bonkling

Hey all,

I've been on Fin for about two years, a bit more actually, at a dosage of 1mg.

My hair seemed to stabilise, but now I've underwent a huge shed for like 6 months, and my temple has receded.

Fin doesn't seem to be really working for my hair, which is the case for some people apparently.

My question is: if the hairs in our safe zones are DHT resistant, would it make sense that even if fin cannot stop all your native hair from falling, it may provide enough of a buffer that your safe zone hairs are essentially safe for as long as you take it?

I'm just thinking, as if all my hair is gonna go despite fin, whether there is any point getting a transplant.

Might be a question for researchers/doctor's, but thought I'd ask as this forum is so knowledgeable.

Cheers 

10 hours ago, home1212 said:

I don't know if its just me noticing HT scars or if a tide has turned on the stigma about them, but I work in NYC and see way many more guys who have just completely shaved their head and are sporting a linear FUT scar on the back of their head without any worries. Absolutely nothing wrong with it, and when you get to a point where you really don't care about what others think, that's real freedom. There is no need to be ashamed of our scars - its a part of who we are, our struggle, journey, etc. 

I think this is a good point.

Like, we know the scar is from a HT, but a few years ago if I was to see a linear scar on the back of some dudes head, I would have thought: "oh, a thin scar, I guess he had an operation or something" - then literally not give it one single thought. Especially if he had a great head of hair.

Everyday people don't actually care about scarring.

6 minutes ago, VicTNYC said:

Maybe get a consultation with a local HT doctor first and see what they say of your donor area, you don’t have to inform them that you’ve booked a procedure with another doctor if they don’t ask.

That's a good idea.

Mind you, given the reputation of docs in my area, they will probably say I'm a great candidate regardless 😂

This may be a question that needs to be fielded by the doctors that browse these forums: but is there any tool, method, or means, for someone to assess their donor area prior to travel?

For some of us that live in Aus, NZ, and so on, a 20+ hour flight, plus all the accompanying expenditure, is a real commitment. 

Does anyone know if using say, a microscope camera, or visiting a dermatologist, would allow one to see if their donor is appropriate?

I understand doctors use a Densitometer, or microscope to see if the donor is thinning (different hair profiles, different colours, etc) and it would be great for people to have the means to conduct this locally, prior to travel.

Or, alternatively, would photos of magnified scalps be useful for surgeons moving forward?

Thanks all.

Hey all,

I'm sure we've all seen the cases in which, for whatever reason, a transplant doesn't work. 

The grafts don't grow, the person may be incompatible, and so on. Does anyone know the most prominent reasons for a transplant not working?

Considering this, would it be potentially smart to start with an FUE, instead of the recommended FUT, in case if doesn't work, and then scarring would be less potentially?

I know both scar, and FUE can have terrible scarring, but it is usually easier to hide than a strip.

Thanks all.

Hey mate,

Firstly, I'm really sorry you went through all of this, it truly sounds horrible.

I kind of (not nearly as bad as your experience) know the feeling of something needing to change due to career moves.

I've coming to the end of my post-grad, where I'm always in the field/in a lab, so I just cover my hair with a beanie/hat. My new job I won't be able to do so, so I'm a bit stuck. 

The SMP helped a lot IMO - if I was you, I'd consult some ethical, well-known doctors. One that springs to mind is Dr. Lupanzula, in all his patient testimonies they talk about how caring and thoughtful he is, and his work/scar repair is great. 

Chatting to multiple, good surgeons is your best bet. Do you mind me asking what was the initial clinic you went to?

Best of luck, mate. 

I guess I just noticed gradual temple recession, to the point that I was like, hang-on, has my hair always been like that?

Now it's at the point where it is pretty much making me depressed and super self-conscious, lol.

No one has really told me, other than my dermatologist, I always wear hats, beanies, and use long hair to disguise it - but that is getting very hard now. 

Treatments are fin and minoxidil, seemed to work for a while, but a recent shed has kind of taken away all the progress.

So I think it would have an effect dude.

If nothing else has changed, only your meds, then it's probably fin.

Mine definitely changed when I changed the dosage.

7 hours ago, Dr. Glenn Charles said:

I have never seen any data that describes the efficacy of Finasteride using less than 1 mg daily. It does have a short half life so it is cleared from the system quickly. That is why it is recommended for daily use. If I have a patient that is concerned about potential side effects and is asking me if every other day is better I tell them I would rather have them take 1/2 mg every day than 1 mg every other day. That way there is a steady level of the medication in the body versus having some one day and none the next.

Thanks Doctor,

That makes sense. 

In switching from 1mg to .5mg, I have definitely noticed an increase in hairloss, compared with what was essentially a cessation before.

22 hours ago, Melvin-Moderator said:

How short do you wear your hair? It’s sensible to start with strip first and then go to FUE. 

Not very, I've always had a long cut. Almost like someone that refused to let go of an emo "it's not a phase mom" do. 

On 4/14/2019 at 6:29 AM, BeHappy said:

If you start out with strip it usually makes sense to go with another strip later. They will cut along the same scar line to get another strip, so you will still have just the one strip scar. Once you get to the point where you can't get any more strip surgeries due to lack of laxity or lack of further good donor zone hair then you can do some FUE.

That makes sense, thanks happy

Hey Melvin,

Firstly, awesome video. Great summary of the differences and positives/negatives.

Secondly, your hair just looks incredible haha. You must be so happy, it frames your face so well - and looks so natural.

Touching on your topic of maximising the grafts, would this sound like a good idea in your opinion:

I need about 2k grafts, but will no doubt have extensive hair loss in the future. Would it be sensible to get a strip of around 2k, and get a good frontal hairline with quality grafts, then use FUE for any subsequent operations?

Just checking I had your combination method right.

Great work

Great choice, Cooley is a fantastic surgeon.

If you don't mind me asking, what prompted you to choose Cooley finally? His results are very consistent, so I can't blame you. I assume the FUT price wasn't anything crazy either?

Best of luck on Finasteride, too. Don't think about the sides - I've been on it for years with no sides, as have lots of people I know.

Cheers!

7 minutes ago, Dr Blake Bloxham said:

Bonkling, 

Seasonal shedding is a real thing. I have seen it many times in transplanted and non-transplanted patients. I previously thought it mostly occurred during the "cold" months, but I have seen a number of people experience it when the weather changes from colder to warmer as well. It typically lasts about the same time as a normal hair follicle telogen resting cycle -- which is 3-4 months, and should really look improved by around 5-6 months when the regrowing hairs have some length. 

I would still have a doctor take a look in-person if you get the chance. It could be some progression or it could be due to something else the doctor picks up on during your visit. 

Hope this helps. 

Hi Dr,

Thanks a lot for the reply. 

I'm not sure if this makes sense to you, but the hairs that fall out, seem to have a white, bulb-like ending. Is this indicative of the telogen phase? 

I'm going to pop down to a dermatologist and have a check-up in about a month, so we shall see

Thanks again!

Hi Dr, 

Beautiful results as always, the patient must be very happy. 

I was wondering if you recommend any specific plan for patients in their 20's?

As in, is it advisable to take a moderate hair line and then take preventative medication?

Thanks a lot! 

Has anyone experienced this personally?

I was reading a great post by Spex, detailing how some people can undergo large sheds when seasons change. 

Since the start of summer in Aus, or rather for a couple of months now, I have undergone a big shed. I've never had a transplant, but am noticing lots of hairs on my pillow, in the shower, and so on.

It may just be my MPB progressing, but thought I'd get other perspectives on whether it could be a shed of some sort - as it's pretty terrifying haha.

Thanks all.

Great list, mate.

I'd be super happy to go with all of these.

I'd also ass Hasson and Wong, as mentioned.

On 4/5/2019 at 6:49 AM, gettingfue said:

How am I making it so someone is not heard? I'm merely engaging with what someone said. You yourself identified the problem in his post, in that he is confusing nationality with ethnicity. Although I would be keen to hear what ethnicity you think Spanish people have, although I know that is going off topic.

My point is though, I remain unconvinced. Within any ethnicity there is as much variation as there is between ethnicity. So take a race, say caucasian people. Some of these people will have amazing hairy characteristics, whereas others will have poor hair characteristics. I'm sure this sentiment is replicated for every ethnic group. To say 'ethnicity X have great hair characteristics' is reminiscent of Victorian science (which justified racism with it's notion of biological determinism) and yes, I maintain, is completely stupid. 

You've completely highjacked this post with your pseudo-intellectual dribble. 

You first called a completely innocuous, and generally accepted notion "one of the stupidest things you have read on this forum", then continued to drone on about completely irrelevant aspects to OPs queries.

Literally none of your assertions have any scientific backing, and instead guess that certain characteristics are seen amongst all ethnic groups because 'reasons'. 

Saying ethnicity X has great hair characteristics is nothing close to VS, as it's a widely accepted phenotype of certain localities. Clearly you're of an anthropological bend, as your points are social-science conjecture.

This is easy to spot as you consistently try to devolve the discussion into a battle of semantics, i.e. conflating X with Y, when it's utterly irrelevant as we are discussing the tendency for people of a certain background to bare similar traits. 

When it comes to getting a transplant in your 20's, what is everyone's thoughts?

The prevailing opinion seems to be, and sensibly so, that we should wait until we are at least 30, and that way one can better gauge what their hair loss pattern will be down the track. 

The issue here, for people in their mid-late 20's, is that this means spending another few years with a receded hairline that will be getting progressively worse.  

This time of people's lives is filled with socialising, parties, events, weddings, engagements, and so on, and for someone to be forced to wear a hat literally everywhere, or feel super self-conscious, just doesn't seem like a great way to live. 

Considering this, would people agree that if someone was to accept a conservative hairline, and accept that they most likely WILL need surgeries within the next few years, such a procedure is ethical and appropriate in this instance?

Thanks all, your opinions are always so valued. 

All the doctors mentioned are great, you can't really go wrong when choosing from such a good list.

I know your pain, I'm also young, and have been warned of getting a HT before my hairline matures. 

The thing is, and what you probably feel, is I don't want to spend another 2-3 years of my life wearing hats everywhere, and avoiding certain situations because my temple recession really shatters my self-confidence. 

As long as you are prepared for further surgeries, are a good candidate, and opt for a conservative hair-line, then I don't see why you shouldn't. There are plenty of young people who have had great transplants, and the majority of them say it changed their life. 

On 4/1/2019 at 6:59 AM, Shifty said:

This is like telling someone that has an autoimmune disease to eat whatever they want it wont change things because they inherited it. Bad advice imo. Is it I inherited? Yes. It is NOTHING like eye color. Proper diet can CHANGE YOUR WORLD.  I am not saying a completely bald person can regrow hair by eating correctly.  I am saying that if you feel it's in your Gene's you can slow it down if not stop it from happening by putting the right things in your body.  Doctors are not there to tell you these things IMO they are there to prescribe meds and perform surgery.  That's how they make money. 

Not necessarily. Diet can literally work wonders, but it is not even in the same realm as genetic coding. 

Diet can: strengthen your hair, make it much more healthy, and so on, but if you are genetically predisposed to a balding pattern, no dietary change can alter the expression of the many genes that encode for hair loss. 

As everyone has said, a good diet should be sought after in every instance, irrespective of hairloss. If nothing more than to live longer, healthier, and happier lives.

Hey mate, your results are honestly fantastic! 

I'm envious as hell, haha.

I came from another forum, where you discussed how getting an early transplant was a really bad idea for yourself.

I'm 28, NW 3, and really want to get one, but feel as though I will definitely need more.

Is the main reason you advised waiting because a person may need another one sooner? Or is it more-so just the unpredictability of hair at this age? Or rather, would you suggest waiting a couple of years and then getting a bit more done in one go, once you know what you're up against?

Thanks heaps, and congratulations

8 minutes ago, Melvin-Moderator said:

They are definitely excellent options as well.

I hadn't seem them until recently, but watching how they tackle issues like: safe donor area, scar minimisation, and all the little details some clinics seem to differ on, was really reassuring. 

I've also seen them offer to have past patients meet with you at their clinic, which is a great initiative. 

One clinic I have recently seen results from is Feller & Bloxham in New York. 

They have lots of videos on YouTube, and seem really honest about why they do FUT, and the results patients get. 

The level of detail and surgical practices seem to be extremely high level.

53 minutes ago, elduterino said:

You can get more grafts out of Fue as you won't need to keep long hair in the back to cover the hugly scar 

I have a fair skin and had two Fue and it's totally scarless I can shave my back and sides to a zero guard and there is absolutely no scarring but that's how my skin heals this may be different for other people or when larger punches are used 

Hey mate,

I don't really understand how how not needing to keep long hair means you get more grafts? Can you explain?

5 hours ago, Dr Blake Bloxham said:

Great replies thus far. 

Bonkling, 

Would you mind sharing a little more information about your specific situation? Age, level of hair loss, family history, and preventive medication regimen -- if any. 

I perform both FUT and FUE, but I am a pretty well known proponent of the FUT method in a lot of situations. In fact, I think most guys would probably benefit most in the long-run by starting with FUT. However,  it would be helpful to get a little more information about your case before making too strong of an endorsement either way. 

 

Hi Blake,

I'm mid 20's, probably approaching a NW 3 but sitting at a 2 at the moment

Im currently on medication (rogaine and fin) and i have strong balding on my dads side

thanks!