singlefollicle

Mirko from Mens Ink in Italy seems to have positive results, at least according to r/SMPchat/ on reddit.

Is this the stuff we are talking about? https://m.indiamart.com/proddetail/visudyne-verteporfin-15mg-injection-2853699924955.html?pos=3&kwd=visudyn verteporfin&tags=BB||||7584.552|Price|product|||IVESI|type=attr=1|attrS|br

So you wanted basically what I suggested? The great thing about doing that, is that it always gives you the second option I suggested if you get fed up wearing a system. Its a shame you were talked out of it.

I notice on all your pics your hair is brushed back. Is this purely for style? Or are you hiding a thinner mid scalp/crown?

My only issue with fut, is that I can't buzz it off if it looks bad. I was looking at this guy who had 8300 grafts with similar balding to me, but he still has a horse shoe at the back. He hasd fue, so he has the buzz option whenever he wants. If it was me, with the horse shoe, that's what I would do. FUT would not leave me with that option.

Really? So FUT doesn't gain you any grafts at all? Okay FUE it is, so long as I can get 10k from my scalp. Guess I could always use beard hair but keep dyeing it.... Bloody ginger beard 😆

Do you think if I start with FUT, it will help me max my scalp donor? Surgery 1. FUT Surgery 2. FUT + FUE combo Sound like a good plan? Im actually doing a lot of research right now. Going to spend the whole of this year on meds (fin + oral minox), I started in October last year, hopefully I can regrow some crown hair or something (I have tiny vellus hairs all over my scalp, you cant see in pics)

I have been wearing one for over 2 years and I'm kinda sick of it. I actually look okay bald, so think I will just go back to shaving it again until/unless I get a hair transplant. If the number of grafts is your issue (you can't get enough grafts for full coverage), then I have some advice that I think will work really well. Get a HT for your hair line, 3000 grafts will do, even people with a poor donor can get 3000, you can even have a youthful hairline. Then use another 3000 grafts for the rest of your head (body hair can be used for this), basically create a diffuse pattern. Next, get smp all over your diffused area. Doing this will give you 2 options. Option 1. Grow the front of your hair long and wear a hair system behind, this will look way better than using a standard hair system. Option 2. Buzz your head. The smp + transplant combo will look way better than smp on its own. The great thing is you can switch between them. This is what I plan to do if I cant get enough grafts for full coverage.

Did you try any medications before doing a transplant? I ask because from what I understand, asians are normally very good responders to it. Looking at your original start point, I thought of this guy at the wimpole clinic (even same head shape) https://wimpoleclinic.com/blog/norwood-stage-5-photos-treatments-results/ (scroll down to Does Finasteride work at Norwood stage 5?) His start point was worse than yours, but his end point was much improved. If you are not already on medication, it might be worth trying.

This is where I got mine https://www.oxfordonlinepharmacy.co.uk/hair-loss/minoxidil-generic

I also have a small head. Was your balding about the same as mine?

Yeah I agree. Think this basically rules out a HT for me though, because I won't be able to use beard hair. My head hair is brown but turns blonde in the summer. My beard is ginger. From what I read head doner only get around 6k grafts.

The guy in the first video had less balding than me, the other 2 are interesting. But if you look at this Norwood 5a guy with thick black hair, I think his balding is less severe than mine and he had 8300 grafts but still looks thin (why he wants another transplant).

Indeed it does. I'm thinking of doing a FUT + FUE combo myself with this doctor. I do have one question though. If you plan on having 2 surgeries anyway, would it be best to have just a FUT for your first, followed by FUT + FUE for your second? I read that FUTS get the most grafts but are best before a FUE?

Really? Just about everyone else has said I will need 10k, even @Melvin- Admin . I agree about the beard hair though, it's so incredibly different to my scalp hair, however without it I doubt I will get to 10k, so 6k would probably be the max. I would prefer FUE OFC, but if FUT is the only way to get the grafts needed, I would go that route. If I did go the FUT route I would probably choose Dr Laorwang.

Sounds promising. My main concern about using beard hair is the colour. My head hair is brown (and turns blonde in the summer) but my beard hair is ginger! Also my head hair is very soft but my beard is coarse. I'm not sure how much of a problem this would be, I guess I could always just dye it? BTW did you go for the most expensive package with Dr Pittella? Don't think I could afford that. Was thinking about Dr @Kongkiat Laorwang. Although the only NW6 I could find from him was a 5k graft using FUT, so I'm not sure he normally does high NW like Pittella. Anyway, I have a lot more research to do, my plan is to spend a year on meds anyway (been on for 3 months now) just to get back whatever I can (probably not much). Looking forward to the day I don't wear a hair system though.

You can see the side of my head in my previous comment. As for the back of my head, here is a picture of me watching a video of a man with similar balding . You can see my donor area is pretty terrible (my nape looks thin). This is what makes me think I am not a good candidate for a hair transplant. From what I have researched on the internet, I believe am going to need 10k+ grafts for a good result, and I doubt I have that. I'm currently taking fin + oral minox to try and improve my donor, but I don't have high hopes.

True. I heard that sellers on indiaMart will sell to just about anyone, but I also hear there are a lot of scammers as well. Some research needed maybe. https://dir.indiamart.com/search.mp?ss=verteporfin&src=as-rcnt|pos%3D1|cat%3D-2|mcat%3D-2|kwd_len%3D0|kwd_cnt%3D0&prdsrc=1&res=RC2&Mspl=0&qry_typ=P

Is this legit? https://www.bioscience.co.uk/product~723811 EDIT: NVM The cheapest they do is £494 for 25mg https://www.bioscience.co.uk/product~723813

So would I be in need of 10k+ grafts to get a decent result?

I have since put my hair system back on. I do have this picture I took from before though.

Yeah, I suspected as much. Although I don't think I really developed a "bridge" as I believe I had anterior pattern hair loss. One thing that confuses me though is my crown, the balding does not seem as bad as most NW6 pictures I see? Or am I imagining it?

I'm 38 and have advanced hair loss. I think I might have followed the anterior pattern of hair loss rather than the standard MPB pattern. I can't figure our what Norwood I am though. My crown does not seem as bad as some of the later stage Norwood pictures I see. I'm currently wearing a hair system so my hair is long around the sides but shaved off on top, this picture is of 2 weeks growth just before I have it trimmed. I would just like to know if I'm a Norwood 6 or a Norwood 7. Thanks for any help.