# Hair Transplants > Hair Transplant: Start Your Own Topic >  2000 Grafts Plus 400 Free Grafts With Dr. Feller. NY.

## spreadlocks

Hello guys. I posted my experience with Dr. Feller on another forum but as I have these forums to thank for lots of my research I want to contribute here too. Below is my account of my first HT on Monday gone.

Like most guys I noticed a tiny bit of hair loss in mid to late 20s which got worse nearer to 30. I started Finestride and managed to stabilise that (I'm nearly 33 now). Around that time I almost booked a HT with a UK clinic with virtually no research but due to forums such as this one and the clinic having a particularly unlikable salesman I managed to avoid that one. Over the last few years I have been strongly considering a HT and last year decided to take the plunge. I had online consultations with some of the top guys and then finally got in touch with spex.

I am aware that this is probably going to sound more like a love letter than a write up but I can not say enough good things about Spex. For one I have never known anyone as efficient at replying to texts, calls and emails. No matter what the question, or how many questions there were he always gets back immediately which really helps put your mind to rest. On top of that, although he is passionate about Dr. Fellers work he made no attempt to try and "Hard Sell" me at all. In fact, the first thing he said was that both of the surgeons I was considering were great and would do a top job. This was a real contrast to the HT salespeople I had spoken to in the past. I decided that having that contact and Dr. Fellers countless, consistently good results made him the choice for me.

On Monday I got to the Docs office and met him at 7:45. He said that I was really displaying a masterful combover and at first glance it didn't look like I needed a HT at all : ) It wasn't until I pulled my hair back that the true story showed. Originally I wanted to go really aggressive with the hairline filling in the temples too (as I imagine most people would want to in a perfect world). The doc however explained to me that I had a decent amount of miniaturisation on the hairs back in my head and that I would be better off using my grafts to increase the density further back, thus saving further HT's in the future. He also said I maybe want to consider more grafts which was unfortunately not possible due to financial reasons (I had paid for 2000). At this point I was feeling pretty down which I am pretty sure the Dr. Feller could tell. He then explained to me that we could easily work around the centre of my hair (which will be the last to go) and still achieve maximum density. This really made me feel a lot better and much more at ease. He then drew the hairline on and again I thought it looked good. I must say that Dr. Feller has a very good way of a) explaining things in a very straightforward way and B) making you feel completely at ease with what is happening. He has a rare quality of making you feel very comfortable that you are in the hands of a professional but at the same time relaxing you with a few jokes and a casual manner. By the time we got in the operating room my original concerns had subsided and Dr. Feller had assured me we could really increase the density around the hairline. He showed me some other examples of what we could aim for and explained how we will be using state of the art techniques to achieve maximum density.

My head was shaved and I was administered the numbing injections which didn't bother me in slightest. I have many many tattoos so needles are no biggy. The doc worked around the back of my head with the technician and within about 20 mins he said "right done". I literally felt nothing. So little so that I was unaware of when he was working or not. All through this part of the procedure I chatted to Dr. Feller, telling jokes, talking about random day-to-day things and even touching on a bit of politics. It was all very casual and I felt completely at ease.

Next up Dr. Feller made the incisions in the top of my head. For this part he explained that he would not be talking as he needed maximum concentration. This was fine with me and I had a little snooze. Again I had no real idea when he was working or not other than the strange sound which is hard to describe unless you have had a HT. Again this part felt quite quick. Maybe 45 mins if that.

Next up the technicians place the grafts into my head. I am pretty sure not enough gets said about the technicians because they really were excellent. At one point I was struggling to sit still as I thought I just had a stiff neck. Without me saying anything one of the technicians explained that she could see I was struggling. I told her that it was just cause I had a stiff neck. She explained that although I thought it was that it was a stiff neck, it was probably a little pain from the staples. She adjusted something and instantly I felt great again. She obviously knew what she was talking about. I chatted to all of the technicians throughout the whole procedure. One of them, had some free credit for a European airline which had to be used by January and she even offered to give me it. They really had a great bedside manner and again I felt completely at ease.

Here is the good bit. Once the grafts had been placed, Dr feller came back in and explained that he had been able to harvest another 400 grafts on top of the initial 2000 and that if I wanted he could also shave down the middle bit and place these grafts for free, thus eradicating the need for another procedure in the near future. I really couldn't believe it and I was massively grateful. I think that the doc understands how much this affects peoples lives being a HT patient himself and genuinely wants to help. He also explained that if he makes me look good I then make him look good which is bang on really. I can not thank him enough for this though and I massively appreciate the generosity. He shaved some more, made the other 400 incisions and the technicians planted the grafts. All of this went quite quickly and the whole thing was finished before 14:30.

(Ah yeah. They also got me a sandwich for lunch and the roast beef on wholemeal I had was really good. Nice rare beef thinly sliced with tomato and mustard : )

Finally I was given all of the aftercare instructions, some medication, a tool to remove the staples and a baseball cap. The doctor showed me some of my photos and away I went with my new HT. I also received an email from Spex the next day wishing me well and telling me how the doctor had said the procedure went well.

Ultimately I had a first class experience with Spex and all of the staff at Feller medical and I would definitely recommend them.

Now here comes the hard part eh? Best get remastering that combover because there is a lot more area to combover now 

If anyone has any questions about going to NY please hit me up. I can remember lots about the transport, hotel, where I ate out, the food I bought in etc.

----------


## spreadlocks

Some pre op pics by me

----------


## spreadlocks

And 2 days post op with a swollen head : )

----------


## PayDay

Thanks for taking the time to make such a thorough post.  Dr. Feller does great work! He used to be on The Bald Truth a lot, but I haven't heard him on the show for a couple of years. Hes very funny. Im in New York and when I decide to go for it Feller is on the top of my list. Your transplant looks like its going to turn out great! Please keep us updated.

----------


## spreadlocks

Thanks. I will deffo keep updated with pics every month or so.

----------


## chrisdav

I am very confident your going to have an excellent result Spreadlocks. 

Keep us posted with your progress.

Patience is essential for this process, but you need have no worries as you were in the hands of one of the best around.

----------


## spreadlocks

Thank you Chrisdav. I am feeling a lot more positive today and the "weird" kind of feeling has sort of subsided : )

----------


## RichDestiny

Looks like you will have great results.

I'm curious, did he give you the option to shave your whole head? And would the shaving be necessary if you were thinner on top?

----------


## Folly

Hi Spreadlocks, 

I can't see it from your pre-op pics, but you were obviously thinning in the mid scalp, as Dr.Feller placed grafts there too. I like the fact that Dr.Feller placed grafts there as well, as it doesn't look like it was necessary from the pics, but you obviously had minituarisation there too. Sound like a great approach to me, as it gives the patient a few more years i guess before they need to come back for another HT (as long as there is no damage to existing native hairs). Did Dr. Feller say anything about existing native hairs being damaged by placing the new grafts ? You obviously had a lot of native hairs in the placement area (mid scalp), so i'm wondering if you were at a higher risk. I'm guessing the risk is small with a great surgeon like him, but i'm just wondering what he said about it ? 

Also, did he say that you would need to come back for another session to achieve a dense hairline, or is that expected to be covered in this surgery ?

I'm sure you'll have great results dude !!

----------


## spreadlocks

Hi Folly. Thanks for the reply and the good wishes.

As mentioned, I originally wanted to go really aggressive with the hairline but Dr Feller explained that I had some miniaturisation in the midscalp so any extra grafts would be best placed there for exactly the reason that you stated. He said by thickening that area up  it would prevent me from having to have another procedure soon to repair that area if it further deteriorates. This contingency plan made good sense to me and also reassured me that the doc obviously had my best interest  in mind rather than potentially making an extra quick buck by having me back for another surgery soon.

As for damage, we didn't discuss it too much but he assured me that he placed the grafts as carefully as possible to minimise the amount of damage. Of course there is always some chance of damage but with careful surgery, being on Fin and having fairly strong hair I am hoping that if there is any it is an unnoticeable amount.

The doc assured me we would be working at maximum density with the dense pack technique in the hairline. It was the first thing we discussed and my number one priority. We actually did only work in the hairline and at the sides with the original 2000 grafts that I purchased. It was only after this was done and the doc offered to give me the extra 400 grafts that we shaved down the forelock and did some work there.


@RichDestiny. Thanks too. I explained to him that I didn't want to shave my whole head as I am going to try and use the thick hair at the back and sides of my head to do the mega combover. Haha. I started testing it today and miraculously it is working to some degree. I recon I'll have it mastered by next week when I have to go to work. Actually I'll post a few pics in a minute. Thinking of giving up my job to be a hair stylist. Hahaha.

----------


## spreadlocks

The mega combover. Not amazing but possibly decent enough to see me through at work. Just gonna wear a hat at weekends.

----------


## Folly

Holy sh#t dude, how the hell have you managed that comb over ? Your procedure was only 2-3 weeks ago right ? And the doc shaved most of your head !! That's ridiculously good !




> Thinking of giving up my job to be a hair stylist


 You should bruv !!!

Anyway, i'm quite interested in your case. I met with Spex in London recently too and he's a really nice guy. I'm planning on having a strip with Dr.Feller at the end of the year. I have a similar recession to you, but a bit less. I'm 28. I want to have the 1st inch of my hairline densely packed via strip, but looking at your case, i'm wondering if the doc will add some more density past the 1 inch mark to areas where i'm also slightly minituarising. But i still have very thick hair there so i'm not sure. But you seemed to have thick enough hair in the mid scalp too, so let's see what the doc says. It would be nice to get problematic areas covered in a session when it's not really needed, to prevent/delay future surgeries. As long as it doesn't damage existing native hairs. I had 1,250 FUE grafts about 10 months ago with f#ck all growth. Definitely sticking to strip from now on. 

Have your grafts fallen out yet ? Are you using minoxidil on the grafts ?

----------


## Spex

Congrats mate! Well done  - Be patient as a long road ahead but one well worth it  :Cool: 

Best 
S

----------


## spreadlocks

> Holy sh#t dude, how the hell have you managed that comb over ? Your procedure was only 2-3 weeks ago right ? And the doc shaved most of your head !! That's ridiculously good !
> 
> 
> 
> You should bruv !!!
> 
> Anyway, i'm quite interested in your case. I met with Spex in London recently too and he's a really nice guy. I'm planning on having a strip with Dr.Feller at the end of the year. I have a similar recession to you, but a bit less. I'm 28. I want to have the 1st inch of my hairline densely packed via strip, but looking at your case, i'm wondering if the doc will add some more density past the 1 inch mark to areas where i'm also slightly minituarising. But i still have very thick hair there so i'm not sure. But you seemed to have thick enough hair in the mid scalp too, so let's see what the doc says. It would be nice to get problematic areas covered in a session when it's not really needed, to prevent/delay future surgeries. As long as it doesn't damage existing native hairs. I had 1,250 FUE grafts about 10 months ago with f#ck all growth. Definitely sticking to strip from now on. 
> 
> Have your grafts fallen out yet ? Are you using minoxidil on the grafts ?


 Haha. Dude, it was 5 days ago. The procedure was Monday, the pics were Saturday : )

I think there is not much point trying to pre empt what will be said in the consultation. I went over it like 1000 times in my head but until the doc has inspected your hair I guess you will never know how much hair loss you have exactly. My hair in the mid section looked thick in the pics as it was long and all pulled back but I guess there must have been more loss there than I thought.

Not using Minoxidil. Have never used it and don't wanna become reliant. Fin alone has always been good for me. I started using it about 2 - 3 years ago and honesty can't remember losing a single hair since starting.

Sorry to hear about your bad result with FUE man. Which doctor did you go to? Have you had any kind of explanation as to why it didn't work??

----------


## RichDestiny

Wow, dude! Combover Hall of Fame, right there.

Best of luck.

----------


## Folly

> Sorry to hear about your bad result with FUE man. Which doctor did you go to? Have you had any kind of explanation as to why it didn't work??


 Don't want to mention his name yet, until the 12 month mark passes. My transplanted hairs grew from months 3-9 and fell out. My HT surgeon pulled some out with tweezers himself when i saw him, as they were just 'loose' on my hairline. I was shedding really badly for 9 months after the surgery for some reason. He said it was telogen effluvium and that's why the grafts were falling out. He did the 'pluck' test and pulled out something like 15-20 hairs, can't remember. Turns out, it was just aggressive MPB. Must have been triggered by the surgery. I've never had massive shedding before, as i've had hairs miniaturizing on my hairline since i was 17, but at a snails pace. Went to a derm after surgery and found out that 60% of the hairs on the top of my head have been shedding for the past 9 months, which is A LOT of hair loss for 9 months. My whole house was covered in hair. LOL. Shedding has stopped the past 6 weeks and i'm on propecia now too. 

Anyway, my HT surgeon was wrong about the transplanted hairs falling out because i was going through telogen effluvium. The transplanted hairs were growing and falling out because the follicles underneath were damaged, obviously by the FUE extraction or placement process. This happened to about 80-85% of my grafts. Didn't even need a HT last year and all i got from it was 9 months of intense shedding after the HT, causing me to lose sh#t loads of native hair. 

Live and learn eh !!

----------


## spreadlocks

> Don't want to mention his name yet, until the 12 month mark passes. My transplanted hairs grew from months 3-9 and fell out. My HT surgeon pulled some out with tweezers himself when i saw him, as they were just 'loose' on my hairline. I was shedding really badly for 9 months after the surgery for some reason. He said it was telogen effluvium and that's why the grafts were falling out. He did the 'pluck' test and pulled out something like 15-20 hairs, can't remember. Turns out, it was just aggressive MPB. Must have been triggered by the surgery. I've never had massive shedding before, as i've had hairs miniaturizing on my hairline since i was 17, but at a snails pace. Went to a derm after surgery and found out that 60% of the hairs on the top of my head have been shedding for the past 9 months, which is A LOT of hair loss for 9 months. My whole house was covered in hair. LOL. Shedding has stopped the past 6 weeks and i'm on propecia now too. 
> 
> Anyway, my HT surgeon was wrong about the transplanted hairs falling out because i was going through telogen effluvium. The transplanted hairs were growing and falling out because the follicles underneath were damaged, obviously by the FUE extraction or placement process. This happened to about 80-85% of my grafts. Didn't even need a HT last year and all i got from it was 9 months of intense shedding after the HT, causing me to lose sh#t loads of native hair. 
> 
> Live and learn eh !!


 Damn. I am so sorry to hear this man. I really feel for you.

It's also scary to hear about the agressive MB possibly being triggered by the HT. I really hope you can get this sorted out man. I'll keep in touch with you too about how my growth is coming on. Also if you have any questions at all about the procedure with DR Feller just hit me up.

----------


## spreadlocks

12 Days post op. Staples out tomorrow : )

Edit. Don't know why but when I uploaded the pics they are like 1/3 of the original size.

----------


## Folly

Looks like you have healed incredibly well and you seem to have NO redness in the recipient area. Mine lingered for about 5 months. You lucky sod !!

Did any grafts come off with your scabs ? Your central hairline area look very dense. Should look great when it grows in. Did Dr. Feller mention what desnity FU/cm^2 he was aiming for at the hairline ?

----------


## spreadlocks

Ah. Thanks very much man. I think I am a fairly efficient healer. I have loads of tattoos and they have always healed fairly quickly.

I have definitely lost some hairs but not noticed any grafts with the scabs. Just sometimes when I rub my hair with my hand I'll find a tiny wispy hair on my hand or sometimes I'll see one of the tiny wispy hairs on my laptop after I have been using it.

Rather than discuss a number per cm2 I showed him pictures of one of his results that I really liked the density of, and asked if we could work at that density? He told me that he always woks at that density so we would be. 

This was the result I showed him by the way.

----------


## Folly

That density is perfect. I've been noticing how fine hairs give so much more of a natural appearance. Do you fine hair ?

So did Dr.Feller say that this sort of density would be achieved from this single surgery, or will it be from another 'touch up' surgery ?

----------


## spreadlocks

Nah. I have pretty thick hairs. I think anyway.

Yeah. The doc said he always works at that density in the hairline and that he would be with me. He said that if I needed another surgery it would be if I started to lose hair further back in my head (As in the crown etc. )not to increase density at the front. I specifically said that the density in the hairline was my number one priority and he told me that we would be working at this high density in the front with the 2000 grafts. As mentioned, he later told me that he was able to give me a further 400 grafts for free but these were used to go back into my forelock (which we were originally not going to work on) as he had already worked at high density around the hairline.

----------


## Folly

Nice one mate. Fingers crossed you'll have great growth and you won't have to think about your hair for many many years.That's all i want from surgery anyway.  :Smile:

----------


## Spex

Thanks for  the update  :Cool:

----------


## spreadlocks

1 Month update. Shedding now guys.

----------


## Folly

Thanks for the update mate. It's tough when your transplanted hairs initially shed, because you always have a bit of hope that the grafts will stay put. 

Your scar looks good. Did you experience any shock loss? Dr. Feller went into quite a lot of native hair. I just read on another post and never actually realised that shock loss is actually speeding up your MPB. If you lose terminal hairs to shock loss after surgery, they come back thinner if you have MPB.....which is a terrible as you've probably fast forwarded your MPB by a few years !!  :Frown:

----------


## spreadlocks

Cheers man. You are bang on. There is that tiny glimmer of hope that you will avoid the sleep period and just grow through. Haha. Nah. I prepared myself for the shed and to be honest now, it aint bothering me that much. Even if I get to where I was pre HT by like 3 months then that gives me enough breathing space to give the new grafts time to grow and mature.
*
Really not sure on Shock loss man. Its hard to say as I was wearing my hair long. If the hair that is in my recipient area now is all native hair then I probably havent had much, if any shock loss as it is probs similar to how it was before. If however, some of those hairs are still new grafts that will shed over the coming month, then that will leave my recipient area less dense and will probably mean I had some shock loss. It will be hard to say for another month or so. Actually, on closer inspection there probably is some further back in my recipient area. Not at the very front though yet. Do you know at what timescale shock loss usually occurs? Is it within the first month or later? Fingers crossed, I have managed to skip and severe shock loss.
*
As for the donor, again, I am not so sure. I have fairly thick hair which is a few of centimetres long around the side so its hard to tell. It certainly doesnt seem like there is any severe shockloss. I got my girlfriend to take the scar picture and she said that she was struggling to find it (Which is great news as its only 1 month out). I saw a guy on another forum who had strip with Feller 6 months ago. He had his hair shaved down to like a 1 guard and his scar was hardly visible. Ill be ecstatic if mine ends up like that as Ill be able to shave down to a 2 guard on the sides which is how I like to wear my hair.
*
As for the speeding up the MPB thing, I have just tried to stop looking at anything negative online now. The first 2 weeks post op I would read disaster stories n stuff then start getting worried. Then I realised, the op is done, there is nothing I can do about it now and worrying aint gonna help hair grow. I have been trying to think about it as little as possible. I understand that you had a less than stellar result from your FUE though man so you need to be considering everything. How has that been by the way? Any progress at all?

----------


## Folly

Hey dude, 




> Do you know at what timescale shock loss usually occurs? Is it within the first month or later? Fingers crossed, I have managed to skip and severe shock loss.


 I believe it usually happens within 2-3 weeks, but may also occur within a couple of months post-op. 




> I understand that you had a less than stellar result from your FUE though man so you need to be considering everything. How has that been by the way? Any progress at all?


 Nah, still no growth. I've accepted that FUE surgery i had last year has been a complete failure. It was just strange how my grafts re-grew (after the initial shed) and then fell out again. Dr. Cole is helping me work out why this happened in another thread, which is kool because he's like the FUE jesus. 

Only positive is i've stopped shedding for the past 2.5 months. I've been on propecia for 2.5 months too and not had an initial shed. Hopefully if i make it to 3 months, i don't think i'll have an initial shed. Fingers crossed propecia will help me maintain what i have for a few years. 

I remeber you saying you were on propecia too. Has it stoped you losing hair ? Did it stop/slow down your receeding hairline ? Any sides? I thought i've been having a reduced libido lately, but i think it's all in my head. 

Cheers.

----------


## spreadlocks

Man. I am so sorry to hear about the FUE but glad to hear your shedding has stopped with the propecia. 

I started propecia about 3 years ago and honestly do not think I have lost any hair whatsoever since being on it. I have pics of how I looked then and it was the same as when I went in for my HT. No hair loss at all for about 3 years. It's why I have never bothered with Minoxidil or Nizoral. Because the finestride has been amazing for me. I also did not have any initial shed with propecia.

Also I have not had any sides at all from it. No loss of libido or issue with erections. In fact, at almost 33 years old I am probably hornier than I have ever been. Haha. I still wake up with morning wood virtually every day.
There has been twice though when I have had a drop in Libido and immediately I thought "Is it the finestride" but it has merely been times of stress or worry and everything has went back to normal within a couple of weeks. Once was when I was going to lose my job and the other was the week before my surgery when I was nervous. I am pretty sure it is normal not to feel particularly horney during times like that anyway and in hindsight it wasn't anything to do with the finestride.

Of course though, some people do have issues with it so keep an eye.

----------


## Folly

Glad to hear you've done well with Propecia. I feel like i've had a significant drop in libido since propecia, but like you i've also gone through patches in the past where i'm not horny, purely due to anxiety/stress. I think it's all in my head. Regardless, i'd rather keep my hair and be less horny, if it is in fact the propecia. 

Good luck with the growth.

----------


## chrisis

Folly, what dose are you on? Have you tried reducing it?

I don't think it's in your head. Too many of us mentioning it.

----------


## Folly

I've been on 1mg daily for almost 3 months now. Still have the same sort of erections as before, but feeling a loss in libido and not had morning erections in a while either. Although i didn't have morning erections for a while before propecia too, probably due to stress. I'll probably stay on propecia at 1mg/day for another 3 months. I really want to see if it starts to fill in the thinning i have in my crown (see attached picture). 

If there's no signs of regrowth and i still have a drop in libido, i'll start taking it every other day. Since it's not affecting my erections, i'm not panicking tbh. Anyway, there's a good chance my libido will come back to normal if i stay on the drug. 

The mind is a powerfull thing. I was quite stressed out last year with my hair loss, my HT and some other sh#t, and for the first time in my life started having erection problems and a drop in libido (at age 28). I was convinced i had some hormonal/blood problem, but after some investigating, my endrochronologist told me it was all in my head. He was right. My erections went back to normal after a while, but i do my best not to get stressed out nowadays.

----------


## chrisis

You could drop your dose to 0.25 or 0.5mg. We're talking about a marginal difference in effectiveness and might help with any sides.

----------


## Folly

Cheers for the advice Chrisis. It's probably a bad time to start propecia when you're already having a loss in libido and just getting over erection problems, but my MPB really kicked off last year, so i was forced into it. Still unsure if the loss in libido/no morning erections is due to propecia, or just stress. Going to speak to my dermatologist in a few weeks and see what he says about reducing the dosage, like you mentioned. 

Just had some testosterone/estrogen blood tests done last week, so i'm still awaiting the results. I've always had a slightly elevated estrogen level, which is known to cause poor erections/loss in libido in men. It will be interesting to see if propecia has increased my estorgen levels (apparently it can), which may have caused my drop in libido these past couple of months. Will let you guys know if anyone is interested. 

I know propecia doesn't regrow hair in the hairline, but does it stop/slow down loss in that area ? I know it's effective on the top of the head and the 'anterior mid scalp'. Does 'anterior mid scalp' cover the front section of the hairline ? So that just leaves the temples where propecia is not effective ?

----------


## chrisis

> I know propecia doesn't regrow hair in the hairline, but does it stop/slow down loss in that area ? I know it's effective on the top of the head and the 'anterior mid scalp'. Does 'anterior mid scalp' cover the front section of the hairline ? So that just leaves the temples where propecia is not effective ?


 Hi again Folly, please let us know the results of your blood test! I will be interested for sure.

As far as I understand, the trials that have been conducted by Merck only looked at hair loss in the crown area. They can't advertise on their labels that it's effective for frontal/hairline loss, but anecdotal evidence suggests that many men do have success there. Sorry it's impossible to be more clear, but it seems to depend a lot on the individual. As long as you're happy about taking the drug from the perspective of your sexual health, the only way you can know if it will work is if you try it. There are few other options unfortunately  :Frown:

----------


## spreadlocks

2 Month Update Pics

Without much light


With flash light

----------


## spreadlocks

Does anyone know why the pics auto resize when I upload them to this site? These pics are all big and really clear by automatically uploaded small.

----------


## Folly

> Hi again Folly, please let us know the results of your blood test! I will be interested for sure.


 Hey Chrisis, got my blood results back. My testosterone came back the same as it always does, which was on the high side but within the limit. As i mentioned, what i was interested in was the estrogen levels, because I've read that propecia can increase these levels in men. This is not good, as high estrogen can cause loss of libido, poor boners and MITS (man tits). I had my estrogen level measured 4 times last year and it always came back high. The range is 40 - 160 pmol/L and mine was on average 170 pmol/L (around 45 pg/L). I was told by the endocrinologist that this level wasn't high enough to cause MITS, which i was really shitting myself about. I was worried propecia would increase my estrogen level, but incredibly it has lowered it !! My latest estrogen level was 126 pmol/L, which is within the range. However, I'm still suffering from low libido and poor erections. I've lowered my propecia dose to 0.5 mg/daily. My libido is totally non existent at the moment which is really worrying, but it was reasonably good last week. I'm 99% sure it's all stress related and not propecia. Just going through a bad patch in life tbh. Going to see a urologist next week to see if he can confirm it's all in my head.

----------


## Folly

Hey spreadlocks, not sure about the resize thingy mate. Spex will know. 

Doesn't look like you had too much (if any) shock loss. I forgot you pretty much had a full head of hair pre-op. I'm assuming that's all your native hair in the pic and your transplanted hairs have shed. If that's the case, your results are going to look crazy good dude !! Keep us posted bro  :Cool:

----------


## spreadlocks

Thanks a lot mate. Yeah, i think this is mostly native hair.

I really hope things work out for you with the finestride and everything else.

One question man? Just out of curiosity. Have you ever lifted weights? I just assume that with high testosterone levels you would probably be able to get really strong and muscular naturally.

----------


## chrisis

Folly, thanks for the update. I wouldn't be so sure it's all in your head and stress-related. I've been off propecia since the end of January and I'm still feeling the side effects. I'm not stressed and I've never experienced this before in my life before I started taking that drug. I'm just hoping in time it goes away. I planned to get back on finasteride at a lower dose once the side effects were totally gone, but the longer it takes the less I'm inclined to ever touch it again.

It's justified that people get angry on this topic because sexual health is so important and I'm a strong believer that advocates of the drug should think before dismissing people like us so casually!

----------


## Folly

> Have you ever lifted weights? I just assume that with high testosterone levels you would probably be able to get really strong and muscular naturally.


 I don't lift weights, but i'm naturally quite bulky/muscley. I do mostly cardio, because i'm only 5'9 and i'm already too bulky to add extra muscle. The strange thing is, i've always had a very broad chest and a lot of muscle on my quads and calves, but i never do any weights for these areas. My muscle mass in these areas NEVER seems to fade. Is this because of high testosterone, i don't know. But i also have a very hairy chest and oily skin, which are also traits of high testosterone. I guess the only advantage of always having high testosterone, was that i have always been very randy since puberty.......up until last year that is. I really hope things go back to normal in the libido department soon. 

At least my estrogen levels are down. Maybe i'll be less moody !!  :Smile:

----------


## Folly

> I've been off propecia since the end of January and I'm still feeling the side effects.


 I'm sure you will be ok soon mate. Try not to worry.

----------


## chrisis

> I'm sure you will be ok soon mate. Try not to worry.


 Yeah I'm guessing it's just a matter of time....

Gonna research if there's anything I can do help it along.

----------


## spreadlocks

> I don't lift weights, but i'm naturally quite bulky/muscley. I do mostly cardio, because i'm only 5'9 and i'm already too bulky to add extra muscle. The strange thing is, i've always had a very broad chest and a lot of muscle on my quads and calves, but i never do any weights for these areas. My muscle mass in these areas NEVER seems to fade. Is this because of high testosterone, i don't know. But i also have a very hairy chest and oily skin, which are also traits of high testosterone. I guess the only advantage of always having high testosterone, was that i have always been very randy since puberty.......up until last year that is. I really hope things go back to normal in the libido department soon. 
> 
> At least my estrogen levels are down. Maybe i'll be less moody !!


 That makes sense man. I know calves are notiriously difficult to build and many people think they are simply pre determined by genetics. I wish I had the problem of being too muscular to do weights. Haha.
Keep us posted on the fin stuff though man. I'm really hoping it works out for you.

----------


## Folly

> Keep us posted on the fin stuff though man. I'm really hoping it works out for you.


 Cheers bro. I met with Dr. Hasson from H&W today in London. Him and his team were really nice and spent quite a bit of time with me, but i was so bummed after i left the consultation. Dr Hasson looked at my recipient site where i had the FUE and estimated around 40&#37; growth, as he could see the incision sites where no hairs had grown. He also said that i appeared to have a lot more extraction sites in my donor area for someone who only had 1,250 FUE. Jotronic took a video of my donor and it was full of white dots and the density of  hair seemed really low (visually). I thought he was showing me someone elses head !! I was told last year that i have above average density in the donor and i didn't think a single 1,250 FUE case would change that, but i appear to be wrong. Dr. Hasson told me i would need another 1,500 grafts to have a dense hairline, but i was a 'repair' patient. That was a real shock to hear him say that, but he is right. 

After seeing the back of my head full of these white dots, Jotronic showed me his multiple strip scars which were almost impossible to see on close inspection. At this point, i was thinking, WTF have i done ?? I had an FUE procedure for 1,250 grafts, had 40% growth, the back of my head is full of white dots, it appears a lot more than 1,250 grafts were removed from my donor and now i have a non-virgin scalp making future HT more difficult. If i had just had a strip, i would have had close to 100% growth, more transplanted grafts resulting in a much denser hairline and more than likely had a very acceptable scar, which could have been FUE'd at a later date if need be. Most importantly, i wouldn't be worrying about my hair all the time like i am now and would be out enjoying myself. After seeing what strip scars look like in comparison to these white dots from FUE, i'll never be doing FUE again. I'm sure the best docs can get much better than 40% growth, but i won't be risking it ever again.  

Anyway, i was pretty depressed after i left the consultation, but i was told i have a very lax scalp....so that's something positive. Big shout out to Jotronic too. He's such a nice guy and he gave me a lot of good advice. He said it was nice to meet another 'bald truth brother'. LOL. His hair is awesome for someone with such extensive loss and i pray i can get scars as good as his. Thanks to everyone in the H&W team in London today....they were super !!

----------


## spreadlocks

Glad you got the consultation mate. I can understand that you would be disheartened after hearing that but I guess in some ways they just confirmed what you probably already new deep down. I think you just need to take the attitude that it's all in the past and now you at least know what you need to do to fix your situation if you want to.

As for strip scar, here is a little story I wrote a few weeks ago on another forum. 




> I had my stip surgery with DR. Feller on 16th Jan. One of my big concerns was the scar as I shave the sides of my head to a 2 guard. However I have really thick hair in my donor region and meeting Spex he said that he thought Id be fine with the scar. I decided to stick with strip for higher yield and as it is more economical. 2.5 weeks after the surgery on 1st Feb I had the sides of my hair shaved down to a 4 and told the barber that I had a bike accident so I had a big scar. He was really careful and worked around it, however there was a lack of hair growing as expected. 3 weeks after then (Under 6 weeks after the HT) last Friday I went back to get it shaved down again. The barber looked at my head and couldnt believe it. He couldnt even find the scar. It took him like 5 minutes. Afterwards he was amazed and said he had never seen anything like it as there was hair growing out of the scar its self (Obviously the tricho closure). He said that my doctor must have done an amazing job as he had never seen a scar heal so well and thin on a head. He then shaved my hair down to a grade 3 into a grade 4 and you can see no sign at all (Bear in mind that this is under 6 weeks post op). Finally he asked if he could take a picture as he was amazed that hair could grow out of a scar, and took a picture on his I Phone. Funnily I was on the bus on Saturday night going for a night out when I bumped into him. He was still talking about how amazing it was and even got his phone out to show me the picture again, much to my embarrassment. Haha.


 You know what man. If you are ever in London and wanted to take a look at my 2 month old scar just shout me. If I can do anything to help a fellow hair loss bro out I will.

----------


## Folly

> You know what man. If you are ever in London and wanted to take a look at my 2 month old scar just shout me. If I can do anything to help a fellow hair loss bro out I will.


 Cheers bro, i actually live in London, but after seeing Jotronic's scar today, i can totally imagine how good yours is. If you get a chance, upload a pic of your donor site after you buzz down to a #2 or #3. Can't believe you were buzzing down after 6 weeks....you nutter !! lol

----------


## spreadlocks

> Cheers bro, i actually live in London, but after seeing Jotronic's scar today, i can totally imagine how good yours is. If you get a chance, upload a pic of your donor site after you buzz down to a #2 or #3. Can't believe you were buzzing down after 6 weeks....you nutter !! lol


 No probs man. I'll probs shave down this friday as have a wedding on Sat. Will post you a pic.

----------


## Folly

Nice one dude. Cheers. Enjoy your wedding. 

Chrisis, i'm just listening to Spencer on the 3/11/2012 show and he said something that really suprised me. He said 99.9&#37; of the people who don't have side effects from propecia in the first week, usually dont get any side effects. He said it at around 25 minutes into the show. You suprised at that ?

----------


## chrisis

> Chrisis, i'm just listening to Spencer on the 3/11/2012 show and he said something that really suprised me. He said 99.9&#37; of the people who don't have side effects from propecia in the first week, usually dont get any side effects. He said it at around 25 minutes into the show. You suprised at that ?


 To be blunt I think it's bullshit. 

I was fine for 2 months or more before side effects creeped in. For others it's longer. Some don't even realise how much finasteride has affected them until  *after* they stop it and their libido shoots back up. 

I'm getting tired of people plucking figures out of their air, whether it's 2% have side effects or 99.9% don't experience them if they're fine after the first week. It's completely unacceptable when the stakes are so high. Why can't everyone just be honest and say *we don't know* the actual figures, because ultimately we don't. Would these hair loss veterens bet their hair on being right about how widespread and prevalent side effects are? If they're actually reading the forum then I doubt it. It's easy to trumpet the safety of finasteride when it's other people's sexual health at stake because you've been fine. 

I also heard Spencer say he'd have chosen his hair over side effects if it was a choice between the two (or words to that effect). This is a pretty frivolous and careless remark. Unless you've experienced the side effects, you have no idea how it feels both physically, and psychologically. His co-host further added towards the end of the show the tired line that side effects are mostly in men's heads. You'd be better off waving a red rag at a bull than tell a guy whose dick died on finasteride that he possibly imagined it. No wonder there are so many angry men on these forums if this the best we can expect from these self-appointed experts.

To be honest, until the show starts to present this issue respectfully, compassionately and with integrity I will probably stop listening. I just get angry every time I hear an instance of ignorance and bad advice. I thought the point of the show was to protect vulnerable men.

----------


## spreadlocks

@Folly. I shaved my head down to #3 guard last night and took these pics immediately after.

As mentioned though, I have thick hair around my donor site though so this may not work out as well for some people.

----------


## DAVE52

> . His co-host further added towards the end of the show the tired line that side effects are mostly in men's heads.
> 
> .


  :Roll Eyes (Sarcastic): 

I tried it Propecia a long time ago and I got the side effects 

I want hair but I also want body to fucntion properly

I don't understand these people who come on and say it's safe

It's safe to some people and not to others, They even admit that on the packing  that a small percentgage of people may experience such and such

Why is is so difficult for those people who experiene no side effects to at least admit that .

No they come on here and say it's like taking an aspirin .

My suggestion 

Try it
If you get no side effects .GREAT for you 

If you do too bad like me

I also suggestion people buzz their head instead of goign for a HT . You'll be fighting hailoss for ever . Even the best HT's look OK after 3 4 , 5 HT's. 

My stupid insecurities got the batter of me 12 yrs ago and now Im paying for it pyschologically for the rest of my life . Trying to cope with hairloss , a bald crown , always wondering how I look, if people can tell I had work done etc etc 

It's just not worth it 

Some of the happiest people are those that dealt with their hairloss headon  but buzzing it and moving on with life . Not taking drugs , lotion, potions, surgeries for years on end and spending their life on this forum looking for a solution that will never come

Buzz or shave your head and then get on with life 

Don't try to fight , stop something that you can't

----------


## chrisis

Everything you wrote about finasteride I totally agree with, but have to object to the latter part of your post! I've seen some excellent results during my research and it's clear to me that an investment of time and money has given some people a new lease of life. If your hair is important to your image and look, then I definitely think it's worth fighting for.

I think we all care about it to varying degrees. Personally I know I wouldn't suit buzzed hair, or I'd just do it. A guy I work with is very good looking and has hair loss and he just shaved it. Worked fine for him, but his face structure is totally different to mine. I know for a fact I'd not enjoy the same social status I do now in terms of the people I hang out with and date, than if I had no hair. Unfortunately it's a fact that people judge you on how you look and treat you differently if you're not considered "good looking". Just last night I heard one friend say "I don't hang out with ugly people". Shallow maybe? But a brutal truth of life as far as many are concerned.

----------


## DAVE52

> Everything you wrote about finasteride I totally agree with, but have to object to the latter part of your post! *I've seen some excellent results during my research* and it's clear to me that an investment of time and money has given some people a new lease of life. If your hair is important to your image and look, then I definitely think it's worth fighting for.
> 
> I think we all care about it to varying degrees.* Personally I know I wouldn't suit buzzed hair, or I'd just do it.* A guy I work with is very good looking and has hair loss and he just shaved it. Worked fine for him, but his face structure is totally different to mine. I* know for a fact I'd not enjoy the same social status I do now in terms of the people I hang out with and date, than if I had no hair.* Unfortunately it's a fact that people judge you on how you look and treat you differently if you're not considered "good looking". Just last night I heard one friend say "I don't hang out with ugly people". Shallow maybe? But a brutal truth of life as far as many are concerned.


 Show me excellanat results ....send some links by PM
The results might be excellant " today " but show me the guy 10 yrs later 

Yes You would 
No one cares
Once it's doen ( buzzed , shaved ) no one gives a shit 
The only people that care are ourselves because we are too critical
You buzz your head and people will tell you it looks better than trying to hide or cover up your hairloss

----------


## chrisis

Dude you sound jaded.

Go to Dr Rahal and Dr Feller's sites for excellent results. 

I understand your point about "10 years time", but that's an entire decade bought! If you act today, by 2022 we may very well have some much better options available. 

Doing nothing is so defeatest.

----------


## DAVE52

> Dude you sound jaded..


 Yea
Im going through a tough couple of months
Need to re adapt to the new hairloss that's occurring 
Ive been to their sites 
Like I said the pics look good a yr post op ........tell the guys tome back 10 yrs later .let me see how good they still  look

Sorry for hi jacking this thread :Cool:

----------


## Folly

@spreadlocks

Wow, looks great dude. I think in another few months when the redness goes away, you will barely be able to find it. Doesn't look very wide at all.  Is your scar completely level with the rest of your head? Wondering if it is slightly raised or depressed?  




> Like I said the pics look good a yr post op ........tell the guys tome back 10 yrs later .let me see how good they still  look


 Are you saying this because the patients have further hair loss Dave ?  I think if you're on propecia/rogaine after a HT, further loss is very very slow (if at all). And in 10 years from now, i think MPB won't be a problem for those who have money. Too many promising new treatments coming along.

----------


## spreadlocks

> Is your scar completely level with the rest of your head? Wondering if it is slightly raised or depressed?


 Ehm. I think it is flat. I can't feel it at all now so I assume it's flat.

----------


## Follicle Death Row

Dave52 what about Jotronic? He would be pretty deep in norwood 6 territory if not for the HTs. Ask yourself would you rather shave down or have a head of hair like that? I'd much rather have the head of hair than be norwood 6. Joe actually has quite fine hair but he still has great hair considering every single strand up top is transplanted.

----------


## DAVE52

> Dave52 what about Jotronic? He would be pretty deep in norwood 6 territory if not for the HTs. Ask yourself would you rather shave down or have a head of hair like that? I'd much rather have the head of hair than be norwood 6. Joe actually has quite fine hair but he still has great hair considering every single strand up top is transplanted.


 I did mention Spex AND Joetronic in another thread

You need to go back 3, 4 5 times for a really good HT 

Some of these look good now but as hair loss progresses they end up with the bald crown ....like me  :EEK!:  and since me and Propecia don't agree , Im f*cked unless I want to keep going back, and back and back for more HT's 

Joe Rogan is my new hero .
HT and then said F it and shaved it off

----------


## m261978

spreadlocks - thanks for the story and pics...

Out of curiosity, was this FUE? Also, what is your hair density, just out of curiosity?

----------


## spreadlocks

> spreadlocks - thanks for the story and pics...
> 
> Out of curiosity, was this FUE? Also, what is your hair density, just out of curiosity?


 No mate. It was FUT. if you look on page 6 there is a picture of my strip scar.

If you mean donor density, I think it's pretty dense. As for recipient, I'm not sure as an actual number.

----------


## m261978

Oh, sorry - I didn't see that picture. 

I figured about the density. That's my problem, I was like a 1.5 or so.

----------


## spreadlocks

3 Month update. I have not noticed any new hairs coming through other than the odd one that never fell out. My native hair is growing pretty well though.

----------


## Spex

EARLY days mate - be patient - Its a long road!  :Cool:

----------


## Folly

Looking great at three months mate. I can't believe you're gonna have another 2,400 grafts ontop op what you already have. It's gonna look awesome in another 3 - 4 months !!!

Cheers for the update  :Smile:

----------


## chrisis

I'm a little confused here! Why is spreadlocks having another 2400 grafts on top of what has already been done here? Which is already 2400 grafts? That's 4800 was only a Norwood 2-3. Have I misunderstood something here?

I'll be continuing to watch this topic with keen interest. The combover at the start was immense haha.

----------


## Spex

Chrisis, 

Follys comment has confused you. Spreadlocks is now 3 months post op so literally back where he started pre op. The HT has not started yet and growth of his 2400 grafts will NOW start to take effect ontop of his native hair we can see here.  :Cool: 

Therefore another 2400 grafts on top of what his current situation is now with all his native hair. 

Best 
S

----------


## spreadlocks

> I'm a little confused here! Why is spreadlocks having another 2400 grafts on top of what has already been done here? Which is already 2400 grafts? That's 4800 was only a Norwood 2-3. Have I misunderstood something here?
> 
> I'll be continuing to watch this topic with keen interest. The combover at the start was immense haha.


 Hello mate. What he meant is that most of hair in my progress pics is my native hair returning so the original 2400 grafts are still yet to grow and will be on top of what I have.

The combover served me well. I finally cut it all 2 weeks ago but for 3 months nobody at all suspected that I was going bald or that I'd had a ht. I really perfected it by the end too. Haha.

I'll keep posting updates on 16th of each month men.

----------


## spreadlocks

Oh, snap Spex. Posted at exactly the same time : )

----------


## Spex

I think come Xmas you will be rocking around the Xmas tree  :Cool:

----------


## spreadlocks

> I think come Xmas you will be rocking around the Xmas tree


 I hope so bro. I cut my native hair a couple of weeks ago and with a bit of cleaver styling it already looks kind of okish. I'm booking a holiday to Asia in December though and I'm hoping that by then things are gonna be good. I have a dream of swimming in the sea. Getting out with wet hair and letting it dry naturally without worrying about bald patches. Haha. Not been able to do that in a while.

----------


## chrisis

Thanks for clarification! 

spreadlocks, I hope your dream is realised, re: getting your hair wet without any worries! That's my dream too  :Cool:

----------


## Folly

> I have a dream of swimming in the sea.


 You know how Dr. Feller really nails those hairlines ? Spreadlocks will be looking like the guy in the lynx add when he comes out the water !!

----------


## chrisis

Hope he likes seafood!

----------


## spreadlocks

Haha. No spikes men.

----------


## spreadlocks

4 Month update today. As ever it's that harsh light with the flash to give that totally realistic impression.

----------


## spreadlocks

Scar update too with sides shaved down to grade 3. Flash on and flash off. Gonna attempt to shave it to grade 2 next week before I go on holiday and will post pics.

----------


## chrisis

It's coming on great spreadlocks! Thanks for updating with pics. Much appreciated for guys in my position. I would definitely be interested to see how your scar looks with a grade 2. 

Have an awesome holiday  :Cool:

----------


## spreadlocks

Thanks a lot bro. I'll probs do the number 2 next Friday after work and I'll try and post it before I leave on Saturday.

----------


## Folly

Looking great at 4 months mate. You have done really well with the scar too. Have you seen any early growth yet ?

----------


## spreadlocks

Cheers mate. To be honest, I have stopped checking day to day all together. At the minute my hair looks fine with a bit of toppik and product so I'm just going about my day to day business and not thinking about it for a few months. Seriously, at one point I was looking for new hairs every day and wishing my life away which is not cool. I am sure you have been there yourself.

I deffinitely have a bit more hair but I held on to a few grafts which never fell out so not sure if it is those or whether new ones are growing. As said. I am not checking at all. 

For an idea of why I ain't fussed on checking day to day, here is a picture of how my hair looks at the moment with some toppik and a some product. It probs looks better than most peoples who have decent natural hair. I am just gonna wait another 2 or three months then properly inspect it and hope things are thickening up and growing. Basically, what I hope is that it will look like this without Toppik and that I don't have to cleverly style it to cover up thin spots. Definitely so far so good though at 4 months.



Lastly though, I have practiced and experimented and I am really getting good at styling the hair. I would say this is really important for everyone when recovering from a HT. Get to really know your hair to maximise how it looks. Last week mine was looking pretty crap because the front was a bit long and making the temples look a touch thin. I cut like 7 or 8mm from the front and it totally transformed it making the hairline look thicker.

How was your consultation with the Doc by the way mate? All good? Actually I see you have a thread. I'll post in there.

----------


## spreadlocks

Ah, one other thing. It must be looking pretty good as I got stopped in the street in East London last week by some photographers who wanted to take a picture of me for some fashion magazine. Really. Haha. The funny thing was that they were all like 22 or 23 and when they asked me I replied sounding surprised as hell and said "You do realise I'mm 33 years old?". hahaha.

****, I wish I wasn't getting old  :Frown:

----------


## Folly

> Ah, one other thing. It must be looking pretty good as I got stopped in the street in East London last week by some photographers who wanted to take a picture of me for some fashion magazine. Really. Haha. The funny thing was that they were all like 22 or 23 and when they asked me I replied sounding surprised as hell and said "You do realise I'mm 33 years old?". hahaha.
> 
> ****, I wish I wasn't getting old


 Hahaha, lol. Don't worry about it mate, i'm turning 30 next year too. I've always been very insecure about my looks and always end up comparing myself to other guys, which is really sad. But i know most young guys do it to an extent. The truth is you have to compete with other guys for girls. I must admit being single is quite a stressfull lifestyle because you're constantly examining your looks and the looks of guys around you. Just want to get married now so i can forget about this shit !!

Hahaha....anyway, not sure what that paragraph above is about  :Stick Out Tongue: . Man, your hair looks awesome in that pic. 




> here is a picture of how my hair looks at the moment with some toppik and a some product


 Can you explain how you achieve that look with a bit more detail mate ? I have toppik and DemMatch, but i don't come close to achieving that sort of full look you have achieved. I should be able to as i have a similar amount of hair to you. Thanks dude.  :Embarrassment:

----------


## Spex

Looking great mate - great update as usual.

I will upload the video of the scar you sent me shortly - I'm just on catch up since all the London/Dublin consults with Dr Feller.

Best 
Spex

----------


## spreadlocks

Not been online for a couple of days. I'll reply properly after work folly and explain how I have been getting the hair styled.

In the meantime here is my scar update video at 4 months shaved to grade 3.

----------


## spreadlocks

> Hahaha, lol. Don't worry about it mate, i'm turning 30 next year too. I've always been very insecure about my looks and always end up comparing myself to other guys, which is really sad. But i know most young guys do it to an extent. The truth is you have to compete with other guys for girls. I must admit being single is quite a stressfull lifestyle because you're constantly examining your looks and the looks of guys around you. Just want to get married now so i can forget about this shit !!


 Dude. I have been with my girlfriend for 7 years and all I can think about is how I wish I was single so I could try and pull chicks before I'm too old. Hahaha. Joking man. Well maybe not. A little bit  :Smile: 




> Hahaha....anyway, not sure what that paragraph above is about . Man, your hair looks awesome in that pic. 
> Can you explain how you achieve that look with a bit more detail mate ? I have toppik and DemMatch, but i don't come close to achieving that sort of full look you have achieved. I should be able to as i have a similar amount of hair to you. Thanks dude.


 Right. Here we go man. I'll do my best. This is all stuff that deffinitely works 100&#37; for me. I would imagine they would work on you too.

There are 3 main areas. The 2nd and 3rd are most important.

1 - The Cut.
Grow the hair by the temples a bit longer. It will be wispy but the Toppik helps this. However. keep the hair at the very front in the middle a bit shorter. Almost so when the hair is wet and brushed forward it makes a straight line across your forehead. (I find when the hair at the very front in the middle is longer it emphasises the weak temples.) I cut my hair at the front myself every few weeks to achieve what I want.
Also keep trimming the front but letting the hair on top grow longer so it layers over the front increasing thickness.

2 - The Blow Drying. You must blow-dry. My hair seems literally twice as thick when I blow-dry it. This is a biggie. Whether you want to wear your hair forward or brushed back always dry it forward. When I dry my hair forward it looks way thicker than if I try to dry it back. Not too forcefully forward so it is flat but generally forward. So wave your hands through it and generally blow dry it in a forward direction.

3 - The toppik application. This is the most important. You need to put the Toppik into the hair not on to the hair. With this method you will need to use a lot less Toppik. A real small amount. When I first started using Toppik I would style my hair exactly as I wanted it and tip Toppik into the thin gaps. This just doesn't really work for me. What I do is start about 2 inches behind the hairline, then pull some of the hair back and tip a small amount of toppik "into" the hair. Then I move forward about half an inch and do the same, And again so I am right by the front of the hairline. This massively thickens and helps my hair. I do that all across the hairline and use a little more in the temples as this is where the hair is thinnest.

Hope that all makes sense mate. If it doesn't or you have any questions just hit me up.

----------


## Folly

Cheers for the reply spreadlocks. A couple of things i realised you're doing differently. One is the way you apply the toppik. It makes sense to apply the toppik perpendicular to the hairline like you're doing, which i have also half-heartedly tried once but found it quite difficult. I just ended up with a toppik peppered forehead. Guess i need to keep practising with it. It will make so much of a difference making each hair in your hairline thicker, as opposed to applying it from the top to hide gaps. 

The other major thing you mentioned is cutting the front hairline short to hide the receeding temples. This make a lot of sense but I, like most bald men, am scared of having my hair short. Longer hair feels like an umbrella, where the 'rain' in this analogy is the social pressure of not being bald. I'll keep practising with the toppik and once i'm confident, i'll get my hair cut shorter. 

Cheers for the help bro. Enjoy your holiday. You're leaving the week London has a heat wave. LOL !!

----------


## spreadlocks

> It makes sense to apply the toppik perpendicular to the hairline like you're doing, which i have also half-heartedly tried once but found it quite difficult. I just ended up with a toppik peppered forehead. Guess i need to keep practising with it. It will make so much of a difference making each hair in your hairline thicker, as opposed to applying it from the top to hide gaps.


 I use so little with this method mate. Like a couple tiny shakes each time. Deffo not eough to be covering the forehead. If I get a tiny bit on the forehead I just wipe it off with toilet paper.




> The other major thing you mentioned is cutting the front hairline short to hide the receeding temples. This make a lot of sense but I, like most bald men, am scared of having my hair short. Longer hair feels like an umbrella, where the 'rain' in this analogy is the social pressure of not being bald. I'll keep practising with the toppik and once i'm confident, i'll get my hair cut shorter.


 I wish I could explain what I mean better because you are not really cutting the hair shorter. All of the hair on top is still growing longer and layering over to make it thicker. It is just the very front row of the front hairs. If you do cut it though you literally need to take of the tiniest tiniest amount to make a difference. Like a couple millimeters.




> Cheers for the help bro. Enjoy your holiday. You're leaving the week London has a heat wave. LOL !!


 Tell me about it. Hahaha. Thanks a lot.

----------


## spreadlocks

5 month update. Not been checking my hair at all this month as been on holiday. It's a bit thicker but not sure if that is because a)It's longer, b) The hairs are thickening or c) New hairs have sprouted.
Anyway. Just taking my time now and all seems good.

----------


## spreadlocks

Also here are some more pre op pics that I got from the doctor to give an idea of how my hair was before.

----------


## spreadlocks

A few more new pics.

----------


## Folly

Looking good mate. I'm sure it will really thicken up in the next couple of months. Especially if this is your first HT ?

How was Asia bro ? Pick up any ladyboys ?  :Stick Out Tongue:

----------


## spreadlocks

> Looking good mate. I'm sure it will really thicken up in the next couple of months. Especially if this is your first HT ?
> 
> How was Asia bro ? Pick up any ladyboys ?


 Just my girlfriend. Haha. Nah, it was beautiful. It's amazing how little the philipinnos seem to suffer from hair loss. All the old men had heads of hair like brad Pitt. Here I'd say nearly everyone over 30 shows a bit hairloss. There it seems like 1 in 100.

Thanks a lot man. You any further forward after your consultation?

----------


## chrisis

Thanks for the update. Looking solid.

----------


## chrisis

To add: how's your scar looking? Any chance if a pic? Assuming you had FUT.

----------


## Folly

> Just my girlfriend. Haha. Nah, it was beautiful. It's amazing how little the philipinnos seem to suffer from hair loss. All the old men had heads of hair like brad Pitt. Here I'd say nearly everyone over 30 shows a bit hairloss. There it seems like 1 in 100.


 I noticed the EXACT same thing when i went to India. MPB is much less prevalent over there. My dad reckons it's to do with the sun.




> Thanks a lot man. You any further forward after your consultation?


 Still planning on surgery but not until the end of this year/start of next year. Would like to see what phase 2 Histogen results look like before i commit. I'm not too fussed actually. I'm not sure why, but my hair seems really thick nowadays and i'm finding it easier to style. The only thing i can attribute this to is biotin. Been taking it for 1 year now. I've only just started minoxidil, so it can't be that. Biotin is the only hair related supplement i take. I've also been taking high strength vitamin D for a few weeks, but i reckon it's the biotin. I've probably jinxed it now and will have an immense shed tomorrow morning.  :Stick Out Tongue:

----------


## spreadlocks

> To add: how's your scar looking? Any chance if a pic? Assuming you had FUT.


 Hello mate. To be honest, there isn't much point in me doing an update on my scar since post #79 on page 8. I shave the back of my hair to guard number 3 few weeks and it already wasn't visable then. You just can't see it. The only reason I guess to do another update would be if I shaved it to a guard number 2. 

Actually I'll get my gf to go through it with a comb though and grab some pics.




> Still planning on surgery but not until the end of this year/start of next year. Would like to see what phase 2 Histogen results look like before i commit. I'm not too fussed actually. I'm not sure why, but my hair seems really thick nowadays and i'm finding it easier to style. The only thing i can attribute this to is biotin. Been taking it for 1 year now. I've only just started minoxidil, so it can't be that. Biotin is the only hair related supplement i take. I've also been taking high strength vitamin D for a few weeks, but i reckon it's the biotin. I've probably jinxed it now and will have an immense shed tomorrow morning.


 That's really interesting on the biotin man. I have never really tried it. Ive been taking MSM post op but not biotin. I'll probs have a look at it. Great to here your hair is looking decent though.

----------


## spreadlocks

Ah yeah. Sorry it took so long to reply guys too. For some reason I didn't get the usual notifications.

----------


## spreadlocks

6 Month Updates. That 4th pic probs makes it look worse than it is as all the hair seems to have pulled away.

----------


## Folly

Looking like the Fonze in some of those pics mate. AAyyyyyyyyyyy !!!

I just looked at your before pics and you have definitely had growth. You happy with the growth so far ? Cheers for the update.

----------


## spreadlocks

Haha. It's only styled like that for the purpose of the pics to give an accurate representation. I'm a bit of a hipster at heart and wear my hair pulled over and forward.

Deffo happy with the growth so far as long as there is more to come. I can do stuff with my hair that I ain't been able to for years and when styled cleaverly it really hides the thin gaps. As long as I get some more growth and thickening over the next 3 to 6 months it's gonna look great.

----------


## spreadlocks

Havent Posted in 2 Months. This is now 8 months post op. I now have a hair line and all is filling in. I just need some areas to thicken over the next 4 months. Particularly at the left of the front of the hairline.

----------


## Spex

Congrats mate  - Looks like its really taking shape at only 8 months. Grow well!


Compares at 8 months






 :Cool:

----------


## spreadlocks

Thanks for the comparrisons spex. Its really coming on now. When styled with a bit of toppik it looks like movie star hair. Haha. Excited for the next 4 months.

----------


## Spex

No worries - Grow well mate :Cool:

----------


## dondon

Looks good. Looks like a lot of pain?

----------


## Folly

Nice one dude. Looks epic already !!

----------


## spreadlocks

> Looks good. Looks like a lot of pain?


 Easy mate. You mean the operation? To be honest  you are fully numbed so the worst thing about the op is just sitting still for hours.  The staples are uncomfortable for 10 days but no other pain as such.

----------


## spreadlocks

Hi Guys. I just made a new thread in another forum so I will copy and paste in here. Consider this a 9.5 month update  :Smile: 


Hello Guys. I had 2400 grafts from Doctor Feller just under 10 months ago and I feel like it has turned out to be the best decision I have ever made in my life. I am now at the point where I do not worry about my hair anymore and I can now style it how I want to in various ways. I have actually had a few compliments from strangers on how nice my hair is. haha. Anyway, I want to run through a few things for guys who have had HT's or are thinking about them before I post pictures.

1st. It really is the little things that matter. I used to style my hair in a way to hide the bald spots and cover it in hairspray to hold it in the right place. Now I obviously do not need to do this anymore so I no longer shy away from the wind or drizzling rain. If I am out and a friend or a girl ruffles my hair it does not bother me at all and this is really great feeling. In the past I would have immediately ran to the toilet to fix it and check the weak spots were not visible. Not to mention people would wonder why I had rock hard hair (Due to so much hairspray).

2nd. Patientce, Patience, Patience, Patience. Seriously though. Even at months 6, 7 and even 8 I was still worried things weren't happening as I wanted. I am over 9 1/2 months now and it is only the last few weeks that I have really felt comfortable with my hair. There was a point at about 6.5 to 7 months where I wasn't totally happy and I was sure that I had all of the growth I was going to get. I would look at other pics on the net of people I thought had had more growth and what not. Honestly, since then to now I have seen as much difference cosmetically as I did from months 3 to 6. Just hold out guys.

Finally I want to say an absolutely MASSIVE thank you to Dr Feller and Spex. I'm not sure if the Doc reads these forums but I know Spex does and I want them to know the difference they have made to my life. I feel more confident now than I did when I was 23 years old 10 years ago. Even my friends Have noticed how much more confident I am these days and although they don't know I have had a HT they all keep telling me how I look great lately. I would suggest anyone deciding on a HT to contact Spex. The guy has been amazing from the second I contacted him all the way up to the last couple of months. He answers emails faster than anybody I have ever worked with. I was always skeptical that so much great stuff was said about Spex and Doc Feller but it is definitely warranted. I think the evidence of how good the docs work has been is that nobody has noticed anything unnatural about my hair and my girlfriend who knows about the HT says it is completely indistinguishable from a natural head of hair. She says it looks completely natural.

Anyway. This all sounds like a love letter. Haha. It's just as you can probably tell I am very happy.

Pre Ops.








These are now. No product or anything. Just straight out the shower and dry.







And a wet shot

----------


## spreadlocks

Also in this post I will post a couple shots where the hair is styled with wax and a little bit of Toppik. I still use a bit of toppik just while I am styling my hair but that is just down to my greed. Hah. It is a very small amount and would not be totally necessary. I just like how my hair looks with it.

----------


## chrisdav

Your hair is looking great spreadlocks.

Congratulations.

----------


## spreadlocks

> Your hair is looking great spreadlocks.
> 
> Congratulations.


 Thank you man. Yours is looking fantastic too. Maybe we should go and light the town up. The women will think it's their lucky day. Hahaha  :Smile:

----------


## chrisdav

Yeah why not.

Where you from the US or the Uk?

----------


## spreadlocks

I'm in london man. Ive never made it to any of the meet up events but ill deffo catch you and some of the other guys at some point.

----------

