I ordered some Dermmatch because I was curious to know how it would stand up to Couvre' and Toppik.

I have had great success in using Couvre' and Toppik as illustrated in this thread.

Now, Couvre' and Toppik are both great if I use them together but this was naturally kind of a pain for everyday so I was still burdened with my ballcap on days that I didnt have 10 minutes to spend applying them. I wanted to know if there was a better way and I have read about others' success with Dermmatch.

Well, the curiosity got the best of me and I decided to share my findings with anyone interested.

I am almost six months out from my hair transplant. All of the transplanted hair is in the hairline and forelock. While I have had success with minoxidil and finasteride, I am still thin on the crown. I obviously want something to cover this area.

Below is my "Before" shot of my crown. I apologize that the Before and After pics do not really match up in angle. I will try to get some better ones after a while when i experiment a little more with this stuff. This was the first time I had ever applied it.





After application:





This is my favorite part. Even though I have limited hair back there, it still makes the "whorl" appear quite well.




If i had to rate each product, I would definitely have to rate Toppik and Couvre' together because if you have too thin of hair you are going to HAVE to use them together.

For messiness, Dermmatch wins out, hands down. After a little practice you can even keep the bathroom sink pretty clean.

For ease of application, Dermmatch also wins. Applying the Couvre' and Toppik takes at least twice as long.

For final result, I have to say that they are a tie. They both look great, in my opinion.

For price, Dermmatch all the way.

I hope this helps some people out. If you have any more questions about either product just ask.

-Robert

thanks for the research Robert...

I going to look into this!!

Robert- Thanks for the research, btw. Your HT looks fantastic. Did you get any grafts applied to the crown? Your hairline looks great !

As for Dermmatch, I'm impressed! I may pick some up to try it out ! More pics would be greatly appriciated!

A

AB,

Thanks for the kind words on my HT. I am infinitely happy with the results thus far. I did not get any grafts placed into the crown. All grafts were applied "forward" of my ears in the hairline and forelock. You can see my entire story and photographic documentation here.

-Robert

Ok, so I wanted to show others exactly how I apply the Dermatch to help anyone out. If someone has a better way, then by all means, I would like to hear it.

First, I begin with towel-dried hair fresh from the shower.



Next, I wet the applicator per the instructions, make circular motions in the Dermatch and apply generously. I'm not really concerned about getting it on my forehead or if too much is in one area. I am only going for getting all the thin spots covered at this point.



Here is what it looks like all applied:



...and here is what my poor sink looks like:



Now, I brush through the hair to spread the Dermatch through and get it evenly distributed.



Here is where a little "forehead cleanup" takes place too. I just take a wet washcloth with a little soap on it and clean any bare skin parts. If there is any that is kinda "gunked up" at the hairline, simply use a dry part of the cloth and run it over the area. This will clean it up and give it that natural look.



Finally, I blow dry and brush my hair. I don't have any gel in in these pics, but I ussually apply the gel after I am totally confident that everything is nice and dry up there. It would make a hell of a mess otherwise.

Dry Crown:




Dry Top:



Dry Front (and back in the mirror)




Now, for anyone whos going to ask the obvious question: can anyone else notice? Well in short: no. These pictures were taken under harsh, bright bathroom light. In natural or regular room lighting it looks even better. The ultimate Dermatch test came this past Saturday night, though. I went on a first date with a girl and we ended the night by laying on the couch watching a movie. She was running her hands through my hair the entire time. Any differences in texture can just be chalked up to gel. She certainly didn't notice anything. I don't see why anyone else would.

Hope this helps!

-Robert

Wow - awesome results! I had never considered using any of those products that you mentioned because I didn't think they were any good. I'll obviously have to look into it.

Couple of questions:

1. When you're applying Dermmatch, can it stain clothing?

2. After it drys, how does Dermmatch hold up in the rain? Sweating? I'm assuming it didn't discolor your date's fingers . . .


Thanks for the info.

Does anyone know how long one disc of Dermmatch last if I use it everyday?

I see how to wipe the left side of the forehead.. but how about the right? Is it more difficult?

Follicular,

1) I imagine that it could stain. The instructions say to just use a blow dryer to get any off. I just ensure that its completely dry before I put a shirt on.

2) It rained just today. No problems. The instructions say that you can even swim with it.

Edmond,

They say that a disk will last about 6 months.

HBT,

The right is more difficult at times. It is a more involved process. If you want I can post more picture detailing the "toweling off" portion of the procedure .

-Robert

LOL, no need to detail your toweling off processes!! Thanks for the how to! Should be very helpful to many! Looks Great!

I just ordered the Dermmatch yesterday after I saw your pics. I hope it works for me.
Thanks

Good luck, Edmond!

Just remember, practice makes perfect!

-Robert

when I touch my hair after I applied Dermmatch, it made my hands turn black. what's going on?

Edmond,

Try using a blowdryer on a low setting to help speed up the drying time. You have to make sure that the dermatch is totally dry before putting your hands in your hair.

-Robert

Forum Moderator
could you please post some pics of applying the gel after Dermmatch? I just want to see whether the gel will make the hair shiny or not?

Sure, I'll do that next time i put it on.

In the meantime, I realized that even after the Dermatch was dry that some could come off on my hands. To remedy this, I just towel off the applied area a little.

The excess will come off on the towel but leave enough for coverage. This will dispel any variances in color with your natural hair, too.

Just do it lightly and youll be fine.

-Robert

Moderator,
nice topic. Thanks for doing this.

Questions:

1.) Is Dermmatch good for the hairline?
2.) Have you tried Prothik at all?

If you haven't, you should try it and compare all 4 concealers. I know I am asking for too much, but, I gots to know. But i am considering getting dermmatch for myself.

Texas,

Not a problem; glad to see that others are interested.

1) I place the dermatch about half an inch back from the hairline and then brush back. That is what I like about it: if it is too gunky in spots I can always manipulate it back while it is still wet. It is very forgiving. I don't think any concealer, in my opinion, would be very unnoticeable right AT the hairline.

2) Pat, this website's publisher, has used Prothik to cover his crown for years with great success. I have not personally tried it. I may do the same with Prothik sometime in the future, though. Great suggestion.

Thanks for the suggestions.

-Robert

Hello!

I have the same color as your hair , what color of the dermatch did you choose ?
http://www.fabaocanada.com/images/DermMatch-Colors.gif

Thanx

Robo,

I chose dark brown. Dermatch will send you one other color for free after your initial purchase in case the color isn't exactly right, though. I am sending off for the lighter brown. Once I get that, I will post some pics of how it looks too.

-Robert