lebaneseguy

7 hours ago, Gatsby said:

Please don't become one of them. Feel free to pm me or look at my vlog on being 53 and considering having a hair transplant. 

With all due respect, at this point in your life you're living in denial and clinging on to a lost cause. If I'm 50+ in age I'd shave it off and get on with my life. 

I'm about to do that too, right now, and give up on ever making my hairline better. But before I do that, I'd like to give a HT a try. If it works, it works. If it doesn't, at least I've tried, and then I'd give it a clean shave or get a MSP.

Any of those options are better than my current hairline that I've been born with and hated since forever. It matters to me that I try to fix it at this age, otherwise I really, really don't care about tomorrow. I don't even take tomorrow for granted. 

If the HT works, then great! Problem solved and we can gradually keep lowering hairline over the years. If not, big deal! I'll shave it off. Which is what I suggest you do as well in your current age. I can't keep hanging on to "restoring my hair" until I'm 50, by then, I would stop giving a damn and call myself bald and proud. I'd hit the gym instead and make the most out of it. 

Sorry for being harsh with the truth, but yeah, harsh truth

24 minutes ago, Nounours said:

Hey Lebaneseguy,

First of all, I can understand why you want to hair transplant now. It is not easy dealing with hair loss at a young age, I can relate to that. However, given what you have described, am I right in presuming your hair loss is only in the temples? If so, I am sure I will not be the only one on this forum that will advise you not to go ahead with this hair transplant. You are still way too young for one and you hair loss doesn't sound too extensive either. Even if the surgeon is saying they will only use a limited amount of grafts because of your age, and that they will only operate if you are on finasteride and minoxidil, no ethical surgeon would operate on a patient that young. A lot of hair transplant surgeons won't operate on any patient younger than 25.

I'm not sure what you wanted to get out of the replies for this post but I'd advise you to consider cancelling the operation and waiting a few years whilst carrying on with finasteride and minoxidil. Sorry for putting a downer on your post, but I hope you take what I say into consideration. Good luck either way!

I completely get what you mean. In my case, it's different, however.

My hairloss was not in my temples no, my temples were empty since birth. That was the point. My hairline does/did not fit my age ever, the only hairloss I had was minor thinning in the front. However, My forehead and temples were very receded since birth. If I can't fix them now, there's no point caring for them in the future. I'd rather go with a clean shave than wait till later years and do this procedure, cause it defies the whole point of why I want the procedure in the first place. 

Fin & Minox can't bring back hair follicles that were never there in the first place. I've been taking Fin for a year to slow down/halt further hairloss and I'm planning to get back to Minoxidil regularly as soon as next week. 

My surgeon was very hesitant, just like you, but I brought with me old pictures of when I was a child to show and explain what I meant. He understood after he saw the pictures, my hairline was exactly as it is now since birth, with only minor thinning in the front. He aims to strengthen this thinning area and cover the temples instead of lowering the hairline for now, which seems fair imo. 

However, I understand what your point of view is, I appreciate it! 

33 minutes ago, TorontoMan said:

You have done a great job breaking this down for yourself and I commend you for being so mature at your age. I don't know enough about doctor's in Lebanon, but I am hoping you have chosen correctly for your needs and I hope it comes out well. This is a marathon not a sprint and it sounds like you're safeguarding for the future. Pretty large donor area as well, which is a positive for you moving forward. Best of luck and post your updates!

Thank you, I definitely will. I didn't know about the surgeon I found either until recently. I've been so focused on looking abroad, I forgot to look locally. Turns out this clinic really is good and fits all the criteria I was looking for. Hoping for the best! 

Alright, after 3 years of research and questions and doubts and even asked about some opinions here (I did not want to rush into this matter at all), here's what came to my decision: 

I was born with a high receded hairline since birth. Only experienced minor recession (more like minor thinning in front area) over my puberty years. I know that due to my age now (21), I am still young to do hair transplants and it is still early. However, knowing that fixing this issue concerns me most at this age rather than any other age later, I still needed a fix.

Some things I tried to avoid:

- Most HT clinics in Turkey (we don't even need explanation for that part)

- Aggressively lowering my hairline

- Over-harvesting my donor area

- Not using Finasteride due to rumors of side effects

What I did: 

- Consulted with over 20 clinics (some of which were Dr. Koray Erdogan, Cosmedica, HLC Clinic, and a Lebanese clinic) 

- Started with Finasteride already a year ago (3 times a week, just in case) 

- Made sure the Dr. uses microscope, does the procedure himself and use single hair grafts at the front

- Made sure the doctor is ethical with dealing with my donor area for future HT procedures to follow in case I need some later

I decided to do the operation at a Lebanese clinic and not a Turkish one, as this one seemed way more ethical and professional. Unlike Turkish clinics, this one DID NOT want to use too many grafts, and was very careful with dealing with my donor area. Most Turkish clinics offered 2600-2800 grafts, some up to 3000. This one said they will limit it to 2000 grafts, and will not attempt to do more until after a few years pass to assess my condition. The operation will be done only on the condition that I use Minoxidil and Finasteride (which I already use). 

Hoping this will be the beginning to gradually solving the issue that has been haunting me for 21 years. The clinic said I have around 7000 grafts worth of reserve in my donor area, which is hopefully good news should I need further hair transplants, or if I want to lower my hairline furthermore later on. I will accept the subtle lowering for now, as I know it is for the best at my age. The operation is next week. 

I was very hesitant to take Finasteride at first because of what I've read about it, but then I kept researching and talked about it here and decided to only take 0.5 mg everyday, which is half the dose people usually take. I've been on it for 3 months now and I don't notice any changes in my sex drive, I'm still the same really

Hello @transplantedphil

Thank you - I completely understand what you mean and i agree. That's why I already started taking Finasteride regardless of whether I'm starting to bald or not. But my hairline is the same as it was in terms of height and going backward except for some temple recession. 

Regardless, I have consulted with many clinics already - I'm definitely not just relying on his consultation as I need to make sure that I have at least a good number of clinics agreeing on my situation's being

I've been researching since last fall and I'm continuing my research to make sure of my decision before June 

4 minutes ago, Uncle drew said:

No prob take your time and when u decide open a thread here so we can see your journey 

best of luck !!

I would love to, really looking forward to doing so one day. Thanks again!

2 minutes ago, Uncle drew said:

Kaan pekiner and kesser then...please don’t make a mistake and ruin your head by going in a bad clinic with technicians at the age of 21 u will hate yourself forever 

Of course, I already sent an email for consultation to Kesser and looking into Kaan at the moment. I am not planning on doing this before June so I have plenty of time to invest in more research. I would never want to make a decision I'd regret. On the hating self part, I already hated myself for 20 whole years so I'm familiar with that part lol. This is why I want to make a good decision now

Your assistance is very much appreciated, btw!

28 minutes ago, Uncle drew said:

If u have severe hair loss probably erdogan otherwise quality and price wise I’d go kaan pekiner 

That's the thing, I don't have severe hair loss - My hair is still pretty thick and full, I was just born with a very high hairline, my hairline receded a little from the temples and middle after puberty but it's still very similar to how it is since birth. I'm 21, I just need a better hairline is all 

Yes,  born and raised in Lebanon - also, I've been checking HLC, Erdogan and Keser. I will check Kaan as well, thanks!

India needs visa too, hence choosing Turkey is easiest for me at the moment

Yes - Turkey is one of the only countries that do not require a visa for travel and seems to be the most affordable option for me / Every other country requires a visa and is way more expensive to travel to - aside from the operation costs

3 minutes ago, Uncle drew said:

Don’t bother with serkan aygin

Thank you for responding - do you mind letting me know where you did your HT or if you have any good suggestions in mind for an HT in Turkey? Also how much it cost you? (If you're okay with sharing that info) 

Would be greatly appreciated

Hello, 

I am pretty sure his name was mentioned here before as his clinic is popular in Turkey now. But from what I've read on this forum, there are divided opinions about him. I know several people who did their HT at his clinic and have wonderful results and they're very happy - on the other hand, I keep seeing people here mentioning that he's an unlicensed doctor and that his technicians are unlicensed as well. This worries me, but I haven't seen a bad review from people who did do their HT at his clinic. 

His prices are very competitive and the results he's showing from his work look pretty good too. Any ideas? 

P.S/ I've seen the Tillman video about his clinic - hence why I'm concerned now

26 minutes ago, jonnyalex said:

Completely incorrect. You would have to be extremely unlucky to suffer side effects and in most people they are temporary. If you want to hold on to your hair, you need to take it. In your case of early MPB, it is not wise to undergo a hair transplant without it either. 

That sounds far more comforting than what I've read previously. I will be asking about it in pharmacies around anyway, I hope they have it here - I definitely need to check it out 

Hello, 

I see your point; I definitely didn't get the consultation from one clinic but several ones and made many calls and took advices from many people who already had undergone a HT (such as Matt Dominance). I do follow Joe Tillman and Dr. Bernstein as some suggested, I have for some months now. I definitely will be consulting more clinics (world famous ones) for better understanding.

The clinic I was recently contacting told me my donor holds up to 4500 grafts, and they usually resort to beard hair in case the donor area is risky to take more from. 

I did ask more about Finasteride, and I will be looking more for advice from pharmacies and local Drs. I was told it's safe to take it, and should I experience any side effect I can stop immediately. 

In any case, thank you all for showing concern and giving out advice - I am new to this forum as you all know, and I had some doubts about everything. I had way too many questions and was hesitant about the credibility of all the clinics I contacted, hence my topic here. I definitely feel more comfortable about taking decisions after asking here, as it's experienced people directly in contact with me instead of just theoretical research

I still have a year to go in case I wanted to go for HT, I'll be spending the whole time doing as much research as possible to make sure I make a decision that will make me happy 

Regards

@Lennney I have been suffering from this for 20 whole years, excuse me if I sound very skeptical or stubborn with the way i talk about it. It has frustrated me - I had Finasteride completely out of my available options but I am actually asking about it now and consulting several doctors about it. If they give me the green light I may go for it

However, I don't really care about lowering my hairline to the point of a little above my brows, I still don't mind having a forehead, I just want it a little lower than it is to look reasonable to me. 

I did, literally, spend that much time on my hair before resorting to Toppik now (which I don't wanna keep resorting to for a long time). It's become an obsession, I'm trying to get rid of it

I appreciate your concern and assistance - show me where I'm wrong and I'll gladly learn more about it. You're not forced to help if you don't want to, it's up to you definitely 

I don't know what medication you're talking about, but I've been researching a lot about Finasteride today and I'm extremely discouraged to use it. The side effects seem to be extremely bad and highly likely to happen from what I've read. I'm not looking forward to erectile dysfunction and impotence.. 

I don't want to lower my hairline A LOT, I just want it to look like a normal height hairline at least. I am not knowledgeable about the number of grafts much but most clinics told me I'd need around 2500-3000 max. I don't know. I will ask about the number of grafts available in a bit. I don't expect much density nor do I want crazy density. I'm fine with average density as long as my hairline begins to look normal 

Hello again, 

Firstly, I want to thank you all for showing concern in my issue, where I didn't think anyone would bother help. 

I want to try to answer all of your questions so excuse me if I forget to reply to any aspect of what you guys mentioned;

Before I decided to talk here, I have had consultation with several hair transplant doctors. 

1- Why I chose Turkey? First of all, it's one of the very rare countries I can go to without visa. Secondly, it's the only HT I can afford at the moment 

2- The clinics I contacted include Cosmedica, Dr Serkan Aygin Clinic, and MCAN Health etc. 

Around most clinics told me I need around 2500-3000 grafts 

Dr. Serkan told me I will probably need to use medication that he will provide me after the HT (which I don't mind). He's done surgeries for celebrities and is very reputable in Turkey, and Lebanon. His HT includes PRP treatment as well. 

3- I don't mind using medication, but that's not what will reverse my baldness since I was born with my hairline and it was not a result of recent balding

4- I would never choose to do a HT (a life-changing one to emphasize) without making sure my clinic is a good, credible and ethical one. Dr. Serkan's clinic usually offers free second procedures in case something does not go to plan (which rarely ever happens) 

Here are some more pictures as per your request 

You guys are still missing the major point. I have no hair to recover or grow back. I was literally born with this hairline. Completely bald areas cannot be regrow if they were never grown in the first place.. That's one of the reasons I never bothered with medication, as it only thickens up existing hair or hair that used to exist, not hair that never existed 

Anyway, I have career plans and things I want to do to make secure my future and success. I can never reach those plans or do any of it if I can't have the confidence for it. I can't chase my dreams if I'm still not comfortable with myself. I can't go to early jobs if I need to fix my hair for two hours everyday to look somewhat normal. 

2 minutes ago, Mycroft said:

Why are you afraid of Finasteride? Have you already tried it?

I've done my research about it, and I'm young. I care for my sexual ability and other health issues to be stable. I'm trying to eliminate a problem, not suppress it and create others.. 

Guys, I want you to keep in mind;

I haven't lost hair recently. It's not something new, I've always had this case since birth. It's a very rare case to be born with a receded hairline. 

- I don't take life for granted, and I always have death/chronic illness ahead of me as a possibility and I don't think I'm immune to such incidents. Shit happens. 

- Technology and med is advancing rapidly, and I believe by the time I'm in my 30s-40s baldness will most likely be cured and had a solution to completely stop it

- I've lived my entire life waiting for the future thinking I'll be happier but I end up just regretting not being happy earlier because I've already spent 20 years without enjoying my childhood like any of my friendsr/relatives did. And the life clock is ticking. Time is going away. Fast. 

- I don't mind being bald in my 30s-40s, I'm okay with having a bald head when I'm older. Just not when I'm young, I want to feel young when I am, and old when I am. I simply want to feel my age is all. 

I honestly care about my mental health and stability more than anything else.. I've had many mental health issues, insecurities, anxiety and depression because of this. I feel my mental health would get the best of me before my waiting is over for the "right time" for a hair transplant 

It's the unfortunate truth of my case, but that is my reality. I will never accept myself the way I am at my age, but I'm definitely fine with being bald when I'm older.. 

6 minutes ago, jj51702 said:

Hello friend

I know how this feels because like you I experienced hair loss at a very young age (15). I know it seems like magic bullet to jump into a hair transplant while your younger to enjoy your youth (I’ve thought about it many times myself at that age but didn’t have anywhere near the $ required to do one). There’s a few things to consider:

 

1. If you care about your hair now you will more than likely care about it later (I still greatly care about my hair at almost 34)

2. Hair loss is progressive. Once it starts it’s unlikely to stop. The earlier you start balding the more aggressive your hair loss likely is. This is why it’s important to start on medications. Are you on any meds like finasteride?

3. Most ethical doctors do not perform surgery on patients less than mid 20s, and most recommend to wait until 30 or so. This is because your final hair loss pattern is not visible yet. You need to look at your family members both immediate and extended and see the types of hair loss they have. Chances are you will be following one of their patterns.

 

my advice is to try medications to try and stop/slow your loss until appropriate age. I know this is difficult to hear. Hopefully when you are older and your hair loss has stabilized and you can tolerate medications long term you can undergo a transplant. As you get older you can also save to have a procedure with a doctor that has your best interest and long term goals in mind. For now meds, a healthy scalp, and positive outlook are what you need. What you don’t want is to undergo a transplant, have great looking hair for a few years, then your hair continues to recede and you are left with an island of hair in the front. Not only will that look unnatural but then you have no option but to chase it with more surgery. Please let me know if you have any questions.

Look, the way I was thinking of it was - the unnatural feeling I have of it is being young with no hair, whereas if I was older, it would be more of a normal/expected thing to be bald. 

1- No, I don't take any medications as finasteride/propecia etc have side effects on sexual ability etc. and I'm definitely trying to avoid that. 

2- I thought of it in a way whereby if I can have hair for a few years (say at least 3 years), by the time these years pass, I'd have a stable income and be able to undergo second surgery for future hairloss (I don't mind doing a second operation later). I just want to have hair for a few years while I can get a job so I can stop wasting money, time and energy which drains my soul and confidence on temporary solutions that require a lot of maintenance on a daily basis.

3- I don't mind taking medications after a hair transplant provided by my doctor as long as they don't have side effects like propecia/finasteride

This is my point of view from it at the moment, i really don't mind doing a second surgery in the future in case I lose hair in the back, i just want hair for now so I can kick my career off with confidence, and then I can afford better surgeries in the future..

Hello, 

I have no other place and no other people to ask for opinions. I want to tell you my story, and I want opinions on what I should do based on my case; 

I am 20 years old. I've had a very receded and high hairline since birth, I've always somewhat of a bald head. I have very receded temples, and a very high frontal hairline. It has killed my confidence since I was a child, till today. Of course, now, I have some products to help me hide it and some style I do. But, it takes me literally around 1-2 hours EVERYDAY to fix it to somehow hide my baldness. It frustrates me, drains me every single day, makes me hate myself. I researched about hair transplants, and I was looking at clinics in Turkey. I found Dr. Serkan Aygin and some others, I got consultation from them and found out how many grafts I need..etc. But theres something I'm worried about - since I'm still only 20, and since I've had a receded hairline since birth, what if that makes me highly likely to get even more bald later on? I really, really wanna get a hair transplant but I'm also scared it'll go to waste and my hair will still fall out and get bald again.

At the same time, the reason I want a hair transplant is to feel young, and feel confident when I'm young, because I never got to experience how normal hair feels like. Ever. I won't care as much about my hairline when I'm older as much as I do when I'm younger, because I want to date, I want to live my life and enjoy my time in my youth, I want hair now, not later when I should be more mature and responsible. What should I do? If I do get the hair transplant, how do I make sure not to ever get bald again? I really need some advice here, my hairline is attached in the pics provided, it's been somewhat similar to that since birth, but of course with puberty and age it got a little more receded than it initially was, but my forehead has ALWAYS been this high. 

Please, give me advice, I was planning on getting a hair transplant next year right after I graduate from university. I just want to feel young and my age for once in my life. I want to wake up without having to fix my hair for 2 hours trying to hide anything.