punkrocker

Ok, thanks mate! -A

Just wondering if anyone knows whether or not I can expect the fin and min to kick back in at all? Is this common shedding temporary in other cases? Would really appreciate any info! Cheers

Thanks mattj, at least I don’t have to blame myself! I wonder though will this shedding continue now? Is it even worth taking the medications given that they are so costly, and that minoxidil is such a pain in the arse to apply? Oh and I no longer shave my head, kept my hair mid length for about six or seven months.

Hi everyone, I need some advice! I began using minoxidil and finasteride about fifteen months ago. At the age of 28 my hair had receded into an obvious widows peak over about ten years, and over the 18 months preceding the administration of hair loss drugs it had thinned significantly, from thick and tangly to thin and lank. I was shaving my head at the time I started the medications. Over about six months of using both finasteride and minoxidil my hair thickened to the point where I felt I could let it grow back. It wasn’t perfect but definitely an improvement. Prior to shaving my head I found my hair would fall out a lot during the shower, when combing and I would find hairs on my pillow. After letting it grow back and while on the meds this was not happening. People were commenting on how thick and wiry my hair looked. Great! I thought I had nailed it. Just under a year after beginning the treatment I went away for a couple of days and forgot the medications. On the third day I found the hair loss continued drastically. I obviously went back on both treatments and have been vigilant ever since but the shedding has continued for approximately 4 - 5 months, no sign of letting up. I also drank a lot of alcohol during the two day absence from using the treatments... I worried this could have impacted on its efficacy. What i’m wondering is, have I ballsed this up? Is there any going back? Was the couple of days missed just coincidental with my returned shedding? Cheers! -A

Thanks for the advice guys. I'm also wondering what your opinion on surgeons is? Is it true that I should use a surgeon in the UK?

Hi, last year I found myself researching HTs, but in the end just decided to shave my head and be done with it. Once shaved it wasn't all that obvious my hair was thinning and receding, and i had a lot of people tell me the skinhead look suits so me so I thought, problem solved! But the thinning is progressing very quickly, and I'm a lot less comfortable with the idea of a bald head than a shaved head, so I'm once again considering the procedure. Bit of info on myself - I'm 28, been slowly receding throughout my 20s but wasn't noticeable particularly till 26, and since then it has been thinning in general. I went for two consultations last year, one with elite hair restoration and the other I forget the name of, but that surgery had DR. Reddy working with them, who I read good things about. But since then I've researched more, and from this forum I get the general feeling that travelling to Europe is the best way forward, but I find that idea a bit overwhelming. I'm from the uk by the way. I do want it to be worth the effort and money though, so if it's necessary I'll do it. I'm also aware that because of my age I will need to take something to prevent the inevitable, and apparently rapid, continuation of hair loss. Can anyone share their experiences with hair loss drugs? I have heard some horror stories... This is something I want to do but I am not wealthy, and have no savings so I would have to pay for it on a monthly basis, spending probably a max of about 200 pounds a month. This may be a strange way to look at budgeting, but hopefully it makes sense! I would appreciate any info and advice you can give. Thanks!

I believe I'm a norwood 3 male pattern baldness, hair receding at the front but don't THINK there's any loss on the crown. Dyeing it black for Halloween was a bad move though! Worst colour contrasted with my pale skin! I was seriously considering Dr. Raghu Reddy after a consultation with one of his clinic's reps but after watching some results on youtube I'm now not sure, although the HT's were performed on men with hair loss more severe than my own. Still, mine is VERY thin at the front now, and has definitely been getting worse every couple of months for the past year, so I've decided I'm going for it. I'm 27, and have been advised by two reps to take propecia first and continue indefinitely, due to my age resulting in a high likelihood of continued hair loss. I had my doubts about propecia but I'm starting to think the side effects are a risk I can take without too much worry (if anyone thinks otherwise please tell me and explain why). But where should I go for the best treatment? I don't want to have to repeat the procedure, I can't afford it, and a botched job would be worse than shaving my head cos I'd still have to pay all that money. Here are some pics, I was feeling brave so took them under a bright light. Thoughts?

Hey, actually I'm 27! And apologies if my statement was unclear but I was trying to say the consultant told me it was LIKELY my hair would continue to recede. This is why I'm pretty sure I'll have to go on propecia should I go for the procedure. I believe my hair is already continuing, even only 3 - 4 months after the consultation. Which is why I'm now feeling I'll definitely go through with it. I will first get back in touch with The Private Clinic to find out how I should proceed. Thanks everyone for your advice, and I will continue to do research into the potential side effects of this drug before I agree to start taking it.

Okay, thanks for the advice. I will seriously look into this. Does anybody know how to obtain propecia in the UK? I assume you can't get it on the NHS, but can I get a prescription from my GP?

The consultant told me she thought it would be unwise to begin without already having been on Propecia for a number of months, and that she thought it very likely the surgeon would say the same, although I haven't actually met him yet. And also she said because of my age it's not unlikely my hair loss will worsen in the near future, and so propecia would be used as a kind of maintenance.

And is finasteride an alternative to propecia? ..oh, just realised they're the same thing. But basically, would you say it would be fine for me to have a hair transplant after a course of propecia at age 27 and nw3?

I'm 27 NW3, so would you say a transplant for me would be unwise?

I was told in my initial consultation that it is recommended I begin a course of propecia for so many months before surgery, and, I think, to continue that afterwards, so hair loss does not continue, But I've read some awful reviews about propecia: loss of libido, testicular pain and, most alarmingly, erectile dysfunction, which, in some cases has been permanent! It seems a great deal of men have suffered with these side effects, so I can't see how taking propecia can be worth it. But I also agree it may not be worth having a hair transplant without propecia if my hair simply continues to recede or the newly transplanted hair isn't strong enough. Thoughts?

Thanks, helpful words.

Thanks for sharing your experience so meticulously - very helpful for those of us considering the procedure.

Thanks theportchesterpirate, I'll get some pics up as soon as I can. In the meantime I'm being put off the Elite Hair Restoration clinic I initially visited (here is some examples of their work, I've requested more to be sure - Patient Story 1 - Elite Hair Restoration), I can't find much feedback at all about the surgeons or the clinic. And I'm looking at Dr Reddy at The Private Clinic (his work is labelled, there are two surgeons here and Dr. Reddy looks, at least to my rookie eyes, to be superior to Dr Kouremada-Zioga - Before and After image gallery / The Private Clinic). I saw a member of this forum post some pics of his treatment performed by Dr. Reddy and they seemed promising. Would you agree he is a reputable surgeon?

Okay, I'll take a look at the list of doctors, thanks. I'll upload some pictures soon then, but have to borrow a camera - I'm something of a technological philistine.

I asked a few questions about a specific clinic previously, but I thought I'd post my info and get some general advice on HTs. I've gone over Micky85's very comprehensive information, which is leaning me towards FUE rather than the FUT advised by the consultant I recently met with. I've receded in the v shape (beginning at 23 yrs), with a little thinning at the very front, but my crown remains as thick as ever, and the consultant at Elite Hair Restoration said he would assume my crown would stay that way. My father's hairline is almost exactly the same as mine at 52, if generally a little thinner all over (my remaining hair is mostly thick), so I'm hoping mine won't progress further. Still, the consultant said as mine is slightly thin at the front it looks as if it may recede completely away from the front, leaving me with a large forehead as opposed the v shaped hairline I have now. I've been told by this clinic that I can have FUT to restore my hairline with 1750 grafts, and that post treatment I should use rogaine to keep the hair I had before surgery from falling out. After reading up on FUT/FUE, it seems that for a hairline procedure, FUE would be superior. If I'm going to do it I want to do it properly and have as realistic a hairline as I can. A big question is, how much should I expect to pay for a good FUE procedure? Also, do you agree that FUE is preferable for me? Does rogaine really prevent further hair loss (to an extent?) How important is it to use a renowned surgeon? I've read a lot of skepticism about lesser known or unknown surgeons so I've asked the Elite Hair Restoration clinic to send me some examples of their surgeons work. If anyone here is comfortable with me sharing those examples with them to offer the benefit of their experience it would be greatly appreciated. On a final note, I'm considering the surgery because my confidence is drastically lower since receding so much - I wore my hair very long up until it became noticeable, so it's drastically changed my appearance and made me look and feel a lot older. I mention this just so you know that I would seriously like to have it done, I just don't want to make any mistakes so I'm researching it with as much scrutiny as I can. Thanks

Thanks Questionmark, will do.

Hi there, I visited Elite Hair Restoration in Birmingham, UK today for a consultation. I'm 26, have receded noticeably in the V shape, beginning when I was 23, and the consultant recommended an FUT procedure of 1750 grafts. I don't have much money but providing I can pay smaller amounts monthly then it is possible, and the consultant assured me I could finance it this way (with 0% interest). Post treatment, once my hair is restored, I've been told I'll be supplied with Rogaine so as to try and prevent further hair loss in the areas I haven't had surgery, should my hair continue to recede. The names of the surgeons are Dr. Camilo Diaz and Dr. Hassan Nurein. I researched both the clinic and the surgeons and have not found any substantial reviews or information. In fact all I could turn up was a couple of unresolved queries on these forums, a name drop on this website (??) - http://www.theartoftransplant.com/tag/camilo-diaz-hair-restoration - and a couple of comments on whatclinic - Elite Hair Restoration Birmingham - Private Hair Loss Clinic in Birmingham city center - WhatClinic.com. Does anyone have any experience with this clinic or these surgeons? Is there anything suspicious about this or can I trust the information I've been given? I'm entirely new to all this but if I'm going to go ahead with it I don't want to waste what little money I have, or end up with a poor transplant. Any help would be greatly appreciated.