question to hair transplant patients....

[jeffsss]

I'm fairly new to the whole hair loss game. I'm 26 years old. have had pretty severe thinning over the past 6 months.

I've been on propecia for about 2 months time. and I wash my hair with nizoral.

I think i'm destin to have more hair loss. My father didnt have too much and my grandfather (maternal) had hair, although it was very thin.

I've lost about a inch off my hair line over the past 6 months, and im' sure that all of you can understand how it's affected me. I looked like i was 22 a year ago and now i look like i'm 32.

I get comments all the time that really really really frusterates me.

I know with my regimine it may help keep the hair i have. my hair is still falling in the shower everyday.. but i've only been on it for 2 months like i said.

so I feel that I should look into hair transplant. I will never get that hairline back if i dont.

I just have a few questions for you guys.

1. how long did you wait till you finally went in for a consultation.?

2. were you on any regimines before? and for how long?

3. who does the best work? while I don't want to say money isnt an issue.. I'd spend 10k or more to have everything the way i want it.

4. I realize that I'll never have a full thick head of hair like when i was young. but will people notice? I like to keep my hair short around the back and sides.. like #2 or shorter. will people see scars?

what's the price difference with FUE and traditional hair transplant? Is it worth the mooney??

thanks in advance for responces. i greatly appreciate it.

 

[sublime]

unk:

 

[HairlossTalk]

1. how long did you wait till you finally went in for a consultation.?

I went in after 5 days. LOL. As soon as my hair started thinning I freaked out and went to "International Hair Restoration" somethingoranother here in san diego. I knew nothing about hair loss and thought hair transplant was the only option. When I got there, they sat me down, looked me over, said "hmmmm yes ... you could use a hair transplant" (WRONG!) and proceeded to take a magic marker and draw a new hairline across my forehead. Problem was, my hairline hadn't receded at all. I was just thinning, and only I could tell. But they were ready to take me under their wings and drip my wallet dry.

Fortunately most transplant physicians these days won't do that. They'll be up front with you and tell you to wait, or discuss your options. I doubt a consultation would be a problem if you have a solid understanding and are not easily swayed by marketing schpeels. You can avoid all of this by finding a reputable surgeon first who doens't try to trick people. You can have an evaluation with him, and even set up a plan for the future. If he's worth his weight in gold, he will tell you to give topical and oral treatments a good 2 years before you give up and opt for a transplant though.

HairLossTalk.com

 

[Buffboy]

½

 

[sublime]

 

[Guest]

jeffsss,

Just FYI, the inhibition period for Propecia (finasteride) is approximately three months so it should start to begin inhibiting Type I DHT very soon IF you are in the higher percent group that experiences efficiency from it. Most physicians will encourage you to take it for at least one year before they can fairly evaluate its results. Propecia does not stipulate any efficiency in the frontal section of our scalps, only the mid-scalp and crown. Since you have a genetic history of male pattern baldness that is more advanced (father), be very careful in managing your donor supply. Generally speaking a patient with average density and average hair characteristics can achieve an "illusion of coverage" at 50% of original density. Obviously there will be some variances patient-to-patient.

You're 26 now and lost about one inch of your hairline (recession) so although that's no fun, still try to not let others know it concerns you that much, especially your buddies because they may very well razz you till the cows come home. Try not to worry too much because as you get older your hairline will look more mature. Any artisitically talented hair transplant surgeon will be able to propose a "mature" placed hairline.

I have always advised patients to do their full research and then get several opinions. FUE is typically twice the cost of strip surgery. If you do have the potential of advanced hairloss that's the realistic indication that you will need a fair amount of restoration work if that is your goal. So be careful because if you do alot of FUE your donor could indeed end up looking like it's motheaten or if shaving your scalp, the white dots could show alot more than you think especially when your scalp tans from the sun. I believe that any hair transplant patient needs to recognize that the probability of shaving their scalps with a razor is not realistic whether they do strip "or" FUE. Buzzing is more realistic and then for most guys, not less than the number two guide. Best wishes to you!

 

[sublime]

:dunno:

 

[Guest]

Some very good points and insight Sublime, and you're very wise to save some donor for the future. I honestly think for most of us that the older we get the more unnatural a juvenile hairline looks especially as we turn 40 years of age, but that's my opinion for whatever it's worth. And if HM does come in our lifetime, I'll be right there with you getting a full head's worth! The thing I'm wondering is the inevitable, "how much will it cost"? :freaked:

 

[michael barry]

Gillenator is right,
Opt for a 40 year olds hairline if youre going to go the hair transplant route. Not TOO thick either.

Ive researched options for making hair transplant's better, but to be honest.......the evidence points to it being a while until science can manufacture more hairs for us. Ive investigated the Body hair to the head route, but have yet to see more than one satisfactory photograph and their are density issues in implanting single hairs only (see through hair results).

I also agree with Gillenator on HM......if cloning becomes a reality, I'll be in line for a truly "full head of hair with a 18 year old hairline" because their would be enough donor follicles for that then. But for now, there is not.......and you'd be well advised to play it extremely safe. If you do get plants'......get on propecia and nizoral (twice a week) anyway to attempt to stave off any more loss on the top and back.

P.S. If you think youre going to go extremely bald though.....I'd advise against transplants. Think 25 years down the line. Look at your dad and your mothers father. You'll proboably fall somewhere between em' in terms of balndess.

 

[Buffboy]

1

 

[Guest]

Hi Buffboy,

Would you mind sharing what your medicinal regimen is? In your previous post you mentioned that if your regimen did not work you may shave it all off. How long have you been ingesting the meds, supplements, etc? I truly hope you are having some resolve with them.

Let me answer your question the best I can. With FUE or FUT, the recipient site should be fine for any visible scarring provided you went to a talented responsible hair transplant surgeon and you heal normal. Even if you decide to wear a completely shaved scalp, the "recipient area" should look okay.

It is the "donor area" where the extractions are taken and although I do not know the size(s) of your FUE surgeon's punches, those extractions are alot more invasive than the recipient sites. Let me clarify something. My implication is that the recipient sites are ultra-refined lateral or even saggital "slits", not holes. I know and many of you know that there are plenty of hair transplant docs not using these ultra-refined methods so BEWARE :freaked:

The word "extraction" implies just that. Along with the follicules there is scalp tissue removed at the extraction sites and unless donor sealing is used, mother nature will heal those missing pieces with scar tissue. Remember, scar matter does not have blood flow and that is where the white dots come from or the term "moth-eaten" appearance. I have physically seen (viewed) many patients who's surgeon used donor sealing and those who did not. Keep in mind the amount of the extraction sites in the donor area are obviously going to have an impact on detectability as well.

But my point is that the more scar matter that is formed in the healing process, the more chances it will show. In the summer months when we tan, a bald scalp will develop a darker skin tone because there is no hair to cover it. However, the darker the scalp, the more potential there is for the "dots" to be visually more pronounced. In fact I have seen some of these guys in the summer and believe me they can stick out like a sore thumb especially if the contrast is very wide. Scar matter does not have the pigmentation of normal scalp tissue that has blood flow. That's why I freak out whenever I hear someone imply that isolated extraction methods have "no scarring". Some say it unintentionally and then there are those who deliberately use it as a marketing advantage.

You mentioned that you had a 1200 graft FUE procedure so IMO here are the variables. How dark would your scalp tan in the warm months? How close were the extractions taken from each other? Were they "cherry picked" throughout your donor zone or were they confined to a smaller surface area? The closer they are to each other the more potential for detectability of what's missing. Does that make sense? Most of the FUE docs are still utilizing a 1MM punch but there are some who utilize a variety even as small as .5mm which I personally am sceptical of because although the extractions are smaller, the potential transection rates go THROUGH THE CEILING!! :freaked:

That's why I ALWAYS inform first time patients that it is extremely unlikely they will be able to "shave" their scalp after they had a hair transplant procedure. And most of us will want/need more than one procedure in our lifetimes.

Buffboy, so the only real way to know for sure is to shave part of the area in the summer if possible and see if any scarring shows. If it does try to wear your hair buzzed instead of shaving it. :wink:

 

[tpeter]

Gillenator is right,
Opt for a 40 year olds hairline if youre going to go the hair transplant route. Not TOO thick either.

Ive researched options for making hair transplant's better, but to be honest.......the evidence points to it being a while until science can manufacture more hairs for us. Ive investigated the Body hair to the head route, but have yet to see more than one satisfactory photograph and their are density issues in implanting single hairs only (see through hair results).

I also agree with Gillenator on HM......if cloning becomes a reality, I'll be in line for a truly "full head of hair with a 18 year old hairline" because their would be enough donor follicles for that then. But for now, there is not.......and you'd be well advised to play it extremely safe. If you do get plants'......get on propecia and nizoral (twice a week) anyway to attempt to stave off any more loss on the top and back.

P.S. If you think youre going to go extremely bald though.....I'd advise against transplants. Think 25 years down the line. Look at your dad and your mothers father. You'll proboably fall somewhere between em' in terms of balndess.

Couple things IMO.

1. whats wrong with a juvenille hairline when you are 40, look at Brad Pitt, Tom Cruise and many others. They are in there 40s and look good as hell because of those hairlines.

2. I think looking at your parents and your mothers father is a great way to see where we may be down the road BUT......For instance my grandfather on my mothers side was a Norwood 7 at 19yrs old. I am currently 29 and about a Norwood 2.5, i have a big forehead naturally and some recession. I also have taken propecia since i was 24 and i have maintained everything since. So looking at our fathers and grandfathers is ok but you really have to understand our technology is much better today and we should be able to keep way more hair then they did.

 

[Mahair]

Tpeter, You arte wrong . A hair transplant can and will accelerate your hairloss. Sorry to burst your bubble.

 

[global]

Tpeter, You arte wrong . A hair transplant can and will accelerate your hairloss. Sorry to burst your bubble.

That's not exactly true.

You may have some shockloss, some of which may be permanent if you are unlucky. However a transplant itself has no effect on the clinical course of your male pattern baldness progression.

 

[Mahair]

Sure it does. Have you had a hair transplant?

 

[tpeter]

Sure it does. Have you had a hair transplant?

mahar can you pls explain this? Do you have some links that show this?

thanks

 

[Guest]

I do agree tpeter that both Pitt and Cruise have massive amounts of hair for their age because neither have male pattern baldness. Look at some old pics of Cruise and you will see that his hairline has in fact moved back not because of male pattern baldness but because of his age. But guys without genetic hairloss can indeed get by with lower hairlines because the demand/supply equation works towards their favor.

Not true for those of us who do in fact have male pattern baldness and it continues to progress with time. Just because your grandfather was a Norwood 7 early in life does not imply you will never arrive at that class yourself, no offense intended. Honestly, I truly hope you don't. The tough thing is that none of us will ever really know the extent of our hairloss until we get there.

So if we build our hairlines too low and the worst happens in our forties, fifties, and so on, we will need more of our finite donor as we keep chasing our hairloss. I have seen guys who had their hairlines situated pretty low when they had more hair. Now they have extensive hairloss in the mid-scalp and crown and believe it or not, some want their hairlines raised with FUE techniques!

And tpeter does make a good point in that our fore-fathers did not have Propecia and even minoxidil was in its infancy. So thank goodness we do have the meds today, maybe there will be even better ones in the future.

Not everyone's hairloss is advanced through surgical hair restoration including myself in all three of my procedures. Can it happen? Of course, especially in the wrong hands. That's why we all need to do our research and select only the most responsible and talented doctors who have the proven track records. Good doctors will employ every means they can to reduce trauma to our scalps, promote the highest yields, and provide recommendations to save as much of our natural hair for as long as we can.

 

[Mahair]

I will explain it as best I Can. If you have hair in the recipient area it can and will be subject to termination leaving you with a net loss. An unskilled surgeon may even kill these hairs on contact. Furthermore the trauma to the scalp will accelerate hairloss in general. Simply stated unless you are bald and would like thin coverage a hair transplant is counterproductive. At best you can regain some hair at worst you are playing catch up with a poor substitute for what you had before you started. This is common knowledge in the world of h/t.

 

[tpeter]

I will explain it as best I Can. If you have hair in the recipient area it can and will be subject to termination leaving you with a net loss. An unskilled surgeon may even kill these hairs on contact. Furthermore the trauma to the scalp will accelerate hairloss in general. Simply stated unless you are bald and would like thin coverage a hair transplant is counterproductive. At best you can regain some hair at worst you are playing catch up with a poor substitute for what you had before you started. This is common knowledge in the world of h/t.

You say common knowledge but i have been reading the boards for years and have seen numerous before and afters where this isnt present. NOt only that but many satisfied people years later who are very happy with the work done. I have never seen a post that said, Wow i have less hair now caused from my hair transplant then before. Not saying it cant happen but if you go to a skilled Doctor i dont see why you would have a net loss of hair after an hair transplant.

Can you show me some links and references to what you say. I am not disagreeing 100% i would just like to see more of those who say this.

 

[tpeter]

I do agree tpeter that both Pitt and Cruise have massive amounts of hair for their age because neither have male pattern baldness. Look at some old pics of Cruise and you will see that his hairline has in fact moved back not because of male pattern baldness but because of his age. But guys without genetic hairloss can indeed get by with lower hairlines because the demand/supply equation works towards their favor.

Not true for those of us who do in fact have male pattern baldness and it continues to progress with time. Just because your grandfather was a Norwood 7 early in life does not imply you will never arrive at that class yourself, no offense intended. Honestly, I truly hope you don't. The tough thing is that none of us will ever really know the extent of our hairloss until we get there.

So if we build our hairlines too low and the worst happens in our forties, fifties, and so on, we will need more of our finite donor as we keep chasing our hairloss. I have seen guys who had their hairlines situated pretty low when they had more hair. Now they have extensive hairloss in the mid-scalp and crown and believe it or not, some want their hairlines raised with FUE techniques!

And tpeter does make a good point in that our fore-fathers did not have Propecia and even minoxidil was in its infancy. So thank goodness we do have the meds today, maybe there will be even better ones in the future.

Not everyone's hairloss is advanced through surgical hair restoration including myself in all three of my procedures. Can it happen? Of course, especially in the wrong hands. That's why we all need to do our research and select only the most responsible and talented doctors who have the proven track records. Good doctors will employ every means they can to reduce trauma to our scalps, promote the highest yields, and provide recommendations to save as much of our natural hair for as long as we can.

Good post Gillenator. I personally want to fill in my receding hairline and lower it a tad. Although i dont want to drop it to where Brad Pitts and Toms are cus my forehead is so big i dont think i could or would ever get it to low.