eccoj

7 hours ago, asterix0 said:

It always surprises me a bit to see this, that guys are willing to spend tens of thousands of dollars, proceed to a life altering surgery (either good or bad), yet are too scared to take a pill that millions of men take a day safely that can drastically improve their situation.

 

Well, yes, considering the horror stories you read online about libido and ED, either temporary or permanent side effects are very scary. I don't find it that surprising, although it is exagerated probably.

5 minutes ago, GoliGoliGoli said:

You know this is one down side of getting a HT. A lot of guys look better keeping what remaining hair they have even though they're NW4 like you are or even NW5. Getting a HT and then not getting additional HT's as you continue to lose basically means you will look unnatural doing this (I would imagine anyways). Maybe some people can still pull it off but I think it would look unnatural, and you're basically forced into shaving it all off to the skin. 

Yeah, that's one of my fears, because at that point even shaving it won't look great with all the scarring, unless you go the SMP way. At this point I'm more interested in medication and what results I can expect.

20 minutes ago, Savemyhairline said:

It looks like your crown is dipping into NW7 territory unfortunately. The lower part is obviously not as thinned out yet as the top part, but you can see the thinning pattern which will continue to progress. Based on your skin I’m guessing you are on the younger side, less than 35? Imo you are not a good candidate based on what I see in these photos. Especially if you are not willing to take fin/dut. You seem to have a decent beard so at least you can experiment with different styles and a shave head.

I'm 26, started blading around 16.I don't really mind shaving my head, that's what I used to do, although lately I just go to a barber and I'm kinda liking the look, even if it's not perfect. I've actually come around to at least trying medication though, but I'm not sure if I can expect drastic results. I wouldn't really bother if all I can expect is not to get any worse. The risks aren't really worth it to me at that point.

3 minutes ago, GoliGoliGoli said:

I think you're not a great candidate unfortunately andI'm not sure you'd get a lot of mileage out of Fin/Min.

Usually I tell people to get a HT as long as they are fine with getting multiple procedures but that all depends on their donor hair availability and beard hair availability and ability to afford multiple procedures. And while you do have a beard that seems to match your scalp hair well, your overall donor looks quite a bit below average. 

Thank you, may I ask why you think I wouldnt get much mileage out of fin, as well as what you mean by that?

Half a year ago I posted some photos of my buzzed head, asking whether I would be a good candidate. You can read the post and see th epictures on my profile. I have some retrograde alopecia, a receding hairline and crown thinning so I got a few comments telling me that it would not be a good decision. There were some, however that told me to hop on fin and other medication. Because of my fear of finasteride specifically, I decided to give my hair a few months of growth to see what it would look like when it reached a normal length.

My hair is still far from healthy, but I have to say I am a bit surprisd by how much better it looks (to me at least) than when it was buzzed. I am posting again with the updated pictures to hopefully get some new perspectives. I'd like to know what I could expect by taking medication, or getting a HT. Is my situation actually more salvagable than I thought?

 

14 minutes ago, Gatsby said:

 

Wow I wouldnt know there was a scar there, incredible! If I understand correctly, you shave your head and have done SMP to the crown and top? Looks incredibly realistic.

5 hours ago, Gatsby said:

Here's my take on it. Why not go on finasteride at 1mg every second day. I had side effects on 1mg a day and ceased the drug. I then went back on it and built up to 1mg Monday, Wednesday and Friday. Do this for at least one year. Take a pre and post photo of your hair (grow it out for a month each time). Also you will know by the 'feel' of your head as the stuble will feel 'thicker.' Your crown may even regrow slightly. Then assess whether you still feel that you want a hair transplant then. BUT if your goals are to have total coverage over the lifespan stop now before you are left with scars. Permanent scars! Because once you are cut you will regret ever having surgery. Trust me on this from my own personal experience. You have a great shaped head for a shaved head and there is always SMP that you could consider? But personally I know where this is going from a few things you have stated (and I followed a very close path to what you are following) and I honestly believe that at 26 you will regret ever having surgery. Also remember one thing. You can always have a hair transplant 'tomorrow!' All the best!

Thank you! What you're saying alligns pretty well with my thoughts. I've thought of getting SMP many times, but it requires many sessions with months in between so traveling for it is not an option, and in my country I haven't seen any great results from any professionals, so I've avoided it. I actually recently came across some pics that I liked, though and have arranged a meeting to get a feel of whether the person who does it is legit.

9 hours ago, ML488 said:

It is definitely possible imo to get a respectable frontal third with the right surgeon who knows what they're doing when it comes to donor management. 

I don't think I would be satisfied with onlt a frontal third. Unless I could get good coverage all around I'd probably prefer to shave.

1 minute ago, NARMAK said:

Don't imagine yourself as getting a miracle result and don't set any specific goals. Give it a total 12 month time frame to use medication etc. in the routine i mentioned and just get some advice from recommended surgeons who specialise in high Norwood cases and see what they say at the time. You should still actively save up though and if as i said you don't end up getting the transplant, you have a bunch of money to do whatever you want instead. 

I will try the regimen you proposed and will reconsider after the year has passed. I might post some results once I start. I already have some money saved up, so if I decide to get a HT I'll have that.

Also, it's not that I actively imagine myself getting a miracle result, it's just that unless I can see a significant change with medication, I think I would probably need one.

13 minutes ago, TorontoMan said:

Yeah I’m sorry that this is the case, but it’s best you’re realistic. You’ll save yourself a lot of time, money, and emotion.. it’s just not worth it. Besides you have a great head shape and you mentioned you’re okay with the shaved look.. IMO that’s already a win.. move on from this 

No need to be sorry. In the first place, what I was hoping to get from here was a definitive answer on whether what I want is achievable or not. Once I have the answer I'll be good whatever it is. And it seems that so far it's leaning towards no, but I'll maybe give medication a try for a while and see how that goes. If there's a signficant difference I might reconsider. Otherwise if it stays as is, it's probably a no-go.

And yeah, my head shape is the saving grace in all of this, I look pretty good with a shaved head (it's what I usually do, but I let it grow to get a look of what my hair looks like right now), and have been hitting the gym for a while now so I can pull off the bald look. It's probably not as good as a full head of hair would be, and I look a bit older and that puts me off a bit, but what can you do?

29 minutes ago, TorontoMan said:

I agree with the comment above. In my opinion you should avoid surgery as it won't match your expectation and you will be left with scars. 

That has been my gut instinct as well for the past couple of years. You see a miracle transformation every now and then and think that maybe there's hope, but if it's too much of a gamble,or if that kind of result is unrealistic, I'd ratheravoid it alltogether.

2 hours ago, Rahal Hair Transplant said:

Eccoj,

Given the Area of balding and the thinner looking donor area, even if you are a candidate for hair transplant surgery, I’m not sure that you will be satisfied with what can be accomplished.  Some of this will pass of the tens I’m gonna not you’re currently using hair loss medication and if it is working to stabilize its progression.

Assuming that you’ve been able to stabilize your hair loss and that you have enough donor hair, you would have to have realistic expectations as a what can be accomplished. For example, I would suggest re-creating a mature looking hairline and focus most of the procedure on the front and midsection.

I hope this helps.

Rahal Hair Transplant 

Thank you for your input! My expectations were always that I would try to get a mature hairline, but it would also be important for me to have full coverage. If I udnerstand correctly your opinion is that this wouldn't be possible, or that the hair on the crown would be very thin and the scalp would be visible, correct?

4 hours ago, NARMAK said:

I will not lie to you, i think there are cases that have happened but they're probably very rare and it's also worth noting sometimes the side affects are usually an indication something else is awry. 

Before i started Dutasteride, i had a blood test done close to that time which picked up a Vitamin D deficiency which also plays a part in hair loss. I had an inflamed itchy scalp and Nizoral may have helped a bit but T-gel seems to have been the real catalyst in treating it more effectively. 

The horror stories are firstly to put it into perspective from 2% of patients of which the vast majority once they discontinue Finasteride return to normal within 12 months or much sooner. Usually the guys who also get side affects tend to have other issues too it seems although to get PFS levels of sides you'd have to be extremely unlucky. That said, another HUGE factor imo of people getting sides is probably how if you focus enough to expect them mentally, you will probably manifest some things. That's why i would say having confidence and positivity in it as a treatment is firstly important. The US lawsuits as well claimed from an emotional PoV which is why they succeeded it seema rather than fully scientific backed merits where PFS is concerned too imo. 

The BS around Finasteride etc. usually is followed by an attempt by a lot to try sell you alternative "natural" products which is basically snakeoil sales man BS and they dress it up using weak scientific studies. 

I also have a very serious vitamin D deficiency that I actually only noticed and started treating a month ago, but that I suspect has been there for years. I didn't know of its effect on hair but thinking back it could be another reason how I got here. I had like 8ng/mg which I think is like 1/4th of the lowest levels of what is considered "normal".

You have picked my interest a bit on what will happen if I take medication seriously. I wonder what results I could see in a year. Obviously nothing mind blowing, but I wonder if I could go around without shaving my head. I guess it will depend on how I respond to minoxidil, since I have messed up using it. I imagine I cant regain long lost hair, like I had when I first used it, but hopefully there will be some progress.

4 minutes ago, NARMAK said:

I was exactly where you are, probably even younger than where you are when that thought hit me. From 21ish i knew a bit about Finasteride but then people talking about sexual side affects and how as a young guy in my mind i was like, "I'd rather be bald than my penis stop working" and so those scaremongering stories kept me away. It's only from when i was finally 31ish, that i saw my brother had been using Dutasteride for a year, had no sexual sides and basically started doing my research again. 

Finasteride specifically has a safety profile tracked over 20+ years now, prescribed to millions of men yearly and the sides are probably manageable for 98% of users. By that i mean you may experience mild symptoms and then over time these can abate or be within a tolerance. 

Personally i went nuclear and straight to Dutasteride which is 90% serum DHT reduction in the body and circa 51% for scalp DHT. I felt like i was already gonna be playing catch up so probably went to the strongest option off the bat. Now, i will admit i did have some side affects. Slight brain fog, lower libido and probably a little bit more irritated with things resulting from slight mood changes. However, bear in mind i went straight to 0.5mg/day rather than taper in the use. After about 2-3 months and especially now at 9 months later, i can confidently say my body has levelled out and libido has probably rebounded a bit, mood does not really change the same way but tbh, it's not 100% to separate things because i was dealing with stress in my life initially around that time too. Brain fog i would say was mild but i'm fairly confident to say its mostly cleared. 

I've kept progress pictures for a bit monthly and then switched to videos and last one had maybe a 2-3 month difference because i started taking em less. I definitely had improvement but just be aware, the primary goal of Finasteride is to stop you losing what you have, save what it can and if you're lucky to regrow bits. Minoxidil in combination with Microneedling however is the real growth protocol alongside Nizoral shampoo which contains 2% ketoconazole. 

As i said, being committed is the first step to a proper regimen for as long as you actually want to maintain. 

Also, i do think you have a few things going against you atm which are your age of 26 and the aggressive hair loss mixed with retrograde alopecia from what i can see. So it's best to maybe try medication for a solid straight 12 months, save up and do consultations. If at the end of the 12 months you decide to rock a buzz cut/shaved look, at least you got a nice pot of cash to do something with too. 

Thank you for the advice, seeing as many people have recommended this route I will look into starting taking fin and tapering to a normal dose. One question i have though, do you know of cases that have had side effects appear years after they started taking it? That is what really worries me, that I'll have to stop using it after getting a HT.

Thank you @Bandit90, I've been snooping around hair loss forums for years now, so I have seen some of these amazing results you mention. The thing is I don't remember ever seeing anyone who has achieved those having my level of retrograde alopecia. This does bring my expectations quite a bit lower than what they would be. If I were to get it done it would be by a reputable surgeon with experience with similar cases, because I do think I would need every bit of help I could get.

Finasteride is a touchy subject, like I mentioned previously. I do worry about its side effects, but even more than that I worry about them appearing after I've had my HT, and having to stop using it then, which would mess up the whole transplant. Even if they never appear though, I'm doubtful of whether my RA (assuming it doesn't get better somehow, but I doubt it because I understand fin mainly restores and maintains the crown area) would allow me to have satisfactory results, even with beard hair in the mix.

Edit: I realize I might sound like I'm in denial about some of the advice I get here. That is not the case, I am  considering everything I read. I just have a lot of doubts of the kind of results I can achieve.

@NARMAKI am open to trying this, if maintaining my current hair state, or making it slightly better (which is the most I can hope for from what I understand) puts me in a good place for a HT that will look healthy and full. I'd honestly prefer not to put myself through some of these risks if all I can hope for is a subpar result.

I am not going to lie and pretend some of the stories about post finasteride syndrome haven't scared me, but I understand the research isn't that conclusive on this.

That is a worry of mine @JoeMan, on a scale of 1-10 it would be:
1-botched transplant
2- HT that looks thin and unhealthy (which is very possible given what I have),
3-having to shave with scars from HT
7.5-shaving
10-good HT results

if the last one is impossible or too much of a gamble, I'd rather stick with shaving. It's not the best, but that's the hand I've been dealt.

I am comfortable shaving it @JoeMan, I've tried the look and it looks decent on me. It's just that because of my age I do thing that hair would look better. If anything I just want to get some closure on this, so that if there's nothing to be done I can shave without any second thoughts.

@NARMAKI have been on and off of minoxidil for about 7 years now. There have been 4-5 times where I completely stopped applying it for months or years at a time and my situation worsened, and any application after that didn't really seem to help that much. Right now, I've been using it 1-2 times a day for a few months, but I'm convinced there's no difference, and that there probably won't be any either.

I've been told I could try fin, but my worry is that if I manage to get a decent hair state with it, and then get a HT I will be dependent on continuing to take it. If there are any side effects and I have to stop taking it, and then my RA worsens, leaving no donors left, while my transplant area thins as well... I am scared of being left with a bad looking result. I am open to changing my mind on this, it's just a fear of mine.

I haven't tried microneedling, I might look into it if it's going to give me results.

There's a lot of area to cover, especially considering I'm only 26, and the donor area looks very thin, probably because of retrogade alopecia. I just want to know if there's any possibilities of getting a healthy hairline and healthy looking hair with what I have. If not, I'm comfortable shaving it. I've come to terms that it's probably not in the cards for me, but I'd like some opinions before writing it off completely. Thank you!