JakeVig

799simonb, I also live in the UK and after a lot of research failed to find a single outstanding result performed in the UK and yet have heard many horror stories. So to ensure excellent results I went to the US to have my HT. I would agree with BSpot in that it doesnt look like you require a HT at this time and that you are lucky to be in pretty good shape for a 32 year old. You should also be happy to know that the FDA approved meds Propecia and Minoxidil for hairloss work best on the crown.

dmale25, Nikkop23 has some good advice for you, you need to understand what the cause of hairloss is and your expecatations of a HT. There is no cure for hairloss only treatments and the only FDA approved treatments for hairloss is Propecia and Minoxidil. No one has enough donor hair to restore a head full of hair so in order to maintain the best cosmetic result in the future is to hold on to as much native hair as possible with the approved hairloss treatments.

Hi dmale25, I also was a NW2 at 25 but I quickly became a NW3 by 27 when I had my HT. I used Rogaine for about 2 years and assessed that it didnt have any positive effect. I then later switched to Propecia for 18 months under which time I've had most of my hairloss. I believe that it was only when I started using both Minoxidil and Propecia did my hairloss slow down. Well if you stop using minoxidil you will lose the hair that it regrew or helped maintain. Although even though there are reports that minoxidil may cause existing native hair to be dependent on Minoxidil I have not found any clinical studies to suggest this is true. Although after 3 years of use, Dr Lee of http://www.minoxidil.com thinks you shouldnt expect to see any regrowth after this time and you should be able to drop down to one application per day to maintain the hair you have had with it.

You are way young to get a HT, your best approach for the next few years is to get on the meds and try to stave off as much hairloss as possible. It doesnt hurt to do your research about the pros and cons of a hair transplant now, so you can make an informed decision when the time is right.

Hopefully you wont have to . We'll I think everyone knows about the horror stories of the HT's in the 80's, and since FUT's really only started getting good around 2000 it is too early for some of us to know that we planned correctly. But if you think about it if you end up heading towards a NW6 and you dont have a good donor, and you started your hairline too low you wont have any donor left for the crown. For a natural look you should be aiming for a residual decline in density heading towards the crown.

Yeah it certainly is possible and if you only have a thinning crown then it will probably be recommended. Its just that you should try to avoid the look that Bobman got after his first HT where he had a really thick hairline and bald crown. In the end its really up to you though I would always think to keep 1000-1500 grafts in reserve if possible.

htownballa, Definately the most cosmetic effective place for grafts is in the hairline and midscalp area. But if you use all of your donor to have a dense hairline and midscalp area and your crown becomes completely bald than I imagine you will like a freak - as it is not natural. I personally would concede a higher hairline if it allows sparse coverage on the crown.

Hi hello, Im afraid the curse of rogaine (minioxidil) is that it must be used indefinately otherwise the hair that it regrew or helped maintain will shed in about 3 months. Nizoral is a great shampoo for dandruff and will help with the itchy scalp. I also use folligen therapy (copper pepptides) spray and conditioner to minimize the minioxidil itch. You may also want to try an anti-inflamatory like emu oil, I cant tell from experience but others have suggested it may help. I would seriously reconsider dropping minioxidil as once the hair sheds it will be really hard to get it back the second time. Dr Lee of http://www.minioxidil.com fame mentions that after 2-3 years of use minioxidil is unlikely to grow more hair and you should be able to safely drop down to 1 application per day to maintain the hair you have. Hope this helps!

I have also thought if this is even possible myself. Apart the obvious obstacle of finding someone with exactly the same colour, texture and hair characteristics as yours, I would imagine there would be technical obstacles as well. I am definately curious about this myself and would appreciate feedback from doctors with knowledge on this subject.

Hi Browny, It seems strange that you still have a pinkish recipient area, but it is not uncommon after 1 month. Have been in direct sunlight post HT? as I believe this can be one of the causes. You may want to try emu oil as I heard it is helpful.

Well the docs you mention are amongst the best in the world, you will not go wrong with either one of them. In terms of cost they are both pretty much the same and they both have tiered pricing based on the number of grafts requested. I know that Ron Shapiro will give you a discount if you have to travel (though Im not sure if it includes national as well as international travel). Its best to just get a free consult for both and get a quote. Good Luck!

Just-a-guy, I dont think we are attacking you. Its just that a lot of us dont share your opinion. Just because you believe in something doesn't make it the gospel truth for everyone. Your right hair loss is a sensitive topic and its nice to have a place like this where we can talk openly about this sensitive issue, and share our experiences on what works, what doesn't and generally the positive impact a HT has had on our lives and self confidence. I would consider myself to be one of those people that spend a lot of time on these forums. But like others before me I felt that I have learnt as much about hair loss and hair transplants as I can, now Im just happy to contribite back to this forum and try to help other people that are self conscious about their hair loss. I certainly have nothing to gain from suggesting anyone to get a HT except the satisfaction that I might've saved someone from getting a bad HT that they will regret for the rest of their lives. I was also insecure and self conscious about my hairloss and if it wasnt for this forum would've headed toward having a HT in the UK which I believe I would've regretted. Despite your beliefs just because some of us like to spend time on these forums and help other sufferers does not mean that we are not "Living Life". Yes some of your points are valid but you only bring up the bad consequnces for having a HT, many of which don't apply if you went to a good doctor and maintain a good hairloss regime. What you fail to admit is that there are actually people out there that have improved self confidence and a happier outlook on life as a direct result of their HT. Just read the posts from Bobman, Troy and Jotronic (just to name a few) you can tell how happy they are with their results and how much of a positive impact their HT's have had on their lives. Now imagine trying to tell them that they should've awaken and just accepted their predicament and shave their head, something tells me there not going to agree with you no matter how *awaken* you've become. You are entitled to your opinion and your HT experience is also good for potential patients to consider when deciding to have a HT. I do sympathize with your story but I still believe that if you had researched this forum before you had a HT and went to an ethical doctor your outlook would be a much happier one. In all my time on these forums I dont think I have ever seen pictures of patients who went to a coalition doctor regret or actually look worse than what they did prior to a HT. What would be more helpful in your future posts is that you actually provide pictures or examples of posts where people who you believe have been 'duped' into going to a recommended (i.e. coalition) doc and have actually regretted it. Or even an examples where a patient has had to undergo 'repair work' as a result of going with a coalition doctor. I believe you are implying the above in your posts. Take Care.

Unfortunately it seems that no one is stating the obvious here. At 22 with balding that progressive you can very well end up a NW7 in which case you would not be a candidate for a HT. 8000 grafts is very rare, the best that most people can hope for is between 5000 - 6000 grafts. With this in mind the best you can hope for is thinning coverage. Also after a HT you will not be able to shave your head without the scar being visible, and generally a shaved head looks better than a thinning head. If I were you I would take advantage of the free consults and get an expert opinion with one of the ethical doctors in the coalition. Whatever you do dont go to unethical doctors and shop around till you find someone that will tell you what you want to hear. Like john_in_NC mentioned BHT may be your best bet for the future, though at this time it is considered very experimental. I dont want to the bearer of bad news but you need to have realistic expectations with your level of hairloss at such a young age as you could regret having a HT in the future, which would be worse than having no HT at all.

John, Its unfortunate you are experiencing side effects with Propecia, unfortuntately Propecia is the cornerstone of every hairloss regime. The way I see it you have a few options: 1. You can stick with Propecia to see if the sides go away as there is evidence that after a period of time some people with side effects no longer experience them. 2. Take a smaller dosage or 1 every other day to see if that aleviates the side effects. 3. Look at other meds. Meds like Xandros contain Minioxidil and azelic acid which is meant to block nearly 100% of DHT where applied. http://www.minioxidil.com also sells topical spironolactone which is a powerful anti-androgen. There is also some evidence to suggest that Low Level Laser Therapy (i.e. Laser Brush) has similar properties to Propecia though I imagine far less effective.

htownballa, I don't know why you want to mess with how to take your pill. Its just a pill that should be swallowed.

Abid, I also had a noticeable receeding hairline at 23. Although at the time I thought it was bad trust me as the years go by it will get a lot worse. I am only now on a very aggressive regime at 27, in retrospect I would've started this earlier. If I were you (which I was at 23) I would get on Proscar/Minioxidil and Nizoral 2%. If you have a poor diet I would also consider some vitamins like Complex-B and a multivitamin that contains biotin and zinc. You may not get fantastic regrowth but it will help your future hairloss. Best of Luck!

Hi m32, Thats is a great head of hair you got there. I only notice some slight thinning on your hairline apart from that you look to be in pretty good shape. I would recommend getting on Propecia just to stave off any hairloss in the future and possibly give you back some density. Personally I would consider using Minioxidil just for your hairline for a few months just to see if you are one of the rare few people able to get some regrowth on the hairline. The only problem is that if you do manage to get some regrowth with Minioxidil than you will have to use it indefinately to maintain that hair. Though at least you will be able to avoid a HT. Truthfully though there is a good chance that you may not get satisfactory regrowth on your hairline. These meds are certainly great for maintaining the existing hair you have but getting good regrowth is generally rare. On this forum waittosee is about the best regrowth I have seen with anyone from meds. Personally I would be happy with your hair as-is as it doesn't look like you have MPB at all, it appears you are just settling in to your mature hairline. Only if you are self conscious about your hairloss and spend a lot of your day worrying about it would I consider getting a HT. Also since your hairloss is not severe you have the option of FUE which allows you to have a HT without the scar, it is generally more expensive but it means you are able to avoid the scar. Though from my experience after 2 months my scar has healed perfectly and Im unable to locate it by touch or be able to find it with a mirror. Im still not going to risk shaving down to a #1 or #2 but that doesnt bother me since I never used to do that anyway. There is another problem for you with the HT route, you will have to shave your donor area which wont be a problem as it can easily be hidden by your long hair, but the transplanted grafts will be a lot shorter than your existing hair so you may have to style your hair differently to conceal the recipient area. Also you should be prepared to wait 3-6 months for results to come in, and since your hair is really long it looks like many more months for it to match your existing length. Now because you dont look like you have MPB your probably lucky enough to get away with a HT and no meds if you wanted to. Though I would look at your family history just to make sure. Now the great thing about a HT is that you will get guaranteed results that are permanant. Janna has some good advice in that what you want to try your best to avoid having a bad HT as a bad HT is a lot worse than no HT at all. A good HT can really provide a positive life changing experience (as evidenced by many posts on this forum) and I dont know anyone that ever regrets having a good HT, but a bad HT however is the complete opposite, it can ruin your life leave you with less hair than what you started with make you more self conscious and condem you to a life under hats. You are lucky to find this forum as some of the best doctors in the world are on display here. You definately want to go with one of them as only they are guaranteed to produce excellent natural results. Because you are looking to get a HT on your hairline (as opposed to adding general density) you will only want to go to the best doctors in the world. Luckily most of them are in the US. You really dont want geography to be a factor, if someone is not available in your state you most certainly want to travel somewhere that is. From the comments of your previous doctor it definately doesnt sound like advice coming from leading doctor so I would seriously stay clear of him and for that matter anyone else not in the coalition. A HT is not like normal practice surgery only the best doctors in the world can achieve totally natural undetectable results. You will want to look for someone who is able to achieve dense packing with minimally invasive surgery. By dense packing I mean someone who is able to transplant grafts in excess of 50cm2 providing the illusion of full density. Through my own research I found Ron Shapiro to be the best in the world for creating totally natural hairlines though if I lived close to either Dr Rose, Dr Cooley, Dr Epstein, Dr Keene, Dr Alexander or Dr Konior I would not hesitate to go with them either. Just to recap, I would firstly consider the meds. While you are waiting for the meds to do its magic I would use that time to do further research about the HT process and look at results from doctors to see if a HT is a good option for you. Hope this helps!

I got mine after 2 months just to be on the safe side. The good thing about that is that you dont have to tell your stylist anything as they wont be able to tell you had a HT.

Alright Jagdish, it seems that you have made up your mind and have settled on the best transplant that your circumstances will allow for, we all here hope it turns out for the best. I have also run a search on google for "bad hair transplant Dr Arvind" and like you mentioned I could not find any results connecting Dr Arvind to a bad HT. Which is I guess your number one objective to avoid. Although for the best possible outcome I would suggest that you mention to Dr A that you are a regular poster on a very highly trafficked and highly regarded forum with exposure to many people anxiously awaithing your results. A good result will spread a lot of good will which will be beneficial to his practice. It may just get him to spend a little more time and concentration on you . Either way, good luck for the future.

Gorpy, Im most likely going to irk some users here but I really think you are a great candidate to get good results from laser therapy. Your hair characteristics could benefit from thicker healthier looking hair. As it sounds like you are considering going in for more grafts, while you are waiting on your next move it might be a good idea to see if laser therapy works for you. Laser Brushes dont have to be expensive I got mine from http://www.amazinglasercomb.com/ which has more laser diodes than hairmax for around USD $100.

Hi hairworthy, All I can say is wow, you started with a noticeable receeded hairline and you ended up with a head full of hair with no signs of MPB. You fall in the lucky category of not needing to deplete your entire donor supply to get a non MPB head - you must be ecstatic with the results. It looks like you finally got the results you had wished for, its just a pity that you had to start your journey with butchers in the UK, I am lucky to have found this forum as I was also close to having my HT in the UK as well. I dont think Dr. Epstein gets the accolades he deserves on this forum, his results are always outstanding and his dedication to life changing pro bono work truly make him a remarkable human being. Its time like this I think that the UK/Europe really needs a world class doc like Epstein - its hard to believe that we still have to cross over to another continent just to get excellent results. Hairworthy, it would be good if you can provide clearer pictures of your new hairline. The more pictures we have of the outstanding results that can be achieved by world class docs, the better!

Personally I think you look fine. Another 20 would be too much and not look natural: your hairline is appropriately high and the density fits perfectly in IMO. Well personally i dont think you can ever have too much hair . But I agree that you now have an appropriate look for your age.

Hi Frak82, The results people get on propecia varies from patient to patient. Generally it should provide benefits within 6 months. Here is a result of a clinical study that shows the increase in hair count that most guys will get during 5 years of treatment with Propecia: http://www.propecia.com/finasteride/propecia/hcp/prod_d..._count_increases.jsp If your hairloss was a result of the shedding from Propecia than you should expect that hair to return in the next hair cycle within 4-6 months. Although the fact that you had a 'chunk' of shedding in the one place is a bit concerning, I would've thought that the shedding would be evenly spread. It may be an idea to go to a dermatologist for a second opinion.

Hi Darren, I dont want to repeat what others have already said but it does look like you have received poor density. If im not mistaken at some places on your hairline you may have only received between 4-6 grafts cm2. Can you let us know the details of your HT like the density and coverage etc. I know that it is always satisfying to see hair growth anytime which is why you will be happy with the results of your HT. Although I dont think that you have received a world class HT that we are used to seeing on these forums. I must believe that had you gone with a better doctor than you would be ecstatic with the results. Although at only 4 months you should still expect to see a better cosmetic result. Some people have gotten satisfactory results with what initially appeared to be an unsatisfactory HT. You should check out dhuge and jagdish results for examples. One concern that I do have though is that because your incisions look excessively large I would like to know if you received any 'pitting', can you provide us with a very close up of your hairline so we can see if everything healed ok?

Deep, Look under 'Hair Systems' on this forum for posts of peoples experiences. Young Guy basically sums up the feeling quite well in his post at: http://www.hairrestorationnetwork.com/eve/showthread.php?t=154976