Gorpy

That's a good question. I think when it comes to the NW scale, you generally use the dry hair visible balding to judge. However, seeing a thinning pattern when you hair is wet is an indication of where you are headed - unless of course the drugs work to halt your hair loss.

Looks good Hardini, At 7 days, as Bill says, you can start to shower normally, but lightly. Massage those remaining scabs off.

Congratulations on you HT Folica. That looks very nice. I'm glad to hear things went well for you. Also, thanks for posting pictures and your detailed hair counts. It appears you had very few 3's and 4's. Did Dr. Alexander talk to you about your transplant density? As the official HDE I already know your approximate density. Just wanted to hear what the doc says.

Good point B spot. Even though, I think when you are talking about the Coalition docs, they all use custom cut very small incisions, especially in the hairline. I just wouldn't want a new patient to get carried away with incision size, walking away with the feeling that a doctor must be better if they use smaller incisions.

You forgot 4's Bill Also, not only would it be difficult to place 3's and 4's into such a small incision, but it could cause problems. It could cause what is called graft compression, which can result the hair being frizzy.

Not true. There are only two agents of clinics that regularly post on his site - Jotronic and Spex. They openly state their relationship. It is true that there are such agents (shills) out there, but Pat does a good job of recognizing them and sending them on their way.

You can do scalp stretching exercises.

Visit both clincs. Ask them if they will supply detailed hair counts (not just graft counts) B Spot - I'm not sure I agree with some of your questions. - Sutures vs. Staples? Does this really matter? Has one been proven to be better than the other? - Incision sizes? This really depends on patient characteristics. Will DFU's be used? Does this patient have small bundles? Will many 4 hair (real) FU's be implanted? Will "fat" vs. skinny FU's be used? Will grafts be split so that the clinic can brag about clean small incisions? Hairline design is a valid question, but is tricky. It's more than just density. It's more about style, temple closure, placement, hard vs. soft etc.

Welcome to the doldrums my friend. Hang in there. It's coming.

Thanks for suggesting it.

Donna, Sorry to hear that it was painful for you. I was very honest with you in describing my experience. The initial application of the anesthesia is a pain, but after that, I did not experience pain. Even the day after I didn't need pain medication. The only reason I needed any medication was for sleeping since you sleep with your head on the donar area. It causes a dull kind of pain that makes it difficult to sleep. I have heard people describe this procedure as the same as a dentist appointment and I disagree. It is more than that. It's more like a root canal.

USA - without a doubt.

John, Check your pm.

No, it's not a publicity stunt. Far from it. Dr. Keene is not into "publicity". That's why she took so long to update her website and that's why she doesn't have paid consultants. Dr. Keene places "most" (not all) of the grafts along with her most experienced nurse. That's a fact and it is NOT menial work. In fact it is just the opposite and that is why she feels so strongly about it. Look at her website for a further explanation. There are periods of time when the grafts are being cut, the patient is eating lunch or some other kind of prep, where she could leave the surgery room for a consult.

No problem with drinking alcohol.

Ralph, If I recall, you just place the image using the image url icon (next to last icon) like this: Then you can add another using the same method: Gorp

That's an excellent question. Unfortunately the answer is not cut and dried. Finasteride can strengthen existing hair, but unfortunately it is limited in its ability. It's not going to turn every hair on your head into a strong permanent hair. I wish it would. I think, with every competent surgeon, shock loss will not be caused by transecting existing follicles. However general trauma to the area can cause hair to be shocked out. Some of that could be permanent shock loss. It is very unpredictable and as you can see, most doctors err on the side of caution.

Thanks for the update Mrjb. I look forward to watching your progress. I'm just ahead of you by about a month and a half.

Looks great Domie! Looking at your hair, I couldn't help notice that your hair looks like the hair of Steve Nash - at least now that you have hair.

As I stated, options in India are limited. He's probably the best in India. That doesn't mean he's at the level of some of the doctors we recommend. Overall, he seems to do pretty decent work. Keep in mind that many of these poor Indian guys don't have the funds to come all the way over here. They need other options.

Choices are limited in India. It appears that the best hair surgeon in India is Dr AP in Delhi. There were some ethical issues discussed concerning his use of another doctor's results pictures on his website a couple of years ago, portraying them as his own. You can decide for yourself if that is an issue for you. I think that is who Jagdish ended up going to for his second transplant.

Venkat, The Shampooing (head bath) of your hair is not making your hair fall out. I suspect it is always falling out, you just notice it more when you wash your hair. You need to give the propecia time to work. I understand your question about Rogaine. I would use a little extra to cover your entire head. Hope that helps.

Hi rjvw, Don't know when I'll be posting new pics. At almost 2.5 months, there's not much to show right now. Everything is progressing normally at this point. I had more hair that didn't shed this time - maybe 30-40 percent.

1500 should go quickly. You'll probably finish around 3pm.

Hi Scooping, If you're only talking about 1500-1750 grafts, I assume you're looking at enhancing your hairline area. Is that correct? Dr. Keene does very natural hairlines. I always tell people to consult with more than one doctor just to get a feel for the varying opinions. But that's up to you. If you are comfortable with Dr. Keene then go for it. She is one of the best. Feel free to PM me any time if you want to talk. BTW - Dr. Keene is in Tucson, not Phoenix. Gorp