22 years old, considering transplant

[HTinthefuture]

I am not sure of your extent of balding. but here is what I would do at 20. Put that 10k in a sound dividend high yeild investment fund. shave your head while you are still young enough to pull it off. step ahead 10 years. new drugs on the market, better HT methods and possibly a wonder treatment (maybe . go for the HT when you are totally sure of what hair you will loose, at least have a better idea, cash in some of that 10k investment which is now at 80-100k if you did it right, and have money for a HT and then some.

I am 35 now, and considering a HT and have to save $$$ like mad to do so (other expenses creap into your life at this age). If I was 20 right now and loosing hair, I would put my money away somewhere safe in investments and then review your hair situation in a few years. at least then you wont have as much of the financial burden. I sure as heck didn't have $$$ for it when I was 20. But if I invested at 20 like I do now, I would be 10 years from retirement. And I am not talking get rich quick, bubble, penny stock crap. just using your noggin to invest and a little dab of patience.

anway, slightly off topic, but might give you something else to think about.

btw, chicks in their 30s dig guys with a bit of financial freedom. I don't know too many women who would not ignore bad hair on a guy with confidence and cash (ie life, career). I am married to a pretty hot woman and loosing my hair. I was when we met. But it is confidence, having other ambitions and personality that won her over. course an HT in the future when I know the extent of my loss wont hurt

[Bill - Seemiller]

Bezane,

 

Though there is no doubt that this field needs some more study and advancement...

 

In a nutshell, it sounds like you are basically saying

 

"Accept your fate" or at least "Accept you fate until there is a cure".

 

I know you are completely against medication and have made this point over and over again, but medication provides an option to attempt to stop or slow down one's hair loss.

 

Are there potential side effects? Of course! But what about other medications? Are you against ANY medication? What about the woman who is on the birth control pill? The potential side effects of THAT pill are potentially MUCH more dangerous, yet many women take the pill on a daily basis to prevent from becoming pregnant WITHOUT side effect.

 

I am not a huge advocate of drugs - in fact, I hate the fact that there is a potential side effect for EVERY drug out there. I even make comments about new medications being advertised and say things like "I can't wait to hear the disclaimer on this one".

 

BUT...it's about weighing benefit verses risk. The benefit is potentially keeping your natural hair longer (or as long as you take the drug if it doesn't lose efficacy). The risk is the potential side effects you might face.

 

Do you want to keep the existing hair you have? If you do...try the medication. If you do not...take a crap shoot and see where MPB takes you naturally. Consider HT without medication - after all, not everyone ends up losing ALL their hair.

 

Let's face it...we ALL want a cure. But the science isn't there yet. And we just have to be patient...unfortunately.

 

Bill

[calvinmd]

I honestly don't think that younger HTs are THAT terrible in theory, but in practice they seem to be.

 

For the sake of argument, imagine this plan:

Wait to hit 21-22 years old. Get a NW#2-2.5 hairline transplanted, of maybe half-original density, and no messing with the crown at all yet.

 

Now, unless your donor REALLY sucks and/or you're doing a true NW#7 pattern, it seems like it's pretty hard for this plan to burn you very badly. (Maybe you could eventually still regret the decision to get HTs at all, but that's not quite the same issue as just planning a decent HT.)

 

 

But it's hard to recommend this to youg guys, becuase they seem to want the lo-o-ow hairline and filled temples all the time. When you're not already paying a lot of attention to hairlines, it's hard to convey how/why this extra centimeter of difference here & there will make such a big impact on the appearance & results decades later on.

 

 

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