Chris from Tarzana

Any improvement? Are you taking plenty of vitamins and supplements???? I remember that I lost my appetite completely and lost 15 pounds in the first month! You have to make sure you are well nourished to heal. I just wanted to check in with you. We are out here!

I'm so sorry you are that uncomfortable. It is really to be expexted. Any of the procedures are major surgery, so give yourself more time! I am 13 months out from my brow lift and I still have numbness and there is not a day that goes by that I am not 100% aware of my forehead and scalp. The hair shedding is better, but I am left with very little hair along the front hairline. I decided that worrying about it was only compounding the problem. If you dwell on it, you will get depressed. Would I do it again? Ask me in another year. Another thing to keep in mind is that IF we were told ahead of time what to really expect, we may choose not to go through with the surgery. I understand that. I have spoken to many others about this and we all feel the same way. My doctor is great and I still think he did a great job. I just think every person reacts and heals differently so they give us thier opinions based on other patients. Take care. Feel better.

One thing you should research is the stages of hair growth. Anagen, catagen, and telojen. If you start to use Minoxidil too soon, it could speed up the shedding (catagen) and then you are left with the third stage (telojen) which is the folicles "resting" stage. From what I understand, that folicle is still healthy but you will not see a new hair for about 4 months after the shedding. You should wait for at least 6-8 months to see if the regrowth will take place on it's own. From Wikipedia: "Telogen phase During the telogen, or resting, phase the hair and follicle remain dormant anywhere from 1–4 months. Ten to fifteen percent of the hairs on one's head are in this phase of growth in any given time. The anagen phase begins again once the telogen phase is complete. The preceding hair strand is pushed up and out by the new, growing strand. The process causes the normal hair loss known as shedding." I have read every blog, researched a lot and consulted many doctors only to find that they all say the same thing about the stages of hair growth. Hope this makes sense to you and I hope it helps. Oh, the other thing I learned is to find at least 3 different brands of shampoo and conditioner to use and alternate every 3-4 days. I found that Aveno Restore and Pantene Anti-Age are my favorites! Looking for the third. Those 2 leave your hair feeling like silk. No Sulfates either. Let me know if you find another brand that works. Thank you for sharing your thoughts and concerns with me. It sure is nice to know I am not alone!

I just started minoxidil (presciption) Finasteride 5 mg, and 5000 mcg Biotin about 2 weeks ago. I am seeing a dermatologist who specializes is hair loss and restoration. Since it has been over one year, there is a slim chance that the hair along the incisions and accross the front of my hairline will return. The folicles were too damaged from the stretching of the scalp. The rest of the hair loss is because my scalp was pulled and the folicles going as far back as the back of my head were disturbed. It threw my whole head into shock. Again, I may be just one of those unlickly candidates for a brow lift. I will update after my next appointment.

I had it done in March 2012.