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Post op- 8 months update


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Hi,

So, I had a transplant in the front area about 8 months back. The transplanted hairs are growing and I would say they have improved much but I am still shedding a lot. The current temperature here is around 100-125 degrees Fahrenheit/40-50 degrees Celcius. For about two or about two and a half months after the procedure this is what I did-

Washed hair with filtered water. Used baby shampoo every alternate day and applied aloe vera gel afterwards. Always wore a cap before going out. No workouts. High stress level due to personal and professional reasons.

This is what I do now-

Wash hair with normal tap water. Use baby shampoo sometimes but mostly herbal shampoo every alternate day. Use Oil(non sticky oil or baby oil) or sometimes aloe vera gel. Discarded the cap completely. Do very light intensity workouts at home, though not regular. Stress level is the same. Used henna, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Henna , twice in a gap of a week last month on transplanted hairs also.

Now when I wake up in the morning there are about 10-20 hairs on the bed. Shampoo takes out about 20-30 of them. Oil or aloe vera another 20-30. I avoid touching my hair. On my table while working I see atleast 10-15 hairs in a day. I use normal whey protein along with a multivitamin.

The hairfall has increased in the past 2-3 months. Maybe I didn't notice it earlier as the hair length was small, I am not sure. Took regular PRP sessions after the transplant but I think PRP is highly overrated no offence to anyone.

In my state most of the clinics vouch for PRP only. Only one or two would prescribe finasteride. I called up the clinic today and explained them the issue and they eventually told me to go for 1 mg of finasteride per day for 15 days because as per them skin will become firm with it and it will stop the shedding. When I asked that if anything else is needed to stop the production or reduce the DHT levels, they had no idea what I was talking about. They also told me to go with Hairost SG multivitamins.

Anyways due to the lockdown I cannot go to some other doctor. So, here are my questions-

1. Should I change my routine to whatever I followed in the first two/two and a half months?

2. Should I go with Finasteride? If yes then with which one should I go with, the 0.5mg one or the 1mg one? For how many months should I continue it? I am scared of the initial phase when the shedding is super high.

3. Should I change the multivitamin?

4. Any other thing which I need to add here? Avoiding minoxidil as I don't think there's a need of it as of now.

Thanks

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Bit of a infomation overload... So theres no problem with your transplant? you are just shedding native hair?

The only things worth speaking about are finasteride & minoxidil - all the rest vitamins etc will not help you retain any hair.

Try starting with finasteride 1mg 3 times per week (mon/wed/fri) see how you tolerate it for 6 months if shedding stops happy days, if it still continues try increasing the dosage.

Im quite shocked you didn't already know this having undergone a transplant. who was the surgeon?

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4 hours ago, tesla007 said:

Hi,

So, I had a transplant in the front area about 8 months back. The transplanted hairs are growing and I would say they have improved much but I am still shedding a lot. The current temperature here is around 100-125 degrees Fahrenheit/40-50 degrees Celcius. For about two or about two and a half months after the procedure this is what I did-

Washed hair with filtered water. Used baby shampoo every alternate day and applied aloe vera gel afterwards. Always wore a cap before going out. No workouts. High stress level due to personal and professional reasons.

This is what I do now-

Wash hair with normal tap water. Use baby shampoo sometimes but mostly herbal shampoo every alternate day. Use Oil(non sticky oil or baby oil) or sometimes aloe vera gel. Discarded the cap completely. Do very light intensity workouts at home, though not regular. Stress level is the same. Used henna, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Henna , twice in a gap of a week last month on transplanted hairs also.

Now when I wake up in the morning there are about 10-20 hairs on the bed. Shampoo takes out about 20-30 of them. Oil or aloe vera another 20-30. I avoid touching my hair. On my table while working I see atleast 10-15 hairs in a day. I use normal whey protein along with a multivitamin.

The hairfall has increased in the past 2-3 months. Maybe I didn't notice it earlier as the hair length was small, I am not sure. Took regular PRP sessions after the transplant but I think PRP is highly overrated no offence to anyone.

In my state most of the clinics vouch for PRP only. Only one or two would prescribe finasteride. I called up the clinic today and explained them the issue and they eventually told me to go for 1 mg of finasteride per day for 15 days because as per them skin will become firm with it and it will stop the shedding. When I asked that if anything else is needed to stop the production or reduce the DHT levels, they had no idea what I was talking about. They also told me to go with Hairost SG multivitamins.

Anyways due to the lockdown I cannot go to some other doctor. So, here are my questions-

1. Should I change my routine to whatever I followed in the first two/two and a half months?

2. Should I go with Finasteride? If yes then with which one should I go with, the 0.5mg one or the 1mg one? For how many months should I continue it? I am scared of the initial phase when the shedding is super high.

3. Should I change the multivitamin?

4. Any other thing which I need to add here? Avoiding minoxidil as I don't think there's a need of it as of now.

Thanks

Nice to hear from you.  Hope you are staying safe which is the most important.

Are you in the dessert?

Why are you stressing? I learned long ago the next day typically things tend to resolve themselves without intervention.  Most worries are for nothing. Work on it.

Simplify your routine.  Try baby shampoo or any with no alcohol. Shampoo does not need to be expensive.  Why do you use oil?  As humans we naturally secrete what's needed. Try not using it for 1 week and report.

Most believe shedding 100 hairs a day is normal.  This will happen randomly to every hair throughout your head.  That hair will return.  The hair you need to be looking at is the miniaturized hair, (and you do have a few). You can determine this by looking at the shaft of each strand.  This is evident mostly on the hairline and temporal areas.

DHT is the bi-product of testosterone. The more testosterone, the more DHT.  That's why DHT blockers like Propecia are typically discussed during a hair restoration consultation. By taking Finasteride, you are dealing with the issue.

Get on 1mg Finasteride and don't stop. If not available, get the 5mg and split it into 4. You will do this for the rest of your life.  Not doing it or taking it and then stopping is just a waste of time and money.  Let me give you an example.

My son now 27 has been of Finasteride for 8 years.  He has a beautiful set of hair. (There is tons of history of severe hair loss).  Say he was supposed to have lost it all by now. If he stops the med, within one year, he will lose all he would have lost.  It would be dramatic to say the least. (If he was not supposed to lose any, he will lose nothing.  But this is the gamble - not knowing).  So you need to rely on family history to give you somewhat of an indication as to what's going to happen.

Vitamins are not helping you with hair retention.  They can help make the hair look the best it can be but that's it.  If you're used to taking it daily, continue.  No harm.

I am not a fan of minoxidil.  I like the laser better.  There is plenty of evidence out there suggesting there is synergy when combining modalities.  

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21 hours ago, Mr S said:

Bit of a infomation overload... So theres no problem with your transplant? you are just shedding native hair?

The only things worth speaking about are finasteride & minoxidil - all the rest vitamins etc will not help you retain any hair.

Try starting with finasteride 1mg 3 times per week (mon/wed/fri) see how you tolerate it for 6 months if shedding stops happy days, if it still continues try increasing the dosage.

Im quite shocked you didn't already know this having undergone a transplant. who was the surgeon?

Thanks for replying.

I am shedding the native hair I believe.

Isn't finasteride supposed to be taken everyday?

Surgeon was a local one here in India.

Edited by tesla007
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21 hours ago, LaserCap said:

Nice to hear from you.  Hope you are staying safe which is the most important.

Are you in the dessert?

Why are you stressing? I learned long ago the next day typically things tend to resolve themselves without intervention.  Most worries are for nothing. Work on it.

Simplify your routine.  Try baby shampoo or any with no alcohol. Shampoo does not need to be expensive.  Why do you use oil?  As humans we naturally secrete what's needed. Try not using it for 1 week and report.

Most believe shedding 100 hairs a day is normal.  This will happen randomly to every hair throughout your head.  That hair will return.  The hair you need to be looking at is the miniaturized hair, (and you do have a few). You can determine this by looking at the shaft of each strand.  This is evident mostly on the hairline and temporal areas.

DHT is the bi-product of testosterone. The more testosterone, the more DHT.  That's why DHT blockers like Propecia are typically discussed during a hair restoration consultation. By taking Finasteride, you are dealing with the issue.

Get on 1mg Finasteride and don't stop. If not available, get the 5mg and split it into 4. You will do this for the rest of your life.  Not doing it or taking it and then stopping is just a waste of time and money.  Let me give you an example.

My son now 27 has been of Finasteride for 8 years.  He has a beautiful set of hair. (There is tons of history of severe hair loss).  Say he was supposed to have lost it all by now. If he stops the med, within one year, he will lose all he would have lost.  It would be dramatic to say the least. (If he was not supposed to lose any, he will lose nothing.  But this is the gamble - not knowing).  So you need to rely on family history to give you somewhat of an indication as to what's going to happen.

Vitamins are not helping you with hair retention.  They can help make the hair look the best it can be but that's it.  If you're used to taking it daily, continue.  No harm.

I am not a fan of minoxidil.  I like the laser better.  There is plenty of evidence out there suggesting there is synergy when combining modalities.  

Thanks for replying. Not in the desert just usual temps here in summers. Ah you are right, no point in stressing. I think I need to cool off a bit.

The only reason I use oil is because I have curly hair and without using any product I am not able to set them in any way. Oil helps a little in setting them up. Aloe Vera does too. I don't know if there's any other natural product out there which can be used and which is harmless.

Finding a shaft of each strand in curly hair is a mess.

Hairline is fine so far as it has transplanted hairs.

I am ready to get on finasteride but the only thing which worries me is the faster shedding phase when we start taking it.

Is whey protein okay to consume? Do you recommend wearing a cap nowadays too?

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There are tons of products out there depending on what you are trying to achieve.  Go to the store and talk to someone with experience and explain.  Products will do nothing. Again, avoid alcohol.

Be thrilled you have curly hair.  This will typically give you more lateral coverage and make the loss less significant looking.

Get on Finasteride and don't worry about the shedding.  Remember, whatever you "see" returns. 

You can do what you want, no excess.  Caps are OK, they do nothing but protect your scalp from burning.

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20 hours ago, tesla007 said:

Thanks for replying. Not in the desert just usual temps here in summers. Ah you are right, no point in stressing. I think I need to cool off a bit.

The only reason I use oil is because I have curly hair and without using any product I am not able to set them in any way. Oil helps a little in setting them up. Aloe Vera does too. I don't know if there's any other natural product out there which can be used and which is harmless.

Finding a shaft of each strand in curly hair is a mess.

Hairline is fine so far as it has transplanted hairs.

I am ready to get on finasteride but the only thing which worries me is the faster shedding phase when we start taking it.

Is whey protein okay to consume? Do you recommend wearing a cap nowadays too?

Hi Mate,

I am on my 6 Months after HT, shedding a bit too, but I think its normal to shed more in the monsoons or the month of july due to humidity levels. Don't worry your hair will come back as the season ends. I have noticed this from last few years, my hair gets thinner in summers and denser in other seasons. I have read about this in many articles as well. 

I would like you to add salmon fish oil Omega 3 in your regiment daily and See if it helps.

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On 7/12/2020 at 1:58 PM, nishchd said:

Hi Mate,

I am on my 6 Months after HT, shedding a bit too, but I think its normal to shed more in the monsoons or the month of july due to humidity levels. Don't worry your hair will come back as the season ends. I have noticed this from last few years, my hair gets thinner in summers and denser in other seasons. I have read about this in many articles as well. 

I would like you to add salmon fish oil Omega 3 in your regiment daily and See if it helps.

 

@LaserCap

I was told the same thing by the clinic. Monsoon season has started here and first the clinic said to ignore it. When I said I was very worried they told me to go for finasteride and see if it works in 15 days. If it does they told me to continue for 3 months. They said shedding 200 hair per day is okay. But when they come out while applying aloe vera gel or something that is really not okay for me.

Uploading some photos. I am okay starting finasteride but should I wait for this season to pass or should I start finasteride right now? Also what are your views on minoxidil tablets?

Please check the hairline. It is not in a line, I mean somewhere hair is on the line and in some places it lags behind. Lesser density is in the hairline and also in some areas behind the hairline. This confuses me a lot whether to go with finasteride or just wait a little.

@nishchd

Hi, From where did you have your transplant brother? So, you are also not going for finasteride?

Looping in @gillenator and Rolandas

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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Hi Mate,

 

I think you got a fantastic results and I think you should not worry at all, You have quite a thick hair man, regarding your Hairline, i think it is intended to have a zigzag pattern to make it look more natural but you have thick hair which is giving some kind of unnatural look, but By time it will soften up for sure.

Regarding Finesteride, I will 100 miles stay away from that thing. It gives me side effects like a nightmare. I would not consume it by any chance even I lose all my hair in future. My overall health is more important. I try to control the DHT levels naturally by having green tea, pumpkin seeds, procapil serum and overall healthy diet. PRP also helped me alot. So I will continue this lifestyle. I did my transplant (all 3) from Chandigarh but from different clinic Everytime.

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19 minutes ago, nishchd said:

Hi Mate,

 

I think you got a fantastic results and I think you should not worry at all, You have quite a thick hair man, regarding your Hairline, i think it is intended to have a zigzag pattern to make it look more natural but you have thick hair which is giving some kind of unnatural look, but By time it will soften up for sure.

Regarding Finesteride, I will 100 miles stay away from that thing. It gives me side effects like a nightmare. I would not consume it by any chance even I lose all my hair in future. My overall health is more important. I try to control the DHT levels naturally by having green tea, pumpkin seeds, procapil serum and overall healthy diet. PRP also helped me alot. So I will continue this lifestyle. I did my transplant (all 3) from Chandigarh but from different clinic Everytime.

The problem is with curly hair the gaps are very hard to view. About the hairline I was not talking about the zig zag pattern but it is not in continuous pattern and the density is very bad. It can be noted when I have wet hair. Will share photos with wet hair.

Side effects like? Do you exercise, consume whey etc.? And do you experience hairs coming out while applying anything on hair? What exactly do you use on hair to set them?

So, that means darling buds, reviva and one other. If you don't mind me asking, why different clinics each time?

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1 hour ago, tesla007 said:

The problem is with curly hair the gaps are very hard to view. About the hairline I was not talking about the zig zag pattern but it is not in continuous pattern and the density is very bad. It can be noted when I have wet hair. Will share photos with wet hair.

Side effects like? Do you exercise, consume whey etc.? And do you experience hairs coming out while applying anything on hair? What exactly do you use on hair to set them?

So, that means darling buds, reviva and one other. If you don't mind me asking, why different clinics each time?

By side effects I meant sexual side effects,low libido and ED. I testicles get some weird sensations even after taking one pill and it stayed for one week.May be I am too sensitive to finesteride and it might not be the case with others. But i have heard some horror stories about finesteride where men didn't recover at all by the side effects.

Different clinic every time because I wasn't satisfied from the work from my previous two HTs. But I think I am lucky 3rd time lucky now and chose a less renowned clinic which care more for their clients and are more professional and not after money only.

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OP - A little outside perspective for you...

You have an amazing head of hair and it seems very likely that you're overthinking this way too much. We shed an average of 100 hairs a day... And if you're washing you hair every other day, the natural hair fall you experience will build up and can often look more alarming than it actually is. Also, 10-20 hairs really isn't anything to be concerned about, especially considering how thick and dense your hair already is. 

You can try finasteride if you'd like. Many guys have success with it, and and some don't. I didn't respond well to it, but the only way to know if it's for you or not is to try it. 

My last piece of unsolicited advice is to ditch the whey. I have no idea if it has an effect on your hair, but it isn't very healthy. Full disclosure that this advice is coming from a vegan, buuut I think a plant-based protein powder would be much better for your overall health, especially considering most protein powders contain metals and other toxins. I use a brand called Vivo Life that tests for all of that and it digests really well. 

Take all that for what it's worth - and good luck! (And seriously... Your hair looks amazing. Know that.) 

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15 hours ago, nishchd said:

By side effects I meant sexual side effects,low libido and ED. I testicles get some weird sensations even after taking one pill and it stayed for one week.May be I am too sensitive to finesteride and it might not be the case with others. But i have heard some horror stories about finesteride where men didn't recover at all by the side effects.

Different clinic every time because I wasn't satisfied from the work from my previous two HTs. But I think I am lucky 3rd time lucky now and chose a less renowned clinic which care more for their clients and are more professional and not after money only.

Oh. Did you try saw palmetto? Again can you share the name of the third clinic or pm me? Have you shared your experience with photos in some thread?

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11 hours ago, pkipling said:

OP - A little outside perspective for you...

You have an amazing head of hair and it seems very likely that you're overthinking this way too much. We shed an average of 100 hairs a day... And if you're washing you hair every other day, the natural hair fall you experience will build up and can often look more alarming than it actually is. Also, 10-20 hairs really isn't anything to be concerned about, especially considering how thick and dense your hair already is. 

You can try finasteride if you'd like. Many guys have success with it, and and some don't. I didn't respond well to it, but the only way to know if it's for you or not is to try it. 

My last piece of unsolicited advice is to ditch the whey. I have no idea if it has an effect on your hair, but it isn't very healthy. Full disclosure that this advice is coming from a vegan, buuut I think a plant-based protein powder would be much better for your overall health, especially considering most protein powders contain metals and other toxins. I use a brand called Vivo Life that tests for all of that and it digests really well. 

Take all that for what it's worth - and good luck! (And seriously... Your hair looks amazing. Know that.) 

Thanks for replying. PFA the photos with front part after spraying with water. See the gaps/less density. It worries me a lot :(

So, should I get on the finasteride train or not? I am ready to stick with it for a year to see some results. But two things keep on bugging me, a. Do I really need it or not? and b. That fast shedding phase when we start and stop it worries me.

Can you suggest something natural to apply to the hair to set them? In the below photos, I applied aloe vera gel a day earlier after shampooing.

You are right. @Melvin-Moderator also suggested the same. The clinic said that whey, as it's made up of milk, is good for the body and hair. But IDK I react differently to it. To each his own. Light exercise 2-3 times a week, sounds good?

And I am sticking with the cap from now on once again.

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6 minutes ago, HTHope said:

Do you henna your hair? I’m wondering where the light brown hairs are coming from 

Yes. I mentioned it in the original post. Is it fine for hair?

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I still think that you are thinking too much and your hair look great, hair transplants are never perfect, I have had 3 and I still need more. Try to change the hair style, go for side and back short hair cut , do some experiments and see how does it look. 

Wet hair reveals gap in I think everyone's head ,even on the guys with dense hair.

If you want to go for Fin, go for lower dose to start with like .25mg and see how you accept it.

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5 minutes ago, nishchd said:

I still think that you are thinking too much and your hair look great, hair transplants are never perfect, I have had 3 and I still need more. Try to change the hair style, go for side and back short hair cut , do some experiments and see how does it look. 

Wet hair reveals gap in I think everyone's head ,even on the guys with dense hair.

If you want to go for Fin, go for lower dose to start with like .25mg and see how you accept it.

Oh do you think that Fin is needed for the same then?

Any brand for Fin which you can suggest?

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You have a good head of hair with some thinning so definitely consider getting on Fin.  @nishchd gave you good advice with the lower dosage start.  

I get a generic prescription of proscar (finasteride 5 MG) and I cut it into fourths (1.25 MG).  This amounts to about $15 for a three month supply.  You might be able to cut it into smaller pieces but it'd get tricky to do that without the pill crumbling.  

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IMHO it is always best to start finasteride 9-12 months prior to surgery...I never like the idea of starting the initial use during the regrowth period as we all know it can potentially induce a shed and who wants that when you are waiting for the grafts to start growing?!

 

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I am not a physician and not employed by any doctor/clinic. My opinions are not medical advice, but are my own views which you read at your own risk.

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8 hours ago, gillenator said:

IMHO it is always best to start finasteride 9-12 months prior to surgery...I never like the idea of starting the initial use during the regrowth period as we all know it can potentially induce a shed and who wants that when you are waiting for the grafts to start growing?!

 

The shed which it will cause is really really confusing me whether to start now or wait a bit.

I have read threads posted here by people from various parts of the world. They have mentioned that they were not on Finasteride but after the transplant the doctor prescribed it to them. For some the prescription period was 3 months, for some 6-10 and for some forever. Now what you have mentioned is also true. So, what should one do at this stage? If wait then for how long before starting Finasteride?

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