scalp bloom

Thanks again all! This has been seriously enlightening. notgoing2gobald, I totally identify with your skepticism. You're right, the road to a cure for baldness has been a single lane country road with a 25 mph speed limit and no destination in sight (with lots of obnoxious billboards!). But in terms of medical sophistication, just think of how much HTs have evolved just over the past 5-10 yrs. However, with the amount of money being poured into this industry, it's maddening to consider that we've had, at best, incremental and gradual advances to the actual non-surgical treatments. Everything that seems to be the *next big thing* inevitably suffers a tragic death somewhere along the way (remember curis and their hedgehog agonist?). I'm not even above calling out a blatant conspiracy against us created by the folks who are currently making tons of money off our insecurities. Sometimes, you just want to say- that's it! I'm not buying into this bullsh*t anymore! SO WHAT IF WE'RE BALDING?? But I know as well as anyone, suffering from MPB at such a young age, that it's really tough to face it. And so you can't begrudge me for holding out a tiny bit of hope that a better option will arise. I do agree though that placing a bet on this sort of big leap is naive. People have been asking about the doctors I've been referring to. I'm really hesitant to call them out being that I haven't actually had this procedure yet and I'm still struggling with my decision. I can tell you that both the doctor that denied me and the doctor who I'm scheduled with are coalition surgeons who have fantastic reputations in this forum. Both are on the conservative side, but both do mega-sessions on optimal candidates. However, both, using their wisdom and expertise, do not think this is the way for me to go. And the ultra-conservative one didn't think an HT was the way for me to go. And you're right that is a bit alarming. And I know H+W are fantastic and their results are terrific. But being 25 I've got to side with the conservatives, and make the best of the current situation while making room for additional excessive hair loss in the future. And so, I guess it's just up to me to figure this out. I thank you all for your expert advice, and if you have any more comments please feel free to post. I will let you know what happens in the next few days.

I totally agree with you, hairthere. I only meant that I stumbled onto this forum a few weeks ago. But my research and thoughts about this have been going on for about 3 years when I consulted my first HT doctor. I have to admit though, I've learned a lot from this forum over the past few weeks. Sometimes I think that no matter how much I think about it, how much research I do, it's always going to feel like a jump. There are no guarantees, ever. At some point you just have to say, this is it. Thanks again for the steady flow of comments, everyone. This is amazingly helpful. But I'm still undecided...Ha. It sounds like the consensus is that people are unconvinced with the 1800 graft conservative approach. I will probably ask my doctor to shoot for a bit more, maybe 2200. But I'm not trying to totally re-create my hairline here, just trying to achieve some density in the forelock - mid scalp region to gain a few years on my appearance. I know I will still have a gap in my crown, and am thinking that I will still need to use toppik in that posterior region and/or go for extra HTs to help out there. Any thoughts on the post-HT minoxidil question or the 5-year new treatment question? THANK YOU EVERYONE.

Thanks so much for great insight so far, folks! This truly is a fantastic forum. I wish I had stumbled upon it sooner! Keep the responses coming, please! Just to touch on a few points posed by the great responses above: I've seen 5 docs so far, spanning a pretty wide range from the most conservative of them all ("go home. shave your head. i won't touch you.") to Bosley ("you're a great candidate! is *NOW* good for you?"). The reason I've chosen this specific doctor is because of his reputation as an artist as far as aesthetics go, using the least possible donor hair for the greatest possible aesthetic impact, and his proficiency in ensuring the smallest possible donor scar using advanced plastic surgery techniques. He has been really open and honest with me, telling me I'm not the greatest candidate, but that I am still eligible and that he can help me if I've fully considered the risks. The results he's acheived on other young people is really encouraging. Thing is, I don't think I'd be going ahead with this HT if it weren't with this doctor. Am i putting too much faith in the human aspect of this procedure?? Also, as far as the conservative number of grafts proposed. Since I have limited donor supply and am still young, I think my doctor is pretty adamant about doing a lot with a little. But then again maybe it's an indication that my donor supply is just too low to go forward with a big HT the fist time around. See this great thread for more on this: http://hair-restoration-info.com/eve/forums/a/tpc/f/746...861/m/8481079903/p/2 Besides the purely human risk, I think I am also placing some additional bets. It seems that there is general consensus that within the next 5 yrs there will be a newer, greater treatment. Some people say it is the best time to be going bald because of all the wonderful treatments *on the horizon*. Whether it be something topical (neosil?) or a pill or even follicle multiplication for unlimited donor supply- I think I am basing my decision on the fact that current follicular unit HTs have reached their pinnacle of sophistication, and the next big thing is around the 5 year corner. Is this a risky bet to place? Also, am I crazy to think that adding minoxidil post-HT to my propecia regimen will help me keep my native hair and even make it a bit thicker and healthier? I've shaved my head 2 years ago, and looking back at photos I just hated it. With a big nose, big ears, and a bit of an awkward body shape, the only thing that keeps it all together is the dark tuft on the top of my head. But then, shaving my head is a small price to pay for years of regret and ugly HT remnants down the line. I'm just a bit scared. Any more thoughts from folks who have been through something similar?? I'm desperate for any additional advice ASAP!

One more.

More Photos.

I've been scouring these forums in earnest over the past few weeks and cannot begin to convey how enriched I feel with the abundance of honesty and support from you wonderful folks. So, as my appointment for my first HT is rapidly approaching (with a well regarded coalition surgeon), and I am feeling the onset of some natural anxieties, I've decided to take the plunge and post and see if anyone has any advice for me. Basics: 25 yrs old - been thinning since high school, but it accelerated around 21 yrs. Finally got on propecia 2 years ago, and it has dramatically slowed the process, but not before I suffered some serious diffuse thinning all over the top of my dome. Everyone on my dad's side (uncles, grandfathers, etc) has eventually ended up somewhere between NW 6 & 7 (6.5?), and so I'm pretty certain I'm headed down that path (see photos). I've been using Toppik for the past 2 years and I must admit, it is a wonderful product cosmetically, but I just can't do it anymore. I've become paranoid, and I can't deal with the time it takes me to make sure I've gotten everything *just* right. It's gotten to the point where I refuse to go to the beach in the summer with my friends because it will be so obvious in the sun and/or wash out in the ocean. That's not the kind of life I want to lead right now. I made the decision to get an HT after seeing many doctors, and finally finding one who I believed was skillful, artful and honest enough to help me. Though he told me I am not the most *optimal* candidate, he does think that he can help me. I don't have optimal donor density (around 1.5-1.8) but my hairs are thick and black and I have good laxity. My doctor is shooting for a conservative 1800-2000 grafts (about a third to a fourth of my total potential), focused mainly on the frontal forelock region. The timing is perfect as well. My trepidations are multi-fold. I know it will help me aesthetically in the short-term, especially with such a great doctor. And I know that I'll have to get *at least* one more surgery. But will it ever be enough? And will my first 1800 grafts even make a difference enough to warrant the scar? If we rule out money here, I am just weighing raw risk & benefit potential. Am I setting myself up for a lifetime of worry and regret for a couple of good years with a bit more hair? I just want my youthful look and confidence back so bad that I might be obscuring the long-term logic. I do know HTs are not perfect and that I will never have a full head of hair... If I do go ahead with the HT, my goal is to stop using Toppik so I can start using Minoxidil, and keep using the Propecia. Is that enough to keep me clear of the NW 6.5 that has plagued my anscestry? Should I just wait it out until cloning or follice multiplication becomes mainstream? I know these are a lot of questions, but I'm just ranting here. I don't want to shave my head. I know it's absurd to say, but it's just not a reflection of who I am. Any advice you guys can provide me would be of the utmost help to a guy that just can't figure out what's right and what's wrong any more. I've been dealing with this for too long and at too young an age. I just want to make a decision and move on, and if that means forgoing the HT and finding a way to face my fears, then maybe that's best. But i've convinced myself that having hair is better than not. So... Help...?

I've been scouring these forums in earnest over the past few weeks and cannot begin to convey how enriched I feel with the abundance of honesty and support from you wonderful folks. So, as my appointment for my first HT is rapidly approaching (with a well regarded coalition surgeon), and I am feeling the onset of some natural anxieties, I've decided to take the plunge and post and see if anyone has any advice for me. Basics: 25 yrs old - been thinning since high school, but it accelerated around 21 yrs. Finally got on propecia 2 years ago, and it has dramatically slowed the process, but not before I suffered some serious diffuse thinning all over the top of my dome. Everyone on my dad's side (uncles, grandfathers, etc) has eventually ended up somewhere between NW 6 & 7 (6.5?), and so I'm pretty certain I'm headed down that path (see photos). I've been using Toppik for the past 2 years and I must admit, it is a wonderful product cosmetically, but I just can't do it anymore. I've become paranoid, and I can't deal with the time it takes me to make sure I've gotten everything *just* right. It's gotten to the point where I refuse to go to the beach in the summer with my friends because it will be so obvious in the sun and/or wash out in the ocean. That's not the kind of life I want to lead right now. I made the decision to get an HT after seeing many doctors, and finally finding one who I believed was skillful, artful and honest enough to help me. Though he told me I am not the most *optimal* candidate, he does think that he can help me. I don't have optimal donor density (around 1.5-1.8) but my hairs are thick and black and I have good laxity. My doctor is shooting for a conservative 1800-2000 grafts (about a third to a fourth of my total potential), focused mainly on the frontal forelock region. The timing is perfect as well. My trepidations are multi-fold. I know it will help me aesthetically in the short-term, especially with such a great doctor. And I know that I'll have to get *at least* one more surgery. But will it ever be enough? And will my first 1800 grafts even make a difference enough to warrant the scar? If we rule out money here, I am just weighing raw risk & benefit potential. Am I setting myself up for a lifetime of worry and regret for a couple of good years with a bit more hair? I just want my youthful look and confidence back so bad that I might be obscuring the long-term logic. I do know HTs are not perfect and that I will never have a full head of hair... If I do go ahead with the HT, my goal is to stop using Toppik so I can start using Minoxidil, and keep using the Propecia. Is that enough to keep me clear of the NW 6.5 that has plagued my anscestry? Should I just wait it out until cloning or follice multiplication becomes mainstream? I know these are a lot of questions, but I'm just ranting here. I don't want to shave my head. I know it's absurd to say, but it's just not a reflection of who I am. Any advice you guys can provide me would be of the utmost help to a guy that just can't figure out what's right and what's wrong any more. I've been dealing with this for too long and at too young an age. I just want to make a decision and move on, and if that means forgoing the HT and finding a way to face my fears, then maybe that's best. But i've convinced myself that having hair is better than not. So... Help...?