mattj

You'd be in good hands with either surgeon, but you look like the kind of patient (with advanced hairloss) who H&W really excel at helping. A word of caution though. It does appear that you might be thinning at the lower back of your head, at the top of the neck.

It looks like the recipient area has healed well. Good luck and keep us updated.

Giuliano, you didn't say much. I take it you're happy with the results so far. From the looks of things you really should be.

I don't think men necessarily shave their heads to hide balding, as in make people think that they aren't going bald. It's probably more often the case that they think it looks better. As more and more men are doing it, it becomes easier to do.

Yes, I can see why you were quoted 3000 and 4000 grafts by two of the doctors. Those are the sort of figures you'll need for more thorough coverage. Are you taking any medication for your hairloss?

Moss, the reason I asked that question is that depending on how much you discussed your wishes with those doctors, one might have a better idea of what you want than another, and this might account for the difference in graft numbers. Can't you show us your photos?

How much communication did you have with the doctors? You say you had an online consultation with one (the one who gave you the highest graft number estimate) but does that mean the others were just sent photos to evaluate?

The photos will answer this but did you slick it back with a comb or a brush? A comb creates channels which will show scalp, while a brush doesn't. They're two different looks really.

Sounds like you've been living with this for a while now. How far would you say your hairloss has progressed since you saw Dr. Wong ten years back? As someone with diffuse hairloss who can still do pretty well with concealers, I think you've held your baldness at bay quite well considering that the loss must have already been evident a full decade in the past for you to have been consulting with transplant doctors. There's nothing weird about gyno. It happens. But it might be unusual if it came on after 8 years of Proscar use.

It's hard to tell if your hairline has receded at all. It looks to mainly be diffuse loss. How well did Proscar help you and have you seen increased hairloss since stopping taking it?

Here are a few photos of healed donor scars from Dr. Rahal. http://i49.tinypic.com/10rmio8.jpg http://i46.tinypic.com/15rno89.jpg http://i46.tinypic.com/2d9xjwn.jpg http://i49.tinypic.com/2ezhi89.jpg http://i49.tinypic.com/1tmrt1.jpg http://i46.tinypic.com/21jufl3.jpg Wait. What's that? I see a grey-haired patient!

I think it's fair (not to mention stating the obvious) to say that the more thorough restorations will always consume the most grafts, but patient characteristics also come into play. Sometimes I'm amazed at how much can be done with so few grafts. Would you like to see some examples of healed trichophytic closures performed by Dr. Rahal? I agree that there seem to be less examples in recent patient photo assortments, but that seems to be a trend lately for most doctors on here. Could people be taking scars for granted? I think those of us who have been around for a while will remember when Dr Rahal's strip scars came under scrutiny and were judged as some of the best. (Probably during the great trichophytic closure boom of '07, or maybe that was '06). I shall try and find some examples for you so you can decide for yourself.

What is your age and just how much hair have you lost? Your age will make a difference. If you're very young then your peers are more likely to point it out to you (as if you hadn't already noticed), but there comes an age when it's just accepted as normal. I'd be very pleased if I was you. Your friends seem mature or maybe your hair isn't that bad.

Most doctors would, I imagine, prefer it if you wait until you're out of the chair.

At least wait until you get home.

Your photos aren't showing on the gallery on this page. At the blog though everything is fine. Everything looks typically tidy. Plenty of hat weather to come while you wait out the doldrums. Good growth to you!

Kelli, have you looked around this forum at the photos of other transplant patients? You'll find lots of post-op photos to compare to your own situation.

Treatments such as rogaine and finasteride (propecia/proscar) can help at the front, it's just that they aren't as effective and the original trials focused on the crown/vertex. It would be worth giving them a try.

I think it's impossible to say for sure. Could be a transplant could be natural thinning. There have been rumours about Depp for years on these forums with some people adamant that his hair couldn't be a result of a transplant, but in the close-up, un-touched photos I don't think we're seeing anything a good transplant couldn't do. I'd be interested to know what others here think. I don't know if there's any photographic evidence of changes in his hair. If it is a transplant then I'm sure it was a very small one.

His hair looks much more dense in that cover you're talking about than it does in un-touched photographs such as this one: http://thesuperficial.com//bfm...8_johnny_depp_02.jpg Another: http://upload.wikimedia.org/wi...b5/Johnny_Depp_1.JPG It's not a good idea to base your perceptions on the type of photos that make it to magazines.

It does sound like you have MPB, and the finasteride minoxidil are the best course of action for that, but you really need a qualified physician to actually see your hair to determine if you have anything else amiss. So you should definitely seek the advice or a good dermatologist. Make him aware of your history and make sure your hair is longer at the time of your appointment so that your hair texture problem is evident.

From the looks of your photos you don't have any loss at the crown area. Am I right? Propecia might be responsible for this.

I see. Sometimes I do hear that claim being made and it sounded like that formed part of your argument above.

I would never believe she was 68. Very good work on the transplant and the facelift.

Personally I do think a slightly higher hairline is more sensible, and to me it provides a more dramatic and masculine aesthetic. I don't wish to get into the question of ethics here, but I do want to challenge the assertion that a low hairline will look bad on an older man. A minority of older men retain youthful hairlines and they don't look ridiculous. If anything they are envied for their hair. My dad is nearly sixty and he still has a low hairline with closed temples (although he's losing it now due to chemotherapy).