Hair Transplants and Hair Pieces (Toupees)

[Sir Harry]

Hello, forum members

Lately, we have been getting a lot of posts and/or questions from current and former HT clients. I've spoken to Tyler, and with his blessing, I've decided to go ahead and start a new thread (board) for our members who are current and former HT clients to share their stories, questions, or even solutions. There are rules to this board (thread) and they are as follows

1. No attacks or abusive posts toward members with HT. I know that many of the membership here doesn't necessarily agree with getting a HT, however this is not the place to be judgmental. Some sensitivity needs to be shown. (At the end of the day, we all have done something in life that we later had second thoughts about regardless if it relates to hair loss or not.)

2. While this is a place to share stories or even vent, this is not a place to advertise for companies, and spam in any form will not be tolerated

3. Private messaging between members is always allowed, however, this is not a pickup site and once again, avoid being abusive and judgmental. If a member feels he (or she) is being harassed, PM myself or another moderator, and we will address the offending individual(s)

4. Suggestions on methods to help with HT's and the scars they leave behind are always welcome, and any member can post on this board (thread), however, again, rules 1 and 2 will still be enforced here

5. If posting pictures, please try to keep them within the size limitations.

6. Trolling is absolutely forbidden. Sharing links from other forums are okay as long as they are not spam and not trying to promote/sell anything.

Anyone violating the above will be warned via PM, and then openly in the forum. Repeated violation of the above will result in action being taken, including but not limited to, editing and/or deletion of posts and getting banned from the forum

If a moderator feels there was something I missed, feel free to add on

PS: Tyler, is there a way to convert this thread into its own separate board? If you can do this, it will be greatly appreciated, so our members can find it easier.

[Mikey_SA]

Thanks for starting this thread Harry. I'm sure it will be valuable for many as time goes on. Having HT scars can make it seem as though there is a serious obstacle to shaving down but scars can be improved a lot these days.

Here is a link to the work I have had done. Admittedly I think the photo's may flatter the end result but it is definitely much improved.

http://www.hairrestorationnetwork.com/eve/185377-strip-scar-repair-fue-smp.html

[Sir Harry]

No problem, Mike. Thanks for sharing the links to your photos. Continued success to you in getting the results you desire on your road to your scar recovery. Everyone is going to deal with the HT scar issue in their own way, but this thread I believe will help each other, even those who are considering HT.

[Tyler]

Harry, thanks for creating this thread! Let's see how the thread progresses and if there's a lot of discussion starting I'll create a section for it.

[ngasportsfan]

This might get lengthy, but I want to share my story.  I am 50 years old.  I started reading this forum a couple years ago, and would come back and visit from time to time, but I never posted.  I hope by sharing my story, maybe someone else can benefit (and anyone thinking about hair transplants WON’T do it!).  I also hope it provides some therapy for me.  I’m not suicidal or anything near that.  It’s just something that’s bothersome and increases my stress.

When I was 18 I played basketball at a small college in Georgia.  It was then that I heard the first comment about me losing hair.  After a practice and shower, with my hair still wet, one of my teammates pointed and said “Man, you are losing your hair.”  It was devastating.  This was the first I thought about hair loss even though my dad had lost his.  Both of my granddads died with full heads of hair.  I had no inclination I would lose mine.

A couple years later, I was out with a couple of friends and their girlfriends.  We were having a discussion as to why I chose not to have a steady girlfriend at that time.  One of the girls (now my friend’s wife) looked at me and said “You better get a girlfriend because you are losing your hair.”  I had never really had a problem with dating or anything….but, this too devastated me.  I was about 22 then.

About a year later, I decided to get a “weave.”  I don’t know what to call it now, but basically, it was a hair piece sewn into my existing hair.  It was very uncomfortable and required a lot of maintenance.  But, I thought it was better than not having hair.  Shortly thereafter, I met my wife, got married, and started working.  A couple months after marriage I ditched the hairpiece and just went with what I had.

For whatever reason, the whole hair loss thing kept nagging at me.  My wife (27 years now) could care less.  But, it bothered me and I thought hair transplants would take care of everything.  How I wish the information and forums like this were available in the early 90’s.  It is, without any doubt, the worst decision I’ve made in my life.

As years passed, my hair kept falling out, and the transplants became more and more apparent.  This was back in the “round plug” days, so the doll look was evident.  I tried shaving my head around age 30, but the scars on the back of my head were horrid.  In fact, the same friend’s wife commented when she first saw my shaved head, “Oh my God.  What are you going to do about that?”  I eventually let my hair grow back and had some revision work to try to hide what was obvious. 

Shortly thereafter, I decided to shave again and started working on the donor scars.  I had to find a way to do it cheap…I had already spent too much on something that I should have never worried about.  After a lot of research, I bought a derma roller and some Vitamin E oil.  I also experimented with different types of silicon strips.  It did help reduce the scars some. 

Eventually, though, I got tired of shaving and grew my hair back out.  That lasted about a year or so, then I saw a photo of myself.  The plugs just stood out something terrible.  So, I decided to shave again.

I constantly worry about what the back of my head looks like.  I’ve continued to work on the donor scars with the derma roller and recently, Mederma gel.  I can’t tell that the gel helps that much, but I’m supposed to use it for 6 months.  At $25 a tube, that probably won’t happen (I have two teenagers and one in college, so I’m not rolling in money).  I read some studies recently that tested the different gels, and the conclusion was Vaseline and vitamin E oil was just as effective.  I may try that with some silicon strips at night.

I’m hoping that participating in this forum will help ease my stress about the back of my head.  It still worries me.  Not being bald.  I actually like that.  But, the scars…those damn scars just keep worrying me.  The top of my head is OK.  There's some slight pitting if the light hits it just right, but fortunately, the original and subsequent surgery healed pretty well for the type of butchering they did to me.

I had my son snap this photo this morning.  I can look in some mirrors and it looks like this, and then look in others, and it looks a lot worse (IMO anyway).

[Dragon]

Thanks for posting your story ngasportsfan, the scar is almost invisible in the photo.  I have a crease on the back of my head that stands out more.  Great dome, great look.

[Sir Harry]

Welcome,  ngasportsfan!

Thanks for coming out of the lurker status and sharing your story with us. You look great as a sly guy and the stubble beard blends in well. Looks like your scars are more of the punch hole variety than the strip scar. Looks like the Mederma or whatever you were doing is doing a nice job of minimizing the scars. But if you're just OCD about the scar, here are a couple of suggestions:
 
You can invest in some Dermablend concealer. I bought a tube at Macy's for about $35 in December 2015 and I still have half the tube left. You only need a small amount which you can apply with a Q-tip

Another option, although slightly more expensive,  would be to get a scalp micropigmentation job over the scar area. Some dermatologists may be able to do this procedure. What this does is like a tattoo to simulate a hair follicle. They can adjust the ink so it can blend the scar area in with your natural skin. If you go this route and you only want the scar area done (some people get their entire balding area done, but that's up to the individual ), you need to emphasize that to the practitioner. Again thanks for sharing and keep us posted.  Feel free to ask questions and PM one of us if needed!

[slybeard]

Welcome,  ngasportsfan, thank for sharing your story.  I know you said that depending on the angle it look worse than the photo, and I understand how you feel about it.

I see guys all the time with shaved heads with scars from various past injuries or surgeries.  When I see your photo, I just see slight scaring and and it doesn't occur to me that is is a HST scar, it is just a scar.  I know this likely doesn't help how you feel about it, but guys on the street do not necessarily see the same thing you see in the mirror or in photos.

[ngasportsfan]

Thanks for all the replies.  I do try to tell myself that most people don't even notice it.  It's just a crazy thing how it bothers me.  I might try that Dermablend.  How easy does it come off?  I'm a naturally oily headed person, and without hair, it gets really oily so I normally wipe down a couple times a day.

I have another question, also.  Sometimes, after shaving, I will have red "pimple looking" dots.  They go away after about 30 minutes.  It doesn't happen all the time, and it doesn't matter if it's a new razor or older one.  Before I go to bed at night, I clean my head with Witch Hazel and doctor the donor scars, so my head is always clean before lying down.  Are these red dots common?  What could be causing it?  I've had razor rash on my face before, and it doesn't look anything like that.  It's almost looks like ingrown hairs, but if it dissapears after 30 minutes, it can't be that.

[Sir Harry]

Thanks for all the replies.  I do try to tell myself that most people don't even notice it.  It's just a crazy thing how it bothers me.  I might try that Dermablend.  How easy does it come off?  I'm a naturally oily headed person, and without hair, it gets really oily so I normally wipe down a couple times a day.

I have another question, also.  Sometimes, after shaving, I will have red "pimple looking" dots.  They go away after about 30 minutes.  It doesn't happen all the time, and it doesn't matter if it's a new razor or older one.  Before I go to bed at night, I clean my head with Witch Hazel and doctor the donor scars, so my head is always clean before lying down.  Are these red dots common?  What could be causing it?  I've had razor rash on my face before, and it doesn't look anything like that.  It's almost looks like ingrown hairs, but if it dissapears after 30 minutes, it can't be that.

Re: Dermablend-barring any excessive sweating, if applied properly, it usually wears off within 24 hours. It washes off fairly easy with a towel and water; my suggestion would be to find an old bath/face towel that no one hardly uses anymore and keep that for yourself and yourself only. The key is to apply it over the area lightly, I suggest a Q-tip or a small makeup brush (maybe your wife can help you with applying it)

As far as the pimples that go away within 30 minutes....I'm not so sure about that one, I would say it had something to do with the aggravated skin from your HT, but I'm guessing it's been at least two decades since your last one, so all I can suggest is to add an ice cube rub/cold water rinse to your routine

I'm going to shoot a couple of links to you. Here is a story from a member who's essentially dealing with the exact same thing you are
www.slybaldguys.com/smf/index.php?topic=26647.0

And, just for some backup, here's a link to my scars and my story
www.slybaldguys.com/smf/index.php?topic=26367.0

Hope this helps, and best of luck!

[ngasportsfan]

Here's a closeup of the bumps/red spots.  In this photo, they weren't bad at all.  This was after a shave yesterday morning.  Sometimes, there will be a lot more in different areas of the head.  Any ideas?

[jbrit25]

Do you shave everyday?

[ngasportsfan]

During the week, yes.  But not on weekends. 

[nuts]

I am sure it will get better over time.  A bald head looks so much better tha a hair transplant or the dreaded combover.

[jbrit25]

During the week, yes.  But not on weekends.

Well, there goes my solution... I had some issues when I was shaving every other day. Once I started shaving everyday then the bumps went away.