NARMAK

It's funny you mention dry skin. I have noticed a bit more but i also had that before I started and used to get very bad dandruff build up so been using Nizoral and recently adding T-gel. For dry skin, i wouldn't be surprised if its because i don't drink enough water. You're supposed to hit your 2ltr a day and i don't. Probably would make a world of difference.

You're welcome and i think the fact they told you to stop Finasteride is completely bizarre and against all reputable advice. If i had to guess, they're a shady hair mill and by getting off Finasteride you will lose more hair and so they can quote you let's say 5k-6k grafts which they charge more for. Honestly, the fact you already said you got more hair again getting back on Finasteride than the pics, makes me hopeful you should see solid results for Minoxidil and Microneedling. Personally i would say the first few sessions of 1.5mm for me were a bit more painful but once used to it, its not as bad. Hair Transplants should always be a last resort. Not the first. You have a finite donor area, so whatever you can restore imo is 100x better to save.

It's going to be interesting to see, if we ever do manage to clone hair, whether they're actually going to find a way to transplant them into the donor area without causing massive and permanent shock loss. It's going to be a huge innovation but also require a ton of new learning and studies to find the best way to use those clone hairs. Personally i like the idea in theory to completely smash the scalp hair to be dense as naturally occurring hair, but i don't know whether our bodies can handle it.

OP, you should probably start using Minoxidil and Microneedling and wait a bit to see how the results are. Potentially it could save you having to use a lot of grafts in the crown/midscalp if you have a good response. I personally didn't use Finasteride (Dutasteride in my case) in combination with Minoxidil because my personal situation didn't have the markers to warrant it and it increases your cost but in your case, it probably looks like a combination would work better since you already been on Finasteride for 2 years already. Are you taking 1mg every day?

Don't do it OP. You're wasting your money imho. Save your scalp hair for your hair transplant if you potentially need it. Especially that many damn grafts. I recommend you actually look into using a mix of topical Minoxidil on your beard and Microneedling on the areas. A lot of guys have had a great result and grown hair that's pretty permanent on those areas doing this. I think down the line those 2300 or so grafts you might end up deciding to use for your frontal hairline and it would work out better. Final, and probably a controversial take. I don't know if you would feel growing out your facial hair, it seems like it's a more red hue and from experience, people with that colour as opposed to a darker colour tend to keep it shorter like you have, and that's why it actually looks fine imo as it is. You could probably even do a Tony Stark/Dr Strange goatee if you wanted to easily.

I can't say avoid Oral Minoxidil but personally i take Dutasteride and i don't think i'd want to potentially compound my side affect probability with another oral medication. That's why i think topical Minoxidil can be a better and more targeted treatment method alongside Microneedling. Oral Minoxidil is also linked with causing unwanted body hair and growth elsewhere too. Regarding a Microneedling recommendation, i think there's a few Derma Pen brands out there which apparently are a better option and i'm going to look into this for myself soon because i think it's an investment and gets you results the others might now by themselves. I started off though using occasionally a derma roller off Amazon for a reasonable price and Isopropyl alcohol to clean it off in. It's probably better long term to use a Derma Pen. So best to look around. 22 is a very young age, and tbh, it's usually an indication you might get worse if medication doesn't work. At least if you start a prevention and restoration attempt with medication, when you hit 25, you can prove you halted your hair loss and evidence why you're a suitable candidate to any reputable surgeon then. Everybody has their own unique struggles and some are hopeful whilst others don't look as good but the bottom line imo is that you aren't alone and having a community to help and support you find what you need to get through your own fight is important. Whether that be a transplant, deciding to fight with medicated treatments or just shaving it and calling it a day.

Turkey is usually full of hair mills who will drain your donor and leave you with subpar results but most people don't do their research and they won't know what the signs are and realise how they wrecked themselves. This forum has a list of recommendations for clinics and you can ask for a consultation but regarding Minoxidil, i would say topical Minoxidil with Microneedling 1x a week at a decent 1-1.5mm size should help be a solid regime for you. A Microneedling result apparently is more permanent whereas Finasteride and Minoxidil gains are only there as long as you keep indefinitely using them to maintain as much as you can. Everybody is an individual and nobody can 100% tell you how things will go, but they use generalisations based on your family history. I would say that the best thing to do is try and find a creative hairstyle to use whilst you go through your treatments and save money. There's plenty of other areas to improve yourself on whilst you wait for your hair transplant hopefully when the time is right. I think a lot of guys put too much emphasis on just one thing. You should improve things across the board in your life. Be like a butterfly. Undergoing that change in your cocoon over time. When you are done. Rise.

Your age is probably your biggest hurdle. Ending up at a Norwood 3 around age 22 indicates you may have further loss. Hopping onto Finasteride and showing no further hair loss might help to demonstrate you are okay to be a candidate around 25. Plus, this gives you an opportunity to save up and do your research on what the best method will be for you to use for your first hair transplant, with who for your goals and then hopefully make the right decision.

Don't get me wrong, i'm probably one of the best people to know about temple areas and needing a transplant. My temple points were gone by like 17/18. However, beginning medication about a year or so before your transplant actually allows you to get a good idea of the 95% maximum results that will allow you. Then a transplant is basically what will be required probably for the rest. To start Finasteride, some people like to do Blood Tests, helps allow you see if there's any potential issues elsewhere that side affects might crop up from. Also to begin with, taking 1mg a day 3x a week is something i see recommended to start off with and see how you manage it. Regarding Minoxidil, the treatments usually listed as 2x a day if topical. I don't personally have a massive amount of information on Oral Minoxidil but i feel topical can be a little better targeted to the scalp and avoid some of the side affects listed for Oral Minoxidil. I would 100% recommend adding in a Derma Pen for Microneedling too 1x a week at maybe 1-1.5mm in depth. Your mid scalp and crown, it's hard to see if you have thinning there, but Finasteride will help all over where it can but crown is usually difficult to regrow on medication alone. It's up to you whether you want to use the Minoxidil across that area. Regardless of what you do, you need to realise that once you begin those treatments, they have to be used indefinitely to try and maintain the results.

Honestly, for your age, i would genuinely hop on medication first and treat it with the kitchen sink for about 1-2 years and see how you get on. If you could probably demonstrate an improvement and no further recession etc. at 28+ it probably will stand you in better stead for a transplant. Eugenix probably are a great example to look at on your type of hair loss could be managed with 2 sessions. @Zoomster is probably the best person to give advice.

Jesus. Yeah, that's some commitment lol. Good job man. Regarding Retrograde Alopecia, it's not always 100% the same. Just as hair loss is different, you can have it over different areas like the nape of the neck, the sideburns/temple points and even over the ears where it seems to affect you. Honestly and i know it sucks to hear, but i would recommend you take some medication like Finasteride, Minoxidil and Microneedle for about a year and take monthly pictures and see if it helps around the donor, crown and mid scalp. You said you haven't had anything to help in the gym, so i guess it just comes down the roll of the dice on genetics. The "Just shave it bro(!)" advice requires a jacked physique and you got that down, the beards there too and you even got tattoos so overall you're probably in a pretty good position to deal with the best fall back option imo.

Biggest problem right now is your age and how aggressive the hair loss has been. It could be the lighting but in some pictures the donor looked better and then in some it was what appears to be retrograde alopecia in areas and that's a big problem usually. OP, you do have a good look for the beard to basically look like Kratos from God of War if you bulk up. That's not to say you shouldn't try for hair btw, i know how devastating your situation must feel but don't take any drastic action and that you'd regret.

The donor area generally is considered safe and lasts a lifetime but here's the problem and always the biggest one. You only have a limited amount of grafts ever that can be taken from the back of your head and put anywhere else and 100% don't always grow from whatever is implanted. If i could go back in time, i would have probably started Finasteride at 18 and just saved up for a hair transplant just to get as little work as possible done. I actually like the idea of having my hair on the back stay there as much as possible until we somehow figure out how to make unlimited clone hair or something to use. Yes, you only need 50% to give the "illusion of density" but actually feeling a nice thick head of hair is always better. So i'd say begin your medication, Minoxidil and Microneedling. Keep progress pictures from every month if you can, same lighting, angles etc. and then if hopefully you can regrow and maintain the mid scalp and crown, you won't need to use much hair for a transplant. I wish we did have cloned hairs and i wish we could pay to have them transplanted over like 2 years to get back the best hairline we ever could, but i don't think it's going to happen anytime soon and i'd rather enjoy the next 20 years with what i can.

Firstly, i've never had an FUT or FUE, but tried to see what i should go for. For you, an FUT might be a wiser choice in the long term. Your skin tone usually means the scar may not be as visible as on say a darker skin individual. You also depending on the length you wear your hair and how visible your scar is after healing may not be an issue. You just need to be aware of all the factors before jumping into either method. I understand the logic of FUT for your first surgery because they close the strip area which maintains more of a sense of density in the donor area, whereas FUE takes away from the area, even in a uniform manner where it can feel more tangibly "thinned" in comparison. Choosing the best surgeon for yourself and budget is the first part. The rest is the great unknown of your body and whatnot. Usually i'll stick to the idea of "I'm gonna be below average" for results and it usually tempers expectations. Hopeful actual FUT members can chime in but @Melvin- Moderator probably the best to give a response too.

Personally i would say its smart to wait and be settled because you can then tell if the side affects are related more to Finasteride than the move and stress etc. Regarding a HT, there's no 100% answer. You're best going to get a consultation but as others have said, it's better to take medication like Finasteride if you can to maintain for as long as possible the hair that's not transplanted. I personally think the front pictures look more like say a Norwood 2 but the fact your midscalp and crown are that thin is possibly why they called you a Norwood 3. Topical Minoxidil doesn't really have any major sides listed like Finasteride people worry about so maybe you could start that. I personally think giving it a year on medication and treatments whilst you do research and save up for a good HT is the best course of action. I'm just a bit older than you, so don't get me wrong, i'm aware of wanting to sometimes get things done, but sometimes time is your friend in these instances. You'll be making a lifelong choice. Do it right.

Good luck @Gatsby We're all rooting for you to get great results and show us all that huge transformation 👍🏼

Thanks a lot for the confirmation! I was afraid i would need to show booked return flights and then if I got burned on the medical visa, i'd lose out more. That's great, i'll probably sort that out ASAP from when i get my deposit done with them if i can hit my desired month for the HT.

Hi, yes this forum is definitely a gem. Firstly, i would recommend you take Finasteride, even if you want to start at only 1mg 3x a week to see how you tolerate it and then increase to 1x a day if you handle it well. This should help stabilise further hair loss Losing 50-150 hairs a day is considered within a "normal" range but people freak out because they start focusing more on the hair fall. I would say for you, it might be a good thing to try Minoxidil too for your midscalp as Finasteride doesn't help with regrowth as much as helping to stop the further hair loss or slow it down as much as possible for you. I would also add Microneedling with a derma pen into the treatment options. After 1 year, you may see solid regrowth on the top crown and mid scalp making it much more effective to maybe do a hair transplant only for the front and save you grafts.

Thanks for letting me know guys. That sucks. Berba, did you have to show a return flight was already booked when applying for the Medical Visa? I don't mind going in person and will do so ASAP but the timescales online being quick and being 4 weeks in person is a ridiculous disconnect

Okay, so doing a bit of research, it appears that you apply for a Medical eVisa to India and its significantly quicker to do. Within 7 days as a push. Has anybody from the UK found the process that quickly? I don't like the idea of booking any flights before securing a medical eVisa to India. I would rather burn a deposit and Visa fee than end up spending hundreds of pounds booking flights i cannot even use and have to cancel. Possibly losing all my money. I'm not exactly up to date on cancelling flights as i only buy what i'm using.

I mean, 10 years from then is a long enough time to have bad several FUT and FUE procedures. So that pictures not proof of what you say for 100% and that's why he's such an obsession for people out there. In fact, i would respect an actor etc. more for telling us that they had it done. It makes them more relatable and that they're human like the rest of us.

Who caress if others stare. You'll never have to see those suckers again. Main thing when flying is whether you wish to rest a little bit and give it the 4 days or so to let the grafts anchor in and put yourself up in a hotel etc. and then fly to reduce the risk of hitting your head and losing grafts. Usually the reputable clinics should give you something loose and breathable to tie around the area to help keep it out of sunlight but not smother the area.

So, in regards to treatment. Finasteride will possibly help by blocking DHT and if it is even your donor area being sensitive, it could help there and thicken it up Minoxidil by itself isn't great because it doesn't address the root cause of the hair loss usually which is DHT. In combination with Finasteride, taking Minoxidil and Microneedling with a dermapen might be the best option. The whole aspect of shave it, rock a beard etc. is all well and good, but not everybody wants that, so always look at what options you personally have. Find the solution that you're happy with and i wish you all the best on that.

Firstly, i am no expert so take it as simple another person's opinion like you, but your pictures objectively looking are not indicating a great situation. You have thinning all over your scalp including your donor area. That's probably going to be the biggest hurdle for any reputable clinic to even want to deal with The "just shave it bro(!)" advice isn't to everybody a good idea, but also suggesting a hair system might not be what the person wants. And it will 100% mess the area up at the top. Have you actually taken any medication or Minoxidil etc.? Maybe starting some treatments might help and get you to a stage where the thinning looks vastly improved.

I have to say, this guys hair is one of the most hotly debated. Some have gone to state its very likely an FUT procedure and a top up down the line because his temple points apparently got stronger. Some say he uses smartly placed hair pieces but some say that it's unlikely because of how often he's on camera and the way those temporal areas look without the telltale signs of a hairpiece like say John Travolta. Personally i think he got a fantastic Hair Transplant and been on preventative medication. He probably uses fibres etc. to give a fuller appearance at time which is a common trick with the harsh bright studio lights used etc. so it looks kore dense too. I just wish though, that he didn't go on that programme where he claimed to rub this stuff in his head from a company that doesn't even list the ingredients. It was imo BS.