2500 grafts with Dr Steven Gable

[Spanker]

I agree, Fin grew back alot of hair mainly on my back crown area....If i did go back on,i would get the 1mg tabs and take .25mg e.d.....id like to prove this condition was something else other than Fin side effects, like you said the body changes as you get older. But its still a gamble, with ED and sexual sides.

 

Glad to hear Fin worked for you, i ckd out your blog, seems you're about a decade younger than me? ...funny i had more hair than you 10yrs ago! Alot changes in 10yrs thats for sure...late 40s are rough, it happens overnite! Its good that you were proactive back then. You never experienced any sides with Fin?

 

Im starting to see alot of growth in the front everyday now, im hoping the density will thicken over the next few months, but I agree...going to need more in the back crown. Ill prob schedule another HT this next winter for 1500 grafts in the crown ...Im hoping i have at least that much in my donor...

 

Yeah, you were a late bloomer for hair loss if you had a full head 10 years ago.

 

I'm 39. I'd probably be somewhere around where you are without it so I'm hoping it mostly carries me through my 40s.

 

I have seen guys that were early nw3s that stayed that way through their 60s.

 

Late hairloss that goes advanced is less likely than early, but it happens. Remember TV evangelist Jim Bakker? Google that dude now. Crazy.

Edited April 2, 2018 by Spanker

[MattyNJ1]

Yeah, you were a late bloomer for hair loss if you had a full head 10 years ago

 

I have seen guys that were early nw3s that stayed that way through their 60s.

 

Late hairloss that goes advanced is less likely than early, but it happens. Remember TV evangelist Jim Barker? Google that dude now. Crazy.

 

I hope you're right about late hair loss although it seems I hope you're right about late hair loss although it seems to that sped up this is a picture of me in 2009 my hair was so much thicker it's ridiculous! I'm 40 years old in that picture. Granted I don't have an overhead picture but I assure you the back of my head was thick... aging sure plays a cruel joke on us all lol

[MattyNJ1]

Can anyone confirm the consensus of whether or not, low dose Fin (.25 e.d.) significantly reduces risk of sexual sides, compared to higher doses?

 

Ive read both ways, where its not so much the actual dosage, but the way the drug shuts down (hormone) over "time"..."time" being the keyword. Id love to speak to a Doc that can really break down the way Fin works on a hormonal level. Seems alot of the horror stories involving Fin, were also on very low doses.....id love to hear thoughts on this. Its a shame its such an efficient Rx for hair loss, and really the only thing that works...

[UKLad81]

I went on Fin for 2 months, and then mysteriously started to developed severe hives and itching out of nowhere...i still cant explain this condition but cant help but assume it was from the Fin. Ive have zero health issues or allergies and the ONLY thing i changed in my life was adding that Rx....so i stopped using it....despite it working quite well.

 

That being said i dont think id agree that im on a pattern for "advanced loss" as you put it...ive had thick hair my entire life, and only started to thin in recent years..im going to be 50 this summer so, YES iam thinning for sure, but not sure its full speed ahead for advanced loss....my Doc didn't mention anything like that either. But did note some miniaturization on the the back crown area.

 

We transplanted a total of over 7000 hairs (2500 grafts with a 2.5 average) thats alot of hair ...most went into the front triangular section of the scalp, fortifying the very front hairline with most, then with more mixed in with the native hair going back into the front, and then about 400 o/ 500 in the thinning crown area...(which may need more later). It was a very smart use of the amount of grafts, addressing most of the concerns in order of importance.

 

Since this update, there has been noticeable improvement of the front hair line NEW growth, as well as some overall density of my native hair, and what i hope is shock loss returning.

 

I agree with you, Fin was very effective, and would offer alot more from my HT, however there are just too many risks with that drug that unfortunately out weight the pros... I went into this with the intent on being completely drug free, as many do. And iam a firm believer that a HT is NOT contingent on Fin to be successful...

 

I think in the months to come i will have a good outcome, just hoping for a good density turn out from the procedure...iam confident in my surgeon Dr Gable, and i will revisit the crown area with perhaps another small transplant maybe next year IF my thinning advances.

 

Thanks for your reply I will update in a couple of months!

 

Hey Matt, glad to hear the hair is starting to come back. I totally understand how you must've felt but as most have said on this forum, this is a game of patience. Look forward to seeing your awesome hair in a couple of months!!

[MattyNJ1]

Thanks for the positive sentiment UK...?

[lukeyb1687]

Matty! How's everything conning along brother? Hope all is growing well. Any updates?

[hairlossPA]

Any update Matty? Interested to see how this came out!

[hairlossPA]

update?

[Speegs]

Would be curious to see how you're coming along as well.

[lukeyb1687]

@MattyNJ1 How is the hair coming along? Hope all is going well man!

[MattyNJ1]

15 hours ago, lukeyb1687 said:

@MattyNJ1 How is the hair coming along? Hope all is going well man!

Touch and go for the 1st 6 months,..9 and 10 were good months for me though. I plan to write a progress post in December @12 months. Looks like you are doing really well with yours!  i believe we both had our HT's the same day if im not mistaken...although i think you have more done mine was 2500... 

This was at the 6 month mark. I was back on fin for about three months trying to recover a lot of shock loss from the procedure, which I think was a good decision at that point in time. I will post a full report in a couple of months seeyah then! happy growing!  

Edited October 26, 2018 by MattyNJ1

[hairlossPA]

if that is at 6 months this is already a homerun! looks great. i got a little worried we stopped hearing from you lol

[Triple7]

Looking good man! Congrats 

[Kelmf01]

MattyNJ1, Great progress and thank you for sharing your HT experience, glad to see that your shock loss/hair regrowth has stabilized...

-kelmf01

[Speegs]

Looking good, you're well on your way.

[hairlossPA]

update? really interested in this result

[yesplease]

On 10/26/2018 at 5:13 AM, MattyNJ1 said:

Touch and go for the 1st 6 months,..9 and 10 were good months for me though. I plan to write a progress post in December @12 months. Looks like you are doing really well with yours!  i believe we both had our HT's the same day if im not mistaken...although i think you have more done mine was 2500... 

This was at the 6 month mark. I was back on fin for about three months trying to recover a lot of shock loss from the procedure, which I think was a good decision at that point in time. I will post a full report in a couple of months seeyah then! happy growing!  

An update would be great. I am on a similar trajectory as you were in terms of age/hairloss and fin intolerance. Wondering how this has turned out for you and whether you stuck with the fin after recently re-starting. Hope all is well! 

[JessicaMaan]

Congratulations, Your FUE hair treatment is successful. This treatment really helps for looking a gentleman. 

[hairlossPA]

@MattyNJ1 an update would be awesome man

[Curlinginthesquatrack]

How’s it going? I had surgery almost six months ago with dr gabel. Great bedside manner and team behind him but I have my concerns with my own HT.

 I have some hair at the corners of temples/hairline that I never had before, which I am very happy about,  but it’s very sparse. Behind it is very thin hair with  bald patches Behind that ( hair was added at temples) and going into middle of head.

thinking some of it was shock loss.

i have to spend time styling it just as before to make it not as noticeable.

I know six months is hard to judge but I feel behind.

[MattyNJ1]

About 1yr 7 months since my HT with Dr. Gable. Sorry about ghosting some of your questions, been busy with life in general. 

So here is my takeaway from my HT, Finasteride usage, and my personal hair loss experience. 

Iam very happy that i put myself through this process, No regrets, the results i got, restored that gut wrenching feeling we all know about, (when we start seeing our ugly scalp in the reflection of the mirror), back to a feeling of satisfaction and confidence...I love not really thinking or worrying about my front hairline receding any more, and that feels great. 

I feel Dr. G was a little conservative with my hairline, as i would've liked to have it slightly lower, and a tad more in the temples, but i let him make the call on the final design. But as a HT surgeon, Dr. G, and the procedure were fantastic. 

Iam probably not one of this sites "WOW" before & after stories, but at nearly 51yrs old iam more than okay with the state of my hair at this point in my life. 

Its true what Dr. G and others have stated, IT TAKES MORE THAN A YEAR....iam just now still seeing visible thickening and maturing and naturalizing of the transplanted hair. I would also caution people about shock loss, as i experienced ALOT of shock loss, and it took a long long time to grow back. That was the only scary 'low point' I had post procedure. 

Finasteride:

I went back on Fin shortly after the HT, despite having some strange reactions the 1st time around. This time low dosage EOD.

I didn't get the visible hair growth right off the bat like the 1st experience, but stuck with it and still take it now only 2x per week.

Look...idk how some ppl claim this drug doesn't give them sexual sides, and iam not calling them a liar however, in my case, it absolutely has many side effects that i acknowledged, monitored and dealt with. Very clear, side effects, not cognitive dissonance or paranoid delusions...just very apparent sides. 

ED, was one of them....no more morning wood was the eventual 1st obvious side effect. FIN comes with a price, while FIN was not growing my hair, (this time)  i (believe) it may be stopping it from falling out and getting worse (fending off dreaded DHT) . So i stayed on it, despite obvious drops in libido, ED, and even some genital shrinkage.....however it would always seem to cycle. There were Eb & flow, highs and lows. And to be clear, never any permanent effects as i stopped here and there for just a few days or a week and everything seems to come back to normal. I settled into a twice a week dosage that seems to be the middle ground now where i dont see any shedding and my libido is normal. I also with out a doubt notice that Fin + Minoxidil in my case work to grow new hair, they seem to be synergistic, for sure. One without the other wont seem to produce for me.... So that is my experience, and anyone using this Rx should know that there is a possibility of these sides, however i think the nightmare cases are rare and are the exception rather than the rule...

At any rate, these are my results taken in the past week or so, (some wet some dry) I grew my hair quite long on top, as ive been building a off grid cabin in the middle of nowhere so i dont cut it much, but you decide for yourself....Good luck to anyone considering HT, i do think it is a great option for most people with hair loss, and Dr. G is a great choice for surgeon....maybe ill be heading back for some temple work and crown in the future....till then I wish you all good luck with your choices and your road to happiness.  

  

 

Edited August 2, 2019 by MattyNJ1

[Melvin- Admin]

WOW you've got some awesome results man. Thanks for updating us with your pictures.

[home1212]

the conservative hairline with some age appropriate recession makes it even more natural! There is no way anyone would think you've had a hair transplant with your result. I understand we'd all want a more hair, but I'm convinced the better docs know exactly where the correct hairline placement should be. I can't tell you how many cases I look at where people are thrilled to have an 18 yo hairline which looks top-heavy, temples not restored properly, and stands out like a sore thumb. Just wanted to let you know your case looks ultra-natural and you should have no regrets about the conservative hairline. Enjoy and congrats! 

[Melvin- Admin]

^this

[win200]

Yeah, this is a great result, especially for a 51-year-old.  It's age appropriate, but you still have far better hair than most guys your age.  Congrats!