Thank you all for the good wishes, encoragement and advice. Its day 18 and I took Eman's advice and buzzed my hair down to be level; I don't scare little children as much anymore . I've also shed majority of the scabbing and crusting (and with is, a LOT of my hair). No doubt shock loss is in play as well.

I've posted new pics on my weblog; please do take a look when you get a chance. The redness is mild and I'm hoping it won't get worse (especially since I'm starting on aloe). I tried the rogaine but it burned so I stopped for now and will revisit in a few days. I'm thin on top and am expecting to get thinner, so I bought a fedora to prepare

The weblog only allowed 6 pictures, so I attached the 7th to this posting.

Thanks,

front.JPG (283 KB, 73 downloads) Front

The buzz down looks GREAT!! How does it feel?

I can see you are beginning to clump or if you look in Dr. Rahal's post-op instructions, "Valleys" have formed. Once you start the shedding and the crusts fall off everything will even out.

The pinkness should only get better in the recipient as it should on the donor. It just takes time. And good luck trying to keep the recipient area from getting dry in this wonderful CHi-town weather we are having and like we talked about the chemicals in the water.

Happy Healing!

Well, I'm at the 1 month mark (30 days) and I've updated my weblog with new pictures. I've lost all my grafts and I'm seeing considerable shock loss in the recipient area. I'm seeing some loss in my crown (which was untouched) and wanted to know if that was normal or expected?

I've got pimples on my forehead and some on my recipient area, but I'll live. Time just can't fly by fast enough. I wonder how far they've come with cryogenics

The two go hand in hand...........it'll all be good by summer time.
I notice on your log that you changed from Dutasteride to Proscar ..any reason behind this ?

Thanks Dabuski! I did switch from dutasteride to proscar. Dutasteride is not for everyone, and about 18 months in, I started to see a noticable difference in my sex drive. I consulted a urologist and he suggested I go off dutasteride for a few months (half life is 14 days with dutasteride). I did and the difference was day and night. I've been on proscar ever since and have not had any issues with it.

It's an icky subject, but young men (I was 25 at the time) need to know that these drugs can affect your hormonal equilibrium. I mean hair is great and I'll go to great lengths to keep it on my head, but I'd rather be 100% bald than forego my sex life.

Ready,
How are you feeling about things so far? Did you ever find out why Rogaine made your scalp burn?

I'm feeling ok so far; no physical discomfort. I'm bummed about the shock loss and can't wait to hit the 5 month mark.

On the Rogaine, I just think it was too soon and too close to the scabs falling off. I'm applying it twice a day since the three week mark and it's been fine.

Ready For Change, Don't forget that way past the one-year mark you'll see how the hairs get even thicker. Btw, your work looks awesome!!

quote:

Originally posted by ReadyForChange:
I'm feeling ok so far; no physical discomfort. I'm bummed about the shock loss and can't wait to hit the 5 month mark.

I understand. Those first 1-3 months are not a lot of fun but they fly by fast.

Hi Guys:

It's been a while since I've posted or updated my weblog so I thought I would do both today. I've been lurking silently in the shadows and regularly viewing the posts and results. I’ve seen some spectacular results in the past couple of months and am thrilled for the posters/bloggers seeing them. Congratulations guys!!!

I’m at the four month mark; the worst is over. I think I can safely say that I’m out of the doldrums and have entered my growth phase. It’s a slow process, but patience is a new virtue in my arsenal (sometimes). I’m looking forward to the coming months and hope to see some of the bare patches fill in (which is a current concern). Also, has anyone experienced thinning at the crown after an HT?

Your feedback on the two and four month pictures is always appreciated. Let me know if you see any areas of concern (with my OCD, it’s easy to set me off)

Looking good Ready. I cannot believe you are already at four months. You have had some really good growth thus far (an early grower!!) which is nice and got you out of the fun doldrum stage!

You have good coverage now and it will only get better and your scar is super tough to find. Just begin letting your hair grow out at this stage and you will be surprised at your transformation. It is fun to look in the rear view mirror when driving and see your head...

Fun times for you!

ReadyForChange, it looks like you're going to have superb results, going by your four month photos!

Nice, consistent results like yours give me great reassurance that I've chosen the right HT doctor (Rahal) for my upcoming stint in the chair! I hope you'll keep posting updates, I'm interested to see how your progress continues in the months to come. Enjoy and cherish your newfound growth!

Looks very good for four months. More natural and good density.

ReadyforChange,

Thanks for updating us on your progress. I agree that things are looking good for this early stage.

Keep us posted!

Bill (Falc)

Just updated my weblog with my five month pics. Your views are always welcome (nay, encouraged)

Readyforchange,
Things are starting to happen but as others have heard many times before.It's all about time and of course patience.

Mick

'The grafts won't ALL come in/grow at the same time, but they will ALL come in'--I'm sure this sounds like little more than a vacuous platitude right now, but hopefully it's encouraging in that the patch in question isn't an anomaly & your still relatively early out. You still have 7 months of growth/maturation to come. Your hairline is extremely bold & looks killer. I suspect w/THAT many grafts dense packed in your frontal third, you won't be left w/some gimp illusion, but actual density & the ability to style however you desire. Best of all you've chosen a world class surgeon w/a consistent track record of providing world class results. Not to mention you've permanently rid yourself of the 'pluggy' look, & in it's place have a completely natural looking hair line. Rest assured, I'm sure your result will leave you very happy when all is said & done. I look forward to following your progress.

Looks good to me mate, I'm approaching 5 months and have an area on my right side that looks a tad barren, par for the course, it'll fill in fine, enjoy the shape of that hairline you have going for you there and don't focus on the negative, before you know it that area behind the hairline will fill in.

Mick, Ron and Petchski: Thanks for the positive comments guys – I’m keeping my fingers crossed though not much has changed since my last post.

I’ve updated my blog with 6 month pictures. I’m going to grow my hair out to see if it helps with density. As always, your thoughts and comments are always appreciated.