Here's Where I Am At 50. Am I A hair transplant Repair Candidate?

[Oncall]

Hi all,
I've posted just recently about my situation. I'm 50 and at the age of only 18 I had two 'punch graft' hair transplants to basically lower my hairline (way too low) and to fill in a slight temple recession. I had always had a high hairline as a kid. Just over a year after the second procedure, I was disgusted with the result (I had no idea back then what a punch graft hair transplant would look like. There was very little information in the form of photo's back then in 1985).

I had the frontal punch graft plugs removed over a series of excision procedures which has left me with a scar running along the top of my old hairline. Unfortunately it is very low. I also have two scars in the back donor region. About twenty years ago I had one of the punch graft scars excised out leaving what would be today the equivalent of an FUT strip scar.

My question to everyone is;

1/ Would I be a candidate for FUT/FUE hair transplants without causing another problem of losing all my donor hair? After all these years I would have to jump out of the pan and back into the fire. I would be willing to have beard hair used as a donor also. My hair is fairly thick for my age and actually more curly than shown in the photo's. I grow it this long to blend in with the hair piece I wear. I would want the 'maximum amount of baldness covered' if possible?'

2/ Failing this as an option, is there 'any treatment' that could reduce the appearance of my 'hairline scar' so that I am no longer self conscious of it (this bothers me as much as being bald). If I could achieve this then I would have FUE into the scar/s at the back and buzz my hair short. My preference is for question number 1. I just want to finally 'put this to bed' and get on with my life! Thanking everyone in advance.

Kind regards,

Oncall.

 

[DoctorHouse]

Honestly, at your age and the amount of loss you have, I would stick with your hair system. Can you post a photo with it on. You are lucky. You don't have much gray for your age and your skin looks good. I would ask Joe Tillman about your situation. He is an expert on cases like yours.

 

[Oncall]

Thanks for your response DoctorHouse. As you can see that frontal scar is very low for a man of my age. I recently sent these photo's to Joe and I'm awaiting his reply. It's HONEST comments like yours mate that I am after. Obviously I want my hair back (as much as is realistic) but getting to the truth is what it's all about, whether you are 18 or 50.
Kind regards,
Oncall.

 

[Oncall]

These are some pics of wearing a hair piece that covers the past ten years. The problem though that I am now facing is that the temple points are going/gone and they are going grey. Also it's the '25 years' of wearing a hair piece that I'm sick to death of. Especially in the hotter parts of Australia or holidays in Asia wher you have to resort to a cap! It's just far too hot and humid for a hair piece. You're natural hair is drenched from sweat where as the hairpiece is still dry and becomes a pressure cooker!
The other main thing now is that the hair pieces are far too 'full' and 'dense' for a 50 year old man, unless I start to pay BIG bucks for a bespoke hair piece that won't last very long. Again it's just the 'I'm so over having to wear wigs' thing too. Hence my other question of improving the frontal scar and having FUE in the back scars?
Kind regards,
Oncall.

 

[DoctorHouse]

Your system looks natural. I would never know you are wearing a system in those photos. I would just stick to that and save your money for something better. You kind of look like nameless when he posted a current photo of himself.

 

[michel sapin]

so when you were in you're twenty you only had temple recession? or crown loss too ?

 

[Oncall]

At 20 michael sapin I had a high forehead (I always did) with receded hairline but still had enough on top to just use it to cover that top frontal scar. My crown was fine. By 23 however my crown was 'starting' to thin but I always had long curly hair and was using minoxidil. By 25 my top was thin but I still had a crown but hairline had receded back to the point were I used make up to hide the scar. It was at this stage I opted for a hair piece. Hope this helps. By thirty I had receded back to the start of the crown. By 40 I was bald back to the top half of the crown. Now the lower half of the crown has gone too.
Kind regards,
Oncall.

 

[resu]

Realistically you could achieve a thinning look, try and convince an hair transplant Doctor to go for that look instead of the thick hairline with no coverage on the mid-scalp/crown.

 

[Oncall]

The back donor region photo I put up by the way, I actually shaved the area right back to highlight the donor scarring. I don't have a 'bald strip area' that large.
I would be keen to hear from any reputable hair transplant surgeons to look at these photos who are well experienced in repair cases, also taking into account that I would like to grow my hairline forward (if possible) to cover at least partly the frontal scar. Thanks everyone again for your input! I should also add that I am realistic in that I don;t expect the density of the hair I have or that of a virgin donor patient.
Kind regards,
Oncall.

 

[resu]

I didn't realize that the scar at the hairline was from a previous procedure, I thought it was just where the original hairline was, some people have a wrinkle there:

 

[buckthorn]

you're a good looking guy, hell to be honest you would even look good bald, especially if you dropped just ten lbs (I know you didn't ask about any of this, just giving my input

that being said, I think the best you could get is like 10% density across the entire top. Have you considered perhaps filling in the frontal third with your donor hair and wearing a hair piece topper in the back? would be a lot easier than an entire system.

sorry you've been through all this man. I have been through ONE bad small transplant with 1-4 hair grafts and it turned my life upside down. you're a resilient dude.

 

[michel sapin]

sure man you've got a great skin quality for a 50 yo guy.
THe system look natural .
You have never used propecia in your life ? or it wans't available at this time ?

 

[Oncall]

Thanks buckthorn and michel sapin. I would go the shaved route if it wasn't for that frontal hairline scar. I had about three or four procedures to get it as narrow as it is now. I know to many it doesn't seem bad but to me I can't stand it. If it didn't worry me as I said earlier, I would just have a scar revision and/or FUE into the back scar and shave my head (then hit the gym hard ).
I get the idea of just packing the frontal area dense and then wear a hairpiece behind it but I am just so over hair pieces as I have said before. With FUE (or strip) I just don't think I would be able to achieve the density to cover my baldness and to grow hair forward to cover the frontal scar (but I hope I am wrong).
I'm not sure on what the latest is in improving scars? Because mine is linear, it catches the eye and you can run right along it when you see it. In some lighting it's not too bad. In other lighting it is plain obvious. I never used propecia because by the time it came out my hair loss was too severe for the results I wanted. I have two appointments next week with two hair transplant surgeons here in Australia. I just want to get their feedback.
Anyway thanks again for the advice guys and feel free to chime in with any other tips.
Kind regards,
Oncall.

 

[buckthorn]

Thanks buckthorn and michel sapin. I would go the shaved route if it wasn't for that frontal hairline scar. I had about three or four procedures to get it as narrow as it is now. I know to many it doesn't seem bad but to me I can't stand it. If it didn't worry me as I said earlier, I would just have a scar revision and/or FUE into the back scar and shave my head (then hit the gym hard ).
I get the idea of just packing the frontal area dense and then wear a hairpiece behind it but I am just so over hair pieces as I have said before. With FUE (or strip) I just don't think I would be able to achieve the density to cover my baldness and to grow hair forward to cover the frontal scar (but I hope I am wrong).
I'm not sure on what the latest is in improving scars? Because mine is linear, it catches the eye and you can run right along it when you see it. In some lighting it's not too bad. In other lighting it is plain obvious. I never used propecia because by the time it came out my hair loss was too severe for the results I wanted. I have two appointments next week with two hair transplant surgeons here in Australia. I just want to get their feedback.
Anyway thanks again for the advice guys and feel free to chime in with any other tips.
Kind regards,
Oncall.

could consider SMP?

EDIT - would you consider a large fue to use up your donor combined with SMP?

 

[sunchyme1]

honestly man, i would seriously considering just shaving it

i really dont know what could achieve with a hair transplant. especially since you want it lower enough to cover the scar. i dont know, im not an expert on hair transplants

but i reckon you should look into fixing your scars as much as possible and shaving it. be done with it. i know u hate the scar, but honestly i dont think it looks that bad at all. and im sure something could be done to help it now.

maybe just try to accept it? embrace it?

like the actor michael k williams. he got a razor slashed across his face when he was younger but he just learn to embrace it, and hes gone on to have a wicked career

and obviously his is much worse than yours

you could always come up with a cool story if anyone asks, like you had brain surgery or something

 

[Oncall]

Hey sunchyme1,
I know you are right. This might sound weird (or sick but I hope not) but I have actually thought of going to a burn's victim ward just to remind myself to be 'grateful for everything I do have in life beyond hair loss (my health, friends, my job, etc, etc) I know where you are coming from and you are 100% correct. There's also an English actor named Tommy Flanagan who had his face glassed really bad in a pub. He's in 'Braveheart' and the English Lord had the right to shag his wife on his wedding night early in the film and he's also in 'Gladiator' as Cicero who plays Maximus' helper. I know I do need to try and change my attitude and accept the scar. I am fully aware that it's only a big deal to me and no one else. I used to identify with my hair as I always had long, curly hair when I was younger (up until about 23) that the chicks always commented on. Back then you really only had Bruce Willis in Pulp fiction that looked good shaven. Now you need a suit to shave your head. Lol.
When I see the two Doctors next week I'll check out if there is anything that can be done to just improve the hairline scar. It's been over ten years since I've looked into it. Again thanks for the heads up and the reality check man!
Kind regards,
Oncall.

 

[Roberto_72]

Hi,
Welcome to the forum.
I personally think you might not be very satisfied with a hair transplant because you need to really go for a low hairline to cover the front scar.
What would probably happen is that the density would then be not comparable to the one you have now with the hairpiece.
Besides, the donor area is not infinite and you have already used some. So, again less density even with a "mega session".
As for beard grafts, take into consideration that the amount of hair you can get from it is limited as well.
So the doctors will be able to say what kind of result you can achieve, but if I were you I would not keep my hopes too high.
Break a leg!

 

[Oncall]

Thanks Robero,
Yeah. Those are kind of my thoughts too. I've looked at patients who have burned out their donor supply from the scalp and have used body hair. I've got plenty of it however the one's I've seen advertised (which obviously what the Dr's think are worth advertising) look very tufty to me. they don't grow longer than they are on your body and don't impress me. Also as you say beard hair is a limited donor resource.
I think I would be disappointed by the lack of density I would be able to get.
The hair piece I use in my opinion is 'too dense' for a 50 year old. Maybe I'll look into getting a more diffused hair piece but I will also check out FUE for the back scar. I'll see how I go. Many thanks for your input!
Kind regards,
Oncall.

 

[Oncall]

buckthorn yes i would consider a large FUE and SMP if it could achieve the goal.
Kind regards,
Oncall.

 

[sunchyme1]

Hey sunchyme1,
I know you are right. This might sound weird (or sick but I hope not) but I have actually thought of going to a burn's victim ward just to remind myself to be 'grateful for everything I do have in life beyond hair loss (my health, friends, my job, etc, etc) I know where you are coming from and you are 100% correct. There's also an English actor named Tommy Flanagan who had his face glassed really bad in a pub. He's in 'Braveheart' and the English Lord had the right to shag his wife on his wedding night early in the film and he's also in 'Gladiator' as Cicero who plays Maximus' helper. I know I do need to try and change my attitude and accept the scar. I am fully aware that it's only a big deal to me and no one else. I used to identify with my hair as I always had long, curly hair when I was younger (up until about 23) that the chicks always commented on. Back then you really only had Bruce Willis in Pulp fiction that looked good shaven. Now you need a suit to shave your head. Lol.
When I see the two Doctors next week I'll check out if there is anything that can be done to just improve the hairline scar. It's been over ten years since I've looked into it. Again thanks for the heads up and the reality check man!
Kind regards,
Oncall.

i think its great idea to go to a burns ward, its always to good to get perspective for sure. go for it.

i def think the shaved look is the way to go atm. i just dont think youll be happy with what could achieve with a hair transplant. maybe save the cash for some of these new treatments coming out in the few years (if indeed they do come out). perhaps you could acheive more density then

its sucks cos your hair with a wig is cool as f***. it suits you great. but having just thin coverage up there wouldnt look good with those thick sides. i think youd have to cut the sides and back a bit shorter to balance it out. just my opinion