Hey Guys, I hope you find this case interesting. There are not many cases like this on the internet and it will hopefully give you an insight on what can be achieved. I have had over 10 FUE surgeries over the past 14 years with over 8.500 extractions, all FUE. My results have been wonderful but my donor has suffered some heavy battering. My goal is to achieve an homogenous look on my donor area by adding 400-600 grafts to spots with larger scars and less density mixing nape and BHT hair. Nape as a very low coverage value on the top of our hair but is good enough to improve the gaps on the donor area. The second step will be performing SMP to hide the smaller scars and as a final touch up. I have choosen Dr Mwamba as he has extensive FUE and BHT experience and I already had a good result on my frontal scalp with him. Surgery will be tomorrow in Brussels. I will update pictures accordingly. Current situation:
10 surgeries in 14 years?! Wow! That must have been expensive. Back of your head looks fine to me, I wouldn't have noticed 1 let alone 10 surgeries!
Hello Guys, Here are the pictures of the surgery. 600 FUE (100 BHT and 500 Nape) The experience was simply great. I must say after all the surgeons and surgeries I had never been treated so kindly patiently and with such patient to extract difficult BHT grafts. Let's hope it all grows out. Pre-op: Intraop: After implantation:
After 7 days: Hardly any sign of surgery. No scaring (visible). Small punch and manual punching were key.
Preop: After 1st surgery (500 grafts extracted to give a more homogenous look). No grafts were implanted on donor. Second surgery. 600 BHT and Nape implanted into gaps: 2 months after second repair surgery: Bare in mind I have had over 9.000 grafts extracted I look forward to your comments
I am surprised nobody is interested on this case as many patients here have had issues with FUE scaring ?
Looks really good tbh, how have you kept your hair on all these years? oral finasteride and minoxidil? and now you're just on topical duta?
Did a few years of oral finasteride, had extreme sides. Gyno (had to be surgically removed). Lost of libido. Prostate pain. Extreme brain fog and fatigue. No erections Switched to topical finasteride. Same sides even with the lower dose when used with DMI. Switched to topical finasteride without DMI. 0.05%, absolute lowest dose. No side effects but did not stop hair loss either. Switched to topical dutasteride 1%. (2mg per ml). Completely stopped hair loss. No side effects. I use it once a month to not allow build up Only side effect I get is a little anxiety the first 2 days when waking up after applying it. Then it goes away. Blood-work confirmed DHT levels are down 40% but my testosterone is also lower so it could be reducing less than that. I believe you need a minimum of DHT to function without brain fog and libido. As long as you keep it on the low spectrum or a little below minimums you will function fine and halt the hair loss. My scalp DHT reduction is probably in the 90% area as the enzyme converts on hair follicles as well and the molecular weight (530 kda) allows dutasteride to remain there. I want to go on TRT this year to get my levels back to 800-900 which was my natural test level at age 30. On the high of the spectrum. I want my DHT to remain below 250 and estrogen below 60. Right now my test is 470 (low). Free test is 10 (extremely low but withing range), DHT is 170 (below minimum) and Estrogen 40 (healthy) I'm 34.
but if you go on TRT it will also increase your DHT. Also I don't get how topical Duta doesn't give you side effects but topical finasteride did? DUTA blocks way more dht than finasteride and they both go systemic even if you apply topical.
Also about your testosterone, how did you have 800-900 4 years ago but now you have 470? that seems like a HUGE drop in a very short time, sounds very weird to me. also your free test, what kind of measurement did you take for your free test test that it showed 10? from what I know the result of free testosterone checks is in %, and the normal range is between 1 to 3 %, take this test- http://www.issam.ch/freetesto.htm you'll need data if 3 measurements tho, total test, albumin and SHBG. I went to an endocrinologist once about my testosterone because it's around 450 (I'm 28) and he told me what really matters is the free testosterone, and said since my result is 2.11% then I'm good, and said that someone else that would have higher total testosterone but less optimal free testosterone would actually suffer from "low testosterone" side effects. idk how true what he told me is but either way he refused to put me on TRT because of it. regardless, you should also research about TRT because it's not funny business at all. can have side effects, it also makes you infertile. so if you plan on having kids, you shouldn't go on it.
Why do you think you got less sides on topical dutasteride than finasteride? Was the dutasteride a better, more lyposomal formula and the finasteride cheap/basic? Or do you think something about the drugs actually makes dutasteride less systemic when applied topically than finasteride? Also what is DMI?
Great Thread and good repair work! You are genetically gifted having 9000 Grafts! Which Doctors were you before? What Kind of BHT was used? Did you loose density from the transplanted hair while not being on Meds?
Hey Blub10 Thank you! I still have one more session of 500 grafts for the donor booked this year (250 nape and 250 BHT) to fix any larger than 2mm scars as I want to shave eventually and work becomes more obvious. I am obviously obsessed and probably a maniac but we all want more and I have enjoyed unlimited resources the past 5 years and I actually enjoy each procedure. It might sound nuts but each to their own. I don't regret any of it, that's for sure. I have been to Lupanzula x 2 , Couto, Vila, Keser x 3, Ozgur, Feriduni, Mwamba x 3 and another dude that I don't care to mention (unknown Doctor) Aside from the first one I had great results with all the other. My best overall experiences were with the "Belgian" doctors. Specially Feriduni and Mwamba. Dra Vila in Spain was amazing as well. BHT from beard I did not lose density. I did notice a few beard hairs fell out. I have about 1200 of those in total, maybe lost 20 of them over the years. You can clearly see them as they are curley but maybe they grew back I hope I answered your questions
Thanks for the answer! This FUE Scar repair thread is really something I was looking for 2 years! Man you are a real FUE Veteran then. I did a consultation with at least 3 of your mentioned doctors (and some others as well). Thx for the Feedback of the doctors. I was planning to go to Feriduni for the hairline, unfortunately he did not offer me BHT Scar repair in the back as did Mwamba so I am unsure My beard hair would be way too dark and thick for covering my scars but I have plenty of chest and leg hair
4 months: Nape is showing no scaring at all. Still have another 300 grafts on the nape and 300 BHT to fill in more gaps should I need to. I am satisfied so far. Donor loos good for 9K
Yes, I have heard of him. Apparently he has good rep. I'm very happy at 5 months. The scaring on my donor has become invisible after 9K extraxcted. I can now buzz cut my hair or shave on the back without being aware about it
