better. I'm trying to not pay too much attention to my hair which is tough but I think it's looking better than my pre-propecia pics for sure. Here's to a hairy next couple months!

It doesn't look bad at all. See if you can get an overhead shot in bright light to judge better. Also remember it's still early.