FUE Post-Operation: Is the 12 months deadline correct?

[TonyStark83]

I keep hearing that after 12 months we should have the final result or extremely close to that.

 

Yet I keep hearing and reading many reports of people, including in this forum, that after 12 months most of their hair still is fine and not thick at all, and that there's still many hairs growing out of the scalp.

 

And to be honest that seems to be my case. I've done 2 FUE sessions in 2012 and other 2 FUE sessions in 2013 (4th October).

 

I'm almost reaching the 12 months mark after the last procedure yet there's still a lot of fine hair and many new hairs growing, at least it seems so.

 

My doctor said that after the last procedure the treatment was DONE - "you'll have your entire scalp covered with hair".

 

I have an excellent donor area and I'm (or was) a Norwood 5.

 

However, only part of the 2 sessions from 2013 served to fill my crown which seems to be the most slower area to get covered.

 

By looking at the mirror it's obvious there are thicker hairs then others in the same areas, it seems still a bit random.

 

I've read some articles and many doctors actually claim that 12 months is not the final result, it varies from person to person but only at 18 months or so you get the final result.

 

So why do many doctors keep talking about the 12 months mark?

 

Is it because the people who get their full or almost full result use products which speed up the process?

 

I don't use fast speed products, I only use Havogen-5 bands which serve to help maintaining the not transplanted hair I previously had (which wasn't that much, and that's good in my case since I have a very good donor area).

 

But those Haavogen-5 bands don't speed up the process a lot, my doctor seemed to say they may help a bit, nothing more.

 

So is the 12 months deadline only used when patients take medication to get the final results faster?

 

It seems this keeps misleading many people.

 

:confused::confused::confused:

[Blake Bloxham]

Tony,

 

Traditionally, 12 months is the "dead line." Many surgeons will say, however, that maturation continues through the 15th, and sometimes, up to the 18th month mark. However, I think the vast majority of patients see full results by month 12. You could be a "slow grower." However, I would verify this with your surgeon and ask his/her opinion of final growth "deadlines."

 

Good luck!

[BaldingBogger]

12 months max. I think typically all new growth is through by 8/9 months. Just the calibre of the hair improving after that.

 

Have not seen a documented result to the contrary..

[TonyStark83]

I've read that after 12 months the hair improves a lot.

 

Maybe that's the case: most hairs grow up before 12 months and then the improvement is so big until the 18 months mark that the result looks vastly better.

[TonyStark83]

And doesn't the hair take much longer to fully mature in the crown area?

 

So if that's true how can the 12 months deadline be applied in this case?