Folicas lost folicles

[Guest]

Well I finally took some pics & it's really alot worse than I thought. I think because my remaining hair looks very healthy, & I never see it from these angles.

Am I beyond HTP help?

Thanks for looking & not laughing! LOL!

 

 

 

[Bill - Seemiller]

folica,

 

Thanks for posting your pictures bro. You are in good company. Nobody is going to laugh at your pictures, trust me. That's exactly what I would look like right now if I didn't have any transplant. Depending on your donor density and laxity, you may be a good candidate for a hair transplant if you have reasonable and realistic expectations. I would say you'd need a good 7000 grafts to get good coverage and decent density. You most likely will not be able to get that in one session unless you are like London_Lad and have amazing donor hair characteristics, but many people can achieve that in 2 passes with the right physician and as long as you have the donor density and laxity...it all comes down to that really. Take a moment and do a "find" on this forum for a gentleman by the name of Bobman. You can also view JoTronic's journey at www.hairtransplantmentor.com. Feel free also to view my journey below for all three surgeries. Now my before picture will look like I have more hair than you, however, I have lost native hair since those days so I'd probably look very close to what you look like now. So I'd say...most likely you are not beyond hope .

 

Bill

[HK500]

Hi Folica,

I would also venture to say you're between a 5 and a 6 on the Norwood scale, so at least 6k FU's should do the trick, with 7k you'd be set with nice density. If your donor area is up to par and depending on your personal preferences I would try to do it in one pass IMO. I have always been a strong supporter of less surgeries. You already know where to go for such mega sessions, H&W.

What is your plan of approach?

[Gorpy]

One pass for 6k grafts is quite rare. It's a little easier to achieve with one's and two's but still difficult. Let's not exaggerate the average patient's capabilities and create false expectations.

 

Expect to do two passes for your hairloss level.

[Jotronic]

Folica,

 

In my opinion you are closer to a NW6 because the "bridge" across the top of your scalp is no longer complete. The parietal humps are very strong though so you are in a good position given the extent of your loss.

 

Getting as much in one session is a good idea as HK500 says but the average patient (average laxity, average density) gets about 3500 to 4500 in one shot (when necessary). Your density and/or laxity would have to be above average to get more.

 

With the averages in mind I think one shot concentrated on the front 1/2 and the top would be a good idea. Maybe take the grafts just past the bridge with density decreasing from the front toward the back. This is a very natural pattern and even if your crown is not touched it will still look good. If after the first grows out you still want the crown touched then you should be able to do so after eight to twelve months post-op. Many times however patients realize that the back is not so important after the front and top are finished because they rarely see it so even without the crown addressed you may be happy enough to leave it alone. If you do opt for the crown in a second procedure then about 2500 to 3000 grafts will do wonders for you. This is of course if you are taking Finasteride to stop your loss else the approach will be more conservative.

 

Note that you appear to have fine caliber hair so the result will need heavier numbers to achieve good density but the upside is that your hair is not so dark so the hair color to scalp color contrast is low which means less "see through". Ultimately, you will have see through is some situations but the difference from before/after should be major.

 

If in doubt about your characteristics you do have the ability to directly influence your result by starting your scalp exercises now. You can see how to do these at www.hassonandwong.com and click on the media gallery to see the video. These exercises will help you to loosen your scalp more which means more grafts can be taken to get you to your final result faster. They work.

[Guest]

Thanks all for the comments.

I now know that Jotronics is a reliable & valuable commodity to this forum. He is here to help.

I apprecite that!

Did I mention I am 49 & have not started on Propecia yet.

I believe I have/had a tight scalp so I have been doing the scalp stretching exercises more than 30 minutes a day and I can feel the difference in laxity in only 2 weeks.

Hopefully the fact that my remaining hair is strong & grows healthy is a good thing.

I would like to do it all in 1 shot but I guess that depends on the factors mentioned.

Thanks again & I will keep you all posted on my Quest for the redistribution of my hair!

Jotronics has represented H&W here so any comments from other doc's would be appreciated especially in the Southwest U.S.

Folica.

[Bill - Seemiller]

Let's not exaggerate the average patient's capabilities and create false expectations.

 

Gorpy is right...and Joe added to this statement. 6000-7000 may very well be possible for a lot of people...but NOT in one single session. Only the exceptional are candidates for a surgery like this in a single session. But consulting with a physician will help you develop realistic expectations. We can only speculate your need at this point...only a qualified doctor will be able to give yo ua better idea and approximation of what he can get in terms of grafts from you.

 

Bill