OttawaJay

Hi Bill. Ultimately my question is what will you look like in another 10+ years as the rest of your naturally located hair falls out, leaving just the transplanted stuff.

Greetings all. I'm in my 40's and have been on propecia and rogaine for almost 5 years now. They have been successful in stalling my hair recession, even re-thickened my scalp hair a little, but have noticed some side effects from the drugs over the years and am considering a hair transplant instead. I am concerned though about what the results would look like 10-20 years down the road. My father is a Norwood 6 or 7, so I presume that's my ultimate destiny. Getting an HT done now will surely generate great results, but won't the rest of the hair around the plugs eventually fall out over the long run, making for an awkwardly bald area in the future, as well as noticeable sporadic plugs? Last thing I want is people to say "I see you got a hair transplant in the past... you can really tell now." Please consider your answer both if I were to continue or discontinue the hair-loss drugs.

So many people post problem with propecia, I wonder if the side effect rate is much higher than reported. Anyone stay on it long term and NOT suffer serious side effects?

I think, to get half decent coverage, you need to both stay on fin AND get HT. By the time most of us get on hair loss drugs, we're already at a somewhat advanced stage of loss, and the drugs just maintain it. Or more so, just slow the loss. So drugs alone won't give you back what you once had. If you get a transplant and abandon the drugs, you'll just keep losing around it and have to get it done again.

I've been on Propecia and Rogaine for almost 2 month now. Lots of shedding but no results yet. How long before it kicks in? For side effects, I've had some head numbing, but minor. Not even a headache really. No ED but ejaculate is a little thinner. No emotional side effects. Sometimes some minor flushing in my face.

Wow that was extremely informative. Thanks! If shock loss is not permanent, then there really nothing to fear.

I'm at NW3 and considering HT. Dr Rahal suggested I need 2500 graphs in a consultation but didn't intend on going into my widows peak, which still has hair but is awfully thin. (You can easily see the scalp.) His reason is the possibility of shock loss, which is certainly something to be fearful of. I'm happy to know he's considerate of it and not just ready to jump in. But when I said I don't think I should bother getting HT done until I lose more hair, as I specifically want more hair in peak, he said he'd be comfortable doing it after re-reviewing my photos. Kind of a flip, so not sure how to take that. Is shock loss from HT permanent or does it grow back? Is shock loss a handful of hairs here and there or whole areas? Any idea how likely?

Let's build a list of actors who have had a hair transplant... both good and bad. I'll start it. John Travolta. Worse I've ever seen.

I'm so close to taking the plunge but I'm scared to death. Dr Rahal in my town, so that's convenient... though I don't know if he does the procedure himself.

What are the right questions to ask your HT doctor in the consultation?

I read on another message that it'll take 12-18 months before you get the full effect of a hair transplant. Why does it take that long for these newly transplanted hairs to get their act together? The rest of my hair will have grown several inches by then.

That's a great question... if you cut your hair really short, can the HT be not noticeable as early as a couple weeks later and beyond?

I'm giving Propecia and Rogaine a try. How long should I be on them before I get a HT done?

Looking at your images, it looks like he implanted hair into your widow's peak which still had hair left. I thought they went around your existing hairline with HT. No?

Concealer is not for me. HST is pretty interesting. I wonder how far away a legit and acception HST option is? Body hair? I'm actually having laser surgery to remove the hair from my back now.

I'm considering getting a hair trasplant. Trying to think long term though and am concerned about my donor supply. I'm somewhere between a NW3V and NW4 at 40 years old. Just started Rogaine and Propecia this week to try and preserve what I have. It's an uphill battle though. My dad and uncles are all NW7's at 60+ years old, think Captain Pickard from Star Trek. I presume that's where I'm headed. Doctor said I'd need about 2500 graphs right now and that's not touching my crown. Since my donor area is just "average" density, I won't have enough supply to cover both the receding hairline and crown over the long term. The best LONG TERM realistic outcome I'm looking at is transplanted hair framing my face countering the receding hairline with a persistant bald crown. I have no way of knowing just how big that bald crown will be though. Since I'm realistically going to be completely bald, it all comes down to how much supply I have. My concern is that if I don't have enough donor supply and as such the bald spot ends up too big because there's no enough supply to do more than a thin strip covering the hairline, I'll end up looking ridiculous. 2500 graphs will me make look great now, but what about long term when there's more loss and less supply? So, any thoughts?

Any problems with using gray hair for a transplant?

Inspirational. Dr Rahal is in my town too.

So I'm reading the insert for minoxidil and it says to solely apply it to the bald spot on the back of my head... but I seem to remember reading here that I should also put it on the top of my head, just not bother with the reading part of my hairline. The insert doesn't mention the top though. So apply just to the bald spot on back or on top too? I have air on top but it thinning.

Well I just got a prescription, so I'll be giving it a try, as well as Rogaine.

Anyone just let everyone know they were doing HT?

If I understand correctly it's months of scars, redness, waiting for new hair to take off and grow. I've searched just about every post op photo here and I'm looking at about a month or so of redness and a minimum of 4 months before it harder to tell a transplant has been done, and that's if I'm lucky. I could be looking at a year if not! I want the results of a hair transplant, and money isn't an issue, but I think I'd die of embarrassment until it grows in. Everyone will know. Not sure I can do it. Anyone else feels the same?

Would love to see updated photos.

Not sure what msm is.

How long does the redness from hair transplant surgery usually last in the recipient area? Same question for scabs, scars and noticable scars. I'm really just wondering how long it'll be noticeable that I had the procedure done. I still have a reasonable amount hair, only need 2500 graphs, so it won't be glaringly obvious that I had a hair transplant done once the redness is gone.