HORRIBLE HT EXPERIENCE

[Al - Moderator]

notGoing:

I'm not trying to stop you from getting a HT. I'm not sure how old you are, but I think I read in another thread that you have little to no hair loss in the crown. If that's the case and you only need hair in front, then I would just not worry about the crown for now and don't touch that area. Just make sure you don't try to get too low or too thick of a hairline.

 

The hair greed thing is a big factor. We all have at least some of that or we wouldn't be here. It's fine to have hair greed to some degree because everyone should try to look their best. What you have to be careful about is getting a taste of a good HT and then getting too much hair greed. What I'm saying is be conservative, maybe a slightly higher hairline than you would like, maybe not go for that 3rd or 4th session right away to keep thickening up your hair until you wait a few years to see where (if at all) your hair loss progresses to.

[MrJobi]

Hi

 

This is why it is essential

 

1- You STABILIZE hairloss prior to HT. Ok, some disagree about meds but to me it is part of my solution.

2 - Make sure the doc stays within an inch of top of the ear level (about an inch max on the sides) . I am no doc, but in my mind this is the SUPER safe zone. i'd rather be safe than sorry. All of my donor area has come borderline top of the ear level.. It is even lower in the back as the donor strip curves down.

[Al - Moderator]

Most people want to get their hair as thick as possible, but here's something to think about.

 

Let's say you're 30 years old and have a HT. After 2 sessiosn you think maybe the Dr should have made your hairline a bit lower, maybe it's a little too see-through on top, etc., so you want to go back for another session or 2.

 

OK. So maybe you still don't look truly great for your age and there are still other 30 year olds with more hair. Before you try to thicken up your hair too much think about this:

 

If you plan correctly, your HT will look better as you age, meaning you will look better for your age as you get older. You will start liking your HT more over the years. In 10 years when you're 40 you will still have all that transplanted hair while all your friends and former hot hunks have been losing their hair for the past 10 years.

 

On the other hand if you plan poorly and try to do too much to look like you're still 18, then you could end up taking too much donor hair out and then trying to find more donor hair to cover the crown that wasn't so bad a few years earlier. You'll end up hating your HT more and more over the years.

 

It's much better to look good as you age rather than look more and more like a freak as you age.

 

So... have a conservative HT, work out and keep your body in shape, and you'll eventually be the hot hunk you always wanted to be. Nothing wrong with being over 40 and dating women in their 20s and 30s.

 

Just some things to think about here.

[notgoing2gobald]

BeHappy,

 

thanks alot for all of your input. I think that is excellent advice. Im perfectly happy with not having an 18 year old hairline or anything close to it. Actually, Ive been living with a widows peak for so long I dont think I would be cofterable bringing the hairline too low. It just wouldn't feel like "me". Im 28 years old. That is one reason why Im not jumping into this. Although I wouldnt mind a relatively higher hairline, I must admit I would like it do be as dense as possible. I wouldnt like it if there was TOO much scalp showing at the line.

 

BeHappy, in rhetrospect Im sure you would agree that most of the loss you experienced in the donor area and even the transplanted hair itself was probabaly due to the excessive surgery the quack doc performed on you. Right? I could only imagine that all of those surgeries combined and in such a short time would have caused massive scarring and resulted in permanent hairloss. If you feel otherwise, please let me know as I would like to know your real thoughts on this matter. If you think you merely lost it because the so called "safe zone" ended up balding too, then Id like to know.

 

I really feel for you with that horrible experience. Have you ever consulted with a new doctor? How are you handling your situation? Best of luck and thank you for all of your advice.

[notgoing2gobald]

One more thing: Im really torn if I should go through with a ht at this point. On the one hand I have ok coverage. Dont get me wrong, Im not really happy with it, but Im not "bald" yet and dont have to do the combover thing. But I do have to comb my hair forward or else too much scalp shows.

 

On the other hand, Ive seen guys go from totally bald to having more hair than me. I know I will absolutely hate it when I go bald and I really dont want to wait to that point. I guess I lean towards getting a hair transplant for both of those reasons:

(i) I know Im eventually going to do something about it.

(ii) and, if I am, why not do it now so I can improve my current situation.

My biggest concern is that I have found (only) two people who were unhappy or somewhat dissapointed with the results they got from the doctor I want to go to. But, I dont think there is ANY doctor who has not had at least one complaint from someone, right?

 

Question for those of you who have had ht:

if you go to a top coalition doc, then at the consulation are they able to tell you what kind of results you can realistically expect given your characteristics?

 

I would think its strictly an empirical matter:

your hair characteristics, scalp laxity, # of grafts you have available, and how much coverage you need. Right? I only ask because some of the patients on the webpages turn out with such FANTASTIC results and Im wondering if the doctor will be able to pick out a patient from his catolog of photos and say..."there, he has your characteristics and this is what you can expect to achieve"...

does it work like this?

[Bill - Seemiller]

notgoing2gobald,

 

I think it's excellent that you are doing a lot of research and asking a lot of questions prior to going through with hair restoration surgery. Certainly if you choose to proceed, you will know what to expect.

 

Only you can make up your mind as to whether hair transplantation is right for you. There are certainly benefits, risks and limitations and been discussed on this and other threads.

 

Our coalition physicians will certainly go over everything with you, but certainly you should go with a list of questions you want answered prior to surgery. Knowing what to expect BEFORE surgery is extremely important.

 

Keep in mind that no two patients will turn out exactly alike. Hair characteristics, area to be covered, and number of grafts play a huge role in the cosmetic appearance of a hair transplant. Though looking at others with similar hair characteristics and levels of loss can be used as a guide. One can never say that they will look exactly like another patient.

 

I have read a number of posts over the years about patients who were dissatisfied with their results. Upon looking at their pictures, they had great improvement, but their expectations were simply too high.

 

Hair restoration physician selection and knowledge are the two most vital pieces to ensure a successful hair transplant experience.

 

Bill