Opinion shots

[The Englishman]

These are the first shots to try and obtain a diagnosis and a course of action for my MPB

 

Please feel free to add comments or advice.

 

Thanks

[The Englishman]

These are the first shots to try and obtain a diagnosis and a course of action for my MPB

 

Please feel free to add comments or advice.

 

Thanks

[The Englishman]

Hello,

 

This is my first post on this forum and I'd firstly like to say what an amazing treasure trove of information and opinion there is to be found here. Thanks to one and all for taking to time to add to this site and provide me with so much information that only 2 days ago I didn't realise existed...

 

A bit about me....

 

I'm 29 years old but have been slowly and painfully losing my hair since I was 17 years old. It's been slow and torturous. Like a tap slowly dripping in my mind.

I suppose I've been in denial for quite some time. I didn't realise there were so many other people that felt the same way I do..

Anyway, a few weeks ago while on Holiday in Costa Rica I did something I have been building up for for years...I shaved my head grade 1 all over. It actually was a great moment. I felt liberated and immediately went to swim and frolic in the sea (something I haven't done since I was a teenager)...As the holiday went on I believed that I felt comfortable with my new style and noticed my confidence returning. However...

 

A few days before I was due to fly home I started feeling really uncomfortable, I realised that soon I would have to face the music and start seeing my family and friends with my new short haircut. Suddely I didn't like it so much anymore. The bald area is growing and quite noticable as you can see from my pictures...

I had some time to reflect and have come to realise that nearly every decesion I have made over the last 5 or 6 years has been largely based on my hair...I wouldn't go to certain social situations if it was inappropriate to wear a hat, I couldnt swim in public, I would only choose jobs that allowed me to wear a hat or work alone...My whole life has been guided during what should be the best years of my life by this horrible insecurity...It seems that quite a few on here are the same. It's good to know we are all not alone anyway...

 

My personality has changed too. I have become quite subdued and moody. I never used to be that way. i know it seems sad but I feel if I had my hair and confidence back my life would turn around dramatically. My life isn't bad, I just don't live it to the full because I am ashamed of having a balding head...friends I have known for years no longer look at my eyes when we talk, I notice there eyes straying to my hairline. Most of them are tactful but others not. Because they have no hairloss themselves I don't think they really understand how it feels...

 

There is nothing worse than spending ages trying to hide your baldness and then as soon as you arrive at the pub someone says "God, your hairs getting thin mate!"...Soul destroying.

 

I started browsing the internet originally to read about the psychology of baldness as a way to come to terms with it and then I discovered this site...I feel maybe there is a little light somewhere at the end of the tunnel..

 

I would love to hear some peoples opinions on my photos and any suggested courses of action people might have....

 

From what I have read so far it seems that the best way forward is to start on proscar to stabalise hairloss while researching other potential treatments in the meantime...I have just a few questions...

 

1) Can anyone reccommend a good place to obtain proscar in the UK. Is it best to see the doc or just order on line

 

2) Will proscar initially accelerate my hairloss?

 

3) Do you think I might be a suitable candidate for a HT. Taking into consideration my age, current state of loss and donor area..

 

4) will nanogen work on quite fine hair like mine ( i do have lots of small light hairs in my balding areas that can't be seen in the photos)

 

Right. Thats my first post...Thankyou for taking the time to read and help. I really appreciate having people who undertand and care about this terrible situation we are in.

 

Thanks

 

The Englishman

[balody]

hi the e and welcome.

firstly let me say your hair looks great shaved,i did the same for 15 years but i know where your coming from wanting your hair back.

your not as bald as i was before 2 ht,s as your holding on to the crown but i would get on the meds finastride(proscar)and minoxidil 5% to try and halt things.best to go to your gp but you can get it cheap on the net(thats what i did).

yes it is true fin could cause a "shed" before you see results,it didnt with me but then i didnt have much to shed.

i would say you are suitable for a ht just because you have less area to cover than i did and i was suitable, but honestly only a dr can tell you this on close inspection.

nanogen i cant comment on as i dont use it.

one thing i would say is if you did decide on a ht is that you have the perfect hair colouring,light/grey hair always looks denser than darker hair.

take a look at my blog as we had a similar balding pattrn to see where i am now.

i had two ht,s at the farjo clinic in manchester,take a look at their website and do a search for a guy named "fallenstar" on here as he also has the same pattern as you.

well you took the first step,hoped this helped a bit.

[Fallenstar]

hi Englishman,

read your post, brings back memories...sad ones :-(

my short & honest opinion is that only way to deal with hair loss is by HT. i am not a meds person as i believe this is only a short term fix if u consider it a fix.

i think even though ur quite young, the hair loss is pretty much taken place. i waited till my 30's to be at the same stage. i was nervous about having surgery but u know what, since having it my life has changed so much, i am much happier, the better half and kids all have noticed. funny, its weird how other people treat differently u with & without hair..not quite sure why ??

finally, its is big step..my advice is that if it bothers enough to make unhappy, then get the HT done asap..IMHO..

 

all the best

Fallenstar

[Dewayne]

I think your head looks pretty good with that style, and IF you have yourself in relatively good physical shape I'd stay as is.

 

But if you don't, I think the Nanogen and definitely get on Proscar and Rogaine. Do all that for a couple of years and see how it goes.

 

But, yea I think you're a good candidate for a transplant. Again, I think you are probably letting it bother you more than others notice it.

 

My head never looked that good, and my pattern of loss was such that shaving it looked pretty goofy.

[TheEmperor]

Without seeing your face, we cant really see your overall look. I'm not going to say you look great with the buzz cut, but you may.

 

Having hair is as much a style issue as it is a "looks" issue, so you have right to be concerned. I can tell you for a fact that people act differntly when you have hair.

 

You are a good candidate for HT. Your loss pattern is establised and you are not loosing far down in the back.

 

HTs will not restore your native density, but you may be be able to retain a good look with enough grafts.

 

You will need 4500+ to finish the front top, and maybe another 2500 for the crown.

[The Englishman]

Thanks everyone,

 

Some interesting comments.

 

I agree with emperor with what he says about not being able to see my face to judge how a buzz cut looks on me. I know and appreciate also that people are trying to be kind and give me encouragement. So thanks for that....

 

Personally I don't think I look too bad with a buzz cut. It could be worse and I do see some people who lose their hair and their looks suffer dramatically as a result....

 

However. I still want more hair and still suffer like all of you guys without it. I guess the fact that there is something I can do about it now that I didn't know about last week has given me another avenue to explore...I had pretty much resigned myself to being a slaphead but have now been presented with more options....Life is all about having options!

 

I am 29 and I don't want to have no hair for the rest of my life. Know what I mean?!

 

...and to think if mirrors didn't exist this wouldn't even be an issue.

 

Thanks guys. It's great to be in a community like this where I can be open and honest about this situation...

 

The Englishman

[TheEmperor]

Originally posted by The Englishman:

Thanks everyone,

 

Some interesting comments.

 

I agree with emperor with what he says about not being able to see my face to judge how a buzz cut looks on me. I know and appreciate also that people are trying to be kind and give me encouragement. So thanks for that....

 

Personally I don't think I look too bad with a buzz cut. It could be worse and I do see some people who lose their hair and their looks suffer dramatically as a result....

 

However. I still want more hair and still suffer like all of you guys without it. I guess the fact that there is something I can do about it now that I didn't know about last week has given me another avenue to explore...I had pretty much resigned myself to being a slaphead but have now been presented with more options....Life is all about having options!

 

I am 29 and I don't want to have no hair for the rest of my life. Know what I mean?!

 

...and to think if mirrors didn't exist this wouldn't even be an issue.

 

Thanks guys. It's great to be in a community like this where I can be open and honest about this situation...

 

The Englishman

I would consult with some of the clinics that can do large megasessions, H&W, Rahal, Feller, Shapiro all do 4000+ sessions. With your degree of loss, you will need to get 4000 grafts to start. Most patients cant get more than 4000-4500 in a single session so you may not be able to finish the crown in the first procedure, but 4K grafts in the first half or 2/3rds will make a significant difference.

 

The down sides of HT are these:

* Cost. I advise saving and paying in cash when you are financially stable.

 

* Healing Time: Your scalp will be red and rough until the new hair grows in at 5-6 months. Your appearance will be awkward for a long time. Also, you will ont be able to do any physical exertion in first couple of months after surgery.

 

*Strip Scar: I advise a strip procedure for you because you need large coverage and density and strip provides the best results. However you will have a strip scar which will limit your abily to cut your hair short. This varies by patient.

 

*Lowered Expectations: You need to understand that your final look will not be full density. If you are content to not be bald with thin hair, HTs will work for you. Some people have fuller looking results than others. Depending on your donor characteristics, you can always throw more grafts at the problem.