WeAreCured

He's about to turn 30 now. How does FUE double or triple the amount of donor hair compared to strip?

I'd really like to explore FUE further as well for my own future procedures if necessary and I'm sure several others feel the same. As far as I can understand the gist of it is this: FUE has the benefit of producing no scar, but has the drawbacks of higher cost and for the moment, a lesser degree of yield and density. I hope to be enlightened further on the subject.

I don't think there's any correlation between the two. Balding is genetic. I have a thick beard, but, the thing with balding is it's caused by an overproduction of DHT, not testosterone in general. I think body hair/beard hair is genetic and so is balding, but they're genetic for different reasons. It's not like your hormones put hair on your body or face that's supposed to go on your head.

Yeah, but that density is only from strip as far as I've seen from him, and he doesn't even do it anymore. I'm thoroughly unimpressed with any pics I've seen of FUE patients 6 months and on.

More grafts, higher prices, and less coverage. If he's not telling the patient they can get better coverage for less money and more grafts with strip, then he's a dirt-bag. That is IF though.

I know the FUE case is only at 6 months, but you can so obviously see the huge difference between the density of strip vs. the density of FUE. I would be incredibly pissed if I had to pay more for a procedure that didn't work nearly as well. For Armani to stop doing strip procedures and go FUE only is clearly a business decision. If he really had the patient's best interest in mind he would offer both and let them decide. I wonder if he tells patients that the density and overall quality of FUE is equal to strip? That's the only way I think a patient would rather do FUE and pay more, if they believed the results would be the same but no scar. Or they're total pussies and don't want to do strip for that reason. Damn, I've never really seen a direct comparison between strip and FUE from the same doc like that. For Armani do go totally FUE stinks of greed, and if he's selling his patients on guaranteeing equal effect in comparison to strip then he is unethical in my opinion. But, I don't know the guy and I don't know what he tells his patients. It definitely doesn't look good though. If he offered both procedures and showed the patient both results and let them decide, that would be totally kosher, but to only offer the one that costs more and is inferior in results is shady. Plus, he's got the biggest name inn the UK. It is elective cosmetic surgery, but that guy's a dick in my opinion. Even as a business man, he's still unethical if he's lying to patients and selling them on a more expensive procedure. He may be insanely wealthy, but he's a shitty human being if that's the case.

Hey man, hope you're starting to feel a little better about everything. In my case, the soreness and tightness in the donor area went away somewhere around a month. It'll pass, just give it time and try not to think about it. Also, I don't know if you had sutures or staples, but I had sutures and wasn't able to see the doc again to have them removed for 3.5 weeks after surgery. Once I got the sutures removed the area felt better due to not having foreign objects strewn in throughout. Everyone heals differently. Try not to pick at it or touch it too much with your fingers, infection and whatnot. In the meantime, just rock out with your cock out and before you know it, all will be as it was, but with a lot more hair.

It's hard to say. Of course there's shedding when you begin to use either of these products, and it can take up to a full year to discern the effectiveness of Propecia. I know when I shower there's a few hairs, but I haven't lost any density in about a year. I don't think counting hairs does anything but make you worry. Even if you are still losing hair, you may be losing it at a slower rate, know what I mean. Try not to think about it, but if after a year your hair loss is rampant and hasn't leveled off at all then you're wasting money. That's a personal call.

He does have a point though. In a world where capitalism is God, it's hard to hold people to the standards that some of us find "ethical". You reap what you sow. I know when a person is desperate for a solution in this instant gratification society, they may be swayed even if they know the problems the future may hold. However, in the end, it is elective cosmetic surgery. I'm not saying it's not morally reprehensible. It's just that from birth we are taught to make money, so it's kind of hard to blame him for giving a patient what they want even though it may bite them in the ass in the future. A conscience isn't part of business.

Tommy

I'd like to see some pictures. What level of balding did you have or do you have on the NW scale?

I have no idea who that guy is, but I'd say it's all of the above except the clothes and the voice. Looks like an NW 3 to me from the shading. Plenty of people look good with the shaved head that don't have those characteristics though.

Two and a half months here. I'm getting some sparse sprouting. I have pretty long hair and bangs though, so all's well in the hiding the ht dept. I hope the next two and a half months go by as fast as the past two and a half. I'm really looking forward to getting my hair cut shorter and not wearing a hat as much.

I just thought it was important to include that since he's young and no one ever mentions it. I think it goes hand in hand with the things going through a balding person's mind, and I happen to be somewhat knowledgeable on the subject, so I thought I'd try and help out. I posted the same sort of thing on the other side of the forum because you said something about it, and whether you state it was tongue in cheek or not, it's still a subject that affects bald men. Losing your hair and losing your confidence with women are parallel. Relax

You can say you were kidding, but I don't believe you.

I don't think his age matters personally. He's obviously progressed plenty enough to benefit dramatically from an HT. I don't think age matters period. If you know what you're getting into and you can benefit, then do it. That's my opinion on the whole thing.

NG2GB, Chics dig BALLS. Seriously, it doesn't matter if you're bald, poor, or average looking at best; if you act like an alpha male, you can get a beautiful woman. They respond more to feelings than looks, that's why most guys don't understand women. Men make decisions rationally (for the most part), but women make decisions based on "feelings" (for the most part). I don't mean you need to tell them how YOU feel (never ever do that until you have been with them for a long time). I mean they respond to feeling a certain way themselves. You have to make them achieve that feeling to get them. Some guys are naturals at achieving this, and some have to learn it like myself. Why do you think so many unattractive men are with good looking girls, and why do you think so many women stay with deadbeat losers who drink away the rent money? They're doing something right whether they know it or not. I used to be really shy, even though I'm a good looking guy, but by the time I finished high school I had observed enough to realize that if I projected a certain image to girls, I could take any of them home or get to know them or have a meaningful relationship or whatever. I'm not saying you have to be deceitful or act like a jerk, just be more of a traditional "man". Basically, just tell yourself over and over in your head that you're the man and you can get any girl you want. Keep telling yourself that and eventually you will brainwash yourself and you'll start projecting that confidence and attitude to women and they'll respond. The most important thing I can tell you is not to think what you're thinking right now, if you don't think you're good with women. They can sense it, I swear. Don't act like the "friend", act like the take-no-shit "boyfriend". I know it's hard since most of us suffer from some sort of self consciousness about our hair situation. I'm not saying it's easy. It takes time, but just keep telling yourself you're the man, keep trying to talk to girls, and watch the men around you who are successful with women and those that are not, and in time, you'll get it. Keys: Confidence, Uniqueness, Humor, Teasing (like schoolyard teasing, but make sure you maintain a smile when you tease a girl so she gets that you're joking around, even though you may be telling the truth), BALLS Thankfully, these traits can be learned if they aren't innate. Hope that helps. Now, back to the HT discussion.

Wuddup fellow musician. As long as you don't shave your head for the ht you should be fine, looks wise. If you don't currently have longer hair in the front that you can use as bangs or mini-bangs or whatever to cover up the hairline ht work, you can by mid-March. If you're in a rock band then a hat isn't out of the question anyway. There should be no pain 9 days post op. I didn't really have any pain period, but it felt annoying in the donor area and numb for a while in the recipient. I still ate those pk's though.

I started to thin in my hairline at about 21. I got on Propecia and over the past couple years my hair loss has stopped and now I'm 26 and the hair I lost in my hairline isn't that noticeable, but I got an HT for myself 2 months ago. I most definitely think you should wait a few years and see if Propecia will stabilize your loss. In the meantime, use thickening shampoos, try Toppik or Dermatch, try different hairstyles and lengths and see what you can swing. Also, do some research on here in other sections of the forum and find some tips that work for you. Other than that, try not to think about it and enjoy your youth. Worrying causes stress, which aides genetics in hairloss. Also, one thing not many people on here talk about is the factor that attitude plays with women. I know you're young and your hair issue probably makes you self conscious, but let me tell you one thing I know for a fact... women care more about how you make them "feel" than anything and you can achieve making them feel like you're the man regardless of how you look. Of course, you need to be well groomed and styled to the best of your genetic ability, but even bald guys can get some premium poon. It's all about the attitude. I know it's hard as shit to portray confidence when you're losing hair at a young age, but if you act self conscious you aren't getting what you want from women, hair or no hair. Just keep telling yourself you're the man and you'll start acting like the man, then the ladies notice and think, "Hey, that guy's got something special." Just don't let this affect your personality and maintain a fun and confident persona, whether you truly feel that way about yourself or not, and you'll still have a great time.

Congrats on your good experience. On your blog you say that you are a pre-op male to female transvestite. If you don't mind me asking, since this is the internet and it's anonymous, are you going to have surgery on your genitalia or a breast implant? I was just curious because I remember seeing a special on MTV a while back about transvestites (True Life series maybe), and I was just curious to know if you can achieve an orgasm if you have the surgery removing your penis and creating a vagina. Just curious, I have no problem whatsoever with transvestites, homosexuals, or anyone for that matter. To each his or her own, but I don't know what I'd do if I couldn't have an orgasm.

Since no one mentioned this I thought I'd add that pain killers make your head and face itch. If you're still eating your painkillers, then that could be making the itching worse.

Yeah man, that first HT does look pretty damn incredible. I bet you can't wait for the second one to get growin'. Good for you.

I was referring to the original poster's comments. Lashing out like that is totally unnecessary and some of his complaints aren't even valid. I understand he has the right to post whatever he wants, but I just think there's occasionally some unproductive mudslinging that is completely unfounded on here. I just find it strange for a grown man to write that and re-read it, and not find it immature. Sure, he could say he was "trying" to help people by "exposing" those things, but some of them are flat out wrong. It's more like fear-mongering than help. And the poo-poo comment was just to lighten the mood. Age and maturity level don't matter when farts or poop are involved; it's always funny.

They'll give you plenty of valium to lower your anxiety and pre-surgery adrenaline, then they'll inject some local anesthesia into the are where they take the strip. You don't feel anything except when the doctor pulls the strip off after the cutting, and even then it's not pain, it's just a certain awareness that something is being removed from your head. It's nothing to worry about, and like I said they should give you plenty of valium to help you relax. Just ask for a lot of it. Personally, I fell asleep several times during this part of the procedure. That should tell you something as to the level of discomfort.

I now have to poo-poo again. Seriously, sometimes a few people on this forum make me feel like I'm an adolescent again. I guess age and maturity (at least reason) don't always increase simultaneously. Some of the accusations and arguments on this forum are completely sophomoric.