9 months, failed transplant?

[Bigmac]

Hey Kev, have you had any further consultations with other doctors to assess your situation?

 

[Kev]

Hey, I had a baby so it’s been a while since I checked here, so I’ll give a bit of an update.

I have not checked with other doctors yet for a transplant. I was planning on doing it in 2026, but been following the research done on Clascoterone 5%, and figured I’d give that a shot next year since it should be available relatively fast since it’s already technically on the market for acne at 1%. If that doesn’t work then I am definitely doing another transplant and will happily travel anywhere in the world in order to do it properly. For now I am able to hide it with cutting my own hair, styling, and fibers.

Here are the recent photos… fibers in just the first picture to show what I do to leave the house without a hat. The non fiber pictures are combed the best possible way to make it look decent. It looks basically the same as the old pictures when combed that same way.

 

[Kev]

Hi Kev, Sorry to hear of your disappointing second experience. It highlights a valid point, should you consider going back to a clinic just because it is free when they couldn't get it right the first time. The popping of the grafts and the mushy scalp you mention in another post could well be a factor for the poor growth but the hairdryer to set them is beyond belief.

Are you doing anything to prevent further loss? Was there a reason for the popping of grafts which is you bleeding a lot. Are you on medication that can cause your blood to thin or have high blood pressure?

As to what you do now, I really would see a few reputable Doctors in person for consultations and see if they feel that you are a candidate for another procedure. Got to ones that use Trichoscopy in the consultation so they can examine your donor hair properly. Perhaps see a dermatologist too and rule out any scalp conditions that could cause poor growth.

I switched from topical back to oral finasteride and minoxidil from hims after I had my kid. I do have an appointment coming up with a dermatologist, but I have not had an issues on my scalp in years. I had issues in my 20s with psoriasis on my scalp, but changing shampoos has completely removed it for years with no irritation or signs of inflammation on my scalp.

I think I was popping because it was a long time sitting still and I could feel my blood pressure going up because of it. Both sessions were around 9 hours with just a short 30 minute break in the middle. The first transplant was a single technician doing 95% of the work and the second transplant I had two people working on it, but one seemed to be teaching the other.

 

[Kev]

A failed transplant at nine months suggests a serious health problem, most likely rejection, in which the recipient's immune system targets the transplanted organ, causing it to stop functioning and necessitating dialysis or additional medical treatment. Infection, the long-term side effects of immunosuppressive drugs, or problems including persistent rejection are some other reasons for failure.

I’ve ruled out as much as I could, but I am seeing a dermatologist in a couple of weeks. I’ve seen some other results from the clinic and they all look about the same, a real lack of density unless grown out and combed a very specific way.