Hi guys,
I get many emails regarding concealers post op and which are the best to use and when to use them. After receiving several emails of late i thought I'd put this post together.
I do not use concealers any longer. Prior to any Ht surgery, I used to use toppik and courve all the time and they were a life saver at times. (pretty much all the time)
The products can be fantastic when applied correctly ( I always found less is more). Especially when you find the one/s that best suit you. As for guys that do use them know they can be time consuming however to apply and some what of a bind, but very effective.
I remember still so vividly that I had to take them with me everywhere in a little bag and would always have to factor application into my plans if going anywhere. Nevertheless the products out there are fantastic to help thinning hair and also to aid post op too. Courve is an awesome product and I favoured it over all as aided the illusion of thicker looking hair. It's also great at covering strip scars post op in the down time period. The 3 products I used in conjunction were courve, toppik and the protein hair expander. (Make sure you get the right colour product for you as there is a range. )
When it comes to post op then "downtime" can be long and drawn out and the recovery time can become somewhat depressing. I know that many struggle to be able to return to work/life without being detected within a couple of weeks. Concealers can help. Courve is great to help mask the scar area and helps blend any contrast where hair has been shaved down and the pinkness of the scar. Also toppik once it has a little hair to magnetise to can really help bulk up the appearance of hair making shaved down areas not as sparse.
It's honestly a case of trail and error as there is not hard and fast rule to which one will work best and when but they can help most certainly in the early stages of the post op recovery. Waiting a minimum of 7-10 days is advisable before application as the scalp needs to heal. Be sure to wash off daily too so the head can breath and heal. I think the best advice I can personally give guys looking into concealers is test them out possible even before surgery to get a feel for them and how to use them. Don't invest heavily in everything all at once. Experiment with small amounts/ testers and see how you get on. Also don't get frustrated if you don't get on with a product straight away. It takes time to work out they best way to apply the product to best suit you. You also need some hair there to help assist the product don't expect miracles too soon.
Application amount is in my experience was the biggest issue - and once you get it right with the right product for you it can really help. They helped me though some tough times. Less was always more for me, then again i had hair some thin hair to work with. Also once i had my original session with Bosley the concealers really helped hide the minis and micros.
I used to get the products here - www.hair123.co.uk in the Uk. (There is a short demo video on the homepage which comes straight on with volume). I have recommended them for years with no probs reported from anyone. I don't know of anywhere in the US but there will be places (best run a search) However i am sure this place can deliever worldwide.
One product however "the locking mist " is simply hair spray so don't waste money on that IMHO as you can get it very cheap from most stores.
All the best and hopefully this will help.
Best regards
Spex