imissthebarber

I think if the crown was totally bald and not much sign of loss somewhere else it might look a little odd, but I have a couple of friends who I am pretty sure have not had a HT who have thinning in the crown but it all pretty much looks thick at the front. (Slight temple recession in one case.)

Thana Thanks for the response I thought this post was going to fade into obscurity with no responses!

I totally agree that if you aren't on the medications you should try those first. It might not be what you want to hear right now but it is unlikely a doctor will want to treat you for a small session if you are not on meds. This is because they could do something in the hairline but the hair behind it may continue to retreat. (I assume you meant $1500-$3000 not 1500-3000 grafts which might come in around $6000-15000 for a strip or double that for fue.) There is another topic on how you might be able to get a better deal if you are prepared to go on a standby list. I'm not sure if that could be an option for you perhaps during your vacations? http://hair-restoration-info.c...=415109831#415109831

Eman - great to hear you are so happy with the results and judging by the photos I can see why!

Obviously in the current economic situation it isn't easy to get investors. For those who don't know Intercytex is one of the main companies researching hair cloning. Because one of their other products will not now be coming to market it has affected investor confidence in the company. Along the lines Mr GQ suggests I posted this because if investor confidence in Intercytex is damaged it could reduce available funding for their future research into hair cloning. I'm not saying it will, all I know is what the article says. I thought people might be interested, especially because quite a few people on this site have expressed cautious optimism about the research they are doing.

I haven't seen this discussed for a while now. Say someone could get 7500 grafts via strip (not all at once but say over 2 or 3 surgeries). For future planning how much more could they safely expect to get via FUE after that? Is it always better to do strip first then FUE or is it more nuanced? This is really a general question about how many reserves someone can count on having once they have started on the HT road.

I haven't seen this discussed for a while now. Say someone could get 7500 grafts via strip (not all at once but say over 2 or 3 surgeries). For future planning how much more could they safely expect to get via FUE after that? Is it always better to do strip first then FUE or is it more nuanced? This is really a general question about how many reserves someone can count on having once they have started on the HT road.

I just found this recent bit of news about Intercytex. Although it isn't directly related to hair loss it may still be worth knowing that the main product they were developing has been abandoned and the stock fell over 70% on the news. The article seems to suggest this could mean the company needs to be sold. Bad news for Intercytex

I largely agree with Emperor. People react to what they see. Confidence is part of that but the most obvious things they see are physical. Plenty of people react before they have even had a chance to assess your body language or whether you are uneasy etc. A lot of people do react differently depending on whether you have hair.

For those people who have been open about your HT: I was just curious have you found different reactions from those that knew you before the HT to those who only know you with your new hair? If so how were the reactions different?

I guess you have considered this already but I'm sure the doc has good reasons for giving you the hairline he did. I guess he could have given you a lower one first time and maybe charged you more for a bigger session but there's reasons he didn't. The hairline you get will have to look good when a) you get older and b) has to be able to cope with future hair loss which many docs agree is difficult to predict from a NW3. Hope it works out well whatever you do, just don't want to see you over commit to the front and end up with an unnatural look.

The scar visibility is often discussed in many threads here. If you go to a top doc then the likelihood is it will be visible at #1 or #2 clip guard but #3 could be ok and #4 is ok for a lot of guys. This only becomes fully obvious 6-9 months after the procedure once the scar has settled down. Prior to that the redness can make it more detectable. Some people however, report that they have to use a #8 guard to cover it. Also most figures are based on dry hair. Wet hair would likely require longer lengths to cover the scar. Post-op the area around the scar can suffer from what is known as shock loss. This means that hairs in that region are traumatised by the procedure and fall out. The follicles are not permanently damaged but go into a kind of hibernation. New hair will start to grow in the region 3-4 months later. Not everyone suffers with shock loss. People say it is hard to predict although some would argue that it is more likely the bigger the session you have done. Hope this helps

Comments I've had have included quite a lot of positive ones like "I like the hair" - I used to shave down. However, I think a lot of people have acted kind of awkward and not known what to say. From a couple of things I've overheard I get the feeling a lot of people have been talking behind my back. I was a NW5.

Bill - good work I have been impressed with how rare this kind of thing is on this forum. I went on an forum unrelated to hair loss recently and the moderator had not contributed to it for months!

jtm624 - Well Dewayne said you sound like you've researched quite a bit already. A couple of points though. Genetics are not fair I have 2 cousins who are brothers with each other. One is 42 and is a NW1 the other is 32 and is an NW6, so what I am saying is don't rely too much on your brother/father as a model for where you are headed. Other than that usual standard advice don't bring the hairline forward from where the first surgery put it. Make sure you have donor reserves after the second surgery to cover the sides if they recede towards the ears. Consider whether you could afford to leave the crown altogether and certainly don't expect more than light coverage for the crown. By the way I am 32 and was a NW5 before my surgery so we have some similarities. Best wishes

I think I remember I was told 3 weeks. Leeson may well be right but I would check with your surgeon to make 100% sure. Also best of luck your journey to more hair. It's all started! Remember to be patient along the way.

Hallo - I'm sorry to hear of your experience with propecia. Plenty of guys on here use it with no noticeable side effects. I have to say that I haven't experienced dramatically obvious side effects like you described but I do sometimes feel concerned about the possible long term risks. Hopefully other guys who have had sides will chime in to say that they wore off when they stopped taking the drugs. This is mainly what I have read on the subject. Again, all the best.

Hallowell - I'm really sorry to hear about your situation and I am very angry about the way you were treated. People who prey on the vulnerable are a disgrace. It sounds like you have looked into this thoroughly but just in case you are not aware, the techniques now are very different to the time when people were getting plugs. Some of the candidates I have met did have very natural looking hair IMO. I am 4 months out and there's still a long way to go but I have seen very good signs of improvement. Putting my hand through my own hair I can still feel the scar in a couple of places but it isn't fully mature yet, and I think anyone else would'nt assume anything from touching it. Anyway, I wish you all the best. I've read some guys shave down or have shaved down with the scar, hopefully some of them will comment.

IMO some of those shampoos can have some effect on density. However it is cumulative on how much hair you have to start with. I was using one of those and a mate of mine crashed at my place after a night out. He used my shampoo in the morning and ended up looking like he had an afro. However was a NW1 with thick hair. For me as a NW4 at that time it didn't help too much. Can't remember the name but you'll find come more suggestions on in this section http://hair-restoration-info.c...s/a/frm/f/8566060861

GTDL this research has been going on for a while. Farjo are involved with Intercytex. Whilst it does sound exciting the possible availability within five years is just that a possibility. I think it is difficult for the layman or even someone not familiar with the exact research to say how likely this really is. It stands to reason that in a multi-billion dollar industry someone who finds a "cure" would stand to make a lot of money so there is plenty of incentive for people to research this. In terms of what this means to someone now, if they are at an early stage when waiting for a HT might be advisable anyway then developments on this could come along to help out. However, for someone contemplating an aggressive surgery which would not leave enough donor hair to cover future hair loss it would be unwise to rely on cloning to make up the shortfall. Even if it does become available the chances are it will be very expensive to begin with as new things generally are. Iintercytex are due to publish further more detailed findings after the end of Q1 2009. At the moment they are detailing an increase in hair count in the majority of patients based on a very small sample size. Intercytex

Thanks again Dr Beehner yes that does help with both questions.

Some lucky guys can shave to a #2 after a strip surgery but I definitely wouldn't count on it. After FUE this could well be a possibility. I don't think most guys who do a HT really want to keep their hair that short. I guess they'd like to be able to buzz it without scars showing if they feel like it. I agree with mmhce that it is important to see some stabilisation of hair loss especially for a NW2 at 24 before going ahead with a life-changing procedure. See this thread for a cautionary tale Caution

Thanks to both Drs for your input. Dr Beeher, in the case of a young NW3 you said that it is impossible to tell how bald they will become. However for a NW5, given a knowledge of the family tree, Dr Mohmand is confident he can get a reasonable assessment of how far the balding will progress. To what extent would you agree? Also, for those hoping to avoid the bad situation BeHappy has unfortunately described, have you got any general guidelines about how wide the sides should be? How far should it be from a receded temple to the advancing crown? I think a lot of guys might find this helpful in getting a rough idea of how many grafts they should keep in reserve for this.

This figure is often quote as a rough guide, others would say 1500 per NW level. It depends on lots of factors like your hair density, scalp laxity, hair thickness and how much of a contrast there is between your hair and skin colour (the less the better.) Also you can follow slightly different strategies. Some people go for even coverage with lower density others go for higher density and maybe leave the crown. This may help: Multimedia presentation on what can be achieved

That's pretty funny, and the guy definitely looks a lot better shame it won't last. I think it's good to be able to laugh at things like this, because I'm sure most of us have had our share of feeling low about hair loss.