TrialAcc

I feel like the SMP really adds to this one because of well it was done, amazing job!

Right on man, yeah I guess you still have some grafts in the donor area if he wanted to "leave some". Normally I thought you'd get a hard estimate from the doctor (I havn't had one done so I'm not sure). Thanks again! Definitely update as the new work grows in!

I just saw it right before you replied! Thanks again for sharing the story, I always find it great to see complete comebacks from people who were already in a good spot mentally but wanted to see what they could do. Bonus points that you have very minimal scaring and can still shave it no problem. I hope you update the thread as it grows in because it looks like itl be great, and already was. A few more quick questions; How old are you now and when you got the first procedure? How was your donor supply in total? Lastly, was any work done into your crown? I find it very surprising to see that you were NW4~+ in your mid 20s and that the loss seems to have just stopped there. And lastly lastly, an ex-girlfriend of mine worked in make up in the film industry and told me that hair pieces were very common even on big actors. Was this ever a consideration of yours? Do you see a lot of it in the industry?

It looks like you have another post coming, so I'm eager to see how it turned out. Either way, you defiantly rocked the shave head look and it's great to see that you owned it and accepted it and approached the HTs from a place of acceptance. I'm hoping that if I go down the HT route it will be from the same place.

Seems that everything you wrote is still true. Generally cheaper (especially in North America), larger yields and life-time graft counts, slightly higher survival rate. Also one thing that you didnt mention is that the hair from FUT is taken from the safest of areas on the head, the very middle of the donor zone where almost no one loses much hair. FUE can be taken from the entire donor region and if you're destined for a higher NW some of these hairs might still miniaturize once transplanted. I think FUE is a great option if you have less severe balding patterns (or at least have a good idea where you'll end up from family history) or if you're assessed to have a high quality donor region. Also for some, the large scar and a bit more intensive surgery is a deal breaker and there isn't anything wrong with that. The FUT scar is basically the only thing preventing me from taking the plunge myself. Worried to get FUE because I'm unsure of my final pattern and rather just shave my head then not be able to get complete results from HTs.

Oral min is the best treatment you can actually be on for getting regrowth that can be obtained from a prescription without serious hormonal intervention, the key word being regrowth. Nothing (yet) will replace fin for stopping loss though, at least not until a solid topical AA hits the market. The issue is that oral min is also no walk in the park as an oral medication. The list of potential (even serious) sides is huge.

Have to disagree man. One of my best friends went full shave bald before we were out of university (22). The guy has had nothing but success with girls since then, dating/hooking up with his fair share and now at 28 is engaged to a gorgeous girl. He's maybe a 7/10~ at best as a bald guy, but also insanely confident. I'm not saying it's irrelevant whether you have hair or not. Many girls, especially those under 30 are pretty picky about that type of thing at first glance, so sure, dating apps are probably not your friend, but in the end you can be just as successful with girls/life as a young bald guy as you would with hair these days. Joe is basically saying just that. If hair is going to be the deciding factor on whether or not you had a happy/successful life (youth), then you were probably not going to have a happy/successful life anyways because there will always be something to point out as the cause of your misery. That being said, I think hair transplants are a great option for some people. I'm on here myself because I want to know if it's the right choice for me, BUT, if it's not, I'm not going to live out my days as a miserable person who thinks that hair would solve all my problems.

Yeah pretty normal to have a few months of shedding on finasteride. There is some natural things you could sort of look into instead of minoxidil, but their efficacy is going to be a crap shoot. Things like topical melatonin, castor oil (topical or oral) or peppermint oil(?) are sometimes mentioned. From self experience, castor oil seems to work decently at speeding up hair growth and pulling more hairs out of the resting phase.

Minoxidilmax fin + min.

Yes I got my serum DHT tested before/3 months after switching from Oral fin to topical and it was only slightly higher. This means topical fin was having almost just as strong of a systematic effect as taking the pill.

It's not a coincidence, most of them are using world class hair-pieces and extensions lol. Coming from friends of mine in the make up/film/production industry, the amount of big names using hair pieces is shockingly high.

The way this guy looked when he was younger, I honestly think he had thyroid issues that he got sorted out that were affecting his hair, among other things. His facial structure and the water weight he was holding in cheeks/jaw looked exactly like my brother who had the same issues. Once he started treatment his hair vastly improved and he dropped the water retention, just like Brady did on both fronts. Probably also got on fin in his early 20s and responded well, his dads bald so I'm sure he saw the warning signs.

Yeah except it doesn't work like that for other topicals. Topical fin goes fully systematic, I have my own blood tests to prove it. I didn't answer the other questions because I have no idea about how the Dr sells it, I don't use it myself, just heard the buzz.

Am I missing something? Why are people advising this guy to take fin? A front angle with the brow up might say otherwise but this is not a receding hairline based on these pictures. His velus hairs along the hairline just look like a standard transition to a mature hairline. Finasteride is probably fine but seriously dude, DO NOT start minoxidil. Save it for when you actually need it if you notice significant thinning and need to get back some ground. All you need to do now (if you're receding at all) is maintain. Minoxidil will trigger large sheds as it syncs the hair cycles of your follicles, and you might get your hair hooked on a topical you never even needed.

It's impossible to stabilize your hair loss using minoxidil. You're hair will be getting damaged even if it appears more dense/thick for a period of time. You need fin/dut or a topical AA.

It means that the DHT in the hair dropped significantly but body (blood) DHT did not to the same degree as if you had taken an oral dosage of the drug. Most of the side effects (if you were prone to them) come from the systematic suppression of DHT, so theoretically topical dut would be a more safe treatment.

Mwambas is better, it's liposomal. Supposed to be more difficult to go systematic yet still great results at scalp DHT reduction. Highly recommended by people who are using it and have blood tests to show that serum DHT is effected even less then on just oral finasteride.

Like I said, the industry has grown leaps and bounds and Joe is biased because his own procedures failed. I still don't think it's where it needs to be for it to be a procedure that should be normalized for average people. We can agree to disagree on that. You're HT is unreal by the way, your video on youtube is why I ended up even being on this site and researching them myself. It still doesn't change that it's a major commitment to take the plunge, hope for good results and then still use concealer for life. Hair multiplication/cloning will bridge the gap in the future and fully normalize the procedure.

It's not just about the money, it's about the overall barriers to having a successful procedure as a average young balding male. Joe is doing the correct thing by saying that most guys shouldn't have hair transplants because he's speaking to guys who were like him. Young (20s), probably semi broke and desperate to get back their youthful looks. That is not the ideal hair transplant candidate, I'm sure you will agree.

Yes, people who don't focus all their time on their extremities, take synthetic hormone altering drugs and get cosmetic surgery to preserve their vanity are stupid. See what I mean? Have some perspective. You're equally guilty of the exact thing you are calling people stupid for right now because by your own words above, you think that everyone who can do something, should. As much as I want to keep/improve my hair, when compared to your attitude, the healthier option is to let it go.

Because the poster I was replying to said "if you can take fin and get a HT, why wouldn't you"? There are a million reasons why people would choose not to take hormone altering medication and have a cosmetic procedure done, and that's why it's not the norm.

But again, should the average NW5-6-7 even be looking down this path? I would argue that the industry and technology is no where close to where it needs to be for them to be. That's where I agree with Joe Rogan. If you're NW5 or less, not in your 20s and can stabilize your hairloss? HTs are a great option that should be explored.

Wow what a pathetically insecure answer. If you must know, I'm on fin, and have been for over 6 years successfully. I also have more then enough money in my 20s to afford basically any doctor on this site and not have to worry about it in the slightest. That's why I'm here. Guess what? Me and you aren't representative of the entire population of balding men. We're outliers.

I clearly like having hair, that's why I'm here. I'm telling you that we tend to forget that our experience here is not the norm. Hundreds of millions of men around the globe are losing their hair and not on preventative measures or contemplating hair transplants.

It's not delusional not to care lol. Different people prioritize different things in life, it's that simple.