Es1

3 minutes ago, TheGreatPretender said:

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. 

To be honest I'm not sure of the prices, what are they per graft if you know?

I just know that these 3 are the best in Europe from what I've read and saw on the forum 

Good luck with your transplant bro

10 minutes ago, TheGreatPretender said:

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.

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 

1 hour ago, Curious25 said:

Unfortunately that is the predicament that we all face. 
 

Spend some time speaking to relevant doctors and not forum users, to learn and understand more about the different types of medications available. 
 

Get blood tests, consult some more, then weigh up the pro’s vs. cons for you personally. 
 

Your mindset going into medication is important. If you go in worried and resentful, the chances are, you won’t stick it out (which is a big mistake) and possibly convince yourself of things that may just be in your head. If you go into a regime you’re happy and confident with, holding a positive mindset that you are doing something productive to combat something that has been an issue in your life, you’re more likely to be a success story. 
 

Fact of the matter is, only you can make up your mind on what route you take, and you will hopefully make the correct decision for yourself. Everyone has an individual threshold of what they can accept and live with, we’re just fortunate to have a lot more ‘options’ these days, as opposed to older generations. On that point - I do acknowledge that there is arguably cause for speculation that physical appearances are much more focused upon in todays age, so maybe that can slightly negate the sympathy we have for our fathers and their peers. 
 

Just to end this - I’ll leave you with three take aways. 
 

Don’t listen to the idiocy written by hysterical forum posters on both sides  of the coin, listen to well respected and educated doctors. Remember the type of person in the world the typical hair loss forum poster is likely to be, and ask yourself, would you take their word as gospel if you were to meet them in the street ? 
 

Secondly - if you genuinely care and get preoccupied and affected by your hair loss, the worser your hair loss gets, this form of stress and anxiety is quite able to lead into physical illnesses and ailments similar or worse, to certain side effects hair loss medications potentially come with … , given your mentality is unable to be changed on your perception to your hair loss. 

And finally - if you are struggling to keep up with regularly using topical minoxidil, have a look into the oral version, and consult with some Dr’s regarding it. Much easier and more practical to use, from an application standpoint - and more and more research is suggesting, also superior in efficacy. 

Wow I really appreciate your in depth and informative response, I certainly will take on board what you have said as you're totally right!

11 minutes ago, Melvin- Moderator said:

I would get on oral fin and oral min. It may affect your sperm count, but only if it’s low to begin with. 

I know you're against it from what I've saw lol

I am too but feeling desperate! Anything you could suggest as I'm sure you'd say I'm too early as well

Hi all

So from scrolling through the forum and a previous post I made I have come to realise that a hair transplant at this stage is too early (even though I may want one, no good doctor has/would advise me to get one yet).

My hair the last month or so has started to get worse, I usually use topical minoxidil twice a day just on the front of my scalp where my hair is thinning, should I use all over?

I have been slacking due to being on a couple of holidays last 2 months and my hair has gotten worse. 

I also realise now even though I am anti medication usually - I have no choice if I want to 'save' what I have left and in order to have a successful transplant 

My question is shall I keep using the topical minoxidil and should i use it all over rather than just the front? Also what medication should I take? Finasteride? And does it effect if I'm trying for a baby?

I know you will all be helpful so thanks in advance!!

14 minutes ago, RTC said:

False tbh

Does it have the same strength applying topically? 

11 minutes ago, Legend007 said:

Don’t let people scare u about medications.. they scared  the crap out of me too .. that’s how I started becoming bald.. I threw my bottle of finasteride in the trash after 3 months use after reading online stuff .. 3 years after that I had to spend $20k on a hairtransplant, n now I’m back in the meds n not gonna stop.. i hardly take fin ,, not because of sides but because of lazy n my hair has stabilized .. I only take it once every 2-3 days .. n even on fin,, my hair volume is still not good ,, so I guess it didn’t stop the hairloss but slowed it down for me . 

try topical fin or something ..

I understand bro 

I read online that topical fin is basically same as oral fin in the sense of side effects 

And i know you're saying people just scaring etc but there's plenty of people even on here have said the same about having severe side effects

I've been using topical minoxidil twice a day, only in the area that's thinning though not everywhere (not sure if you're supposed to do it everywhere lol)

18 minutes ago, Legend007 said:

I only say this to u because I care n I went they the same thing.. n I lost a confidence during those two years… every time I shake my head a bunch of hairs would fall . N at that rate I be bald in no time. N my family is all norwood 1 .. so u I was definitely in denial for a long time .. n wasted over a year freaking out buying supplements n laser caps n all that crap .. when I should of stick with the meds .. 

so yes the meds help .. my hair is still thin,, I’m never getting that density back , but the hair I have now don’t fall out when I shake my head .. that’s good enough for me .. 

Lol don't sorry bro I haven't taken any offence

It is what it is at the end of the day! The hairs look shorter because I cut them shorter as the front part in the middle the hair is still thicker so I shorten the front to all match haha

Only problem with these meds is the side effects, I can't be dealing with erectile dysfunction at 27 lol 

8 hours ago, Rahal Hair Transplant said:

Es1,

I think it’s great that you found this discussion forum and that you have began trying minoxidil.

You said that you started losing hair soon after an accident you had that involved Permanent damage to one of your kidneys. Can you explain what happened?  To be honest however, these are very likely not related and the hair loss you are experiencing is most likely do to meal pattern ball no. That said, depending on what happened and what caused damage to your kidney, I suggest consulting your doctor and discussing all possibilities.

For example, there are several causes of non-genetic related hair loss. If you are on some kind of medication now due to the loss of your kidney, it’s possible that one of the side effects of that medication is hair loss. I’m only throwing this out as an example because while I believe that your hair loss is likely unrelated, I want you to be aware that there it is a possibility that these are linked depending on what happened, what treatments you are undergoing, etc.

Now, assuming that your hair loss is genetic and there is no correlation between your hair loss and the damage and or treatment of your kidney, I would still recommend that you consider finasteride for six months to a year prior to jumping immediately into hair transplant surgery.

finasteride is quite good at slowing down or even stopping the progression of male pattern baldness and at the very least might stabilize your hair loss so that you can get the most from a hair transplant procedure.

in the meantime, I suggest continuing to research, learning everything you can about hair restoration surgery and the best doctors that perform the procedure.  You can even book consults and information sessions with surgeons and impressing the most to begin formulating a long-term strategy in restoring your hair. Even if you don’t undergo surgery immediately, working with a surgeon in developing a long-term plan which includes both medication and surgery over the years is truly beneficial.

That said, if you would like to schedule a one on one information session with Dr. Rahal to get his professional opinion on your situation and the best Way forward, please send me a private message and I’ll be happy to set this up for you.

Best wishes,

Rahal Hair Transplant 

Thank you firstly for your in depth response, I highly appreciate it!

I had a quad bike (ATV) accident whereby I hit a post and crushed my left kidney (Renal Grade 5 injury), I now only have function in my right kidney. I personally think its unrelated but my barber who has been cutting my hair since a young child uses to boast about how thick my hair is and its the thickest he cuts! Literally sometimes the trimmer used to get stuck and pull lol. Suddenly he noticed it literally from a few months after that it started to thin and I laughed - 5 years later and here we are!! He was right lol. He does cut my hair every week.

I am not on any medication at all, my vitamin D is quite low so I am advised to take some to raise my levels however that is common in the UK

Yes I've read a bit about finasteride as everybody recommends it - my only worry is the serious side effects it can withhold! 

I'll drop you a pm as you said I'm open to any sound advice at the moment and I'm sure a doctor can advise too

Thanks again

7 hours ago, GoliGoliGoli said:

Ya a lot of it depends on how aggresive your loss is and how much you have in your donor. 

 

However as far as donor hairs not being DHT proof, that is not my understanding whatsoever. 

Are you saying donor hairs ARE in fact 'DHT proof?'

If that's the case then makes sense in regards to multiple HTs

You're certainly right I think it's moreso the side effects it entails that is risky for some - especially people who have taken it and actually experienced said side effects 

21 hours ago, Kashnw7hope said:

Yes it is too soon . I do not take finasteride and never will again after massive side effects I had . My pattern was final so I had my first session 6 months ago . To have a hair transplant in your case you need to know your final Norwood pattern which as of now is not known .  

That could be a long time though right for my final norwood pattern. Years and years it could be and I don't fancy this in between stage look lol 

Catch 22 as I didn't realise how 'sacred' donor hairs are

I'm worried about the side effects too, ive read online some people do not even return back to normal even after stopping 

On 7/24/2022 at 9:20 PM, THE TRUTH said:

Thanks bro and no problem. 

Sadly genetic hairloss is a progressive condition. It will inevitably get worse. It never stops  although sometimes it looks like it's stopped visually but the miniaturization keeps going...

Starts by receding hairline, thinning crown or diffuse thinning and then progresses to a full HORSESHOE ! 

Now of course not everyone will be shiny bald on top with the horseshoe at the cal and sides but the sooner you start balding the more chances you have to reach an advanced degree of baldness later down the road. 

If you do nothing then your hairloss will continue for sure. Based on your pictures, I suspect you may become Norwood 4-5 during the next 10  years. 

So it is always 1 billion times easier to keep what you have then recover what you've lost. Hair transplants can NEVER match the density you had before the onset of Androgenic Alopecia. Most  people with advanced baldness still look like they are balding/thinning even after tens of thousands of dollars spent on transplants and multiples surgeries...

The right time for transplant will be when you get on oral Fina/Dura and give it 6-12 months. If your hairloss is stable  then you may go for  a small transplant but choose the right doctor ! 

 

Sorry, didn't realise I've had a few more responses

As i said I'm anti medication but I'm up for maybe taking fin as everyone is recommending. However my only concern would be what I've read a lot about online and on this forum in regards to the side effects - mainly being Erectime dysfunction! I can't be dealing with that bro at 27 years of age haha!! This what is making me think thrice (not twice lol). 

What about that manual hair stuff you see online too? I see fin is part of their routine too 

1 hour ago, pkipling said:

Happy you found the forum so early on in this process as well so you can do as much research as possible before making any big decisions. You’ll also learn that there’s no single formula for how to best make that decision, as there are always a lot of different factors at play, and different opinions on how to best approach it. 

I agree with the others that jumping into a hair transplant right now would be a bit too hasty. However, my outlook may be slightly different. It does appear to me that you have hair loss - and may be diffused hair loss at that, which means you need to be particularly cautious about how you approach it. While 27 isn’t always too young to get a hair transplant, I do think it’s too soon for you to consider getting one at this stage. Hair loss is progressive, and you need to see if you can get it stabilized first and foremost before making any big decisions. The advice above in regards to medication and treatment is worth exploring to see if you can do that. 

I think it’d be worth exploring different hair transplant surgeons in the meantime anyway, and seeing if you can start narrowing down some potential options should you want to move forward with a hair transplant in the future. At the very least, I would recommend getting a consultation or two under your belt with some of your top choices (or even someone you’re not fully considering) just so you can have a hands-on, expert opinion on the matter. They’ll be able thoroughly examine all the different factors that go into determining whether someone is a good candidate or not, and can give you their professional opinion on what an optimal hair saving and hair restoration strategy would be. Many of these surgeons do virtual consultations as well. 

When making a decision with proper research, careful consideration, and realistic goals of what results are actually possible based on your unique situation, I believe we can mitigate a lot of the limitations and risks listed above. I truly don’t think it’s as big of a gamble when handled appropriately, though it’s true that there’s never a guarantee with any procedure. But… there are countless more risks involved with “blindly running to a hair mill” than there are when taking the time to do proper research to choose a top surgeon who can work side by side with you to not lead you astray. The list of recommended surgeons here is a great place to start. 

Happy browsing, and I encourage you to utilize the forum as much as possible to ask questions, look at reviews, and educate yourself as much as possible about how the hair transplant industry works as a whole. It’ll leave you more confident to make a decision when/if that time comes. And in the meantime, explore the medications above to see if you can get the hair transplant stabilized. 

Wow thank you for your in depth and detailed response! I will explore my options and your suggestions for sure!

Thanks for your input - I appreciate it!

Also I have been using foligain minoxidil in my hair and have been using shampoo and conditioner every other day (Nioxin)

Yes I've always been anti drugs - don't think I've even taken a paracetamol haha so I don't really want to take medication orally!

3 hours ago, THE TRUTH said:

Way too soon at this stage bro....

Why sacrify your nice-looking skin fade at the back and on the side for some crappy white dot FUE scars  and poor result on top ?...

I know transplant is tempting bro....

But a hair transplant is a huge deal. It really is.  Mentally, physically and financially. 

It has tons of limitations and risks. 

The truth is it's a gamble.  Not just with turkish hairmills but also with the best surgeons. 

Diffuse thinners are very tricky. Very few surgeons in the world have the required skillset to sucessfully perform a hair transplant on a diffuse thinner without causing permanent shockloss of native miniaturized hairs and without having poor survival and thus throwing to the garbage your precious LIMITED grafts from the donor zone...

You should first consider a strong pharmaceutical stack. 

Sorry but topical minoxidil alone is not sufficient. For 2 reasons

1. Minoxidil works by artificially stimulating the anagen growth phase through potassium/calcium channels in the dermall papilla cells and the B-catenin and WNT pathways. It buys you time BUT it does not adress the underlying rootcause of the evolutionnary curse of Male Pattern Baldness which is genetic sensitivity of the hair follicles to DHT. That's why you will need a 5AR inhibitor or direct anti androgen at some point. 

2. Minoxidil is like a placebo if you do not have sufficient sulfotransferase enzyme expression. This particular enzyme is required for converting minoxidil into its active form minoxidil sulfate. Otherwise it doesn't do crap. Therefore you should either use oral minoxidil or try to compound minoxidil with tretinoin. 

I suggest you get on 

Dutasteride 0.5mg 

Oral minox 2.5mg 

Optionnal: Fluridil, RU58841 and microneedling.

Give it at least 6-8 months. Not everyone will respond to medication. Medication works in SOME cases by thickening existing miniaturized hairs. It doesn't grow hair on bald scalp. In your case it may be beneficial. Certainly worth giving a try. 

The goal is not to get a transplant in this "game". The real goal is to get as few transplants as possible....

We are dealing with a complicated situation in the first place. Here' why

Hairloss = progressive condition. 

Transplant = scarring +  risk of failure 

Donor area = limited 

If medication doesn't to anything then yes after 6-12 months you may consider a transplant. 

You don't have much hairloss so you won't need a lot of grafts. Therefore do not cheap out bro !!!

Go with the best of the best and forget about Turkey. They are crap and they have no idea how to transplant diffuse thinners...

Konior, Freitas, Couto, Bisanga, Pinto, Feriduni, Muresanu, Ferreira. Zarev is great too. 

Good luck and keep fighting the good fight. 

And remember time is off the essence when it comes to fighting permanent genetic Male Pattern Baldness. 

All the best 👊

 

 

Thanks for your kind words bro, appreciate the reassurance! 

It has slowly gotten worse - my friend recommended me a place called Este medical hear in the UK (not sure where you're from), they said they'll give me the laser treatment on my hair for a few months, get a transplant and then carry on with it when I get back

To be honest my hair i don't think has gotten any worse in the last 12-18 months but I just thought I'd rather get it sorted now as I believe its stopped falling and I wanted it to how it was before (or close to. Which I thought would be achievable as its not so bad)

I guess I'll hold fire on a hair transplant for the time being - just wondering when would be the right time then? If my hair does not get any worse then should I not just do it 

P.S love my skin fades bro haha!

Hi all, just signed up to this forum this morning and I am very happy I did due to the wealth of knowledge and experience on here!

Thanks to you all trusted members for sharing your insight firstly!

I wasn't aware of these 'hair mills' in Turkey and thought that was the place to go.

Anyway, I am now 27 years of age as of a couple weeks ago and considering a hair transplant. My hair started slowly slowly thinning when I had an accident a few years ago damaging 1 of my kidneys permanently (could be just a coincidence I am not sure)

Since about a year ago I used Minoxidil twice a day at the front of my head. I'm considering a transplant but from seeing some pictures on other threads I'm thinking it may be too soon??

I'll attach some pictures now and let me know what you guys think and if there's any advice you may have.

My hair is VERY VERY thick!

Thanks in advance!!