Pros and Cons of a system.

[grincher]

Im having even more sex now )

Too much information?

 

[gpeiraias]

Yeah buddy I m trying to sell something...Come to Greece so I can show you where I purchaced my system haha
And as for the sex thing, I m not going to compete anyone in here, but if you like your girlfriend to push your hair back while having sex instead of you pulling her hair back...then its your false,or it isnt and maybe you like to be pathetic?
Sorry if mistaken...
Im not going to apologize here in anyone and Im obviously not trying to sell anything to anyone...I told you I live in Greece and I wouldn't recommend anyone to get a system from here...It cost me 850euros and I had no alternatives/other choices...from Greece ,but I had to trust someone who is professional and not do it my self since this is my first time I tried a system. You are young...25 , I am 39 and trust me, before getting this decision I had made my search many many times..On the other hand, no one forces you to buy anything, you can continue with the Fue operations if you like and concealer things as well .This is my last reply .Nough said.

 

[grincher]

I had a session in my girlfriend's car yesterday and there is no way I would have given that performance with a rug on my head.

Yeah you would probably be half the man you are with a hair system, but that says more about your psychology than anything else.

All I know is when I GAVE it to your girlfriend, raspberry ripple style, she loved a full head of hair. I didnt sweat as I was wearing breathable, ventilated lace with supertape confidence.

- - - Updated - - -

My first time in bed with a girl (the only time I had longish hair), she was clinging to my hair when she was on top, like her life depended on it.

You sound like a psychopath

You are too pessimistic and too bleak

 

[grincher]

I'm always amazed at how I'm able to make people show their true face, simply by telling my experiences.

We've seen yours now grincher, you can take your trolling and your wig-selling speeches elsewhere.

What a timid response. I was expecting much much more so I toned it down.

You have been very rude to many members on this forum, you have no sense of humour and you dragged your detailed sex life in here. What do you expect after writing what you write? You like to dish it out but you cant it as we have just seen.

You are just too down, down, down on toupees and other things. Just lighten up and give people some encouragement. Many of your comments are so ill informed that your arrogance and ignorance is so laughable and unhelpful to anxious people with looking for help.

No one likes to hear or be around negative miserable people. I have said many times people should be encouraged to find their own solution be it hair transplant, SMP, shaven hair, fibres or toupee and thats balanced.

Just try and say something nice this week or dont bother at all.

 

[Vinton Harper]

I just don't like reading BS, like people saying a hair piece is a viable solution and on the same level as SMP, shaving one's head, concealers and hair transplants.

It's not. You say I have no humor, yet some members have repped me on my previous posts on this thread commenting "lol". You may be the one with no humor.

I have better than experience: a father who has been wearing for more than 30 years. You've been wearing for what? A year?

You know what my father told me about other wig wearers he met? They've all given up at a point, and you probably will too.

I have to agree with you on one point, Fred. As someone who has tried both transplants and concealers(for quite some time), I can say that wearing a hairpiece is definitely not on the same level as those... it's better!
It's not a perfect situation, but what is? The only way it would be perfect is if I never lost my original hair to begin with. But no sense crying over spilled... hair.

 

[Vinton Harper]

It's better? I'm at work right now and don't have to be paranoid about people discovering I'm wearing a rug. I just woke up, took a 5 minutes shower and done.

Yes it was hard waiting a full year for the hair transplant to fully grow, but it was so worth it. It's not a perfect situation as my hair looks a little thin, but it's actual hair growing on my head.

Promoting prosthetics as a solutions of hair loss just says to researchers "It's OK, we'll just wear fake hair, no need for new solutions!" It's irresponsible.

Tell me, how is a hair piece better than a hair transplant? I said the only advantage of a hair piece is that... you look like you have hair. But my hair transplant also provided this plus to me.

So? In what way is it better? Perfect density? The same density that will often give away the fact that you wear a wig? The price? Nope, hair transplants are cheaper. So what then?

Ok, since I have to for you, let me clarify: I feel it is better for me.

With a piece you can have any density you want. You just have to make sure it matches your native hair density and temple points. Or if you are a diffuse thinner with too much hairloss all over, you can still spring for a full-cap. And yes, if you don't think over these things and just slap any old wig on your head, it will be evident to everyone that you wear one. You don't notice the good ones.

As for transplants being cheaper; not really. You pay thousands and thousands of dollars for a transplant, which for one, may or may not even look natural(you take your chances). Then, as your hairloss progresses, as it inevitably will, you will have to continue to pay thousands and thousands to try to keep up with your hairloss. And even then, when you have used up your last supply of donor hair(making your sides thinner and thinner in the process), you will still not have that full head of hair you hoped for when you started this painful, expensive trip. And all the while, if you are not satisfied with your thin looking transplants, you will be supplementing them with concealers, or drugs, or both. Transplants cheaper? Nope. Not even in the long run. Before you know it, you will be shaving them off and getting a hairpiece, like so many others I have seen. Then you'll see how easy it is and how natural they look(as long as you take your time, do your research, and get a piece appropriate for you) and you'll wonder why you didn't do it sooner.

Now don't get me wrong. I have nothing against people getting transplants. I mean, I did and I found exactly the same problems that I described above. If they have the money to spend and want to try that as part of fighting their hairloss, then they should have the unencumbered freedom to try it.
I am not going to hover over at the transplant forums and rage against people who want to go that route, or have already, and feel it is a permanent, end-all-be-all solution to their hairloss problems. Doing something like that would be stupid, unproductive, exceedingly arrogant of me, and would be sticking my unhelpful nose where it doesn't belong.

But that's just me.

 

[Notcoolanymore]

It's the same for hair pieces, except that almost no one is capable of pulling it off. Just look at the hair pieces sections on general (not hair pieces dedicated!) hair loss forums.

The Gobi Desert. Nothing. Why? Because it's not a viable solution for hair loss. Now look at the hair transplants sections: constant posts of new and good results.

This is very true. I have gone to that section quite a few times to check out success stories and they are few and far between.

 

[F2005]

I dunno, I really do not believe that either hair transplants or wigs are viable solutions for hair loss. Fred, you're one of my favorite posters here and I really do respect your opinions, but I just could never get a hair transplant. There are many issues that make it a less than viable option IMO. First, the inability to create anything close to a full head of hair. If I am going to endure permanent head scarring and pay what is most frequently upwards of $10,000, I'd better get more than just an illusion of "some" hair on my head. And the issue of permanent head scarring.........as Spencer Kobren says "once you're cut, you're cut" and there is no going back. I just cannot commit to that if it is not giving me close to a full head of hair. Also, a lot of doctors say that there is a need to be on finasteride if one gets an hair transplant and since finasteride gave me side effects, I could not do that. Other issues like the need for future hair transplant's down the road could make it a never-ending vicious cycle. Don't get me wrong though Fred, I've read many of your posts and I understand why you did what you did.

But don't get me wrong, a wig is not a viable option by any means. Although I can see why people choose it over an hair transplant. I frequent the music scene and a lot of performers want that full head of hair to make them look like rock stars, a look that an hair transplant just cannot achieve. One of my best friends was part of a rock band and he got a hair system for that very reason. I see guys like Paul Stanley and Nikki Sixx onstage (both of whom I believe are wearing wigs) and they could never pull of that full-haired rock n roll look with an hair transplant. And at least with a wig, if a person finally decides to shave their head and move on, they can do so without enduring any permanent head scarring. But as Fred said, a wig presents so many problems with a wig that make it far from a viable solution. I have friends who have paid big money for their hair systems to look realistic and people still have detected them. And then there are the issues of gluing it onto one's head which causes itching, irritation, sweat, and extreme discomfort during the summer. I exercise frequently and I know that the way that I sweat, a wig would not be a viable option. Also, I don't know how one could be intimate with a woman and keep her in the dark that you wear a wig. I could never do that: tell a woman that I love that I wear a wig.

In conclusion, I really believe that we do not have any real and viable solutions for hair loss. That is why statistically less than 10% of hair loss sufferers treat their hair loss. But instead of developing new treatments to appeal to the masses, the vast majority of the hair loss industry still sticks to their guns with the status quo, even it appeals to such a select few. It's all about lining their pockets in the end.

 

[Vinton Harper]

But as Fred said, a wig presents so many problems with a wig that make it far from a viable solution. I have friends who have paid big money for their hair systems to look realistic and people still have detected them. And then there are the issues of gluing it onto one's head which causes itching, irritation, sweat, and extreme discomfort during the summer. I exercise frequently and I know that the way that I sweat, a wig would not be a viable option. Also, I don't know how one could be intimate with a woman and keep her in the dark that you wear a wig. I could never do that: tell a woman that I love that I wear a wig.

In conclusion, I really believe that we do not have any real and viable solutions for hair loss. That is why statistically less than 10% of hair loss sufferers treat their hair loss. But instead of developing new treatments to appeal to the masses, the vast majority of the hair loss industry still sticks to their guns with the status quo, even it appeals to such a select few. It's all about lining their pockets in the end.

That could be part of the problem right there. Those big, money-grubbing hairpiece salons(like one that shall not be named, but always has ads on tv - where most of their money goes) slap a way-too-dense rug on your head and affix it with super-glue, tell you you look great, and then push you out the door with your contract for their overpriced services and hairpieces.

There are better options for really good hairpieces, especially in the vast world of the internet. I am waiting for a custom lace piece from NWL for just over $200(because I wanted bleached knots). And my current piece has lasted me a year(yes, I had to recolor it with Back2Natural to get some oxidization out but that wasn't a big deal and the natural color came right back)
But you know what, nothing I say will convince you that it is a viable option unless you try it and see for yourself. Take a look at some of the reputable(ones I personally know to be reputable and quality) online hairpiece shops like TopLace and NorthWestLace, and especially the forums, where you can get great DIY advice and other information. You may just find out that wearing is not as daunting or detectable as others may want you to believe. The main thing is you just have to get the density that is right for your age and hairloss. But don't take my word for it. Go look at some of the pictures of wearers at those sites(and their forums) I mentioned, where they use pics from real hairwearers.

I just hate to see someone not try this option(which could work for them, or anybody, if they do their homework) due to naysayers who for some reason have a grudge against it and don't want people to use that option.

Good luck with whatever you choose to try for your hairloss.

 

[Notcoolanymore]

All the things you cite are just excuses for not taking actions.

This comment isn't directed specifically at F2005, but too many guys on here are in the excuses club.

"I don't want to take finasteride because I might get sides"
"I don't want to get a transplant because it is too expensive"
"I don't want to get a transplant because of the scarring"
"I don't want to use minoxidil because it is a mess to use"
etc, etc, etc.

When they are not using these excuses they are starting threads about how hair loss is destroying their lives.

 

[F2005]

Notcoolanymore, I know you said this thread isn't specifically directed at me, but I have tried several of the options that you have stated, but they were either ineffective or have posed complications. I tried finasteride but it gave me terrible side effects. Even so, I still soldiered on with it for a while because I cared that much about my hair. Eventually the side effects got to be too much though. Minoxidil didn't do a damn thing for me so eventually I gave it up. It is not a weak vasodilator for nothing. But I still tried it though. And for me, the drawbacks of an hair transplant outweigh the benefits. "Once you are cut, you are cut", and I am not going to endure that unless I am able to achieve something even close to a full head of hair. And price would not be an issue if such a superior treatment existed. After all, there is a reason why only less than 10% of hair loss sufferers go for today's options and I do not believe it is because people simply do not care about hair loss. It is because today's options are very limited.

 

[Wolf Pack]

F2005 has a point. A lot of bald people in real life don't really want a thinning buzzed down look, they honestly don't see it as much of a difference to their current state. For them it would be a waste of money and won't help them mentally. Now it's not about Norwood 1 full hair, but visibly having a hair style, that's what people want from a hair transplant. I.e having hair.

Before you said to me Fred, well I am not bald so that's why I am apparently greedy. But here you have it from a bald person on the forum. I also think in that situation for me it's wig or shave it clean.

F2005 I initially thought hadn't tried all the options. But seems they did. Such a person really has exhausted conventional methods and shouldn't feel guilty.

Still he should see a surgeon and try and cover the back and middle, sport a comb over at the front if it's possible. He won't be a candidate unless density is good.

 

[Wolf Pack]

You make some great points. For some people, it's a deeper issue I agree. Perhaps a self esteem one and they have multiple insecurities. But for others, they could be functioning in life fine, except for the hair loss of course. Now they want fullish hair or would rather shave it - they come to this conclusion in a mature adult way. Why can we judge them? Plenty of people shave it, don't really like it, but get on with it. IF your kind of transplant does not improve them mentally and their qualify of life, they shouldn't do it. Why do something which you feel adds no benefit? Okay we know it did for you, but might not for others.

I don't know enough about F2005'S personal life to comment on this. But people should take control of this issue and others in the way they feel most comfortable. To me, it seems like he did try finasteride and minoxidil so certainly doesn't sound like a person who did nothing. I guess they just need to accept this full head of hair is a dream until a cure comes and keep buzzing.


And no, my suggestion was reasonable I feel, in fact it is the standard approach when hair transplant surgeons deal with high norwood patients. Rather than spread grafts all over for a diffused unnatural look they will concentrate them at the back and middle, with a comb over. This looks natural and stands the test of time and ageing.

He wants a hairstyle and this will make him blend in, IF he has good density. I am 100% certain F2005 would like this. This part of the world there is no real difference between buzzing to nothing or shaving - it's seen as no hair objectively speaking. I appreciate it improved things for you personally though and everyone has to find that peace somehow.

Norwood 7 on Berstein's website, before and after:

http://www.bernsteinmedical.com/hair-transplant-photos/portraits/patient-fxz/

 

[Wolf Pack]

Yes, for YOU it has led to a substantial improvement in quality of life. But I think F2005 has said several times in polite terms he doesn't want that look. I have put a Norwood 7 transformation so something worth considering for him if his density is good. I don't think shave is a solution but I don't think what you did seems a solution to him either.

If he can return up to a Norwood 3 with good density, that's what he wants I think. He wouldn't be seen as skinhead then even if minor balding is noticeable at the front. This is never a big deal in public and features remain balanced.

Don't forget I am Norwood 2-3 and have not yet noticed an issue with girls or society. It's not "real balding" even if loss is seen at the front. Especially if you're past your mid 20s. My issue is I want a better hairline, for myself really.

 

[2bald2young]

Some of you give up so easily, I guess it's about individual strength and having the willpower to take action.

I have hair. I may not have a douchy gay One Direction "hair style" but at least I have hair on my NW5 that would otherwise be bald if I hadn't had a "useless" hair transplant.

You guys remind me of "Joe from Staten Island" on Spencer Kobren's the bald truth. Always whining, complaining about being bald, and doing nothing to improve his situation.

Even when Kobren said he would pay for his surgery, he didn't want it! No, it's something deeper with people like F2005, and I've pointed this out before: they need their misery.

I remember Joe from SI even insulting Joe Tilman and said on the air that his hair transplant was useless because he would never be happy if the surgeons put his hair line that high.

No, let's call it what it is, it's about wanting to stay miserable, because I can tell you that when I look at myself at the end of the day, I have no excuses anymore.

If my day wasn't productive, if I didn't dare to approach that cute girl, if I didn't get out of the house, I cannot say "well I'm bald, what's the point anyway?"

1 year after my successful hair transplant, that's over, if my day sucked, if my life sucks, if I'm not productive and trying to live my life to the fullest, it's all my own fault now.

And that's the main reason guys like Joe from SI and F2005 don't want to take action, they're scared that they would have to look at themselves and to take responsibility for why their life sucks.

By the way, transplanting hair at the back and combing it over the front is a terrible and unrealistic idea Wolf Pack.

It may not help these people mentally to have a hair transplant, but at least it will help with being treated like crap because they're bald.

If they cannot be happy with a high hair line and medium density, then they have another problem, which is called BDD.

And I would have paid all the money in the world for the obnoxious remarks about my bald head to stop. Fortunately, it was only 4500€.

When you tried all your options but for some reason none of them worked and you are still unhappy than you can't blame the person if he is miserable.

After all he did what he could. From experience I can say that taking action doesn't always mean getting out of your misery.

 

[shookwun]

Everyones different, but i don't blame WolfPack. Most people dont want to invest the money in a hair transplant only to achieve thinning hair after thousands of dollars invested. The whole reason behind surgery, and getting a peice for most is to have hair that looks good again. When you have a transplant and still feel like **** about yourself, then I don't see the point in investing thousands of dollars for little return value. For those who are in the beggining stages of hair loss. transplants are the best option possible. For those who very advanced (NW6-7) have retrograde alopecia and over all thin donor characteristics, a hair peice is more of a better option.


Over all a transplant will ALWAYS be the better option. For those who are NW5-7, you can spread 6000 grafts all across the head, even restore temple points and have a thin appearance, but will look full when buzzed down. That's personally the route I'd go for if I was in the advanced stages. I can't fathom the idea of glueing a rug on my head. In the back of my mind I will always be a bald man, trying to deceive others. After this transplant to be honest, I never think of hair loss at all. I just pop 1.25mg finasteride a day, style my hair and go in with my life.

A hair piece will always be life on a crutch, better hope you work in a white collar industry with air conditioning, and mirrors around by. My uncle wears one, and every time he comes visit, he's always in the bathroom for 45 minutes a day. God knows what he does, but he carries a big bag with all his hair peiece accesories, glues and such.

 

[Wolf Pack]

I didn't want to bash your hair transplant here! In fact I have already said previously when I joined what I thought (I think). Here, I was not basing you, I was looking at it from F2005's perspective of wanting density and I fully agree. I don't do underhand silly tactics.

Since you are asking me about your transplant, my opinion is still the same. It's great it brought you peace and it's all that matters. I believe it has helped you with confidence and mindset more than anything. You still went on dates then as you do now. From an aesthetic pov the forehead is still way too prominent and I have a feeling the facial structures look unbalanced still as there is no volume to your hair, unlike the picture you once posted when you were sporting a hairstyle when 15 I think? The hairline corners go way back and non existent temples. It also looks thin all over and unnatural in a bid to cover as much ground as possible.

To me it still looks like the shaved and buzz clones you see on the street. Less is more perhaps.

Maybe add in beard, chest grafts and smp for at least a more full youthful buzz look.

- - - Updated - - -

x

Agree with all of that.

 

[Wolf Pack]

I am not criticising you to insult you Fred. You asked me what I really think. Like I said, I know you have peace of mind in this battle, that's actually all that matters. Finding a way to get it with whatever tools we have including clippers, is the way. It shouldn't matter what anyone else thinks.

 

[Wolf Pack]

You're making too many presumptions and I never said your stupid. There is a difference between clean shaven bald guy and what you have. But I don't believe it's that big objectively speaking in the eyes of neutral real life people, still it's very less hair. For you personally it is life changing in your mind. If you put both images up in a neutral social media type of place, you would see. That is not to say both images would be criticised, just the difference is not that big like you see when surgeons show a before and after.

I wouldn't change my opinion even if I was bald, I am not fickle. I would accept it and do whatever next best option I can, but my view would remain unchanged. I know there are bald guys in real life who prefer a razor shave to what you have. They may say it's cleaner and no display of sparse weaker hair. Even on this forum. Some girls might say it too. I don't know why you need validation, like I said, everyone deals with it differently and wants a different look.

 

[2bald2young]

I think that most of the time a hairtransplant improves an individual well-being. However the extra amount of well-being that a hairtransplant gives to an already bald individual is influenced by how "good" you look with the shaved look or/and how much better you look with the new (thin) coverage.

So the amount of happiness that a hairtransplant gives is different for everyone.
Of course other things like being out of the bald zone also plays a role.