Senior Member Take a chance Posted August 16, 2008 Senior Member Share Posted August 16, 2008 Hi everyone Currently in the market for a hair transplant and doing all my research. This forum has been very helpful and tats why I decided to post a question that has been on my mind. My question/concern is, with so many people having big HT sessions 3000+ grafts how do we know what the future for these people will hold? In other words coverage might be sufficient for the next 5 to 10 years but what happens in the later years when the native hair continues to fall out??? I know propecia might help but for many people where propecia is not an option what will happen. Future hair loss on patients that have had a transplant will mean crown hair loss expanding or sides receeding which will leave a terrible appearance for the patient and transplanted hair. With most people having 5000+ grafts inserted over two procedures at age 30 or 40 what will happen to them when they run out of donor hair and they are 60 years old with patches of bald spots and all native hair gone? Everything seems OK now but what will happen in the future... There has been many surgeons doing fine work but i'm quite concerned about future hair loss that might destroy the hair transplant. Any comments would be appreciated. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Senior Member Take a chance Posted August 16, 2008 Author Senior Member Share Posted August 16, 2008 Hi everyone Currently in the market for a hair transplant and doing all my research. This forum has been very helpful and tats why I decided to post a question that has been on my mind. My question/concern is, with so many people having big HT sessions 3000+ grafts how do we know what the future for these people will hold? In other words coverage might be sufficient for the next 5 to 10 years but what happens in the later years when the native hair continues to fall out??? I know propecia might help but for many people where propecia is not an option what will happen. Future hair loss on patients that have had a transplant will mean crown hair loss expanding or sides receeding which will leave a terrible appearance for the patient and transplanted hair. With most people having 5000+ grafts inserted over two procedures at age 30 or 40 what will happen to them when they run out of donor hair and they are 60 years old with patches of bald spots and all native hair gone? Everything seems OK now but what will happen in the future... There has been many surgeons doing fine work but i'm quite concerned about future hair loss that might destroy the hair transplant. Any comments would be appreciated. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Senior Member badger_01 Posted August 16, 2008 Senior Member Share Posted August 16, 2008 thats a great question. Younger patients need to be more conservative in their approach, in order to keep enough of hair for future procedures. Every person is different, with different levels of hairloss, donor denisty and laxity. Based on your donor characteristics, family history and level of baldness, a skilled ethical doctor will be able to guide you through a long term plan. That is why it is essential to pick a skilled ethical physician (and there are many in the coalition!). - badger 3279 grafts with Dr Gabel - 06/12/08 My Hair Loss Website - Hair Transplant with Dr. Gabel Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bill - Seemiller Posted August 16, 2008 Share Posted August 16, 2008 Take a Chance, Your questions are 100% valid and one of the reasons why planning for the long term is highly important in hair transplant surgery. This may mean not packing as many grafts per square cm into an area that is currently balding during the initial surgery and reserving more for the possibility of subsequent procedures. The problem is that many younger people want to take care of their hair loss problem today and restore a "full head of hair". Though it can be done temporarily in patients with minimal hair loss, future hair loss could lead a patient with a few densely packed areas with baldness behind it, leaving them unnatural. Once the finite donor hair supply is gone, that's it! This is why hair restoration should be looked at as a journey rather than a procedure. Working with a surgeon to plan long term realistic goals is a huge part of what makes hair restoration successful. I hope this helps. Bill Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Senior Member Take a chance Posted August 16, 2008 Author Senior Member Share Posted August 16, 2008 Guys thank you for your replies. Ok my situation is that I have quite aggressive hair loss i'm almost 30 and already close to a norwood 6. The Doctor I spoke to said he could comfortably get in 3500 to 4000 grafts in the first procedure which I am happy with. I know that in the future my hair loss will continue so I want to make sure that when I do lose more I have enough donor to hide it. The other issue is that I have not responded well to propecia and had to stop taking it so I know native hair falling will be a problem in the future. I just want to make sure I have my bases covered if I go through with this. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Senior Member badger_01 Posted August 17, 2008 Senior Member Share Posted August 17, 2008 Congrats on making a decision to get an HT. Often the hardest part is the first consult! As long as you are conservative with your hairline and expectations you'll be fine. - badger 3279 grafts with Dr Gabel - 06/12/08 My Hair Loss Website - Hair Transplant with Dr. Gabel Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Senior Member NW4recession Posted August 17, 2008 Senior Member Share Posted August 17, 2008 As long as you are conservative with your hairline and expectations you'll be fine. I don't agree with this. If you are destined to be a NW7 you will not be fine even if you are conservative. Some people will end up with a thin, see-through strip around their head by the time they are 60 (NW7). If based on your family history, you think you will not progress pass a NW6 and your donor is very thick, then you may be a good candidate. All the more reason to consult with an ethical doctor who can assess your situation. My Hair Loss Website Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dr. Timothy Carman Posted August 17, 2008 Share Posted August 17, 2008 Originally posted by Bill - Associate Publisher: This is why hair restoration should be looked at as a journey rather than a procedure. Working with a surgeon to plan long term realistic goals is a huge part of what makes hair restoration successful. Bill In my opinion this is the single most important concept to effectively master, plan and communicate to a prospective hair restoration patient. Timothy Carman, MD ABHRS President, (ABHRS) ABHRS Board of Directors La Jolla Hair Restoration Medical Center Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Senior Member Take a chance Posted August 17, 2008 Author Senior Member Share Posted August 17, 2008 I just think that there will be a lot of issues in the years to come for a lot of people that have undergone mega session hair transplants. I am not looking for a low dense hair line I will be happy with decent coverage over my scalp for the rest of my life. Thank you for everyone's advice, however I am still skeptical because I believe that eventually I will become a NW7 and would hate to have no donor hair left to cover the damage. Luckily I have been speaking with a great well known Doctor so will have to assess this further with him. In the mean time if anyone has any further info regarding this matter or any material I can possibly read it would be much appreciated. Thanks again guys. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bill - Seemiller Posted August 17, 2008 Share Posted August 17, 2008 Take a chance, Not everyone will become a level 7 on the norwood scale, in fact, only a small percentage of hair loss sufferers do. However, if you feel you are heading toward a high level of hair loss and won't be satisfied with less hair density all over your scalp, hair transplant surgery may not be for you. You may want to consider a hairpiece or something that will give you the appearance of a full head of hair however, take your time to explore this option, learn about maintenance, cost, naturalness, and restrictions. Or you could go the least expensive route and shave your head. Some men look pretty good sporting the completely bald look. And some women find bald men sexy. Best wishes, Bill Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Senior Member Take a chance Posted August 17, 2008 Author Senior Member Share Posted August 17, 2008 Hey Bill I think you mis understood me or I came across the wrong way. I do not need a teenagers hairline or great density I would be very happy with less density and a higher hair line. The density issue never bothered me. As long as I can have the apperance of fullness and can style my hair to look ok then I'm happy. In answer to your question I do believe that I will eventually be a NW7 based on family history. All I want to know is if eventuall I do become a NW7 and have already had two HT's are there options for me to cover up any future loss? Keeping in mind that I cannot take propecia. Also do you know of any reading material online that might have examples of people with this issue? I know I am being cautious but as everybody knows this is a big step and the last thing I would want is to pay 20k for a HT that will look terrible in 20 years time due to progression of baldness. P.S At this stage I wont be considering shaving it all off. My next step will be going through with a HT and finally correcting this problem that has bothered me for quite a few years. Thanks again. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Senior Member Smoothy Posted August 18, 2008 Senior Member Share Posted August 18, 2008 This is a major factor for everybody younger than 35 I would say, even though 35-50 MPB continues. Suggestion is to maybe look at not doing a MEGA SESSION per say, unless you have very dense donor and know that your donor will not be depleted with MS. I think you are in the right mindset in looking forward, and working w/your surgeon you will be on the conservative side which is good. Best of luck. SMOOTHY Dr. Shapiro Propecia/Rogaine xtra MSM/Saw Palmetto Nioxin Shampoo line Zrii 3oz daily Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Senior Member nm76 Posted August 18, 2008 Senior Member Share Posted August 18, 2008 This still confuses me - which i guess is why i need to do more research. Why will a HT look bad in the long run? Lets say someone is happy with having a high hair line and density is not much of an issue. If you are to bald further, would you not just look like any other normal person who is in some stage of hair loss? If we look around and the various people we know who are balding, or just people on the streets - although the pattern for hair loss is the same - do they just not all look like normal balding people? loss at the crown , loss at the temples, loss in the frontal third? I know guys who have a strong hair line - but loss at the crown. I know guys who have hair loss at the front but a solid crown. then there are guys who have diffuse type pattern - wherein their hair line is in tact but the entire front/top is thinned out. Now if one were to get a hair transplant - with a high hair line and not much density. Wouldn't further hair loss just make that person look like they have begun to lose hair - doesn't that still look better than someone who has lost most of their hair? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bill - Seemiller Posted August 18, 2008 Share Posted August 18, 2008 Why will a HT look bad in the long run? Lets say someone is happy with having a high hair line and density is not much of an issue. If you are to bald further, would you not just look like any other normal person who is in some stage of hair loss? Though hair loss is progressive, not everyone will end up a norwood 7. In my opinion therefore, there is no reason to think that hair transplants will look "bad" or unnatural in the future with proper preparation. As a level 6 on the norwood scale, I've already had 7550 grafts. The greatest risk of further hair loss for me at this point is the area below my crown which I am currently controlling with Propecia. Will this last forever? Not necessarily. But if I keep some donor hair in reserve, I can tackle that area in the future. In the meantime, I can enjoy my transplanted hair for the rest of my life and fill in a few areas of further loss later if need be. Hair restoration is not all about gambling. Though hair loss is progressive and often unpredictable, strategic long term planning will help you stay ahead of your hair loss and present a nice illusion of hair density along the way. Best wishes, Bill Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Senior Member nm76 Posted August 19, 2008 Senior Member Share Posted August 19, 2008 Bill, just wondering, you mentioned earlier that in fact only a small percentage of people experiencing hair loss end up a norwood 7 - where did you get this info from? Or is this a day to day observation. You generally run into people who are in some stage of hair loss as opposed to seeing people who are flat out norwood 7's? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Senior Member Take a chance Posted August 20, 2008 Author Senior Member Share Posted August 20, 2008 NM76 The problem is that "most" NW6 will continue to lose native hair and progress to a full blown NW7 over time. Although most HT patients take propecia to slow down the balding process I cannot (health reasons) and this is what worries me. Its only natural that over time the sides of your scalp can continue to recede downward which will take you to an NW7 status. This will mean that you will develop "channel" on the side of the scalp where you continue to recede. The crown will also open up to be larger and the transplanted grafts in the crown will essentially become an island of hair. Not a good look. Now if I'm going to have two HT procedures that use up 6000 to 7000 grafts what hope is there in covering up future hair loss when it occurs. Mega sessions are fairly new in the hair transplant field and I really think in the future there are going to be many issues with peoples hair lines receding further and not being able to cover it up because they have used up the majority of their donor supply. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bill - Seemiller Posted August 20, 2008 Share Posted August 20, 2008 Take a chance, The problem is that "most" NW6 will continue to lose native hair and progress to a full blown NW7 over time. This is not accurate. Please take a look at the norwood scale to differentiate between and norwood level 6 and 7. People like me, who is a norwood 6 with very high and thick sides have a very slim chance of progressing to a norwood level 7. Is it possible? Sure. But there are plenty of norwood level 6 older men who show no signs of progressing to a level 7. mm76, I've spoken to a number of well respected hair restoration physicians on the subject of hair loss and progression and those I've spoken with agree that only a small percentage of men with male pattern baldness will advance to a norwood level 7. My observation of hair loss in men confirm this opinion. Best wishes, Bill Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Senior Member Take a chance Posted August 20, 2008 Author Senior Member Share Posted August 20, 2008 Bill, You say that I am not accurate with the statement I made. This info was given to me by a very well respected HT Doctor and thats why I posted it. He believes that most NW6 over time reach to a NW7. Good news is i've made the decison to have the HT and take a more conservative approach to facilitate future hair loss. Thanks. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bill - Seemiller Posted August 20, 2008 Share Posted August 20, 2008 Take a chance, Perhaps saying that you are not accurate was a bit absolute. But in my opinion from research, discussion, and observation, I disagree with your statement that "most" norwood level 6's become level 7's. But clearly neither opinion can be proven. Had you said "many", I would have agreed . Best wishes in restoring your hair. Bill Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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