Hair Transplant "Victims" - How do you cope?!?!

[jamesst11]

Excuse me for the title, but this topic is precisely for that. Those of you that have been "disfigured" by a transplant, how exactly do you cope? I simply don't understand how. Say for example (and I will give you my precise scenario) you had an almost full head of hair and got transplants only on one side and in the next couple of years thinned out so much that it was hard to cover up? So, now you have transplants in one area and thinning throughout the rest of the head... Any one on here have a similar story? Do you just shave it? Wouldn't it still look unusual? Especially with the cobblestoning and ridging? What exactly do you do when this in this scenario? because I am confused, frustrated and seemingly running out of options.

[DAVE52]

Say for example (and I will give you my precise scenario) you had an almost full head of hair and got transplants only on one side and in the next couple of years thinned out so much that it was hard to cover up? .

Question , and I'm not trying to be rude or disrespectful, but why would one only get transplants on one side of their head . I would think people would know , or should be warned , that hairloss is progressive and once one HT procedure is performed there is good chance that further HT's will be required as the hairloss continues.

This is the same as when I read people want to get a HT to fill in their temples . Do Drs' not inform them that there is a strong possibility they will need another HT , once they lose more hair

Anyways , back to your question , not sure how I would cope but Im guessing depending on the scar one could shave it or go back and get another HT to even everything out

[jamesst11]

You are not being rude you are just stating the obvious. No, the "butcher" doctors don't inform you of sh*t. They sell you to make a couple quick grand, poke a bunch of holes in your head, destroy your life and then start to ignore you when you confront them. To be honest, I wasn't even completely sure I had MPB when I had this procedure. I had one thinning area in the left side and thought I would get it fixed with a small HT. Well, when the day came, she started making recipient sites all over the place, probably to use up the grafts she SOLD me. About 6 months after the procedure, and about 3 months into the horrible TE caused by this procedure, I realized how aggressive of MPB I could have. I started thinning EXACTLY in only the MPB areas. it is now 2 years after the procedure and after 31 years of thick, stable hair, I am diffused thin everywhere and the transplants are now becoming apparent. It is a horrendous task just to keep them concealed. It is a nightmare. It looks weird. I want to shave it, but I think that it would look unusual as most of my head is normal diffused thin and there is this one area that has thick hairs spaced too far apart. I don't know... would it look o.k. if shaved down to a 0 guard?

[jamesst11]

BUMP... friggin' BUMP!!! No one on here has any advice for this situation??? That's kind of shocking. Everyone is so busy obsessing about their delusion for drugs like Seti and RU and crap that whenever someone is struggling with an issue like this there are very minimal replies... NO ADVICE?!? Why don't y'all help people that are struggling? No one on here has had a HT and shaved their head and can simply tell me how the recipient areas look in correlation to native hairs?? Why can I not find any advice on this situation.

[JoeTillman]

I think it would be helpful if you could upload some photos of your predicament as well as some photos of your before photos so we can have an idea of what you're dealing with.

I do have an idea of what you're dealing with because of my own history but it is difficult to describe how I dealt with it. I wasn't angry, I just felt foolish and kind of swallowed my shame, for lack of a better description, and pushed through till Iwas repaired nine years later. You can see my story on my website linked below.

But again, upload some pics so we have an idea of what your case involves. We'll try to help out as much as possible.

[ejj]

Hi James

It would br great to see some pictures, it would help you gain more responses if you posted pictures.

I do not think you could shave down given the info you have provided.

Repair work is highly specialised in my opnion. I have seen a poster `Bachstrad` who had all his plug grafts removed with I think Dr Beenher

This is something you need to take your time with, the last thing you want is to make your position worse. Use the search function and look under repairs.


I coped with my situation by confiding in one freind or a family member, it helps to talk to someone close. Also put it in its place continue with
other activities, work, gym, etc dont let it take over your life.
Until we see pictures its hard to advise really

Feel free to checkout my repair and I hope it gives you hope

All the best

ejj

https://www.baldtruthtalk.com/threads/6533-Scar-Repair-1032-beard-hair-grafts-Dr-Bisanga/page20

[jamesst11]

I think it would be helpful if you could upload some photos of your predicament as well as some photos of your before photos so we can have an idea of what you're dealing with.

I do have an idea of what you're dealing with because of my own history but it is difficult to describe how I dealt with it. I wasn't angry, I just felt foolish and kind of swallowed my shame, for lack of a better description, and pushed through till Iwas repaired nine years later. You can see my story on my website linked below.

But again, upload some pics so we have an idea of what your case involves. We'll try to help out as much as possible.

Wow Joe, I just read your full story. Mine obviously pales in comparison to this. How the hell did you deal with that for so many years? Man, you have immense strength. I will get around to posting some pics. I basically have slightly diffused hair all around that becomes more naturally diffused in the crown and right temple. The left temple is just full of transplants consisting of 1-3 hairs that are spaced about 1/4" to 1/2" apart, so you can see right through them. The trick thing is, I am definitely still not a candidate for HT's giving how much native hair I still have left and how it is simply diffused every where. Who knows... almost 8 months on finasteride, maybe it will start working.

[allTheGoodNamesAreTaken]

You are not being rude you are just stating the obvious. No, the "butcher" doctors don't inform you of sh*t. They sell you to make a couple quick grand, poke a bunch of holes in your head, destroy your life and then start to ignore you when you confront them. To be honest, I wasn't even completely sure I had MPB when I had this procedure. I had one thinning area in the left side and thought I would get it fixed with a small HT. Well, when the day came, she started making recipient sites all over the place, probably to use up the grafts she SOLD me. About 6 months after the procedure, and about 3 months into the horrible TE caused by this procedure, I realized how aggressive of MPB I could have. I started thinning EXACTLY in only the MPB areas. it is now 2 years after the procedure and after 31 years of thick, stable hair, I am diffused thin everywhere and the transplants are now becoming apparent. It is a horrendous task just to keep them concealed. It is a nightmare. It looks weird. I want to shave it, but I think that it would look unusual as most of my head is normal diffused thin and there is this one area that has thick hairs spaced too far apart. I don't know... would it look o.k. if shaved down to a 0 guard?

Why not partially pluck the thick transplanted parts so they become as thing as the rest?

[jamesst11]

Why not partially pluck the thick transplanted parts so they become as thing as the rest?

how will plucking them make them thinner? they are not influenced by DHT so won't they grow back just as thick?

[JoeTillman]

how will plucking them make them thinner? they are not influenced by DHT so won't they grow back just as thick?

Some believe that repeated plucking will make the hair shaft finer with time. I think what is more likely is that repeated plucking will simply make the hairs disappear but this can take a really long time. On the extreme side, finely performed FUE can remove offending grafts entirely. On the no so extreme side laser or electrolysis can work well and without the risk of fine dot scars remaining, which could be the case (remote chance) with FUE. I've seen grafts removed from the hairline with FUE and it works really well when done right so this may be an option for you to consider.

[jamesst11]

I assume continuously pulling out any hair would eventually cause stress and damage to the follicle, perhaps in a similar manner as traction alopecia. So, this theory makes a bit of sense.

[JoeTillman]

I assume continuously pulling out any hair would eventually cause stress and damage to the follicle, perhaps in a similar manner as traction alopecia. So, this theory makes a bit of sense.

Continual hair pulling is what happens in Trichotillomania. Eventually the hair just doesn't come back.

[arfy]

Many Hair Transplant patients eventually "give up" and cover up the surgical damage with a hairpiece. Recent phone calls to the offices of Richard Farrell (a small chain of expensive hairpiece salons) revealed that approximately 40% of their Los Angeles clients and 75% of their New York clients began wearing hairpieces to cover up a bad hair transplant.