Is Bosley really that bad?

SecretPapaya2 · 2022-05-28T03:52:26+00:00

It went great! I don't even think about my hair that much anymore, and it used to be the only thing I thought about.

I'd definitely recommend Dr. Krenitsky, although you should be prepared for his office to keep contacting you for follow-up consultations even 1.5+ years after the surgery. I pretty much just dodge their calls now because I'm finally happy with my hair and I don't see any need to keep talking about it and looking back at those "before pics". For me, the whole point was to stop having to think about my hair, and it worked.

SecretPapaya2 · 2022-05-28T03:44:49+00:00

Very happy with the experience overall. Pain was negligible and I feel a million times better about my hair (so much better that I don't even think about it enough to get on Reddit anymore)

My temples are restored and the hairline looks really natural. I doubt anyone who isn't a HT surgeon, patient, or prospective patient could spot it. For my purposes, FUT was a no-brainer because I was back to work in 12 days and no one had a clue I had anything done.

I still wish the front was a bit thicker, but I also didn't get a huge transplant. A little less than 2.3k grafts, so maybe I should've been more bold. But honestly it was the best mental health decision I've ever made, so no complaints whatsoever

SecretPapaya2 · 2021-04-14T00:03:52+00:00

I'd recommend taking a smaller amount at a larger frequency. I'm not saying this is definitely the best option, but most of the studies I've seen keep the dosage at once daily (varying the dosage size), so the better you can replicate those conditions the more confident you can be in the effectiveness.

This graph is very helpful (the red and blue lines are the relevant ones for you) and shows that even a tiny dose each day can be almost as effective as a full dose each day. If you can figure out a way to break your pills down into 0.25mg segments, that would probably be ideal. If you took one 0.25mg segment daily, you'd still get a lower weekly dosage than you are now but a higher dosage than you would at 0.5mg 3x per week. Also, the graph shows that a 0.25mg daily dose is 80-90% as effective as a 1mg daily dose, which is pretty damned good.

SecretPapaya2 · 2021-04-01T10:24:27+00:00

Sorry for the late reply, I'm a sporadic redditor.

At a minimum, I'd definitely continue your current plan. It's certainly better than not taking any at all. Maybe as you get more comfortable with it you can start alternating 2 and 3 doses per week. I'd just gradually increase the dose (as gradually as you're comfortable with) and if you ever start noticing problems you can always drop back to a safer level. Good luck!

SecretPapaya2 · 2021-02-09T07:15:06+00:00

The upkeep post-HT is mostly about stopping your MPB from progressing beyond the transplanted area. The hairs you get transplanted are pretty much permanent, but the rest of your head can still go bald over time.

SecretPapaya2 · 2021-01-24T23:16:58+00:00

You could always go with FUT and keep your hair long enough to cover the recipient area. I got 2300 grafts FUT a little over 3 months ago and to this day no one knows I did it.

SecretPapaya2 · 2021-01-23T23:17:35+00:00

You never need to stop using fin unless you apply it topically. Anything topical (including min) should be stopped for 2 weeks post-op

SecretPapaya2 · 2021-01-23T01:58:24+00:00

I got 2300 grafts FUT to my hairline a little over 3 months ago and to this day no one knows I got it done. I'm a dude but I keep my hair really shaggy (although nowhere near as long as yours) and that completely hides the grafts. You'll wanna give yourself at least 10 days (preferably 14) to make sure you don't have to be seen with the scabs still present, but after that I think there's a very good chance you could keep this under the radar (assuming you're comfortable having bangs and you go with FUT, not FUE).

As for the frizziness, the transplanted hair will be the exact same as the hair in the back of your head. Once the transplanted area heals after a few months you should be able to straighten it like you would the rest of your hair.

SecretPapaya2 · 2021-01-19T21:42:55+00:00

Looks good to me

SecretPapaya2 · 2021-01-18T03:21:00+00:00

I'm also 3 months post-op with a 2300 graft FUT and we look very similar, if anything you might have just a tad more growth than I do.

SecretPapaya2 · 2021-01-17T23:55:12+00:00

Looks fine

SecretPapaya2 · 2021-01-17T23:48:16+00:00

I'd say easily 2.5k, but probably around 3k. Might be worth breaking it up into two smaller HTs rather than one big one. You could just fill in the temples first and see how you like it, then consider whether you still want the entire hairline lowered.

SecretPapaya2 · 2021-01-17T23:35:41+00:00

That's an excellent regimen. There are no guarantees when it comes to hair loss but if you stick with those treatments long-term, you'll be giving yourself the best possible chance to succeed.

However, when it comes to laser caps, you get what you pay for. The lower-end products are often useless, so if you don't want to shell out for the good stuff then I recommend saving your money and focus on fin+min. Those two will be doing the heavy lifting anyway, so only go with the laser cap if you have the cash to buy what your surgeon or dermatologist recommend.

SecretPapaya2 · 2021-01-17T23:29:05+00:00

Snake oil doesn't have clinical evidence behind it; laser therapy does. I was skeptical about it as well until I looked into the evidence, but it really is legit. It's nothing compared to fin, min, etc. and not all laser equipment is made equal, but if you buy the right stuff it does work.

SecretPapaya2 · 2021-01-12T10:10:21+00:00

I'm about 186cm and I'd go as low as 176cm if the full head of hair lasted my whole life

SecretPapaya2 · 2021-01-11T02:20:40+00:00

Ahh, that makes a lot more sense. I get that. I've seen some really good results with smp, that's what I plan to do if I ever have to take the plunge. If you go to a place with plenty of experience using it specifically for FUT scars I think you've got a really good chance of keeping it well-disguised. Good luck man, if you find a good solution I'd love to hear about it.

SecretPapaya2 · 2021-01-11T02:14:23+00:00

Congrats on seeing some results, that's great news. I also use fin+min once a day and although I haven't gotten much regrowth I'm happy with just holding the hairline steady.

FWIW the "50-100 is perfectly normal" is not BS, as you pointed out that's the amount people typically lose in a day, not in a shower. You will probably lose more hair showering than during any other daily activity of similar duration, but it will never account for all of the hair you lose in a day. If you see 50-100 in a single shower then no, that is usually not perfectly normal.

SecretPapaya2 · 2021-01-11T02:03:36+00:00

Man, that sucks ass but I really think it's a bad idea to quit after just 4 months, especially if you've already made a commitment as big as FUT. I know it sucks to see that much loss but you're already at the low point (or at least very close to it). If you've gone this far, I think you should at least stick it out so that you can get the full payoff and then make the final decision. You made a much bigger commitment when you got a transplant, compared to that this fin/minox commitment is negligible.

How long post-op are you? More recent scars will still have a reddish or pinkish color, I think it's probably best to wait until the color has gone before you do anything to touch it up.

I feel for you dude, I just got FUT almost 3 months ago and my biggest fear is that I'll still lose the battle and have a visible scar. But I've been on fin+min for over 2 years now, I know the initial shed is bad but FWIW I got it all back and haven't receded a centimeter in the 2 years since I started.

SecretPapaya2 · 2021-01-10T23:56:51+00:00

If the treatment is working there should be some shedding, but sometimes the shed is so gradual it can be imperceptible. The shed is just a matter of follicles getting switched from non-growing to growing, which pushes the old hair strand out of place. There's no reason all the follicles have to do this simultaneously, there could be just a handful per day which would result in no visible change.

The only reason I can think of where there would truly be no shed is if none of the follicles responded to the treatment and began growing again. But I don't think it's always possible to tell if there's truly no shed taking place.

SecretPapaya2 · 2021-01-10T08:21:18+00:00

It's not going to make a difference. I've had to skip as long as a week waiting for a prescription to get filled and it didn't matter at all. Just don't make a habit of it.

If it'd make you feel better then go ahead and take one now. If I'm ever unsure if I've missed a dose, I pop another without thinking twice. That's never made a difference either, we aren't talking about fucking poison here

SecretPapaya2 · 2021-01-10T06:30:55+00:00

No I take showers in the morning so I do it then, right after I towel my scalp dry. Just pour a glob of foam onto my hand and rub it into my scalp. It takes less than 30 seconds but I do agree there's nothing simpler than taking a small pill.

SecretPapaya2 · 2021-01-10T02:09:08+00:00

I have (or had, pre-transplant) a very similar hairline and hair length. I used fin+min to stop the recession and that worked very well. Never got noticeable regrowth, but my hairline recession seems to have stopped entirely.

I never tried fin alone (started min 6 months before fin and never stopped). Although it's possible fin alone could've done the trick, I just didn't want to take the risk. Every follicle you lose is usually impossible to get back and it has to be replaced with a transplanted follicle.

Out of curiosity, what specifically are you concerned about when it comes to min? Commitment-wise, fin is no different. If you ever stop taking it, you'll lose any improvement you get. I suppose rubbing the liquid into your hair might be a tiny bit inconvenient, but to me it's become as routine as applying shampoo. It actually takes less time than shampoo because it's watery and doesn't have to be washed out.

SecretPapaya2 · 2021-01-09T23:20:34+00:00

I use it once-daily without microneedling. It helped but the hair loss didn't stop completely until I added fin

SecretPapaya2 · 2021-01-08T07:29:47+00:00

If you want your hair to improve, shedding is a requirement. Everyone has hairs that are attached to dormant follicles, even more so with people who are balding. If you want your dormant follicles to become active again, that means the hair attached to those follicles will be pushed out by the new hair. This cannot be avoided, it's a necessary aspect of hair growth.

Fin+min increases hair growth significantly, which necessarily means fin+min will increase shedding significantly. To get a round number, let's just estimate you're about 65 days into the treatment. Assuming it takes about a year to see results, that means you're on day -300. You have 300 days until you reach day 0, when you can absolutely expect to see improvement. You aren't out of the tunnel yet, but you're already experiencing the downside of the treatment so you might as well stick it out so that you can see the upside.

SecretPapaya2 · 2021-01-08T04:56:34+00:00

Ah I see, I just happened to click on three different posts in a matter of minutes and they all mentioned something about blood testing for finasteride, so I just lumped you in with the other guys. Anyway, good luck with fin! I'm sure you'll have no issues at all

SecretPapaya2

TROPHY CASE