SMP for crown density (first-time poster)

[hardofhairing6]

Next week I’m getting my first-ever hair transplant surgery (FUE of 2,500 grafts) for my frontal hairline and midscalp. I’m 28 y/o and have used fin for 1.5-2 years, minoxidil for 5 years. As for my crown, I know that I should avoid surgery there or only add a small number of grafts to allow for a subtle change in density. I’m young and need to maintain my donor supply.

 

At this point, I’m 90% sure that I am going to go with SMP as a strategy to approach crown density (no grafts), but I wanted to crowdsource expertise/experiences to be sure. My thinking:

 

Why SMP may work:

• SMP will look fuller than a mere ~500 grafts in the crown
  
• It won’t affect my (somewhat small) donor supply
  
• It is temporary, leaving the possibility of a clean bald spot if I want it later in life (I still like the idea of FUE in front, even though it’s permanent, to frame my face)
  
• It suits my pattern of thinning, which covers a large area but isn’t exactly “bald” yet. (When I use Caboki, the thinning is usually imperceptible.)
  
• It suits my hair style, which is usually a “high and tight" look (sides/back shaved down to a zero guard) that would blend well with the “stubble” of SMP in my crown
  

 

My only hesitations at this point:

• It would look weird up close / when my hair is wet
  
• Illusion of density isn’t as pronounced as I’m expecting
  
• It would require frequent touch-ups since I use Minoxidil, which I hear wears down the pigment (even with all that time and money, however, a touchup every 6 months seems way better than Caboki every day)
  

 

My goal here is not perfection, but rather a cosmetic improvement that would fool a casual observer, allow me to stop using Caboki, and stop me from being afraid of people seeing my hair wet. Are these expectations even realistic? Has anyone here tried SMP only on their crown as a "filler"? Thanks for your help! Pics of my crown are below. (Also included a pic from the front so you can see what I mean by high and tight.)

[pucheject]

I did it .......results , blah, not bad not great.........My crown very similar to yours, has to be repeated regularly........You need to do 3 sessions to get decent results which I did, they say it lasts two years but talked to many people who said it was gone after 6 months .......Im not a DR but since it is your immune system that expels this stuff from your body I can imagine how to continuously have it in your skin can take a toll on your immune system long term........Thats just a guess though.

 

I am looking into Beard hair to crown to add some permanent density, that in my opinion makes the most sense, in my case anyways.

[E39]

I did it .......results , blah, not bad not great.........My crown very similar to yours, has to be repeated regularly........You need to do 3 sessions to get decent results which I did, they say it lasts two years but talked to many people who said it was gone after 6 months .......Im not a DR but since it is your immune system that expels this stuff from your body I can imagine how to continuously have it in your skin can take a toll on your immune system long term........Thats just a guess though.

 

I am looking into Beard hair to crown to add some permanent density, that in my opinion makes the most sense, in my case anyways.

 

Any before and after pics of your crown?

[FellerMedical]

[hardofhairing6]

Thanks for the video and responses! Any other first-person testimonies/pics would be great, but I've done a lot of my own research and am leaning in this direction (SMP), especially since I'm young and have been wearing a high and tight style for years.