Senior Member Gettinold Posted December 11, 2015 Senior Member Share Posted December 11, 2015 I've had 2 crown HT's, totaling about 3200 grafts. Dr. Charles did a good job, but my hair is so fine it's had to really get great coverage. There's definitely more hair than when I started (see pics in my photo albums) but as you can see there is still a significant bald spot. The lighting in the pic sucks, but you can imagine what its like when there is full light. Still wearing a hat everywhere or using concealer if I have to look classy. With 3200 in the crown already, I don't think it would be wise to dedicate any more remaining grafts, just wondering what other options may exist...including maybe being happy with what I have, just hoped for a bit better coverage after all was said and done. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Regular Member ForeverLacey Posted December 11, 2015 Regular Member Share Posted December 11, 2015 It looks much better based on how bare it appeared prior to your surgeries. I'd say you could use more grafts to fill it in if you have the donor supply. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Senior Member JON86 Posted December 11, 2015 Senior Member Share Posted December 11, 2015 I looked at your pictures and I think you have had a major improvement. I would personally save remaining grafts for possible thinning in the frontal third. The most cosmetic improvement is always framing the face. You can always add more to the crown later if you can keep the front stable. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Senior Member Louisjams Posted December 11, 2015 Senior Member Share Posted December 11, 2015 They say that the crown is the "black hole" for grafts. Hard to really ever fill it in for most people. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Senior Member hairthere Posted December 11, 2015 Senior Member Share Posted December 11, 2015 Hi GO, Have you considered SMP? You can find some nice results of clients I've done "Thickening" procedures on the forum http://www.hairrestorationnetwork.com/eve/179527-cantdecides-smp-thickening.html and/or just go to our web site for more samples. I am the owner/operator of AHEAD INK a Scalp Micropigmentation Company in Fort Lee, New Jersey. www.aheadink.com Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Senior Member gillenator Posted December 11, 2015 Senior Member Share Posted December 11, 2015 Gettinold, I also think that SMP can help in that area of scalp and you might even want to consider putting some beard grafts there to help manage your scalp donor. Even a scalp concealer will help a lot in case you want something more temporary that you can wash off verses SMP. Do you have any recession or thinning in the frontal zone? Because if you do start to lose there, you definitely will want some adequate scalp donor for that visually high impact zone. The work that you had done by Dr. Charles looks very good... Gillenator Independent Patient Advocate I am not a physician and not employed by any doctor/clinic. My opinions are not medical advice, but are my own views which you read at your own risk. Supporting Physicians: Dr. Robert Dorin: The Hairloss Doctors in New York, NY Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Senior Member densedream Posted December 12, 2015 Senior Member Share Posted December 12, 2015 As another guy that had a ton of grafts in the crown and still has see through hair, I can tell you that it's no easy feat to fill it in. I've had about 5500-6000 grafts roughly... I think I'm going to look into SMP for the crown and save everything I have left for the front 1/2. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Regular Member frogger Posted December 12, 2015 Regular Member Share Posted December 12, 2015 As another guy that had a ton of grafts in the crown and still has see through hair, I can tell you that it's no easy feat to fill it in. I've had about 5500-6000 grafts roughly... I think I'm going to look into SMP for the crown and save everything I have left for the front 1/2. I am in the same boat. Have had almost 4000 grafts into the crown over 3 procedures, I have very good donor hair, and it still looks bad. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dr Blake Bloxham Posted December 12, 2015 Share Posted December 12, 2015 Gettinold, Congratulations on the prior procedures. Like Lacey said, you do have some definite coverage in the area. Densed and Frogger bring up a very important point about crowns; there is a reason why they are sarcastically sometimes referred to as the "black hole" of grafts: they take so many grafts to really pack densely, and they expand in a spreading circular manner that is hard to keep up with. Having said that, you've been given what I think are the best two options: additional grafts or SMP. I've seen some of HairThere's crown thickening work (in person and in pictures), and it really does work. This may be a great option. I say this may be a great option because Gillenator makes another very good point: if you do have recession in other areas, you may want to leave some grafts in reserve for these spots. You also may be moving into FUE category after having what sounds like a few good sized FUT procedures. Hope this helps! Best of luck. Dr. Blake Bloxham is recommended by the Hair Transplant Network. Hair restoration physician - Feller and Bloxham Hair Transplantation Previously "Future_HT_Doc" or "Blake_Bloxham" - forum co-moderator and editorial assistant for the Hair Transplant Network, Hair Restoration Network, Hair Loss Q&A blog, and Hair Loss Learning Center. Click here to read my previous answers to hair loss and hair restoration questions, editorials, commentaries, and educational articles. Now practicing hair transplant surgery with Coalition hair restoration physician Dr Alan Feller at our New York practice: Feller and Bloxham Hair Transplantation. Please note: my advice does not constitute as medical advice. All medical questions and concerns should be addressed by a personal physician. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Senior Member Gettinold Posted December 14, 2015 Author Senior Member Share Posted December 14, 2015 Thanks for the replies, I really appreciate them. First off, congrats on moving past the "future" HT doc phase, Blake. I have considered SMP, and will look further into it, this may be the most cost effective and sensible solution. I would rather get a few more grafts there, but as mentioned, I don't want to throw all my available grafts at the crown if I may need them down the line if my front starts to go. I'm not in any hurry at this point and wondering if maybe a small BHT procedure would help, although the $$ issue is the main thing with that.at this point. I sent the pic to one of Dr. Charles's reps so maybe see hat happens with that too. Thanks again for all the help, this forum is a must for anyone considering a procedure of any kind. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Senior Member Spanker Posted December 14, 2015 Senior Member Share Posted December 14, 2015 I agree with the smp option. Give it a try and see where you are at. Also, you may consider just styling options. I was advising a pt with hair similar to yoursee considering Dr. Konior and mentioned that his hair may look a bit better shorter, and he cut it and it really did. There is a "sweet spot" in most people's hair that produce better layering and improve the appearance of density. Also, a regular old side part will block a little more light. Good luck. I am an online representative for Dr. Raymond Konior who is an elite member of the Coalition of Independent Hair Restoration Physicians. View Dr. Konior's Website View Spanker's Website I am not a medical professional and my opinions should not be taken as medical advice. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Senior Member Britanium Posted December 14, 2015 Senior Member Share Posted December 14, 2015 I have had a lot of grafts in to my crown - approx. 4000 or so, And I have coverage but nothing special. I am personally considering BHT from my beard a small amount at first to see what the result will be like. You have improved a great deal from where you began. I think your wise to save your scalp hair, Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Senior Member MrGio-WHTCClinic Posted December 16, 2015 Senior Member Share Posted December 16, 2015 I've had 2 crown HT's, totaling about 3200 grafts. Dr. Charles did a good job, but my hair is so fine it's had to really get great coverage. There's definitely more hair than when I started (see pics in my photo albums) but as you can see there is still a significant bald spot. The lighting in the pic sucks, but you can imagine what its like when there is full light. Still wearing a hat everywhere or using concealer if I have to look classy. With 3200 in the crown already, I don't think it would be wise to dedicate any more remaining grafts, just wondering what other options may exist...including maybe being happy with what I have, just hoped for a bit better coverage after all was said and done. Options; body hair transplantation with a reputable clinic, and you could apply platelet-rich plasma to improve the hair quality and pigmentation. The consultation will determine if you have a good source of body hair (e.g. beard hair). All the best... My opinions are my own. I am one representative of MyWHTC Clinic's European branch. Consultation Dates & Cities for Dr. Patrick Mwamba London, United Kingdom - Available (Sat.) Zurich, Switzerland - Available (Saturday) Bologna, Italy - Available (Saturday) Brussles, Belgium - Available (Sun.-Sat.) *No Fee* Dr. Patrick Mwamba is a member of the Coalition of Independent Hair Restoration Physicians Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Senior Member gillenator Posted December 16, 2015 Senior Member Share Posted December 16, 2015 Dr. Blake, Just out of curiosity, how viable do you think it is in your opinion about harvesting some FUs from the sides of the scalp in the rim area with FUE? I have seen several cases of it from some guys who had some pretty good results however there were some limitations as to the number of grafts because most of them were extracted above and behind the ears. Gillenator Independent Patient Advocate I am not a physician and not employed by any doctor/clinic. My opinions are not medical advice, but are my own views which you read at your own risk. Supporting Physicians: Dr. Robert Dorin: The Hairloss Doctors in New York, NY Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dr Blake Bloxham Posted December 16, 2015 Share Posted December 16, 2015 Hey Gill, Are you asking about getting grafts out of the temple/parietal regions ("on the sides" or "above the ears") of the scalp with FUE? These regions of the scalp are generally less dense than the occipital region (back) of the scalp. So FUE harvesting from these regions is generally less fruitful than the back of the scalp, and the doctor needs to be careful not to over harvest. However, I think the quality of the grafts and the difficultly of harvesting is about the same. So, like you said, the biggest issue is the lesser number of grafts from the region AND the potential for over harvesting. Dr. Blake Bloxham is recommended by the Hair Transplant Network. Hair restoration physician - Feller and Bloxham Hair Transplantation Previously "Future_HT_Doc" or "Blake_Bloxham" - forum co-moderator and editorial assistant for the Hair Transplant Network, Hair Restoration Network, Hair Loss Q&A blog, and Hair Loss Learning Center. Click here to read my previous answers to hair loss and hair restoration questions, editorials, commentaries, and educational articles. Now practicing hair transplant surgery with Coalition hair restoration physician Dr Alan Feller at our New York practice: Feller and Bloxham Hair Transplantation. Please note: my advice does not constitute as medical advice. All medical questions and concerns should be addressed by a personal physician. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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