Would this product stay in all day? How long will it be until the effect starts to fade or wear off?

Could you exercise with it in? Meaning: would sweat ruin it and make it run or come off/out?

Thanks

BTW, Forum Moderator & Satisfied Patient: do you exercise with that stuff in, would you?

You seem to be physically fit, so I'm wondering if you would wear that to the gym etc...?

I used to use this stuff a 2-3 years ago on top and crown until my crowned thinned enough I just didn't have enough hair........you could see a little shine on my scalp!

From looking at your pic's, you'd be a perfect candidate. I looked into a lot of concealer's at the time and feel Dermmatch is the best.

Dermmatch does stay in all day. The effects won't fade or wear off until you shampoo them out. I'm not sure I would excercise with it in? Depending on how much you perspire it would probably be okay.

quote:

Originally posted by hairbank:
I used to use this stuff a 2-3 years ago on top and crown until my crowned thinned enough I just didn't have enough hair........you could see a little shine on my scalp!

From looking at your pic's, you'd be a perfect candidate. I looked into a lot of concealer's at the time and feel Dermmatch is the best.

Dermmatch does stay in all day. The effects won't fade or wear off until you shampoo them out. I'm not sure I would excercise with it in? Depending on how much you perspire it would probably be okay.

Thanks, I ordered some to test it out!

Hi

Dermatch is great if you have some hair to cling to. Yes, you can exercise with it and no it doesn't stain clothes permenantly. A little hairspray work worders to keep it in the hair..

I do one thing differently. I don't wet the applicator. When i first get the new package, I put a little water in the Dermatch disk, let it dry..
Then, I'm good to go. The one package lasts a long time

It's good stuff!

I've tried the "dry" method before and it works for me too. Not better in my case, just different. I have to stress that "experiment" is the key word in using this or any concealer. The more you work with it, the more you will find the most effective technique for appliation.

-Robert

Hey how's it goin.... Bro im 23 years old, and about 2 years ago after my 21st birthday i started noticing that my front line was starting to thin.. sure enough i was able to cover it up since i had lots and lots of hair... Yet it still bothered me.. By my 23d birthday i had lost alot more.. and as my 24th birthday is almost here, im really losing alot.. not just in the front but in the back.. i lost my confidence.. can't even talk to girls anymore... and i feel like ive short changed my self... like people that never met me with my hair... they never knew how good i looked.. the shape of my head doesn't allow me to shave bald... people started noticing how baddly i was thinning..i then went to a hair transplant place in the city... and the guy started talking about shock.. when u implant the new hair.. some of the remaing ones fall out for a time being.. and he said my head would blow up and become red... and i basically couldn't goo out till all that went away... i mean its a real surgery... i kept asking why God, im 23 years old.. i shouldn't have to go through this.. everyone i know has a full head of hair... anyways.. i took a long shot as i became desperate with topik... i thought this stuff had to be BS as i was raised by a father who though everything on tv was bs, and he's probably right, except for this product.. i couldn't believe my eyes after i applied it for the first time.. i looked like i did when i was 16.. it was amazing!!! AMAZINg! like i lost my mind.. started thanking the good Lord for science and technology and topik.. after i went out.. i tried it in the wind.. and everything.. nothing makes it fall out.. ive been with a girl nothing.. i showered with it after i slept with it on for a full nite.. nothing.. still in my hair.. i hair sprayed it and its still there... looks soooo real.. no one can tell.. people didn't even know why.. but people just started saying.. ulook soo nice today.. complements on my hair that i haven't gotten in over 2 years! and no one knows whyl.. todl htem i got a new hair cut guy that does it really nice.... i just pray to God that i don't lose more hair.. if i stay with what i have.. i will use this till my last breath.. it saved my youth.. ah the fountain of youth some people are saying dermmatch is the best.. i haven't tried that yet.. but its next on my list.. as now im a believer.. i use it in the front.. the most.. and a lil in the back try it it will change ur life.. it changed mine!

-M

Topik is great.. but im 23 soo im not as bald as others.. im just thinning like crazy in the front.. and all over the crown.. this stuff really works... inside the container, when it goes on ur skin it looks like lil hair.. the more u put.. it bonds with ur realy thinning hair.. and makes it look like its a full head.. looks llike my texture.. looks great
-M

i actually used topik yesterday.. and well i kept it in for 48 hours.... which means i slept.. with it and woke up and showerd.. and it stayed in and looked great!!!!! natuarlly a lil fell out.. but not enough to have to reapply.. u can keep it in for days! i love this stufF!

So Dermatch will not effect the graphs if I am 7 weeks post op?

quote:

Originally posted by rottun:
So Dermatch will not effect the graphs if I am 7 weeks post op?

If you're at 7 weeks the grafts are seated, big-time, so no problem. It won't hurt them.

I'd still choose to let the scalp "breathe" and use no concealer until most of the HT hair has sprouted, but that's just me..........I doubt it will slow down your growth.

HB,

You are right... Do not want to chance the investment!!!!

Rob,


How much did this procedure cost? I am just looking for a ballpark figure.

My forlock's a little thicker than yours was in the before stage, but I have more crown thinning.
I can cosmetically cover the crown, but would like to thicken and lower the front hairline.

Mr. Smith,

I'm not Robert but can tell you the average cost per graft for a HT is between $3-$5 per graft. Usually, if you get more than 2000 grafts it is discounted to $2-$2.50 per graft.

You may want to use this graft calculator to aid in determining the amount of grafts you'll need. It's measured in sq. cm. For the appearance of dense coverage you'll want at least 45-55 grafts per sq cm. Most chose to start with 45-55 sq cm in front, then reduce that amount to 25-35 sq cm as you approach the crown. Depends on your stage of loss and how much donor hair you have.

Hope this helps.

WOW..what a thread! I have been using Toppik for a few years now and LOVE it. I even keep it in for a few days at a time (sometimes)but it will come off when in water (pool). I wanted something that I could swim with and orderd Couvre' today (before i read this) and figured i would use it with the Toppik. I have never used Couvre' so i dont know if it will be applied like dermmatch. Your pics look great and the way you applied it looks easy. Is couvre applied the same way...where you can blend it?

Robert, thanks for the detailed info! I was thinking about checking out Dermatch and seeing how it worked for me. Now, if I do, I'll have to come back to this thread and follow your step by step instructions.

If I may, let me jump in with my Dermatch experience.

I started using Dermatch about two months ago--the seventh month into my second HT.

I apply it to my forelock and the rest of my hair in front and top. My crown, from about the imaginary line from the tops of my ears, has too little hair for Dermatch to be effective.

After some trial and error, I've worked out the application amount and method that works for me.

The instructions state to apply the Dermatch liberally with a damp applicator. "Liberally" is subject to interpretation, but for me, "liberally" does not mean to go hog wild. I did that the first time I tried it, and my scalp looked like I had spray painted it.

After I dampen an applicator, I apply enough to thicken the hair and get a light painting of my scalp. (I try to do one small spot at a time, but if I accidentally overload the applicator with Dermatch, I'll spread it out over the entire area I want to cover.) I avoid letting any of the initial Dermatch coating get near my hairline.

Immediately after the application, I take a dry applicator and use it to even out the application. This is also the time to smear some of the Dermatch out to the hairline. You need to be delicate here. Subtlety is the key. You don't want a "paint line" at the hairline; it's a dead giveaway. Ideally, at the hairline, you want just a hint of the Dermatch. An ever-so-slight amount to just diminish the contrast between hair and scalp slightly.

I cannot overstress the need for real restraint at the hairline. Even a slight bit too much, and it looks like a smudge of dirt.

That's the real purpose of me using a dry applicator--to "fuzz up" any obvious "paint lines" and to remove any excess Dermatch at the hairline. (If you overlook some spot that has too much Dermatch showing and discover it later, you can use a fingertip to remove the excess. Again, we're talking about a delicate touch, so you remove just the excess and leave just a tiny shade of the Dermatch in place. Rub it too hard, and you'll remove all the Dermatch.)

After I hone and tweak the Dermatch application with the dry applicator, I run a brush through the whole thing. This evens out the application even further. This is not going to be the final styling; it's just meant to give you an idea of what the application is going to look like. This is where I do any final touch-ups--removing any remaining excess at the hairline, or adding a touch more, usually at the top, if I've missed a spot.

After the Dermatch dries, then I brush and comb my hair for style.

As I said, there was some trial and error, at first, while I experimented to see just how much Dermatch was right to apply in my case. At first, I tended to go too heavy, but learnt to back off. A couple of times, I got it too light (too light is always better than too much, though). But I finally got the right amount down.

I've got the application process down to five minutes or so. If it's part of your daily grooming regimen, such as in getting ready for work, then you can start with the application, then shave and brush your teeth and so forth. By that time, the application will be dry and you can comb and style your hair.

I've found that the only thing which really affects an application of Dermatch (besides soap and water to remove it) is friction. That means it is going to come out when you sleep, from contact with your pillow. (It hasn't seemed to noticeably soil my pillows, however. Probably because, when it's dry, it tends to flake off in minute particles.)

Again, my experience has been, even after sleeping, one application will be good for the second day, but not after that. Again, people are different--different densities of hair, different areas of application, different sleeping habits. So you may find circumstances to be different for you.

A few other random observations in my use of Dermatch . . . .

I don't have the messy residue left on my sink, like Robert experienced (at least at first). I think this goes to the fact that I don't have to apply as much Dermatch as many do. I want the Dermatch damp, but not soaking wet, so very little of it (ideally, none) drips off the applicator onto the sink.

One drawback I've found in Dermatch in my case is that I have salt-and-pepper hair. I asked the Dermatch people about this, and they recommended to blend the "parent" hair colour--in my case, dark brown--with white. I've done this, and it doesn't result in a salt-and-pepper application. It results in a faded version of the parent hair colour. It works, but I'd much rather be able to replicate true salt and pepper. I don't think any concealer can truly do that, though.

In my opinion, using Dermatch sparingly is the key to the optimum result. If you discover you've used too little, you can always apply a second coating. But if you use too much, it's tough to bring it down. Even though it does thicken the individual hairs, what you are really going for is a reduction of the colour contrast between hair and scalp--especially, if like me, you are dark haired. It doesn't take that much to accomplish this.

Probably because I am so discreet in my application, I've never had a "reveal" problem in sunlight. In fact, I've found that if I've applied it right, the brighter the light, the less noticeable it is. Occasionally, when I check in a mirror over the course of the day, I discover that I've left too solid of a line,such as at the hairline. As I mentioned, a quick smudge with a fingertip takes care of that.

That's been my experience with the product. Of course, someone else's mileage may vary.

Hi all,

I have decided after reading all of your feedback of DermMatch, to give it a try.

I ordered it today and it should arrive within the next few weeks. I am 25 years old, and had my first HT 3 years ago. It looked amazing in the first couple years but as my hairline receeded, I am not happy with the current look of it. Hopefully this stuff will be as great as you guys have said it is.

Anxious and eager.

Well, I too have been inspired to order a "concealer"....

it has been mentioned that a combo of Dermmatch + Toppik can give maximum effect.....would using the Couvre product have any use if you are already using Dermmatch/Toppik? I am not quite sure of the utility of Couvre if you are already using Dermmatch or Toppik.

Cheers,

Jon

quote:

Originally posted by thanatopsis_awry:
Well, I too have been inspired to order a "concealer"....

it has been mentioned that a combo of Dermmatch + Toppik can give maximum effect.....would using the Couvre product have any use if you are already using Dermmatch/Toppik? I am not quite sure of the utility of Couvre if you are already using Dermmatch or Toppik.

Cheers,

Jon

If you're using Dermmatch and Toppik, there's no need for Couvre. Basically, Couvre works in much the same way that Dermmatch does, except that it does not coat the hair shafts, making them look thicker. Essentially, it is "scalp paint," albeit good scalp paint.

And Dermmatch and Toppik really is the best combo. Be sure to order each from their respective website's, though. Avoid the cheap imitations.

Dermmatch - http://www.dermmatch.com
Toppik - http://www.toppik.com/

Also, if you have lighter hair and especially blonde hair, don't expect miracles. Especially with Dermmatch.

-Robert

Awesome, thx...just ordered myself both Dermmatch and Toppik -- really excited about the potential of these products, especially with a Dermmatch/Toppik 1-2 punch!