When is the right time for H.T

[Thespian]

Hi, i stumbled across this sight and i think it is very informative. I was hoping someone with experience of a H.T could help me. My question is, is it better to have a H.T now that i still have a full head of hair, and basicaly fill everything in and restore the hairline (at the sides) Now that i have ample donor hair,or is it better to wait. My hair has been falling out gradually for ten years, propecia never worked for me, but i have noticed since i turned 30 i have been losing more hair than i ever used to. I think i will have a hairtransplant but not sure if i should wait five more years. Plus the thought of waiting to go bald first is something i find pretty tough to deal with.

[Jotronic]

"Should" you get a hair transplant? No, you shouldn't. You CAN get one however if you are a good candidate. I say this because no one "should" get any cosmetic surgery as it is not necessary to your daily mobility or function. I know this is painfully obvious but I want to be clear on this.

 

Now that that is out of the way, it would be helpful if you could share some photos of your situation as it is impossible to have a relevant idea of your loss through text alone. You can use the pics on this page as a guideline for how to take useful photos...

 

http://hassonandwong.com/consultation/virtual_consultation.php

 

Scroll to the bottom of the page to see what I mean.

 

You mentioned that Propecia did not work for you. Would you mind elaborating on this? I ask because many times patients try Propecia only to give up after a few months because they do not see any new growth. Fact is, you need to wait at least a year to see any new growth and in some cases up to two years. Regardless of if you get new growth or not this is not an indicator of efficacy. NOT losing more hair IS an indicator so if after a year or two your hair looks no worse than when you started to take Propecia then there is a good chance that it is working. As I tell patients all the time, using Propecia should be looked at as if you were building a house. You need to have a solid foundation on which to build your house before you actually start construction. Propecia is your foundation. If you are having side effects then that is a different story but I wanted to explain this just in case.

 

Also, understand that getting a hair transplant to "stay ahead" of your hair loss is a big mistake and is one of the angles used in the hair transplant chain companies to scare you into the chair. You should have noticeable thinning or recession or both before you consider a procedure. With regards to recession, this needs to be more than just your temples receding a bit from where they were when you were a juvenile. Juveniles have different temples than true adults and the transition from a straight hairline with filled temples to a hairline that has some temporal recession is what I consider to be the last stage of puberty as recessed temples shows you are an adult and does not necessarily mean you are balding.

 

Just some thoughts but when you post your photos I'll/we'l be able to give you better input.

[Thespian]

I tried propecia for 3 and a half years. From when i was 22-25. I didnt have any side effects, but it didnt slow or stop my hair loss.I didnt know about H.T then so i accepted it. Then i bassically had my hair long for the next 5 years and now that i cut it short, i noticed just how much my hairline had receded and the lack of density i had and bald spot forming. I dont have any recent pics but ill take some and post them in the next few days.

[Jotronic]

Thanks for the updated info. One thing you need to be aware of is that Propecia is not known to work especially well in the hairline area so your recession is to be expected. That and you may have simply lost your juvenile temples.

 

Because you noticed your thinning crown after you cut your hair I'd wager that Propecia may have prevented this had you not quit so it may be a good idea to talk to your prescribing doctor about giving it another shot. If there is any chance that this is the case then it would be worth the consideration.