My journey - Dr Reddy, FUE 1200-1500 grafts - scheduled for 16th Aug 2022

[hair-today]

You picked a top surgeon and great man @hair-today! Looking really good so far and you should get an excellent result.

Awww thanks Edsarn. You sound like you have experience of him. Have you had a procedure with him too?

 

[Edsarn]

Yes, I had 1500 grafts in my crown operated on by Dr Reddy, when he operated at Selston Clinic on a weekend. I would definitely have gone back to him, but I got a very good deal, and paid around £4 per graft, and could not afford his London prices!!

He's lovely guy and very diligent! Can't wait to see your 12 month pictures.

 

[hair-today]

Yes, I had 1500 grafts in my crown operated on by Dr Reddy, when he operated at Selston Clinic on a weekend. I would definitely have gone back to him, but I got a very good deal, and paid around £4 per graft, and could not afford his London prices!!

He's lovely guy and very diligent! Can't wait to see your 12 month pictures.

Cool, how long ago was yours? And how is it doing?

Yes he is lovely, and does a fab job too!!

 

[Bigmac]

Yes, the skin fade was one of my worries. Dr Reddy assured me that for the little amount of grafts I needed that it would be fine though. I asked about SMP and he just confidently said "You won't need it". So I am relieved with how it's come out.


I'm actually only taking half dose. And keeping an eye on any shedding. Fingers crossed (Hope I don't jinz it now) all seems fine. Which wasn't the case for the year and a half I was on topical minoxidil. I've thinned now, and I'm sure it was the minoxidil. But obviously it's impossible to know for sure.

That’s good Dr Reddy was confident and reassured you. Half dose is what I’d do if I chose to take it. Nice everything seems fine with it. Hopefully, you’re a good responder.
l`ll look forward to your next update.

 

[hair-today]

I went to the barbers for the first time since my HT.

My barber was impressed, he said he couldn’t see any scarring and that usually it’s really obvious.

I have to disagree slightly though as there definitely is scarring. Or well, not so much ‘scarring’ but gaps missing where there’s no colour due to missing hairs. He cut it just at the right length to expose this to be fair. Any longer it would have covered it and any less and it would also not be noticeable.

Either way I have seen scarring which is pretty obvious, even if you don’t know what it is, it’s clear there’s something there.

My pics seem to show it much clearer than in real life. And I think if you weren’t looking you wouldn’t notice anything.

I’m happy to still have my skin fade anyway!

As for the recipient area, I’m now over 10 weeks, so am hoping it will start to thicken up in the next 6 weeks or so.

 

[Salazar]

My barber was impressed, he said he couldn’t see any scarring and that usually it’s really obvious.

It's great that your barber gave you top marks.

I'm slightly concerned though that he's usually less than impressed with the results of hair transplants. But, then again, it's unclear who actually performed these other procedures, so perhaps I'm reading too much into it.

I’m happy to still have my skin fade anyway!

Before coming on this forum, I'd never even heard of a skin fade. What sort of range of lengths is it? From the photos, it looks like it varies from a No. 0 to a No. 2.

Your hair is still looking good. I can't wait to see your final result, so please keep updating. All the best.

 

[hair-today]

I'm slightly concerned though that he's usually less than impressed with the results of hair transplants. But, then again, it's unclear who actually performed these other procedures, so perhaps I'm reading too much into it.

He didn't say he was 'less than impressed', before my HT he always raved about how good people's results were, and kept telling me to go to Turkey as it's cheaper. Now having seen mine though, he changed to say, 'you get what you pay for', basically as far as i can tell because he can see my results with regard to the donor area are much better than he's seen before.

He said when you can see the donor area much clearer it just means not going below a grade 2/3. This wasn't a complaint from him, just an observation.

Before coming on this forum, I'd never even heard of a skin fade. What sort of range of lengths is it? From the photos, it looks like it varies from a No. 0 to a No. 2.

Yes it goes from a grade 0, the I guess all the way up the grades to mix with the top. I actually like a much tighter fade, and I imagine that would make the donar area even less obvious as there would only be a very small area where you can see the missing hairs. Below would be too short, and above would hide it.

Your hair is still looking good. I can't wait to see your final result, so please keep updating. All the best.

Thanks and yes will do.

 

[Salazar]

He didn't say he was 'less than impressed', before my HT he always raved about how good people's results were, and kept telling me to go to Turkey as it's cheaper. Now having seen mine though, he changed to say, 'you get what you pay for'

Thanks for clarifying. I'm sorry for any misunderstanding. As I said, I'm glad that he was impressed with your results. From the photos that you've posted, your hair is looking good. Even though it's still early days, you must be pleased. All the best.

 

[Bigmac]

The transplanted area is starting to fill in. 10 weeks is very early for growth but you do have some. Your donor scars are visible, they may fade a little over time and be less noticeable. Also, as your donor recovers fully from any potential shock loss, the area will improve. I think your barber could be used to seeing a lot of scarring or quite big punch sites.
I`d probably have a number 2 buzz on the back and sides as it’s still short and will help hide the scarring.

 

[hair-today]

Thanks for clarifying. I'm sorry for any misunderstanding.

You don't need to apologise

As I said, I'm glad that he was impressed with your results. From the photos that you've posted, your hair is looking good. Even though it's still early days, you must be pleased. All the best.

Yes mega pleased. And excited to see how much it improves from here.

 

[hair-today]

The transplanted area is starting to fill in. 10 weeks is very early for growth but you do have some.

Yes, the hairs are still very short, and so don't really fill the area out to make it thicker yet. I'm sure it will improve with time.

Your donor scars are visible, they may fade a little over time and be less noticeable.

The picture makes them far more noticable than they actualy are, but yes you can see if yo know what you're looking for. I don't think it's actual scarring that you can see, it's gaps where the dark colour of the hair is missing.

Also, as your donor recovers fully from any potential shock loss, the area will improve.

I'm not sure I have any shock loss in that area, but yes, if I do then that will help with that. Either way, I'm actually not bothered by it much.

I think your barber could be used to seeing a lot of scarring or quite big punch sites.

Yes. I think what he's seen is when there is a clear block for the donor area, where as this is quite well spread out.

I`d probably have a number 2 buzz on the back and sides as it’s still short and will help hide the scarring.

I'm not fussed too much by the scarring (as I said it's actually less noticable than the picture above leads you to believe.) Having the back and sides so short helps to make it so there is more hair on top (where it's still thin) than on the sides, so I feel it helps makes things look better. That said, not sure I will get it cut too regularly until the top has grown a bit more though, just due to cost.

 

[hair-today]

This lighting actually showed it ore like how it looks in real life. I had some gaps anyway before the TP, some of this was grey hair, and some I'm not quite sure why.

I think here you need to be looking to see anything. So I'm 100% comfortable with it being so short. Mega happy with that, as this was one of my worries.

This pic was taken the day after it was cut.

 

[Bigmac]

You are correct in saying the picture quality and lighting can enhance the extractions. This last picture looks good. I’d have no issues wearing my hair this short if that’s how it looked.

 

[hair-today]

I am finally speaking to my GP this week to discuss the use of oral minoxidil long term. I will update afterwards.

To recap - my concerns are, as it is a heart medication what are the long term issues, if any, that might happen due to being on it. I am only taking a low dose, but I don't want to risk any related heart issues when I'm say 70+ or 80+ etc. I just don't think it's worth the risk just for my hair.

However, I'm not going to use topical minoxidil again as I started shedding badly on top shortly after starting using it for my forelock area, and this continued for about a year and half, and stopped very abruptly, never to start again, on day 4 after stopping using topical minoxidil due to my upcoming surgery.

I also can not take finasteride, so that's not an option.

Let's see what my GP says. And if it's low to no risk, whether she's willing to take over the prescribing for me. It's not expensive privately so cost isn't an issue, it would just be easier to get it from my GP.

Also attaching a couple of update pictures - this is around the 5 month mark post surgery. Both pictures taken about an hour and half apart, but in different lighting, and one with damp hair v after it had dried.

And here's one only a day or so later. Overall it's filling in nicely. Depends very much on the lighting.

 

[Edsarn]

Really looking forward to hearing what your GP says. I’m interested in this medication, but my blood pressure is around 90/55, so don’t want to take anything that would lower it.

Your hair is looking great for 5 and a half months!!

 

[hair-today]

Finally I spoke to my GP. She's going to look into it for me, but her initial thoughts are that it's fine to stay on long term and won't cause any health issues. Particularly of course as it's such a low dose. I've been prescribed 2.5mg, but I'm actually only taking half, so 1.25mg a day.

She says it's not used very often now for low blood pressure, but is occasionally used for that during pregnancy because it's old and so well known for being safe. That won't be a long term use, but given the risks to an unborn child from taking meds it must be pretty safe.

I'll update again after she's looked into it further though.

 

[hair-today]

Really looking forward to hearing what your GP says. I’m interested in this medication, but my blood pressure is around 90/55, so don’t want to take anything that would lower it.

Hi, I think the dosage is usually much higher for blood pressure, so I imagine the lower dose wouldn't affect it too much, but I guess that's a convo for between youself and a GP.

I've read dosage for high blood pressure can be between 20-80mg and somewhere else said between 2.5-80mg a day. Not exeeding 100mg per day. I'm being prescribed 2.5mg per day but am actually only taking 1.25mg.

Your hair is looking great for 5 and a half months!!

Hey thanks. I just checked the first 2 pics were actually 5 months to the day, and the next one was one day later. I'm really hoping it does thicken out a little more. I know it's very likely to and is easy to worry about it at this stage, but also even if it doesn't it's a million times better than before. So happy either way.

 

[Edsarn]

Your hair will thicken up nicely over the next few months, as the transplanted hair matures.

 

[Salazar]

Also attaching a couple of update pictures - this is around the 5 month mark post surgery.

Your hair is looking good. Sorry to be a pest, but could you post a few more pictures, showing your head in profile, and also facing straight ahead (but without tilting forward)? Sorry, I just want to get a good look at your hair. Thanks.

 

[hair-today]

Your hair is looking good. Sorry to be a pest, but could you post a few more pictures, showing your head in profile, and also facing straight ahead (but without tilting forward)? Sorry, I just want to get a good look at your hair. Thanks.

Hey you're not being a pest, happy to take some more pics. My hair is a bit of a mess at the moment, desperately trying not to get it cut, but it's driving me mad as the back and sides are going really curly, and of course are much thicker than the top and leaving it makes that stand out more. As I work online I've shaved the sides a little when shaving my beard just to make the sides look neat head on. Means it's a bit odd + messy where it needs a cut......worse combo!

But I think when I've just washed it I can get away with it. Either way, I'll post some as soon as I can get something not too embarrasing.