Hi All,
I had a first HT in MI, at a place called Hair Loss Treatment Center (Cozmedic - Michael Heilman)- I only wish I had known this commuity earlier. It was a waste, disaster I should say. well I lost more hair because of shock loss I guess.

I have hair loss mostly on top of my head. I have hair but its NOT AT ALL dense. I mean if I walk in sun you can see my scalp, actually under any bright illumination.

Question:
Can I go for 2nd HT ? To make my existing condition better ? I am afraid I may again go throug the shock loss if i have HT and the surgeon places hair grafts closer to my existing hair.

What Should I do ? I am confused ( and depressed.

HTcurious,I had a lot of shock from my first h/t,front to back.In the hands of a skilled surgeon you can be improved greatley without too much worry of this .Both of the Drs. you named make the cut but I beleive Dr. Shapiro may get the nod as far as repair goes.It is no doubt extremely depressing when you are messed-up/with the first time around.Just so you know beforehand your hair will always have some transparency with h/t and lighting but it can be improved over a shocked-out looking first pass by a good margin.One other thing I would like to mention is that if you had alot of native hair and your "Dr." did not explain properly shock loss to you or even mention it, report him to the medical board in your state for the fraudulant practice of medicine he commited.It may curb his poor judgement somewhat in the future and spare someone regrets or worse.

HTCurious,

I'm sorry to hear about your disappointment with the clinic in MI. I'm not familiar with this particular surgeon.

Shock fallout is potential problem when hair is being transplanted into an area with pre-existing hairs. Fortunately the new ultra refined and minimally invasive procedure has less impact on the scalp and lower potential shock fallout.

For right now I suggest that you consider using either toppic or Prothik to thicken up the appearance of your current hair. This stuff really can double the appearance of your hair's fullness. To learn more visit http://www.hairrestorationnetwork.com/coverups.asp

These cover ups are cheap and safe and worth trying. You may also want to get on Propecia and or do a free consult with Dr. Tessler in Detroit to get a handle on your condition.

I know how tough it must be coming off of disappointing results. But you can turn things around for the better.

Stay in touch and keep us posted.

Pat

dear pat,
what you meant by shock loss, means that if you have exisitng hair and you want to higher the density the HT can affects the existing hair ? if yes do one have to wait until fully "uncovered" to get HT ?

Some Shock loss comes back in time.

You should wait at least 12-18 months before 2nd HT-- Next time get a top notch surgeon (many are on recommended on this site-- just do your research and don't rush into anything).

Follow Pat's advice.

Thanks alot Pat and others,

Shock loss is one of my major concerns for sure. HarryBen asked the right question. I have xisting hair (not alot ) ) But, the point is I would like to increase the density.So in this scenario, I am very much concerned about shock loss, since I can afford to lose my existing hair.

My other concern is the scar at the donor site. right now I could feel the sacr even if i run my hand over my head at the donor site. if i cut my hair short I could see the scar. When i see posts that says "my scar is almost invisible " , I am even thinking if it can be true. But what I know & realised is ..my first Ht is a Train wreck.

I hope, I can make the scar less visible after my 2nd HT.

just curious, when did you get your HT and how many FU's.

I recently had my second HT to basically fill in between my first ht hairs in the front and middle of my head. the doc asked if he could trim down my current hairs to get in between them good and I said yes.I have noticed some good shock loss of those pre existing first ht hairs but it could also be that they were buzzed pretty short. am now 6 or so weeks post second ht and the rrest of my old ht hairs are growing longer again, I still don't look as good as i did before the second ht but I know those hairs will be growing back again to go along with my new hairs and in a few months I will be happy I did it. Gotta almost take the minor setback to get the nice gain in a few months. I already see a bunch of very short stubble coming thru all over and am not sure if those were the shock lossed hairs coming back or the new hairs but either way there are hairs. Just from reading around and my own experience you sometimes, not always, end up looking worse for a little bit before you look better, so am not staring at my head every day, or else will drive myself insane! But when i do glance at myself it is starting to look better all the time! And I still have another 2 to 3 months before significant growth is even supposed to start! I guess the old cliche works well here, gotta take a step backwards to get two steps forward or something like that. anyways, I knew i could expect some shock loss with this second ht since it was a dense pack in the front and middle but I just look to the future, not the immediate future, but the next year or so, and know I will have no regrets!

HT Curious -

We're both in same boat. I am in the middle of making decision if I want to go for HT to add more density on top, but shockloss concern is holding me back. My doc Dr. Keene has warned me about it, now it's up to me.

I have done lot of thinking and lot of research. I have seen many pictures of people who had a similar thinning (or even more dense looking) on top like I do, and they all had great results by adding 1000-1500 grafts (I am talking about pictures from top notch surgeons). Now I know everybody's different and reacts differently to HT and shock loss. But it's individual decision. I am going to consult with few doctors, and I'll make decision about what I want to do.

KG

P.S. check out my pictures, and see if your condition is better or worse than mine.

http://hair-restoration-info.com/eve/forums/a/tpc/f...6060861/m/5771097251

if ya had keene before go up to phoenix and have a consult with Alexander. He was my doc and made me feel pretty comfortable, not sure what the outcome is yet but he uses all the newest techniques and was trained by feller in NYC. very good experience with him.

HTCurious,

I hate to hear of your unfortunate situation. Pat mentioned concealers. While they are not actual hair and therefore not the ideal situation, they can certainly get you by for a while. Take a look at this thread that exhibits a Dermmatch application that I put together. It may give you some ideas for your own situation.

Dermatch

Keep in mind that there is also Toppik, Prothik, Couvre', and some other concealers available. Toppik, Couvre', and Dermatch have worked best for me, but your mileage may vary.

-Robert

hi robert.

i saw your pics and they look great.

did you use any concealers postoperatively?

Thanks, krypto.

I do use both Dermmatch and Toppik (not always at the same time) post-op for my crown. I did not recieve grafts placed into the crown and have no plans to do so at this time.

I believe that with my medicinal regimen allowing me to keep the thinning appearance and perhaps even regrowing hair, that these concealers do wonders when used correctly and sparingly.

The thread I posted above is me using concealers exactly how I do each day.

-Robert

Shock loss can not be predicted but with the right surgeon it can be limited with care attention to your scalp during surgery. Use Propecia, Rogain 5% and MSM after surgery to help prevent shock loss (most surgeons recommend this)