Would like opinions on potential FUE surgery *PICS*

[Reeve]

Hello, first time poster, long term lurker here. A quick summary of my situation:

24 years old (due to turn 25 this month), been losing my hair since around 18, currently an NW3 with thinning in the frontal area, been on finasteride and minoxidil since i was 19, been researching transplants for a number of years. I currently shave my head regularly with a razor - the look actually suits me pretty well but i cannot deny that it bothers me being completely bald at my age. Like everyone who loses their hair - I really miss it.

I have decided that if i can sort out the funds I would like to try to get an FUE procedure at the end of this year with Dr ******** in Belgium. I understand that I am very young to be doing this but i have very conservative goals - ideally, i'd like to aim for a strong NW2/NW2.5 hairline and to strengthen my frontal area. I think this could be done with approx 2500 grafts and would leave plenty in reserve for future procedures.

I recently let my hair grow out for a couple of days and managed to get some photos. I would appreciate any comments or opinions on where I stand at the moment and what you all think of my aims/goals, thanks!


http://img862.imageshack.us/f/frontuk.jpg/

http://img42.imageshack.us/f/leftsidec.jpg/

http://img717.imageshack.us/f/rightsiden.jpg/

http://img857.imageshack.us/f/crown2.jpg/

http://img707.imageshack.us/f/crown1r.jpg/

http://img215.imageshack.us/f/donord.jpg/

 

[LooseItAll]

First of all being NW3 does not force you to shave it off. NW3 can look pretty good grown out and you will be considered by most on the hairy side.

It's up to you, if the hair loss is stabilised the go for it. I would use 1500 grafts just for safety. But if you want to have the temple points restored then yes 2500 would do it.

 

[Reeve]

Thanks for replying LooseItAll. I accept that not all NW3's should shave it off, but it was a decision I made a couple of years ago when I started to lose the fight to keep my hairline. My frontal area would look pretty poor if grown out so im quite content to have the skinhead for now. In the long-run though I do wish to grow my hair out again and I think a carefully planned, conservative FUE transplant could allow that.

I posted on another forum that an example of what i'd be looking for is like the hair that the late Heath Ledger had (feel slightly out of line using photos of Heath as an example, but it really is a good example of what i would be hoping for.) Like below:


http://img29.imageshack.us/i/heathledger0027.jpg/

http://img694.imageshack.us/i/600fullheathledger.jpg/


Do you (or anyone else) have an idea how many grafts i'd be looking at to get a result similar to that?

 

[ghg]

Well ATM I'd say you'd only need like 1,500 grafts max. But if things progress (hairline receedes etc), then you'll need to get another surgery! Your pattern looks like it's gonna start opening from the crown next, sorry to say that.

 

[bor83]

Hard to understand your hair loss because your head is shaved. It seems like you just have a receding hairline at NW3.

You said this:
"ideally, i'd like to aim for a strong NW2/NW2.5 hairline and to strengthen my frontal area. I think this could be done with approx 2500 grafts and would leave plenty in reserve for future procedures."

Forget NW2...maybe halfway at Norwood 2.5 and I would say it would be a bit more than 2,500 for that - more like 3,000 or even more. If you want to hit temple points than 4,000. I don't understand how ghg gets his numbers. He, perhaps, is basing it on really good patient photos that can be misleading.

It also depends on your hair characteristics.

I would really meet patients in person before doing anything. And you should also be on meds to hold everything else in place.

 

[Nene]

I wouldn't do it. Looks like your crown is a tad thin. I would wait a few years to get a better idea of your final balding pattern.

 

[nw_2]

Your situation looks pretty much like mine. Difference is that I was bald @ my crown, and its getting a bit thin for you over there.....same area/dimensions though. I still had my temple points, yours are gone. I received over 5000 grafts to become a NW1,5/NW2- (before NW3 vertex/NW4-).

Another nice conclusion. You're planning your hair transplant with ******** in Belgium and I have been to Feriduni in Belgium.

I also think you need somewhere between 3000-3500 grafts (templepoints/temples) to go back to a nice NW2.

I hope your crown is not getting any worse because that spot will need a lot of grafts.

Good luck !

 

[Rutt]

Your situation looks pretty much like mine. Difference is that I was bald @ my crown, and its getting a bit thin for you over there.....same area/dimensions though. I still had my temple points, yours are gone. I received over 5000 grafts to become a NW1,5/NW2- (before NW3 vertex/NW4-).

Another nice conclusion. You're planning your hair transplant with ******** in Belgium and I have been to Feriduni in Belgium.

I also think you need somewhere between 3000-3500 grafts (templepoints/temples) to go back to a nice NW2.

I hope your crown is not getting any worse because that spot will need a lot of grafts.

Good luck !

How old are you? Are you taking or planning on taking finasteride?

I'm just curious what your plan is if your hairloss continues

 

[nw_2]

How old are you? Are you taking or planning on taking finasteride?

I'm just curious what your plan is if your hairloss continues

I'm 33 years of age.

I havent expierenced any hairloss since 2004. That's why I started all this. I've been using minoxidil since 2004 and fina from 2005 until 2007 and from 2009 until now.

 

[Reeve]

Hi folks, not been on here much recently, but wanted to say thanks for the responses from you all.

Update:

I've recently made the jump to Dutasteride. Although i feel that Finasteride has helped over the last few years, it definitely has not stopped the hair loss completely. The hope is to halt all further loss and possibly get some re-growth, although im not counting on it.

I have contacted a BHR representative, who confirmed that my hair being so short in my pics makes it difficult to tell if i would be a good FUE candidate. His advice is to try and arrange an in-person consultation. I plan to arrange this hopefully sometime this year.

I've continued to consider my aims and goals. I have found another example of a hairline that i would be very happy with if I were to go ahead with surgery:

http://www.freddieljungbergsite.com/pic ... /99off.jpg

http://www.freddieljungbergsite.com/pic ... 100off.jpg


The above examples are not too far from what i have just now, the main difference being that Freddie has better density in the frontal 'island' area. To get this, all I would need is to have my temples touched up ever so slightly and to have some grafts put into that 'island' area. Notice that his temple points are not prominent and I would not require loads of grafts to be put in that area to get a nice result. I still believe this to be quite a conservative aim and would hope that it could be done and then leave grafts in reserve for future procedure(s).

I would appreciate further feedback, both from the guys who have already contributed and from anyone else who reads this - thanks.

 

[nw_2]

Quite surprising Freddie is still a nw3 considering the fact he was balding already 12 years ago.

Another example that hairloss can slow down to a level that you didnt expect.

 

[s.a.f]

He's probably been on finasteride for a few years and without it would be NW6. I've never seen anyone get to that level of hairloss at such a young age then have it just stop dead without any treatments.