Regular Member WherefromHere Posted January 19, 2013 Regular Member Share Posted January 19, 2013 Hi everyone, I could use some help since I'm absolutely at my witt's end emotionally and psychologically. Give it, most people wouldn't understand my frustrations since to the lay person's eye, I have a full head of hair. However, my density is majorly thinning all throughout despite no miniaturization really and further recession. I look like I'm a Norwood 1.5/2 but very thin all the way throughout and maybe only thankful to a previous procedure I had done 2 and a half years ago. That is where the turmoil starts. I went to Bosley! I only wish I knew of this site before. I am 34 now and no pattern of hairloss in that there is no pattern to it. More of overall thinning and less density and crappy quality to the hair as I go. But now the previous work I had done, which overall did not look too bad or in any way look like a complete wreck as the olden days, is now starting to present itself more as further hair loss and thinning continues. Grafts are not angled properly since you can see the "root" of the hair as the hair comes out of the scalp in some areas, other grafts are too large in the hairline (2/3's), and some look as though they are pushing into the skin as opposed to coming out of the skin seamlessly. This wreaks havic on my self esteem for I want nothing more than to look natural! I have come so close to just shaving my head and being done with the anxiety and worry of hairloss.. I have gone so far as visiting all the top Docs or speaking to them for consults... Los Angeles, Minnesota, Canada, NY, MD, etc. Problem is with this, you get many different view points..but most have recommended the same thing. 800 grafts to camouflage the previous work. This sounds GREAT in theory, but with my overall anxiety now, I feel doing just that will lock me into transplants for life for its not just my hairline but my entire head of hair that is thinning that is bothering me and I feel I will just forever be chasing...chasing...chasing.. and not satisfied. I want to just shave it and be free for now and reverse the process best I can. Issue is I am now having anxiety with possible scars beneath recipient area? Is it possible to reverse the procedure best I can and just shave down till its time to get a megasession in which everything is precise and consistent? Flows smoothly into one another? I am really wanting to undo any unnatural look to my scalp before ever thinking of another transplant since the first one seems to have caused lack of trust and agony. I'll admit, many people say I am overthinking it and my hair doesn't look bad, but I need to be happy with what I see in the mirror. Anything unnatural is not acceptable..I rather just accept the loss over that. Now I know I have plenty of options still and plenty of hair, but I am fearful that I'll never truly be happy with the results due to the very fine, thin, and lack of quality I see with my hair and future hairloss. I think I rather just shave it and clean up the recipient area best I can till I am certain my loss is stable and have better idea that I am not hurting myself more, but truly enhancing my appearance. Please offer your suggestions...thanks Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Senior Member 1978matt Posted January 20, 2013 Senior Member Share Posted January 20, 2013 Contact Spex: support@spexhair.com He's been in your shoes and come through it. 4,312 FUT grafts (7,676 hairs) with Ray Konior, MD - August 2013 1,145 FUE grafts (3,152 hairs) with Ray Konior, MD - August 2018 763 FUE grafts (2,094 hairs) with Ray Konior, MD - January 2020 Proscar 1.25mg every 3rd day Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Regular Member WherefromHere Posted January 20, 2013 Author Regular Member Share Posted January 20, 2013 Thanks but honestly I have tried all the recommendations he tried to help me with. I have been doing the Big 3 now basically since February and before that I have been on Propecia/Minoxidil overall since age of 20. That is what scares me about another procedure at this time is the loss and density lack is accelerating and no idea if doing a procedure now will just put me right back to doing another and another fairly quickly without being able to keep up and look natural. I blame myself for being naive and for being in the position I am in, but I feel my anxiety is also more of I know where my loss is headed, showing more of an unnatural look...but taking care of it now can just lead to future problems if ever not reaching my goal. I rather just reverse it now almost or do smp just to never have to worry about this process any longer. I truly rather a full head of hair, but how realistic is that want and desire with my hair characteristics is what I'm coming to terms with. I really think a reversal is the smartest thing at this time but I want to know how to make the recipient area fairly unnoticeable if noticeable at all, since the donor scar I am not as worried about. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Senior Member RodG Posted January 20, 2013 Senior Member Share Posted January 20, 2013 Hi, Firstly, your hair looks really solid at this stage and I suggest most people would have no idea that you are experiencing hairloss. I'm am not sure what you mean by reversing your situation. Do you mean having surgery or laser that removes the grafts that were not placed correctly? Do you have an FUT scar from your previous surgery? Have you considered having a small FUE session? I understand what you mean by chasing your hairloss but unfortunately you're on a merry go round now and it will be difficult to reverse your situation. I wish I could be more helpful. Regards Rod Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Regular Member WherefromHere Posted January 20, 2013 Author Regular Member Share Posted January 20, 2013 Thanks Rod.. Yes I do mean to extract the unnatural grafts or laser etc to where I feel I could buzz my head and still look natural. If I could do that without removing all the grafts, or just removing the pitted grafts or by camouflaging around them and then buzzing I would be perfectly happy with either route to take. Just I get mixed responses from being able to do so...some say yes, some say no and it leads me to that frustration of making another mistake. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Senior Member RodG Posted January 20, 2013 Senior Member Share Posted January 20, 2013 Hi, I guess you already know this bit of advice but you need to find a surgeon that you can trust. I guess the old analogy is 'how does a surgeon make money?' If you live in the US there does appear to be some really good quality hair transplant surgeons. I know that your not happy with your hair but from what I can see in your photographs you have a good head of hair. An issue that you will face is to remove the transplanted hairs and not the native ones. Do you have a strip scar? Cheers Rod Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Regular Member WherefromHere Posted January 20, 2013 Author Regular Member Share Posted January 20, 2013 I do have a strip scar...not bad from what I've been told but its noticeable if I cut the hair short. As of right now I have plenty of hair to camouflage the hairline overall but the lack of density to hairline and the bad grafts just upset me. Most doctors have stated that they can cut out my old scar making it that much smaller and better, and using another 800 grafts since that's all I would need to camouflage everything else and have a better density and natural hairline. That sounds like an amazing plan..and some top notch doctors, but the only issue I have with doing that now or hesitation is that I am being told to stop meds since it has caused hormone imbalances and sides. So I'm afraid if I do that route with the other 800 grafts, that without meds all the hair that is probably holding on by a thread due to meds will just disappear and fast and leave me right back into a worse position than I am now. Complexity... I almost rather just be done till I know I can have a full result I can trust to keep and remain looking natural no matter how much more hair I lose. Thanks Rod Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Senior Member scar5 Posted January 22, 2013 Senior Member Share Posted January 22, 2013 (edited) Double Post Edited January 22, 2013 by scar5 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Senior Member scar5 Posted January 22, 2013 Senior Member Share Posted January 22, 2013 (edited) Hi everyone, I could use some help since I'm absolutely at my witt's end emotionally and psychologically. Give it, most people wouldn't understand my frustrations since to the lay person's eye, I have a full head of hair. However, my density is majorly thinning all throughout despite no miniaturization really and further recession. I look like I'm a Norwood 1.5/2 but very thin all the way throughout and maybe only thankful to a previous procedure I had done 2 and a half years ago. That is where the turmoil starts. I went to Bosley! I only wish I knew of this site before. I am 34 now and no pattern of hairloss in that there is no pattern to it. More of overall thinning and less density and crappy quality to the hair as I go. But now the previous work I had done, which overall did not look too bad or in any way look like a complete wreck as the olden days, is now starting to present itself more as further hair loss and thinning continues. Grafts are not angled properly since you can see the "root" of the hair as the hair comes out of the scalp in some areas, other grafts are too large in the hairline (2/3's), and some look as though they are pushing into the skin as opposed to coming out of the skin seamlessly. This wreaks havic on my self esteem for I want nothing more than to look natural! I have come so close to just shaving my head and being done with the anxiety and worry of hairloss.. I have gone so far as visiting all the top Docs or speaking to them for consults... Los Angeles, Minnesota, Canada, NY, MD, etc. Problem is with this, you get many different view points..but most have recommended the same thing. 800 grafts to camouflage the previous work. This sounds GREAT in theory, but with my overall anxiety now, I feel doing just that will lock me into transplants for life for its not just my hairline but my entire head of hair that is thinning that is bothering me and I feel I will just forever be chasing...chasing...chasing.. and not satisfied. I want to just shave it and be free for now and reverse the process best I can. Issue is I am now having anxiety with possible scars beneath recipient area? Is it possible to reverse the procedure best I can and just shave down till its time to get a megasession in which everything is precise and consistent? Flows smoothly into one another? I am really wanting to undo any unnatural look to my scalp before ever thinking of another transplant since the first one seems to have caused lack of trust and agony. I'll admit, many people say I am overthinking it and my hair doesn't look bad, but I need to be happy with what I see in the mirror. Anything unnatural is not acceptable..I rather just accept the loss over that. Now I know I have plenty of options still and plenty of hair, but I am fearful that I'll never truly be happy with the results due to the very fine, thin, and lack of quality I see with my hair and future hairloss. I think I rather just shave it and clean up the recipient area best I can till I am certain my loss is stable and have better idea that I am not hurting myself more, but truly enhancing my appearance. Please offer your suggestions...thanks At gunpoint I might suggest humbly, 1) Scar FUE and SMP 2) General Thinness Meds plus shrewd hair length choices 3) Pluggy Stalks Remove a couple, dissect and relocate. assess damage. OK? Take them out all of them. Doc wont do? try another. Still wont do? Devise a plan to take them out over successive procedures.FUE back into the toxic wasteland u will have left behind. Camouflage however you can meanwhile. 4) Ears Don't listen to those who say, " Hey, you ain't to bad" but don't provoke them either. EVeryone is obsessed with themselves lol anyway Don't listen to clinics and docs who say let's just camouflage those stalks by planting around them. This is the easiest thing for them to do. It won't work. Those stalks are toxic! And they will plague u everyday, especially as your hair thins out, creating lumps in the hair. Cutting them down will do no good. They gotta go. Be prepared for casualties. Some will die. Be also prepared for redness, pinkness and scarring and disturbing thinness in the battered areas of extraction. Again, docs and reps will want u to keep those grafts in to avoid all this. It is easy for them that way and they will offer up all kinds of reasons like, color and volume. Rubbish. They gotta go. 5)Brain Step by step. Two steps forwards, one step back, miss step, false dawn. U will walk out of the Forrest eventually cause ur the man. Edited January 22, 2013 by scar5 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Regular Member WherefromHere Posted January 31, 2013 Author Regular Member Share Posted January 31, 2013 Thanks for the responses..and as much as I hated hearing your abrupt yet honest responses they were appreciated Scar. I have spoken with a couple of Doctors...one stating that it is not likely or needed to remove all grafts for most don't look harmful but to extract all the pluggy ones and redistribute them along hairline, and add 400 fue to soften the whole hairline but not to be going for density. Also to do 400 fue into the scar line. Another doctor stated can remove all unnatural grafts and plan for a flawless look up front, and put all grafts back into donor scar. That sounds promising. I of course want more hair, just not sure as to when is actually the right time since I have no idea where my hairloss is headed and would like the option of buzzing or shaving my head down till I know for certain what to expect. I have been told my scaring up front may be only a little bit noticeable at this time if at all. Now I am wondering best step forward? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Senior Member scar5 Posted January 31, 2013 Senior Member Share Posted January 31, 2013 (edited) Sorry, just acting tough on my part! Behind-the-keyboard cowboy and all that stuff. I just read Keth Richards' autobiog and so I'm full of bluff. Actually, I didn't mean ignore the docs and reps at all. Take their wise words into account by all means. But I sincerely think that on this touchy issue of pluggy or stalky grafts there seems to be this urging on their part, to leave them standing and plant around them. And this does not solve your problem Edited February 1, 2013 by scar5 Too much coffee - bad metaphor! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Create an account or sign in to comment
You need to be a member in order to leave a comment
Create an account
Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!
Register a new accountSign in
Already have an account? Sign in here.
Sign In Now