Slow Growers - A myth?

[nightman]

Slow Growers... is it a real thing?

 

I've gone through about every picture gallery of a hair transplant that I can find online. From what I can tell, a successful transplant will start to grow in around 3 to 4 months and by about 6 to 7 months the new hairs have grown out enough that the transplant will look really good and will only improve from there.

 

However, for about every good profile of people saying they are happy at the 6 month mark, there is another person or two who is worried about lack of growth, lack of density or no growth at all. Sure enough, this community or a representative from the clinic will say to not worry, that he or she is a slow grower and you can expect some magic to happen between 6 months to a year and that person leaves a little less worried, everyone's happy.

 

That being said, I have not yet seen one hair transplant timeline gallery that shows anyone who had underwhelming results at 6 months, show great results at a year. People will say that they were slow growers, or they have seen pictures of someone else who was one. But I haven't personally seen any photographic evidence of a slow grower.

 

Maybe I'm not as good at searching through the internet as I think, but if someone, anyone, has a link to a photo gallery that clearly shows this I would be really interested to see it.

 

I do understand that there can be positive changes from 6 months and to a year and almost always there is, but if you aren't showing good growth at 6 months, I think that it seems to a valid time frame to warrant some concern. Obviously, there is nothing anyone (you, the doctor, someone from this site) can do at that point and you are going to have to just wait it out, but I find it a little misleading to almost give false hope to some.

 

I really hope someone, or many people, can prove me wrong and I will gladly eat my words. I'm just about at that 6 month mark with my second HT, my first HT being what you can only describe as a complete failure. I have it pretty well documented so far, but I'm definitely falling into the slow grower category for this one, which has me very concerned due to my bad track history. If after a year I have great results, I will be so overjoyed not only for myself, but so my results can be viewed by others and prove that slow growers are real and help others relax.

 

That is what I'm hoping for at least, without any photo evidence to date of a slow grower for myself to relax....

 

Anyone able to help ease my mind?

[hsrp10]

Who was your surgeon?

If you went with a recommended surgeon you should experience growth, and if not the surgeon should back up the results if it fails to grow with a refund or another surgery for the grafts that did not grow.

That's how this forum helps protect patients.

 

Any before/after photos btw?

[Garageland]

Nightman,

 

It is very frustrating being a slow grower and watching patients have a good improvement at 6 months but do not despair slow growers do exist and I understand what you are saying that there is very little you can do except be told be patient and wait. One patient that posted on here was a slow grower and concerned about his growth right up to the 8 month mark and was in regular contact with the clinic.

 

Part of the problem was that he was cutting the hair very short once he got to the 9 month mark he grew the hair out and was ecstatic about the result when he came to Vancouver for a personal event and popped into the clinic to show his results. Here are links to his threads on this site

 

6 Months and concerned about growth

 

http://www.hairrestorationnetwork.com/eve/168387-6-month-update-dr-hasson-4120-grafts.html

 

13 Month result by patient

 

http://www.hairrestorationnetwork.com/eve/171315-4120-fut-dr-hasson-13-months-fantastic-results.html

 

Hair transplant patient of the week

 

http://www.hairrestorationnetwork.com/eve/171329-hair-transplant-patient-week-redmans-4-120-graft-fuss-dr-hasson.html

 

Here's the result in all it's glory when he visited the clinic in Vancouver

 

http://www.hairrestorationnetwork.com/eve/172326-dr-hasson-4120-grafts-15-months-fut.html

 

So don't despair and keep the faith.

[Cant decide]

One word...."JohnnyB"

 

Hair Restoration Journal for Johnny B - Nearly 2 years

[nightman]

hsrp10,

 

Thank you for your comments. I went to a very reputable clinic that has a great track record with standing behind their work. That being said, if I don't have the growth from this procedure I wouldn't feel any better getting a full refund or even twice my money back. We all have limited grafts and my main concern is a dwindling supply at this point. I have been in contact with my clinic so far and their response was to continue to wait, I mean it's good advice and there really isn't anything else they can do currently, but I started this thread to try and draw from the community some better evidence of slow growers to put my mind at ease and hopefully others who are slow growers.

 

Garageland and Cant Decide,

 

Thank you both very much for your links. I hadn't seen either profile yet. Upon reviewing them though, I'd like to play the devils advocate and say I'm not so sure if their problem was slow growth or if it was more the short hair cut. Out of the pair, I'd say the redman's progress at 6 months was a little weaker, but I'd argue that JohnnyBs results at 6 month were pretty good. There are definitely better results out there at 6 months, so technically they could fall into the slower growers category, but they both had the framework for a good result at 6 months. But obviously for both individuals they look night and day better after 1-2 years then at 6 months.

 

I wanted to wait until my HT had time to mature and then post all my progress pics at once, but I suppose now is as good a time as any. I'm going to flesh this out more with some comments and my thoughts, but this is mostly just the pictures.

 

Hair Restoration Site for nightman

[Aftermath]

hsrp10,

 

Thank you for your comments. I went to a very reputable clinic that has a great track record with standing behind their work. That being said, if I don't have the growth from this procedure I wouldn't feel any better getting a full refund or even twice my money back. We all have limited grafts and my main concern is a dwindling supply at this point. I have been in contact with my clinic so far and their response was to continue to wait, I mean it's good advice and there really isn't anything else they can do currently, but I started this thread to try and draw from the community some better evidence of slow growers to put my mind at ease and hopefully others who are slow growers.

 

Garageland and Cant Decide,

 

Thank you both very much for your links. I hadn't seen either profile yet. Upon reviewing them though, I'd like to play the devils advocate and say I'm not so sure if their problem was slow growth or if it was more the short hair cut. Out of the pair, I'd say the redman's progress at 6 months was a little weaker, but I'd argue that JohnnyBs results at 6 month were pretty good. There are definitely better results out there at 6 months, so technically they could fall into the slower growers category, but they both had the framework for a good result at 6 months. But obviously for both individuals they look night and day better after 1-2 years then at 6 months.

 

I wanted to wait until my HT had time to mature and then post all my progress pics at once, but I suppose now is as good a time as any. I'm going to flesh this out more with some comments and my thoughts, but this is mostly just the pictures.

 

Hair Restoration Site for nightman

 

You went to H&W?? there is a definite improvement already, if H&W were in fact the clinic you really shouldn't have any problems, and if you do, i highly doubt any other clinic could've done better IMHO, there are some people who just don't seem to respond to HTs as well as others, hopefully this isn't the case with you. H&W are truly a class act and if any1 can get you where you wanna be its those guys! Of course i could be wrong about H&W being the clinic... the door behind u just looks really familiar!lol

[1978matt]

It actually looks fine to me.

 

A lot of people use minoxidil to speed things up which can help explain fast growers.

[Since21]

One word...."JohnnyB"

 

Hair Restoration Journal for Johnny B - Nearly 2 years

 

Good God…I seriously don't believe I've ever seen a better result.

[Cant decide]

Good God…I seriously don't believe I've ever seen a better result.

 

Ya but I always thought there was something suspect about this result. I just don't see how that kind of density could be achieved in any HT. I am betting he was a great responder to meds or something.

 

It just does not add up. How can 9000 or so hairs do that???

[Rootz]

One word...."JohnnyB"

 

Hair Restoration Journal for Johnny B - Nearly 2 years

 

I wouldn't say this guy was a slow grower though, his 4-5 month results looked par for the coarse. By 9 months he already had a knock out result. But I do agree the result is amazing nonetheless.

[scooter]

Nightman,

 

It is very frustrating being a slow grower and watching patients have a good improvement at 6 months but do not despair slow growers do exist and I understand what you are saying that there is very little you can do except be told be patient and wait. One patient that posted on here was a slow grower and concerned about his growth right up to the 8 month mark and was in regular contact with the clinic.

 

Part of the problem was that he was cutting the hair very short once he got to the 9 month mark he grew the hair out and was ecstatic about the result when he came to Vancouver for a personal event and popped into the clinic to show his results. Here are links to his threads on this site

 

6 Months and concerned about growth

 

http://www.hairrestorationnetwork.com/eve/168387-6-month-update-dr-hasson-4120-grafts.html

 

13 Month result by patient

 

http://www.hairrestorationnetwork.com/eve/171315-4120-fut-dr-hasson-13-months-fantastic-results.html

 

Hair transplant patient of the week

 

http://www.hairrestorationnetwork.com/eve/171329-hair-transplant-patient-week-redmans-4-120-graft-fuss-dr-hasson.html

 

Here's the result in all it's glory when he visited the clinic in Vancouver

 

http://www.hairrestorationnetwork.com/eve/172326-dr-hasson-4120-grafts-15-months-fut.html

 

So don't despair and keep the faith.

 

I agree here. I can see improvement in ur photos. Is it slower than others, maybe so. However, I think if you grow your hair a lil longer in the next few months like these gents did .... BAM !!

 

Good luck to you ,

Scott

[Since21]

Ya but I always thought there was something suspect about this result. I just don't see how that kind of density could be achieved in any HT. I am betting he was a great responder to meds or something.

 

It just does not add up. How can 9000 or so hairs do that???

 

Whatever magic elixir he might be using or deal he made with the Hair Gods, I wish he'd share it with the rest of us.

[Cant decide]

Whatever magic elixir he might be using or deal he made with the Hair Gods, I wish he'd share it with the rest of us.

 

I agree!!

[Blake Bloxham]

I've personally seen patients experience continued growth between month 12 and month 18. In fact, some hair transplant surgeons believe patients should really wait until month 18 to fully assess the results. However, I think most would define growth and maturation between months 12 and 18 as "slow growth."