Too impatient, considering transplant.

[Deaner]

Just to get a rough estimate of # of grafts and cost, how much would it cost to put a triangle about 8cm across and 1-1.5cm high from my widows peak to the corner of my temples on either side and roughly how many grafts would I be looking at? This wouldn't be to make a perfect hairline, simply a straighter and more triangular one, one that is acceptably straight from head on.

 

[jeffsss]

it depends on the size of your head my friend

 

[sam-]

Just to get a rough estimate of # of grafts and cost, how much would it cost to put a triangle about 8cm across and 1-1.5cm high from my widows peak to the corner of my temples on either side and roughly how many grafts would I be looking at? This wouldn't be to make a perfect hairline, simply a straighter and more triangular one, one that is acceptably straight from head on.

How is your propecia doing ?

 

[Z]

depends on density, thickness of hair, rep of surgeon etc.

Try posting the smae question in the transplant forum, they may be able to give you an idea

 

[Deaner]

Z - Propecia's doing just fine on the top of my head, and even helping move my temples foreward a slight bit it looks like, but not fast enough, and with no guarantee that things will look the way I want, so transplant at this point seems to be the only option.

 

[global]

It also depends on the density you want and if you want FUE or strip.

50 grafts cm is probably as low as you want and it would be about $10 per graft for FUE, less for strip.

 

[Aplunk1]

Is the job better when you get the strip method performed as opposed to the FUE.

Is it simply a cost difference (and no scar, of course!), or is the job going to appear more natural and dense with the strip?

Thanks

 

[Def]

Howdy Deaner

Mate – I’ve always enjoyed reading your posts and found you to be one of the most sensible and rational people on the site, however, to hear that you want to get a transplant now is a little disturbing.

It sounds like you’re going great guns on the finasteride and that it has really worked (continues to work) for you. Why go to the expense, hassle and potential pitfalls of a transplant?

You of all people know well that finasteride only has a limited effective life (ie to keep your hair above baseline) – after this, the areas in which you gained from finasteride will likely slowly regress. If you get a transplant only at the hairline, you stand a significant risk of having a lock stock hairline for eternity, but then male pattern baldness progressing from directly behind your hairline!

The guy at the sandwich shop I regularly visit is someone who obviously had a transplant at a young age and only on the hairline. Now he has a great hairline from temple to temple with decent density but then is completely bald everywhere else!! The guy looks like a tool de luxe, let me tell you.

This is the reason why hair transplant doctors (the good ones anyway) will tell you let your hair loss stabilise first (off all meds) and only then go for an hair transplant. Why not exhaust all the other and less expensive aids to your regimen first? I view an hair transplant as a complete and utter last resort (unless HM advances quickly) and hope that you will too…

Good luck and keep at it!

Def

 

[Aplunk1]

Sound advice from a good man.

 

[Deaner]

That is true, I've always thought about the recession behind the temples problem, and yea, it seems rather irrational, but I'm soooo impatient. As a 20 year old male, although I've seen great success with density and some clear success on the hairline, my hairline is still bad enough to make me think twice about getting my hair wet at the beach or a pool.

It's embarrassing at this age simply because it sticks out like a sore thumb amongst all the perfect hairlines. What's weird is my self-consciousness has shot through the roof in the last year or so, but hairloss has plagued me far longer than that. I used to shave my head completely bald, loved it, and saw great success from girls; in high school, where they're generally most shallow! I just can't bring myself to do this any longer, and am good at hiding my hairline with hairstyles for the most part still. I'm falling in love with the comments I get for my hair and my looks, and am vain enough at this point to consider the loss of these things quite devastating.

I know things will be fine once I finally do lose my hair, as it really is an inevitability if a cure doesn't come along, and I know I'll lead a normal and happy life without it, it'll just be a weird adjustment period. Thanks for the responses guys, and thanks for keepin' my head straight Def. Sometimes you just consider every option out of desparation. I'm gonna ride out Propecia until the 2 year mark and see where my hairline is then, and throw in some minoxidil at that point if I need further regrowth.

 

[global]

Is the job better when you get the strip method performed as opposed to the FUE.

Is it simply a cost difference (and no scar, of course!), or is the job going to appear more natural and dense with the strip?

Thanks

The difference between FUE and strip is a difference in the method of EXTRACTION only. There should be no difference at all in the way the grafts are implanted and so no difference in quality.

As you say, the main advantage of FUE is no long scar, however the number of grafts you can do in any one session is much less with FUE since it is much more labour intensive. If you need a large number of grafts you would then have to have several procedures to achieve what could be achieved by a single strip session.

 

[global]

Howdy Deaner

Mate – I’ve always enjoyed reading your posts and found you to be one of the most sensible and rational people on the site, however, to hear that you want to get a transplant now is a little disturbing.

It sounds like you’re going great guns on the finasteride and that it has really worked (continues to work) for you. Why go to the expense, hassle and potential pitfalls of a transplant?

You of all people know well that finasteride only has a limited effective life (ie to keep your hair above baseline) – after this, the areas in which you gained from finasteride will likely slowly regress. If you get a transplant only at the hairline, you stand a significant risk of having a lock stock hairline for eternity, but then male pattern baldness progressing from directly behind your hairline!
The guy at the sandwich shop I regularly visit is someone who obviously had a transplant at a young age and only on the hairline. Now he has a great hairline from temple to temple with decent density but then is completely bald everywhere else!! The guy looks like a tool de luxe, let me tell you.

This is the reason why hair transplant doctors (the good ones anyway) will tell you let your hair loss stabilise first (off all meds) and only then go for an hair transplant. Why not exhaust all the other and less expensive aids to your regimen first? I view an hair transplant as a complete and utter last resort (unless HM advances quickly) and hope that you will too…

Good luck and keep at it!

Def

The first point you make is true, anyone going for a transplant has to be prepared to go for further procedures in the future to keep up with their loss if it progresses.

The second point you make is not correct. The good docs will all tell you to stay on propecia precisely for this reason - to slow progression and avoid having to have many future procedures. When they say your loss should be stable they mean not progressing at the time of the surgery whether you are on propecia or not.

Also, even if you are not on propecia some docs will recommend you start before the surgery because it also helps minimise shock loss.

 

[Headache]

Their's nothing wrong with going for the transplant if you do the proper research and have the money, but remember:

Once you get a transplant, you are basically saying you will get, at least, another one in the future. Maybe more than one. That's a big committment! But, it's one that is worth it if you really want to have hair for the rest of your life. If you stop after one, you will end up looking like the guy someone mentioned earlier in this post.

That's why it's so scary to go ahead with the transplant. Make sure to do a lot of research, and take your time to think about all the pro's and con's.

 

[eBOW]

Hey losing hair at 20 sucks I know from my own experience. From one of your posts you mentioned you had good responses when you shaved your head. If you get a transplant you may not even have that option when male pattern baldness progresses because of the scaring. I would hold off, I would recommend a hair system over a transpant anyday. Ride out the propecia buddy, I have seen some norwood 2's go back to a one.

 

[Axon]

At your age, Deaner, you will end up with the island of hair. The transplanted hair will stay in place while the natural hair behind it continues to recede.

 

[jeffsss]

At your age, Deaner, you will end up with the island of hair. The transplanted hair will stay in place while the natural hair behind it continues to recede.

your right.

I think all hair transplant patients should know that if you get one.. your in for the long haul.

 

[Z]

At your age, Deaner, you will end up with the island of hair. The transplanted hair will stay in place while the natural hair behind it continues to recede.

your right.

I think all hair transplant patients should know that if you get one.. your in for the long haul.

If it's just the temples he has done then he will end with 'the horns' I have seen a few guys with 'the horns' - looks shite.