tooo young to have HT??!!! rassman, Meshkin, and straub

[Guest]

Hey guys, i really appreciate any help/feedback

 

I have been to 3 offices

Dr. Meshkin Newport beach

Dr. Rassman Beverly (also a diff doc saw me)

and today Dr. Paul Straub in torrance

3 outta of the 5 listed in this site in SOCAl.

a little about myself, im 21 level 3? dr.Meshkin had no problem setting up the date for the HT surgery, but it had to be cancelled cause hes outta town for a month on an emergency ( he recommended 1000 grafts). so i went to Dr. Rassmans office and the Dr there suggested that im too young to get one, and i should get on propecia first for ayear or so and then come back. but he didnt completly go against the idea of not getting it. (he recommended 2000 grafts)today i went to Dr.Straubs office and he saw me.. and he was complelty agaisnt the idea of me being 21 and getting an HT.. he also told me to get on propecia and wait a year or 2 before i get it! whats the deal??? anyone knows anything about this issue? help.. feedback> thanks so much!

p.s the 2 doctors that told me to wait, told me that i will most likly be bald in like 10-20 years if i dnt get on propecia..

[Guest]

Dr. Straub is giving you honest, sound advice.

He is obviously not in it for the $$$.

I would err on the side of caution & take his advice.

And yes thier predictions of loosing your hair in 10 to 20 years is probably correct, but consider the fact that hair restoration will be more refined & you will have a virgin scalp to

to work with.

Concentrate on your strong points & things you can change at this point.

[MrJobi]

Hi

 

Folica is right, be cautious. Consult with a doc and think about getting on Propecia to previent further loss. 21 is very young & probably not right for a HT especially without stabilizing your hairloss now

[nobuzz4me]

If Meshkin or any doctor is willing to book a 21 year old for HT, they should be barred.

[hairbank]

MarkyMark-

 

I must agree with the others............probably not what you want to hear since I'm sure you don't like losing your hair. Starting with HT's to young is not a good thing.

 

As was suggested, try Propecia for at least 1 year and see how it goes. You may be a great responder to it. At the least, see if it will stabilize your loss. Then, in time, you can formulate a plan of attack which may include a hair transplant.

 

Hope this helps.

[YoungGuy]

Propecia.

Gym.

No HT for at least 5 years.

 

Can't put it any simpler.

[Guest]

yah it sucks, but im buying proscar today ( i guess its the same thing?) lol@ propecia gym. hahah

thanks you guys..the only thing i thought about it if i take proscar and get an HT i wouldne be losing my hair no more and everything will be fine. but yah thanks a lot .

[Ailene]

Propecia vs Gym???? Some of the reasons for early or even exaserbated loss can be related to steroids...... Be careful and do your research. Propecia is the only FDA approved medication to help inhibit hair loss. We have lots of guys who are into body building etc. and are taking Propecia successfully. There is not a test or a crystal ball that will tell you where your loss will end. Genetics play a part but are not the only factor in the equation. If you did a transplant now and did nothing to preserve the existing hair you could run out of donor hair and be left with an unnatural pattern. Not a good look at any age.

 

Best of luck,

Ailene

[MrJobi]

Hi

 

where does the whole gym thing come into play?

[YoungGuy]

I guess I should have gone into a tad more detail on this one

 

You're too young to have a HT. If you're concerned with your looks, get on propecia and start going to the gym.

 

Working out ain't gonna do much for hair loss, but it'll do wonders for confidence which hair loss is eroding. Ailene, going to the gym rarely if ever means steroid use, no reason to equate them or bring up one when the other is mentioned

[Ailene]

Didn't mean to infer it did, only wanted to clarify. As I mentioned we have LOTS of patients who are really into weight lifting and just plain good exercise programs. (I need a bit more of that myself)!

 

I was agreeing with you in theory. I think if you are that young, shave your head and see if you like it. If it really bothers you do your research, get on a medical program that you are comfortable with and then explore surgical options.

 

Ailene

[Bill - Seemiller]

yah it sucks, but im buying proscar today ( i guess its the same thing?) lol@ propecia gym. hahah

thanks you guys..the only thing i thought about it if i take proscar and get an HT i wouldne be losing my hair no more and everything will be fine. but yah thanks a lot .

 

 

Markymark,

 

I'm a little late to reply, but I'm glad you are taking the counsel of the members of this forum. Both Dr. Straub and Dr. Rassman were looking out for your best interest. At your young age, it's best to try the medication first to see if it works for you. Hopefully, at the last, it will stop or slow down your hairloss. In the meantime, I recommend you research all the Pros and Cons for young people having HTs.

 

I want to be clear that I'm not FULLY against young people having HTs...BUT, those who are candidates should start conservatively. The donor supply is finite and you wouldn't want to deplete it by trying to re-create your high school hair. It's important to keep some donor supply available for future loss.

 

Unfortunately, the probability of future hairloss goes up when you start losing hair at an early age. It sucks for sure (started losing hair myself around 21 or 22), but good things come to those who wait. Better things come to those who are educated! So medicate, research, and have patience. In the meantime...many guys are pulling off the shaved head goatee look and still getting the hot women ! Maybe it's a look worth trying!

 

Bill

[Guest]

yes yes.. i do shave my head and play Rugby.. and yes yes somehow i can relate to everything said here, I was on Anabolic supplments (knowing it increases my hair loss) but i stopped.. lol@everyone talking about girls.. i have a very good looking gf.. cheerleader on the USC team actually... anyways.. F it really i wanted to get my hair back i only needed a 1000 grafts but i m just growing it back to see how it looks, if i dnt like it, ill start shaving again. thx again for everyone who replied.

[newhairguy]

Marky,

 

There are some very conservative members on this board (surgically and aesthetically conservative, idk about anyone's politics!), and there are also some very very knowledgeable and concerned memebers here too. Sometimes they are one and the same. I would have to be one of the LEAST conservative ppl here, as a young guy who started losing hair about 18 and decided an HT was for my by about 24/25. However, I didnt have one until 31, about 3 weeks ago now.

Here's my two cents bro... I dont think there's an age minimum for anyone who wants good hair through surgery. There ARE different sets of concerns though, and Bill and a few others have hit it right on the head here with you. You were not on Propecia (proscar, same diff) and you SHOULD BE. Dont go getting an HT until you see how propecia and possibly rogaine will help as well... future loss is likely, in fact its almost guaranteed, with or without drug treatment. But u can minimise it and stabilise it. If you were 21 and on Pro for 2 years and told me you had no major loss in a year or so, i would say, ok, go for it and be aware you will probably NOT solve the problem with it, just look like you have for a few years then need another HT in 5-10 years to fill in the new thinning areas that will pop up in time.

 

Get ur HT, just dont do it yet. Get Pro first, and see if it even helps. Not everyone benefits from it the same way. I seem to have stabilised my loss, i for sure did not reverse any... no new growth at all in almost 3 years. But minimal/no loss. And thats good enuf.

 

I too needed 1000 grafts, and Dr Meshkin did my surgery. I was actually his last patient before the family emergency. I have no verdict yet on the quality of his work... but some days i look and can see... wow, this is gonna be good when it all done. I'll look like i WANT!

 

So, listen to folks here, read lots of other threads. Don't be put off by the guys who have strong, dogmatic opinions of hairloss treatments, and in the end you must do what you WANT, and find the doctor that will treat you as a rational patient. I saw Dr Straub too, and i believe in his integrity. However, he is inflexible and has his ideas... we didnt work.

 

Take Pro-whatever, and watch your progress for at least a year. If you are stable (for at LEAST a year) go for it. But understand, you will almost for sure need it again later. If you are still losing, particularly fast loss... wait even longer. Lose a lot, then do what u must. But dont jump in so that you end up with a nice fringe of hair over your forehead and an ocean of skin behind it.

 

Good luck dude, and i feel your pain. Patience sucks but for now u need it.

[newhairguy]

Oh yeah... and i DON'T recomment you waiting until you are 31 necessarily! Lol!

I was lucky to have slow loss then did propecia at about 28. You can take it now and see how u want to move by about 23, I'd say. Remember, slow/no loss on propecia = go for the surgery!

Fast/large loss = screeeeech! hang tight. It wont be a good decision if a lot more is on the way out right away.

[Guest]

heh thanks man! well i just bought proscar today, i didnt use my insurace.. the sh*t was 90 bucks... i hope it works.. were do you buy rogaine from?

[Bill - Seemiller]

newhairguy,

 

It depends how you define liberal vs conservative . I had my first hair transplant at 27. I'm 30 now and had 3 done .

 

BUT, the younger someone is, the more conservative they should be...in the beginning....stricly conserving a finite supply of donor hair. This is stricly because hairloss is unpredicable and you never know how much you will lose. This is why I'm against dense packing a 22 year old's hairline with 4000 grafts because he may end up a NW7 with a nice high school hairline with a bald head behind it. Even subsequent procedures then would only give him approximately another 4000 grafts to cover the rest of his large head, leaving him with a very unnatural look (which ultimately SCREAMS HT).

 

Anyway...just thought I'd clarify why I hold the position that I do. It's more about long term planning than conservative verses liberal in this case

 

Bill

[newhairguy]

yup yup... i agree! Planning is the key, being aware of what is possible, what is likely, and what is desired, then weighing it all and making informed decisions. No one wants a head that looks like hell because there werent enuf grafts to keep up with loss. thats not conservative, just common sense (we do this to look better, not worse!) My only gripe with some doctors in the HT community is that they insist on whatever they consider "age appropriate", meaning insisting on at least a sligtly recessed look for all their patients regardless of the patient's wishes. There are millions of men with wery thick, non recessed hair all the way to old age, and there are lots of younger but not "young" guys who look much younger than their age who want their hair to match their face/body. But I know u know all that, and I really respect all the contributions you have made here Bill. You and a half dozen others here have offered more SOUND advice and real knowledge than i ever found in years of looking elsewhere!

 

And Marky, sorry, not to hijack your thread! lol! Rogaine is available damn near anywhere, from Wal-mart to Costco to a million other places... shop around cuz prices do vary, and generic minoxidil is available too (someone else can weigh in on if using that is a good idea, i would think its all the same but i realy dont know)

[stu_gallimore]

Originally posted by nobuzz4me:

If Meshkin or any doctor is willing to book a 21 year old for HT, they should be barred.

 

Rubbish, you can't make such a generalisation. Everyone's case is different, and without knowing MarkyMark's case you shouldn't make such a remark. I'm only 20 years old but had a transplant with Dr Feller last week...like i said everyone's case is different

[Bill - Seemiller]

stu_gallimore,

 

Honestly it's a very controversial topic...many believe, including a lot of doctors that getting an HT at such an early age is a bad idea. I lean more toward the side of caution, but as I mentioned above, though age is important to consider, planning conservatively is the main key.

 

The concern most members, including myself have, is many young people your age will make an emotional decision to have an HT because they want to restore their high school head of hair. Some unethical doctors will try to accomodate them and will do a good job of it initially...until future loss comes down the road. Since donor supply is limited, this presents a problem if hairloss is to continue.

 

I have strong reservations and do not recommend doctors who dense pack 3000 grafts into the hairline of a young patient around your age. In your case, as I have looked into it carefully, seems fine to me...especially since you and Dr. Feller have discussed and talked about long term options, your hairline is placed higher and conservatively, you are on finasteride, and he didn't use a lot of grafts to accomplish it.

 

Anyway...that's sort of a long way of saying I agree with you, but I understand why nobuzz and others would make a generalization. It's sort of to combat the other generalization which states "there's nothing wrong with young people getting HTs".

 

The truth is...both assumptions (and this is strongly IMO), though there's merit in both, don't address the specific issues that support one side more than the other. So yes, in short, it does come down to specifics....but one has to be very careful when addressing the specifics. Many people think they know what they are getting themselves into...but it turns out they do not and regret it later.

 

Bill

[rp1979]

I respect everyone on this forum and I agree that it is EXTREMELY important to EDUCATE yourself on whatever issues that affect you. But to put things in perspective, in the US, by the time we are 21,

 

we are of age to:

-vote

-be accountable for criminal offense

-get married

-give informed consent to any legal contract

 

all of which requires far more responsibility and emotional maturity than getting an HT. To question that 21 years is too young is to question our laws, not the doctors.

[hairbank]

This is one debate I'm convinced will never be settled . There are exceptions to most rules......i.e. Stu who received 600 grafts in the hairline at age 20 from Dr. Feller may be fine since that shouldn't hurt him in the long run with respect to donor supply.

 

What I believe many young twenty-somethings fail to realize is that you simply cannot forecast loss. Bill is right when he suggest some who receive 3000-4000 grafts in the hairline or frontal 1/3, with a very aggressively low hairline, will ultimately be sorry when they hit Norwood 6 or 7 at whatever age and have a wall of hair in the front with precious little grafts left to cover a massive crown.

 

This is why "planning your HT like you'll hit NW 6" is so important. Hair loss is gradual..............lets face it, ANYONE who has received a HT that was less than NW 6 is suspect to head that direction at some point in time. Trust me, you care no less how you look when you hit 40 than when you were 20..........in fact, now that I've had HT's and no longer resigned to the fact that i'll end up bald, I likely care more than I used to 'cause I actually have some hair to style .

 

This post is just meant to help so no offense intended to any other posters who received a HT at a young age..............peace!

[Bill - Seemiller]

rp1979,

 

Your first statement says it all!!! Education is the key to everything.

 

However, to continue this peaceful debate, I will add, however, that you simply can't compare age appropriate laws to having an HT. The issue isn't nearly as much about maturity (perhaps I made it sound like that a little in my last post)as it is about reservation of donor hair and unpredictability of hairloss. The sad truth is, the earlier you start losing hair, the greater the risk of losing a greater amount of hair. This is not a steadfast rule...it's just more risky.

 

You can't apply this logic to voting or any other of the forementioned items. There is no increase or decrease in risk factor whether you vote at 21 or 45...just the fact of whether or not you are educated enough to make an informed decision...and age doesn't necessarily determine that.

 

IMPORTANT: Notice that I'm playing both sides of the fence everyone...so much for someone's comment about not being ambiguous . There's a reason for this though. It's because both sides have merit...and you could fight for either side very logically and soundly. This is why, as hairbank said above, it's a debate that will never be settled. And truth is...it doesn't have to be. But I think a conversation like this is vital to those reading so they can both sides of the coin and the merit within.

 

But the KEY is education...no doubt about that.

 

I'd say...I'd be fine with a younger person who gets an HT and the doctor if the following are happening:

 

1. The patient is aware (and the doctor has gone over) all the risks associated with having an HT.

2. The patient knows that follow up HTs MAY be necessary to cover future loss with the option LATER lower the hairline if desired in the event that there is NO or LITTLE FUTURE LOSS

3. The doctor with patient consent creates a very conservative hairline (that of course flatters the face of the patient).

4. A conservative number of grafts are used keeping a large reservation of grafts for the POTENTIAL future need.

5. The patient is on finasteride for at least 6 months to a year before having an HT.

 

I'd say that if doctor and patient work together and all of the above are complete, then having an HT at an early age can be deemed acceptable.

 

Bill

[nobuzz4me]

Originally posted by MarkyMark:

 

a little about myself, im 21 level 3? dr.Meshkin had no problem setting up the date for the HT surgery, but it had to be cancelled cause hes outta town for a month on an emergency ( he recommended 1000 grafts). so i went to Dr. Rassmans office and the Dr there suggested that im too young to get one, and i should get on propecia first for ayear or so and then come back. but he didnt completly go against the idea of not getting it. (he recommended 2000 grafts)today i went to Dr.Straubs office and he saw me.. and he was complelty agaisnt the idea of me being 21 and getting an HT.. he also told me to get on propecia and wait a year or 2 before i get it!

 

p.s the 2 doctors that told me to wait, told me that i will most likly be bald in like 10-20 years if i dnt get on propecia..

 

 

 

OK, for you guys who think its OK for a 21 year old to get a HT, please read the above and note that 2 of 3 doctors advised against this for this patient.

 

I applaud these doctors for looking out for the best interest of this patient. The one (Meshkin) who would go forth with it is IMO unethical. Why would two other highly experienced docs recommend a different strategy?? Either one side is right or the other, I will side with the 2 more conservative doctors.

 

 

For the the 20 year old (stu gallimore) who had work done with Dr Feller, what do you think of the two docs who know his case and turned him down???

 

 

I am sure Dr.Feller weighed all the options for you and considered you lower risk to go NW6-7.

I hope he is right for your sake, it is a gamble at a young age.

 

I still think you should have waited, gotten on finasteride and see where you are in a few years. Just my opinion.

[stu_gallimore]

Originally posted by nobuzz4me:

 

 

 

I still think you should have waited, gotten on finasteride and see where you are in a few years. Just my opinion.

 

I've been on Finasteride for over a year, which doesn't work at the temples.