2nd Hair transplant 8 months and nothing

[nativeremdies]

I had 2000 grafts, my second hair transplant 8 months ago (with a recommended and what I would consider a very good hair doctor) to thicken up the front 1/3 and toward the back. Its been 8 months and sooooo far huge huge disappointment.

 

I know I know wait wait.. bu my first one went sooooo smoothly (different doctor). I would think I would have noticed way more around 6 to 8 months, but all I have is a very noticeable hair transplant, up close its very ...... (and I get comments about having plugs)

 

The second issue is I can still feel scar tissue which is like a long speed bump across the back of my head.

 

I have read Spexs post on waiting a year, but I have yet to read any blog or personal profile where it took a whole year and then BAM! On the other side, I have read plenty of blogs who had nothing around 8 months and people saying just keep waiting, and its just more disappointment.

 

Excluding the people who post on behalf of Doctors, has anyone had a similar case or cases that I can look at to see?

 

thanks

Edited July 22, 2012 by nativeremdies

[RodG]

Hi,

 

Have you contacted the clinic and get their opinion regarding your progress. How many grafts did you have in the front third? Do you have any before/after photos to show forum members?

 

If should have a pluggy look at all because they clinic should have placed single grafts in the hairline.

 

Regards

 

Rod

[nativeremdies]

Yes I have, to expressed my concerns confusions etc.. . The answer is to 'wait, which I have been for 8 months. I have read from the people who represent the docs that 'sometimes' it takes a year or longer for hairs with a 2nd hairplants to sprout. Yet I have trouble finding actual patients accounts on the various boards. No people claiming, at 12 months their hair finally showed up. Being told to wait longer then a year seems dubious; and highly unlikely I will have new hairs that sprout.

 

I don't feel I am inpatient. The first HT, was text book. 4 - 6 months. I am just at a point of concern where I am looking to validate "the could take a year to see growth claim."

 

and it looks pluggy because their all multiple single hairs group next to each other, followed by a space of no grafts, and then another set of three or two single hairs.

Edited July 22, 2012 by nativeremdies

[aaron1234]

If you haven't seen any growth at 8 months then it is not sounding very promising. However, wait it out and see what happens. At the one year mark schedule an appointment with the clinic and express your concerns then. There is really nothing you can do right now other then wait and ponder future options.

[Sunnycoastman]

Dont give up hope. 2nd HTs do take longer, and if its in the crown it can take alot longer. After my first HT it all happened fast, but on my second the crown has taken 11 months. I dont think I will be fully done with matured thickness until around 15 months. All the best.

 

sunny

[fakeplstctrees]

This is a very good question, and I agree with Nativeremedies statement, that we don't hear or see too many people expressing their joy after waiting 6,7,8 months, and then having new hairs sprout out. If there are more of those stories, I would love to see them, I'm sure many would take comfort in that. We are told that patience is the only option, but there aren't many examples on the forum that prove that to be accurate.

 

I myself am 5 and a quarter months post HT #2, and this was a larger procedure with an incredible surgeon. I still have a lot of vacant real estate on the frontal third of my scalp, I would think that at least by this point the majority of the grafts would be breaking through, but just smooth skin. I am not doubting my doctor, and the many learned members of this forum, but it becomes increasingly difficult to keep up the faith as time progresses. I understand that I am in a much earlier stage than nativeremedies, but I totally feel his pain. I'm going to be patient, until I have exhausted it if I have to, but I believe the results will come. A lot of people say the second procedure takes longer, I just pray they're right, for everyones sake.

 

Nativeremedies, there is no reason for a patient to not have an open dialogue with their doctor at any point post op, so call your surgeon and tell them that you need more than just being told to wait, but to give some evidence to back up the "Patience Treatment". Keep us informed of your results, I know that I am certainly interested in knowing how things work out for you. And if anyone has similar stories, THAT END WELL, PLEASE POST THEM!!!! A lot of us are sitting here, pulling our hair out, waiting for the new ones to sprout out. (Not literally pulling hair out)

 

Be well, grow well!!!

 

-Trees

[TakingThePlunge]

nativeremdies,

 

Generally speaking, it would be highly unusual for a hair transplant to yield nothing for 8 months and then produce a desirable result. Having said that, it is very likely that you will continue to see improvement for the next few months (even well beyond the one year mark).

 

Right now, you have done the best that anyone can do at 8 months. That is you have notified the clinic of your concerns. There is really nothing more that can be done until you reach the one year mark. The reason for this is that if the clinic deems your results to be subpar and offers to fill in the thin areas at a free or discounted rate, they will want to be sure that all viable grafts have sprouted and are visible so as not to transect them.

 

Again, at 8 months you should be seeing roughly 80% of your final results. The title of your post says you have received "nothing" which I understand from reading it is not fully accurate as some grafts have grown. Thus, I would encourage you to share your pre and post-operative photos so that we can more accurately assess what is happening.

 

Continue to maintain open contact with your clinic. The doctors we recommend are among the finest in the world and I have no doubt your doc will stand behind his work in the event that your results truly fall short of expectations.

[orlhair1]

If you have had no growth in 8 months, it is highly unlikely that you will have much more growth, if any. It is possible, but highly unlikely.

[nativeremdies]

To TakingthePluge's comment of no growth, I would say I have had some growth, but very very disappointing. I had 2000 grafts from the front to the back. and it does not look like it.

 

At 3 months I contacted the doctor and told him how surprised how little change I had. The doctor reassured me, and informed me that a 2nd HT take 4 to 6 months.

 

I waited 8 months, and contacted the Doctor again, and the doctor agreed that my hair was "thin", and that I should wait 9 to 12 months, and possibly longer.

Edited August 1, 2012 by nativeremdies

[nativeremdies]

Added some pics.

 

If things don't improve by the year mark, I guess my only option is another HT

[fakeplstctrees]

Added some pics.

 

If things don't improve by the year mark, I guess my only option is another HT

 

 

You added "some" pics for sure. Come one man, you really expect us to give you feedback on on this? You added TWO pictures of poor quality. Don't half ass it! Provide us with some proper visual documentation, and we will give the best possible feedback. Remember, we give only as good as we get.

 

I'm not trying to bust your chops, but you made a serious statement about no growth, and then post two post op pics, that don't show much detail. Give us some solid before and after pics, I will gladly help in any way I can, in terms of feedback. But give us something to work with!

[AdamAJ]

Did you have a large area to cover? If so 2k grafts will not make much of difference in my opinion.

[gillenator]

nativeremdies,

 

Without seeing your medical chart, I cannot see the total surface area that your 2,000 grafts were placed. You did mention that the grafts were placed front-to-back coverage. For the average size head, that's a significant area to build "visual density".

 

Let me explain. The better question to ask at this point would be, "How much gain in density was achieved as measured by FUpercm2?" In other words, the actual gain in FUs per cm2 in surface area may not show a significant gain in "visual density" because the grafts may have been spread over a larger area than your first HT procedure.

 

In addition, at this point post-op, you still have gains in hair shaft diameter which ultimately will provide better visual coverage than the gains in overall hair count within the same defined surface area (recipient area).

 

It can even take as long as 18 months post-op in some patients to reach this level of full caliber maturation.

 

This happened to me in my third HT procedure where I received 2417 grafts spread out over a larger surface area. It was not until about 14 months post-op that I finally could not see my scalp in the recipient area anymore. It seemed like it happened almost overnight too. That was when I first quit using Toppik to beep up my hair shafts.

 

This was also when I really realized how important the degree of hair caliber is to achieve the illusion of coverage. :cool:

 

Even my wife made several comments about the increase in what she thought was mostly gains in density. It was gains in the hair caliber that she was seeing.

 

Best wishes to you!

[nativeremdies]

Look I am just a simple man, and when I look in the mirror and I see a very sparse, planted type of hairline after 8 months of a second HT, I get concerned that the staff and doctor had a 'bad day', the doctor just did a really terrible job in the front. that my HT was unsuccessful.

 

Was it? The two pics show how sparse the frontal 1/3 looks. Anyone close enough to me will see it. Even my 'low quality' pictures at an abysmal resolution of 1900 x 1600 show this as well.

 

From what everyone has said so far, that the growing of new hairs has been completed. Which is contrary to what I read from Spex and company. Of course I will find out either way obviously.

 

I want more growth, but I want to be honest with the situation.

Edited August 9, 2012 by nativeremdies

[nativeremdies]

"Did you have a large area to cover? If so 2k grafts will not make much of difference in my opinion."

 

Perhaps your right, and coverage was spread to wide.

[wylie]

You should post better pictures to get any type of accurate answer from people. I think the hairline looks somewhat harsh, but the picture quality may not be doing your hairline justice. I don't think the hairline looks very refined from the pics. and if you remain unhappy with your result you must find another doctor who does better work.

[Bobilero]

Hey NAtive remedies. How is your situation now? Did any more growth come in?

[fallen97]

I have had the same issue. I am almost at 8 months and there has been zero growth. I do mean zero. I haven't seen a single hair grow in. I went to the Quatela Center as recommended on here, but so far it has been disappointing and I feel very ripped off. I would love to hear some hopeful stories myself from anyone who had growth begin after the 8 month mark.

[Paulygon]

Again, at 8 months you should be seeing roughly 80% of your final results.

 

At the latest, I was able to see 80% around the 6 month mark- as you can see from my pics (of course in my case, I had started Rogaine 10 days after procedure and Finasteride during the same week as HT which also filled in my crown, and anectodal evidence suggests it diminishes shock loss after HT and helps to possibly get the transplanted hairs out of a resting phase more quickly).

Edited March 21, 2014 by Paulygon

[gillenator]

Applying minoxidil too soon post-op and/or too frequently can also compound shock loss and even induce a shed cycle, and especially if it involves the first time initial use of minoxidil.

 

We all have varying opinions regarding issues such as jump starting grafts, advancing the growth cycle, etc, and I still think our bodies have enough in our auto-immune systems for healing to take place with time and patience.

 

Having said that, some docs will recommend and advocate the use of minoxidil at 5% strength to help stimulate a slow growth cycle emergence post-op.

[Paulygon]

Applying minoxidil too soon post-op and/or too frequently can also compound shock loss and even induce a shed cycle, and especially if it involves the first time initial use of minoxidil.

 

We all have varying opinions regarding issues such as jump starting grafts, advancing the growth cycle, etc, and I still think our bodies have enough in our auto-immune systems for healing to take place with time and patience.

 

Having said that, some docs will recommend and advocate the use of minoxidil at 5% strength to help stimulate a slow growth cycle emergence post-op.

 

oops---- I'm sorry, I meant that I started Minox about 10 days post-procedure! I will edit my comment.

[Since21]

Applying minoxidil too soon post-op and/or too frequently can also compound shock loss and even induce a shed cycle, and especially if it involves the first time initial use of minoxidil.

 

This is exactly what happened to me. Started using Rogaine for the first time 9-10 days post-op (as recommended by doctor) and started shedding behind my recipient area. I quit after 10 days of use because it felt like one step forward, two steps back. Seeing that kind of hair loss before you see any gains is hard psychologically.

[Since21]

Again, at 8 months you should be seeing roughly 80% of your final results.

 

Is there a 'general rule of thumb' as to how much growth you should be seeing by month? i.e. 40% at 4 months, 50% at five, etc.?

[imnothere]

Well ive just started Minox 5% a month after my HT, This is my first time using Minox aswell - should i bee concerned?

 

Since21 -yes there is a chart someone posted on here, im sure it will be re posted by a helpful person.

[Since21]

Well ive just started Minox 5% a month after my HT, This is my first time using Minox aswell - should i be concerned?

 

I wouldn't be concerned. It's often recommended by surgeons after surgery. If you start shedding, you can always stop. My hair has recovered since then. But I'm not going to use it again.