Teddw2ds

Hi LostHair I agree with Vocor... you'll be thrilled. I just posted my 5 month results today, and I myself am amazed at the transformation. It's just been the best decision I could have made, and looking back on it, I couldn't imagine not having it done. And Dr. Rose was a great choice for me. See my results here Tedd

Here it is. It's hard to believe it's been 5 months already, but wow what a difference. I didn't even fully realize it myself until I saw the pics side by side, but obviously the last month and a half has been a time of tremendous growth for me, and it's been truly exciting. I'm now to the point where it feels like I have one continuous hairline, instead of bare patches that I have to try so hard to minimize. That's a great feeling! When I was home for Christmas, I noticed my twin brother constantly staring at my hair. I'm sure he's wondering how in the world we can have the same genes (we're identical) and yet have such different patterns of hair loss!! I just grinned and didn't say a word. Tedd

Hi, PD Yes, I should have new photos up within the next couple of days. I took some around mid-december, but they accidentally got deleted, and I haven't had a chance to take new ones since then. It seems like the bulk of my new growth has already come in, but in some areas, I am still seeing a considerable number of short hairs, so hopefully that means they are still sprouting and will continue adding to my density. The donor area is completely indetectable. I contemplated going with a #2 blade on my last haircut, but decided #3 is working just fine for me, especially in winter. In summer, when I usually keep my hair extra short, I may go ahead and try the #2. The only real side effect that I experienced with my HT was shock loss, and I am happy to report that at this point, almost 5 months out, that is almost completely gone. Thank God! I was really worried about that in the first couple of months, even though everyone said it would eventually grow back. It did! When I get these new photos up, I think you'll be amazed at how much denser things have gotten. Tedd

Prices on both Propecia and Proscar vary widely based on how much your insurance is willing to pay. I think full retail on Propecia is around $50 - $60 a month, and most insurance will not cover it. That's why most people choose Proscar, which is exactly the same stuff and many insurance providers will cover it, since it's technically for another ailment altogether. I'm not really sure on the retail for that one. I buy my Proscar online and get a year's supply for about $90, including shipping. http://www.inhousepharmacy.com/mens-health/fincar.html The Toppik should work fine for you, but it does take a little experimenting, though. Don't be discouraged. The first time I used it, I was ready to throw it away and never use it again. I kept working with it and now I use it all the time and I think it works great. Tedd

Nike I have experience with Rogaine, Propecia and Toppik, and I have also had a HT. First of all, don't let other people's bad experience allow you to rule out a HT altogether! It is certainly a viable option and can be done extremely well. I had mine done at the start of August, so I have not yet even seen the full results and I am absolutely thrilled. But, I do agree that you are too young to be considering this option, especially at the rate your hair is falling out. It's best to wait until you can determine your ultimate stage of loss. Rogaine - It worked moderately well for me, but I don't use it any longer. I was on it for about 5 years, but I think after a while, it just loses its effectiveness. If you start using it, though, be prepared for some serious shedding once you go off of it. Propecia - This has been a God send for me! I can't tell you enough how elated I have been with the results I've gotten from using Propecia. I have been using it for almost 4 years now, and my hair loss has all but halted in its tracks since the time I started using it. I would get on it TODAY! Propecia itself is expensive, but you can also get Proscar and quarter it, or buy Fincar online and quarter it for a really cheap solution. It's all the same stuff. Toppik - I use this regularly and I really like it, but you have to have some hair for it to cling to. It absolutely will not work in areas where you are slick bald. But if you still have moderately long hairs that are just thinning, it's worth a try. Hope that helps. Tedd

Hey Tim At this point, I am not planning on any further HTs, although realistically, I may need to at some point in the future. You can follow my complete history... and future progress when posted, at THIS THREAD. Tedd

Congrats Tim I had my procedure done with Dr. Rose at the start of August and I am seeing amazing results. The hair is really starting to come in thick now and it looks amazingly natural. You won't be disappointed at all. You made a great choice. May your 12 years of misery soon be over! Tedd

Otto I am one of Dr. Rose's happy patients... and getting happier with each passing day. I am about 3.5 months post op right now, and my hair is really starting to sprout. I am just awed and amazed every day with my results. I'm thrilled. For the sake of not repeating myself, you can see my entire progress at this thread You have nothing to worry about. In a few months, you'll be giddy every time you look in the mirror, just as I am now. Tedd

It's not just the lighting... it really is taking off. It's to the point now where from the front (rather than looking top down as these shots show), it really looks like one continuous hairline.

I just bought a year's supply from a company in India called Cipla. There it is called Fincar, but it is full strength Proscar (5mg). I bought a one year supply, 90 pills, for $90. That's as cheap as I've found anywhere. And the order arrived exactly 7 days from the date I placed the order, coming all the way from India. I was surprised. I thought it would take a lot longer. Better yet, no prescription necessary. I had one anyway, but I know for others reading this, that's a big plus, not having to get a scrip from your doctor. The website is http://www.inhousepharmacy.com/mens-health/fincar.html Tedd

Pete In my experience, about 10 - 15% of the grafted hairs never did fall out. They didn't exactly grow for a while, either, but they didn't fall out. They just sort of became dormant. The rest fell out. Those that remained were the first to start growing again, and now those that fell out are really starting to come through as well, at just past the three month point. Tedd

Here is the latest photo. It's been about three weeks since the last photo, and hairs are still coming in like crazy. I forgot to get donor scar shots, but I'll do that soon (I'm still borrowing a friend's camera). Also, now that I actually have some growth to document, I will be putting all of these on a website soon. Tedd (1535 grafts with Dr. Paul Rose on 8/6/03)

You will find that any reputable doctor has long since abandoned this strategy. The anecdotal stories you hear from those who have had this method vary, but most doctors strongly recommend against it. The pros are that it supposedly reduces recovery time and pain. The cons are that transplanted hairs need a good supply of blood to take hold, and lasers tend to cauterize the blood vessels in the head, and therefore increasing the chances that your grafts will fail. Also, with a physical scalpel, it is easier to get a precisely placed graft. This is absolutely critical for acheiving highly natural looking results. With the amazingly small, sharp scalpels that are available today specifically for use in HT, bleeding is minimal, as is scarring and pain, and therefore the advantages of laser over traditional have become even smaller in contrast. It's just not worth the tradeoff. Tedd

It would depend on the extent of the current loss. I had 1535 grafts, all in the frontal third, but I had pretty deeply recessed temples. For someone with mildly recesed temples, and decent coverage already, then 1450 grafts could well be dense packing. Tedd

Otto You have nothing at all to fear, my friend. What you are describing is perfectly normal. Dr. Rose knows what he is doing. I had my HT done with him on 8/6/03, and you're definitely in good hands. I am just now hitting the 3 month point and my hair is just sprouting out all over the place!! It's pretty damn exciting. And I had the same experience you are describing. The hairs do initially fall out, but it's just the hair, not the graft itself. It's still in there, just waiting to pop through the surface. You can follow my entire progress on THIS THREAD Best of luck to you. The months ahead will be truly exciting times for you. Tedd

Dave You would want to see an endocrinologist, who is a doctor specializing in all aspects of hormonal influences on the body.

I have been buzzing mine down to a #3 blade since about a month and a half out. I am now at 3 months out, and still use the #3. I may eventually go down to a #2, as I used prior to HT, but right now I still have some thinning around the donor site. It's quickly recovering, though.

I guess it's possible I lost more than than, but I only found one when I shampooed my hair the next morning. There could have been others that I just didn't see. That was the only incident of bleeding I had though, so I know at least that was the only occasion I would have lost any. Tedd

I can't speak to the long term affects, ie ten or twenty years. I don't think anyone can since the product has not been available that long. But as for your question: <BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><font size="-1">quote:</font><HR>how can the same drug that is "safe" for men be unsafe for pregnant women? That is because finasteride alters the production and metabolization of testosterone, both in males and females. It is not dangerous directly to either male or female... it is dangerous to the gestating fetus however. A baby needs a very delicate and precise balance of hormones in order to ensure normal development of the sexual organs. If a pregnant woman comes in contact with finasteride, the alterations in her hormone levels will cause deformities in the childs sex organs. Very bad news indeed for the child... but it's still not directly harmful to the woman herself.

Yeah, I had a similar experience, but fortunately I was asleep while it happened or else I probably would have really panicked. I woke up one morning to find blood all over the pillow! This was on day three. I felt a little bit of pain right at the very top of my head and so I felt it, and there was a huge mound of scabbed blood. I had evidently picked at it somehow in my sleep and did it ever gush all over the place. As I showered upon waking up, I found the dislodged graft floating in my hands when I shampooed. It definitely freaked me out, but I was certainly far more careful from that point on. I ended up losing only that single graft. Tedd

If you cannot afford an all FU transplant, don't get one at all, even if mini/micro is cheaper. It's not worth the lousy appearance. Seriously. Don't do it.

Thinner, It's too early to tell at this point. While Bosley certainly has a bad reputation, especially among readers of this board, there have been some reports of satisfied customers. I think everything you've described so far is still perfectly normal for someone at your stage of post-op progress. Give it at least a couple more months before you should expect to start seeing real regrowth. Tedd

Wow, amazing difference Vocor. I can't wait until my results really start coming in. I'm at 3 months now, and just starting to see real cosmetic improvement. Tedd

Hi Cam I can speak from experience on this. I have been using Rogaine for years. There is discussion about hair becoming addicted to it, but I'm not so sure that's entirely valid. What happens when you stop using it is that your hair does shed a lot, but I have heard arguments that this is only your hair returning to the point of balding that it would have been had you never taken Rogaine. This makes some sense to me. As for use after a HT, my doc recommended it, so I started using it (5%) after 10 days post-op, and for me, I started seeing regrowth at just 5 weeks. I believe the Rogaine helps speed this process. I now use it once a day. My hair loss is entirely in the frontal area, and it has helped, even though the labeling says it only works in the crown. Hope that answers some questions for you. Tedd

Thanks for the encouragement. I am just too excited for words. I knew for two years that this is what I wanted to do, and now I have no doubt that I made the right decision. I look at what's grown in already and it just brings me such joy to see it, yet I know that it is only the very beginning. On my next update, I will also include some closeups of the donor scar, but it's barely visible. I couldn't be happier with the way things are going. Tedd