Examples of folks that start out well after (3-6 months) a HT, but get worse during the middle months (5-9), but turn out well at the end?

[Lightmare]

Everyone goes through the ugly duckling phase and expects it.  But what about folks who do well in the beginning, clear the initial 1-8 week shedding phase, start growing on schedule (3-4 months), but hit a 'bump in the road' or a 'big shed' halfway down the line (months 5-8) that makes them lose some of their progress since starting their HT journey?  I'm going through this now (at month 6.5 and looking worse than 5.5 due to a shed) and it is very unsettling.  

I have been looking high and low for examples but almost everybody seems to get monotonically better, or at least stays the same month to month to month, between months 5-12 after a HT.  Very few seem to go backwards anytime after month 5, and if they do, I have never seen it improve after that.  I am looking for folks that do improve after they temporarily get worse, specifically after only starting to get worse in the middle months 5-10.  I am not talking about folks who look worse at month 3 than at pre-op as a result of initial shock loss.  I know temporarily losing progress is theoretically possible due to a mid-game shed, which could happen for many reasons, but would love to see some examples.

Of course, hoping that lighting and hair dryness etc are kept regularly consistent throughout the photo diaries. Any examples on the forums would be great! 

Edited December 3, 2021 by Lightmare

[Al - Moderator]

If you were taking finisteride and stopped it for the hair transplant and then didn't get back on it until a few months after the transplant, then you could be having a shed due to that. If that's the case then it should grow back in.

 

[kirkland]

I'm not sure if this applies or not but was just watching the video below on hair cycle desynchronisation. While the phenamenon doesn't seem to match your particular timeline (months 5-8 vs 13-15 months for desync), perhaps it could partially explain what you are experiencing?

 

[HappyMan2021]

A decline in the hair transplant growth and a "shed" so to speak around months 5-8 is abnormal. My initial slapstick guess without knowing more info is that you are rapidly losing more of your native hair. Perhaps you actually weren't a good hair transplant candidate?

[FUT4000]

On 12/3/2021 at 5:38 PM, BeHappy said:

If you were taking finisteride and stopped it for the hair transplant and then didn't get back on it until a few months after the transplant, then you could be having a shed due to that. If that's the case then it should grow back in.

 

Just curious why you would stop finasteride even for hair transplant? It shouldn't effect healing or anything

[Lightmare]

Thanks everyone for your input.  

I started taking finasteride for the first time 1 month after the HT and haven’t stopped.  Also on min 1x/day and ketoconazole 2% 2x / week.  Right after I started finasteride my normal shedding stopped almost completely.  For the past month or so it’s picked up and is higher than it was before starting finasteride.

I can’t tell if it’s native or transplanted hairs shedding.  Also I have heard that fin can cause multiple rounds of synchronous shedding, even up to 2 years after you start taking it as the shed hairs make way for bigger healthier ones.  Is that true?  

My doctor thinks it’s seasonal shedding.  She is having me see a dermatologist and get blood work done.  I really hope it’s just temporary…

If it was anagen desynchronization only 6 months after the HT i’d be ultra upset, as that would mean I already reached the best I’ll see at 5.5 months!

Edited December 5, 2021 by Lightmare

[Lightmare]

Here was my situation pre op, at 5.5 months, and now (6.5 months).

Edited December 5, 2021 by Lightmare

[Lightmare]

Same for the crown:

 

 

 

 

Edited December 5, 2021 by Lightmare