Advice - 4 months in...

[Traction]

So i had a total of 5K FUE Grafts done stemming back to last May. I had some hairline work done but my big problem is my crown. I had about 3K in the crown and 2K up front in 2 diff procedures starting last May. I am 4 months into HT #2. I havent completely buzzed my hair for 4 months (just a trim on the sides) and as you can see on the sides how thick my hair is natively so the longer i grow it, the thinner my big crown looks. What do you guys recommend as far how low (what guard) i should keep my hair to maximize the thinness that is their now. Also do you think theres any hope (i know its early) that I could have somewhat of a decent crown..

[35YrsAfter]

So i had a total of 5K FUE Grafts done stemming back to last May. I had some hairline work done but my big problem is my crown. I had about 3K in the crown and 2K up front in 2 diff procedures starting last May. I am 4 months into HT #2. I havent completely buzzed my hair for 4 months (just a trim on the sides) and as you can see on the sides how thick my hair is natively so the longer i grow it, the thinner my big crown looks. What do you guys recommend as far how low (what guard) i should keep my hair to maximize the thinness that is their now. Also do you think theres any hope (i know its early) that I could have somewhat of a decent crown..

Shorter hair generally looks better. I would go as short as you can without any of the extraction sites showing.

35YrsAfter also posts as CITNews and works at Dr. Cole's office

[northeastguy]

If there's one thing that is constant in the hair Transplant industry.... Less is sometimes more.

.... buzz that hair as short as you can go.... 2 guard first.. if its safe, try a 1 guard. I am praying for the day I can do this with a 1 guard not be concerned about the scarring. It actually gives the elusion you have more hair than you really have.

[35YrsAfter]

If there's one thing that is constant in the hair Transplant industry.... Less is sometimes more.

.... buzz that hair as short as you can go.... 2 guard first.. if its safe, try a 1 guard. I am praying for the day I can do this with a 1 guard not be concerned about the scarring. It actually gives the elusion you have more hair than you really have.

I spoke with Dr. Cole about this yesterday. To conserve grafts, Dr. Cole makes the first pass at a relatively low density. Not sure of the yield stats in scar tissue, but studies of scalp hair indicate that placing at a density of over 40 grafts per square centimeter can lower yield to 70% and below. Patience and waiting for growth is the biggest challenge. Dr. Cole explained yesterday that a scar can be refined over time and you just have to keep "hitting" the area with grafts. With very short hair styles, density, hair shaft diameter and angle all play an important role in a finished, uniform, natural result. Difficult to achieve but a goal that can be reached with patience and perseverance.

35YrsAfter also posts as CITNews and works at Dr. Cole's office
Cole Hair Transplant
1045 Powers Place
Alpharetta, Georgia 30009
Phone 678-566-1011
Please feel free to call or email me with any questions.

[gillenator]

Traction,

It appears that you would be headed for Norwood class 6 and eventually class 7. My premonition is that there are men in your family history with advanced classes of hairloss otherwise you would not be progressing that direction yourself.

Your crown loss is extensive and so unless you have some donor other considerations like the beard and chest, attaining the level of coverage that you may desire in many cases is not attainable with scalp donor alone. Although it can be true that less density can look fuller, it is more true for those with a more narrow color contrast IMHO. My guess is that you have good beard donor?

Also I noticed that your style of grooming is combing the longer hair back to front. If you were to try changing the direction to front to back, you can cover part of the crown with a pull back comb over. Many guys do this however it does require the individual to grow the hair length in order to achieve this.

You may not be in favor of this however it would not hurt to try it because the added benefit is creating the appearance of volume when pulling the hair backwards toward the crown.

In addition, if you are more in favor of a longer hair style then you want to be sure that your frontal zone is restored with mostly scalp donor which will produce the most natural aesthetically pleasing result.

Best wishes to you...