Steeeve

Thanks @Mycroft! Yes, there is a big difference in what I can do. I can style it forward or back. I can part it on either side and see a considerable difference in how I was able to style it then compared to now. I’ve said it before but if it stopped now I’d be happy.

This might be a bit long winded so I apologize in advance but I would just like to add my 2 cents. I echo everybody else’s statements when I say your hairline is on point and I wouldn’t lower it if I were in your shoes. I can say with confidence that at no point in your life will you not be concerned about your hair. I’m about to turn 40. I’m married. I have 2 babies. My wife could care less about my hair. But I care. I will always care. There are men posting on this forum all the way into their early/mid 70’s who deal with the emotional stress of losing their hair. They all say the same thing-they care about what they’re hair looks like. Those reserves are finite. Once they’re out, you’re out. If you’ve used them all up and your hair continues to go there’s almost nothing you can do. I only say all of this because I don’t want you to think that at some point later in life you’ll all of a sudden just be accepting of the state of your hair when it begins to subside again. That dreadful feeling you had when you looked at your hair loss pre-surgery-that feeling you have now when you look at the size of your forehead, you’ll have it again one day when you look in the mirror and see the hair behind the wall of hair in your hairline begin to disappear. Now, all that being said, I understand wanting what you want. So if it were me...and I were in your shoes...and I HAD to move forward with a procedure, which again, I think you’re good, I would concern myself with the width of my forehead and not the height. As I said I think your hairline is on point. I wouldn’t lower my hairline anymore because I wouldn’t want that boyish hairline in the picture from 6 years ago. Right now you look like a man and women (and men) are attracted to men...not boys. From your first set of post op pics back from your first surgery it looks like Doganay did some extensive temple reconstruction, however, in your current post op pics your forehead seems fairly wide and I don’t really see the work that was done there. I would focus on this area as it would help to close off the forehead. Those are very crude markings and you should definitely consult your doctor about the actual shape you want but that would be my focus. It’s a minimal-ish use of grafts leaving you with more in reserve for future hair loss. Congratulations on the current state of your hairline. It’s 👌🏻👍🏻! And good luck figuring out what to do.

I am planning on it but not necessarily for my next procedure. It all really depends on how my current grafts grow out. I have a feeling like I’ll probably work back further towards my vertex but not work in the vertex itself in my next go-round. If Dr Arocha says we can do it in my next procedure then I’ll consider it. I kinda wanted to take it slow and not worry about it just yet. I definitely want to get to it though. It does still bother me. The blue is where grafts we’re placed in the first procedure. I would like to focus on the area in red during my next procedure and if there are any areas that need to be addressed in the frontal region I’d like to work in there as well. It’s crazy to me, though, that my hair looks thin like that when wet but then looks like this when dry.That’s under regular bathroom lighting with no product or fibers. I’m very happy with that and I’ve still got a ways to go. So if Dr Arocha thinks we can move more hair around then I’ll consider it but I think I’ll wait for maybe a third procedure to address the crown.

Hey everybody! Well, 6 months have come and gone. Things are still happening in my scalp for sure. I’m still getting pimples and hairs are coming through. I’ve got some longer wiry hairs that I’m waiting for to straighten out and thicken up and I’ve got fine wispy hairs that I’m waiting on as well. There’s still quite a bit of stubble in there, too. The waiting game is a tough one. As always lighting and angles play a huge roll in what HT’s look like so I’m going to include different pics under separate conditions. I don’t have pics under regular conditions but that won’t be hard to grab. Under the right conditions, especially top down, my hair looks like a big beautiful wall. Lol I might’ve already said this before but fibers make an unbelievable difference these days. The middle of my hairline and just behind it still has catching up to do. In general my whole right side is less dense than my right but it was that way to begin with so that seems normal to me. There’s still a lot of hair in there growing out but being 6 months in it’s impossible to say how it will turn out. I’m attaching dry pics under harsh lighting first as the wet pics tell a different story. So overall I think that looks incredible. Even under harsh light. Here’s the story when my hair is wet. So, as you can see, there’s still a long way to go but overall I’m very happy with how things are progressing. I’ll grab some pics under regular lighting and I’ll grab some pics of the scar and add them later. As always I’ll be here if there are any questions or comments. Be good people. ✌🏻🙂

This result is 🔥🔥 congratulations!!

Thank you, @ArochaAngel4247! I’ll be back in December for an 8 month check up so maybe I’ll catch you then!

Thank you, Melvin. I’ll always be a baldie at heart. 😂

Thanks! It’s really exciting watching it come together. Makes me feel good about future restoration.

5 month update! I actually started this post a few days ago but I was traveling across the country and I accidentally deleted the whole thing by mistake. Not much to report other than these hairs are growing! I’m very happy at this point but I know there’s still improvement to come. I’m not getting pimples like I had been but I still get one now and again. The hair is definitely taking shape. I’m just playing the waiting game at this point. I still have some stubble that has yet to take off but I’m not really worried about it at this point. I’m attaching pictures under different lighting and hair lengths. The lighting really makes a difference with how the hair transplant looks, as has been documented by many. The first set of pictures is under harsh light and the hair is at the same length to compare to my three month update when I cut my hair. They were taken the 16th which would’ve been exactly 5 months post-op. There is no product or concealer in my hair. Take note of the scare now from month 3. Again, my hair is the same length in both photos only 2 months apart. These next few pictures were taken in a park bathroom about a week later as I felt like the light was really working for me. My hair had grown out some so I was styling it a bit differently. Yes, I’m holding a pacifier in my mouth so that I can better steady my hands to take a picture. Yes...I got a funny look from a guy walking in to the bathroom to go pee. These last pics were taken in my hotel room. The lighting was really showing off my current progress. What a difference a week makes after a hair cut now. So yeah. As I said, I’m extremely happy with my progress so far and I’m not even half way done with these hairs growing out. Any questions or comments and I’ll be here. Cheers.

That is one good lookin’ hairline.👍🏻👌🏻

Your hair is already amazing, man!! LOL I think with your use of finasteride and waiting until your hair is nice and strong from a second round of PRP you would yield a good result. Your hair is already in a good place and while most people deal with shock loss in some manner I wouldn’t worry too much if I were in your shoes. I agree with your statement above, though. It would be cool to see some cases specifically dealing with PRP. Maybe yours could be that case!...🙂👍🏻

I’ve read many times in the past that prolonged use of finasteride is your best defense against shock loss of native hairs after your transplant. I actually believe that I would have experienced much more shock loss had I not had the PRP done, though. That’s speculation, of course. There’s no way for me to tell at this point. Dr. Arocha believes that PRP reduces the risk and I’ve seen Dr. Cooley speak in interviews about how he believes it reduces the risk of shock loss. Like I said, though, my shock loss was so very minimal and I believe the PRP helped everything from falling out.

@Mycroft The grafts also helped to add a little coverage. My shed was as a whole was very insignificant actually. I didn’t really experience much. The grafts that we’re placed during the procedure didn’t really fall out and they were very dark and thick, so there was an interesting illusion of coverage from just that while I waited for everything to grow. Where it was most noticeable was in the corners of my hairline but especially the right side. It was really only noticeable under direct light and sunlight. My right side was quite see through during those first months. The PRP really helped to speed up the whole process. I really need to invest in a laser cap. I have read (and spoken to Dr. Arocha) about how it can help to prolong the effects of PRP for longer periods so that you don’t have to go in so often to get a touch up.

It’s kind of hard to explain. I noticed the tiniest bit of native shed throughout my recipient but it was so insignificant that by the time it had fixed itself the grafts had already started growing and basically by the end of month 3/beginning of the 4th month I didn’t notice it anymore.

@Mycroft, thank you! I believe the PRP has helped to bulk up both my recipient grafts and my native hair. I’m very very pleased so far.

Hey everybody! I wanted to hop in here and post some pics that I took at about the 4 and a half month mark ahead of my 5 month update. I felt like I had made some interesting progress halfway through the month and I wanted to share. I’ll have a somewhat more comprehensive post in the 5 month update. These pics are all under normal lighting conditions. There is no concealer or product in my hair. For comparison: Pre-op 4 and a half months wet. I took these next 2 pics with @made2care in mind. In a post on his progress thread we spoke about how Dr Arocha does an excellent job of seeing which way your hair grows naturally and places the grafts at their natural angle within the hair. I’m aware that quite a few top docs do this but there are quite a few docs that are considered to be aces on the forums that don’t and place the grafts in a somewhat “manufactured” way. I’m not trying to take anything away from that, ultimately, as their results still tend to come in strong. I just want to highlight the care and patience that was taken by the doctor and techs during my procedure. The middle of my hairline has always grown in a wavelike cowlick and that’s what I’m trying to show with these next two pics. This last picture was taken by my mother at a family gathering. At that point no one had really taken note of my hair. My mom has begun to suspect something is up 🙂 although she hasn’t been able to put her finger on it yet... This isn’t the best angle but it shows off my hairline to a degree and I believe this is how most people see me. I do plan to come clean with my family but I wanted to wait until I could show them something that was really transforming. Something to really compare. Cheers everyone. As I said I’ll be back in a few days with a 5 month update. ✌🏻

Man, I think this looks great. I don’t think you should worry about it at all at this point. It looks normal at this early stage. I agree with Cosmo, you should see your donor growth come back in a few months. Congratulations!! Looking forward to your final result!

Your hair looks fantastic. I don’t think you have anything to worry about at this point but if it really bothers you you should do some research on this forum and find a really good, ethical hair transplant doctor who’s going to give it to you straight. I don’t think any doctor would perform a transplant at this point but if you indeed are in the beginning stages of male pattern baldness they may tell you to get on some form of preventative medication. Is there any history of male pattern baldness on either side of your family?

This a a total home run. Dr. Lorenzo is a true master of donor and recipient management. Congratulations.

This clinic posts some really nice results on their website and their YouTube page. Their Instagram page is full of excellent results. The few posters who have come on to share their results turned out really nice. Like, really nice. If you use the search tool and type in the clinic you’re looking for I’m sure you’ll come across the threads. There aren’t that many to be honest. I can remember one person who sought “repair” work elsewhere after getting work done by the clinic you’re asking about but, I mean, that happens with every clinic and I remember thinking that it seemed more like the poor growth was due to the guys genetics rather than the fault of the clinic. If he came back to share his repair work I don’t remember seeing it. They’re really expensive but I don’t think more expensive than other good options in that area. Good luck. 👍🏻

@transplantedphil, I pm’d you.

You’re completely missing my point. It’s okay that you disagree with me. I agree with you, though. If this guy had come on the forum and asked everybody their thoughts I would’ve been right there beside you saying, “you should be on fin for at least a year. See how it works for you then give the HT a go”. That being said, Dr Arocha is an excellent doctor and it is up to him and his patients only to decide, during their initial consultation, how to best proceed forward for the patient. As would be the case with any doctor anywhere doing any type of elected/non-elected procedure. Your argument of, “it’s ultimately up to other forum members to decide”, holds absolutely no weight as it is no one else’s place but the patient and the doctor to decide-that is the point I am trying to make. I’m just saying it over and over again at this point. No one here should tell me that I should or should not have a transplant. I wouldn’t have listened even if they had. Just as you didn’t listen when everybody told you that you should just move on or go back to the doctor who messed up your hair because he offered you a free touch up. It was your choice to make. No one else’s. I recall someone telling you that your result didn’t look that bad. Did you listen? You more than likely went and paid $10k or more to have it fixed as that was your choice. If anyone here questioned your choice of passing up free work you wouldn’t blink an eye as you very well shouldn’t not wanting to risk another failed transplant. That’s totally normal. Just as you made your own choice about your own body It is no one’s place but the doctor and ultimately the patient to decide what they should do with theirs. Not you or anybody else on this forum. Especially since all is said and done. Having sat down with this doctor personally and having had several conversations and consultations I can attest to him wanting what is best for his patients. Because every time I say, “I want coverage here”, he looks at me as an eventual Norwood 6 and says, “I think we should hold off on that and think about saving your grafts for another area.” So you can question his ethics all you want but having no personal experience with him your questions fall flat as would any other member questioning any other doctor they have no personal experience with.

I didn’t speak of your situation because I felt it had anything to do with these results. I spoke of it because I wanted you to know that I don’t think of you as nameless faceless internet person who’s opinion I don’t care about. It was also to point out that the longer you’ve been on this forum and the more research someone does the more they’ll come across cases like this. I respect your opinion but ArochaAngel works for the doctor and has given plenty of explanation and shared all the pics everyone has asked for. Still people are basically calling it a “bad” result. It’s basically to the point where people are pointing and laughing like schoolyard children regardless of them having gotten their answers. As far as it being unnecessary, we’ll agree to disagree. I think that if this patient wants to improve his self-image and all the cards line up in his favor then it’s his money to spend and his grafts to use.

You speak of being empathetic and supportive as if this result went south. Like I said if you don’t agree with the aesthetic of the result that’s one thing. My opinion is that this is a solid result Guys not being on fin prior to a transplant happens a lot. Half of the videos that Dr. José Lorenzo posts to YouTube show patients not having been on fin prior to the transplant and getting on it post-op. I don’t know how long you’ve been on the forum but I know you’ve posted your own results which you’re unhappy with so I’m assuming a while. Clinics post results on the forum where the patient wasn’t on fin often prior to and everything turns out fine. I’m not saying that I disagree with what you’re saying. I think anyone considering a transplant should try fin for at least a year before going under the knife. I, personally, was on it for 7 years prior to my own transplant. I’m saying that the doctor made a judgement call based on his sit down with the patient prior to the procedure and it’s not on any of us laymen to question that. We’re not doctors. None of us are experts. Some have had transplants so are better versed but that doesn’t all of a sudden make us the be-all end-all; able to say a doctor whom we have no association with is unethical for a decision they made with another patient based on their experience with that patient. I’m not trying to change your mind. You believe what you believe and that’s fine. As I said, I know you’ve had a procedure that you’re unhappy with. I’ve been following your thread and I truly wish you all the best. If I were in your shoes I would feel the same way and I really hope you get it sorted out. All I’m saying is questioning the doctors ethics without knowing the full story of what they talked about in their sit down, which as far as I’m concerned is nobody’s business except the patient and the doctors, is pointless.

I think your early 20’s are okay for a hair transplant as long as you go to a good doctor who asks all the right questions about your background and makes a good assessment about where your hair loss is progressing. A doctor who would also take you step by step and make you aware of what it is that you’re truly getting yourself into. It’s such an involved lifelong process and your expectations have to be kept in check. I agree with LaserCap that medical therapy should be tried first or at the very least in conjunction with the transplant. I, like most on here I would hope, would recommend medical therapy at least a year before considering a hair transplant.