Has anyone had success re-growing hair? I've been using Folligen for a little over a month on my forehead and thinning crown, but nothing seems to be happening.

If I were to add 5% Minoxidil or Rogaine would that help?

If so, if I were to stop using Rogaine or Minoxidil in the future would the new growth fall out?

How much time should I allow?

Any success stories to relate?

How successful are transplants? Are they very expensive.

Any recommendations are appreciated

Thanks,
Jennifer

Hi Jennifer. I had never heard of Folligen until you mentioned it. So I checked the homepage for that product and it really doesn't say it is for regrowing hair, but instead for healthier hair. And to add minoxidil to stop hair loss, nothing about regrowth.

"Use Folligen alone to beautify hair or for an extra boost of faster hair growth, add minoxidil to stop male hair loss or to stop female hair loss and help block DHT."

With that said I do believe taking care of your hair and scalp will promote healthier hair and possible growth of what appears to be lost hair. A root may remain viable for a period of time after above surface loss.

Minoxidil is the active ingredient in Rogaine. I have read many reports that the Rogaine Foam is extremely effective for hair "regrowth." The drawback is that it is effective on the crown of the head and less so on receding hairlines. Rogaine is rather costly when you consider it needs to be used for a long period. And other reviews say you will quickly lose the regrown hair if you stop using it.

Hair transplants definitely are effective, but take time. Realize they are transplanting the follicle and not a full grown hair. Then it apparently takes time for the follicle to seat itself and after a year you may have 1/2", then it will start growing normal. The cost is high, $3-$10 per follicle that is transplanted and you can easily need 1000 or more transplants.

Hugs,
Marsha

Hi Jennifer

I am troubled by the same thing and have hair loss in the same region, pluse a landing pad forming in the middle of my head of hair.
I was told about Fenisteride, procerin and Nioxin, so here are a few sites to log onto to see if this might do the trick?

http://www.procerin.com/compare_avacor.html?cid=&ucroi_kw=&ucroi_adid=67287&ucroi_google_type=GoogleAdWordsSearch&gclid=CMPAtZnJ55sCFU0A4wodeVWp5Q

http://www.shopwiki.co.uk/nioxin++tablets?sb=1

You will have to look up Fenisteride on the Web.

Leanne xx (new shiny Member)

I'm anxious to free myself from wigs so I can live openly, so I'm just starting to learn about the topic.

From what I've read, topical Folligen combined with copper peptides and Emu oil can stimulate the follicles and regrow hair depending on the condition of the follicle. Folligen + Emu aids in the prevention of further loss + improves the quality of the hair itself. I haven't been using it for long, but haven't noticed any new growth and I'm losing patience. I'll still use the products for conditioning my hair and prevent further loss.

Leanne,
I looked up Fenistrade (Proscar) and it looks interesting. It converts testosterone to DHT and helps prevent prostate cancer. But, from what I read, it may take as long as 5 years to achieve full re-growth - and again, I want faster results.

Marsha,
From what I've learned, I think you're right on target with the price. I was hoping it would grow in faster than you mentioned, but if I get started, my hair could be back by next spring.

A transplant seems to be the way to proceed. I made a consultation appt. with a transplant practitioner and hope to get started if I can manage the cost. They'd allow me to spread payments over 2 yrs. without interest and require only $500 to start, so that's not bad. If the total amount is in the 4-5 thousand $ range I'd be happy. A lifetime supply of Rogaine or Rroscar would probably cost more - and if I were to stop using those, I might lose the new re-growth.

I'll share what I learn after the consultation.

Thanks,
Jennifer

Thanks Lucy,

I assume many of the hair follicles on my forehead hairline are dead - will follicle transplants in that area take hold? Or is it too late?

The hair on my sides and back are full, thick and healthy, only the top and crown are thinning - so moving it from the back to the front would'nt be a loss.

Should I bring a photo of myself when I was young (to the consultation) so they can see where my forehead hairline used to be?
Or, because men and women's hairlines are different - is it possible to request a new female hairline?

As Lucy mentioned finasteride blocks DHT which has been shown to contribute to hair loss. I have been using Proscar (finasteride) for 3 years now and take it to prevent hair loss. Has there been any regrowth? Actually I have to say yes, but not in any substantial quantity. I keep hoping it does grow because it will allow me to try other hairstyles.

As for the transplants, what is most important is good circulation in the scalp. The follicle can be placed anywhere but a good analogy would be a vegatable garden is only as good as the soil. It probably would not hurt to have a few pictures that show the rate of loss.

Oh, and Lucy, yes Rogaine foam does work very well. We have a friend who had a bald crown and wow! I'm not sure what the time frame was but you wouldn't believe it was the same person.

Hugs,
Marsha

Do hormones stop hair loss?

Can they re-grow head hair on the crown over time?

Do hormones eliminate chest hair?

Thanks again

Jennifer

You are full of questions tonight, lol. Hormones as in estrogen will not lessen hair loss, but other medications that make up a HRT regimen such as an anti-androgen and finasteride as we discussed earlier will lessen hair loss. Otherwise nothing in hormone regimens promote hair regrowth.

For some, finasteride will lessen body hair but is a long slow process. I never had chest hair so I have no personal experience to relate to you. However I have a friend who was taking high doss of finasteride as directed by her psych to help eliminate body hair. All I can say is she constantly moans about the body hair. Avodart (dutasteride) supposedly does a faster and better job lessening body hair but it is very expensive.

Hugs,
Marsha

Hiya,

I did read somewhere on the internet, so its obviously a reliable source and not questionable under any circumstances lol, that hair folicles, although have ceased producing hair, can take 10 years even up to 20 years to die away completely. Obviously, the sooner one undertakes rejuvination the better the results are more likely to be because as always, its not an exact science!

I think one day they will artificially grow new folicles from your own stem cells and use them for the implant of new hair instead of the strip they cut out from the back of your head. This would mean that there would be no limit to how many new hair folicles you could have implanted. I feel a few furrys' dreams will come true! Wolf Girl!

I wonder how feasable it is to have body hair transplanted to the head, I fancy curly hair for a bit!

Lots of Love
Penny
xxx

Dear Lucy did try regain and it did make my hair grow a bit but very fine, Not on it now and it soon goes back to how it was.

It would be lovely to have long hair, one day they might come up with something and whoever does will make a mint.


In the meantime you all might like to try this, What my dad tried lol.

Butter
Hen manure under your hat
Raw egg
Cow poo

None worked and he did not have many mates lol.

And if anyone finds a cure let me know. Janey. woo. xxx

I'm just curious as to why I see references to finasteride AND antiadrogens, since finasteride is technically an antiandrogen. I know people who have opted for it in place of the more common spriranolactone regimen. am I missing a subtlety here?

Toni, technically finasteride is an anti-androgen, but it is a very weak one and somewhat expensive compared to others like spironolactone. Also the dosage for hair loss is very low compared to what would be necessary for effective anti-androgen effects. I take both finasteride for hair loss prevention and the anti-androgen bicalutamide.
Hugs,
Marsha

Finasteride is maybe not used as an anti-androgen in the sense of blocking testosterone, however it is an anti-androgen. DHT is an androgen for anyone wondering and is 3 to 5 times more potent than testosterone. Even without the testicles producing testosterone, the body still manufactures testosterone in a sufficient amount to produce DHT in the prostate, which brings us back to the subject of hair loss.

References for DHT being an androgen:
http://en.wikipedia.org/w[...]sterone
Reference for Finasteride being an anti-androgen
http://www.answers.com/to[...]ndrogen

Hugs,
Marsha

Hugs Lucy, I was not being argumentative, that is why I did not use your name in my last post. I was just trying to clarify in a simple to understand form with references for those who want more information. I as a preop and you as a postop both take finasteride and some may wonder why. I know many assume when you become postop that you can stop taking these meds and that is not always the case.

.........and yes we do agree on this.

More hugs,
Marsha

thank you very much for your response! and the links were excellent, maybe one of the best comparative references I have read. I am so glad I found TW!
hugs, toni

My research led me to a hair transplant Dr. in my area with good references and seems to have good aesthetic sensibilities, so I scheduled a meeting. Getting a proper hairline can be tricky and requires another meeting...but this guy's supposed to be one of the good ones.

My transplant consultation went well and they said I was a good candidate for the procedure. I wouldn't have expected them to say otherwise and lose a potential client, but I think they're right, because most of my hair is actually still very thick, grows fast and isn't likely to receed down the sides or back where it's still thick as a forest. My top will continue to thin, but they're treating the top as though nothing is left.

After leaving it short for the last 5 yrs., I've been letting it grow for 3 mths to so see what I had left and what condition it's in. Aside from the sad thinning front and crown, it's become kind of an interesting mixture of silver, brown and blonde.

So, I'm making arrangements to have the procedure done on Feb 11th. They say they will be able to complete the procedure in one long 8-10 hr. day, and that afer an approx. 4 mth dormant period, it will begin to grow approx 1/2" per month. The price will be $2.85 per sq. cm. The total cost is more than I was hoping, but will be worth it if all goes well.

I plan to cut my hair short while the transplants are growing, and if everything goes well, I should have a nice full (but a little short) head of hair by the end of the year. I still plan to use Folligen and Emu oil for scalp and hair conditioning.

Anticipating my own hair growth is exciting. I wore it down to my shoulders most of my life without any problems thanks to the 'hippie' days of being a musician - so this will be nothing new for those who know me. It will be fun to style my own hair or perhaps even re-color.

Does anyone have good or bad hair transplant stories? Anything I need to watch out for?

Jennifer

Today I'll be getting my hair transplanted to create a new hairline + top and crown. I hope this turns out OK. If anyone is contemplating this procedure I'll let you know how it progresses. The Dr. is supposed to be an 'artist' at this - I sure hope so, 'cause I'm getting nervous...in about 12 hrs. from now, I should be completely re-planted. In 3-4 mths it should begin to grow.

Jennifer

Best wishes Jennifer. Please give us regular updates.
Hugs,
Marsha

It’s been a very, very long day.
I’ll relate all facts as I progress so others contemplating the procedure may benefit from my experience. The Good, Bad and Ugly.

The method they used involved planting each follicle separately. Each follicle contains between 1-3 hair shafts, and this method is supposed to provide a nice distribution and more realistic appearance than the old method of using graft ‘plugs’ that contain several follicles per plug. It requires a team of 3 Nurses to painstakingly separate the follicles individually from the graft under a microscope.

The worst part was receiving the initial shots required to numb my scalp. This required approx. 12 shots and was so painful I was unable to drift into a meditative state of mind or achieve an out of body experience. The shots along my forehead’s new hairline were the most painful. Eventually I grew numb to the pain as the medication began to work. They also gave me a vallium pill.

I decided not to listen to my favorite music, because I didn’t want to associate it with the pain and potentially ruin future enjoyment.

By the time the Dr began punching all 2,600 - 1/8” deep holes in my scalp to receive each follicle, I didn’t feel any pain - but I heard a gross crunching sound with each penetration. My scalp had to be frequently sprayed with a fluid to wash away the blood.

A nurse periodically shot my numb scalp with additional painkillers throughout the day. She was great, but a little too serious, so I needed to lighten her up from time to time just to watch her beautiful smile.


Total time of procedure – approx. 13 hrs.:

Paperwork (before and after) + defining hairline + discussing scope of work and reviewing photos = 1 hr. with Dr.
Dissecting my donor area for grafts and applying sutures = 1 hr. w/ Dr.
Punching 2,600 holes in my scalp = 2 hrs. w/ Dr.
Labwork on grafts to separate individual follicles (downtime for me) = 2-1/2 hrs w/ 3 Nurses
Inserting ea. follicle (2600 total) while sitting stationary in chair with occasional short breaks = 6-1/2 hrs. w/ 3 Nurses

Bottom line: (I'm told this was a great bargain)
Approx 2600 total #of follicles required @ $2.85 ea = $7,400 or approx. 1 dollar per hair shaft. I'm glad I have a small head (between size 7 and 7 1/8").

Recovery:
The sutures in my donor area will be removed in 10 days.
I can’t exercise or perspire for 2 weeks
I can’t take vitamins or supplements for a week
At night, I must sleep on my back with head elevated on pillows for 10 days
Although my head will itch, I can’t scratch my scalp.
I can’t apply anything to my scalp to expedite the healing or ease the itching
Scabs will form and I can’t pick at them
I’ll be taking an assortment of antibiotics and painkillers for a week
After 2 weeks I can continue 'normal' lifestyle.
New hair follicles will remain dormant for 4 mths.
Follow-up appointment in 6 mths to review new growth

I believe they did a good job and were a fun group to work with. I’m satisfied with the hairline we designed, and if all goes well with the re-growth stage, this should provide a nice full head of hair to last my lifetime.

I hope this information was helpful. I'm glad I had it done, thrilled that it's over, but more grateful I won't need to do it again.
Jennifer

Oh, I forgot to mention, they gave me an official nurse's cap to take home.

Thanks for the encouragement Lucy Diamond with the Beautiful Hair,

Update:
Though I’d been icing my forehead, taking anti-swelling medication and antibiotics during recovery - a couple days after the procedure, my forehead and eyes began to swell and continued through yesterday until I looked like a space alien – although there was no discoloration or bruising. I stayed inside for several days for fear that I’d be picked up by the FBI and secretly taken to Roswell to be placed in quarantine.

The Dr.’s assistant said not to worry as this happens occasionally and the swelling should soon subside. Thankfully, this morning the swelling is almost gone.

The reason I bring this up is that initially (during the PR period) this was explained as a simple little procedure with very little down-time and with the exception of no exercise or beach activity, it wouldn’t interrupt my lifestyle.

I suggest anyone contemplating this procedure should realistically allow 7-10 days downtime and adjust their schedule accordingly to allow for a vacation during recovery. I still live in suspense hoping it’s been successful – sutures come out Monday.


On a positive note, the recovery hasn’t been painful.
Jennifer

Good luck Jennifier!!!
Gosh, I think the other things that we discussed will go easier, it's all down hill girl....LOL
Post some pic's, when it's healed and grown in some, if you could. Sounds like it is just what you wanted .
Sorry I could not respond sooner, on going computer problems.
Hugz..Tammy

Thanks Tammy.

Hurray, I got my sutures out yesterday and to my surprise, they had also placed staples in my scalp – I was wondering what those itchy things were. It’s good to be back into my usual routine.


Summary of recommendations for those interested in hair transplants:

Don’t even consider Bosley or other high-profile mass marketing transplant practitioners.

Don’t try to find the best $$ deal, and don’t assume more $$ = the best practitioner. Seek recommendations and meet with many practitioners

Don’t hesitate to travel for this procedure – it’s a big decision and the additional investment of time and money are worth while if you have good recommendations for a specialist you feel comfortable with.

Usually, the initial consultation is with a sales person and they are full of happy talk. They will flatter you and tell you whatever they think you want to hear. Ask your consultant if they are a RN or Doctor. Request to speak with the Dr. or a registered Nurse that will be involved with the procedure during your initial consultation. If they are unwilling to let you meet with the licensed practioner – WALK AWAY RENEE.

Define your expectations with the Dr. and have her/him explain the actual % of coverage and results possible in one treatment...If additional treatments will be necessary to achieve the results you expect - make sure you're aware of this before you start. A sales rep won't give you this information. Sales personel are there to blow pixie dust up your skirt and make the sale - don't listen to them.

If you are experiencing early stages of hair loss – wait until the loss is stabilized through age or other methods you have grown satisfied with – many of these methods have been expressed previously on this thread. If not, you will potentially be chasing that hairline yearly at greater overall expense and hassle for another decade…and still might be dissatisfied with the % of overall coverage ultimately possible.

Make sure transplants are your Dr’s primary practice. Even if he’s a highly skilled eye surgeon who does transplants on the side – consider finding another practitioner who specializes.

Make sure the Dr. uses a process that inserts each follicle separately – rather than inserting plugs. (Sorry…I forget the name of this procedure)

If your hair is dark and thin, hair transplants may not be for you to consider...but a sales person won’t tell you this during initial consultation. The best candidates have a hair color that somewhat matches their scalp and is a little bit curly…they are also well into their 50s, or are willing to repeat the process yearly.

Just because you want and can afford your desire.... doesn't mean you can realise your dream. Sorry, some people are not good candidates for a transplant. Some men don't have enough doner hair for a successful % of coverage. Some men have advanced male pattern baldness that can't be remedied with a transplant and "hair systems" is their only option.


Remember, AFTER you pay your initial deposit you will be required to sign papers releasing the Dr. of all responsibilities. If all your hair falls out, or you’re unsatisfied with the results…even if they remove your ear by mistake or you die in the chair….That’s not gonna be their problem – unless you or a grieving relative are prepared to hire an expensive lawyer and fight a legal battle for years into the future.

I think I managed to avoid many of the above issues….however, based on a discussion I had during suture removal, I anticipate that I’ll need to repeat this process in a year to get the % of coverage I’m hoping for….or I might consider Tammy’s recommendation of bonding hairpieces on a monthly basis.

I'm not trying to scare anyone from considering a transplant, just providing helpful information based on experience.

I'm still satisfied with my decision, but I won't really know the result for approx. 4-6 mnths. If anyone disputes my recommendations, please post to clairify...or discuss. If anyone else is considering a transplant and would like additional details - feel free to PM me...

Jennifer,
long live hair

If your hair follicles have been dead for long enough then nothing in the world will bring them back to life.
I take Finasteride. It will not make lost hair grow back, but it should help prevent further loss. Just to be pedantic for a moment, I’m sure no-one cares… Finasteride does not convert testosterone to DHT as stated above, it blocks production of DHT to a certain extent, and more importantly for us maybe – it blocks the action of DHT at cellular level, ie it protects existing hair follicles from further damage. It’s more of a preventative measure than a cure. One more spanner in the works on this subject: Whether or not DHT is the ONLY cause of baldness is highly debatable.

Marsha has said enough about Minoxidil, though I might question whether it is “extremely” effective. I’m sure it works though, to whatever extent, but as Marsha said, only on the crown of the head, not the hairline.

You must remember with standard hair transplants that you do not acquire any more hair, it just gets moved about, usually from the back of the head to the receding hairline at the top or sides of the forehead. So if you have generally thin hair, it’s going to get even thinner at the back.
Hairline can be greatly improved without losing hair at the back by a scalp advance, which may leave a scar just below the hairline, which could later be covered by a less “invasive” transplant. (Brow-bone reduction and forehead contouring surgery can be carried out at the same time as a scalp advance, but how far do you want to go…?)

As for the peptidey stuff you are using Jennifer, I seriously doubt its efficacy. Minoxidil is surely a better bet.

There is certainly no quick and easy fix for this problem.

Oh and, hello, shiny new Leanne!

xx

Hi P.M. Moo,

Curly hair is nice, but I hear the process of getting the plugs for transplant from the curly area is a bit, er, unpleasant.

Best,
Melody

Firstly, I’m not saying minoxidil doesn’t work, I have just heard that it is not “extremely effective” for everyone. One’s experience will probably be somewhere between that of Marsha’s friend and Janey Woo, or maybe even less effective, from what I’ve heard.
How effective it will be for you is like asking how long is a piece of string, which leads nicely onto your last bout of questions, Jennifer:
“Do hormones stop hair loss?”
Nope. Finasteride and anti-androgens aren’t hormones, but they may help a bit. Theoretically, taking estrogen might help a bit, in that it considerably reduces testosterone production, and that in turn may mean lower levels of DHT, but I’ve never heard of anyone actually noticing a difference form hormones alone. My theory therefore is probably flawed…
“Can they re-grow head hair on the crown over time?”
No, Minoxidil plus Finasteride is probably your best bet, but no guarantees. If they do work for you, it WILL take time.
“Do hormones eliminate chest hair?”
They will probably help, depends how much chest hair you have, and how long your piece of string is…
And your earlier question:
“I assume many of the hair follicles on my forehead hairline are dead - will follicle transplants in that area take hold? Or is it too late?”
It may be too late to re-grow any hair using Minoxidil, but it’s never too late for transplants; the dead follicles are replaced by healthy ones. Assuming of course you still have enough hair elsewhere on your head.
Minoxidil results probably depend on how long the hair follicles have been dormant, and probably everyone’s mileage will vary using it too.
xx

“…am I missing a subtlety here?”

Finasteride does not counteract the effects or production of testosterone, and therefore is not used as an antiandrogen. It won’t bring down your testosterone level or block androgen receptors so it won’t suffice for pre-ops who wish to achieve that. It prevents, to an extent, the conversion of testosterone to DHT, and inhibits the action of DHT on hair follicles in a way that antiandrogens don’t, so it can be a useful addition to a hormone regime. Even post-ops produce small amounts of testosterone and this can still be converted to DHT.

Once again I’d like to emphasise that estradiol alone, even in small doses will seriously reduce testosterone level, so unless you are an 18 year old seething mass of male hormones, you can probably avoid any of the considerably-more-dangerous-than-estradiol antiandrogens.

xx

I think we’re agreed on this Marsha; did someone say that Finasteride is not an antiandrogen?
In your reference for Finasteride it states that it (and Dutasteride) “are not general antiandrogens in that they don't counteract the effects or production of other androgens other than DHT…”, which was entirely my point. Yes DHT is more potent and very damaging, but testosterone will still be present and doing its own damage if Finasteride is the only AA being taken.
It’s not sufficient as a stand-alone antiandrogen, hence our agreement that it’s not used as such. As stated in your reference, it’s not a general antiandrogen. The important point to note is that which Toni was questioning, it’s not an alternative to other “general” antiandrogens.
I didn’t know testo was produced in the prostate, isn’t it the adrenal glands?
xx

Well done Jennifer, I applaud your bravery.
When I was recovering from SRS there were lots of other girls who decided to get this done, just because it was there and what the hell…
When I heard about the marathon sessions they’d had and saw what they had to go through during recovery it kind of put me off!
I’m sure it’ll all be worthwhile; no pain no gain.
If I had the choice though, I’d go through SRS again rather than this!
xx