RE: 5 Months Post HT

[hespeler]

Hi Guys,

 

I'm sure it's tiring to read but I'm just about at 5 months and haven't seen any new growth to my hairline yet. Not even thin immature hairs. I was able to stay pretty positive at 3 and 4 months but now at 5 it's getting a kind of tiring.

 

I've read all about growth times on this site but just wanted to see if any HT Vets have had experience where they didn't see anything for at least let's say 6 months before a change started taking place.

 

In one month I will schedule a follow-up with my doc and can just see the way it's going to go.

 

Me: "Doc I don't see any growth at all."

Doc: "Yes you've had some growth, you are only at the beginning, give it some time."

Me: "Alright I'll give it another 6 months and come back."

 

And I'll walk out of there with no reassurance at all.

 

I only had work done to my hairline because everything behind it is still pretty thick. I have a modest goal so am hoping for the best.

[hairthere]

You should be seeing some growth at 6 months. Do you feel any hairs poking through? Occassionaly there will be a forum member who claims no growth at 6 months and slow growers do exist. I wouldn't push the panic button just yet and would definitely confer with your doc.,

Edited January 26, 2011 by hairthere

[Tonycc]

Six months does seem to be the standard time but I can see where you'd be frustrated. Hang in there!

[hespeler]

You should be seeing some growth at 6 months. Do you feel any hairs poking through? Occassionaly there will be a forum member who claims no growth at 6 months and slow growers do exist. I wouldn't push the panic button just yet and would definitely confer with your doc.,

 

I do and have been feeling tingling for a couple of months. It does feel like hairs popping through. I just don't SEE anything at all. I had a lot of thin hairs in the recipient area so it is hard to tell what is new and what was there originally.

 

Even if there is growth, I don't see a new hairline taking shape. It looks like exactly what I had before which is really no hairline at all.

 

I'm at 5 months now so I'll give it another month and consult with my doc (a highly recommended one on this forum).

 

If I'm being completely subjective. I do think there has been a little, very little thickening in the front but certainly not anywhere near significant. I think it mostly has to do with the hair behind it growing forward.

 

I was told that the hair will have the same thickness as the hair behind it but at this pace it just doesn't seem likely.

[TakingThePlunge]

hespeler,

 

I take it that you have not been taking regular monthly photos of your progress? This is really the most objective way to gauge your progress. If you look at my hair restoration website, you'll see that my 5 month pics don't really show a newly defined hairline yet. But look ahead and you'll see significant improvement all the way past the one year mark. However, I never did achieve all the density I wanted from my first procedure and followed up with a second.

 

This has been said many times here before but, you really do need to wait before judging your results. Maybe not a full year but I would say a minimum of 10 months.

 

Hang in there!

[Bill - Seemiller]

hespeler,

 

I know from personal experience how discouraging it can be watching the days go without seeing any evidence of real results in the mirror. However, try to remember that new growth typically only starts to occur between 3 to 5 months after the procedure. Even if you don't see substantial growth at this point, many of the hairs have probably started to pop through even if they're invisible. Remember that the transplanted hair starts to grow thin and colorless and takes months to thicken, grow and mature.

 

As Dave said, I do encourage you to take and post monthly photos on this community. You can also create a patient hair loss website to document your monthly progress with photos.

 

In the meantime, try not to be too discouraged and give your hair transplant the time it needs to grow and mature.

 

Best wishes for getting the head of hair you deserve in 2011,

 

Bill

[hairthere]

I am at 9 months and still just starting to feel new hairs popping through that I can't see yet. It's definitely a long process... I see Dr. Feller was your surgeon and he's one of the world's best so keep the faith!

[wb280]

Could it be your expectations? I did come across a couple of posters mentioning how depressed they were until i saw the pics. They looked 100% alright but i assumed they were depressed they could not end up like Brad Pitt.

Your expectations has to be in line with your situation. Ok lets assume your expectations are realistic, using myself as an example, at 7months now the density is not there, period, but i can see many tiny colourless hair growing out of spots where there used to be none. I am pretty sure i am a slow grower but i recalled having a very noticeable hairline by 5mths. Its just that the density is taking a long time to get filled up. I would not panic if i were u but definitely some assurance from the doc would be good

[mr1986]

hespeler,

 

I take it that you have not been taking regular monthly photos of your progress? This is really the most objective way to gauge your progress. If you look at my hair restoration website, you'll see that my 5 month pics don't really show a newly defined hairline yet. But look ahead and you'll see significant improvement all the way past the one year mark. However, I never did achieve all the density I wanted from my first procedure and followed up with a second.

 

This has been said many times here before but, you really do need to wait before judging your results. Maybe not a full year but I would say a minimum of 10 months.

 

Hang in there!

 

I would be worried if there was NO growth at 5 months, in your pics you had a significant amount of growth by 2.5 months

[hespeler]

Could it be your expectations? I did come across a couple of posters mentioning how depressed they were until i saw the pics. They looked 100% alright but i assumed they were depressed they could not end up like Brad Pitt.

Your expectations has to be in line with your situation. Ok lets assume your expectations are realistic, using myself as an example, at 7months now the density is not there, period, but i can see many tiny colourless hair growing out of spots where there used to be none. I am pretty sure i am a slow grower but i recalled having a very noticeable hairline by 5mths. Its just that the density is taking a long time to get filled up. I would not panic if i were u but definitely some assurance from the doc would be good

 

 

You see here's the thing. I am not that bad. I have good coverage behind the hairline and no loss in the crown. But my hairline has really thinned out and I have lost a lot in the temples. I can still get away with spiking it up a bit in the front but I really have very little to shape my face. Dr. Feller told me if I had more in the middle I probably wouldn't have come to him and he was probably right. I just want the middle strengthened and maybe out towards the temple a tiny bit. Take away some of that see through look I have (I realize it still maybe somewhat see through). I would then consider a 2nd HT to address the left temple which would finish it off for me (at least for now).

 

I do not have unrealistic expectations. I realize this will not give me a full head of hair but what I do expect is that the quality and thickness will be better than the fine, thin hairs I've lived with in my hairline for years now. I have fine, medium brown hair and a lot of the thinning hairs that have been there are well, fine and colorless.

 

TTP, I have to agree with another poster. Your 5 month pics do look like you have a hairline established. But I thank you and Bill for the words of encouragement, it's much appreciated.

 

I will post pics unfortunately I don't have pre or post-op pics and I think the doc's pics may have been lost.

 

I should add, this is certainly not a criticism of my doc. The experience was great and I still have some faith that things will change for the better. This was a conservative first procedure (FUE) which was exactly what I was looking for.

 

My main concern is that the change will be negligible at best and that would not be worth my money and time I took off to have and recover from the procedure.

[skinnyshaft]

Hi Hespeler

 

I would really love to see your progress pics if you have any? Your case doesn't sound a million miles away from mine - very fine hair, lost shape at the hairline, but quite thick behind the hairline.

 

I too am/was a slow grower, and am now 4months into a bulk up with Dr Feller, as my hair was just too fine to get the desired results from my first op.

 

I've just posted my 4months pics. Even I can see a little bit of thickening happening this time though, but it is such a slooooooooooooooooooow process. Ive obviously got a long, long way to go myself and am probably jumping the gun in the way I'm trying to style my hair.

 

I'd be interested to hear your thoughts on my pics, and whether my progress is any different/faster/slower/the same as yours.

 

Good luck - it really is a patience game. Dr Feller is a top doc and I'm sure you'll be happy in the end!

S

[hespeler]

Hi Hespeler

 

I would really love to see your progress pics if you have any? Your case doesn't sound a million miles away from mine - very fine hair, lost shape at the hairline, but quite thick behind the hairline.

 

I too am/was a slow grower, and am now 4months into a bulk up with Dr Feller, as my hair was just too fine to get the desired results from my first op.

 

I've just posted my 4months pics. Even I can see a little bit of thickening happening this time though, but it is such a slooooooooooooooooooow process. Ive obviously got a long, long way to go myself and am probably jumping the gun in the way I'm trying to style my hair.

 

I'd be interested to hear your thoughts on my pics, and whether my progress is any different/faster/slower/the same as yours.

 

Good luck - it really is a patience game. Dr Feller is a top doc and I'm sure you'll be happy in the end!

S

 

Skinnyshaft,

 

I just looked at your pictures. You're right, we are very similar. You seem to have a little more hair then I do but the recession is simialr. More lost on the left than the right. You also had more grafts, 1100 to my 869.

 

I'd say we look similar but it's impossible for me to tell if there is any growth because my hairline hair is just like what early growth of a HT typically looks like. I seem to be back at the point I was just prior to having the HT. Some of my hairline was shaved off and then I buzzed my entire head. It now just looks like the hair has grown back that was already there, nothing more.

 

I am going to post some pics unfortunately I don't have the pre-op pics taken by Dr. Feller but I will post a photo of me that was taken about a month before the procedure.

 

I didn't get much done with the temples. Mostly everything was focused in the middle. I am starting to see that it is easier to notice a change taking place in the temples because usually the patient had no hair there at all.

 

I'll get the pics up in the next few days.