TheGreatPretender

I am assuming you are asking about the pattern when the individual is not taking medication.

Its hard to actually see the final pattern in any case since its widely assumed that once you start balding you are more then likely continue to bald until you later days but its also possible that it stops at a given age/time but this is very hard to measure.

Your safest bet is taking Finasteride for life and keep the hair for life.

2 hours ago, Big Rome said:

Freitas seems to be an excellent DR… Pinto hasn’t got a consultation available now until June 2023, also excellent.. Couto consultations I’ve been told to ring in January 2023 to arrange consultation for 2024 🙈

Couto is saddly highly booked, there is a lot of traffic to get a place scheduled with him. 

Also another thing to point is that prices might be inflating with top doctors, but I know a few months back both Ferreira and Pinto ramped them up way too much which made my final decision a lot much easier in the end. 

I had Ferreira on the number one spot but saddly he started getting way too much traffic and then same happened with Pinto so here I stand with De Freitas booked for the next year. 

7 minutes ago, Es1 said:

Appreciate the response 

I have been in contact within the last few days with Dr De Freitas surgery, filled out the forms etc and I await an online consultation. I'm mentioning this as I have saw you post about how you're going next year in June to get a transplant.

I am honestly thinking to try and book a transplant with him for 12 months from now and in the meantime stabilise what I have. I understand people say its too early but if I can stabilise it and get a good transplant with a reputable doctor that would be great!!

I mean why should I suffer with waiting potentially years for my hair to eventually fall lol, being only 27 years old and heavy into how I look and fitness etc I don't think I'll be able to cope 😂😂

So yeah I've contacted De Freitas and also tried Couto and Pinto but no response yet from the latter 2 

Pinto increased the prices by a lot so it got a bit out for my pocket and Couto is booked for at least 2 years or at least I was when I got their reply. I think de Freitas is the safest and the most pocket friendly option at the moment. So I basically booked him over for next year. 

Try to stabilize as you say and then during the time you go for surgery you will be able to get the best results money can buy. 

Rule of thumb is that most of the top doctors will always advise the patient to take medication before undergoing surgery and for good reason. 

There's a lot of stigma around side effects and whattnots, howeaver it has been prover several times that medications such as Finasteride and Minoxidil are safe to be taken by the average user being more benefitial than not to anyone taking it. People believe the lack of DHT is the culprit behind the side effects, I tend to disagree howeaver since it has been proven that in adults it brings more harm then good besides hair loss. Pimples, prostate enlargement, prostate cancer among other health issues have been highly associated with the DHT so in that sense its more of a benefit even when considering other health aspects.

The only thing I may say is that there may be people that are more sensitive to side effects because of Finasteride blocking 5AR and having other hormones being not produced as a result, but there is little to no evidence as per my understanding that DHT is really necessary to the human body post puberty.

Bear in mind that I did pass some years of reesearching the pros and cons (too many unfortunately) before start taking the drug but am no doctor. Safest route for yourself is to get checked and if necessary get in medication ASAP so you can save the hassle of requiring too many surgeries and have the peace of mind of at least not losing hair.

All the best.

I used to take it at night first thing after dinner, nowdays I just take on the morning and it remains as effective.

Honestly I think as long as its around the same hours it shouldnt make any difference in terms of efficacy as the effects are likely to last <24H post the time you take the pill.

Always take medication before thinking about undergoing surgery. Any good HT doctor would say that a transplant is your last resort and something to be avoided if possible. 

That being said I can understand where you are coming from, I myself was terrified of initially commiting myself to medications, howeaver reesearch, time and experience taught me that it was the only way to achieve my goals in getting back my hair even if I went the transplant route. 

So after 2 years of medications I am going for a surgery next summer. I think you should at least give a shot to topical minoxidil since its not much bound to side effects but Finasteride is a must for maintenance. Without it you will still receed and like myself you already lost a bit of grount, although I must say that you are in a far better position then myself since I have lost almost everything on the front compared to you. The few hairs that I got left, which are considerable are still thin and not enough to cover the area I need.

My advise without being a doctor is give Finasteride a shot, take it 3 times a week if you feel safer that way or even a lower dosage then see if you are able to at least maintain. You can keep rubbing Minoxidil during this time which will likely boost your gains and possible give back the density you require, also take pictures on the first day of each month just to measure progress.

After 1/2 years you can start planning a transplant with a reputable surgeon if that is what you still need.

If I was in your place I would just accept my condition but not the result of it and would start doing that with the most basic part, which is medication.

Best of luck on it.

2 hours ago, Big Rome said:

very well said, all be worth it in the end, it’s the not having anything set in stone that’s getting on my wick lol, would like to have a date set to look forward to, been in limbo not knowing since may 2022

Trust me, until you get your hair back you will ALWAYS feel this way. You will want this to come as fast as it goes, no matter what date you set it to happen, its always going to be a rollercoaster and an adventure like an Uncharted game. 

I am booked in for June next year with De Freitas and its still a waiting game for me. But I understand that this is the best course of action for me since I decided to buy a house this year which took out a considerable amount of money out of my pockets (would still be able to afford it though) and by next years time I will have recovered as much as I have lost. 

I also prefer to be as safe as possible on a surgery of this kind since its much better to wait and get great results than go next week on a turkish or any other hairmil just to come out with horrible results, this is something that a great majority of people dont take the time to access, the pros and cons of the surgery and of course the capacity of the surgeon and his team.

I still moan about my hair loss everyday either home or when I go out, its something I cant get out of my mind and its likely to stay that way until I get may way out of the so called "slaphead curse", but at this point I just need to accept the situation and work with the cards I have on the table and let time take care of the rest while focusing on what I can do now so meds have been good for peace of mind and the assurance that its not getting any worse than it already is.

1 hour ago, Gatsby said:

I would definitely recommend getting there at least a day before your surgery. I’m sure if you contact the clinic they should be able to assist you in some way with transport/cab from the airport to your hotel. All the best. 

Yeah, I may ask in advance on that. 

Hopefully things will go well it's just my mind Is currently racing with thoughts even though the surgery is still a year away I guess I just want this to go as smooth as possible. 

6 minutes ago, 1978matt said:

You can make reservations in advance on Cabify.  I don't have the App myself but I'd assume it takes the payment out of a linked credit card automatically like Uber does.

Post Op you could get the staff to order one, but then you may need some Euros to pay the driver.

I would always have some Euros incase the app fails and you just have to wave down a cab.

That will not be a problem. I can always go pick some up at the post office, as long as I have someone to take me to the destination that will be fine. 
I may or not then book them back on my return but maybe the clinic is able to help on that. 

8 minutes ago, 1978matt said:

Never been but apparently 'Cabify' is the app to use for ordering cabs.  But at the airport they will be queuing up for business in the designated area, as is standard at airports.

They have a subway system linked to the airport so that is another option, but maybe not when immediate post-op.

I think Post Op should be easier to book in but when arriving in it would be great to get one waiting. 

Do you need to pay upfront for the cab to go wait on you or would this only be done at the end of the trip?

24 minutes ago, Melvin- Moderator said:

De Freitas good choice. I’m sure the clinic can arrange a cab for you after the procedure, or even book you an uber. I don’t know the cost difference of cabs and ubers in Europe. But maybe a cab may be better. 

Thanks, it was always gonna be between him, Ferreira or Pinto and since the last two ramped up prices by alot it made my choice easier aswell. They also have a solid reputation and like you said when you recommended him he also talks Portuguese since he's brazilian. 

Yeah I may have a chat with them to see if they can arrange one for me during this time. 

My main concern is not so much the post proccedure but before after arriving at the airport specifically. It would be good to have someone awaiting for my arrival so they could take me and my parent to the hotel. I am thinking about getting a day earlier than the surgery just to get aquainted with the area and the clinic.

Yeah, I am taking that into account, I am considering staying a couple of extra days in the hotel just for extra prevention so I can take a full rest and go out without worries of bumping in.

I am planning to take one of my parents with me regardless so someone can keep an eye on me in case of any emergencies just to be on the safe side.

Hi Guys, I am just asking how you guys would sort out transportation when traveling for a Hair Transplant.

I know this may be a common question but I would like to know how would you go by booking cabs when arriving at the destination country for the transplant.

In my case its likely I will be travelling from Manchester Airport to Valencia so I will require a cab to pick me up from there to the hotel I am staying. Is there any way to book in a Uber at Valencia in my case to get picked up so I can then get to the hotel?

I think longer hair usually is good to densify even more your scalp, I honestly am planning to keep it long once my HT banishes the horseshoe for good.

Hopefully in two to three months time things will speed up and the hair will come back in strenght. I will keep following your results because I am in a similar situation and will have my surgery next year with De Freitas. 

Keep em coming.

23 minutes ago, GHTJourneya said:

The clinic asked me if I needed a taxi to go back to my hotel and they booked it for me. They also provided me with food, water and everything I needed throughout the day

I stayed in Valencia an extra 5 days after my operation, just to make sure that I am close to the doctor should anything happens. Everything went smoothly, but I did not regret staying there extra days

I was a bit more cautious at the airport, mainly to avoid sunlight and not to hit my head. It was not as difficult as you might think. At the end of the day you don't go around bumping your head when you travel normally, do you? 🤣

 

They mentioned that I would probably need to take care of the taxi but they would book the hotel for me without problems. At the airport I think you should be fine though no? ahah Sunlight is unlikely to hit you unless there is a lot of sunlight going through the glass windows.

Maybe will have a word with them to see if they can sort the taxi out for myself as well because I am quite nervous about the travel and all that comes with it. 

In terms of bumping I guess after 5 days the numbness disappears so it helps? Fortunately it went all well for you so I guess you are alright.

Also, need to ask how did you arrange the taxi or cab to the hotel and how smooth was the flight process. 

I guess this is one of my anxieties before going to my surgery for next year. 

Man, these are the things that make me even more hyped for going to De Freitas.

Cant wait to have mine.

Congrats man, you just beat MPB. And whats more, you will get even better in the next few months.

Astonishing results for such a small time. 

Well, needless to say but it appears very much like this will be a home run. 

Keep em coming Joe! 

On 4/20/2022 at 2:18 AM, What is your agenda here said:

Kevin Mann is the absolute GOAT. 

That's all I ever had to say. 

Kevin Mann > Baldcafe. 😁

22 minutes ago, Aslitarcan sucks said:

How does a tablet cause penile scarring? I'm not doubting the side effects at all, but that seems very very far fetched

Because it doesn't. I had to stop reading once I came to that part, seriously Penile scarring? 

I have seen loads of reported side effects such as ED, Depression, fatigue, migraines and on and on but its literally the first time I actually come across someone that talks about Penile Scarring. No offense but if there is someone out there taking a pill that has such a thing then the only explanation is that he's not taking it right.

If PropeciaHelp is to be taken seriously then I guess I should take something like this as well: https://fluoridealert.org/

3 hours ago, SoSoz said:

Clearly states on the propecia leaflet point 4. Also a lot of people report breast tenderness/itchyness which concers me.

There is not enough evidence that finasteride can cause Brest cancer. 

Worst case scenario is gynocomastia which is highly unlikely as it is more than rare. 

Remember that people can also have all the side effects reported from the drug without actually taking it and in a lot of occasions it's easier to blame it on finasteride than anything else. 

11 hours ago, SoSoz said:

Im scared of nipple cancer from finasteride

I had similar fears those being gynocomastia but these are extremly rare and even more so than ED which seems to be the predominant side effect reported from the drug. 

Only a handful of unlucky people have it and to be honest going to surgery without medications has its own profile risk of your results not holding up to the test of time so highly consider them before going under the knife.