Time to do something

This "Hair Loss" Question was moved but I'm not sure where it was moved to.

Time to do something,

 

You're right, this is a commonly discussed problem on the internet. However, it seems much more difficult to find answers. From my research, it seems as if there are two schools of thought: 1. a type of hormonal/genetic hair loss in middle aged men (35 years and over) or 2. a type of traction alopecia (hair loss from pulling or tension on the hairs) from wearing tight socks and continually crossing one's legs. Either way, it appears as if most experts don't suggest any oral or topical medications for the issue, though switching to low-cut socks may help if the ankle hair loss is caused by traction-alopecia.

Thanks for that information. I’m inclined to believe mine is not from traction alopecia because it is only on one side of my leg. The inside of my leg has hair on it near the ankle which is also covered by my socks. It must be a genetic or hormonal issue. I read where men can have genetic hair loss on their legs just like MPB on their head. I’ve learned something today. On me it is not noticeable because I have light colored hair and even if it were noticeable I wouldn’t care because it doesn’t bother me. I was more concerned it might be from a health condition like poor circulation. Hair on the head is a different story though without that I feel naked.

Hey Time to do something,

 

Here in the UK we have a TV show called Quite Interesting (QI), it's sort of a comedy/educational show. I remember an episode a while back in which they were discussing hair growth, and the same thing you are wondering came up. It turns out that hair loss in that area is extremely common as men age, I can't remember if they gave a reason for the loss but there is a presenter and 4 guests all of which checked their legs and all noted loss in the area above the ankle.

Fascinating. Did they say what in the aging process causes lower extremity hair loss? Just one more lovely thing one goes through as they get older. LOL

Your hair looks great to me.

This has to do with hair loss but not on the head. I recently noticed (it may have been this way for a long time) that the hair on the outside of my legs just above the ankles is smooth bald with no hair while the rest of my legs are very hairy. I got online trying to figure out what the cause of this could be and was surprised to discover a lot of guys posting this very same question. I saw answers including everything from decreased circulation to wearing tight socks, to a form of male pattern baldness on the legs. Does anyone else have this problem and have any clue what causes it? I know it isn’t socks because I have hair in an area that my socks cover and we all know tight hats don’t cause baldness. Thanks!

Dr. Shapiro and Hasson both have stellar records.

Have it made a little larger than your balding area so it is not too tight on the scalp. Have four clips sewn onto the back sides and closer up to the front sides. Don't secure the clips too tightly this can lead to traction alopecia. Make sure the piece is 100% lace which is very breathable. I secure the front with a small strip of lace tape right below the transplanted hairline and one piece of tape on my crown which is bald. It isn't ideal but I've never had to worry about it falling off. Once my transplant matures in the fall I plan to remove the piece and have one just on the crown. That is an area between the size of a silver dollar and baseball so it should be much easier to manage. If anyone out there has a piece on just the crown I'd love to hear from you.

If you look back at some of my posts they may answer some of your questions.

P.S. I waited about three weeks after the procedure before I began wearing it again. This was with the doctor's permission.

Since I am not a doctor I am not qualified to answer your question. All I can tell you is one of the top doctors in the coalition told me my hair piece would have no negative consequences on my hair transplant. Mine is 100% lace which is very breathable and also very loose only attached with four clips. It is also oversized so it will create very little friction.

There are reports that Minoxidil can cause ED. I’d go to your primary care physician and see if you can get a referral to an Endocrinologist. They will send you for blood work to measure various things including testosterone to see what could be the physiological cause of your ED.

Dr. Bernstein told me that my lace hairpiece would have no negative impact on the success of a hair transplant. However, I only were it at work and take it off as soon as I get home and don’t wear it at all on weekends unless there is a special event.

I've worn a hair piece 'system' for years. They can look totally natural and undetectable if replaced regularly and conditioned frequently. Lace is the best. Once my hair transplant matures I plan to wear a hair piece on my crown only where I had no grafts placed. My stylist has several clients who use a hair piece on the crown who have had hair transplant on the front 2/3 of their head and he says it is totally undetectable and very low maintenance. The B Spot on here I believe is doing the same thing. I think your plan is sound. The most venerable and detectable part of a hair piece is the hairline so if you have a natural one through a transplant a hair piece behind it should work well. I tried Propecia and had bad side effects so I had to stop, but it everyone handles it differently.

TBS,

No worries, YOU are doing us a favor answering this and I know how crazy things can get putting you behind. I'm still excited about my procedure with Dr. Ron. Please let him know I'm going to take some pics this weekend which is the five month point and send them to him. Thanks

aaron1234, Am I understanding you correctly that your second procedure produced results faster than the second one? That is the opposite of what I've heard generally.

I wish I could go back in time. I'd do things very differently. Just because someone is recommended on this site does not guarantee you good results. I did my homework and everything I could possibly do to make a well informed decision and I was still left almost $10,000 poorer and cosmetically unacceptable hair. I asked his office if they would be happy with the results I achieved and they never answered back.

That is why I titled this thread 'Disturbing News'. I figured the grafts were unsalvageable. It depresses me to think that priceless finite grafts may have been in the hands of inexperience techs who damaged them. I will never recover them nor have the possibility of realizing the full potential from a hair transplant because of the possible negligence I encountered all by a highly rated physician on this site. To add injury to insult I paid a lot of money to have this done to me and was refused even a partial refund because the doctor said he did not know what I was basing the request on. This was after other doctors indicated I did not have the growth I should have for the amount of grafts placed. I did not judge this doctor quickly in the event I was one of those 'X' patients who a transplant would not work for (I was examined by a top dermatologist who said I had no scalp condition that would prevent a successful outcome) but I'm already noticing growth from my third procedure from Dr. Shapiro that I didn't with the previous doctor. The other patient had a similar experience. No growth from our mutual doctor but a lot of growth after his procedure with Dr. Hasson. I have complete confidence in Dr. Shapiro on many levels so I haven't thrown in the towel yet after three years of waiting for results and so much time off work for appointments etc. I may never realize the full potential I could have if I'd have gone to Dr. Shapiro the first time but it is what it is. On the flip side if it weren't for this site I'd have never known about Dr. Shapiro.

It's been two weeks since I posted this and still no reply from a doctor. Hmmmm? I'll try to get an answer for you guys directly from a doctor and post my findings.

I am extremely concerned about something that another member posted on here today. This individual and I went to the same doctor at about the same time and both experienced little or no growth. The other individual went to Dr. Hasson who removed the old grafts that had been placed by the previous doctor and showed him how they had all been pushed in too hard and were kinked at the end leaving them with no chance of growing, saying it was the fault of the hair techs.

I have been on a three year nightmare with this previous doctor. Even after accepting a free second procedure from him I had very little growth and he refused to refund even a part of my money. Is it possible for me to get examined by a competent doctor and find out if the same thing happened to me? If I had the same issue would these grafts still be viable? Since grafts are finite and I can never regain them again (until cloning is available) I am desperate to regain what this doctor removed that never surfaced. I'm not sure how the doctor would know where to look for grafts that didn't surface unless they make incisions around bald areas and just look at random but if this is possible it may be worth it since my donor supply is about exhausted at this point.

I would highly suggest Ron Shapiro. I believe Dr. Feller and Dr. Cole are good as well. One on your list I would NOT recommend.

When I was on Propecia one of the several side effects I noticed was very dry skin. I normally have oily skin which has kept me looking younger than my age I'm told. The dryness of my skin aged me quite a bit which was just one more reason I stopped it. It suppresses production of DHT which is a very powerful form of testosterone responsible for sexual function and also sebum production I'm told which keeps ones skin moist and supple.

Hey wanthairs,

Yes, Dr. Shapiro really came through where the other doctor did not and he didn't owe me anything. I'm glad you had a good experience with Dr. Hasson. However, I am extremely disturbed to hear that he said your grafts were pushed in too hard and kinked at the end leaving them no chance to grow. Could I be examined to find out if this is what also happened to me since we had the same doctor at the same time period? Maybe it is possible that I too have grafts under the surface that aren't dead but unable to surface because of the way they were placed.

Originally posted by wanthairs:

This is an interesting topic. In my first hair transplant in 2007, one of the techs looked like she partied all night and they both kept gossiping about extremely personal details. Their lack of focus alarmed me. I was not surprised when 80% of my grafts did not grow a year later

 

I had a second procedure in 2008 with Hasson and Wong and noticed the stark difference between their techs and my first experience with techs...Dr Hasson told me how it takes him yearts before he can trust a tech on someones hair and the dilemmas he faces if he tries to get a new one becase he cannot afford to have a single bad result....Needles to say, I had a very successful result from his procedure, thanks to his expertise and his techs, who all appeared to pay far more careful attention to everything and took their time doing what they do, without bags unbder their eyes from a heavy night of alcohol abuse......

Wanthairs, I'm glad to hear you had great results with another doctor. You and I went through hell with the same doctor at about the same time. Dr. Shapiro did a free procedure on me due to the mess I was left hanging in. It was done in November so I'm not quite at five months yet. I can already see hair surfacing though.

I can tell you one doctor in Miami that would not provide even a partial refund for very poor growth.