5 months post op - not sure if things are going the way they should?

[nicholasg]

I had my transplant in mid January. Roughly 2800 grafts to rebuild my front hairline, fix the reverse horseshoe, and build the sides to frame my face. It was all comlted in a single session.

 

The initial growth in the frontal part of my hairline happened rapidly. Within the first 90 days. But the area just behind the frontal hairline seems to not really be growing, or growing very slow.

 

Also, i noticed my sides seemed to have thinned a bit, and the scar is more obvious than I had thought it would be.

 

I read that after a transplant, its possible to thin a bit while the body heals and recovers from the shock. But I would assume that time period has passed? Im really concerned that the sides are always going to stay this thin and whispy when they werent this way previously. Also, the middle area seems to have thinned a bit as well.

 

Im looking for any advise or people who have gone through a trnasplant and maybe can give me a month by month guide to their recovery. i know everyone is different, but I am terrified I am going to be stuck in "limbo". I attached pics for everyone to view.

 

Thanks in advance.

[aaron1234]

Well, of course you're scar is going to be noticeable when you cut your hair that short. But I'd have to say that your scar looks pretty good at this point and the minimal shockloss you have around that area will come back eventually. 5 months is still very early and you should expect more growth in the coming months.

[nicholasg]

Is there any specific treatments, shampoos, vitamins, etc that you can recommend to aid in the healing/rejuvination process? I know the scar will be noticeable when I have my hair cut this short and I intend to grow my hair out much longer. In fact, I may never even cut it. Its been so long since ive gone out in public without a hat.

 

Please understand that like some people, my hair loss has been so traumatizing to me that i used to inspect the dress codes of places before going so I could make sure I was allowed to wear a hat. I only took jobs that didnt have dress codes specified so I cold wear a hat. Etc.

 

I am eager to begin a new chapter in my life. To be reborn. My hair loss has damaged my personal life all because of my insecurities, but I was never able to truly cope with them. Instead, I would mask myself in a cloak of confidence when deep down I was the most insecure person. I just want to live again since I feel like in so many ways I never was able to because I lost my hair at such a young age. At times, I had felt cheated of my youth.

 

Im sure others understand. Hence why we have all ended up here on this site. Seeking the same comfort from one another.

Edited June 8, 2011 by nicholasg

[aaron1234]

I hear ya bro about the effects of hair loss. I don't know of any thing that really aids in accelerating the healing. I was a slow healer myself and the redness persisted for awhile... but eventually it went away. I've heard some people use mederma on the scar. Don't know how well it works.

 

Who was your doc? How many grafts did you get? Do you have any pre-op, post-op photos you can share with the forum? You'd get tons of more helpful feedback.

[Dutch]

He had 2800 grafts as per his first line.

 

Use propecia & minoxidil. The latter comes in lotion, solution & foam. The foam is the easiest to apply & dries the fastest.

To begin, take half a propecia tablet or take a whole tablet 2-3 times a week so you adjust to it. See how you go.

You can use MSM to aide healthy hair growth. It's cheap to buy. Google it.

 

Hang in there. Scar & hairline look good

[TomCruise]

Based on your photos, I don't see much distinction between the hairline and the area directly behind it in terms of growth, except to the extent that as one continues to move back toward the crown Dr. Alexander may have planted hairs at a lower density as can be customary.

[TakingThePlunge]

nicholasg,

 

Have no fear, Dr. Alexander does excellent work. Your scar looks good but, as has already been pointed out, you will have to allow your hair to grow considerably longer in order to hide it. I am just over one year post-op from my second procedure with Dr. Alexander and just had my hair cut with a #3 guard. At that length, the scar was only slightly visible and I'm confident that it would go unnoticed by anyone not looking for it.

 

Shock loss can take a while to fill back in. Give it time. You may find the following discussion informative:

 

What exactly is the HT growth timeline?

[Gin0rm0usF0rehead]

The scar appearance takes forever to heal. I'd say it took almost a year before the red line completely faded to the point where using clippers was not a problem anymore. At 5 months, i would definitely not shave down the scar area as much as you have. It gets better, trust me

[nicholasg]

The scar appearance takes forever to heal. I'd say it took almost a year before the red line completely faded to the point where using clippers was not a problem anymore. At 5 months, i would definitely not shave down the scar area as much as you have. It gets better, trust me

 

Wanted to post an update. Its now been 6.5 months since the procedure. Things are looking better, but I still expected to see more growth by this date. I did notice I have much thinner hair in the middle, where i previously had thick hair prior to the procedure. Also, one side has more growth/thickness than the other. I am sure this is totally normal, but seemed a bit weird to me. Thoughts?

[nicholasg]

Here are a couple more.

[TakingThePlunge]

nicholasg,

 

Have no fear. It's perfectly normal for one side to fill in more quickly than the other. In my opinion, things are looking right on track for you. Give it time. You are only half-way there.

 

Best of luck!