Hey guys,

I hit 32 weeks yesterday. It's been 5 weeks since I posted pics and I don't think I've seen any improvement during that time. I'd say it looks ok in person. I just look like a slightly less balding version on my old self. The pics, on the other hand, demonstrate how bad it really is! It looks natural, just not good. I know, I've got four more months and should reserve judgement. The game's not over yet but I'm beginning to lose faith that I will get an acceptable result from this procedure.

I definitely don't want to discount your frustration - it's entirely understandable given the result at this point - but for what it's worth I can still see some clear improvement from your pre-HT pictures. Also, as you know, results can continue to improve up to 12-14 months post-HT, so there's at least some cause for holding out hope.

Best wishes,
Sparse

Not good for 8 months. I think you'll not have a good growth rate.
Can you tell me how early your grafts started to shed?

Have you talked to Dr. Alexander recently about your concerns? I would like to know his thoughts on your progress thus far.

Looks like a bad result, I'm sorry to say.

Don't let well-intentioned posters infuse you with false hope. A transplant that is this sparse at eight months virtually never turns out well.

My sympathies.

Based on your immediate post-op results compared to now, I'd wager more than half of your grafts have not grown. Wait til 12 to 15 months for complete judgment.

TakingthePlunge,

I do agree that your growth at 8 months is less than optimal. There's a chance you're a slow grower, but there's no way to know for sure.

Unfortunately, there are variables and risks that go along with hair transplant surgery, some of which, are out of a physician's control. However, Dr. Alexander has a long record of producing excellent results and standing behind his patients.

The best thing to do at this point is wait several more months until maturation. I also suggest contacting Dr. Alexander directly, share your progress and concerns, and work with him to come up with a fair resolution in the event you end up with less than optimal growth.

I've taken the liberty of contacting Dr. Alexander to notify him of your concerns. I trust that he will stand behind you and do whatever he can to help you if you don't get expected results.

Best wishes,

Bill (Falc)

I'd like to thank everyone for their input. I'm not placing blame on Dr. A. I believe that he is as skilled as any of the top docs here. Unfortunately, he did plant it in my head that I could expect good results by month 6 based on my great hair and scalp quality. As you can all see, that has not happened. Yes, I understood, as do most of us on this board that have done our research, that getting a HT is a crap shoot and the best you can do is try to hedge your bet by choosing your doc wisely. I made a decision to do this because I knew that, whatever the result, I couldn't possibly be less happy with my appearance than I already was. That doesn't ease the pain of being down $10,000 and not being able to afford another procedure for a looooonnnnng time. I was hoping for the best and, at this point, it doesn't look like that'll happen but I'm hanging in there till the 12 month mark before totally giving up hope.

I'm not trying to come off like a whiner. I'm only trying to stay consistent with my blog and be honest about how I'm feeling about my results each month.

To answer specific questions,

aska: I'm sorry, I don't recall how early my grafts shed. I seem to remember that they hung on for a while.

Falc: I was in touch with Dr. Alexander about five weeks ago for my 6 month follow up. He suggested that growing my hair longer would enhance its appearance and I've been trying to do that. He told me to come back in two months so I've been expecting to hear from his office soon. Thanks for your imput!

I feel your pain TTP!
I too had less then desirable results on my HT and it has made me nervous to try it again. However like Falc said Dr. A is an excellent doc and Im positive he would stand behind his work and atleast give you a substantial discount if not fix it for free.

quote:

I've got four more months and should reserve judgement

My understanding is that full cosmetic result can be as far as 15 months and not necessarily 12 months.

I don't know what Dr. Alexander told you about the growth period.

But I understand how you feel, and like you said, the game is not over yet. Keep hope!

Well 15 months is generally the total maturation period, however at 8 months he should have had more growth. His growth is ok for the 4-5 month mark though, but like falc said it is possible that he is a slow grower

This certainly isn't encouraging, but it is true that you have another couple months before I'd officially shut the door on expecting legit growth. I'd keep expectations very tempered, but don't lose hope on ultimately getting to where you want to be.

Bleh, I'm very sorry to hear/see this. Dr. Alexander seems to be a stand-up doctor, though, so I'm sure he will work with you on making good on things.

I just want to thank everyone again who has posted here, emailed me and commented on my blog. It's this collective knowledge and support that makes this place so valuable! Dr. Alexander's office contacted me today and I made an appointment for Wednesday at 3:30. I'm not sure what can come of it at this point since not even he knows what's in store for me over the next 4 months but it was good of him to contact me. I'll post a follow up here after I speak with him.

Cheers!

Good luck with the appointment!

TakingthePlunge,

I'm glad to hear Dr. Alexander contacted you and that you made an appointment with him. Keep us posted on any news and what he says during the consult.

All the Best,

Bill (Falc)

I saw Dr. Alexander today. As expected, there's not much he could say at this point other than we need to wait for the one year mark and see what emerges. He did say that there is a lot of finer, light hairs that are difficult to see and may or may not thicken and darken over time. He also said that it is probable that I'll have to get some extra grafts placed in the right side where it is noticeably thinner but, again, we need to wait and see what happens. He also hooked me up with a couple of Toppik samples and applied some to the front and crown. I've always been curious about concealers and it made a marked improvement in appearance but it's not something that I would want to do every day. He asked me to come back again in two months. That's all there is to report. I'll keep posting pics every four weeks.

Thanks guys!

TakingThePlunge,

For what's its worth, I saw your before and after pics and form the fornt it looks much better. The illusion of density looks good. Now, I know it's only a pic and the lighting and angles can truly change the appearance of density. However, from the top down,and the sides, your concern is warranted...

I'm curious how do you think it looks outside in the Sun head on? One other thing, I hope and believe it will thicken up for you over the next 4 to 6 months.

Best,

M1A1,

Thanks for your input and I hope you are right! To answer your question, I think it looks ok from the front. Even outside in sunlight. Especially if I use a thickening shampoo and molding wax. I really have not noticed any drifting eyes looking at my head like I used to.

TakingThePlunge -

Like others have stated, you should see more thickening over the next couple of months. I read many posts from others saying that they saw a difference from 8 to 12 months. I am sure you must be please with how natural it looks. I think that is very important. Best of luck. Keep us updated. And, as you know, Dr. Alexander has produced some great results.