New user; 7-weeks post-procedure

[win200]

Hi Win,

I just noticed your thread, I'm glad to read you finally received some answers to your questions from a different point of view.

I'm going on four months come the 16th of this month, my new hairs are in various stages of growth, most are 1/4 in long, some slightly longer, and I been noticing more popping up in the last week.

You should begin to see some real growth any day now. I started to have small like pimples on my head, then in a day or two out pop more hairs. I think it has to do with the depth of the follicle, although they used an instrument set at a certain depth, some follicles grew faster than others.

I have also noticed the front was the slowest to begin growth. Now I'm experiencing more small pimples at the front, so I guess more follicles are getting ready to sprout.

I started on the 1 mg Propecia right after my TP, my loss stopped within a week or two, I started using Minoxidil after about three weeks post op. I think you'll see great results with those two medications. They certainly helped me, and I mean they stopped loss completely from what I see towel drying my hair over a white sink. I see maybe one hair a week in the sink, to me that's as good as it gets.

I wish the best for your new hair, in a couple weeks you'll see it all coming together nicely, not worrying helps immensely too, I'm glad the doctor put things into perspective...!

Cheers,

Dale

Thanks, Dale. I actually saw growth pretty early--there's about one inch of growth all throughout the front. I'm a little worried because the growth that's there is really thin--unacceptably thin. Hopefully it'll fill in more. And hopefully the Propecia/Rogaine will help out, although they certainly haven't stopped any shedding yet.

[inspects]

Thanks, Dale. I actually saw growth pretty early--there's about one inch of growth all throughout the front. I'm a little worried because the growth that's there is really thin--unacceptably thin. Hopefully it'll fill in more. And hopefully the Propecia/Rogaine will help out, although they certainly haven't stopped any shedding yet.

Win,

Did you lose all your transplanted hair before regrowth?

I noticed many hairs didn't shed and so did my doctor, when I asked about this he said some people don't shed all the transplanted hair, but they didn't grow either, they stayed dormant until the others sprouted, now I have hair in various stages of growth. The hairs which didn't shed in the first couple months might be shedding now when I see one in the sink every once in a while.

Possibly you have others which have not started to grow yet, hopefully that's the case, then you will have the thicker hair you wanted.

I too wish I would have known about this forum prior to my procedure, but after reading many threads and seeing my results I'm sure my procedure went as planned.

Next year I'll get 1,000 in the front and top, then I should be where I want to be.

The medication should be halting your loss soon...it all takes time and everyone is different, if your like me, I'm a little impatient, but I've learned to be patient after finding this forum and reading other experiences, similar to yours.

Be well my friend, it will only get better...!!

Dale

[win200]

New Pictures

Just took these. Looking at them, my heart sinks. My hairline has completely disintegrated since the procedure, and the entire hairline is a total mess. The surgery isn't integrating, and I'm losing heavily behind the grafts. If this continues, I'll have lots of space behind the new (too thin) hair.

Has anyone ever seen a result like this at 5 months before? I have a hard time thinking of this as anything other than a disaster, particularly when compared to my original, pre-op pics. Any thoughts are welcome.

[inspects]

Hi Win,

Perhaps just shock loss...my hair is at exactly four months today, I can see new hairs still sprouting this past week in the temples. I think if you give it a couple more months it will only get better.

Mine was a mess compared to you, and I mean really a mess compared to what I've gained in such a short period, they said we really need to be patient, in a year everything will be grown, then I'll head back for another session, hopefully you won't need to.

[inspects]

Just took these. Looking at them, my heart sinks. My hairline has completely disintegrated since the procedure, and the entire hairline is a total mess. The surgery isn't integrating, and I'm losing heavily behind the grafts. If this continues, I'll have lots of space behind the new (too thin) hair.

Has anyone ever seen a result like this at 5 months before? I have a hard time thinking of this as anything other than a disaster, particularly when compared to my original, pre-op pics. Any thoughts are welcome.

Win,

Looking at your pictures close it looks to me like you have more small hairs sprouting in too...!

[win200]

Win,

Looking at your pictures close it looks to me like you have more small hairs sprouting in too...!

Thanks, inspects. I'm not complaining about the grafts--I'm definitely seeing growth, and they've still growing in. I'm worried about all the loss of native hair. If too much of that goes, I'm going to have a very, very strange-looking hairline when all is said and done.

[inspects]

Thanks, inspects. I'm not complaining about the grafts--I'm definitely seeing growth, and they've still growing in. I'm worried about all the loss of native hair. If too much of that goes, I'm going to have a very, very strange-looking hairline when all is said and done.

Take a trip to your surgeons office, hopefully they can put it into perspective for you so your not so depressed-stressed and/or anxious.

Are you on Fin or Minox?

I don't remember now without reading though the posts, if your not, they stopped loss for me anyway....and I mean to a DEAD HALT...!

I'm new to this TP gig...but I would have to say, the Meds helped immensely.

[win200]

Take a trip to your surgeons office, hopefully they can put it into perspective for you so your not so depressed-stressed and/or anxious.

Are you on Fin or Minox?

I don't remember now without reading though the posts, if your not, they stopped loss for me anyway....and I mean to a DEAD HALT...!

I'm new to this TP gig...but I would have to say, the Meds helped immensely.

I started finasteride exactly three months after my surgery, and minoxidil four months after. I've been on the finasteride for two months and the minoxidil for one, and no slowing in the shedding yet, I'm afraid.

[inspects]

I started finasteride exactly three months after my surgery, and minoxidil four months after. I've been on the finasteride for two months and the minoxidil for one, and no slowing in the shedding yet, I'm afraid.

Has to be related to shock loss Win..give it some time, you should get the hair back without any problems, but go see your doctor, I know I can walk into my doctors office anytime of the day, I might have to wait a few minutes but he will see me, free of course, if you have a good surgeon he should only want to help with your concern.

[rev3]

I started finasteride exactly three months after my surgery, and minoxidil four months after. I've been on the finasteride for two months and the minoxidil for one, and no slowing in the shedding yet, I'm afraid.

totally related to minox

minox causes shedding of native hair in the first few months of treatment

this will all grow back even thicker

you will see

[win200]

I'll push through the minox shed.

Also went to the derm today, and she checked my ferritin levels, which she said were low. She put me on an iron supplement, so hopefully that will help a bit.

[win200]

Just another update. The recipient area has really grown in / thickened up in the last month (I'm at 6.5 months now). I really hated what my hair looked like when I last posted pictures; it was wispy and didn't integrate with my native hair. At this point I'm fairly positive that I had a decent amount of shock loss, which is NOT growing back, and at this point I don't expect it to. However, based upon my balding pattern and looking at my brother, whose loss is more extensive, I'm pretty certain that this loss was going to occur anyway. Essentially, I've traded, at least in the hairline / frontal area, a more defined, lower hairline for some density. That trade is fine by me. I can now, for the first time since my surgery, wear my hair "up" with the hairline exposed and feel comfortable doing so. It's a little thin, but not thin enough to be noticed. It falls in that realm of things that no one but me will realize exist.

I've attached three pictures; these were taken with sunlight streaming in onto the hair, so the hairline is relatively "lit up."

Love to hear feedback.

[inspects]

Damn Win, looks incredible...really natural...you have a winner...!

[win200]

Damn Win, looks incredible...really natural...you have a winner...!

Thanks! I'm pretty happy with it. After having that soft / ragged type of hairline that you get with recession, it's awesome having a defined hairline... you know, that's an actual LINE. That's the most visually striking part of it for me.

[gillenator]

win200,

At only 6.5 months post-op is awesome. You still have a way to go my friend!

Again, thanks for sharing these updates.