Hairyonewas

Ok, cool, thanks for all the replies. I do know the doctor specialized in Hair Transplantation, I don't know that what specific credentials he had, but he definitely didn't seem like a scam artist or anything. Again, his strong criticism of Follicular Transplants and his age kind of turned me off, because I've heard that the procedures done even 10 years ago are dramatically different than what's done nowadays. You're correct, he's not on this site. I do use Minoxidil and I've been taking Propecia for about a month now. I've also tried the Crew Hair Trichnology patches and ointment, but it seemed kind of obscure so I exchanged it for Rogaine. I'm definitely thinning like crazy, and there's not like a bald spot on the crown but there should be soon if things continue to progress like they are. I have heard, however, that sometimes hair loss happens sporadically--that it could progress rapidly for several months then slow...but, that hasn't happened so far. I personally don't even consider this "cosmetic"-- I'd almost call it reconstructive because I'm so young. It sucks. A 65 year old single woman wouldn't be deterred by a man's less than full head of hair (I think). I wouldn't mind if I started balding just a little later--maybe if I could just make it through most of my 20s, so it doesn't look so out of place beside my peer group. In that sense, I am kind of looking for a quick fix. In other words,I don't desire hair, I fear the lack of it. Has anybody had any long-long term experience with Propecia and Rogaine. I know there's no across the board effects, but, as I'm probably in it for the long haul, I wanted to ask. Are there any studies on the effects of Propecia taken for multiple years? Has it really halted hair loss? Also, has anyone gotten follicular transplantation surgery? How does it compare to other procedures? Did anyone have the surgery that leaves scars on the back of the head? I don't have any pictures handy, but I googled balding and I think my hairline looks a lot like this guy's, not as thick on top, though:

I went in and had a consult with a dermatologist who does hair restoration procedures the other day, and I wanted to ask you all about the things he told me. He seemed pretty adamant on the following points: 1. He was one of the best hair restoration surgeons in the area. 2. Hair is not to be transplanted to the crown (top) of head, because that hair will continue to fall out leaving a weird looking island. People don't care about the back of the head anyway, it's the front that matters. 3. Rogaine and Propecia are proven to work on that area. 4. Hair restoration surgery is a future looking procedure, and most people who do it are reluctant to do it on young people because they fail to understand that a 20 year old hairline is an unreasonable expectation. 5. Follicular transplants leave white, spotty dot-scars that look terrible, and it's an unreliable method because the instruments and hair crops are so minuscule. He showed me his own hair transplant, which had left a thin scar spanning from ear to ear on the back of his head. It looked pretty bad, but he said he was still in the intermediary time. He was also pretty old, so I don't think he needed a really vigorous head of hair--in other words, I would not have been happy with it as a 22 year old, but for a 65 year old, it looked alright. Why would a 65 year old get a hair transplant, anyway? His general course of action is to remove a two millimeter wide strip from the donor area--like a plug--then cut it up and put the pieces into the recipient area. Again, the recipient area being only the top front of the head. Is it true that no hair transplants are done on the crown? Is Follicular Unit Transplantation really a shady business? Or is it really just a newer yet reliable technique that would be threatening to the business of doctors of a certain age, such as the one I consulted with. I'm 22 years old, and I don't really want to be combing my hair over the crown of my head. Might it be better to just buzz my head? I won't be able to anymore if there are scars running across the back. Also, do you guys know how much money these guys make in one surgery? I think it's almost unethical to consult and perform surgeries! Again, I'm 22. This guy said most doctors don't want to deal with immature 22-yr-old-hairline expectations and then the resulting 30 year old backlash when it all looks ridiculous, but he still said he was willing to do it. Another guy refused to even see me. Is that normal? I heard a different kid had been in for 14 treatments. Thanks for reading. I'd really be interested in any experienced thoughts.