Using concealers at the gym

[citizenkage]

I want to get back to the gym, as it was recommended to me to not lift weights for 6 months after my FUT. Well, I just recently hit my 6 month mark and am planning on getting back into shape. I was going to do one of those fitness boot camps for a month to get my body acclimated to exercise and weight training again. I plan on doing pretty heavy cardio as well. Needless to say, I am probably going to be sweating pretty hard. I purchased some concealers a couple days ago, but haven't had a chance to try them out yet. I ordered Toppik and Infinity. I am considering purchasing Nanogen as well. My question is, will these concealers come off with sweat or quick moving/running/sprinting? Should I purchase the "lock-on" mist thatcsome of these companies advertise as being waterproof and windproof? I'd like to hear from someone who has some experience with this.

[citizenkage]

Also, my FUT procedure did not cover my crown, I have a pretty good sized bald spot there still. Can I use the concealers on that specific area where there is no hair?

[esrec]

Toppik is a very useful product on areas that are lightly thinning and merely need a boost. It can provide a dramatic effect under these circumstances and holds quite well. In general, the product takes a few hours to truly "settle". You can walk out minutes later if you're applying and combing through a relatively covered area, but for bigger sections it really does look best after a few hrs.

 

If you have a larger area to cover, the combo of couvre/dermmatch with toppik is recommended. They are cream and powder-like substances that will reduce the contrast while toppik will provide the desired thickness. Both products have similar ingredients. I find couvre easier to apply but dermmatch is a bit lighter.

 

Both require trial and error so would definitely play around. Net / Net: no issues with light sweating, admittedly haven't done a crossfit routine just running and weights.

[citizenkage]

Thanks for the insight. I'll look into those other two products you mentioned. I'll do some trial and error with all this stuff and do some exercises at my house to work up a good sweat and see what happens.

[Dr Blake Bloxham]

Citizen,

 

The locking mist does tend to really help keep the topical shaker products locked in. I've had many patients tell me they work out, go dancing, spend hours sweating at the beach, etc, and have no issues with the Toppik as long as they did lock it down with the mist. Some of the non-shaker products may run more with sweating. And anything involving a LOT of liquid on the scalp may prove difficult, no matter how good of a job you do with the locking mist.

 

I think doing some trials on your own before sweating in front of a big group of people is a great idea. Put the concealers in, use the locking mist, and then do some heavy cardio on your own. This way you can evaluate and make any necessary adjustments without having to worry about others in the group seeing it.

 

Best of luck! Let us know how it goes.

[Bill - Seemiller]

I just thought I would chime in with some of my input here. For starters, I don't know who told you to wait six months before starting to lift again after your procedure. Personally, I feel that is a bit excessive. I understand that we need to protect the donor area to prevent it from stretching. But, I started lifting about two weeks after my procedure but just started light and worked my way up using common sense. If a certain exercise felt like it was putting a strain on the donor area, I would not do it. For instance, I stayed away from bench press for about three months but, I did hammer strength work and flies while sitting up. That kept my chest strong while avoiding any strain to my donor area

 

On the topic of concealers, I am not too sure about wearing them during heavy workouts. Sure, you can wear them and they probably won't run or drop as they are meant to withstand water and sweat. But, with an intense workout, your hair will probably get wet and messy and thus the scalp will be more easily seen. Because of that, it may become noticeable that you are wearing concealer especially if you put it in areas of thinning such as the crown, an area that you said had no transplanted work done.

 

If you want to use concealer during your boot camp workouts I suggest trying it first when nobody is around and doing an intense workout in your house to see how the concealer holds up and whether or not it is noticeable to you when you look in the mirror under various lighting conditions.

 

I hope this helps.

 

Bill

[citizenkage]

Yeah I was really bummed about the 6 month waiting period because prior to my surgery I was working out alot and got really strong. Needless to say, after waiting 6 months to work out again, I've lost all my strength and had to start back at the bottom. I'm going for a second surgery soon, and I will use your advice this time, thank you.

[AlexieJ]

I believe Infinity hair loss concealer is one of the best in the market, because once you start using it most likely you will remain loyal to the project. What I like about Infinity is the awesome density you will notice into your hair plus it unexpectedly eliminates the appearance of thinning hair.

[ifanyonecan]

Yes 6 months sounds excessive to me also especially for lighter weights and cardio. Why not just wear a beanie or baseball hat? It's what i do/did and it is pretty common in the gym.