Some Questions? (pictures included)

[bighair]

This is the current state of my hair and I have just started on finasteride and Rogaine.

I am thinking of getting a hair transplant. Whenever I see hair transplant pics on the net they always show the person with their hair combed back. I would like to keep my hair combed forward. Is that possible with a hair transplant?

I went to see a hair transplant surgeon locally last month just to ask some questions. He said I would need about 1500 grafts. He also implied that that would not cover the whole of my head and that the back would be left to go bald later in life (unless the finasteride works perfectly). Anyway from looking on the net it seems that 1500 grafts is a small amount to get done, so Im curious if a larger amount would cover it. My hair is pretty thick back and sides, so Im assuming I could get whatever the maximum is (?)

These pics bellow are the ones I have been most impressed with that I have seen on the net. Both of them comb their hair forward.

My question is can I expect results like that? If not what factors do I have to take into account for not achieving results like that (I will be sparing no expense with the surgery).

 

[theanimator]

My hair looks almost the exact same as yours. I had to double check to make sure those weren't my pics. I think I have a little more hairloss than you especially in my crown. I had a lot of people I talked to say I needed around 1500 grafts.

Actually, next Tuesday (1/15/2008) I'm going to get a hair transplant for 2100 grafts :woot: I decided to go with more grafts now, rather than possibly having to get another surgery in 3 years.

I've been on finasteride alone for the last 2 years and it has stopped the hairloss (why o why didn't I start 5 yrs ago?). I would suggest you wait at least 9 months and take another picture to see if you maintained your hair. You can also save up some $ during that time. If you keep your hair, then I'd take it as a sign it's ok to do a transplant.

Best of Luck

 

[pologuy514]

Are you going to get strip or FUE? I think FUE would be the safest route.

 

[s.a.f]

It would be best to make sure that finasteride was maintaining what you still have before opting for surgery.

 

[bighair]

I think I have a little more hairloss than you especially in my crown. I had a lot of people I talked to say I needed around 1500 grafts.

Yeah they told me needed 1500 grafts. But why do they say that amount? When I was told that I didnt know much about the procedure so I thought that was the max. I assume one would want whatever you can get. I mean is it possible for me to get results like the guy in the left picture I posted? He seems to have gotten the whole of the top of his head done.

 

[bighair]

It would be best to make sure that finasteride was maintaining what you still have before opting for surgery.

From what you said there I take it that if the finasteride doesn't work then I shouldn't get a hair transplant.

But if the finasteride doesn't work then Ill be in an even worse situation hairwise and so ill need the hair transplant even more.

Lets say for arguments sake all my hair (along the top) falls out over the next 2 years. I would then really want a hair transplant. Are you saying I shouldn't get one then? Or just that I should get a different sort of hair transplant or different amount etc?

 

[sphlanx2006]

It would be best to make sure that finasteride was maintaining what you still have before opting for surgery.

From what you said there I take it that if the finasteride doesn't work then I shouldn't get a hair transplant.

But if the finasteride doesn't work then Ill be in an even worse situation hairwise and so ill need the hair transplant even more.

Lets say for arguments sake all my hair (along the top) falls out over the next 2 years. I would then really want a hair transplant. Are you saying I shouldn't get one then? Or just that I should get a different sort of hair transplant or different amount etc?

If you have a hair tranplant but your hair loss is about to progress even more then you are going to be chasing baldness with a series of "top-up" procedures to cover the parts where you had hair before hair transplant but you lost them due to natural hair loss progression. In worst case scenario you might end up without any donor area left to cover further baldness and this might leave you with an unnatural look.

My advice: Forget hair tranplant for a while. Your hair loss is almost minimum yet and you have the potentional for great results through medication. You might be pleasantly surprised by what meds can do. Chech the success stories posts, i have seen many guys with hair like yours who had excelent results. Stick up with finasteride+rogaine (perhaps add nizoral shampoo) and wait at least 1 year. If you dont see any regrowth you still have the chance that the drugs have stabilized your hair loss and you are safe to have a hair transplant.

 

[s.a.f]

It would be best to make sure that finasteride was maintaining what you still have before opting for surgery.

From what you said there I take it that if the finasteride doesn't work then I shouldn't get a hair transplant.

But if the finasteride doesn't work then Ill be in an even worse situation hairwise and so ill need the hair transplant even more.

Lets say for arguments sake all my hair (along the top) falls out over the next 2 years. I would then really want a hair transplant. Are you saying I shouldn't get one then? Or just that I should get a different sort of hair transplant or different amount etc?

I meant make sure you're not going to lose anymore before you get a hair transplant. Once you're confident that finasteride has stopped you losing more then get a hair transplant in the area that you have lost hair in. Always be conservative with your donor supply you never know if you may need to take more from it in the future.

 

[theanimator]

I'm no doctor, but I think 1500 would get you pretty close to the same results as the guy with the dark hair...maybe more depending on how low you want to bring down your hairline.

If your hairloss is less than 5 years old you have the possibility of getting a lot back with finasteride. I'm willing to bet you'll at least maintain. I understand your concern with not wanting to wait a whole year. From what I can gather, another advantage to being on finasteride for a while before a transplant is a reduction in permanent shock loss. My doctor was telling me about research that Merck did (so take with a grain of salt)...the basic conclusion was that your hair becomes almost genetically dependent on finasteride, so as long as you keep taking the drug the PERMANENT shock loss is very minimal. At the least I'd wait and build up your hair's finasteride-Protection

We're a "I want it NOW" society, but Hair Restoration is very much the opposite of that...it takes almost a year (and a lot of hat wearing)to see the results. If there's the possibility that I could get results in the same amount of time with no surgery and save thousands of dollars, I'd explore that option first.

Talk to a lot of surgeons, get lots of opinions. In the end you'll feel more comfortable with your final decision....and it is YOUR decision (grafts and time of surgery).

Just some stuff to think about,

 

[s.a.f]

If your hairloss is less than 5 years old you have the possibility of getting a lot back with finasteride.

I highly doubt this. Any regrowth on finasteride is a) Rare b) small and c) usualy in the crown vertex region only. People who start finasteride should aim for halting or even just slowing their hairloss and for some it does'nt even do that. Any regrowth is a very lucky bonus.

 

[bighair]

So basically I should wait and see what happens with the drugs. That is worrying though, as if my hair loss continues (even if its at a slower rate) the implication is that I shouldn't get a transplant (given that I am waiting at all).