IdkAboutHair

On 5/14/2023 at 6:04 PM, Anon94 said:

That is an absurd amount of grafts. 

 

I somewhat struggle to see why so many were necessary. The area doesn't appear to be that large. 

I’ve noticed this with a lot of the Drs cases this one in particular quite a lot more! I feel like he transplants in anticipation of future loss when it comes to diffuse loss or where the native hair is clearly showing scalp/see through. Also seems to pack the grafts quite densely so this might be why more grafts are required overall? 

In this case seems like he’s transplanted fairly low down into the crown also? 

Im assuming given the patients age and 15 years of loss maybe they went for a more densely packed fuller surgery perhaps due to less concern of potential future procedures with the use of meds etc as opposed to if the patient was 25/26 with this level of hair loss 

My guesses/conclusions  at least lol 

Hey guys I’m looking to buy 5% topical minoxidil but I’m not sure which to buy? Does the brand matter? Any guys here in the uk use any in particular? 
 

also Liquid or foam? Is there a difference? 

2 hours ago, Rahal Hair Transplant said:

@IdkAboutHair,

I know this is not directly answering your question as I am not an expert in derma rolling per se however, I’m wondering why finasteride is not a part of your regime. Please do understand that derma rolling is likely not to do much even in conjunction with minoxidil. Any benefit you see from this combination is likely from the minoxidilit self and not from the derma rolling. In my opinion, you’ll be causing some mild discomfort and abrasions to your scalp for next to nothing.

That said, I don’t think it will really hurt anything to give it a shot. But please understand that non-surgical solutions are far better at helping you keep your existing hair and possibly thickening some of the miniaturizing hairs then actually regrowing new hair. Only surgical hair restoration is proven to grow hair in completely bald areas.

So unless you are concerned about or have experienced side effects with finasteride, I would strongly consider trying this medication in conjunction with minoxidil which would be far more effective statistically than using minoxidil with the derma roller.  Or you could even try all three if it suits your fancy.

Keep in mind also that for those who experience side effects with oral finasteride, there is a topical solution that many people swear by.  It may be less effective than oral finasteride but I believe the likelihood of experiencing side effects is also reduced.

The above of course is just my opinion based on what I’ve seen over the last 15 years being involved in the profession in one way or another.

Best wishes,

Rahal Hair Transplant 

Hi, thank you for your response! @Rahal Hair Transplant
 

I understand your point in regards to finasteride and it’s the reason I gave it a go but due to personal complications I had to hop off it. I’ve had friends achieve moderate to good growth/thickening via dermarolling/minoxidil arguably more so with diffuse thinning loss and of course not in completely bald areas! So was looking to give it a shot myself as you said no harm in trying 

Also I wasn’t aware that there’s a topical finasteride option, is this available in the UK? I’ll look into this! 

Hey guys 

so I’m looking to start Derma rolling along with minoxidil and was looking for some advice in regards to the dermaroller to buy, is the dermapen a better option?
 

thanks in advance 

Hi, 

so I’ve been wondering if anyone here has been to Dr Pitellas clinic and used the standard or VIP package? 
 

Any examples of results on here? 

@Gatsby 

Thanks for the advice! 
 

Your progress in itself looks really good considering where you started! Must be pleased

Can I ask your thoughts on going with Dr das from Eugenix? Would you recommend it or would you opt for going with Arika? I believe Dr Sethi doesn’t have too much involvement nowadays unless it’s for really difficult cases.

also how about in regards to Dr Pitellas packages? 

Any advice/insight would be appreciated.

I’ve begun taking fin and just hoping for no sides! 

 @WhereIsMyMind

yup lol I was thinking in that region too! It’s weird because if I don’t wear my hair back the way it is in these pics you’d have no idea I was losing my hair. Only once I started paying more attention did I realise how much I’ve actually lost or in really harsh lighting
Guess that’s the curse of diffused hair loss! 
 

I’ve begun looking to finasteride. Started it just hoping for no sides 

@WhereIsMyMind

yup lol I was thinking in that region too! It’s weird because if I don’t wear my hair back the way it is in these pics you’d have no idea I was losing my hair. Only once I started paying more attention did I realise how much I’ve actually lost or in really harsh lighting
Guess that’s the curse of diffused hair loss! 
 

I’ve begun looking to finasteride. Started it just hoping for no sides 

@WhereIsMyMind

true. I’ve attached some pics 

Source would be a interview he did with the restoration network mod, Melvin I believe 

@HappyMan2021

Lmao. From what I know he doesn’t tell patients to take Fin because he himself wouldn’t feel comfortable taking it. That doesn’t mean he tells you NOT to take it. Just that it’s your own choice. It’s also something that stood out to me as he’s the only One whos evaluation didn’t mention taking fin. 

I was just making my own assumption if that could be his reasoning for a higher graft number than the others. 

I personally have started taking fin though 

 

@HappyMan2021

So I’ve begun to look into getting a hair transplant as I feel I’ve reached that stage of loss where it’s starting to bother me a lot more and being more advanced than just a receding hairline. The current length of my hair and style (long messy fringe etc) and being fairly tall giving me a pass to most others who see me. However due to my loss being diffuse through the midscalp/crown area from above it’s REALLY noticeable and quite advanced. 

I’ve consulted with a few surgeons who caught my eye and within mixed price ranges and was hoping some of you guys could give me some input/guidance please!

/Dr Gur (FueCapilar): 3200 grafts to be placed in the hairline and midscalp. Leave the crown for now and recommends to take finasteride for improvement and existing miniaturised hair. 

/Eugenix: 4400 (3500 scalp 900 beard). Proposed 2700 to rebuild hair line and add density and 1700 crown area. Had a talk about taking finasteride for miniaturised hair and topical options should I have side affects etc. explained the requirements and how should I choose not to take it or side affects are too much I will ultimately likely need to undergo a further transplant. 
- different packages but I’m leaning towards Dr Priya Das.

/Dr Pitella: proposed 6000 grafts and to prioritise front third and gradient of crown. (I understand he does Not recommend Fin which I assume is why he perhaps is more aggressive and anticipates future loss of existing hair into his plan? Considering a further consult with him costs $50) 

different packages so I’m unsure

-prime package (all done by dr pitella): approx $24k 

Should you opt to have junior doctors involved with Dr Pitella partially involved:

 - standard: 12k (pitella involved in hairline design and pre-incisions) 

- VIP(pitella involvement in crucial extractions and orchestrates implantations) implantation and extraction mainly done by jr doctors: 18k 

curious which package people who went with Dr Pitella clinic opted for? I was leaning towards him initially but 24k is abit pricey! 

/Dr frietas- awaiting response 

any other doctors or clinics you would recommend? 

9 hours ago, Melvin- Moderator said:

Are you on medication? It’s very important that you take medication before considering surgery.

I’m not yet. I honestly just accepted hairloss is a part of life when I first noticed it years ago lmao. I didn’t do much research on it or anything.

I didn’t know about meds till very recently even then was in two minds due to reading about side affects etc. hence my decision to post on here for some advice and thoughts. 

But having spoken on here and browsed a few threads, I realise the consensus seems to be meds as the first point of call before considering a hair transplant. 
 

Having taken this on board, am I still a decent candidate for a hair transplant overall? (Once on meds etc) as having browsed I see not everyone is deemed to be for different reasons or others are considered to be “difficult cases” 

2 minutes ago, mister_25 said:

Finasteride is to stop further progression of baldness and to stop the root cause of hair loss. You will need to take this to prevent your hair loss from getting worse.

Minoxidil is used to strengthen your miniaturized hair and help you get some regrowth, Minoxidil helps you get back some ground on the battle against hair loss but will not solve the root cause issue. You can take Minoxidil Topically, Orally and in Foam. I have had success with topical but the best results come from Oral Minoxidil.

 

Helpful! Thanks for this. 
 

I’ll definitely look into both. Hopefully i’m able overcome my hesitation regarding finasteride and just go for itttt.
 

so you’ve personally seen positive results from using both? Any chance in seeing pics? It’s perfectly okay if not! This has been helpful as it is. 

12 minutes ago, mister_25 said:

Medication is a must here, you have a large amount of native hair and if you are lucky and get decent regrowth the amounts of grafts you could save would be dramatic.

Finasteride is a absolute must, Highly would recommend Minoxidil here.

all things considered you could get something rather dense and blends in well with your native hair cause you aren’t that advanced of a case. Your about a Norwood 3-4 and if you play the HT game right you could get something where no one even people in the know on hair transplants can tell if you had one or not. Or if you were ever balding in the first place.

right now I wouldn’t consider transplants. Not for another 1-2 years. I would use the time that you are using too see if you stabilise on fins sterile for a year. And maybe build up a bit of money to go to a top surgeon for your case. Like Freitas.

Thanks for this! 
 

can I ask what are the differences and roles of finasteride and minoxidil? I know they’re of course both used to help with hair loss but I assume they both have different aims hence the recommendation to use both. 

i’ll take heed of your last few points also in regards to waiting etc.

I suppose financially I’m not overly pressed thankfully and also open to travel etc to see a good surgeon which is probably why I might’ve been a bit eager and open to go for a transplant sooner rather than later. 
Will also look into Dr Freitas some more too! 
 

56 minutes ago, NARMAK said:

The recommended dosage is up to 1mg per day for hair loss. If you want to try avoid aide affects, the best way is to start off on lower dosages every other day. For example 0.5mg 3x a week, then increase to 4x and so on until you are on a full weeks dosage. Then there's the build up from 0.5mg to 1mg on maybe 2-3 days a week and keep loading till you hit 1mg a day. This allows your body time over the 2-3 months period depending on how you do it to try adjust to lower DHT levels. It also allows you imo to pick up on side affects easier and lower your dosage again to where you weren't experiencing them. 

In terms of side affects, common side affects are lower libido. How much lower depends on you imo and other things that might also be going on in your life, your fitness etc. 

For me personally, if i say my libido level was 100% (arbitrary figure tbh) before taking Dutasteride (stronger version of what Finasteride is basically), then i would say initially my libido as my body was adjusting and i pushed through the side affects which were more prominent for me because i actually took the full dosage from day 1 of 0.5mg instead of loading up like i would recommend to others. I would say now, my libido is 85-90% of what it was, but i think a common misconception is that as a guy, you should basically want it all the time. As you age, that diminishes a little tbh. I'm 32, so i don't think it's fair to compare to even when i was in my mid 20s and the main thing is, when the time comes, you should feel comfortable knowing you will be able to perform as there's no ED issues otherwise you should stop. Bear in mind though, anxiety induced ED happens to guys not using medication too. 

The studies list side affects in less than 10% of users and that's a generous percentage i'm estimating tbh with most of those who experience them managing to recover after stopping completely. A very, very small minority may have persistent issues after stopping but its best to get your blood tests done to see there's no other issues at play. 

Overall, medication is your number one friend and for you, i would seriously recommend Finasteride combined with Minoxodil and Microneedling with a derma pen. 

I’ll take this all on board. Good to know I can take lower dosages of Finasteride and slowly adjust etc. I wasn’t aware of this and always assumed you’ll have to take it in full from day one. 

how long would you say it takes one to see results and if Finasteride is working for you? Assuming side affects don’t occur or are at a minimum of course.

2 hours ago, 1978matt said:

Agreed.  Then perhaps 2500 to the frontal 3rd / half.  There is a risk of permanent shockloss though which might put you back to square one.

Thanks for the reply!
Permanent shock loss to hair I already have?  What causes this exactly and Is it avoidable? 

3 hours ago, FixMyHair213 said:

your donor looks good, I think you should first get on medication for at least a year and see how that helps after that get the transplant done. 

Noted. I assume you’re talking finasteride and minoxidil?

what is the purpose of min? If it’s okay to ask.

Also I have some worries in regards to finasteride due to the supposed side affects. I tend to have bad luck when it comes to medicine side affects lmao. 

are there any recommended dosages? Are any of the side affects permanent or will they subside should I come off the medication? 
 

sorry if these are silly questions 

4 hours ago, DHT said:

Your donor looks very good, get in touch with Eugenix hair science, Text them, take a counselling session. It will be very much helpful for you. Dont rush for a HT, rather give ample time to medications. On the other hand, You can have a look at the forum recommended surgeons, Bisanga, Frietas, could be a good option as well. 

Thanks for the recommendations and advice! I’ll look into it and Eugenix