Overharvested?

[Grob21]

Hi,

I'm just at about 3 weeks post op and wanted to know if my donor area appears overharvested or if this seems ok. Appreciate the feedback!

 

[Bigmac]

It is difficult to say looking at these pictures. You possibly have some shock loss making it look worse. Do you have any immediate post-op pictures?

 

[Markiuk]

Looks good to me man. Patience is key. Like @Bigmac said it’s way too early and a pic straight after transplant would be useful to see the individual grafts and how close they were in that area … I’m 86 days post transplant and this is my immediately after and right now… honestly looks fine. Keep it moist with pure aloe Vera. If you’re in UK send me a reply and I can recommend some 100% that I used

 

[Grob21]

Looks good to me man. Patience is key. Like @Bigmac said it’s way too early and a pic straight after transplant would be useful to see the individual grafts and how close they were in that area … I’m 86 days post transplant and this is my immediately after and right now… honestly looks fine. Keep it moist with pure aloe Vera. If you’re in UK send me a reply and I can recommend some 100% that I used

Thanks man and yours looks great! I’m in the US and found 7 minerals 99% organic aloe Vera gel. My donor area has been quite itchy and I read that’s what most folks recommend. Mind me asking where in the UK did you have your procedure? I went to Turkey at Hermest but considered the Treatment Rooms in UK

 

[Grob21]

Thanks to both of you and you’ll see two pics at morning after procedure and the last one is that evening on my layover in UK en route to US

 

[Markiuk]

Thanks man and yours looks great! I’m in the US and found 7 minerals 99% organic aloe Vera gel. My donor area has been quite itchy and I read that’s what most folks recommend. Mind me asking where in the UK did you have your procedure? I went to Turkey at Hermest but considered the Treatment Rooms in UK

I had mine done at Elithair in Turkey. My friend also went there. They were great.

 

[Markiuk]

Thanks to both of you and you’ll see two pics at morning after procedure and the last one is that evening on my layover in UK en route to US

Quite a wide bore extraction tool they seem to have used there… might be why it’s looking a bit more red? The spacing looks fine and the number of grafts taken doesn’t seem to be too many I.e compared to mine (4200 grafts)… they’re just big!

 

[Grob21]

I had mine done at Elithair in Turkey. My friend also went there. They were great.

sorry read that incorrectly- you’re from UK not that your had your procedure there! I think I looked them up. Pretty happy with results?

 

[Grob21]

Quite a wide bore extraction tool they seem to have used there… might be why it’s looking a bit more red? The spacing looks fine and the number of grafts taken doesn’t seem to be too many I.e compared to mine (4200 grafts)… they’re just big!

I agree! I thought diameter seemed wide and am nervous about that

 

[Grob21]

I agree! I thought diameter seemed wide and am nervous about that

Also, will a wide diameter cause problems?

 

[Markiuk]

Also, will a wide diameter cause problems?

What does the front look like? The thing I’d be curious of is how many hair were taken at a time… I’m not hair transplant surgeon but logic would say the wider the bore the more hairs taken, which might also lead to overharvesting.
Actually looking at it closer I do think there are some smaller areas of overharvesting anyway which I’ve circled in the picture… still, it’s done now and just wait for the healing process and see what happens. It’ll certainly get better than it is currently

 

[Grob21]

Hope so and thanks for the optimism! I can def see what you mean in the areas you circled. Pic of front below. I did unfortunately see they had several multi hair grafts right in front of hairline..

 

[Markiuk]

Hope so and thanks for the optimism! I can def see what you mean in the areas you circled. Pic of front below. I did unfortunately see they had several multi hair grafts right in front of hairline..

Hey that’s looking pretty good at the front eh! Is that 3 weeks in as well? Looks like the grafts are all still in there. Mine all came out at 1 month and now I’m about 90 days in and seeing growth. Highly recommend you start taking finasteride and get some topical or oral minoxidil as well. 2.5mg oral

 

[Grob21]

Hey that’s looking pretty good at the front eh! Is that 3 weeks in as well? Looks like the grafts are all still in there. Mine all came out at 1 month and now I’m about 90 days in and seeing growth. Highly recommend you start taking finasteride and get some topical or oral minoxidil as well. 2.5mg oral

Thanks! Also at 3 weeks and I haven’t seen much shedding at the hairline yet.. just waiting for it to happen lol

I’ve been on finasteride for almost 10 years and tried topical minoxidil around the same time I started finasteride but stopped pretty quickly bc it was really messy. Luckily or not so luckily I was testing it on my temple points and those did shed and not return after that.. had them rebuilt during transplant. I’ve been considering oral minoxidil. Have you heard of anything that happens if you try them stop taking it (other than obvious loss of gains from meds)?

 

[Markiuk]

Thanks! Also at 3 weeks and I haven’t seen much shedding at the hairline yet.. just waiting for it to happen lol

I’ve been on finasteride for almost 10 years and tried topical minoxidil around the same time I started finasteride but stopped pretty quickly bc it was really messy. Luckily or not so luckily I was testing it on my temple points and those did shed and not return after that.. had them rebuilt during transplant. I’ve been considering oral minoxidil. Have you heard of anything that happens if you try them stop taking it (other than obvious loss of gains from meds)?

Yeah I was hoping to be in the 5% of people that don’t get the ugly duckling phase but sadly I was. Around 4-6 weeks it all came out and now I’m at 12 weeks or so and I’m starting to see signs of life
Good that you have been on finasteride for so long, that’ll certainly be halting the loss. Have you noticed any further loss in the last 10 years being on finasteride?
No i haven’t heard of anything happening and a seriously doubt there are any issues with stopping it given minoxidil was originally licensed as a antihypertensive at higher doses. The side effect profile is pretty trivial and to be honest would be surprised if topical minoxidil was truly the cause of hair loss in a patch of your head. Oral is more potent than topical anyway so definitely worth a try. Gotta give it 3 months and might have some shedding along with starting it in the initial phase. I’m gonna give it a solid year of testing and if I see a good result on my crown I’ll just take it long term. (I’m awaiting a further transplant at the crown to complete the look hopefully later in the year)

 

[Grob21]

Yeah I was hoping to be in the 5% of people that don’t get the ugly duckling phase but sadly I was. Around 4-6 weeks it all came out and now I’m at 12 weeks or so and I’m starting to see signs of life
Good that you have been on finasteride for so long, that’ll certainly be halting the loss. Have you noticed any further loss in the last 10 years being on finasteride?
No i haven’t heard of anything happening and a seriously doubt there are any issues with stopping it given minoxidil was originally licensed as a antihypertensive at higher doses. The side effect profile is pretty trivial and to be honest would be surprised if topical minoxidil was truly the cause of hair loss in a patch of your head. Oral is more potent than topical anyway so definitely worth a try. Gotta give it 3 months and might have some shedding along with starting it in the initial phase. I’m gonna give it a solid year of testing and if I see a good result on my crown I’ll just take it long term. (I’m awaiting a further transplant at the crown to complete the look hopefully later in the year)

That’s awesome you’re starting to see growth! I’ve seen minimal loss on finasteride and what loss I’ve seen indirectly attribute to concealing efforts.

I agree oral minoxidil is worth the try! Are you going back to same clinic for the crown area?

 

[Markiuk]

Absolutely. My friend went to Elithair and he has fantastic results. They treated me very well, I had deep sedation for local at the back with ketamine/midazolam/propofol… anaesthetist on site…. I have to wait 6-8 months for the crown to give good time for the donor area to heal and they already said they’ll probably take some hairs from my neck, of which I have plenty so that’s all good. Should be able to get a really good overall result. Very excited for 2 years time heh

 

[janna]

Hi Grob21!
Did I miss where you mention how many grafts you got?
The diameter of the punch is a big factor in healing as each punch made needs to heal and of course it leaves a scar so bigger the punch size bigger the scar. Did your clinic mention the size of punches used? The recipient area pic looks like you've healed up well. Pt's tend to shed bulk of their transplanted hairs between 1-2 months after surgery.

 

[A_4_Archan]

At this point, it's too early to make a definitive judgment because what you're experiencing could be shock loss, which typically takes 4-6 months to resolve. It's important not to worry excessively right now; staying calm and patient is crucial.

Let me explain you what you may have to deal with during this long wait.

When undergoing a hair transplant, it's important to be aware of the different stages involved. Initially, there's a phase where most of the transplanted hairs will naturally shed, typically occurring within the first 3 months after the procedure. Following this shedding phase, the growth phase begins, during which you'll gradually notice new hairs sprouting. But sometimes the shed is also not even and it varies from person to person.

Throughout the growth phase, it's important to understand that there will be fluctuations in the rate of hair growth. It's possible that one side of your head may exhibit more rapid growth while the other lags behind. At certain points, you might even observe that the hair has grown, but the density remains lower than desired.There will be certain months where you will get more growth and you will not see any noticeable growth the following month.There will be some spots where there will be no growth which may create a patchy appearance.

During the post-transplantation phase, it's common to experience patchiness at the donor site due to shock loss. Similarly, shock loss can also affect the transplanted zone, leading to further hair loss and concerns about the outcome. This may cause native hairs to fall out, giving the impression that the situation is worse than before the surgery. Additionally, issues like pimples, numbness, and redness may persist longer than expected, but these are all part and parcel of the surgery.

However, it's crucial to maintain patience and trust the process. After approximately 12 months, everything should come together harmoniously, resulting in a well-blended and natural-looking head of hair so this is a long journey my friend and patience is the key.

I hope this helps you to calm your nerves now and then...Best of luck..Happy growing and keep updating brother...

 

[Grob21]

Absolutely. My friend went to Elithair and he has fantastic results. They treated me very well, I had deep sedation for local at the back with ketamine/midazolam/propofol… anaesthetist on site…. I have to wait 6-8 months for the crown to give good time for the donor area to heal and they already said they’ll probably take some hairs from my neck, of which I have plenty so that’s all good. Should be able to get a really good overall result. Very excited for 2 years time heh

That makes sense and I’m excited for you and the next two years as well! Best of luck man and keep us posted!