mattj

It's possible that you had a burst of hairloss and that it has naturally slowed down. If you used Minoxidil consistently for a year with no changes then I guess that treatment isn't going to work for you. Finasteride is worth a go. You need to be consistent with any of these treatments.

Even if you were 40 I don't think a transplant would be justified as you haven't lost enough hair. A lot of guys see a good response to Finasteride and Minoxidil at the crown area, so it's worth giving them a try. By response I mean possible regrowth of hair, as well as the benefits of slowing the loss down.

I'll second that. 23 is a young age and to have lost as much hair as you have, so early, is a strong indicator that you'll lose a lot more hair over the course of the next 5-10 years. It would be best to see what the meds can do for you. If you respond well to them and your hair loss is significantly slowed, then you will be in a better position to consider surgery.

I have not cut my transplant recipient area quite that short, but I really don't think the area would look pluggy. I've inspected the area very closely in all lighting conditions and can see no difference between the transplanted hairs and the native hairs. I don't see a contrast becoming apparent if I were to cut the hair shorter. I'm probably going to try a buzz cut once the weather warms up a bit.

Look into the health supplement called MSM. There's a good amount of anecdotal evidence that it can speed up hair growth.

I'm not an expert in these things so don't take my word as gospel, but I don't see any reason why it would do you any harm. If anything it could become less effective over time, as it degrades, but even that seems unlikely. Like I said by way of a disclaimer, I am not an authority on this.

Basically totally bald in your frontal third and now this. Great transformation!

I would imagine that your face is already nicely framed by the hair that you have, as you're only a Norwood 2. But with that said, I do see how you could improve your hairline with a smaller procedure. I'm thinking doctors will recommend around 1000 - 1200 grafts. When did you first notice your hairloss? Obviously it's very minimal loss, but it's important to know whether it has only recently begun to establish how quickly it might progress.

I too have heard those rumours about Minoxidil and sexual side effects. I don't buy it. The sexual side effects of Fin are quite widespread and real, while the rumours regarding Minoxidil are just murmurs despite Minoxidil being a much more widely used drug. Maybe there are some people out there with very real side effects of that kind, but they must be extremely rare.

Good luck! I know it's a big deal to change a style you've been with for a long time, but I think you'll look better for it and it'll make assessing your photos so much easier.

Having coarse hair will work in your favour. It's much better than fine hair for scalp coverage. It would help to see photos, but experience tells me that you will need more than 900-1100 grafts, especially if treating your crown as well as your hairline. Procedures as small as that are normally for very minor frontal loss and a man with a NW3 pattern would normally need at least 2000 grafts for the front alone.

You could improve your frontal zone with a smaller procedure in the 2.5k ballpark, but would benefit from more coverage which would mean more grafts. I totally agree with Bill that we need to see better photos and it's important that your chosen doctor sees your hair in more detail too. If you're planning to cut your hair shorter then that would improve matters so I suggest taking some more photos after that is done.

It is safe to plant hairs within native hair, but not when that hair is still very dense, as yours is at the midscalp area. I'm going by the second photo you posted, with your hand holding hair back. The hair in that area is still far too dense to justify adding grafts to. It does look like you could benefit from adding some density to your temples and probably across your whole hairline, too. Would need to see more photos to be sure.

I didn't shed badly myself, but if you do then that's completely normal and not a reason to worry. Seeing all sorts of different hair shapes like you describe is normal too. I'm curious why you think you saw failed grafts.

I wouldn't get hung up on the name. It's available at any store that sells health supplements and it's cheap, so I'd suggest just hitting the high street. Although you could save money if buying in bulk online as jjsrader suggests.

Finasteride is the main treatment to prevent hairloss and it isn't particularly expensive. Cost will depend on where you live and how you go about purchasing it.

Your wavy hair will benefit you when it comes to coverage. Wavy hair as it interlocks together is much better than straight hair at covering bald scalp. You have quite a large/wide expanse of crown loss, but it is the type of loss that is mostly seen from above. It's barely visible from the back and your donor looks good. So positive things there, but you would need a lot of grafts to give adequate coverage to the entire balding area. A procedure focused towards the front will diminish the look of the entire balding area but typically a person with your degree of hairloss would get the best result with a larger FUT procedure. I'm guessing your preference is FUE, though?

A typical bandana or hat would be enough. No need to double up on the headgear

Pimples can happen. You're right that a shed graft will normally have the actual follicle tissue attached. That's another sign that you have nothing to worry about.

FUE is newer, yes, but that doesn't mean that it has totally replaced FUT as a surgery option. FUT is better for larger procedures - but - it is still an option for any size procedure, including smaller hairline restoration. The key is knowing what is involved. It's important for any patient to know what is involved with surgery. Everything I've seen tells me that FUE will achieve the same high quality result with the right clinic, but this doesn't mean that patients shouldn't choose FUT. All surgery results in some sort of scarring, so it's a matter of choosing whichever method suits you best. I chose FUE for my surgery because i tend to keep my back and sides cut short. Not everybody has that same requirement. FUT scars these days are very discreet compared to what they used to be like, but you are still looking at a linear scar. Education is the key. As long as you know what you're signing up for, choose a quality doctor, then you'll be fine.

A large strip can result in a wider scar, but that depends on the laxity of your scalp in the donor area. 4500 grafts in one session is a very common procedure size these days and definitely not at the extreme.

That does look like a more sensible position for the hairline, and it's in line with the one you drew in the photo I linked to in my last post. The graft estimations you've been given will include a lot of grafts being placed within the frontal zone, as that area looks to be quite thin. So it would be more than just filling the totally bald areas at the very front.

Normally, seeing blood along with a shed hair is a sign of a lost graft, but at 6 weeks post-op that seems unlikely. It's more likely that the hair is simply one that has shed as they normally do after a HT and the blood is a result of popping the pimple. Pimples do have a habit of bleeding. Has your doctor suggested a reason for the pimples? Some kind of mild infection?

I don't know whether grafts being placed too deeply can cause this, but I do know that the kinky/bent/J-shaped look of the shed hairs is something most HT patients notice and therefore it isn't a sign that hairs have been implanted incorrectly. I see no cause for concern.

I agree that you would be a good candidate for either procedure type. You look to be a 3 or 3A on the Norwood scale. Your donor density looks good. Of course it would be beneficial if you were taking preventative medications, but your loss is apparently quite slow.