Hi,
i have a booked strip surgury and 95% i ll go for that, but i want to see if FUE is an option for me.
My middle has thinning but since i like to shave my head its not noticable and i m totaly ok with that. I have no hairloss at all for almost 3 years and i believe i ll continue not having or its gonna be really slow.
I had a consultion yesterday about FUE and the plan was this. 1000 grafts in hairline and 1500 in crown.
My density is about 25 cm2 and the consultant of the doc said the new hairline should be about 30 cm2.
I m not sure but my opinion is that the hairline is not gonna look good and normal using about 300 grafts for each temple (and about 400 in the middle of the hairline)
I post the pics and please tell me what u think.
I m 31 years old

Attached Images

(20090930101600818)_20091005154753711_opt.jpg (21.4 KB, 239 views)

I think looking at your pic unless on meds (and they have 100% maintained) that you will continue to loose more hair looking at the strechth and pattern of loss. Therefore you need to think long term and not short term.

Short term, FUE could help address some of the probs but from a LONG Term game plan, strip would most certainly be a better option IMHO as it would enable you to utilise your donor area much more effectively long term - It ALL depends on YOUR goal and what you want to achieve.

If you continue to loose further hair and judging by the pics even though you've not lost hair for 3 years i think that you need to be aware that if you need further work and depending on the amount - FUE is not going to give you a supply of donor that is never ending as the more you go in via FUE the harder it gets and the more limited the source becomes.

Best advice i can offer is think Long term, not short term.
Are you on meds and have you responded well to them. If so how long have you been on them?

If not on them i would suggest speaking to your Doc about meds. If you were to respond well to them then this may well give you a better idea of which option is better suited to you. This though would mean putting your session on hold for a while - not necessarily a bad thing.
Spex

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SPEX

Consultant for Dr. Feller, Coalition Member and Dr. Lindsey, Coalition Member.

I am not a medical professional and my words should not be taken as medical advice. All opinions and views shared are my own. "Research-Research-Research"

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Hi, first of all, who is your doc going to be? As that does make a big difference on what the end result is going to look like.

The temples will likely look sparse with such a small number, but it also depends on the number of 2 and 3 hair grafts used further back into the hairline, and how well it blends with you existing native hair.

Are you on finasteride and minoxidil? If not, then I'd recommend you do that in order to maintain what you currently have, even if the hair loss has slowed.

As for FUE versus strip... well that's a different question, in the hands of the right surgeon FUE can be (nearly) as good as strip, also you might want to consider combining the two if, like me, your donor density is not that great over all.

Thanx for your replies.

Spex- I m in propecia about 4-5 years. I was loosing my hair even on propecia because of the bad condition of my skin.Some kind of sebhoraic dermatitis i m not sure if thats the right term. My head was always irritated and covered with sebum, i was seeing huge flakes of sebum with hair on it coming out of my head,it was really horrible. I manage to clean completely my head from that the last 3 years and from that time my middle had also some growth, it was actually thinner. From that period i havent lost any hair at all.My skin condition was very bad for many years 10 maybe more. The last 3 years its very healthy,thats why i believe i ll have no aggresive hairloss in the future.
My goal if i choosed FUE would be to have a hairline not to look weird or fake with the rest of my head and some covering in the crown.

runwithscissors-both doctors r very qualified and experienced doctors i have no doubt about that.
i cant use minoxidil cause it ll irritate my skin.
My donor i think its pretty good, the reason i m thinking FUE is to be able to shave my head so a combination of strip and fue AT THE MOMENT is not something it interests me
I think i ll go for the strip i just hate the fact that i wont be able to shave my head.

omar77,

I'm in complete agreement with Spex and couldn't have said it better myself. I think FUT would be a much better choice to address your present and continued hair loss over the long term.

Best wishes,

Bill

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I am not a medical professional and my words should not be taken as medical advice. All opinions and views shared are my own.

i m posting a mail i got from an FUE consultant
what is your opinion?


"Hi,
I read your post about wether or not you are a good FUE candidate.
There are NO highly experienced FUE docs to be found on this board IMHO.
FUE is giving you a long term plan, strip is thinking short term. Forget about not getting high numbers of grafts using FUE. Let me tell you that FUE will virtually ALWAYS give the option of harvesting more grafts than you ever could using strip. Why?
Because strip is limited to the skins laxity! Don't be fooled with the results that some guys get, they are A MINORIY. But for marketing reasons they are presented as if 4000+ grafts (unsplit) are the norm.
Most guys are luckly if they get 3000-3500 from their first strip and maybe another 2000 from their second strip.
If you do go for FUE then ask some questions :
How long have you been performing FUE?
How many grafts can you transplant per day (anything under 1500 is NOT an experienced doc, believe me)
How many FUE procdures do you carry out per week?
What size of punches do you use (forget anything above 0,80mm ... tooo big)
Manual or motorized extraction

Think about the consequences of doing strip, think about the impact on the atonomy of your entire scalp, think about the damaged nerves - blood vesels and waisted grafts (much more then during FUE)

Just my 2 cents

[QUOTE]Originally posted by omar77:
"Hi,
I read your post about wether or not you are a good FUE candidate.
There are NO highly experienced FUE docs to be found on this board IMHO.
*I disagree...Dr. Harris and Dr. Feller certainly meet the criteria for highly experienced.

FUE is giving you a long term plan, strip is thinking short term. Forget about not getting high numbers of grafts using FUE. Let me tell you that FUE will virtually ALWAYS give the option of harvesting more grafts than you ever could using strip.
*This is untrue, speaking in sweeping generalities like this is why some patients find themselves in hot water*
Because strip is limited to the skins laxity! Don't be fooled with the results that some guys get, they are A MINORIY. But for marketing reasons they are presented as if 4000+ grafts (unsplit) are the norm.
Most guys are luckly if they get 3000-3500 from their first strip and maybe another 2000 from their second strip.
If you do go for FUE then ask some questions :
How long have you been performing FUE?
How many grafts can you transplant per day (anything under 1500 is NOT an experienced doc, believe me)* IMHO, clinics that force 1500+ grafts per day regardless of transection rate or future donor density are inexperienced at proper patient care*
How many FUE procdures do you carry out per week? *Somewhat relevant, but not necessarily, based on the reputation of the clinic, and the results*
What size of punches do you use (forget anything above 0,80mm ... tooo big)--- *Again, this is complete B.S. clinics have seen that the 1.0, .9 and .8mm all have use, and when used properly do not leave excessive scarring*
Manual or motorized extraction ---this is fine question, one should ask this during research.

Think about the consequences of doing strip, think about the impact on the atonomy of your entire scalp, think about the damaged nerves - blood vesels and waisted grafts (much more then during FUE)

*This is FEAR MONGERING garbage from someone who cannot list the positives and negatives of both approaches.

At the end of the day, if you do not want to do a strip session, FUE is a fine option. If you want to maximize your total donor, a combination of strip and FUE is excellent. If you want to just do strip, a proven method, that is fine as well.

I think what saddens me is that using only ONE approach simply doesn't work for everyone. I think when you start making comments of this ilk, it should be a red flag..proper research, asking questions, and seeing patients in person will help refine the process of choosing a clinic.

Needlessly making broad, sweeping statements and using fear to strongarm someone into choosing a particular clinic is really sad.

I happen to think using either method is fine Omar, but you should know the positives and negatives to both approaches.

Take Care,
Jason

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Omar77,

Wow, what a load of garbage.

I'm not sure which consultant wrote this email, but it's loaded with sweeping generalities and blatant misinformation.

There are pros and cons to both approaches, many of which have been discussed by very knowledgeable members of this community. Sure opinions vary, but at least the knowledgeable members of this community can intelligently discuss the pros and cons of both procedures and present reasons for their opinions.

However, one thing I can tell you for sure. Avoid any and all clinics

1. that can't coherently discuss the advantages and disadvantages of both procedures

2. that use scare tactics and fear mongering to make a sale

Best wishes,

Bill

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Managing Publisher of the Hair Transplant Network, the Hair Loss Learning Center, the Hair Loss Q&A Blog and the Hair Loss Forum and Social Community

View our hair loss articles on EZineArticles.com

Follow us on Facebook | Twitter | YouTube

Subscribe to our Newsletters | How We Recommend Physicians

-----

To learn about how I restored my hair, view my my hair loss website.

Remember, true beauty radiates from within, not from the skin.

I am not a medical professional and my words should not be taken as medical advice. All opinions and views shared are my own.

i know the advantages and disadvantages of both procedures.
I just dont know if my temples r gonna look normal and not weird or fake compared with the rest of my hairline which i have native hair cause of the small number of grafts that will be used

That certainly sounds like a consultant for a clinic!

"How long have you been performing FUE" - that's a fair question and one that should be asked. But don't think that length of time should necessarily equate to superior results. As an example, Bosley (among others) has been doing HT's longer than many on this site, but Bosley is inferior as they don't have updated methods, top staff or high ethics. It's all about going to a clinic that cares for YOUR needs, not theirs; a clinic that will only perform a procedure that they can guarantee will live up to their high expectations.

"How many grafts can you transplant per day (anything under 1500 is NOT an experienced doc, believe me)". Nothing could be further from the truth. This is clearly an Armani fan boy or rep. If you do go with FUE, it's not about how quickly they can get you in or out, or how many they can do in a day or a week, it's about the quality of the end result - low transection, high survival rates and excellent hairline design.

"How many FUE procdures do you carry out per week?" This is a good question, but the answer may surprise you. If a doctor says 10, then this means they 'hustle' patients in and out too fast; In fact, 5 in a week may be too many unless they are all small procedures. If a doctor says (I think) anywhere from 1-5, it means that the doctor does FUE, either by itself or in addition to Strip, and is perhaps well experienced in both and allows each patient to select which procedure is right for them. A doctor that does perform both procedures can also help to determine which procedure is best for the patient given their degree of hairloss, age, expectations, etc. Don't let a doctor who only does 1 FUE per week scare you as it might mean 1 patient over the course of 2-3 days per week are set aside for FUE, while the other days are for Strip.

In other words, you know the top doctors on this site, and BSpot is right: a good doctor will give you the pros and cons of both procedures.

Also, take a look at people with similar hair loss as you and review before/after strip and FUE procedures.

M&M

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