runwithscissors

Hi hope2win, you are certainly in the right place to find answers to these questions. A quick search of these forums should reveal more in depth answers however, as you may know rogaine is a topical medicine and propecia an oral dihydrotestosterone inhibitor. Both are available from your physician (the former is available over the counter). I would strongly recommend talking either to your family doctor or a hair transplant doctor about getting on to both of these medications for at least 12 months in order to assess the effects on slowing down hair loss and hopefully regrowing some hair. I don't think either of the medications are indicated for those under 18, and are only suitable for those undergoing some degree of hair loss. If your brother's hair is thinning then it is likely a good idea to get onto these medications post-18, otherwise it is a waste of time and money (and all medicines carry some risks). Massage and diet will likely have little or no effect on male pattern baldness as the root cause (no pun intended) is genetic and hence, hereditary. A balanced diet and regular exercise can only work in your favour in the long run for your health and future ageing, so it's a good idea to maintain a healthy lifestyle regardless of the effect on your hair. Good luck, and keep reading other forum posts.

Hi Azazlegs, I'm sorry to hear about your hair loss, I'm sure it is emotionally difficult to deal with (as I am dealing with similar issues myself in my late 20s). I must chime in with the earlier post of hdude46 in saying that your perspective on hts is entirely wrong at this stage. Firstly, because of your emotional state at this time. I realise that hair loss is an emotional issue for everyone, and nobody likes to see such rapid ageing in the mirror. However, you cannot pin all hopes of improving your emotional state to the outcomes of a successful surgery. If you opt for the risky ht strategy that you present, involving non-permanent hair and before your loss is stabilised with meds, then you will be plagued with constant doubts about the 'security' of your ht which can be as stressful as losing hair in the first place. Also you need to think about the impact that a 'failed' surgery will have. What if the grafts don't grow? Even the top surgeons have examples where graft yields are much lower than patients expect. My point is simply that these things could be emotionally crushing for you, and so I suggest from the tone of your posts, that some kind of counselling or therapy may be helpful in getting you to a place where you have greater confidence, self esteem and body image than you currently do. Secondly, in practical terms a 10 year strategy should not, as hdude suggests, be the goal. I do not know of any reputable ht surgeons on this site that would recommend such a course of action. I hope that these problems can be resolved for you, but simply remember that putting a ht off and doing more research and reflection is never the wrong thing to do.

Though I would agree with other posts, that it is highly unlikely that propecia is the cause of the changes to your face, loss of fatty tissue under the skin is likely the sole cause of such rapid ageing. Have you lost a lot of weight recently? Changed your diet? Started or stopped smoking? Feel dehydrated? I reckon a trip to the doctor might be in order.

I strongly agree with the posts above. Dutasteride is not a prescribed medication for hair loss and the long term effects are unknown. This is my non-medical opinion you understand, however, it appears that dut is used as a last resort when the propecia stops working. Start on propecia and work up from there if necessary.

The Farjo clinic is recommended on this board, and they do some great work by all accounts. However, the goal is always the illusion of a full head of hair, and depending on the level of your scarring that may or may not cover it adequately. It would be much easier to tell if you uploaded some pictures. If you could give a photo of the front, top of your head and back then people will be able to give you more advice.

I noticed that the Prohair clinic in Belgium has moved to a new location nearer to Antwerp. I also heard (on another forum) that their surgeon Dr De Reys (sp.?) has left now in the new year. Can anyone confirm or deny this? Also if the surgeon changes would this change people's perceptions of the clinic? Just some food for thought, as I know some people consider Prohair as a cheaper alternative FUE clinic.

Hi Stingray, did you manage to get Bisanga's office to reschedule the appointment? I hope you didn't lose your deposit due to the crappy train service. It turns out flights, trains and ferries are all grinding to a halt out of the UK. What a well run country we are...

It seems like the ultimate get out clause is, "oh it can't be crappy work, it must just mean that your MPB accelerated rapidly and conveniently in the last few months, so we'll call it nature's fault and walk away with your lovely money. Thanks so much."

I must say his hairline does seem to jump around from flat, peaked, a bit thin, extremely thick... though it's likely that this is mostly from photographers recycling old shots with new ones and from him wearing different hair pieces in films (both to give a thicker look and in order to maintain continuity when filming). But yeah, it's likely he's thinned a bit. He is a human being reaching middle age after all.

The Farjo clinic might be a good option for you as the pound is so weak against the Euro. Be aware that they don't offer FUE however!

Hi kelkoo, that's ok! Your result looks really good; I asked the question becuase I'm currently looking for information on long term donor management strategies for those, like me, with below average donor density. I just wondered if the doc had told you what the density was before the operation in order to work out a long term plan.

Hi kelkoo, do you know what the donor density is, as it looks a little sparse at the back. I'm just interested as I have the same problem! Thanks.

I have to agree with thanatopsis on this one. I always find it kinda funny that so many HT patients end up with absolutely terrible hair styles, maybe for those who haven't had to style their hair since the 1980s that is excusable, but it seems that many people spend thousands just to have a permanent bad hair day. At least with a shaved head it can never look a mess!

I'd have to agree, no one would look at you and think "he's losing his hair". It is normal for your hairline to change from the flat teenage hairline to a mature shape in your early twenties, it doesn't necessarily mean you are going to aggressively bald over the next few years, but then again, you might! Don't mess with your hairline until you are at least 25, and preferably much older. A reputable clinic would not lower your hairline at your early age as it's too risky without knowing the future extent of the loss. Stay on the meds, save some money and think again in a few years time depending on how much further loss occurs. Good luck!

Brandnew if H&W's results aren't impressing you, it's likely to be for two reasons. Firstly because they don't lower hairlines aggressively, and secondly because they post their before and after shots under harsh lighting conditions in order to give you an honest appraisal of their work. It's easy to be fooled by the various lighting and grooming tricks that other clinics (ok let's leave Armani aside for one moment) use to make their work look better. Some of the really disreputable clinics have models with dermmatch and other thickeners in their photo's to hide poor results. Just be aware that this is an industry of sharks. Clinics get recommended to this site as a means to navigate through shark infested waters.