Will this ever look natural?

[giantanddwarf]

To make a fully accurate evaluation, more detailed photos would be necessary. OP, when I responded initially, I did agree with you that it looked a little sparse, but I think in general it looks just fine. You have plenty of hair and a respectable frontal-region. Sounds like you have high expectations though and there's nothing wrong with that, provided it is possible to meet them (and it seems like it is possible). Also, echoing what I/others have said in this thread, Toppik will probably make you more than happy with what you've got for the time being.

[leftygolfer71]

OP, I am going to agree with you and say it does look quite sparse.. I don't know how those who replied saying it looked great could be satisfied if they received this result. Of course if we saw pre op pics to compare with, it may be a different story, but looking at the pics alone, I would not be happy.

 

Are you serious??

[losingmyhair123]

Yeah it is a little sparse. It definitely looks worse in daylght. I'm waiting on my topik to arrive and see if this would cure my concerns for now

[Dutchie]

Are you serious??

Give the guy a fucking break. He's been through a lot.

I know, because Ive been through the same shit for the last 20 years.

 

Go f__ck off already!!!!!

 

 

(sorry mods for swearing)

[esrec]

Yeah it is a little sparse. It definitely looks worse in daylght. I'm waiting on my topik to arrive and see if this would cure my concerns for now

 

What color did you go with?

 

1. Trial on a non-important area first. It seems silly to think shaking a bottle of keratin would take technique, but it does.

 

2. Since you ill be applying close to the hairline, I recommend placing your finger just slightly above the point at which you want the toppik to be applied. This way it wont get on your forehead.

 

3. Most apply and just go about their day. I think it tends to settle into the hair and become more subtle as the hours go, so even though the effect will be instant, I would wait a few hours to truly judge.

 

4. You're covering a small area, it will work. I say this bc I covered a much larger area with success. But also bc you wont need much. Less is more.

 

5. I would kill to have this dilemma

[Stig]

What color did you go with?

 

1. Trial on a non-important area first. It seems silly to think shaking a bottle of keratin would take technique, but it does.

 

2. Since you ill be applying close to the hairline, I recommend placing your finger just slightly above the point at which you want the toppik to be applied. This way it wont get on your forehead.

 

3. Most apply and just go about their day. I think it tends to settle into the hair and become more subtle as the hours go, so even though the effect will be instant, I would wait a few hours to truly judge.

 

4. You're covering a small area, it will work. I say this bc I covered a much larger area with success. But also bc you wont need much. Less is more.

 

5. I would kill to have this dilemma

 

Esrec, so for the hairline you don't use the spray gimmick that you buy as an add on with the hairline comb? This works well for me, but do you have a better way to get it on the hairline?

 

http://www.amazon.com/TOPPIK-TSA-Spray-Applicator/dp/B000QGKQXO/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1452928512&sr=8-1&keywords=toppik+spray+applicator

[esrec]

I tried the applicator early on, I wasn't a fan honestly. It's possible I just became really comfortable with the routine I was in. I'm a bit of a perfectionist.

 

I concealed primarily in the forelock area, starting roughly 3 inches back/1 inch wide into the mid-scalp working my way fwd up to the hairline. When working on the forelock, I found it most useful to part the hair completely down the middle, and expose the scalp area where you plan to apply the concealer. I think its best when the hair is semi-wet. I would start by applying courve directly to the scalp as it dramatically reduces the contrast. I dont think the OP needs this. I had a more obvious area to cover.

 

The lines created by couvre served as a preliminary hairline that could be touched up and more cleanly defined if needed. Because couvre is a cream you can create more deliberates edges as a base. The toppik was then applied to reinforce and add the necessary thickness. ***Some of this may not apply if you're just using toppik alone.

 

As mentioned, I would place my finger at my hairline just slightly above the point at which I wanted the toppik to "live" to to serve as a cut off point. I would also have baby wipes nearby that I would use to trim the edges so to speak and clean up any uneven lines. Sometimes you'd go a little too far or the lines wouldnt be sharp enough. It also allowed you to clean up any mess you made on your head or face.

 

Sorry, that was long-winded and maybe hard to follow.

Edited January 16, 2016 by esrec

[losingmyhair123]

Thanks for the topik tips and what not. I ended up getting the dark brown color. I hope this is pretty close to my hair. Also I ended up buying the starter kit, which comes with the beginner tools or whatever. Hopefully this will suffice for now. I will try and take some better pics today since it is sunny outside, to better illustrate what I'm trying to cover

[losingmyhair123]

This is what I was referring to in daylight.

[giantanddwarf]

Toppik should take care of that no problem. One thing to keep in mind though is that it's important to apply it very carefully to the front of the hairline, since it can collect on the scalp (as opposed to just on the hairs) and the color-contrast between your Toppik and your skin is relatively high.

[KeithJagger]

Hey LosingMyHair 123. I remember that you and I underwent surgery at right about the same time a few years ago with Dr. Cooley. First, I think your hair looks great. I don't think it looks pluggy at all. Maybe just a tad bit thin on one side, but overall really good.

 

My HT with Dr. Cooley turned out incredible. In fact, I had another with him just the other day to add a little bit more density. I was perfectly happy after the first one, but I figured since I had the ways and means, why not?

 

First procedure was 2,800. This one was probably a little more than 2,000 (I scheduled 2,000 but Dr. Cooley usually ends up giving you a few extra ones). Have you thought about having another one with him? It seems like you have plenty of donor hair.

 

Best of luck.

 

But seriously, your hair looks great. However I know that we are our greatest critics so do what makes you happy!

[losingmyhair123]

Yeah jagger I do remember. I appreciate it. I just looked at your results and... wow! They look really good. I wouldn't think you needed another but like you said, if you've got the means, why not! And we are our own worse critics.ha I more than likely will be following your path with a second transplant if this topik thing doesn't work out. Can't wait to follow your progress. Good luck!

[MrGio-WHTCClinic]

Thinning out the more visible grafts could improve the hairline and make it more natural-looking. Adding more hair may not achieve the desired goal of softening the front, and which may also likely further complicate your success with the repair procedure. FUE is a viable solution to remove and redistribute the multi-hair grafts.

[Spidey]

Are you serious??

 

yes I am serious... Show me one picture from Rahal, HW, Feller, etc that have that kind of sparseness in the hairline from their before and after pictures.

 

I am not knocking on the OP. He created a post for opinions, and I have given him my point of view. My hairline at 5 months looks denser than that.

[Dutchie]

This is what I was referring to in daylight.

I just wanna point out that lot of people who are not losing their hair have a natural hairline that looks a little irregular. So if anything your hair looks very natural.

 

The last thing you want is a hairline that looks TOO perfect

[esrec]

I just wanna point out that lot of people who are not losing their hair have a natural hairline that looks a little irregular. So if anything your hair looks very natural.

 

The last thing you want is a hairline that looks TOO perfect

 

Amen brotha.

[Dutchie]

Just an example, here's an old pic of Bill Clinton 20 years ago, Slick Willie never suffered from baldness, but you can clearly see his hairline is a bit thin on his right side.

 

It looks completely natural though, in fact it would not look natural if he were to fill that part in with a hair transplant

 

[harryforreal]

Yeah, I have felt the same way about my hair transplant. The problem is that the transplanted hairs are just wrong for the forehead. They are too thick and dark. It's not a question of density I don't believe - it's a question of the type of hair that is transplanted to the front of the forehead. If the hairs were finer, it would look natural.

 

I've plucked so many hairs from the front of my forehead in an effort to make them smaller and finer that I have sandwich bags full of them (I've marked the bags by month so I could see if the hairs got finer). Some hairs have indeed become finer - whether that's due to plucking or time I can't quite say. But there are still plenty that are quite ugly - especially the 2's and 3's and such in the hairline; but these I plan on having electrolysis on in the next couple of months.

 

I appreciate what Dutchie is trying to say, however, the issue is not density, it's aesthetic quality.

[losingmyhair123]

I see what y'all mean, y'all both make sense. I don't want a perfect hairline, just a little more behind it, ya know? But if that would make it look worse then I will live with it. Today was a windy day outside, I could feel my hair separating in the wind, if you know what I mean. I looked in my mirror, while outside, and it clearly looked no where close to natural. That's what I wan to fix. If the caliber of hair is too thick. I feel like more density would help disguise the issue. I'm gonna go see dr Cooley again and get his thoughts. He is a straight shooter

[KeithJagger]

I think you are right to go see Dr. Cooley. He has always been honest with me. In my experience he is always pushing a more conservative, albeit natural hairline. Best of luck and keep me posted. I think with a couple thousand more graphs you would have an awesome head of hair. Don't get me wrong, from the pictures you have posted I think it looks great now.

[Dutchie]

I see what y'all mean, y'all both make sense. I don't want a perfect hairline, just a little more behind it, ya know? But if that would make it look worse then I will live with it. Today was a windy day outside, I could feel my hair separating in the wind, if you know what I mean. I looked in my mirror, while outside, and it clearly looked no where close to natural. That's what I wan to fix. If the caliber of hair is too thick. I feel like more density would help disguise the issue. I'm gonna go see dr Cooley again and get his thoughts. He is a straight shooter

At the end of the day you gotta do what makes you happy. If adding a few hundred grafts to cover up that thinning area makes you happy, then go for it

[harryforreal]

MrGio-WHTCClinic

Senior Member

Hard Core Real Hair Club Member

 

Thinning out the more visible grafts could improve the hairline and make it more natural-looking. Adding more hair may not achieve the desired goal of softening the front, and which may also likely further complicate your success with the repair procedure. FUE is a viable solution to remove and redistribute the multi-hair grafts.

 

Mr. Gio has an important view point, here. It is my intention to have electrolysis done on the darkest, thickets grafts - especially some of the 2's and 3's and such at the front of the hairline.

 

Dr. Cooley, actually, was the first person to suggest I might could try electrolysis on the doubles and triples when I consulted with him a couple of years ago. His other option was to add more hair (Dr. Cooley was not my original HT doctor, just for clarification, I sought him out after my original HT to get another opinion). I opted to return to my original HT doctor who offered to add more grafts for free to "soften" the hairline. It did help a bit, but honestly, overall it still just looks unsatisfactory because the grafts are just the wrong thickness and color for the front of the hairline.

 

When I met with Dr. Cooley a couple of years ago, he suggested that with electrolysis the technician could control the strength of the electric current with a dial and that it might be possible to partially affect the hair graft so that it might grow back a bit softer. The laser technician who did my V-beam laser last month gave me the business card of an electrolysis technician and recommended her highly - I checked out her website and the rates are quite reasonable - certainly a lot cheaper than another HT.

 

I intend in the next month or so to go to the electrolysis technician and target a few just to see what the result will be. At "worst" the offending hairs at the very front of the hair line will be gone completely...eh, no big deal, really. At best, they hairs will grow back softer and more natural - perhaps much more soft and natural then any new transplant hairs? Time will only tell. But here is my thought: If I target, say, 10 hairs or so with electrolysis at the front of my hair line as an experiment (for a grand total of perhaps $30?) and they don't ever come back, I don't think it will make that big a difference in terms of defining the hairline - might even look better if these most ugliest of transplanted grafts don't come back. But if they do come back softer, then that might actually contribute to a softer, natural look in front of the other transplanted hairs.

 

Since Mr Gio has suggested trying to thin a few hairs out, it might make sense to try this route first before another HT. After all, if you end up missing the small number of hairs that you target, you can always add them back in when you go back for your second major HT. If you were thinking of adding, say, 1500, then what difference does it make if you add 1510? None, really.

[losingmyhair123]

that's a good point too harry. and a cheaper route to try