Before
After
The procedure focused on the frontal region and mid-scalp.
An important part of this patient’s history is that he had already been using minoxidil for approximately two years before surgery. He had not previously used finasteride.
Case summary
| Clinical detail | This case |
|---|---|
| Norwood stage before surgery | Norwood IV |
| Technique | FUE |
| Total grafts | 3,849 |
| Transplanted hair count | At least 8,313 |
| Single-hair grafts | 711 |
| Double-hair grafts | 1,812 |
| Multi-hair grafts | 1,326 |
| Treatment areas | Frontal region and mid-scalp |
| Crown transplanted | No |
| Follow-up shown | 10 months |
| Previous finasteride use | No |
| Previous minoxidil use | Yes, approximately 2 years |
| Finasteride after surgery | Yes |
| Minoxidil after surgery | Resumed |
Across our case library, follicular units containing three or more hairs are described as multi-hair grafts.
Treatment planning
Before surgery, the hair loss was classified as Norwood IV.
Why the pre-operative photograph is not an untreated baseline
The patient had already used minoxidil for approximately two years when the pre-operative photograph was taken.
He reported that his hair had been thinner before beginning minoxidil. The image on the left therefore shows his scalp after an established period of treatment, rather than his original untreated hair-loss pattern.
This matters because the transplant was planned from the condition of the hair and scalp that actually presented at surgery.
Treatment timeline
- Approximately 2 years of minoxidil use
- Temporary pause around surgery
- FUE hair transplant
- Minoxidil resumed
- Finasteride started
Finasteride was new to his treatment plan. Minoxidil was resumed as a treatment he had already been using before surgery.
Graft composition
The 3,849 transplanted grafts consisted of 711 single-hair grafts, 1,812 double-hair grafts and 1,326 multi-hair grafts.
Based on the recorded composition, the procedure involved at least 8,313 individual hairs:
- 711 single-hair grafts contributed 711 hairs
- 1,812 double-hair grafts contributed 3,624 hairs
- 1,326 multi-hair grafts contributed at least 3,978 hairs
The true total may have been higher because our multi-hair category includes follicular units containing three or more hairs.
Across our case library, we do not assign exact retrospective graft counts to the frontal region, mid-scalp or crown when treatment-zone boundaries overlap. Doing so would imply a level of precision that the surgical distribution does not support.
Was the crown transplanted?
No. The crown was not grafted; all 3,849 grafts went to the frontal region and mid-scalp, where the procedure was focused.
The 10-month result
At 10 months, the follow-up photograph shows substantially greater visible frontal coverage.
Both images were taken in broadly similar clinical surroundings, which makes the comparison somewhat cleaner than cases photographed in completely different environments.
The main differences are hair length, styling and head position.
In the pre-operative photograph, the hair is relatively disorganized and separated, leaving more of the thinning area exposed. In the follow-up image, the hair is considerably longer, styled with more shape and volume, and falls across part of the frontal area.
That styling contributes to the appearance of coverage and also conceals much of the final hairline. The pre-operative design and the final hairline therefore cannot be compared directly from these two images alone.
The published photograph is mainly useful for showing the overall cosmetic change in the frontal region. The mid-scalp was also treated, but this angle does not provide a matching view of the entire area.
Because the patient had an established minoxidil history before surgery and later added finasteride, the 10-month photograph documents the outcome of the overall treatment course, not an untreated surgical case.
The photographs should not be used to calculate an exact density increase or graft-survival percentage.
For a case in which finasteride and minoxidil were both introduced for the first time after transplantation, see our 3,853-graft FUE case with post-operative medical treatment.
What this case shows
The left-hand photograph is not where this patient’s hair loss began. It shows his scalp after about two years of minoxidil; by his own account, the hair had been thinner before he started it. The 3,849 grafts, carrying at least 8,313 hairs (711 single, 1,812 double and 1,326 multi-hair units), were planned from that treated starting point.
Minoxidil was paused around surgery and resumed afterward, and finasteride was added for the first time. The 10-month photograph therefore reflects a full treatment course, with the transplant as one part of it.
Dr. Mesut Demir’s note
“This patient came to us with an established minoxidil history. He had been using it for around two years and told us that his hair had been thinner before treatment.
That meant his pre-operative photograph was already showing us a medically supported starting point. We planned the transplant from the condition he actually had at the time of surgery, and finasteride was added later to support the remaining native hair.”
Dr. Mesut Demir · Pure Line, Istanbul
About this result
This page documents an individual patient’s result at 10 months.
Individual results vary with donor capacity, hair characteristics, hair loss progression, healing and treatment.
The photographs document this patient’s outcome and should not be interpreted as a guarantee that another patient will achieve the same result.
The patient gave written consent for these photographs to be published.
Information about medication on this page describes this individual’s treatment history and is not a recommendation or prescription for another patient. Medication decisions should be made individually with an appropriate clinician.
Medically reviewed by Dr. Mesut Demir, M.D. ·
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