Minoxidil! ?

[k-dog]

I'm 39 and had a FUT transplant in 2011 and have never used any meds for my hair. Like many i rushed into having a procedure done with no little research and not that happy with the outcome. So i was wondering if i should maybe start taking Minoxidil to see if it improved my existing hair and encourage new growth. Would people recommend this product for hair regrowth? Many thanks

 

[thincity]

Hi K-dog, I'm certainly no expert, but I do believe Rogaine Foam is beneficial, especially if you have existing hair that you wish to thicken and keep. If you are talking about oral Minoxidil I have no knowledge of it's effectiveness. Many years ago I asked my doctor to prescribe it for me instead of the other high blood pressure medicine I was taking, and she refused saying there were too many bad side effects. If you post some pictures, other members here may be able to give you better advice on medical treatment based on your current loss.

 

[janna]

K-dog,
Minoxidil alone isn't as effective as taking it with Propecia. For those worried about side effects of Finasteride, many people are reporting good transformation with topical finasteride.

Hi Thincity! Hope you are doing well!!

 

[Prohairclinic]

I have been in the field for about 15 years now.
The trend is 100% towards topicals and other non oral solutions such as prp and prf.

Combine all of the above and you have one hell of a working cocktail against hair loss.

 

[thincity]

Hi Janna, doing very good thank you! I got lazy and stopped using Rogaine Foam and lost a lot of ground. I restarted diligently just over three months ago and hoping to recover. I am still planning on FUE in the near future, but would like to see if I can regain some loss medically first. K-dog one thing I forgot to mention, if you decide to use Rogaine/Foam, you must be consistent with it's use. You can look at some of my other posts what happened when I did not.

 

[k-dog]

Hi K-dog, I'm certainly no expert, but I do believe Rogaine Foam is beneficial, especially if you have existing hair that you wish to thicken and keep. If you are talking about oral Minoxidil I have no knowledge of it's effectiveness. Many years ago I asked my doctor to prescribe it for me instead of the other high blood pressure medicine I was taking, and she refused saying there were too many bad side effects. If you post some pictures, other members here may be able to give you better advice on medical treatment based on your current loss.

Hi Janna, doing very good thank you! I got lazy and stopped using Rogaine Foam and lost a lot of ground. I restarted diligently just over three months ago and hoping to recover. I am still planning on FUE in the near future, but would like to see if I can regain some loss medically first. K-dog one thing I forgot to mention, if you decide to use Rogaine/Foam, you must be consistent with it's use. You can look at some of my other posts what happened when I did not.

Many thanks for the information. Im new to all these types of products so don't know much about them. Your reply is much appreciated.

 

[k-dog]

Hi Janna, doing very good thank you! I got lazy and stopped using Rogaine Foam and lost a lot of ground. I restarted diligently just over three months ago and hoping to recover. I am still planning on FUE in the near future, but would like to see if I can regain some loss medically first. K-dog one thing I forgot to mention, if you decide to use Rogaine/Foam, you must be consistent with it's use. You can look at some of my other posts what happened when I did not.

Thanks for letting me know about being consistent with its use.

 

[k-dog]

K-dog,
Minoxidil alone isn't as effective as taking it with Propecia. For those worried about side effects of Finasteride, many people are reporting good transformation with topical finasteride.

Hi Thincity! Hope you are doing well!!

Hi Janna, Thanks for your information regarding Minoxidil and topical finasteride. Im new to all these types of medications so don't know really what to do. I did have a FUT procedure in 2011 that was ok but i was not very happy with the results; but like most people i did not do any to little research and just went for the price as i was panicking and just went for the first one i looked at on the internet. I am thinking of booking a consultation with the Maitland clinic to get some sound adive on potentially having a FUE procedure + look at ATP scar (Advanced Tricho Pigmentation) procedure for my liner scar from the FUT procedure. I have heard very good reviews about your clinic and feel a visit would be best. Look foraward to your reply.

 

[Bigmac]

K-dog, Have you a picture of your scar?

 

[k-dog]

K-dog, Have you a picture of your scar?

No sorry Dont have a picture of my scar! No friends or family knows about my procedure and would not no anyone to ask to take a picture that would then let the cat out of the bag with questions. Do you know if the Maitland clinic could help me with scar? Thanks

 

[Bigmac]

At what grade hair cut is your scar visible? Without seeing it, it is hard to suggest what IMO could work. Can you not lift your hair up and take a picture with your back facing a mirror?
Failing this, there are a few options.
SMP to camouflage the scar.
Fue grafts placed in the scar.
Have the scar excised out with another strip surgery.

It sounds like you need another surgery to bolster/repair the first surgery, therefor FUE or strip surgery are both options providing a doctor deems you a suitable candidate.

When I had 2 strip scars I opted to have them taken out and the extra grafts that came with the excision were transplanted into my thinning area`s. These surgeries reduced my scars greatly, allowing me to have my hair at a grade 2 cut.

Have a few consults if possible, see what the doctors recommend would be the best approach for your situation.

 

[k-dog]

At what grade hair cut is your scar visible? Without seeing it, it is hard to suggest what IMO could work. Can you not lift your hair up and take a picture with your back facing a mirror?
Failing this, there are a few options.
SMP to camouflage the scar.
Fue grafts placed in the scar.
Have the scar excised out with another strip surgery.

It sounds like you need another surgery to bolster/repair the first surgery, therefor FUE or strip surgery are both options providing a doctor deems you a suitable candidate.

When I had 2 strip scars I opted to have them taken out and the extra grafts that came with the excision were transplanted into my thinning area`s. These surgeries reduced my scars greatly, allowing me to have my hair at a grade 2 cut.

Have a few consults if possible, see what the doctors recommend would be the best approach for your situation.

If i was to go to a grade 3 it would defiantly be visable! I have had it at 4 before and some people noticed a line from when they stood behind me in the gym and bent forward to carry out an weight exercise. I was shocked as on a couple of occasions people have noticed and asked me and my reply was it was from an accident when i was young. I feel very self conscious now when people are walking, standing behind me etc
What is the success rate of FUE grafts placed into old scars? From my research i have read that they don't always grow due to poor blood supply to that area.
Also for this scar procedure would you have to shave your whole head? In my whole life have never had a shaved head and would dread the thought of doing it but do understand that for FUE hair transplants you have to go down to as low as 0 for any procedure to work. Also, i could never tell anyone as i just can't let anyone know as i would be mortified as not very good at dealing with my hair loss a just suffer in silence. Finding this forum and talking to you and other people has helped me lots with the questions i have about hair loss!

You mention having another FUT procedure to 'excision' the hair grafts into the scar but would this not create a second scar to cover up the first??
I will try and get some photos with the method you suggest using a mirror.
What is opinion on SMP into the scar area? I have read that it can have poor results and it does not last very long.
Sorry for the long winded reply. I really appreciate your help you give people on here. Thanks

 

[Bigmac]

You probably are more self conscious of the scar than you need to be. People who do ask probably accept your explanation of an accident and think no more of it.
If your scar is stretched, it may benefit from having it cut out and redone by another clinic. This all depends on the width of the scar and your scalp laxity in the area.
If this is not an option, maybe FUE grafts placed into the scar will help. FUE can be performed unshaven. There are a few methods such as lifting the hair and shaving a small area, trimming hair short in certain areas, or maybe chest or beard hair used.

Then there is SMP, this can work well also.

You could combine SMP with a form of FUE.

All these are options until you`re seen by a few clinics, you won`t know which one is best suited for your repair. You could also email pictures of your scar and the transplanted area to a few clinics for a rough appraisal.

 

[k-dog]

Yes i am very self conscious about it but it is all consuming and i think about my hair and scar nearly every day. My scar is not streched but a thin line but still noticeable. Thanks for the info regarding FUE into scars. Do you know if in most clinics they do a test patch first to see if the hair would grow out of the scar?