Alexander

15 years means nothing. HT docs are people, they can have an off day, they can get complacent, and they still need to make money. I'm not saying Feller is bad at all, but why not go to a couple of other docs in the NY city area. I would never just take the word of one HT doc without consulting a few others. Ethics are completely relative. While some might think performing HT on a 23 year old is ethical, others would say it is a big no no, esp a person on a fast balding pattern at 23.

You are not a good candidate because you do not have enough donor hair to cover your head and look natural. It sounds like you are headed for NW6 or 7, then you will be left with an unnatural balding pattern, and you will be chasing your hairloss with HT surgery for life. Also remember that your donor area can continue to thin out as well, so what might look good in your 20s may not look so hot in your 30s and 40s. Donor area thinning is something that people don't talk about enough, but it happens, and could be a huge issue for you down the road. That's why you are a bad candidate IMO- a guy who is a slower thinner, and headed maybe for only a NW4 or 5 at the worst is in a much better position, because his donor area is less likely to thin out as dramatically. I would go to at least 2 more doctors to get an opinion about your future. 23 and a NW4 or 5 already would raise a red flag to me. Just my opinion of course, but good luck in whatever decision you choose!

Sorry to say this but if you're 23 and already a nw3-4, you're prob not really a good candidate for HT at all. At least not until you wait a few years and try to stabilize or reverse your hairloss with meds. Even then, you still might be a bad overall candidate for HT.

Dannyg, How old are you? What is your level of hairloss? Are you taking any meds? If so, what meds are you taking, and for how long?

When I said get on other forums, I'm not saying that this forum is necessarily bad, or that other forums are better. I'm saying that each forum paints part of a picture- there are some that are better than others, but you have to talk to lots of different people and see lots of different patients to get a feel for what's out there. So in CONJUNCTION with this forum, he should be looking at others as well, that's all. Wasn't my intention to slam this site at all. No one forum or person can be the be-all, end-all resource for information. There are some excellent docs listed as sponsors here, but there are some excellent docs that aren't as well. A patient must be vigilant and make sure he finds the right doc for his needs, that's all I meant.

Yeti, What are your long-term goals/plans for getting transplants? Do you want strip surgery or FUE? How stabilized is your hairloss? What is your family history with regards to hairloss? If the transplant doesn't work out as you'd hoped, or if you continue to bald, are you prepared to live with the results? Are you prepared to get more transplants as you bald if you need to? There are many more questions to ask, but these are some of the more common ones. Also, definitely try to see in-person results of as many patients as you can, and definitely don't do any work done until you've seen results, as pictures do not paint a full, er, picture.

CD, I would get on some other forums as well. There are docs here that aren't promoted on other forums, and vice versa, and then you will be able to see a clearer picture arise. Then pick the docs you are considering, consult with them, and try to see their patients' results in person, that will give you the best idea of what to expect. IMO, Feller has a pretty solid rep based on my research. Haven't found anything negative about him yet. But other guys will (or should) tell you this too- you shouldn't make distance the deciding factor. Not all doctors ar created equal, and this is a fact. There are good doctors out there, and then there are great docs. If I were in your shoes, I'd want to get results from a great doc, regardless of where he is located. I'm not going to tell you who I think is a great doc (since we all have obvious biases), but there are only a handful in N. America. You want to feel confident that you're going to one of the best docs with a LOT of experience before you sit in that chair. And in your case, where there is some possible repair work to be done, the list of docs who excel at this is even shorter. Good luck in your search my friend.

Baldman, If you say you are completely bald at 32, chances are you aren't a good candidate for HT, and could be even worse off after an HT than you are now. Talk about depression, would you rather be naturally bald, or have a head of hair that looks like a hair tranplant because you didn't have enough donor hair to get complete coverage? If you are exaggerating when you say you are completely bald, and things aren't that bad, then maybe you should get on some meds for at least a few months to a year, see if that stabilizes things or even shrinks the balding area down a bit, then pursue options if you still want a HT. Worst thing to do is rush into a HT because you don't like being bald- also, if the meds don't work, then you will continue to bald, and in that case, HT is just not a good idea at all...it certainly isn't for everyone.

JetFlyboy, If you go to one of the TOP Fue docs vs one of the TOP strip docs, the chances are you will be happy with the results in both situations. The questions is, what kind of donor scarring are you more comfortable with in the long run? If your hair thins out in the back as you age, what will you prefer things to look like back there?

Find some pictures of post op donor sites from each type of surgery and see which you prefer. By post op I mean a few weeks out, with the hair grown out to a 1 or 2 guard.

Oh and the Propecia I believe is out of your system quickly after you stop taking it, which is why you need to take it everyday. Ask a doc to be sure, but if you stop taking it, then after a few days it should be out of the system completely.

You do NOT want to get strip surgery for that small amount of grafts. If you are minimally receding, then FUE is probably the best method for you situation. There are a few good Drs in NYC doing this, Feller is one of the top FUE docs in the country, and he does smaller sessions as well.