Regular Member MikeJohnDaDon Posted February 19, 2022 Regular Member Share Posted February 19, 2022 Hey all! 8 days post-op. I can't wait to remove staples and cut the hair in the back this upcoming week so I look somewhat normal again lol. First week was just recovering from swelling and all that. All in all, had a very positive experience with Dr. Bloxham and his team. Will probably look at getting the back half done at some point in the next 1.5-2 years and will still maintain the area in the meantime so I can try to keep what I have. The procedure went well. I am not sure what it was but towards the end I became a bit restless (not terribly - I just wanted to stretch and move a lot towards the end since I was sitting nearly all day) and I've never had that happen to me - not sure if it was my body reacting to the surgical process over the course of the day or if it was me being hungry too, etc. Was half-awake the first half of the operation, second half had trouble falling back asleep. Feel next time I should just sleep deprive myself the night before lol. Also, pro tip, when they ask you if you feel anything sharp or painful when they're poking you, tell them everything - otherwise, if you play tough guy like I did for a few of those pokes where it didn't hurt a lot but did feel somewhat sharp, not telling them makes the process messier due to bleeding, which only makes the procedure take longer. Aside from that, pre-op instructions leading to the HT date were followed exactly and I think I did well. Attempts at hair recovery prior to going the transplant route included everything from any essential oil application you can imagine, to minoxidil, ketoconazole shampoo, Rogaine foam, dermarolling, Dutasteride/Avodart (every 2-3 days w/ breaks), daily topical fin solution, various diet changes throughout, exercise, sauna, etc. Early 2020 was when I had my "aha" moment in the mirror under some downlighting. Mid-2021 is when I had my consultation w/ Dr. Bloxham and scheduled my HT thereafter. Funny thing is I was always told I'd go bald like my dad but never saw it tbh, until that day in the mirror. Maybe I'm blind but when you see yourself every day, I think it sneaks up on a lot of us. Wish I knew more about prevention ahead of time but it is what it is. Happy the obvious hair loss signs "started" after college though - would have annoyed me during school for sure. I'll definitely pass the prevention knowledge on to the future generations though. Side note, go easy on dermarolling if you do it. Dr. Bloxham was able to see damage to my scalp tissue because of it and I hadn't dermarolled in many months. I tried to be a hyper-responder to dermarolling when I did do it but I clearly went too hard with it. He advised the tissue damage shouldn't impair the regrowth process. Anyway, I'll be updating this thread w/ progress pics over the next year. Before transplant: See pic below and also my profile pic to see how the hair looked parted. 8 days post-transplant: Still wearing button-up shirts only, prob for just a few more days. No towel on head either, just airdry. Been following post-op instructions to a T. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Senior Member kirkland Posted February 20, 2022 Senior Member Share Posted February 20, 2022 4 hours ago, MikeJohnDaDon said: Side note, go easy on dermarolling if you do it. Dr. Bloxham was able to see damage to my scalp tissue because of it and I hadn't dermarolled in many months. I tried to be a hyper-responder to dermarolling when I did do it but I clearly went too hard with it. He advised the tissue damage shouldn't impair the regrowth process. What was your dermarolling routine? How deep did you go? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Senior Member kirkland Posted February 20, 2022 Senior Member Share Posted February 20, 2022 Looks like it is healing well. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Regular Member MikeJohnDaDon Posted February 20, 2022 Author Regular Member Share Posted February 20, 2022 6 minutes ago, kirkland said: What was your dermarolling routine? How deep did you go? I used the Derminator machine once a week for 30min at 1.5mm. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Senior Member kirkland Posted February 20, 2022 Senior Member Share Posted February 20, 2022 Woah - were you using with minoxidil or dermarolling alone? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lycheeluvr Posted February 20, 2022 Share Posted February 20, 2022 Looking good man. I have a procedure with Bloxham in four months and I've been crazy stalking this forum trying to ease my anxiety. Thank you for sharing, happy growing 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Regular Member MikeJohnDaDon Posted February 20, 2022 Author Regular Member Share Posted February 20, 2022 11 hours ago, kirkland said: Woah - were you using with minoxidil or dermarolling alone? Day of dermination, I would not use minox for 24hrs. I probably should have just done like 10min with that machine - it's pretty high grade. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Senior Member kirkland Posted February 20, 2022 Senior Member Share Posted February 20, 2022 24 minutes ago, MikeJohnDaDon said: Day of dermination, I would not use minox for 24hrs. I probably should have just done like 10min with that machine - it's pretty high grade. Yeah - derminator is a real potent micro needling machine. Good cautionary tale for those aggressively microneedling. Glad to hear that it won't impact your growth. Happy growing! 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Regular Member MikeJohnDaDon Posted February 26, 2022 Author Regular Member Share Posted February 26, 2022 15 Days Post-Op Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Senior Member baldiee Posted March 10, 2022 Senior Member Share Posted March 10, 2022 how old are you? looks good Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Regular Member MikeJohnDaDon Posted March 19, 2022 Author Regular Member Share Posted March 19, 2022 On 3/10/2022 at 2:29 AM, baldiee said: how old are you? looks good 27, thanks Here is the update 35 days since operation. Definitely going to use toppik on the back-end until I get that addressed in a year or so. No sense in using toppik yet though... waiting for the front to fill. Hopefully, by June I'm guessing since that'll be 4 months post-op. Other than that, using ketoconazole shampoo, applying a minox solution in morning and night plus dutasteride every other night to keep what I got left back there. I could wear a cap to go back to gym but I really don't like wearing hats when working out. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Senior Member civic Posted March 19, 2022 Senior Member Share Posted March 19, 2022 Looks good! Did he advise you to take fin or dut? I had a consult with him few months ago, in my situation he did not recommend meds. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Regular Member MikeJohnDaDon Posted March 19, 2022 Author Regular Member Share Posted March 19, 2022 45 minutes ago, civic said: Looks good! Did he advise you to take fin or dut? I had a consult with him few months ago, in my situation he did not recommend meds. Appreciate it! Slow growth, just being patient. I actually didn't ask about continuing my protocol, just went with it. Figure I need to continue in order to retain the back-half of my hair until my second HT with him. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Administrators Melvin- Admin Posted March 20, 2022 Administrators Share Posted March 20, 2022 On 3/19/2022 at 9:26 AM, MikeJohnDaDon said: 27, thanks Here is the update 35 days since operation. Definitely going to use toppik on the back-end until I get that addressed in a year or so. No sense in using toppik yet though... waiting for the front to fill. Hopefully, by June I'm guessing since that'll be 4 months post-op. Other than that, using ketoconazole shampoo, applying a minox solution in morning and night plus dutasteride every other night to keep what I got left back there. I could wear a cap to go back to gym but I really don't like wearing hats when working out. Entering the ugly duckling phase. It’s tough but will get better soon. I’m starting to see some growth, at 2.5 months. 1 Quote I was just an inch away from booking a a hairmill based on google reviews before i stumbled upon this goldmine of a forum. I’m a paid administrator for Hair Transplant Network. I do not receive compensation from any clinic, and my comments are not medical advice. Check out my final hair transplant and topical dutasteride journey: View my thread Topical dutasteride journey Melvin- Managing Publisher and Forum Moderator for the Hair Transplant Network, the Coalition Hair Loss Learning Center, and the Hair Loss Q&A Blog. Follow our Social Media: Facebook, Instagram, Linkedin, and YouTube. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Senior Member Britanium Posted March 22, 2022 Senior Member Share Posted March 22, 2022 Looks bang on track. How’s the FUT scar looking? 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Regular Member Harry Bosch Posted March 22, 2022 Regular Member Share Posted March 22, 2022 On 2/20/2022 at 8:40 AM, MikeJohnDaDon said: Day of dermination, I would not use minox for 24hrs. I probably should have just done like 10min with that machine - it's pretty high grade. Did Dr. Bloxham clarify why the scarring wouldn’t impact the graft growth and m survival? One of my personal fears with trying microneedling is that it might jeopardize the recipient area in a future transplant. curious to hear if Dr Bloxham offered any additional insight here that might helpful to future surgical patients Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Regular Member MikeJohnDaDon Posted March 22, 2022 Author Regular Member Share Posted March 22, 2022 8 hours ago, Harry Bosch said: Did Dr. Bloxham clarify why the scarring wouldn’t impact the graft growth and m survival? One of my personal fears with trying microneedling is that it might jeopardize the recipient area in a future transplant. curious to hear if Dr Bloxham offered any additional insight here that might helpful to future surgical patients Yeah that's all the info I have. He just said it shouldn't cause any issues with regrowth. Time will tell at this point. If it regrows well, awesome. If it doesn't, may just need to shave it all off lmao - at least I tried an HT if that's what happens, but I doubt it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Regular Member MikeJohnDaDon Posted April 23, 2022 Author Regular Member Share Posted April 23, 2022 71 days - Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Regular Member ItHasToLookNatural Posted April 24, 2022 Regular Member Share Posted April 24, 2022 how long will it be red? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Regular Member MikeJohnDaDon Posted April 24, 2022 Author Regular Member Share Posted April 24, 2022 1 hour ago, ItHasToLookNatural said: how long will it be red? Guessing another month and a half. From what I hear, the 4 month mark is when you start to see promising signs of growth. I had nothing there so it's understandably taking longer in those regions that are showing more redness than hair. Can't wait for the buzz look to come in. I'll be really happy when I see that. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Regular Member MikeJohnDaDon Posted May 22, 2022 Author Regular Member Share Posted May 22, 2022 100 days. Keep in mind this is under fluorescent light so it's a harsh pic. Doesn't look like this when I'm looking at someone, looks somewhat like a buzz, getting there. Patience patience patience. Excited for the next phase of progress during the 4-6 month mark. Especially, looking forward to that patch filling in. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Regular Member hairfloss Posted June 1, 2022 Regular Member Share Posted June 1, 2022 Great progress. How’s the scar? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Regular Member MikeJohnDaDon Posted June 1, 2022 Author Regular Member Share Posted June 1, 2022 6 hours ago, hairfloss said: Great progress. How’s the scar? It's good man! Little skinny slice of heaven. I don't mind it at all. Once the hair grows out, won't even see it. Just looks like I took off a hat. Have to look close to see it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Regular Member gxm100 Posted June 18, 2022 Regular Member Share Posted June 18, 2022 (edited) @MikeJohnDaDon any 4 month update? was looking like you were just getting started back in May! Edited June 18, 2022 by gxm100 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Regular Member MikeJohnDaDon Posted June 19, 2022 Author Regular Member Share Posted June 19, 2022 (edited) 19 hours ago, gxm100 said: @MikeJohnDaDon any 4 month update? was looking like you were just getting started back in May! Still chugging along! Bottom pic is dry, top pic is with daily hair solution applied. Planning my six-month follow up visit soon. Also, using as harsh lighting as possible. Edited June 19, 2022 by MikeJohnDaDon 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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