Spanker

Looks great so far!!!

Do you know your family history as far as balding? I hate to be the one to say it....but yes....you appear to be suffering from MPB....at your age, there is a decent chance that it will be significant if you do not get on meds. I would get on finasteride asap....that is either propecia or proscar (cut into 4ths). With your crown thinning you may think about rogain as well..... You do not have to shed a lot to go bald...the hair can just grow thinner and not at all as your natural shed takes place. You also may experience increased shedding as the meds start working....think of it as kicking the older thinner hairs out to make room for the better hair to come in.

If you are in the Army (I am Ex-Army)...there is pretty much NO way to get away with having a strip surgery done and the scar not be visible. The strip will be taken a lower than you will be able to get away with....assuming you keep a real military cut. If I was in and insisted on getting something done I would definately start looking at FUE...not strip....or wait til you get out if you are seriously looking at strip. A G.I. cut is just not going to be possible with a strip IMO. In Army standards you would always look like you needed a cut. Also, if you are a 2.5 (that is what I am) I would save up 30 days leave and get it done.....at least 2 weeks. An FUE should be pretty un-noticable by then....especially if your bangs cover it up. If you have a successful surgery you should be able to have in an incha and a have and not see a difference in density....especially at your level of loss. You really need to consider getting on propecia or proscar as well.

Nice result, donor scar photos would be nice.

Dr. Feller, What would you consider a "consistent" yield? Since you are consistently considered (on this and other forums) one of the top FUE docs in the world....your opinion is greatly appreciated and I believe will greatly add to this discussion. As far as the safe zone...when I do pull the trigger....my session will be fairly small and I also plan on asking the doctor to consider me a NW VI as he extracts....even tho I am almost 32 and NW2.5

That said, I have seen a strip or too cut that I thought was out of the safe zone.

never heard of that, is your scalp "wrinkled" there?

What is the actual yield rate of a smallish FUE? I do not think that I have seen a good answer on this yet...that satisfies me as pretty solid anyway...

Yeah, I don't think propecia actually stops working....I feel like the hair you have is eventually more affected by DHT....it is not that propecia stops lowering your DHT....I would try avadart. I personally think it is more effective than finasteride based on my research. That said, I take fin and I am unsure if it is helping at this time....but I will prolly stay on it because it is one of those things that you have to believe is working unless you are a regrowth case.

If you are wanting just your hair line worked on and like a short cut FUE is prolly the way to go. Definately get on finasteride. Plan on 6-8 dollars per graft. Many surgeons do not insist on shaving the recipient area but it will be something that you need to as your surgeon when consulting. You are kind of on the young side so consider this a life long commitment on touch-ups.

what are the consequences from a GOOD ht? Besides possibly having to come in for touch ups?

I kind of agree that it can be an ill informed echo chamber.....with that said....there are a lot of people that have followed docs for years and know what kind of character they have, what kind of follow uo they have, corresponded with actual patients (what I am currently doing), and seen a lot of before and afters. I think frequent forum members build a "trust" with certain members also about there opinions which I think is also helpful in the decision making process.

Not that it is a debate, and not being smart, but this would be a good place to actually list, or site reference to the "hype of FUE." I personally would like to know as I am seriously considering an FUE. There must be some facts as to the difference in yield of these procedures.

For the size of of work I am looking at getting 600 plus or minus 200 I can't see getting a strip....for me...I talked to SMG and Matt there said that was definately the way to go in my case and that this size surgery would not hurt my donor arera enough to worry if I need a strip in the future. I think most docs that are competent in FUE would say the same thing about my particular patern and at my age....I'll be 32 by proceedure date and I am a 2 kreeping towards a 3 with no crown loss yet. Also taking fin. I would like to see a good list of comparison that states the pro's and con's...I gues the only strip con is the donor scar?..?

Look at Bill O'rielly's hair....He has gained hair in the past 2 years I am sure...

Well, I don't think you are suppose to start threads about the doc who claims 3% transection....but he is out of Alphreta,GA, near Atlanta. I read that claim on www.ishrs.org which many of the recommended docs here are affiliated with. I am leaning towards FUE right now, but another thing to consider like said before is taht the grafts can dehydrate much quicker becasue they are smaller. Just something to think about. I am looking at such a small session that I cannot bare to create a linear scar for it....but if needed I will strip it out in the future.

Looks good to me....dont see any loss....keep an eye on it and start on propecia or proscar if it does start....but I would not do anything right now based on the pics.

I have read of a surgeon claiming less then 3% transection rate FUE....but I am not sure.

true, I figured screw it....it was shot a while back...

Spex, Are you a consultant for Dr Feller? If so, is he not one of the top in the nation at doing FUE? Do you know what Feller's transection rate is with FUE? Thanks. I am considering a small FUE session now....but will surely need touch up work done in years to come....I don't understand why this is not an option. I am not talking 7000 grafts, hopefully....but I don't understand why it is not a possibility to keep doing FUE's as I progress...

I think that there are people on both sides of tha wacky....almost like politics.... I do remember the thread you are talking about and some people do get a little cocky/pushy about it. I have stated before that I feel that this is kind of a pro strip site by member composition. But that does not make it an anti FUE site. I really do not feel that FUE megasessions are a good course of action at this time in the industry, but it may change someday. I actually HOPE that strips become a thing of the past some day, based on furthering the science of hair restoration thru gene therapy, better medications and things like Acell...possibly ending all worries about running out of donor. With that said, a person would have to be really really closed minded to say not admitt that there is a good time and place for both in the industry right now.

This thread has really been hijacked. I don't understand why people are so hot about the FUE/Strip thing. I think that there are good candidates for both...I do not think that becasue you have not taken the plunge yet that you are less informed....Future_HT_Doc has not and he seems very informed. I think strip guys over bash the FUE and some FUE guys over hype it. As far as megasessions I think that FUE is just too tedious for that....I do not want exhausted techs and docs working on my head. Finally I heard that there was a doc not affiliated (Dr Voldemort....he who shall not be named) that is working on or made a powered extraction tool that is going to like quadrupal the extraction speed. I do not think that I would want that going on on the back of my head....I will take the old and slow method. I am considdering FUE for about a 600 graft session on the temporal region. I am almost 32 and an headed to being a NW3. I feel like keeping up with my loss through FUE is the best route for me right now....if I experience significant loss I have no problem going strip.

yep...this is going down...haha Why would someone do that?

I think way up on age it does....but way on up....if you are taling 40's and 50's and early 60's....I do not think so...

Yeah, it kinda sucks that all the side effects are bad....instead of ED....why cant the side effects be "instandly makes you a stud muffin capable of multiple encores...also causes patient to ooze charisma and confidence....some patients may begin speaking with a French accent....DOES NOT protect agains HIV or other STD's"