Experiment: A holistic approach to healthy hair

[Vasilius]

I've heard many on this forum and others like it bash this or that hair loss treatment. While I appreciate and share skepticism of anything and everything, I try to strike a balance between skepticism and discovery in everything I try.

 

There are several unproven treatments that I'm trying or will try soon, among them:

 

MSM

Saw Palmetto

LLLT (laser therapy)

copper peptides

Nizoral

 

In addition, I'll be using the 2 FDA-approved drugs that offer varying degrees of efficacy in preventing further loss/enhancing existing hair (finasteride & minoxodil).

 

I know it's not a proper experiment, but I'm not doing this for true research. All of the above treatments have been shown to have a positive effect on the scalp or hair follicles (increased blood supply, faster cell repair, protection from DHT, healthier skin cells, etc) that MAY contribute to healthier hair. Is "hair count" the only indicator of a good-looking head of hair? Not in my book. I believe quality (shaft thickness, pigmentation, texture, fullness, and healthy scalp underneath) is as important as the quantity and density of hair. Who wants hair that looks like brittle, raggedy pubes on their head anyway? There are a lot of men with receded hairlines but their hair still looks GREAT because it's healthy, shiny, and full.

 

So what if such-and-such isn't FDA-approved to increase the individual number of peach-fuzz hairs barely clinging to my scalp? If some have tried it and it made their hair look better in their opinion, and the cost won't hurt my budget, and I can accept the risk of side effects - why the hell not try it myself?

 

Now, I'm not telling everyone who reads this to blow $500 on a laser comb instead of buying groceries. If $10 a month for generic minoxodil at Costco is going to keep food out of your kids' mouths or is just ridiculous in principle for you, then do without. It's not gonna "change your life" either way. But if you can even consider $10,000+ for a transplant, you must be doing pretty well in life and a $500 laser comb isn't stupid if YOU are willing to give it a go. That's not for me to tell you though - and not for you to tell me. I'm just sharing my experiment with you, fellow travelers...I'll keep you posted.

 

Peace and chicken grease~

~AF1

[Vasilius]

I've heard many on this forum and others like it bash this or that hair loss treatment. While I appreciate and share skepticism of anything and everything, I try to strike a balance between skepticism and discovery in everything I try.

 

There are several unproven treatments that I'm trying or will try soon, among them:

 

MSM

Saw Palmetto

LLLT (laser therapy)

copper peptides

Nizoral

 

In addition, I'll be using the 2 FDA-approved drugs that offer varying degrees of efficacy in preventing further loss/enhancing existing hair (finasteride & minoxodil).

 

I know it's not a proper experiment, but I'm not doing this for true research. All of the above treatments have been shown to have a positive effect on the scalp or hair follicles (increased blood supply, faster cell repair, protection from DHT, healthier skin cells, etc) that MAY contribute to healthier hair. Is "hair count" the only indicator of a good-looking head of hair? Not in my book. I believe quality (shaft thickness, pigmentation, texture, fullness, and healthy scalp underneath) is as important as the quantity and density of hair. Who wants hair that looks like brittle, raggedy pubes on their head anyway? There are a lot of men with receded hairlines but their hair still looks GREAT because it's healthy, shiny, and full.

 

So what if such-and-such isn't FDA-approved to increase the individual number of peach-fuzz hairs barely clinging to my scalp? If some have tried it and it made their hair look better in their opinion, and the cost won't hurt my budget, and I can accept the risk of side effects - why the hell not try it myself?

 

Now, I'm not telling everyone who reads this to blow $500 on a laser comb instead of buying groceries. If $10 a month for generic minoxodil at Costco is going to keep food out of your kids' mouths or is just ridiculous in principle for you, then do without. It's not gonna "change your life" either way. But if you can even consider $10,000+ for a transplant, you must be doing pretty well in life and a $500 laser comb isn't stupid if YOU are willing to give it a go. That's not for me to tell you though - and not for you to tell me. I'm just sharing my experiment with you, fellow travelers...I'll keep you posted.

 

Peace and chicken grease~

~AF1

[Dr. William Lindsey]

Hey AirForceOne,

 

Sounds interesting. I am the first to tell or post only to use products that have been shown in peer reviewed US medical journals to be effective.

 

But, if you are going to try these things, I will follow your progress; or lack thereof, with interest.

 

If you can, please post consistently taken pictures periodically. What I mean is, get a camera and a room at your house and take some pics without a flash today and post them. Then do exactly the same camera setting, same room(same lighting) and same posture each time. To keep from forgetting and to get regular pics, consider doing it the day you pay your rent/mortgage.

 

Having operated on folks for 13 years, I have seen all kinds of things work with varying success for some patients. These may work well for you.

 

I would be even more intrigued if you would do everything EXCEPT the LLLT for a year, then add the laser but change nothing else.

 

Good luck.

 

Dr. Lindsey McLean VA

[Vasilius]

Thanks Dr. Lindsey :-)

 

I appreciate your interest in my humble experiment, and please keep in mind that I'm only trying to explore approaches to healthy skin and hair, and that I'm sharing this in a spirit of, "this protocol worked for me in this specific way, it may work for you if you duplicate it." I wish I could contribute more than that, but I'm not qualified.

 

To make for as valid a comparison as possible, I will take before/after photos of ungrafted areas of my scalp where I am experiencing some miniaturization of hair follicles (mid-scalp). I'm thinking a 4-month interval is sufficient to document my findings and recalibrate my regimen accordingly. I would be very interested in any advice you could give though.

 

As for LLLT, I'm currently undergoing weekly therapy to enhance post-op healing from a 2,456 graft session I had a week ago, but my last LLLT session is on Dec 1 and I will discontinue after that. I don't want to exclude any of the other components I mentioned in my previous post, because the synergistic/compounding effect these components may have toward hair growth is part of my hypothesis, and I don't think that an all-in-one non-surgical solution exists or is necessary. I'll take your suggestion and hold off on LLLT until I feel I have concluded my findings on the rest of the protocol without it. I know LLLT is a controversial treatment so it would be more interesting to try it while using the rest of the protocol as a control element.

 

Thanks again doctor, I'll be posting the initial pics soon :-)

 

 

Cheers,

AF1

[Dr. Alan Feller]

AF1,

Could you tell us who is performing LLLT on you and what he is charging you?

 

Also, could you ask your doctor how he expects the laser to work on follicles when it can't pass through the skin's natural "optical barrier"?

 

I look forward to your response and his answer.

 

Thank you,

Dr. F

[Dr. Alan Feller]

AF1,

 

I asked who your doctor was.

[Dr. Alan Feller]

What a windbag.

 

Go back to cleaning latrines you phoney.

[Dr. Alan Feller]

I disparage anonymous phoneys with agendas.

 

I use my real name and address, how about you step up and do the same?

 

You claim to have had an HT and you claim to be receiving LLLT, yet you haven't posted any photos and you refuse to name your doctor.

 

Folks, if you've ever wanted to see the modus operandi of the disingenuous poster, there it is.

[Bill - Seemiller]

Dr. Feller,

 

Can you please tell me why you are being so hostile with this patient member, especially given his civil demeanor towards you?

 

I see nothing wrong with this patient's posts and I don't want you harping on every member who doesn't immediately disregard laser therapy.

 

Let's allow him to conduct and share his success or failures with various treatments in peace.

 

If I missed something or you know something I don't, please enlighten me.

 

Happy Thanksgiving!

 

Bill

[vincehair]

Dr. Feller i agree with you but you gotta' take it easy

 

Happy Thanksgiving Dr. Feller,Bill,and everybody else reading this...mmmmm turkey....

[Vasilius]

This thread has gotten side-tracked, but I'll try to get back to the subject for anyone interested.

 

I'm a hair restoration patient (just a patient, mind you) who is going to try a combination of medical and other non-surgical treatments to enhance the health and growth of my hair and scalp. I plan to share before/after pics with the forum for your feedback and discussion and contribute my opinions on the results as well. I plan on posting photos of my existing miniaturizing hair (mid-scalp) every 4 months to see if this treatment protocol has any effect on my hair. The treatments I'll use are in the first post on the thread, the only modification I've decided on for now is to delay use of LLLT for one year. After documenting/concluding these findings, I'll use that regimen as a control and introduce the laser and post pics every 4 months.

 

In short, I'm trying to find if these treatments, used together for synergistic effect, have any health or cosmetic effect (positive or negative) on my hair/scalp.

 

I know many of you out there may believe some or all of the treatments are not valid, and I know only fin/minox have been properly evaluated. Whatever your beliefs are, PLEASE do not throw me under the bus just for giving it a try. This is MY idea, I'm doing this to find something that works for ME, and I'm doing it under my doctor's wary supervision. If it makes anyone feel better, my wife happens to be a CRNA (nurse anesthetist) and the most skeptical person I've ever met. She wouldn't let me take generic finasteride for chrissakes. Trust me, she will take a very agnostic look at my results and keep me honest in spite of my optimism.

 

I welcome everyone's feedback (please keep it polite) on my before/after pics once I post them. If you don't think this has any merit or interest, please ignore this thread. I AM NOT A SALESMAN or an advocate for anything. Just a guy who wants to have better hair and hopefully, through open sharing of ideas and discussion amongst us all, help others here do the same.

 

HAPPY TURKEY DAY TO ALL =)

 

-AF1

[Dr. Alan Feller]

Bill,

As you know I have been attacked viciously by anonymous posters so I keep my guard up pretty high for good reason.

 

I simply asked who his HT doctor was and who his LLLT doctor was. By not answering these very simple but important questions he discredited himself. Then he offered a very weak excuse and proceded to attack me. I don't think any regular viewer of this site would have accepted his answer.

 

Since then AF1 has emailed me to bury the hatchet and gave me a bit more information that leads me to believe he may be legitimate. But he still used his alias so I have no idea if he actually is. I offered him to contact me privately with his real name and that he could call me to discuss LLLT if he wanted to.

 

I am not in the business of calling out viewers. It gives me no pleasure, but as a regular participant on this forum and a responsible keeper of the public's trust it is my responsibility to raise the red flag when I see a problem. If I'm wrong, then I happily apologize. The ball is now in AF1's court and I truly hope he contacts me.

 

Until then, Happy Thanksgiving to all including our military who can't be home with their families today.

[Bill - Seemiller]

AirForceOne,

 

I do agree with Dr. Feller that if you are going to be successful at conducting this experiment that we ought to know all the facts including who your hair transplant doctor and LLLT doctor is. I'd also suggest personally that you do not conduct this experiment if you are still in the hair transplant maturation process. Otherwise, the data will be highly misleading since the majority of the hair growth is from the hair transplant.

 

Are you compensated in any way (monetary or otherwise) by any of the company's selling and/or administering the above products? If so, please disclose this in your signature as its listed in our terms of service. If not, please confirm this.

 

Dr. Feller,

 

I know you do not usually call people out, but I also know how passionate you are about laser therapy .

 

Once AirForceOne discloses all the facts (which I agree that this is highly relevant to conduct an accurate experiment), just do me a favor and let's not use this thread to argue the efficacy of laser therapy. We have enough threads dedicated to that already .

 

I do not think his actual identify needs to be disclosed unless he works in the industry.

 

Thanks for keeping a vigilant eye.

 

Happy Thanksgiving to all.

 

Bill

[Vasilius]

Bill, Dr. F, et al,

 

I am not in any way connected to the LLLT industry or any part of the hair replacement industry, nor is any of my family or friends.

 

Furthermore, endorsing ANY product or service under the username, "AirForceOne" is patently illegal, since it implies endorsement of a commercial entity by the US Air Force.

 

I agree that I need to include all of the facts for this to be relevant, including any advice by doctors and who those doctors are. They shouldn't be afraid of thoughtful scrutiny of their medical advice. Dr Feller is very zealous and aggressive, so of course I am apprehensive of putting anyone else on trial without at least letting them know. I'll talk to my doctor on Monday and if he isn't confident enough in what he says to put his name on the line, I will be more suspicious of his advice than anyone.

 

If we can cool down and build a respectful rapport, I'll be less defensive. I think we're getting there. I've deleted my posts addressing Dr. Feller personally in an act of goodwill. I will reply to Dr Feller's message soon (my wife is nagging me about how much time I'm spending on this, give me a little time, it is Thanksgiving after all...)

 

 

-AF1

[Vasilius]

I've contacted Dr. Feller and gave him my personal info in good faith. The stress of all this is rapidly deteriorating my interest in this project though. My only stake in being here is to have better hair and support fellow members trying to do the same. The LLLT controversy is a big pile of crap I didn't mean to step into, and I'm trying to scrape it off my shoe.

 

If anyone thinks they'd be interested in this experiment, let me know. Otherwise I'll just put my pics on a hair loss blog like everyone else and you can draw your own conclusions if you like.

 

*Sigh*

 

-AF1

[Byehair]

AirForceOne

 

Don't sweat the stress.

Dr. Feller always seems to come across as the school yard bully.

 

Honestly his work looks good the majority of the time, but his whole "badass badguy" attitude is actually quite entertaining.

 

Keep up the experiment and keep us all posted.

Your time and efforts are appreciated.

[Dr. Alan Feller]

AF1 has contacted me and all is well. Thank you for reaching out AF1. Any endevour to find the truth or tell the truth on the internet is stressful, so don't let that dissuade you.

 

Bill is right about the timing of your experiment, but I think you already said you would wait 8 months to begin.

 

In the meantime I think it would be very informative if you asked your doctor to join the LLLT controversy. I assume he will be on the side of the LLLT advocates so it would be great if he came on here to refute the video demonstration that proves LLLT simply can't work. I would love to debate him publicly.

 

You are right in being suspicious if he doesn't want his name publicized as being an LLLT advocate. To date ALL LLLT doctors have been hiding out from accountability.

 

Byehair,

Gimmie your lunch money.

[Vasilius]

All,

 

Thanks for the support. Thanks Dr. Feller for the kind words.

 

I think it is best to change my username to avoid any appearance of representing the Air Force in any opinions of mine.

 

I'll repost my treatment plan with some "before" pics on a new thread after my suture removal next week. I'll invite my doctor to be a part of this forum as well. I hope he can contribute to the LLLT discussion. I won't touch the subject again with a 10-foot pole, not until I'm fully convinced one way or another.

 

Question for the group:

 

I've had hair transplanted into the frontal area (forelock and sides) 9 years ago that is mature. I just had additional grafts placed in the forelock and on the crown, but none in the mid-scalp region (I'm a NW5). The mid-scalp hair is native, but miniaturizing/thinning somewhat. This is one region in particular I am hoping to affect with non-surgical treatment since no grafts have been placed there.

 

Is it feasible to show results of treatment in non-grafted regions of my scalp without these results being "skewed" by my transplants in other areas of my scalp?

 

I'll attach photos with my new username next week so you can see what my hair looks like and where the recently placed grafts are. I'll take all the advice I can get on this.

 

Thanks all! I'll be back with my new username soon. :-)

[Bill - Seemiller]

AirForceOne,

 

If you want to change your display name, please let me know. But please don't create a new account because when I see accounts with duplicate IP addresses, I disable one of them.

 

Feel free to send me a private message with your new requested display name if you want to do this.

 

I am interested to see how these products work for you. Be sure to take plenty of photos

 

Bill

[Byehair]

Dr. Feller

 

Only if you throw a couple hundred FUE into my scalp.

[Dr. William Lindsey]

Wow, I just checked this thread to see if AF1 had put up any pics, and lots of back and forth has gone on.

 

So AF1, I think I see that you recently had a transplant, and now are adding in supplements and laser to your recovery, right?

 

Ok by me, but how do you expect to see if you get ANY result at all from all of this other stuff, as opposed to just good growth from a transplant?

 

 

Seems to me you have too many variables to make any sort of conclusions.

 

I would expect you get a nice result from a competent hair transplant without all of that extra stuff; but since you are trying to see what works for you...how will you know?

 

Shouldn't you let your transplant grow in for a year, then add the extras to see what help it gives?

 

Dr. Lindsey McLean VA

[Dr. Alan Feller]

Dr. L,

AF1 said he would wait about 8 months before starting the LLLT experiment, so that should account for the transplants.

 

Bye,

Deal!

[Vasilius]

Hello everyone,

 

I've figured out how to make this experiment as valid as possible under the conditions. I'll post the parameters and initial photos after my next visit with my doctor.

 

I appreciate all the interest and feedback. :-)

 

-AF1