Concealers and Post op

[Spex]

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

[Dr. Glenn Charles]

I have heard from a few patients recently that Rogaine foam followed up with Toppik works wonders. Anyone else ever tried this combination?

[Spex]

Dr C,

I have just started applying the foam after only hearing positive things about it. I must admit it truly does give the hair an overall thicker appearance and body. It makes my hair easier to style as the hair has what i can only describe as more weight to it.



Regards
Spex

[Gr8Baldeani]

Concealers can be as addicting as a drug.... I for one would never reccommend a concealer to anyone. I have become stuck on using it after my HT and wish I never started. Try standing in the rain with Toppikk on your head, or going swimming, randomly sitting in the back seat of a convertible thats windy, waking up in the morning with traces of it on your pillow..... none of it is fun, at all, its not a way to live.

[morelocks]

Good reply gr8baldeani, i keep thinking the same as the things you have pointed out but was starting to think maybe im missing something. It can make you look like you have a pile of crap on your head as opposed to a good full head of hair.

I dnt agree with Spex but i think the point of this post was to discuss the benits of it after a transplant and there are many benifits if you need to hide the work you have had done

Spex - why have you started using foam all of a sudden. you really show of your results as if they are to perfection so why all of a sudden do you need to use foam? Also Spex will this not work against you if you ever stop because people often go through a shed if they stop using this kind of stuff

[Gr8Baldeani]

when your so obsessed with your hair as most are whom undergo a HT surgery, it is very hard to look at yourself with a thick head of hair consisting of a concealer, and then have that same concealer in front of you and not use it. Its a night and day difference, and tough to over come. I am in the battle right now, and im not even close to winning.

[Spex]

Spex - why have you started using foam all of a sudden. you really show of your results as if they are to perfection so why all of a sudden do you need to use foam? Also Spex will this not work against you if you ever stop because people often go through a shed if they stop using this kind of stuff

I show my results as if they are to perfection.. I show my results as they are and have had my result examined in person by more than most in every condition possible.

I do not need to use foam, i wanted to add it to my reg. I started the foam after only hearing positive things about it. I apply it once at night and throughout hair.

My hair has not moved (no further loss in 5 years+) I wanted to add to my reg (1mg proscar daily) to see what this foam was all about, and see if i could benefit overall from it. Yes if i stop using it then likely to shed, so will continue to use. Personal choice.

[morelocks]

Hi Spex, iv just re read my post and it sounds like I'm implying your a show off. Forgive me spex, this is not why I meant. I meant I think your results are very good and you show these off very openly, wet, in day light, and camera flash light etc etc and they do always look good. We have also met and you have showed me your results in person.

So I am confused as to why you would want to complicate life by using the foam when everything is already very good?

[Spex]

Im not complicating it i am placing another line of defence.

[Mike Beehner, M.D.]

One very valuable use of concealers, in my opinion, is getting the non-surgical hairpiece wearer out of his piece sooner. It is a well known fact that in some hairpiece patients the grafts don't always survive quite as well for reasons still unknown. I find that a little Toppik or Dermmatch (the main two I recommend), along with the hair from one or two sessions of growth allows them to throw away the piece and allow the grafts to grown unaffected by a rug on top of them. Hopefully, after a second or third session grows out fully, they can get rid of the camouflage agent also.
Regardless, in hairpiece wearing HT patients, we insists on their not wearing the hairpiece the first week post-op and then adapting it to a clip-on attachment method and leaving it off at home as much as possible, only wearing it in necessary work or social situations.
Mike Beehner, M.D.