kman001

Capelli11, I also saw your thread about narrowing your Dr. choices and i can vouch for Dr. Rahal. I've heard good things about H & W too. I live in another province so flying in just for a consult with Rahal wasn't feasible. I hoped they had a good idea of my case via email pics and conversations. When i showed up for the HT they confirmed i was a good candidate. I assume if i wasn't, he would have told me my options but thankfully i didn't have to worry. I imagine it is the VERY rare case that can't move forward. He's not someone who would mislead you for the business. He has a well earned great reputation and wouldn't jeopardize it. You would be in good hands there. I am currently wearing a short haircut (#3 clippers) and did take the photo with a flash to show worse case. In normal lighting my hair looks fuller. I guess it's in our nature to want more. I am probably going to hold off for now, unless it gets thinner up there. All the best, Steve

Thanks for the input. I have wondered about shockloss so your points are well taken. I have some things to think about. FYI, here are some photo's immediately prior to my 2008 HT with Dr. Rahal. As mentioned in my initial post, he gave me 2500 grafts via strip. Thanks again, Steve

Have a look at my photo's under the recent thread on here "FUE vs Strip" and you will see my photo's 3 plus years post op. Steve

Thanks aaron1234 and scar5. I appreciate the information. If it uploads properly I've attached two pics to show my current situation. Given the short haircut, i think things look pretty good and will admit i could leave things as they are and be happy with my hair, especially when it's longer. I'm prepared to hear other opinions though. I am still leaning to FUE as I don't think i need alot of grafts. Anyone have any idea how many grafts i would need to achieve a fuller look on top? Thanks again, Steve

I had 2 strip procedures, one in 2006(1500 grafts) and in 2008(2500 grafts). The 2008 procedure was with Dr Rahal and the 2006 was done by a Dr not listed on here. I am happy with Dr Rahal's HT but i am finding as time passes i am having additional thinning. It has been fairly well stabilized with propecia(1mg EOD) and 5% minox 2X/day, but I am considering 1 final procedure. LOL Since this likely will be my final HT i am strongly considering FUE for the following reasons: - I don't want the downtime that comes with a large scar or concerns with possible stretching. - I want to get back to a normal exercise routine ASAP - I think I would like approx 1500 to 2000 grafts which is doable with FUE My question is how well do FUE grafts take vs strip, all things being equal for comparison sake? Also, is recovery in fact quicker with FUE? I'm hoping FUE outcomes are similar to strip. If this helps, I am in my 50's and have diffuse thinning on top only and am looking to increase density on top of my scalp. i also plan on using Dr Rahal for my possible FUE. Thanks for any input and reco's. Steve

I was around a NW 3a and 41 years when i had my first HT of approx 800 grafts. My father had mostly a full head of hair in his early 60's so I assumed most of my hairloss had run it's course and this would be my only HT. My 2nd HT of 700 grafts was needed a couple years later to fill in between the transplanted hairline and further recession that continued. These HT's were NOT done by a coalition doctor and i was given an impression back then that my first HT would be it. They even seemed surprised(?) when i came back after the first HT with further recession and a gap behind my hairline. Knowing what i know now, I'm surprised they did not consider this nor advise me of this possibility. My 3rd HT was done by Rahal and he did a thorough job of explaining all the implications, present and future. Dr. Rahal also went back to my mid scalp to add some density as i was also starting to have diffuse thinning on top. He gave me approx 2500 graphs about 4 years ago and i haven't noticed any increased hairloss since. Still, I may need to go back again as hairloss is progressive. Meaning, unless you lose most of it early on, you likely could continue to have thinning in your 40's, 50's, 60's and beyond. Maybe you won't care by then, maybe, but just consider it. FYI, my youngest brother lost most of his hair on top in his early 20's. My oldest brother didn't start having diffuse thinning on top until his early 40's and another brother only started seeing some thinning in his temples and crown in his late 40's. That's quite a range of hairloss timelines among brothers so be careful with any assumptions made about future hairloss. This is why i personally would not consider a HT until my hairloss went beyond a certain NW stage, and not simply based on my age and an educated guess as to future hairloss. Having said that, it's tough holding back when the hairline starts receding. Just make sure you use a knowledgeable HT surgeon and be prepared for additional work down the road. I don't intend to offend anyone who has already made the decision. I just want to provide additional thoughts to consider.

I have to agree with a lot of what usedandabused said in his posts about the possible downsides to HT's. These downsides are sometimes minimized in the rush to finding "permanent" solutions for hairloss. We shouldn't be resistant to discussing them and making newbies aware of this side of things. Hairloss is progressive and if it is just starting, which is usually the case with most Norwood 2's, you need to be careful about transplants. Hairloss can continue even with use of propecia and minoxidil, although maybe the pace of loss is slowed greatly with these meds. Even so, time marches on and you could eventually find yourself with a gap between your transplanted hairline and your natural, and receding, hairline. This is one of the reasons why HT doctors do not like to work on young hairloss sufferers. The concern is that we can't be certain when hairloss will accelerate and it is not always in our early 20's. Sometimes a better guideline than age is your Norwood classification. If you still have lot's of hair you may want to wait and see what happens or be prepared for additional HT's if your hairloss continues. I had my first HT(1200 grafts) around 10 years ago with a non coalition doctor. I was 40 and felt that my hairloss had done its worst. I had the hairline restored to something age appropriate. Unfortunately, my hairloss slowly continued and around 4 years later i had a gap between the transplanted hairline and my natural hairline. I had to have a 2nd HT and i went to Dr. Rahal for 2500 grafts. By this time i also had some difusse thinning on top and so he fixed the hairline area up and placed some grafts back to the mid point on my scalp. I haven't had any concerns since but as i age my hairloss could continue even with the meds. I am glad i had my HT's as my hair is still quite thick, but you always have to consider what the future may bring and be prepared for additional work. Personally, i would not get a HT if i were only a Norwood 2 or early 3. I would wait. Btw, i understood that when transplanting hair from the back that they split the grafts and use single hairs in the hairline and save the 2 and 3 hair grafts for other regions behind the hairline. All the best,