22 years old, considering transplant

[eagletrojan]

Hey all, been reading this forum for about a year.

 

I've read the concerns about young people getting a transplant.

 

I am 22 years old with a receding hairline. I first noticed hair loss when I was 18 and got my head buzzed for Army basic training, but looking back on photos my hair loss started when I was 17, senior year of high school. Obviously, I don't want to go through the rest of my twenties bald, because it isn't getting any better. I went to Bosley in Beverly Hills about a year ago, what a joke, they wanted to schedule a surgery after a doctor looked at my head for like 3 minutes. Since then, I've been educating myself via the internet. I originally decided to wait, but am now considering, again, getting the transplant.

 

Basically, I have a few concerns. I know I will be dealing with mpb the rest of my life, and if I do the procedure I know I will be committing myself to more in the future... I am also content with a conservative approach.

 

I was told that Propecia wont work for frontal hair loss, so I haven't tried it. I have read, though, that it works best when there is noticeable peach fuzz. I have just recently, in the past 6 months, noticed that my receding hair is leaving peach fuzz where before there was just a bald scalp.

 

My recession is much greater on the "corners" of my hairline, but there is also some in the front. The front has receded maybe a quarter inch, and the corners have receded maybe an inch.

 

Wondering what you all think are my options, and if the surgery would be okay, and what are the risks of getting it done young, etc.

 

thanks!

[eagletrojan]

Hey all, been reading this forum for about a year.

 

I've read the concerns about young people getting a transplant.

 

I am 22 years old with a receding hairline. I first noticed hair loss when I was 18 and got my head buzzed for Army basic training, but looking back on photos my hair loss started when I was 17, senior year of high school. Obviously, I don't want to go through the rest of my twenties bald, because it isn't getting any better. I went to Bosley in Beverly Hills about a year ago, what a joke, they wanted to schedule a surgery after a doctor looked at my head for like 3 minutes. Since then, I've been educating myself via the internet. I originally decided to wait, but am now considering, again, getting the transplant.

 

Basically, I have a few concerns. I know I will be dealing with mpb the rest of my life, and if I do the procedure I know I will be committing myself to more in the future... I am also content with a conservative approach.

 

I was told that Propecia wont work for frontal hair loss, so I haven't tried it. I have read, though, that it works best when there is noticeable peach fuzz. I have just recently, in the past 6 months, noticed that my receding hair is leaving peach fuzz where before there was just a bald scalp.

 

My recession is much greater on the "corners" of my hairline, but there is also some in the front. The front has receded maybe a quarter inch, and the corners have receded maybe an inch.

 

Wondering what you all think are my options, and if the surgery would be okay, and what are the risks of getting it done young, etc.

 

thanks!

[Guest wanthairs]

eagle.....

 

Dont get the transplant. Wisdom says wait till you are 35 years of age. Others say make sure you do propecia, 5% minoxidil and use nizoral shampoo for a couple of years to stabilise things. It would be helpfull if you could post pics of your head and then we could all give you some valid advice. Also try and do some online consults with some coalition docs and get a few opinions before you dive into this potentialy regrettable procedure at your age.

[gazzasgoin2]

Hi Eagle,

 

In general it is better to hold off getting an HT for as long as you can. It gives time for your natural balding pattern to show its hand and allow a good HT doctor to assess what your future loss is likely to be. It also allows you to get on meds for a few yrs to see if they help and gives you additional time to educate yourself and make an informed decision.

 

Certainly any HT in younger patients needs to be conservative to ensure donor supply is able to meet demand for recipient grafts over the LONG term. This is why its paramount to ensure you chose an ethical Dr. to help meet your long term wellbeing.

 

There does seems to be many young patients getting HT's these days which is fine so long as in the hands of an ethical Dr. and so long as expectations are realistic.

 

As wanthairs said, contact some of the Coalition Surgeons from this site and arrange either an in person or online consult and they will be honest with their assessment of whether you are a candidate at this stage.

 

Good luck.

[eagletrojan]

Originally posted by wanthairs:

eagle.....

 

Dont get the transplant. Wisdom says wait till you are 35 years of age.

 

I do not understand this, if anything, I would think it would be good to get it young, one reason being it wouldn't be a drastic change, and the costs could be spread out over the long term. I understand what you are trying to say but I don't see this as an option, really. I will be totally bald by then haha

[nobuzz4me]

Eagletrojan,

 

I think you are going about the process corrctly and thankfully did not fall for Bosley!

 

I do not think all guys need to wait till they are 35 to have work started. The key is to find a conservative, ethical doctor who can look into the bald crystal ball and formulate a reasonable plan for you. Go on several consultations and insist on looking at real patients so you can judge for yourself.

 

Good luck,

[Bill - Seemiller]

eagle,

 

If you've been here as long as you say you have been and read all the concerns about young people getting HTs...then you should be educated at this point to make your own decision on the matter.

 

That's not meant to be a crack...just a fact.

 

Clearly there are two opposite sides of the coin, however, I believe in proceeding on the side of caution.

 

Cases can be made for young people having HTs, but I would say 80% of the time, maybe as high as 90% of the time, it's not wise.

 

Perhaps you've read this already, but here is a thread worth checking out:

 

Am I Too Young For a Hair Transplant?

 

http://www.hairrestorationnetwork.com/eve/showthread.php?t=152790

 

Keep in mind too, that Propecia also helps with preventative loss. Just because you have hair line loss right now, doesn't mean you won't have crown loss later. Consider getting back on finasteride in order to help prevent further loss.

 

Bill

[calvinmd]

I think that the best younger HT cutoff ages for people result from a combination of factors. You need both of these things, but a little more of one can compensate for a little less of the other:

 

-- You need a certain amount of raw calendar years of age.

 

-- You need to be showing a clear & specific loss pattern to predict with.

 

 

I really think it's safe to say, blanket-statement, that HTs when you can barely buy a beer are bad decisions. If you're not 23-24 then FORGET IT for a while. Age 25-30 is only beginning to be "safe" at all for most of us.

 

And a NW#3 loss pattern (especially at a young age) isn't enough unless you're beyond age 30 or so. It's often an early pattern to see, but not the "final" pattern that will show itself. In your 20s, you will know a lot more once the top/back has begun to show something.

 

 

 

------------------------------------------------

[eagletrojan]

thanks for the info, i am emailing some photos to reed out of la jolla. he should give me an honest assessment.

 

out of curiosity, though, what is the worst that can/has happened to people who get the transplant too young? say i do it, accepting risks, and the risks are realized... i mean i guess the head would just end up with weird bald spots??

[eagletrojan]

sorry, one more question to all that seem to be so worried about young people getting the transplants...

 

if i do lose too much hair that i cant keep up with it anymore, couldnt i just do a laser hair removal to keep from looking like a freak? i mean, if this is all it would take, seems like a risk i would be willing to take...

[spoon]

Without a pic it is impossible to tell if you have enough hairloss to justify a surgery. Something happened in the past couple of years and for some people hair transplants aren't really about treating baldness anymore, they are regarded as a viable option for what amounts to changing your look. NW2's are getting 2000+ to close off their temples. Now, on to your specifics:

 

First of all, get on propecia/proscar. Even if it doesn't work for the hair you already lost in the front it should prevent you from losing hair elsewhere, which you are pretty much guaranteed to do.

 

Second, the risk of getting a transplant at a young age is that you later experience severe hair loss and run out of donor hair to maintain a natural look. Do not be fooled by anyone who tells you that you have 10,000-15,000 available donor FU's either because you don't. One other problem with transplants is that transplanted hair won't recede later and a mature hairline has some recession in it. Believe it or not, when your older you will still care how you look.

 

Third, no, I don't think you should count on laser hair removal as an option. For starters you would have already invested 10's of thousands on transplantation, and then you plan to spend thousands more on lasering? Doesn't make sense. Then, you may have a problem with the scarring from the laser treatments. I'm skeptical about the claims of how non-invasive that procedure is. Finally, you'll also have a strip scar to deal with.

 

So, get on finasteride. Then wait a while, see how you respond to it, educate yourself, and then proceed.

[calvinmd]

Either get HTs or do a shaved-down look, but you won't be able to do both. Once the HTs have started, the shaved-down look ceases to be a possibility ever again.

 

If you get enough hair moved (with HTs) to make any kind of cosmetic difference, then the scars in the back and "cobblestoning" in the front will be too much to show later on.

 

It's mainly the strip-scar that rules out the shaved head, but even the FUE-only cases are still usually not gonna be able to do the shiny-head look. (With FUE, they're getting away with a short buzz but not a full shave.)

 

 

The whole HT process is a numbers game:

Look at how much of your head is gonna be bald (eventually, not just right now). Then try to imagine how thin the rest of your hair would have to get in order to cover up all that area.

 

 

------------------------------------------------

[Guest]

These young guys do not want to hear what you are telling them.

 

They think of all kinds of ways to justify having a procedure that isn't right for them.

 

Laser to take out the transplanted hair later??

I can tell you from experience that laser is invasive & can leave scarring not to mention the pitting from the HT.

 

This may be the 21st century but we haven't come so far that one can go in & just add a little hair for aesthetic purposes on a twenty year old withot future consequences.

[Guest HLBD]

eagletrojan,

 

I both agree and disagree with some of the advice given to you by some of the other posters - it's only human and, in fact, you will notice that some of the best HT docs have very different opinions on a range of HT and hair loss topics.

 

I can tell you that I too started loosing hair at 17. I can tell you that I did fall for one of the hair mills' schemes at 20 and I regret it till this day! The results were very, very subpar. Now, I don't look like a freak, but I do have a picket fence looking hairline that I need to shave so it doesn't look so odd. That being said, it shouldn't put you off having an HT with a qualified, talented doc using the latest procedures.

 

Things you must consider are:

 

1) The majority of docs I have spoken to seem to agree that they wouldn't consider performing a transplant on a man suffering from MPB less than 26 to 28 years old - good doc must put their reps on the line with every transplant they perform and the odds that anyone from 19 to 24 having a very unsatisfadtory result in a few years don't bode well for the doc getting new clients from the work they do for you. This doesn't mean that an ethical doctor wouldn't perform a procedure on someone younger, but that person would have to either: a) not be suffering from MPB, b) take a VERY conservative approach, or c) have a VERY aggressive pattern of balding so that the doctor may predict what will happen next in the best possible manner.

 

2) Don't assume, as one poster seemed to advice, that the doctor has a "bald crystal ball" - they cannot predict with 100% accuracy where your pattern will begin or end. Now, that being said, a good doc can give you a best guess about what will happen if you have some hair loss experience under your belt. Most docs like to have a good 7 to 10 years experience with the hair loss process to judge how active your hair loss is and where it is likely to advance. I hate to tell you, but 4 years is likely not enough experience with hair loss for a doc to accurately make any judgement calls. The good new is that, if any doc (especially from a hair mill) tells you that you will end-up a NW 6 or 7, you will know that they are completely talking out of their ass! With your experience in hair loss at a midway point, there is just no way to know for sure. In fact, the <STRIKE>quack</STRIKE> <STRIKE>dick</STRIKE> doc at the hair mill told me that I would be a NW 6 by the time I was 25. I am now 28 and have lost no hair at the crown yet. I am still classified as a NW 3 with a pattern that seems to just progress from the front back - same pattern as my dad (go figure)!

 

3) Be prudent! Yes, there are some major advancements on the way, but you can't put hope or prayer in the bank.

 

4) The best advice: wait until you are 25 to start seriously looking and consulting with docs. That being said, go to the best docs and get their advice. Demand that you speak with a doctor before any procedure is booked and get him to answer any and all questions to your satisfaction. Remember that pictures do lie! So, meet some of the doctor's patients in person - this is very possible with the best docs. Don't let them scare you into making a rash decision. I've been to clinics that want to make you feel so bad about your situation and blow it totally out of proportion that they think you'll rush into the operation chair - don't do it! It's really sad that this tatic works so well on young men. They go in a NW 2 with slight loss and they get "classified" by a nurse or consultant (neither of whom are qualified to make such a qualification) as a NW 3 or NW4 and they panic to get to the surgury.

 

5) Keep as much hair as you can. This means getting on fin and rogaine. It's true that neither of these work well on frontal balding, but they can do wonders for maintaining hair and you'll want to keep as much as possible so that you will have to have less hair transplanted and look great! The more natural hair you have, the better an HT will look (if done right, of course).

 

6) Don't stress too much about it. There isn't a medical condition around that cannot be exasterbated by stress, so try to keep calm and live your life like there is no tomorrow.

 

Good luck!

[Dr. William Reed]

Dear Forum Members,

As many know I am a relatively new member in the Coalition. I intend to become more active in the community. As such I have read this thread and must say that I am very impressed with the thoughtfulness and quality of thoughts given EagleTrojan. I would "second" the advice given him of going slowly with surgery. He will care how he looks when he is older. It is true that there is no consensus regarding when a person's pattern of balding has expressed itself sufficiently to predict the future limits of balding. One well-respected surgeon thinks he can tell in the patient's early 20s. I think we can only tell what is likely to be the minimum amount of balding (by looking for miniaturization and/or lower numbers of hairs/follicular unit) in the scalp at that age. I do not believe, as the surgeon mentioned does, that such changes have occurred and can be used to define the maximum area of scalp balding in the patient's 20s. Perhaps this can be deduced as the patient approaches 40.

 

Of as much concern as outrunning donor supplies, in my opinion, is the problem of thinning in the donor as we age. Although donor hair is often said to be "permanent" , such is not the case. Donor hair is "relatively permanent". It thins in everyone and it will thin more in young men who show signs of balding early in their 20s. It can thin so much that the scar will not be able to be covered up by the remaining donor. This is the case with my brother and my father. The unconcealable scar would be a very disturbing reality to my brother in his 50s had he undergone transplantation in his 20s.

 

A last point I would like to make is that, as wonderful as medicines are for changing male pattern balding from a progressive condition to a non-progressive condition, finasteride and minoxidil can obscure what balding would have gone on and thereby give a false sense of security to the man in his late 20s with regards to proceeding with transplantation or with proceeding with an overly aggressive pattern of hair restoration.

[Guest]

Welcome Dr. Reed, It is a privilage to have your professional opinions on the forum!

 

I agree that donor hair is not only finite but also subject to thinning as well.

 

I don't know how much of it you see in your practice, but the posters on this forum seeking hair transplants are getting younger!

They are beginnining to look at it is a quick cosmetic fix like botox or something just to fill in thier temples.

 

It is refreshing to have a Doctor such as yourself explain the pitfalls of hair transplants at to young of age.

 

We would love to see some of your work posted from beautiful Lajolla, Ca!

[calvinmd]

I think part of the reason that we're not hearing about the donor-thinning problems is because the calendar years haven't added up yet.

 

Even with HT surgery that was done way back in the 1970s, it's only been maybe 35 years since the surgery. A guy with an agressive balding problem who got HT work done back then in his 20's (and donor thinning was not taken into account because he was so young) would still barely be pushing 60 yet. So even though we're already several decades into the hair transplant age, this growing problem still may not have really shown its hand yet.

 

 

------------------------------------------------

[MrJobi]

Hi

 

Good discussion and a bit ironic.. Generally, when a new patient on here informs everyone they received 1500 grafts ( or so ) they are bombarded with accusations of why didnt you get a 3000 - 4000 megasession.. Now we are looking at the other side of the coin and what "could" happen in the no so far away future. In my opinion this is why a conservative approach may be the way to go . In the short term maybe no, but in the long term, one can adjust to meet the ever changing balding pattern and utilize donor hair efficiently.. Too many times do we see the strip removed from a higher region on the head.. That hair could be DHT vulnerable in 5 - 10 years??

[Bill - Seemiller]

Good point Mrjb,

 

I think surgery needs to be looked at as patient specific.

 

I think younger people (if they are eligible for a transplant) should generally start more conservative - but even this is a general statement.

 

I have already argued that those who are only just starting to experience hair loss (especially at young ages) are not good candidates for a transplant.

 

But it simply depends on each person's individual case.

 

Oddly enough - though I know people don't WANT to do this...

 

It might be best to let your hair loss advance to higher stages before getting a hair transplant. The "keeping on top of your hair loss" transplant routine isn't always the best way to go - since ultimately you might be pushing DHT vulnerable hairs into an early grave.

 

THe "keeping on top of your hair loss" transplant routine was the direction I went so I'm not arguing that it doesn't work (within reason - keep in mind I was a NW5A when I got my first transplant - but I didn't want to wait until I was completely bald first).

 

But as long as a long term strategy is in place and one that makes sense for the individual patient, then it doesn't matter exactly how one gets there.

 

Bill

[bezane]

Sure there are a lot of posters here that know a lot. But this forum is so full of repetition. YES ALREADY. A guy that is 21 should not get a transplant. He shouldn't do illicit drugs either. He should be careful with nutrition. He, being an inexperienced driver should not go fast. I mean c'mon. I don't care if you're a poster or doctor or know or don't know. Doctors, generally speaking have increased the demand for transplants because of wanting to make money. Commercials, false promises, bad surgeries, over and over and over. Go back just 15 years. Way more dissatisfied patients than satisfied ones. It's not just Bosley or Nuhart or whomever. It's solo docs butchering the hell out of people. I suggest these kids start talking to more innovative doctors that can put together a program to help them. It's the 21 year old that needs the help the most. Starting to lose your hair at 26 is bad enough. At 21 or 22 it can be down right suicide inducing.

 

Look, Hasson for example, has proved that the technique is there for near flawless transplants, whether it be a mega session or a touch up. Either you now move on to genetically figuring out baldness and how to prevent it or you learn how to predict the fallout rate. I mean everyone jumps to the Norwood scale like it's golden. It's basically 1-6. And if you're starting to noticeably bald at 19, I think you're heading deep into the scale. The data is out there. Research it. Within a few weeks there would be a fair method of prediction. Even for us that wait til we're 30, we still have to speculate.

 

By improving blades and this and that how much better are we going to get than Hasson? It's all about research now. Cloning. Rate of loss. amount of donor hair. With computers and formulas what are we looking at? A lot more concrete examples, history and evidence than we're imagining.

 

Help the guy. He's 22. He's going bald. We really don't need 35 posts about...."Yo dude. Way too young. Deal with the embarrassment and shell 10K over to a drug company. When you grow up to be older and a complete mental case because of your baldness, then you can deal with the trauma of turning the CUE BALL into a mop. It will be your rite of passage." Bullshit. It's 2007. We have guys that study medicine for ten years THEN have to learn how to make incisions and harvest hair? Maybe there's a way to give this guy a series of gradual transplants. And before everyone says no, well thats just this crappy industry that can muster only a few dozen quality surgeons? C'mon.

 

It would have been refreshing to have this thread be a brainstorming session instead of the antiquated thinking of actually thinking we know how to help him.

 

Now my advice to you is this dude....you're a lucky mother fucker that fashion and style is in your favor. Learn to shave your head clean everyday and tan the scalp gradually before you unveil your new look. Pierce an ear. Workout and eat right so you look buff. Even if you're husky like Michael Chiklis in The Shield. Learn how to dress. Learn how to accept others and never make comments about others' appearances. (YES, that means no FAT, FAG, BALD, STUPID, NERD jokes.) Be kind to everyone. Be cool. And lastly do not go out at night with other skinned head guys, you look stupid like a skinhead gang or something. Learn how to walk "strong" with confidence. You'll get tons of pussy. And thats what this is about when you're looking to be normal at 21 and not feel embarrassed over something you can't help. You will rock.

 

And in the mean time let these geniuses called doctors advance themselves and figure something out for the young guy. Learn how to blend HT hairs and native hairs. Let them research what they think you'll end up like. Because the way everyone here is making it sound, is that if you wait all will be hunky dory. It won't. Fuck the meds too. I can appreciate everyone here being thoughtful and polite but go back a couple of years and find this very similar post from me to dhuge67. Young. Bald. I gave him this advice. He went ahead with the transplant. Not the best doc. Not very good results. No butchery just lack of growth. Well he came back on here over year later and announced he was shaving down, buffing up and will revisit the idea of a HT later.

 

We need doctors that offer hope. That take the initiative to innovate. That don't squash research that might put them out of business(genetic engineering for example). It's just plain silly to have another thread started by another young guy and another of our veteran posters lecture him how he is really fucked. But not in so many words.

 

I have worked in entertainment and I can tell you this: The difference between that hot chick on TV and your chick is a good stylist. And if you don't have someone to help you or you can trust or you don't want to shave down, remember that greasing your hair and combing it straight back will yield a cooler and better bald look than combing left or right or volumizing and perming and trying to fluff it up. Those will make you look pathetic bald. The slick back will give something between Tony Soprano and.....Tony Soprano. But so what. People identify in a positive way to that look. I got away with it for years. Lots of compliments too. So even though my hair is back I stuck with the style. And without the bald spots....it's nice.

 

Good luck to you bud. Don't let this destroy you.

 

Hasson & Wong should spearhead this. We all trust them. Never heard anything negative that was accurate. Or Pat. It's time for the forum to take the next leap. The repetition becomes ridiculous. Guys read a few threads and then post. Every imaginable answer can be found. Read it.

[thanatopsis_awry]

Losing your hair is always difficult. In your early-twenties even moreso, and can reach varying degrees of acute torture. I've given a fair amount of consideration to the debate, and feel that the best, general plan of attack is as follows (this is particularly to those in their early, mid 20's):

 

Obviously get on The Big Three -- particularly if you also have losses in the crown --, and gauge how you respond to the meds over 6+ months.

 

Find a highly reputable doctor and work out a long term plan that strikes a balance between getting you quick(er) results to help get you through the coming time, without seriously endangering your future. Be prepared, and committed, for potentially several HTs over the years.

 

You will be taking a very conservative approach, and as such the HT results will not individually bestow you with your Elvis Hair of youth; but they will give you appreciable results and be the foundation of your ultimate hair reclamation. Get Dermmatch, Toppik, etc., and, in combination with your HTs try to achieve results that you can live with over the next several years.

 

As the years go by, hope that between medical advances and more aggressive HTs you can achieve greater and greater end results. Always be acting in an effort to strike a balance between *not* sacrificing your youth, and *not* completely screwing your future.

 

***I firmly beleive that just as Armani is one extreme that carries undesireable consequences, so too does the other extreme that blankly cautions against HTs for the young....like Bezane alluded to, hair loss at very tender ages is excruciating day in day out, and should NOT be tolerated.....it is no way too live, and if certain, conservative ideals must be thrown to the wind so be it***

 

Again, I feel it is all about striking the right balance and finding a comfort zone that works for you. I am 21, scheduled for a HT 8/1 with True&Dorin; I am also considering postponing it for at least another 6 months...the reason being that I have yet to try out a combo of the Dermm/Toppik (which I should have either today or tomarrow). As things currently stand, I 100% would follow through with the HT; but, if the Dermmatch can give me enough where I feel that my hair loss won't be such a strain on the quality of my life I will wait longer.

 

An aggressive, comprehensive strategy in conjunction with elite doctors is the way to go, imo, and in the year 2007 a lot can be done that in the past could not.

[MrJobi]

I think this is an intelligent discussion

 

It's tough for me to speak as I really did not have the financial resources in my 20's. At the time, I really wanted an answer to my problem but the options were limited. With that being said I did what Bill suggested.. I stayed on top of my hairloss. Through various concealers & Propecia, I managed to get through my 15 years of thinning ..Then finally, I did the reasearch and got 3 Ht's over the course of 2.5 years..

 

For a younger person, in their early mid 20's I would suggest the following

 

1 - Stabilize hairloss with Propecia or Minoxidil (or both)

2 - Do research, and more research!!

3 - Sit down and prioritize your options and strategy

4 - Meet with people that have had procedures

5 - consult with serveral doctors

6 - Formulate long term gameplan

 

It's tough to generalize for all people due to degree of norwood,future loss, and resources available ( this planmay work for anyone considering a HT)

 

This is my suggestion

[bezane]

Hey Mjrb.....but do you think 15 years of concealing should be the standard? I think the years of concealing were the worst of my life. And I was in my 20's!!!! Bad way to live. Cannot begin to think of the tricks my mind played on me. Career changes even.

 

I think this cry for help by so many is the call to the industry to address it. Or will it be slow to react because of the ability to pay?

 

Every industry has realized they must cater to the young and have for the most part done so successfully. It's time to tell a 21 year old he can have his life back.

 

I say style yourself until this upside down industry addresses the problem, stay off meds, and start your quest. The meds are an addiction. You stop and so does the the hair growth. A 21 year-old should not be rubbing crap on his head before he jumps into the sack with that foxy little honey. And certainly shouldn't commit to a possible life on Propecia.

[MrJobi]

Hi B

 

No. 15 years of concealing is not the standard, it was mine unfortunately but as I mentioned above I had a strategy which in the end worked..There was no FUT 10 years ago so I waited for the option of a natural solution. I had no other options except a wig ( no way!!)

 

I am not saying young people should not have HT's, everyone if different, but do the reasearch and have a long term relaistic plan..

Regarding drugs, I don't like them BUT it is necessary to stabilize hairloss ( especially if you are young) if you are thinning this early of an age.. If not, your Hair transplants will most likely not keep up with your

loss..Personally I don't use Rogaine, just Propecia.

 

The industry is addresses the problem as a whole, there just arent any solutions or then med or Ht's .. It sucks for us!

 

I know it is not the most desirable situation to be in but we are just playing the cards we were dealt. Of course we always have the option of just being bald?

[bezane]

Mjrb.....Exactly!!!!! But should this be? Isn't it time for the industry to make some progress? The method of transplant is there. It seems it is still tough to get surgeons to learn and exhibit good technique. So that continues to be the battle here and in general in this industry.

 

We demand more. Look at other cosmetic fields. They are light years ahead. Could you imagine a 21 year-old chick with unaturally sagging breasts being told that she has to wait until they go past her belly button and to her knees to make them perky again?

 

I for one suffered with my HT experience as you did. I'm 41, had a really bad HT at 27....then repaired 5 years later. But the point is that the hair I still had concealed some of the work. And that was not by design. So what if it was.

 

We speak of being too young for a HT based on the sole point of not knowing where the donor hair would end up. Sure, that's true. But we do know the sun will come up tomorrow and we can safely assume that there will be more hair loss.

 

A 21 year-old, in the right hands, might be able to get blending sessions over 10 years. Sure, the technique will be much different than the good surgeons currently do. And the butchers can't even master the Hasson & Wong current pace, so I doubt they will be the leaders here.

 

But if Victor Hasson was given a 3 million dollar grant to take a year off and study and apply a gradual blending technique, I'm sure he would come up with a golden rule. Lots of research going on in medicine and surgery that is operating in total darkness. With this issue there's enough information to achieve a methodology.

 

I mean they're out there scalping people with FLAP debacles. A blending technique by Hasson would not even be in the same universe as other inventions.

 

As far as Propecia, I think it's bogus. It works, but it's a hook in your skin and I'm not staring rumors or being hysterical but I think it shrinks your pecker. Seriously. Maybe only a half inch over extended time but us boys are more sensitive about that than the hair. That shit worries me. Even if you dismiss this part of my argument it's actually fairly funny when you think about. Former baldie with a new found bushy head lands the chick and she runs from the bedroom unable to find his pecker.

 

All this makes you wish you were a woman. Tit job.....10K, manicure/pedicure.....$125. Facial.....$200. Liposuction......4K. Not having to ever know what it feels like to pay a dinner tab and getting laid when you snap your fingers and not having to worry about "working equipment".....priceless.