FUT Recovery - Dermmatch Help (with pics)

[Slush]

Alright guys, see my HT journey thread to see what I have looked like over the past two weeks since my FUT. I decided it was time to shave my head and try to conceal the scar. Reviews and YouTube videos convinced me that Dermmatch was best. This can be an FYI for some, but I also need input.

 

I used light brown.

 

How does it look? My hair guy said it's only obvious if you really LOOK. Can I be confident at work and a Vegas nightclub like this?

 

Would I get a better result with medium brown? With my mixed hair color, I wasn't sure what to get.

 

I'm told that scar line is only so obvious now because it is red and the hair hasn't fully grown back adjacent to it.

 

For those curious, the top is shaved at a #2, the scar area is a fade ~#0.5 (b/w 0-1) and the very bottom is a 0. This makes me hopeful that I can ultimately cut at a #2 without a visibile scar. Note that I am only at Day 16.

Edited March 11, 2017 by Slush

[Melvin- Admin]

We're the wrong guys to be asking, why? because we have a trained eye, do I think most people will catch it? no but it's possible some one may see it depending on the setting. But rest assured any other guy who's had an HT would spot it very quickly. I don't think you have anything to worry about in a nightclub, but if you truly want to conceal it in the future, I would stick with zero on the nape, faded in to a #3 and #4 at the top near the crown. I would also switch to the medium brown instead of the light brown, see how that looks I think it will blend better. Might want to consider switching from Couvre as well, I found it was better than Dermmatch in my experience.

 

Something like this

 

[Slush]

The help I was looking for was more along the lines of "Couvre would be a better match" or "try the medium brown Dermmatch" or perhaps even "mix the light and medium brown Dermmatch" or ...?

 

I provided the cut length for reference as I knew some would be interested. I had to cut my hair short since I'm just 2+ weeks past my procedure. I haven't cut my hair this short since... Probably 10 years old. Haha! (It looks better than I thought. It's a shame I took that option away with FUT.)

 

I saw reviews on HT threads about Dermmatch being a "miracle". I was hoping for a great masking agent. As you pointed out, it helps but still has a ways to go. I may have expected too much. Do you think Couvre could more effectively hide the evidence of the scar? I don't see this as a permanent option for me, I just want to mask while my hair regrows.

 

Thanks for the help!

[Melvin- Admin]

The help I was looking for was more along the lines of "Couvre would be a better match" or "try the medium brown Dermmatch" or perhaps even "mix the light and medium brown Dermmatch" or ...?

 

I provided the cut length for reference as I knew some would be interested. I had to cut my hair short since I'm just 2+ weeks past my procedure. I haven't cut my hair this short since... Probably 10 years old. Haha! (It looks better than I thought. It's a shame I took that option away with FUT.)

 

I saw reviews on HT threads about Dermmatch being a "miracle". I was hoping for a great masking agent. As you pointed out, it helps but still has a ways to go. I may have expected too much. Do you think Couvre could more effectively hide the evidence of the scar? I don't see this as a permanent option for me, I just want to mask while my hair regrows.

 

Thanks for the help!

 

I have been really disappointed with Dermmatch, I too was fooled in to believing it was a great product, personally I think it looks to obvious for my taste, I think couvre is better, I think medium brown is more your color, I would also not only use the concealer on the scar but above and below the scar to blend it a bit better. I don't know if the scar can be completely concealed at that length, I think you just have to wait for the hair to grow a bit. But I do believe you could get better results switching.

[Slush]

Is Couvre that you use just a lotion? I stopped at ULTA (first time I've ever said or done that LOL) and looked at their products. They had a lotion/cream, and then a duo of what looked like fibers that are shaken on and then hairsprayed down. The second option seems pretty crazy to me, not only in the work required but the action of application on the lower head.

 

I went with a HT so my hair would be less of a concern. I'm trying to remember this is just short term - while my hair re-grows! I have no intent to mask thinning permanently.

 

 

For the guys out there who aren't shaven for their FUT, my advice is to just do it, especially if your front hairline is being rebuilt. It helps the ugly duckling phase so much, despite the masking questions. (See my thread in signature for my pics before I shaved.)

[Afterparty76]

Hi Slush,

 

I'm actually doing pretty much the same thing as you currently. I return to work this next week after having 2 weeks off for the procedure. Due to me having very fine hair they preferred to shave the recipient area to ensure good execution. They also had to trim/shave a bit of the back donor region since my hair wouldnt stay up in the rubber bands.

This ended up with my hair longer toward the back of my head, super short and early shedding in the recipient front area, and then miss-matched length in the back. I decided to get a haircut where I had them 4 blade the back and blend up into the side and then 3 blade the entire top to even on the length. I am using caboki on the top and in the FUT scar area to camouflage. It does a pretty impressive job, but isnt perfect. My biggest challenge for the next several weeks is the donor area since I have shock loss under the scar line and it is somewhat difficult to apply caboki to this area.

 

Hope you heal well and grow fast!

[YouOnlyLiveOnce]

Who are we trying to hide it from? If you're talking co-workers in an office setting, they are likely to notice it. Your head will tilt this way, or that way, or the light will hit it a certain way etc. Outside people that you run across in passing, probably wont notice.

 

The 'best concealer debate' is always a toss up. Basically you gotta try them out and see what suits you best. I tried toppik and dermmatch and ditched them both after a couple uses. To me they both made things look a bit funky. Look into dry shampoo in your color, it might help.

[Afterparty76]

Who are we trying to hide it from? If you're talking co-workers in an office setting, they are likely to notice it. Your head will tilt this way, or that way, or the light will hit it a certain way etc. Outside people that you run across in passing, probably wont notice.

 

While it would be great to completely hide impacted areas, I dont think that is the goal. These steps are to camouflage the issue areas. You noted yourself above that it would require a right angle or someone be very close and around you consistently to notice that something is "different." Isn't that the true goal at this point? Some of us do not wish to go to work with an obvious red recipient area and scar line with shock loss around it.

[YouOnlyLiveOnce]

Not sure what triggered the debate feeling reply...

 

My goal was to try and conceal my surgery and I believe I accomplished that. What you look like in the mirror, under the most perfect angles/hair placement and lighting certainly isn't what you look like out in the real world. I did business with a guy that used fibers to bulk up his hair and by mid day things were completely obvious. Felt really bad for him but didn't have the heart break it to him. I posed the question above and depending on his response I was going to suggest a hat or something to completely cover the head is the only real way to go undetected.

[Theyutube6]

Something that worked great was putting Alott of dermatch and stubbing up and down on the scar so not just exactly on the scar. Let it setting for hours. Then I'd take a shower but not scrub that area nor let shampoo hit it. What I got was a really good blend. How ever my hair was a tiny bit longer than what I see in that pic. 

[Triple7]

Even the best FUT scars are noticeable at the length you have your hair cut. If your hair is short enough to see skin, the scar will be visible. Dermatch might help turn the white scar brown but you will still see the line at this length. Just wear a hat and let it grow for a couple weeks.