Future Hair Doc

Great results! I bet the patient is thrilled

Looks great! Dr. Bloxham is an amazing surgeon and an even better person. Please keep us posted on the results. Best of luck

I would suggest abstaining from alcohol at least 1 week prior to the surgery (it acts as a blood thinner) and for 1 month after the surgery. Alcohol disrupts proper wound healing. For reference, see this publications: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3117956/

Yes, I can't find it on eBay either

Is this available online? If so, where?

If you're still having hair loss on that dose and not having any side effects, you should consider increasing your dose and see if that makes a difference. Sexual side effects occur in about 5% of the men taking finasteride. It takes about 3 months for results to appear.

There was an older study that found finasteride to have a lesser chance of ED as compared to dutasteride in men with BPH: https://www.urologytimes.com/article/finasteride-had-fewer-sexual-side-effects-compared-dutasteride-men-bph However, newer data says that both have the same chance of ED. The newer study also found dutasteride to be more effective then finasteride in treating androgenic alopecia: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/30863034 I would be very cautious in giving a patient a 5-alpha reductase inhibitor with pre-existing ED. Have you consulted with your physician? Perhaps you may consider topical minoxidil/finasteride as the efficacy in treating androgen alopecia is the same as the systemic form of the medications and the efficacy is roughly equal.

Finasteride won't necessarily stop hair loss completely. In your case, it has probably slowed your hair loss. However, hair loss is multifactorial and DHT isn't the only culprit for hair loss. What dose are you on? What did your physician say?

I think you hair looks fine based on the photos you sent. You should monitor it every few months, take photos, and compare photos over time to see if there is miniaturization or hair loss. If so, consult your physician to see what your options would be. It's good that you're being proactive at this stage.

Based on the pictures you've showed, there does indeed appear to be a patch where I can see your scalp around the crown area. But I need better quality photos to assess that. In addition, the hair loss from isotretinoin is usually temporary. How long have you been off the med? I would talk to your doctor to discuss further about that patch. I believe it will grow back over time.

Which acne medication did you use? Your hair looks great

NP at all. Sorry to hear that you were getting side effects from the topical solution. I would consult the surgeons recommended on this forum and go with whom you're most comfortable with and who sets reasonable expectations. I do think 1,500 grafts is reasonable for what you're seeking. Are you considering FUT, or strictly looking at FUE? I think you should look in NYC too. You can visit multiple highly touted surgeons in 1 trip via a quick subway ride, etc.

There is new research on this exact same topic that has demonstrated success in mice. Normally, our immune system would reject tissue (hair is after all, also tissue) that doesn't belong to us. Organ transplantation gets around this through the use of steroids and other immunosuppressive drugs. Here's the article, I wish I could find an actual medical journal article on this at the moment but am on the road: http://www.koreabiomed.com/news/articleView.html?idxno=4920 I would say this technology is about 10-20 years away though.

Good luck and please keep us posted on the results. Just be patient, which I know is hard to do at this point.

Based upon what you've stated, I agree with your assessment and goals. I would reinforce your hairline in the frontal/temporal regions with about 1,500 grafts. Have you considered using a topical solution of minoxidil/finasteride? It has been proven to by efficacious without the side effects of their system counterparts: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/29972712 https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4314881/ https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6609098/

If I were you, I'd go with someone who strictly practices hair transplant surgery, has many positive reviews, and is recommended on here. It's good that you're proactive with taking meds for your hairloss. Have you considered topical finasteride? There have been studies demonstrating positive efficacy of topical finasteride without the side effects of systemic finasteride: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6609098/ https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/29972712 https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4314881/ There are combination minoxidil/finasteride meds out there too. Dr. Rassman's advice was sound and based on what I've heard, he seems ethical. I'd suggest getting a consultation from multiple physicians. Are you restricted by geography? I suspect some surgeons might even suggest that you take the combo meds to see how you respond and go from there. I hope this helps. Feel free to PM me with any questions you might have. Best of luck and keep us posted on your journey.

I don't think it matters...surgeons can have cancellations and can fit you into their schedule. I've seen Coalition member surgeons have a waiting list that is 4 months long; while others have a 1-year long waiting list. That said, both Dr. Umar and Dr. Diep are highly recommended on here and I've only seen positive reviews for both surgeons. Have you had an in-person consultation?

I would highly suggest heeding what everyone is telling you on this forum. Ideally, you'd only like to get a hair transplant once and not have to worry about a botched procedure which will require more money to fix. Based on what's posted here, there is no one operating in Maryland, Pennsylvania, New Jersey who is recommended here. This may change in the future. However, there are a few very good surgeons in New York. I would do a few days trip to NYC to meet the different surgeons recommended on here (there are only 5, so it should be doable): https://www.hairtransplantnetwork.com/Consult-a-Physician/surgeon-list/NY/New-York Go with someone you feel most comfortable with, who gives you reasonable expectations, and who is recommended on here. I repeat, you do not want to go with someone who doesn't know what they're doing and isn't recommended just to save money. You'll end up paying way more in the long run because you will most likely not be happy with the results.

Yes, it would lead to the collapse of the hair transplant industry. But I think we're at least 20 years away from a "cure." You have to worry about a lot of variables. Will the hair stay? Will stem cells differential into cell lines? The scariest scenario is what happens if the hair cells become cancerous? The last one is a very real issue that I think people overlook. Here's a great article on a "cure." I've talked to some PhD researchers, as well as MDs, and the consensus is that it'll be at least 20 years to have autologous hair growth that can overcome hair loss. I think the best bet is synthetic hair that mimics real hair. The question then becomes what is the quality of that synthetic hair and is it indistinguishable from your own hair. https://www.theatlantic.com/health/archive/2019/07/hair-for-all/594826/

There are a few highly skilled surgeons for whom the FUT scar cannot even be seen. @Dr Blake Bloxham has amazing results with FUT. I would be extremely selective in picking the right surgeon. It's also patient dependent in terms of how you heal, how much laxity you have, do you smoke, etc. Here is an example: There are also meds you can take to promote prevent scar formation: https://www.hopkinsmedicine.org/news/media/releases/two_drug_combination_accelerates_wound_healing_and_reduces_scar_tissue

Very informative video

Is your budget $8,000? If so, I would do it here in the US. You'll have to spend money on substantial airfare, hotel, and uncertainty with Turkey. There are many great docs that are recommended. I can personally vouch for @Dr Blake Bloxham. Give his office a ring or just PM him on here.

Where are you? Have you gotten any consultation(s)? How many grafts do you want? Would you consider FUT?

Great post @Melvin-Moderator Perhaps have a pinned thread of unscrupulous clinics? This forum is a vital tool for patient safety. A pinned thread will be easy to access and can be updated, etc.

Looks like shock loss to me. I wouldn't worry until about 6-9 months post procedure