TooYoung28

Hey guys, I have been following the forum and doing research for many months now. I figured before I make any moves towards a procedure, I should run my background by you all for your input and assistance. As the title indicates, I am 28 years old and facing thinning on the crown. I also have a hairline that has receded a bit, but I can live with it. My hair loss first started with a receding hairline around 21 or so. I do believe the hairline has reached maturity as it has been at approximately the same level for 3-4 years now. I first started noticing hair loss on the crown around 26 years old. I would run my fingers through my hair with a number of hairs falling out. This lead me to jump on fin/min quickly (I will outline my regimen below, but have been on the pair consistently for 18 months). I have had no side effects to any medications. Over the last year I believe the hair loss has stabilized a bit, however you can never be certain. I was hoping for some slight growth in the thinning regions, but after 18 months of meds, I do not believe I will get any. This lead me to a consultation with Dr. Jerry Cooley’s office in NC. Lollie was very helpful and after an hour and a half phone call she tried to talk me out of an operation, which I respected. She did however say that Dr. Cooley can perform the light work if I really wanted it and provided a very high level quote for FUT which seemed reasonable to me. My question for you all: given my age and location of the work (crown), would it be advisable to have a light “filling” performed? I prefer to wear my hair shorter, but have been hesitant to do so recently as it accentuates the balding. I am not opposed to having future work done if needed, as long as my donor region is thick enough (I do not have any indications as to whether or not it is). Finally, from my understanding, it would be 9-12 months of waiting to get into Dr. Copley’s chair. This would put me near 29 years of age, and over 2 years on medication. I appreciate any advice. Medications: - Finasteride: 1mg daily for 15 months, 2.5mg 3x weekly for last 3 months - Minoxidil: topical for 15 months, topical and 2.5mg oral daily for last 3 months - Micro-needling: 1x weekly at 1.25mm for last 3 months Photos: short hair is from August, 2022, long hair is today.