Will these steps increase the rate of follicle growth after an FUE HT?

[Datsun213]

I first want to make it clear that I know it's all about patience and that at 5-6 months is when 30 - 50% growth will occur and it takes about a year to see the full length and thickness.

Having said that, my hair length, styled, is about 1.5 inches.  Given a 5 month period I want to do everything I can in the correct sequence to improve my chances of reaching such length.  If I don't reach it, no big deal, perhaps 1 inch is fine, I just want to do my best and learn from the experts if there is anything I could do to reach that goal.

Hopefully my native hair will continue to grow at its regular rate unless it experiences shock loss in which case I would be sh&t out of luck, but to help prevent this, this is what I have learned from this forum and other sources.

Please correct me if I'm wrong or provide any advice/info so that I can incorporate into my plan for the next 5 months.

Step 1: After initial shock loss (2-4) weeks, begin taking finasteride to help maintain the native and newly implanted hairs in place

Step 2: After a month, begin using Minoxidil 5% foam morning and night in the recipient area to help increase the amount of hair

Step 3: Take biotin supplements daily to increase the rate of follicle growth.

Step 4: After a month, begin to massage the recipient area gently to distribute blood around entire site 3 times per week.

Step 5: Do PRP session after month 3 to help increase the chances of hair growth (I know there's been mixed opinion about this)

Is there anything I may have missed from the above steps that will help increase the rate of growth?

Thank you for your advice and recommendations in advance.

[Melvin- Admin]

Nothing can really speed up hair growth for sure. Minoxidil can help, MSM, maybe even PRP, but ultimately you just have to give it 12 months.

[Datsun213]

28 minutes ago, Melvin-Moderator said:

Nothing can really speed up hair growth for sure. Minoxidil can help, MSM, maybe even PRP, but ultimately you just have to give it 12 months.

Thanks for the advice!  

Do you know if MSM is proven to be more effective than Biotin supplements?  

I think I have my game plan, which is to use Minoxidil, MSM (or Biotin), finasteride along with Dutasteride (topical) and maybe a PRP injection in 2 months.  

Hopefully this plan helps prevent some shock loss and increase growth rate.  I'll post some picks to see if this combination was effective or not in the future.

[ciaus]

Steps 1, 2 -Get on the finasteride and minoxidil ASAP, you want to strengthen all your hairs as much as possible to minimize the chances and severity of shockloss. Initial results for those medications can be seen as early as a few months and take up to a year for full results. And if you start these shortly after the transplant its going to be harder to accurately evaluate how successful your hair transplant was. Around the 3-5 month period when your transplanted hair starts coming is also when you'll start to see any hairs re-growing from the minoxidil and finasteride - if you do get some regrowth, some guys just maintain and strengthen their existing visible hairs. 

Minoxidil does increase your blood flow by expanding the size of your blood vessels so your doctor will have you stop taking it 1 or 2 weeks before and after the procedure to minimize the chances for excessive bleeding. Anybody telling you to stop taking minoxidil for longer than 2 weeks before or after the procedure has no supporting studies/evidence on that, and it will only make it more likely that you experience a temporary shed. Stopping a week before and after is sufficient, unless you have some unusual healing issues after the procedure. With finasteride there's no need to stop taking it to get a hair transplant.  

You probably already get enough Biotin in your diet unless you have pretty bad eating habits. If you do want to do some supplementation, I was initially advised to take this by my doctor for other scalp skin conditions and it is targeted towards skin, hair and nails. It does make my nails and hair grow faster:

https://www.amazon.com/Natures-Biotin-Forte-Zinc-Packaging/dp/B000NYG7JG/ref=sr_1_5?dchild=1&keywords=biotin+forte&qid=1613845538&sr=8-5

 

And I wouldn't put much stock in the massaging and PRP, can't hurt anything, except your wallet a bit with the PRP. But as long as you have the extra money to throw around and keep your expectations low.

Like Melvin said, unfortunately there's no surefire FF button for this process. Just be patient and try to keep yourself distracted with the everyday and miraculous things that make life worth living. Time always passes slower while you are looking at the clock.  

 

Edited February 20, 2021 by ciaus

[Raphael84]

Some solid advice above.

I would supplement with MSM and Biotin post surgery as mentioned, but this will have more initial influence over your native hair that will be gaining length as opposed to speeding up/accelerating growth of recently transplanted hair.
As explained, minoxidil increases blood flow and can encourage transplanted grafts to transition into their growth stage that bit earlier.

PRP will not "increase the chances of hair growth". If the procedure was performed well and you scalp has no concerns, this is just a matter of patience. PRP can speed up healing post surgery in some individuals and can "boost" hair that may be in the initial stages of decline/miniaturisation. But as you mention PRP 3 months post surgery for transplanted follicles, the "recovery and healing" phase has essentially passed and in any case, not all individuals respond to PRP. PRP is a treatment that needs to be consistently maintained so one session at 3 months post op, arguably would not have any real value.

Other than that, maintain a healthy and active lifestyle with a healthy diet and allow your body to function as optimal as possible.