Senior Member chevenowner1 Posted March 15, 2017 Senior Member Share Posted March 15, 2017 When did u start using maderma? Next day of surgery Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Senior Member Slush Posted March 15, 2017 Author Senior Member Share Posted March 15, 2017 Yes. I was pretty concerned about the scar and it was doctor recommended. My HT Journey The FUT surgery experience and results Disguising my FUT Scar Medications and Supplements Supplements: Biotin, MSM 5% Minoxidil Foam Regenepure Shampoo (re-starting 1mo after HT) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Senior Member chevenowner1 Posted March 15, 2017 Senior Member Share Posted March 15, 2017 Looking good Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Senior Member Slush Posted March 15, 2017 Author Senior Member Share Posted March 15, 2017 I also got transplant graft data! Single: 662 Double: 2003 Triple: 363 Total: 3025 My HT Journey The FUT surgery experience and results Disguising my FUT Scar Medications and Supplements Supplements: Biotin, MSM 5% Minoxidil Foam Regenepure Shampoo (re-starting 1mo after HT) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Senior Member Dr. Scott Alexander MD Posted March 15, 2017 Senior Member Share Posted March 15, 2017 Thank you for continuing to share your information. I really like to watch my patients throughout the process. Please continue to keep the forum informed. Dr Scott Alexander - Please feel free to visit our website : Dr. Scott Alexander website and online consultation form Dr. Alexander is an elite member of the Coalition of Independent Hair Restoration Physicians Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Senior Member Triple7 Posted March 16, 2017 Senior Member Share Posted March 16, 2017 Looks great for day 20 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Senior Member Slush Posted March 16, 2017 Author Senior Member Share Posted March 16, 2017 Thank You Doc and Triple7! Another day in the books and one day closer to my donor area being regrown and covered! My HT Journey The FUT surgery experience and results Disguising my FUT Scar Medications and Supplements Supplements: Biotin, MSM 5% Minoxidil Foam Regenepure Shampoo (re-starting 1mo after HT) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Senior Member Slush Posted March 17, 2017 Author Senior Member Share Posted March 17, 2017 I am seeing another downside of having my hair cut so short. I can see where my diffuse thinning is occuring really well. The third picture shows this unfortunate side of me. I can see where my crown shedding will take me with time. (Yes, I know Finasteride is an option but I still am reluctant despite starting a very small dose last week.) One of my long-term concerns is that my hair continues to receed on the sides or the very back of the crown, and I end up having this awkward gap between natural hairline and transplanted hair. (Dr. Alexander listened to this concern and said he transplants with future recession in mind.) In any case, Day 22! I'm sharing because I wanted to see pictures for myself. I'm eager for the donor area to be covered! The recipient redness is fading quickly, but I do have a touch of Dermmatch on from 12-hours ago. My HT Journey The FUT surgery experience and results Disguising my FUT Scar Medications and Supplements Supplements: Biotin, MSM 5% Minoxidil Foam Regenepure Shampoo (re-starting 1mo after HT) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Senior Member Slush Posted March 18, 2017 Author Senior Member Share Posted March 18, 2017 (edited) Pics from Day 23 These are noteworthy because they were my first time out in public without a hat on. I am in Las Vegas with my girlfriend and we went to a club, so no hats. Guys, get your girlfriend/wife to help with concealing! I know she doesn't have the patience to do this for me every day, but this was pretty wicked. The scalp had a yellow concelear on it, and I learned, "of course it looks good, yellow concealer cancels out redness." Who knew? Grow hair, grow! Edited March 18, 2017 by Slush My HT Journey The FUT surgery experience and results Disguising my FUT Scar Medications and Supplements Supplements: Biotin, MSM 5% Minoxidil Foam Regenepure Shampoo (re-starting 1mo after HT) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Senior Member Slush Posted March 22, 2017 Author Senior Member Share Posted March 22, 2017 One day shy of a month. Everyone says, "Don't look at the mirror a lot after your HT." I have done that, but instead I just look at pics and what I "feel". I shed most of the transplanted hair. My native hair in the frontal third that was shaved has grown back. Now the interesting change, is that I can see black "specs" in the recipient area where I didn't have native hair. In fact, I can even feel stubble or perhaps lingering scabs and dry skin. This is reminiscent of new hair sporting after starting Minoxidil. This seems early, so perhaps this isn't HT growth, but I'm hopeful. Beware prospective HT patients, this is the nitty gritty, obsessive, and hope you'll undoubtedly go through! High res pic added. My HT Journey The FUT surgery experience and results Disguising my FUT Scar Medications and Supplements Supplements: Biotin, MSM 5% Minoxidil Foam Regenepure Shampoo (re-starting 1mo after HT) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Senior Member Slush Posted March 24, 2017 Author Senior Member Share Posted March 24, 2017 Since I have received a few PMs regarding healing, here is Day 30. I am wearing concealer, which clearly was self applied! My HT Journey The FUT surgery experience and results Disguising my FUT Scar Medications and Supplements Supplements: Biotin, MSM 5% Minoxidil Foam Regenepure Shampoo (re-starting 1mo after HT) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Regular Member Afterparty76 Posted March 28, 2017 Regular Member Share Posted March 28, 2017 Hey Slush, your progress is looking great. I'm coming up on 6 weeks post-op with Alexander and I also cannot wait for growth. I've been able to conceal decently well with a combination of toppik/caboki. I dont use a lot, just enough to cover shock loss around the scar and create a bit of conceal up top until the shaved area grows back. You mentioned small baby hairs in the recipient areas, I'm been seeing a few as well, but I cannot tell if they are just returning original hairs or new transplanted hairs. Best of luck with your continued growth, hopefully in a few months we will be through this phase. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Senior Member TakingThePlunge Posted March 28, 2017 Senior Member Share Posted March 28, 2017 Thanks for continuing to update us on your progress. Looks like things are coming along nicely. David - Former Forum Co-Moderator and Editorial Assistant I am not a medical professional. All opinions are my own and my advice should not constitute as medical advice. View my Hair Loss Website Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Senior Member Slush Posted March 30, 2017 Author Senior Member Share Posted March 30, 2017 Right on par. Those are bad words to an overachiever! My HT Journey The FUT surgery experience and results Disguising my FUT Scar Medications and Supplements Supplements: Biotin, MSM 5% Minoxidil Foam Regenepure Shampoo (re-starting 1mo after HT) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Senior Member Slush Posted March 30, 2017 Author Senior Member Share Posted March 30, 2017 (edited) Weeks 5 is in the books! I undoubtedly have sprouts forming in the transplant area. The only hair in this region before were white vellus hairs from minoxidil. These definitely have color. The lack of density shows many hairs are still in dormancy. The redness has declined a lot. Today was my first day in public without concealer on the recipient region. I have some acne on the crown transplant area. I am still using "light brown" Dermmatch concealer on the donor region. Pictures are without concealer in bright light. The Dermmatch color is probably not the best match for me. Although my hair looks super blond in the pics, I am certainly a dirty blond/light brown color now. I am sticking with the concealer I have though, I just try a manual blend. I cannot wait until I can go concealer free! I'm not self conscious anymore, it is what it is, but I just want lower maintenance and to look normal. I was back in the gym today for the first time since the surgery. All felt fine when lifting. My active social calendar is going back to normal soon, so hopefully the hair truly looks good. I was hoping to look "normal" by now. My girlfriend says I look better than before, which is attributed to the shaved head IMO. Anyway, enjoy! Edited March 30, 2017 by Slush My HT Journey The FUT surgery experience and results Disguising my FUT Scar Medications and Supplements Supplements: Biotin, MSM 5% Minoxidil Foam Regenepure Shampoo (re-starting 1mo after HT) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Regular Member Dipan Posted April 5, 2017 Regular Member Share Posted April 5, 2017 Thanks for sharing. Wish u all the best. I hope the result will be good. The FUT scar is not looking ugly and can easily be covered by bit longer hair. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Senior Member Slush Posted April 12, 2017 Author Senior Member Share Posted April 12, 2017 (edited) Hi everyone, tomorrow is Week 7. This stage is boring and frustrating. I've found myself feeling less euphoric about my HT, and instead fatigued by it. I am tired of waiting for my head to return to pre-surgery look. I'm told the scar is barely visible, but I see it. I'm more self conscious now than I was before the surgery. I still expect a great result, it's just this stage is not fun at all. I'm expecting great results, anything less than fast growth and I'll be disappointed. I probably should dial back expectations. In the short term I'll be happy with regrowth of native hair. Anyway.... On to actual status. Shedding has been gone since the week 3 period. Regrowth has been minor, but I am still seeing some sprouts. I have abandoned the use of concealers and just favor a hat outside of work. Vellus hairs are popping up like crazy on the hairline thanks to minoxidil (pic 2 shows quite a bit). I have had some annoying acne on the crown transplant region, but it seems to be subsiding now Overall, not much to really report physically. This is the emotional stretch.... I have started 0.25mg of Fin M/W/F. Edited April 12, 2017 by Slush My HT Journey The FUT surgery experience and results Disguising my FUT Scar Medications and Supplements Supplements: Biotin, MSM 5% Minoxidil Foam Regenepure Shampoo (re-starting 1mo after HT) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Senior Member Speegs Posted April 12, 2017 Senior Member Share Posted April 12, 2017 Hi everyone, tomorrow is Week 7. This stage is boring and frustrating. I've found myself feeling less euphoric about my HT, and instead fatigued by it. I am tired of waiting for my head to return to pre-surgery look. I'm told the scar is barely visible, but I see it. I'm more self conscious now than I was before the surgery. I still expect a great result, it's just this stage is not fun at all. I'm expecting great results, anything less than fast growth and I'll be disappointed. I probably should dial back expectations. In the short term I'll be happy with regrowth of native hair. Anyway.... On to actual status. Shedding has been gone since the week 3 period. Regrowth has been minor, but I am still seeing some sprouts. I have abandoned the use of concealers and just favor a hat outside of work. Vellus hairs are popping up like crazy on the hairline thanks to minoxidil (pic 2 shows quite a bit). I have had some annoying acne on the crown transplant region, but it seems to be subsiding now Overall, not much to really report physically. This is the emotional stretch.... I have started 0.25mg of Fin M/W/F. As we discussed over email, don't fret this boring stage, gonna be lots of self doubt in this dormant phase, but just press on through. Come month six you'll start to see some light at the end of the tunnel, and once you make it to month 8 and 9 you'll be able to make an educated guess about the final outcome. Keep us posted, and keep your spirits intact. Hair loss patient and transplant veteran. Once a Norwood 3A. Received 2,700 grafts with coalition doctor on 8/13/2010 Received 2,380 grafts with Dr. Steven Gabel on 9/30/2011 Received 1,820 grafts with Dr. Steven Gabel on 7/28/2016 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Senior Member Slush Posted April 20, 2017 Author Senior Member Share Posted April 20, 2017 Week 8 Some transplanted hair continues to sprout, but it's pretty sparse. Seen in the right light, I have significant vellus hair, but I am pretty sure this is what I had before the HT and not transplanted follicles. My "frontal patch" that was shaved appears to be nearly back to normal. The shaved crown region still looks goofy but I honestly don't think anybody notices it. No more concealers... The donor region looks better after my second haircut. I don't think anybody notices it anymore either. Slow going so no reason for pics. I'm at the point where I don't look every day. I wash, apply my minoxidil, push the hair down, and move on with my day. It'll get there. My HT Journey The FUT surgery experience and results Disguising my FUT Scar Medications and Supplements Supplements: Biotin, MSM 5% Minoxidil Foam Regenepure Shampoo (re-starting 1mo after HT) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Regular Member LSUTiger Posted April 21, 2017 Regular Member Share Posted April 21, 2017 Great updates. I'm almost 2 years post-op with Dr. Alexander. The lady that cuts my hair is amazed every time I go. She has very difficult time finding the 'scar' and she knows where it is. With Dr. Alexander, it's pretty much undetectable. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Senior Member Speegs Posted April 21, 2017 Senior Member Share Posted April 21, 2017 Week 8 Some transplanted hair continues to sprout, but it's pretty sparse. Seen in the right light, I have significant vellus hair, but I am pretty sure this is what I had before the HT and not transplanted follicles. My "frontal patch" that was shaved appears to be nearly back to normal. The shaved crown region still looks goofy but I honestly don't think anybody notices it. No more concealers... The donor region looks better after my second haircut. I don't think anybody notices it anymore either. Slow going so no reason for pics. I'm at the point where I don't look every day. I wash, apply my minoxidil, push the hair down, and move on with my day. It'll get there. I wouldn't anticipate any noteworthy transplant growth to emerge until month four or five, and you'll probably not get excited until month 8 or 9. As for the scar, it's my experience most people aren't looking for one, and when you're not looking for one, if it isn't obvious, then they won't spot it. Hair loss patient and transplant veteran. Once a Norwood 3A. Received 2,700 grafts with coalition doctor on 8/13/2010 Received 2,380 grafts with Dr. Steven Gabel on 9/30/2011 Received 1,820 grafts with Dr. Steven Gabel on 7/28/2016 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Senior Member Dr. Scott Alexander MD Posted April 21, 2017 Senior Member Share Posted April 21, 2017 Hello, Thank you for the updates. I'm glad to hear you are doing well LSUTiger, do you have any pictures? Dr Scott Alexander - Please feel free to visit our website : Dr. Scott Alexander website and online consultation form Dr. Alexander is an elite member of the Coalition of Independent Hair Restoration Physicians Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Senior Member Slush Posted April 21, 2017 Author Senior Member Share Posted April 21, 2017 LSUTiger, I'd love to see pics! My girlfriend says the scar is only visible because it's red. Dr. Alexander explained the healing process and this is normal. I'm sure it'll fade. I think it's only visible, like speegs said, when under very major scrutiny. The concern for me all along was how to have a normal looking haircut due to what was shaved and shock loss. Being a white collar professional, with major interviews and customer meetings, I have had to keep up a good appearance. It is a relief now that despite not being 100% back to normal look, I'm essentially there. I have seen many videos from Dr. Alexander's patients that have good regrowth by month 4. Perhaps the exception, but I do believe ACEL helps. I am seeing some indications of growth, which I am happy about. Just recently I've had acne pop up in the recipient area, and from what I understand this is positive as it indicates hair is trying to push through the surface. My Christmas pics should sport a great hairline, but I'm hoping my summer lake pictures have a "good" one. Crossing fingers! My HT Journey The FUT surgery experience and results Disguising my FUT Scar Medications and Supplements Supplements: Biotin, MSM 5% Minoxidil Foam Regenepure Shampoo (re-starting 1mo after HT) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Senior Member Triple7 Posted April 23, 2017 Senior Member Share Posted April 23, 2017 Glad to hear things are going well. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Senior Member Slush Posted April 25, 2017 Author Senior Member Share Posted April 25, 2017 Thanks. I am about 1.5 days shy of 9 weeks. After not really looking for a couple weeks, I decided to snap some pics. I wasn't expecting much, but I know the curiosity many have here on how they may progress following a HT. Pic 1: white area is the transplant region. Zoomed in black areas are where I do not believe I had any terminal hair prior to the HT. The darker hair there is presumably new growth. The area between the black region did have some native hair, and it looks even thinner now perhaps due to shock loss. This is noteworthy because I do believe I have a handful of follicles growing already. Pic 2: in the right light this area (left side of recipient region) appears pretty lush, but I believe this is simply vellus hair regrowth thanks to minoxidil. I had this before the HT, but it's mostly undetectable. This pic is noteworthy because many think a HT will kill existing follicles. This indicates my native follicles that had miniturized and nearly died may have survived, albeit in life support condition. While I wish these were transplanted hairs, I doubt it. Dr. Alexander called this "ground cover". I'll take it! My HT Journey The FUT surgery experience and results Disguising my FUT Scar Medications and Supplements Supplements: Biotin, MSM 5% Minoxidil Foam Regenepure Shampoo (re-starting 1mo after HT) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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