You have gotten some good advice and if you consult with all of the clinics mentioned by everyone here, you will have great information to make a decision. All of the clinics mentioned are top notch.....listen to what they have to say and make an informed decision. Among these clinics there is no wrong choice.....it is just a matter of who you are most comfortable with.

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Surgery - Dr. Ron Shapiro 6/14/11 - 3048 grafts

http://www.hairrestorationnetwork.com/orlhair1

If anything, FUE can potentially lead to a more natural result as the surgeon can cherry pick whatever grafts he or she desires. The difference probably isn't great, though.

Personally I think you'd be best off having a strip megasession for maximum coverage. As a NW5 you will need a high number of grafts to make a difference.

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I represent Dr Rahal. I can be contacted for advice and to arrange consultations.

Dr. Rahal is a member of the Coalition of Independent Hair Restoration Physicians

thanks orlhair1 and Mattj.

I am considering strip but thought it would be safer to go for FUE first and then add the strip at a later date.
Thanks for all the advice. Will keep you posted.

mav-

If your head looks good shaved I would say keep that look. Most bald actors use hairpieces for roles they need hair for anyways, don't they?

Most of us that have gone the HT route shaved our melons at some point or another and it just did not look good for us...that is why we went down that route. If I was able to pull off the shaved look--like you are, I would not have got a HT. But I have a large dome and needed a HT, and LOVE the fact that I did it.

I was a Norwood 4 and had a little over 4000 grafts strip surgery and the results are amazing to this day. I am almost four years out and I couldn't be happier. Being that you are a Norwood 5, strip surgery would probably be the best way for you to get the coverage you would want. A large session by one of the top docs recommended on this forum would be one you should consider. But keep in mind, shaving down may not be a possibility without the scar showing...but a makeup artist could hide that if need be

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My initial HT thread:
done and done!! Check it out...

To address your opening question, 2000 grafts on a NW5 is not going to give you satisfying results. It's just not enough grafts to achieve an illusion of coverage. If you pack a dense area in front and leave the top/back untouched it will look very unnatural and probably force you to wear a hairpiece.

Your strategy/goal needs to be around 5000 grafts to have decent coverage. It's difficult to get that many grafts from FUE without severely thinning your donor area and/or harvesting from areas that aren't as safe.

If you can pull off a good look with a shaved head then work with what you've got. In your profession it's common to use a hairpiece for roles that require more hair, which is a great option for short periods.

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My HT Blog

Wow, just curious, who gave u this advice. This is fascinating.
Btw, as an actor who is balding, wouldn't the ability to buzz ur head be invaluable. Although Dr. Spek with a strip scar might be cool, like aliens planted a banana shaped CPU in him

Check out Gemini1 and Gemini2's story. They are stage actors who are twins and got their procedures done at Hasson & Wong. I think one of them said he used to wear a partial wig on stage pre hair transplant and now does not.

Anyway they seem like good guys and they may be able to give you some insight from the perspective of a fellow actor.