pkipling

You're right that most of the transplant photos tend to show guys with darker hair, but I think that has more to do with blondes/redheads being significantly less common than brunettes, being the recessive gene and all. (Sidenote: Wasn't there a report recently saying that redheads are going extinct?)

Believe it or not, many people consider me to be blonde - so you can look at my photos if you're interested. I think it's definitely brown, but I suppose it's relative.

However, here's a clear example from Dr. Mohebi of a patient of his who is definitely on the blonder/lighter side.

I would go to different Doctors' websites and browse their albums. That should be your best bet.

Dude! That's awesome you took the initiative to do that and actually followed through. Congrats. Once I find the charger for my kindle that's been sitting dead on my bookshelf for God knows how long, I'll give it a look.

Yep. Looking great - already a huge improvement from before. No doubt you're extremely happy with the way things are shaping up.

In addition to Finasteride, I also take the following supplements:

Biotin

Choline/Inositol

Saw Palmetto

I do think you're better off spending a little more money and going with a surgeon who is very hands on and who will be involved with your entire process from start to finish. And while pricing is an important factor, you don't necessarily want to bargain shop when dealing with something of this nature. I think you're right to be concerned with the "hair transplant farms" as you called them, as there are too many horror stories to even consider going that route, IMO.

For starters, look at the doctors recommended here on this forum and look at their results. And if you're interested in learning more about Dr. Mohebi, you can always message me for details on my personal experience with him, or check out my blog for details on my consultation and surgery.

For FUT, the average going rate is around $4/graft, so you should be able to get 1,500 grafts with an extremely qualified surgeon for around $6,000.

Good for you for finding a solution that works for you, and I'm glad you're satisfied with the results. I agree that I would almost be more nervous/self conscious about a hairpiece than I would a transplant. I'd love to see pictures if you're willing to share.

Dr. Mohebi in Los Angeles does as well. He did manual extraction for my FUE procedure and believes doing it manually allows him more flexibility and control.

Yes. The sooner you can figure out what's going on for you, the better. You do seem to still have thick hair (and lots of it), but I'm glad you're going to get the thinning patches checked out now instead of waiting for it to continue advancing even further. I'm hoping there's an easy fix for you so that you can avoid a HT altogether. Keep us posted on this thread with your updates.

I agree that you should have him evaluated by a HT doctor and see what the underlying issues are. I can't imagine having to deal with hair loss at such a young age. Does this seem to run in your family?

And while I commend you for taking the initiative for him and trying to come up with a solution, I think this would also be a great opportunity for him to take control (and gain some confidence in the process) to find out for himself what his options are. You can be there to guide him and assist him with decisions, but I think this is a great learning opportunity for him as a young man stepping into adulthood. If he wants to make an account and post pictures on here to get feedback, I'm sure everyone here would be more than supportive. Not to mention it would give him a sense of community and help him realize he's not alone.

I agree that you should have him evaluated by a HT doctor and see what the underlying issues are. I can't imagine having to deal with hair loss at such a young age. Does this seem to run in your family?

And while I commend you for taking the initiative for him and trying to come up with a solution, I think this would also be a great opportunity for him to take control (and gain some confidence in the process) to find out for himself what his options are. You can be there to guide him and assist him with decisions, but I think this is a great learning opportunity for him as a young man stepping into adulthood. If he wants to make an account and post pictures on here to get feedback, I'm sure everyone here would be more than supportive. Not to mention it would give him a sense of community and help him realize he's not alone.

When people used to comment about my hairloss I used to blame the wife. I would say I said she could pluck a hair every time I satisfied her and I'm a norwood 6.

 

If the above was true I would have a full head of hair

 

Have a good day.

Haha. That made me laugh out loud.

We always knew who you were...:cool:

Ha! Too bad it couldn't have been an even more dramatic revealing like being an actual celebrity.... Nah, just one of many LA actors pounding the pavement to make it work in this industry. Though I am quite stubborn, persistent, and work my ass off, so I've at least got that going for me. And my hairline. I can't forget the hairline..... :cool:

Hey Spanker. I just changed the photo in the original post to a before and after from two years ago to now. You'll see that it was very thin in the front (and had only gotten worse and receded further since then).

Here are some better pics from right before surgery, with the afters being right at the 4 1/2 month mark.

Hey guys. I joined this board about 6 months ago as a patient advocate for Dr. Mohebi. At the time, I had only told a handful of people in my life about my hair transplant. And for those I didn't want to tell, I had concocted quite the impressive story to explain the post surgery buzzcut I opted for and my need to wear a hat all the time for the first month or so after surgery. (Seriously – the story really was very impressive. ) And while I was 100% comfortable and confident in my decision to have my hairline restored, I still couldn’t bring myself to be open about it with just anyone. I felt what I believe a lot of men feel when dealing not only with hair loss, but with the decision to try and fix it should they ever want to – I was embarrassed. So when Dr. Mohebi asked me to be his patient advocate on these forums, I agreed, but only if I could do it somewhat anonymously. I was so paranoid that somehow, somewhere, someone I knew would run across my picture and discover my “dirty little secret.” So I came up with a fake name (borrowed in part from one of my favorite writers, Rudyard Kipling) and made sure to not post pictures of my entire face. Well, I’m over it.

Over the past 6 months, a lot has changed. Obviously, my hairline has improved tremendously and I’ve never been as confident about my hair as I am now. I’ve gotten acquainted with the users here on this site and have felt a genuine sense of community with guys who know exactly what I’ve gone/am going through. And through this, I started opening up to more and more people in my every day life about my hair transplant. I’ve become incredibly fascinated with the entire industry and the science and technology behind hair restoration and find myself wanting to tell every balding man I see about it. I’ve started talking to strangers about my own personal story when it comes up and have become not only an advocate for hair restoration on these forums, but in my life in general. Then after viewing all the submissions last week for Dr. Mohebi’s “Free Hair Transplant” contest, I found myself very touched and moved by these men and their bravery and fearlessness in telling their stories. So now I want to tell mine…. (I’ll be brief.)

In a nutshell: My name is Brenton Jones and I’m a 30 year old actor in Los Angeles. I’ve been acting for about 5 years, primarily in commercials and plays and some films. I was actually cast in a supporting role for a film just a month or so after my surgery with my bald head on full display and before my new hairs had even started coming in yet…. Impeccable timing there. I’ll find out when the movie’s released if my fresh FUE scars also made an appearance in the film. The entertainment industry is challenging enough to break in to as it is without a receding hairline getting in your way, so when I first learned about hair transplants, it was a no brainer for me. It’s one of the best decisions I’ve ever made, if nothing else than to be able to get ready for an audition without having to worry about strategically placing my hair in just the right spots so as to cover my (formerly) receding hairline.

So that about sums it up. I’m tired of being embarrassed and ashamed and afraid of anyone finding out that I (gasp!) paid for my hairline. One of the main reasons Dr. Mohebi wanted to run his contest was to get people to tell their stories and to help remove the negative stigma associated with hair restoration. So there’s my story. Feel free to share yours as well.

And here’s a before/after photo from a couple of years ago, with the after taken right around the 5 month mark... Face included.

Brenton Jones, formerly Patrick Kipling :cool:

Hey guys! Here are links to all the submissions we had. It was really inspiring for me to hear these guys speak so openly about their hair loss and what a possible solution could do for them. Check them out below and let Dr. Mohebi know what you think. It's a tough call for sure.

Keith

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4dUCTHBqbuY&list=UUO6JL6-NLsqKgN7AJ-14z-w&app=desktop

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HFsUaVg6hk4

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CLMqlFP7ehM

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ir5eqKwVYyI

Abbas

Matt

I agree that it doesn't seem too far gone. How old are you, btw? And have you considered upping the propecia dosage to 1mg/day? If nothing else, I would think that the propecia would stabilize your hair loss - but hopefully results in some regrowth as well. Only way to know for sure though is to use it and see if it works for you. Stay on top of the photos to document the progress and see how it develops. If the medications alone don't completely fix the problem, you could then consider a conservative hair transplant to fill in the crown area.

I must disagree partially with all is written here.

Most glass cars do not protect totally against UV-A, specially lateral windows.

Glass blocks almost 100% UV-B but not UV-A. UV-A penetrates glass except those specifically prepare for that. Glass protection against UV-A depends on thickness, colour, and layers of glasses mainly and lateral car windows are single layer, normally transparent and not thick enough.

Be aware that UV-A damages skin deeper than UV-B which only burns skin superficially.

Anyhow is not clearly explain by hair transplant doctors how and why sun damage new hair grafts. Is it UV-A or UV-B or both?. Is it due to its heating effect or because new grafts are still not protected by skin?...

It is just clear that if you expose your new hair grafts to sun you will ruin your hair transplant.

He's right. While I'm not sure how much the sun is hitting the top of your head while you're in the car, I wouldn't count on the windows to block out any potentially damaging rays on other parts of your body. While the windshield is treated to block both rays, the rear and side windows generally aren't treated to block the UVA rays - which are the more harmful ones. It's a common misperception that the sun can't cause damage through the windows, but the opposite is actually true. In all honesty, the types of rays that are emitted through the glass are worse for you than the rays you would receive if the windows were rolled down, as you would at least be getting the positive Vitamin D results from the UVB rays you'd also be receiving.

All in all though, regarding your hair transplant, I would just make sure you're not getting long amounts of sun exposure on your scalp - whether in the car or not. I know for me, I wore a hat in the car anyway just for peace of mind.... And I live in Southern California where I would often have the sun hitting my head in the car regardless, so I wanted to be extra careful.

Hey guys! We're in the final hours of the contest. There's still time to get your videos uploaded. It's too good of an opportunity to pass up, so don't miss out. ???

As much as I hate to increase the odds of me representing the HRN if I win this great contest, I would feel totally selfish if I didn't encourage anyone to submit a video. Good luck if you do! :cool:

What a team player there, Voxman. :cool:

Just a few days left for submissions. It's crunch time, gentlemen.

Just saw this post. Interestingly I have been using braggs apple cider vinegar on my scalp for the last few days as I have sebborheic dermatitis and it's been excellent so far!

 

Have been diluting it 1:1 with water and applying for 15mins before washing out. Hoping to only do it twice a week from next week.

So glad this is working for you too! All these years, who knew there was such a simple, cheap, natural cure for all the itchy, flaky, woes of my scalp. :cool:

Yeah, absolutely. Thank you all for the support. It's crazy how comfortable I felt with the expectations set and the procedure, and I know the guys and gals at SMG do such reliable work.

 

I also understand this will not be the last one I have. After my experience, I am really okay with doing that. Again, I know my donor area has plenty left as well, so this gives me hope for that.

 

We'll see!

It's very encouraging to hear someone so young being so well informed and knowledgeable. Very glad you made a decision you yourself feel comfortable with, and with reasonable expectations. You'll do well in life with the good head you seem to have on your shoulders - and hopefully with a good head of hair to go along with it.

This is a great report and I'm glad you're finding success with this. Do you happen to have any pictures you can share?

Thanks for replies guys, will be taking photos evey month and let you all be the judges as to resukts.

Im 32 and am taking 1mg Propecia a day. Been taking for just over week now and not really noticed any sides yet but am trying not to look to hard and just get on with it as if you look hard enough you'll find something that's not really there. I am worried about getting certain ones though.

What side effects did you experience?

I agree completely about being able to find any number of things when you're looking for them. As best as possible, I wouldn't stress out about the side effects... Even if the Propecia doesn't cause any problems sexually, the stress about it alone could - which is why I think the reports of side effects with it are hard to really gauge and report on accurately.

I've been on it for almost 6 months now. I've not experienced any side effects that I can be sure are attributed to the finasteride. There are times when I think my libido is down, but then I'm proven wrong just a few hours later and am reassured that everything is A-Okay. It's almost as if I'm hypersensitive to the possibility of a weakened libido, so any moment of the day where it's probably quite normal to not have your libido turned up stands out as a possible warning sign that my manhood is at risk due to the drug.... And I honestly just don't believe that that's the case for me.

Ultimately, I have to look at the fact that in the big picture, my libido/sex life hasn't been affected at all - no matter how many ways my brain tries to make me believe otherwise.

On a side note, I would use this as an opportunity to make sure you have positive habits in your lifestyle that will only help to support a healthy libido/sex drive.... Things like nutrition, exercise, enough sleep, confidence, etc. can all do wonders to offset any potential negative side effects you may experience.

Looking forward to seeing your progress and getting your personal feedback on how the drug works for you. Great start to 2015.... Good luck!

Aside from all the points already mentioned, I suggest you at least wait until your hair starts growing back in to see how your hair looks in the donor area. Chances are you won't even miss the donor hair and I can't imagine it's so scarce back there that it would be worth even considering.

I'm glad to see you started the Propecia and found a doctor willing to work with you. The general consensus on the forums and in the HT transplant community is that getting a hair transplant at such a young age is almost always a bad idea - the primary reason being that the hair loss hasn't been stabilized and will continue to progress, so there's no way to know how to plan the transplant/placement of the grafts. However, I spoke with Dr. Mohebi recently about this very thing and he has a different opinion on this.

Following the strict guidelines of the past of always waiting until you're older to get a transplant doesn't apply as much today as it used to due to a couple of factors: Medication (such as Propecia) allows us to stabilize the hair loss in advance, so we don't have to wait for nature to stabilize it for us. And not only that, but we have better diagnostic tools today at our disposal. Most doctors can do microscopic evaluations that can give us a map of sorts about where the hair loss will be heading in the future and what will most likely be their final stage of hair loss. So we don't really have to wait until they look completely bald in order to know what their final stage will be.

I think this is very good to consider, and it seems you found a doctor who considers this as well and has taken a very responsible, conservative approach with you. Men in their early 20s suffer the most when it comes to hair loss, so it's encouraging to see technology advancing in such a way that we can start dealing with the hair loss when it's most important instead of the old "just wait it out and deal with it later" approach of the past.

Looking forward to seeing your updates!

Hey guys. Just a reminder for any of you considering submitting a video for a free hair transplant with Dr. Mohebi that the deadline is in just a couple of weeks. I understand putting yourself out there and making a video may seem daunting, but it really is a great opportunity for those of you that have been considering a transplant but the price is too much of an obstacle.

Also, at this point I believe there have only been a few submissions, so your odds of being selected are really, really good. ))