Hi again FreshHair .. yeah, good idea to allow it grow a bit --otherwise you could order a system now, and when it`s delivered, your own has grown so that you find it`s a different colour to what you remember it had been.... also as you say...grey will/does appear as we age... I have them now too but only around the side-burn area and I just use a normal black colour on those particular areas.....I have to `time`it right otherwise it will darken too deeply and be a mis-match for my system hair...... you might want to consider another option.....when you can `see`your hair again, it might be nice to incorporate a few flecks of gray through your system ...can give a nice `mature`look [ I know you might HATE grey ] but it`s just a suggestion. The only `caution`is that as far as I know, grey is made from fiber[artificial] in order that if/when you use colour touch-up products, the fiber is impervious to them,so stays grey, and a lot of grey can lead to `texture`difference.....if someone runs their hand through it, they`ll notice the difference and a lot of grey can look different too, as fiber reflects light differently to real hair.... but a bit sprinkled through a system can look very real too, especially on older guys..... your approach is sensible...just take your time and you`ll be fine....my own[ very thin] hair grows very fast, some people`s hair grows very slowly so can`t give you an estimate of how long it will take... I take zinc supplement daily..good for hair and nails etc..might be worth a try? Paul.