Artie

This is the first time I've been to these forums (although read the great posts always) since having my first HT surgery. I visited Dr. Brandon Ross and it's been 16 months since my surgery. My confidence has never been higher and I'm feeling great. The density could be a little better I feel but when I look back at past pictures I can tell what a difference it's made. I was a NW 4 and still had good native hair coverage (I had more a dracula receding hairline) so I could style my hair in such a way to minimize the surgery. The treatment and work done was excellent and I will definitely go back to Dr. Ross. So that brings me to my point. About 3 months after my surgery I decided to give up the finasteride. I wasn't having adverse side-effects such as libido and inability to get erections but my body shape started change - I was getting man-boobs. Also, I was starting a serious relationship and didn't know how to approach the subject so rather than lie and do it in secret I stopped. I eventually found the courage to talk about my surgery and got it out of the way. She was very understanding although i haven't talked about it since. She loves my hair but has said many, many times she would not care how I looked that it's a deep love. I am incredibly lucky in my relationship. Given my family history, no-one has ended up more than a NW 4-5 - never a bowl-shaped baldness on the back of the head just a dracula recession with some thining on top. So going forward I've decided to consider a 2nd surgery for density but still declining to take finasteride. My dilemma is when to schedule this - i.e, how long to wait for natural hair to fall out then re-filling with donor hair. If I do it now (I'm 36) then I will look great but later on in life I would either have to have another one. Or I can wait until my mid-40's and do another one then be done with it since I believe I would be happy with the level of coverage I'll have. When I see actors like Sylvestor Stallone who have such thick density in his mid-60s that is more eye-catching to me then actual baldness (not to mention his hairline which has gotten lower). The charge for my surgery was very reasonable and with inflation will only get more expensive in the future although it's still one of the cheapest around. I guess this is more of a commentary then a question really. I admit I am a little concerned about long-term use of finasteride and the ritual of shampoos, pills etc. I expect most people will say I'm mad but it's my choice. Anyone else considered this path or live without medication? AF

Thanks, I'll definitely try to post something soon. As of day 6 now, I had a small amount of pain towards one end of the donor area but nothing too serious. There is no redness or or heavy scabbing so I think I'm healing quite well. I return to work after day 10 but already I've been out in public wearing my hair the usual way and to my knowledge I've not noticed any strange looks. I'm excited to get beyond the 1-2 month phase and then see what happens between 3-6 and start to see some new growth. The fact that I can gradually style my existing hair into new hair (or at least the prospect) is appealing and one of the reasons why I chose Dr. Ross. It's obviously way too early to talk about progress but the patient care was really excellent. I'll keep you posted. On a side-note, I was reading articles about Gordon Ramsey's HT and how even the more respectable 'news'papers incorrectly report facts and want to mock. It's this kind of idiocy that made me hesitate for so long and now I'm glad I pulled the trigger. Breast augmentation, botox, waxing, teeth-whitening etc are all the norm so why is HT still so mocked and frowned upon? Half of Hollywood is wearing a weave and/or HT.

As some of you may have read from some of my previous posts, I decided to *finally* go ahead and schedule my procedure last week with Dr. Brandon Ross. The whole experience was excellent and it wasn't until I was driving home that I had the moment of 'wow, I just got a hair transplant'! I had 2680 grafts with most rebulding the temples and hair-line with around 500 for the top of my head which was slightly thinning. On Day 4, I can wear my hair normallly and talk to my room mate and he doesn't even realize (he's pretty blunt and would say something I'm sure) so that was a confidence booster. I was amazed by the level of medication I would have to take but for good reason and I've been regimented in the post-op care. On Day, the recipient area feels like a buzz cut - I've never felt a dense packing of stubble in this area for 20 years so I'm looking forward to seeing the results. It will almost feel strange to have these hairs disappear (yet grafts are in tact). My goal is to return to work on Day 11 and have no-one notice due to my hair styling. I think I can pull it off. The donor area feels tight and a little sore while the recipient area feels much better. Right now my hair doesn't fall that naturally because I pad it dry gently with a towel rather than rubbing but hopefully by Day 9-10 the grafts will be secure enough to resume a 'regular' albeit careful routine. It feels good to walk around having this procedure without shaving my head and the packing looks pretty dense although to be fair I had a generous donor area being a NW 3 - NW3a. I wore a baseball cap loosely today that didn't rub or irritate the grafts since i went outside. The procedure and care was excellent from Dr. Ross, now let's go onto the results. I'm not eager to see immediate regrowth either, I actually welcome the slow grow phase because it's so much more natural I'll keep you posted. art

I'm scheduled for a procedure with Dr. Brandon Ross at the end of May and I'm feeling good to proceed yet apprehensive since this is my first HT. I've searched these forums for evidence of Dr Ross' work which influenced my work in the first place. There was a user I don't recall who had a similar hairline to me and showed great results - like a NW 3a/4, receding at the front. It would be much appreciated if patients of Dr. Brandon Ross would share their experiences here and provide a link to their results. I'm eager to find the patient who had similar hair characteristics to mine. Thanks, Art

I've been using Finasteride since September 2010 and at the time my hair loss had been on a relatively slow path since my early twenties. Since September though I've noticed a more rapid loss in my coverage, particularly the density. I realize that 12 months is a time-frame as a minimum before any results might start to materialize but does the drug have the effect of thining hair prior to getting thicker? Before I noticed this acceleration it was relatively easy to cover my receding hairline since my existing hair was pretty thick which covered the areas. I'm scheduled for a procedure (circa 2800-3000 grafts most likely) at the end of May and honestly, it can't come quick enough. I'm even tempted to temporarily stop taking the drug since I'm not happy at the moment.

Thanks Tao and RegretDoingIt, I'm sorry you had a poor experience. The Dr I am choosing is Dr. Ross in La Jolla - I've looked at numerous photos and blogs from this site and I'm impressed with his work. There is one member (whose name slips my mind) who has a similar hair style, texture, and loss pattern that received excellent HT results so that was a big plus for me. He's obviously a member of the Coalition so that's encouraging and I like his attitude. With me being in SoCal is a plus and he also happens to be very competitive with his pricing model. So going back to my original point, I have everything I need in place but it's just taking that first step that is troubling me. What was encouraging however was a friend of mine who is around 20 years older that when we approached the subject of wisdom and life experiences mentioned he wishes he'd have gotten plugs (there we go, negative word) but then suggested it's 'where do we stop'? I'd feel so much easier if I could just have a HT once, take no meds or shampoos and forget about it. It's how I approach this with future partners that troubles me sometimes but clearly, I recognize that my recent experiences with my ex are the cause of this.

Great feedback everyone, thank you. And Spanker I definitely agree with your post with respect to age and appropriate responses. The fact is that I'm not even looking to return to a teenager, ruler-straight hairline because it's not appropriate so my hairline will actually be rather conservative and I'm told that it's very sensible. I'm not a particularly vain person (for lack of a better phrase) but I feel that this will be a step-up and be an even greater confidence booster than my natural self-confidence. I have the cash up-front, I'll be taking about 2 weeks off work and I think I feel confident in some respects is because I can hide it. I won't be shaving my head, the scar will be under the hair and the time off from work will allow the redness to ease down so I can wear my hair where it can't be noticed. I have the cash, so really I'm all set! This is forum is a great asset to hair-loss sufferers. The irony is, is that if we hadn't have split, I'd have most likely settled down and accepted my hair loss (but still felt less confident) but I guess now I feel I have an opportunity to start new chapters in every respect.

Hi Everyone, I've been losing my hair since I was around 18 but the process has been rather slow. Even now I'm approaching my mid-30's I can still wear my hair in such a way that you can't really tell I'm losing too much hair but I've noticed the process is starting to gather more pace. Therefore, I scheduled an appointment and have been taking Fin for 5 months now in preparation to support a HT. However, I keep seeming to post-pone the procedure! I'm a confident person (probably due to the fact it's not entirely obvious that I'm balding) but I think I'm more concerned about the social stigma that seems to go with hair surgery. Obviously, the goal is to have it without being noticed and I feel fortunate that I might be able to get away with it (particularly since I'm not required to shave my head) but I still keep hesitating. Hearing stories of breast augmentation or facelifts, it doesn't appear (at least to me) to be treated with such social disdain almost, as a HT. Maybe this is just my perception but it appears to me that HT are perhaps the hardest form of cosmetic surgery to accept in modern society. I recently heard a work colleague talking of a guy who got 'plugs' - that word is horrible and will be around forever! I realize that most people won't be educated on the forms of FUE unless they're actively considering a HT but it has such negative connotations. My last long term girlfriend where we were very much in love obviously new of my balding and didn't care at all and would make comments of 'you'd look great shaved etc'. Sadly, we split up and her passing shot was 'good luck with the hair plugs' which totally rocked me. I'm sure that this is playing a part in my hesitation. To make it worse, there has been emails to suggest that we *may* consider a re-do in the future so naturally, this has caused me to consider her comment and again, is holding me up. Sorry for the personal background but I'd be grateful to hear of other member's stories of hesitation etc. But I know if I get it done now (circa 2800 grafts I'm told) then in 12 months I could potentially looking at a new man. Rather strangely, it's not the operation that bothers me, but the lifetime to commitment to drugs such as Finasteride. It's almost like once I've pulled the trigger, I've now made a life-time life-style that I have to honor otherwise, there's no point. Maybe I have more psychological problems to deal with first! Your comments are welcome. Thanks, Art.

Hi Everyone, I've been reading the forum for a while but finally decided to join. I've been taking generic Finasteride for around 8 weeks and have any of you experienced any accelerated hair loss using the drug? My hair loss has been steady (Norwood IV) at the temples and recently on the crown but I've been able to wear my hair in such a way (and have pretty thick hair when it's short) that it fools almost everyone. Recently though I've noticed a larger than normal reduction in the density around my temples and wondering if it could be the Finasteride? My labido hasn't suffered and I seem to be normal in myself so I'm wondering if this is a possible side effect. Thanks, Art