21 and scared

[JWboxer]

Hey everybody! I came across this website yesterday and spent a good amount of time reading through the posts and watching the videos. I was hoping that some of you may give me advice about my hair situation. I am sure that all of you are more knowledgable on the subject of hair transplants than me, so any help would be greatly appreciated.

 

First of all I have to apologize. I just spent about an hour typing my story about the background of my hairloss, and I was on nearly the last paragraph when I accidently deleted the whole post. Anyway, I'm going to give you guys the summarized version. Sorry is it's not detailed enough, if you have any questions just let me know.

 

I am 21, will be 22 in 2 months, and my hair loss is starting to become apparent to most people. Anyway, the loss itself isn't that bad, my hairline has been receding for a little while now, and my crown is starting to lose hair. I have been half-assedly taking Proscar and using Nizoral shampoo for the last few years. I bought rogaine a while ago but have had my reservations about it. Something happened a few days ago that really scared me about my hair loss and I mentioned going to see a specialist again to my mother. She told me about hair transplants and she wants me to get it done. She would pay (whis is amazing and great) if I got it done, and my father is going to get it done too after the holidays. My father wears a hairpiece and for many years I didn't know he was bald. I have never seen him without his hairpiece in my whole life, so I have no idea how bad of hair loss he has.

 

While reading through these forums the general consensus seems to be that you definitly SHOULD NOT get a hair transplant at my age due to shock loss and the fact that I may not be done going bald yet. I read that there will usually have to be another transplant, which gets more and more tricky due to lack of donor hair. My mom so far is having none of this and think that my resources for this information is unreliable.

 

Some Questions:

 

1. What exactly is shock loss and why does it happen?

 

2. What do you think is the best course of action for my hair.

 

3. If I get it done, how bad will the redness be? Looking through some of the pics posted it seems that the redness can stay around for months. I live in Seattle so it would be kind of hard to say that I'm sunburnt.

 

4. Should I use Rogaine? I read on these forums that if you start taking it and then stop you lose any progress that you have made and even more hair. Due to the track record regarding the diligence I have when it comes to taking any kind of medicine, I'm worried that I will just end up hurting my hair.

 

5. When consulting with these hair specialists, are there any ways that I can tell if they actually care about my hair being restored or if they want my money and don't care if I end up worse than I started?

 

6. Okay, stupid question. I like to shave my head from time to time, but since I'm losing my hair, I am honestly scared that it won't grow back. Could this happen?

 

7. If I get a hair transplant, how likely is it that I will need to get it done again?

 

8. If I get a hair transplant, how likely is it that It would just make it worse? Right now I believe my hair doesn't look bad at all, it is just starting to become noticeable on the crown of my head. My worst fear is regarding a transplant is that it would hurt my hair instead of help it.

 

Well I think that's about it for now. I will try to upload some pics of my hair, if I can figure out how to upload pics. Again sorry if it isn't very detailed, if you need to know something about my situation please ask. Thanks for any help guys, I really appreciate it!

[JWboxer]

Hey everybody! I came across this website yesterday and spent a good amount of time reading through the posts and watching the videos. I was hoping that some of you may give me advice about my hair situation. I am sure that all of you are more knowledgable on the subject of hair transplants than me, so any help would be greatly appreciated.

 

First of all I have to apologize. I just spent about an hour typing my story about the background of my hairloss, and I was on nearly the last paragraph when I accidently deleted the whole post. Anyway, I'm going to give you guys the summarized version. Sorry is it's not detailed enough, if you have any questions just let me know.

 

I am 21, will be 22 in 2 months, and my hair loss is starting to become apparent to most people. Anyway, the loss itself isn't that bad, my hairline has been receding for a little while now, and my crown is starting to lose hair. I have been half-assedly taking Proscar and using Nizoral shampoo for the last few years. I bought rogaine a while ago but have had my reservations about it. Something happened a few days ago that really scared me about my hair loss and I mentioned going to see a specialist again to my mother. She told me about hair transplants and she wants me to get it done. She would pay (whis is amazing and great) if I got it done, and my father is going to get it done too after the holidays. My father wears a hairpiece and for many years I didn't know he was bald. I have never seen him without his hairpiece in my whole life, so I have no idea how bad of hair loss he has.

 

While reading through these forums the general consensus seems to be that you definitly SHOULD NOT get a hair transplant at my age due to shock loss and the fact that I may not be done going bald yet. I read that there will usually have to be another transplant, which gets more and more tricky due to lack of donor hair. My mom so far is having none of this and think that my resources for this information is unreliable.

 

Some Questions:

 

1. What exactly is shock loss and why does it happen?

 

2. What do you think is the best course of action for my hair.

 

3. If I get it done, how bad will the redness be? Looking through some of the pics posted it seems that the redness can stay around for months. I live in Seattle so it would be kind of hard to say that I'm sunburnt.

 

4. Should I use Rogaine? I read on these forums that if you start taking it and then stop you lose any progress that you have made and even more hair. Due to the track record regarding the diligence I have when it comes to taking any kind of medicine, I'm worried that I will just end up hurting my hair.

 

5. When consulting with these hair specialists, are there any ways that I can tell if they actually care about my hair being restored or if they want my money and don't care if I end up worse than I started?

 

6. Okay, stupid question. I like to shave my head from time to time, but since I'm losing my hair, I am honestly scared that it won't grow back. Could this happen?

 

7. If I get a hair transplant, how likely is it that I will need to get it done again?

 

8. If I get a hair transplant, how likely is it that It would just make it worse? Right now I believe my hair doesn't look bad at all, it is just starting to become noticeable on the crown of my head. My worst fear is regarding a transplant is that it would hurt my hair instead of help it.

 

Well I think that's about it for now. I will try to upload some pics of my hair, if I can figure out how to upload pics. Again sorry if it isn't very detailed, if you need to know something about my situation please ask. Thanks for any help guys, I really appreciate it!

[marc515515]

21 is WAY too young to even consider HT--most ethical doctors will not perform surgery on anyone under 25. Your father has already scheduled a procedure? How much research has he done? Is it with one of the top surgeons, e.g. those recommended on this board? If not, PLEASE advise him to slow down and reconsider. This is a huge, life-changing experience, and a negative result can be disastrous.

 

Good luck and be careful. Your parents would benefit from viewing this site as well.

[JWboxer]

Marc,

I have no idea if my dad has scheduled a procedure or not. My mother just told me that he is getting it done after the holidays. This could mean anything from my dad's been researching for years and is ready to take this step, to he doesn't want to do it and my mom is hoping he will. He is very private about his hair and has never actually talked about it with my sister or me in our entire lives.

 

I'm going to get my mom to look at this website as soon as possible. I want her to see the stories of people who have gotten it done, including the good and the bad, instead of just reading information on doctor's websites. I've only talked to her on the phone briefly since I found this website (last night) and she told me the same thing. (That she wants me to read up on the doctor's websites instead of just the patients). She mentioned Hassan and Wong, two doctors from Vancouver that I see are recommended on this site. So that leads me to believe that if my dad is going to get the operation done he is going to go through Hassan and Wong, which is good. It's not like my dad to just jump into something without researching it first, and I am definitly going to tell him about this website.

 

Thanks a lot for the feedback! Any suggestions on what I should do to protect my hair?

[marc515515]

JW:

 

I'm relieved to hear that your dad is going to Hasson & Wong and not to one of the thousands of awful surgeons who are out there preying on insecure people, and I'm glad that you are going to encourage your mother to learn more about this subject.

 

Remember, you only have one scalp. There are guys your age who have had HT and basically ruined their lives as a result. Take your time and don't rush into anything.

 

Marc

[Gorpy]

JDub, It's great that you mom is generous enough to pay for a transplant. The problem is, hair transplant doctors can be very deceptive. They can have a high priced advertising campaign, great looking web site, even infomercials on TV. That means absolutely NOTHING as far as hair transplant quality goes (stay away from the big hair chains). Most of the quality doctors have low key offices and websites.

 

This particular site does not have a Hair Transplant Repair category. If you look on some other sites under this type of category, you'll see absolute horror stories that are scarring people for life. This is happening today not 20 years ago. See my other post on Plastic Surgery Nightmares.

 

Now back to you and your father. If you father goes to H&W, he'll be in good hands. You on the other hand need to get on Finasteride and stick with it. It works and best of all it seems to work great on the crown. Why would you want a huge scar on the back of your head if you could stop your hair loss with a pill a day. Even if you get a transplant, you'll still need to go on Finasteride to stop your loss. Otherwise you'll be chasing your hairloss forever with procedure after procedure until you run out of donar hair.

 

You'll never be able to shave your head if you get strip surgery.

 

P.S. Keep in mind there are many shills on these message boards. Don't be fooled by them.

 

OK, I'm rambling. I'll try to answer your questions.

 

1. What exactly is shock loss and why does it happen?

Shock loss occurs for two reasons. One, existing hair can actually be transected as the insision for new hair is created, thus killing it (permanently). Two, a transplant, even with the ultra refined techniques of a top surgeon cause trauma to the area. This can cause existing hair to fall out. This type of loss is "usually" temporary. It grows back, but you'll look worse than before until it grows back.

 

2. What do you think is the best course of action for my hair.

What I said above about the Finasteride. NO transplant yet.

 

3. If I get it done, how bad will the redness be? Looking through some of the pics posted it seems that the redness can stay around for months. I live in Seattle so it would be kind of hard to say that I'm sunburnt.

That is an unknown. It can last for months or even be permanent in rare cases. Yes, even some H&W patients have redness for months.

 

4. Should I use Rogaine? I read on these forums that if you start taking it and then stop you lose any progress that you have made and even more hair. Due to the track record regarding the diligence I have when it comes to taking any kind of medicine, I'm worried that I will just end up hurting my hair.

If you're not going to stick with it, then don't use it. You must commit yourself to lifelong use. If you're worried about your hair enough to consider a transplant, then for God's sake worry about it enough to stick to finasteride. People on these boards tend to talk about transplants like it is going to the dentist. Believe me, it is much more serious than that. If I had to equate it to something at the dentist, I'd equate it to surgically implanting a tooth. You know, with the screws into your jaw, etc.

 

5. When consulting with these hair specialists, are there any ways that I can tell if they actually care about my hair being restored or if they want my money and don't care if I end up worse than I started?

 

No, there is no way to know. They are very slick and good at selling. They know all the right answers, even if they are lies.

 

6. Okay, stupid question. I like to shave my head from time to time, but since I'm losing my hair, I am honestly scared that it won't grow back. Could this happen?

I don't think shaving your hair has any effect on Male Pattern Baldness. If you get strip surgery (the most common type), you will not be able to shave your head unless you want everyone to see the foot long ugly scar on the back of your head.

 

7. If I get a hair transplant, how likely is it that I will need to get it done again?

At your age, it's almost guaranteed. Unless the Fin worked perfectly for life, which is unknown.

 

8. If I get a hair transplant, how likely is it that It would just make it worse? Right now I believe my hair doesn't look bad at all, it is just starting to become noticeable on the crown of my head. My worst fear is regarding a transplant is that it would hurt my hair instead of help it.

 

Very good chance it could look worse if you go to the wrong doctor. Ask Mahair what your chances are of looking worse. Even with a top doctor, it is possible to look worse (have a net loss of hair).

 

I don't mean to be overly negative. But hey, let's look at the positive side. You found this forum before you were butchered. You have most of your native hair remaining with a chance to stop future loss. That's great news.

 

Ethical doctors will not give you a transplant at your age. However, you will have no problem finding a doctor to take your money if you want one.

[Robert_]

JWBoxer,

 

Welcome to the Hair Restoration Research Forums.

 

As a guy that started losing his hair at 17 years old, let me tell you that I and almost everyone else here on the forums can relate to what you are going through. There is nothing fun about male-pattern baldness and dealing with it can range from being a real pain all the way to devastating (for guys that have been lied to and "butchered" by unethical and unskilled "doctors."

 

Which brings me to my first point. I have to correct Gorpy in that this site does and has had for quite a while a repair section. There is no designated repair section on the forum, but the Hair Transplant Network site has several pages dedicated to repair cases.

 

Hair Transplant Repair

 

Photos of hair transplant repair work

 

The Hair Restoration Research forums, however, do not have a designated "Hair Transplant Repair" forum, currently. What do you guys think? Would that be a good idea?

 

Anyway, you have gotten some great replies already. You will quickly learn that these forums have some great, knowledgeable members that benevolently share their time, advice, experience, and expertise with other hair loss sufferers to help ensure that they don't make a decision they regret. Gorpy and marc515515 are certainly no exception.

 

I'll follow behind Gorpy and add in a few thoughts of my own:

 

1. What exactly is shock loss and why does it happen?

 

Gorpy:

Shock loss occurs for two reasons. One, existing hair can actually be transected as the insision for new hair is created, thus killing it (permanently). Two, a transplant, even with the ultra refined techniques of a top surgeon cause trauma to the area. This can cause existing hair to fall out. This type of loss is "usually" temporary. It grows back, but you'll look worse than before until it grows back.

 

Gorpy is spot on. Shock loss due to trauma is likely to grow back, but in the time that it takes to grow back (usually a couple of months) it can be pretty disheartening. Take a look here to see the latest refined techniques that minimize the occurence of shock loss due to both trauma and follicular transection.

 

2. What do you think is the best course of action for my hair.

 

Gorpy:

What I said above about the Finasteride. NO transplant yet.

 

Again, I agree whole-heartedly. Finasteride is FDA-approved for the treatment of MPB and has helped MANY hair loss sufferers hang on the hair they have. I am a strong advocate of persons giving, at the very least, a very strong consideration to an internal DHT inhibitor and sticking to it. There is some valuable information compiled about Propecia and another internal inhibition medication called Avodart here.

 

3. If I get it done, how bad will the redness be? Looking through some of the pics posted it seems that the redness can stay around for months. I live in Seattle so it would be kind of hard to say that I'm sunburnt.

 

Gorpy: That is an unknown. It can last for months or even be permanent in rare cases. Yes, even some H&W patients have redness for months.

 

In rare cases it can be permanent, however physicians that utilize the latest in ultra-refined follicular-unit hair transplantation do so for reasons such as:

 

- limited trauma to the recipient area, allowing for faster healing and a more rapid return to natural skin color.

 

- higher graft growth yield. Cleaner and more precise incisions and placement of the grafts helps to ensure that more survive and flourish after transplantation.

 

This highly refined method of surgery demands more work and attention from the physician, but pays off huge for the patient, not only in factors of healing, but also in the fully mature hair transplant.

 

4. Should I use Rogaine? I read on these forums that if you start taking it and then stop you lose any progress that you have made and even more hair. Due to the track record regarding the diligence I have when it comes to taking any kind of medicine, I'm worried that I will just end up hurting my hair.

 

Gorpy: If you're not going to stick with it, then don't use it. You must commit yourself to lifelong use. If you're worried about your hair enough to consider a transplant, then for God's sake worry about it enough to stick to finasteride. People on these boards tend to talk about transplants like it is going to the dentist. Believe me, it is much more serious than that. If I had to equate it to something at the dentist, I'd equate it to surgically implanting a tooth. You know, with the screws into your jaw, etc.

 

 

I agree 100%. When I first started minoxidil in 1998, noone told me of the consequences that would happen if I disconinued it. I applied it religiously for about 8 months and had GREAT results. Being young and severely uninformed, I figured that I could discontinue the medication since my hair was back. The resulting shed was unexpected and extremely eye-opening. Using minoxidil means you use it indefinitely for as long as you want to see the results. Even an internal DHT inhibitor like Propecia or Avodart will not hang on to the hair that was grown as a result of applying minoxidil and sheds as a result of the user discontinuing it.

 

5. When consulting with these hair specialists, are there any ways that I can tell if they actually care about my hair being restored or if they want my money and don't care if I end up worse than I started?

 

Gorpy: No, there is no way to know. They are very slick and good at selling. They know all the right answers, even if they are lies.

 

Again, Gorpy is the man in that he is totally right. Read these forums and you will see time and again posters reporting how they have been lied to, decieved, and decepted by professional-appearing outfits that ended up taking their cash and giving them results that range from mediocre to downright horrible. The Hair Transplant Network was started by a real hair transplant veteran and recommends physicians on the basis of merit, skill, and results. You can see his story here.

 

You can view the criteria on which the Hair Transplant Network recommends physicians here.

 

For suggestions on what to ask when consulting hair restoration physicians, there are some useful guidelines to follow posted here.

 

6. Okay, stupid question. I like to shave my head from time to time, but since I'm losing my hair, I am honestly scared that it won't grow back. Could this happen?

 

Gorpy: I don't think shaving your hair has any effect on Male Pattern Baldness. If you get strip surgery (the most common type), you will not be able to shave your head unless you want everyone to see the foot long ugly scar on the back of your head.

 

I would shave my hair down to the scalp (affectionately known as "Bic"ing it) every once in a while before my own hair restoration surgery. When the hair grew back, it always appeared thinner than before. The reason behind this is that hairs that are miniaturized due to exposure to DHT and are on their way out still provide coverage on the scalp, thus making the existing hair appear thicker. When shaved off, these miniaturized hairs do not grow back with the rest of the hair since they were on their way to jumping ship anyway. A great way to get around this is to buzz the hair short with clippers. You get a nice, short hair cut that actually hides thinning while hanging on to those miniaturized hairs that provide a surprising amount of coverage. This brings me back to Propecia. Sometimes the medication can reverse the affect of miniaturization on hairs already ravaged by DHT and bring them back to what is known as terminal hairs. This is yet another reason to stay diligent in using the drug and accounts for much of the reports of regrowth.

 

If you are adamant about shaving your hair after having a hair restoration procedure done, you definitely want to look into FUE (follicular-unit extraction). You can find out more about this procedure here. Both strip method of extraction (as seen here) and FUE have their pros and cons and keep in mind that although FUE doesn't leave a linear scar, it can leave white "dot" scarring due to the natural change in pigment in scar tissue of having the grafts extracted. If you were to "bic" the donor area, there is a chance that these can be seen. Of course, physicians are refining their techniques all the time using methods such as limiting the size of the extraction areas, but there are always variable to be considered. Research is imperative in determing the type of hair restoration procedure that will be right for you.

 

7. If I get a hair transplant, how likely is it that I will need to get it done again?

 

Gorpy: At your age, it's almost guaranteed. Unless the Fin worked perfectly for life, which is unknown.

 

It would depend on a number of factors. An ethical physician will always recommend and perform a procedure that will appear natural and flattering on the patient even if the patient never again comes back in for more surgery. The physician has to take into account many factors including the rate of hair loss the patient is experiencing, the age of the patient, the patient's family history of baldness, the medications the patient is on (and how diligently that patient is about using them), the patient's body's response to the medication, etc. The goal is, naturally, to accomodate the patient's goals while at the same time, allotting for the very real possibility of future hair loss, and donor hair availability.

 

If you are thinning at 21 and your father has worn a hair piece for as long as you can remember, you can rest assured that you are genetically predisposed to more hair loss. A hair restoration procedure at this point is most likely not only not a good idea, but due to factors such as possible shock loss, the uncertainty of how well you respond to medication, and the certainty of future thinning, it is most likely a downright bad decision. I even venture to say that most ethical physicians would turn you away.

 

Now, there are instances of young hair loss sufferers successfully having the procedures done, but everyone is different. There is a guy that posts quite often on the forums that had a procedure done at the age of 20 by the very physician that performed my own hair transplant. Dr. Cooley assessed Brando's level of hair loss, his family history, made sure Brando had made a committment to medication to stave off any future loss, and Brando's maturity level. You can see the results in the link I provided. Keep in mind that a hair restoration surgical procedure in a patient this young is something that should never be taken lightly. What sometimes happens is that a young hair loss sufferer will get turned away by an ethical physician, but thinking emotionally instead of objectively about his hair loss, will keep searching until he finds a doctor that will agree to work on him. I don't have to tell you that this can end in disasterous results.

 

8. If I get a hair transplant, how likely is it that It would just make it worse? Right now I believe my hair doesn't look bad at all, it is just starting to become noticeable on the crown of my head. My worst fear is regarding a transplant is that it would hurt my hair instead of help it.

 

Gorpy: Very good chance it could look worse if you go to the wrong doctor. Ask Mahair what your chances are of looking worse. Even with a top doctor, it is possible to look worse (have a net loss of hair).

 

 

In my own, personal opinion, you should be researching medicinal treatments that can stave off future loss and even regrow the hair that you have lost. A great place to start your search is in our Non-surgical treatments for baldness section of the forums. Guys that post there have tested lots of treatments and have researched a heck of a lot more. More times than not, you will either find your answer there or at least find information to help you in your search. As someone that has been through the ringer with lots of treatments that range from working very well to not working at all, I will help answer any questions you have.

 

Like Gorpy, I don't want to appear pessimistic to you. If we come off as sounding like we are lecturing, then it is only because through our own experience and research we can help you and other young hair loss sufferers avoid the pitfalls and disappointments that we have gone through ourselves or have read about and seen countless times in our own research.

 

Again, welcome to the forums. I am confident that they will be of an immense help to you in helping you find treatments for your hair loss. Let me know if I can be of any help to you.

 

-Robert

[Guest]

Jwboxer-

 

I empathize with you a lot. I actually started a new thread recently about a similar topic without seeing this one. I am pretty much in the exact same boat as you, and after seeing Dr. Panagotacos a few months ago, I have vowed to stay on dusteride/finasteride + minoxidil religiously (he turned me away by the way, but he saw I was disappointed so he told me to come back in six months after taking a picture). I am 23 now, and my hairloss I think is curbed for the moment, and it may even be getting thicker - I'll find out in a few months. As for HT go, I'm probably just in the beginning of my research, and it will probably be at lesat a few years before I actually take action. And even then, I feel like (from what I've read on the forum) that I would have to get more surgeries later on. Although this is not something to bank on, I know there is some talk about hair cloning in the future, and how it would eliminate the need for donor hair. It will be more expensive, but in time, that may be an alternative recourse!

 

As for right now, I'm not sure how bad your hair loss is, but when I was 20, it was getting noticeable (and I too shaved my head a few times). Shaving my head worked okay as long as it was bic'd, but when it started to grow out it was hell because it you could totally tell I was thinning. Then I kept it relatively long and blew dry it straight up, and then it looked 100% normal. By 22 (I had been on finasteride, but I was taking rogaine only for a few months at a time and then stopping it - BAD IDEA), I could no longer pull off the blow dry thing, and my friends were starting to notice. I found toppik, and now I am in a gentle balance. You should check out the forum on concealers if you are concerned about your hairloss. I have been on 'em for about a year now with no real difficulty, and it has given back to me a semblance of a 20-year old's life; even my family does not know. At least this way, it can help you get until you are at least a bit older and would be a better candidate for HT. Hope this helps!