romano

I am a 24 year old male. My hair line starting receding in high school and hasn't stopped since. People think I am 10 or 20 years older than I really am. I am much balder than my father, who is in his mid 50's. They say you get your hairline from your mother's father--well he died in his 30's, but I am much balder than he was when he died. I currently have a buzz cut because that is the only thing that will work. There is only a small island of like 10 hairs where my bangs used to be. Some people look ok bald, but I'm not one of them. My appearance in the mirror is horrible, and much much worse in photographs I see of myself. This is not low self-esteem--it is the truth, and I don't think anyone who knows me would disagree. Outside of work, I don't go anywhere without a hat on, and I don't even like hats. This obviously keeps me from going to a lot of places where hats aren't appropriate. I have been hoping for years to get hair transplants once I had enough money. I finished college last year and saved up $25,000 in the last year (about half my salary). I don't want to spend it all on new hair if I don't have to because I want to have a down payment for a house also. Now I am really worried that if I get transplants, they won't work or they will make me look even worse. I sent a picture of myself online to a hair transplant place near me, and they said it would be $4k to $6k per procedure. I have heard some transplant places will only do your hair half way, then keep requiring more procedures to milk you for as much money as they can--is this true? Also is it true you have to take Rogaine the rest of your life? If my existing hair line continues to move back and my new hair stays there, won't that look pretty dumb in a few years? Also, I can only take off one week of work at a time and I can't wear a hat or any head covering at work. Is one week enough time to recover and not look like a complete idiot? THANKS FOR ANY ADVICE--I REALLY NEED IT.

I am a 24 year old male. My hair line starting receding in high school and hasn't stopped since. People think I am 10 or 20 years older than I really am. I am much balder than my father, who is in his mid 50's. They say you get your hairline from your mother's father--well he died in his 30's, but I am much balder than he was when he died. I currently have a buzz cut because that is the only thing that will work. There is only a small island of like 10 hairs where my bangs used to be. Some people look ok bald, but I'm not one of them. My appearance in the mirror is horrible, and much much worse in photographs I see of myself. This is not low self-esteem--it is the truth, and I don't think anyone who knows me would disagree. Outside of work, I don't go anywhere without a hat on, and I don't even like hats. This obviously keeps me from going to a lot of places where hats aren't appropriate. I have been hoping for years to get hair transplants once I had enough money. I finished college last year and saved up $25,000 in the last year (about half my salary). I don't want to spend it all on new hair if I don't have to because I want to have a down payment for a house also. Now I am really worried that if I get transplants, they won't work or they will make me look even worse. I sent a picture of myself online to a hair transplant place near me, and they said it would be $4k to $6k per procedure. I have heard some transplant places will only do your hair half way, then keep requiring more procedures to milk you for as much money as they can--is this true? Also is it true you have to take Rogaine the rest of your life? If my existing hair line continues to move back and my new hair stays there, won't that look pretty dumb in a few years? Also, I can only take off one week of work at a time and I can't wear a hat or any head covering at work. Is one week enough time to recover and not look like a complete idiot? THANKS FOR ANY ADVICE--I REALLY NEED IT.