Seriously considering a transplant, please check my pics

[Topher91]

Hello friends,

 

I am a 26 year old male who is seriously considering a transplant. My hairline has receded a LOT over the past couple years. I have started on Propecia but I still really hate my hairline. It's so bad that I rarely bother coming my hair or looking in the mirror anymore. I have resorted to wearing hats all the time. I no longer keep my hair short because it looks even worse when I do!

 

I've consulted with a good doctor in the Oklahoma area named Dr. Blaine Lehr. He has recommended a 1200 FU procedure to restore my hairline to a more reasonable level. I understand that I won't get my 18 year old hairline back, but I *need* to do something because this has literally killed my social life and confidence.

 

Give me your honest opinions. Be my devil's advocate if necessary. I know a HT won't stop future balding, but I'm willing to do future procedures if necessary but I understand that it is not desirable to chase hairloss, and I agree.

 

 

[Topher91]

Hello friends,

 

I am a 26 year old male who is seriously considering a transplant. My hairline has receded a LOT over the past couple years. I have started on Propecia but I still really hate my hairline. It's so bad that I rarely bother coming my hair or looking in the mirror anymore. I have resorted to wearing hats all the time. I no longer keep my hair short because it looks even worse when I do!

 

I've consulted with a good doctor in the Oklahoma area named Dr. Blaine Lehr. He has recommended a 1200 FU procedure to restore my hairline to a more reasonable level. I understand that I won't get my 18 year old hairline back, but I *need* to do something because this has literally killed my social life and confidence.

 

Give me your honest opinions. Be my devil's advocate if necessary. I know a HT won't stop future balding, but I'm willing to do future procedures if necessary but I understand that it is not desirable to chase hairloss, and I agree.

 

 

[Guest wanthairs]

You asked for my honest opinion...

 

Add rogaine and nizorla to your regimen. And forget a hair transplant. You dont need it, you look great. I will never have as much hair as you with an unlimited budget to spend on the best docs. I wish i could be you and you could be me. I think You maybe need counselling if you think that that tiny amount of loss is ruining your life.....

[nobuzz4me]

I am with Wanthairs - you look fine. Their are many 26 yr olds with much worse hairloss than you have. I would not in good concience recommmend a HT and I would hope the doctor would not either. Proceed with caution and do not let your emotions get the best of you here.

[hoose]

listen to wanthairs, you definitely do not need a HT; maybe you can show some addtional pics from differant angles etc..but looking at the pics you don't need a HT. the Hairline you drew at the temple you would not want to go that low anyway; that would be too risky because it is too early to determine how much hair you could loss. I really surprises me that the doc even considered it considering your level of loss; also I don't feel that 1200 would grafts would make a huge cosmetic diferance;

[chucky]

yeah got to agree here no ht needed but you pictures need to be clearer.has your hair receeded further back than the picture shows as it looks like your hair is hanging over your brow and maybe concealing the true extent of your hairloss

[Here I Grow Again]

Your hair is fairly thick and does not look like you are losing any significant amount right now. You have a natural, normal line although it may not seem like you do anymore because it may have receding somewhat but I agree with everyone here that there is no need for you to have a procedure, it's just not necessary for you; You are fine and can wait it out.

[Tom R.]

Topher91, I too agree with the rest who have offered their personal opinions here. Stick with the meds, save your money on the TP and enjoy life. Your hair is fine right now.

[Bill - Seemiller]

Topher,

 

Welcome to our community.

 

Many of our well respected forum members have given you some great advice.

 

Though it is clearly emotionally difficult when you start losing your hair - hair transplantation isn't often the best option for those who just started to lose their hair.

 

See What Should I Consider When Researching Hair Transplantation?

 

I agree that adding Rogaine and Ketoconazole (Revita or Nizoral) into your regime could prove to be helpful. Use all three, including Propecia for at least a year to see if your hair loss situation improves, or at the very least, slows down or stops your hair loss.

 

Best wishes,

 

Bill

[Topher91]

Thank you for all of your posts! I would like to address a couple of your comments:

 

1) These pics show my BEST scenario. When its cut short it looks very thin and receded.

 

2) I appreciate your kind words, however many of you already know how damaging it is to lose your hair. I work in an industry where professionalism and image can cost money (no, im not a model by any stretch haha)

 

3) What is the "problem" with me having a hair transplant now? Even something modest like 1200FUs? I mean, I would have PLENTY of reserve for future HTs if necessary, I can afford the procedure, and I really want to try and correct and rebuild my hairline. I do NOT want my hairline to recede any lower than it is now and I do NOT want to wait til I bald more before decided to get a transplant.

 

I don't understand why you guys never advocate several small transplants so that a person never has to completely bald before having a transplant done. I look at guys like Bill, who went from complete baldness to having a great head of hair and think "in my worse case scenario, that is what I could do too" and I really can live with that. I think he looks great and his hairline does too.

[gazzasgoin2]

Topher, welcome to the boards.

 

I've got to agree with the others that your hair looks great from the pics. However, I do understand the alarm and anxiety a person goes through when they first realise they are loosing hair, no matter how little.

 

There is no harm in looking at your options at this stage but you needn't rush into anything. It is also to your advantage that you are already on propecia which should halt further loss for many years. I wish I had known about propecia when I still had as much hair as you.

 

Take your time to get educated on the best physicians and schedule some consults either in person or online. You will get honest feedback from these Drs as to whether you are an HT candidate at this stage. With your limited loss I would seriously consider FUE. The price is much higher but it is less invasive. It also would allow you to simply buzz down to a shorter cut if you decide in the future not to continue chasing your hair loss. I'm not sure where you live but Dr. Feller in NYC has shown some excellent FUE result and would be a great place to start. Dr Rose, Dr Wolf and Dr Harris also do good FUE procedures from what I have seen.

 

So take your time, schedule some consults with some coalition Drs and then you can decide if you want to procedure with a small HT at this stage. In the meantime enjoy the hair you have!!!

[Bill - Seemiller]

Topher,

 

I can certainly understand what you are saying and can truly sympathize.

 

In my opinion, it is in your best interest to give medication a chance before undergoing hair transplantation.

 

However, if you are well versed in the benefits, risks, and limitations of hair transplantation and decide to go to an ethical first-rate hair transplantation for a conservative hair transplant (keeping the hairline placement conservative) knowing full well that subsequent hair transplant procedures may be needed in the event of future hair loss - then you MIGHT be a candidate.

 

But please think long term. What happens if in one year after a hair transplant your hairline receeds a bit more and there is a slight but noticable gap between your hairline and the rest of your hair. Will you continue to have very small hair transplant sessions in order to keep it looking natural?

 

In my opinion, it is better to wait as long as possibe to have your FIRST one because at least your hair loss pattern will remain looking natural. Having many smaller hair transplant sessions to try to stay ahead of your hair loss is not often the most viable.

 

I'm not trying to tell you not to pursue hair transplantation as an option. But understand what you are committing to.

 

Best wishes,

 

Bill

[hairbank]

Topher,

 

To really evaluate your situation, I think I'd need to see a few more pics with better clarity, maybe an overhead shot and an exclusive profile shot. I have to agree with my follically challenged commrades on this though in that the hair you have now is better than most of us have.

 

It is disappointing when you start loosing hair. I'm not going to tell you not to get an HT, rather, I'd recommend you try meds to see if you can stabilize the rescission, then see where you stand. HT"s aren't something to jump into, that's for sure, and I think you know this.

 

1200 grafts isn't that many by todays standards. You may want to do a little consulting and see what opinions you here about your loss?

 

Also, you appear to have enough hair to style, my friend. Have you thought about styling your hair in a way that compliments your look better? You may want to go to a stylist and get their opinion. The right style to help frame your face can do wonders.

 

Best of luck,

[Topher91]

As for the technique, Dr. Blaine Lehr uses 100% microscopic Follicular Unit extraction.

 

So far, there have been 11 posts in this thread but I am still not sure why everyone has told me that I should not repair my receding hairline. Please advise. Yes, I understand that hairloss is unpredictable, but I also know that I can have future procedures done if necessary.

 

I know you guys have all gone through this stage before and know how tough it is to be 26 and balding, especially when all of your friends have a great head of hair. I may come off as a bit stubborn, but please know that I really want this done and I need reasons why I should NOT have it.

 

By the way, I live in Oklahoma for those who asked.

[chucky]

topher you need to get on meds to stabalize your hairloss,you never know you may get some regrowth.once you are certain your hairloss has stabalised or stopped a good ht dr will tell you what to expect from a ht and what you may need in the future.desperation can make you take irrational decissions.you need to take your time,listen to advice given and try to meet people through these forums who are in a similar position to yourself.

dont jump in feet first as you may live to regret it and there is no need for that with all the advicve available on here.

good luck mate

[NervousNelly]

Topher,

 

I want to be very clear in my statement. I DO NOT believe that you need a HT and I highly recommend that at this point you don't.

 

Now. I am not an idiot and I have a sneeky suspicion that you are not going to listen to any of us and allow your emotions to get the best of you. So therefore I am going to say that if/when you go ahead with things I will only send you in the direction I feel most confident with. You need to travel--period. I want you to do online consults with Dr. Hasson or Wong, Dr. Alexander, Dr. Rahal, Dr. Ron Shapiro or Dr. Feller. Yes there are other very competent docs but these I am certain are all very capable of high density to match your existing if they feel the need to or they are very talented and educated to formulate another plan.

 

Guys--Its kind of like telling your 16 yr. old daughter not to have sex-"end of discussion". If the girls are like the Catholic girls I went to school with, good luck.

 

NN

[Topher91]

Guys--Its kind of like telling your 16 yr. old daughter not to have sex-"end of discussion". If the girls are like the Catholic girls I went to school with, good luck.

 

 

Hah! Thanks Nelly! Now, you'd be very surprised. I do want to really improve my situation, but I will NOT do it to my detriment. If I did not value this community's input, I would not have bothered asking for your opinions.

 

My real question is concerned with the "why" aspect here. Why should I not get a HT done? Is it because I won't have enough for future HTs? Personally, that's a concern of mine but guys like Bill have gone from virtually nothing to a great head of hair and I believe my hair is thicker, therefore more coverage.

 

Guys, I cannot shave my head. My skin complexion is VERY fair, and having a bald head looks very funny with my skin color. I need to do something about it, hence why I am here.

 

Nelly, I will submit to an online consultation with both Dr. Shapiro and Dr. Rahal and see what they have to say. I will also take more appropriate pictures. I just don't think the pics above properly show the whole picture.

 

Better pics. Excuse the messy hair, I was pulling it back to send pictures for my consultation:

 

[MrJobi]

Hi

 

Yes, the saved look might leave you like Jeff Garcia of the niners. I think he plays somewhere else.

 

Stck ti meds for now and see what happens

[Burt1973]

Its hard to see your head with all that hair in the way

 

I dont think anyone is telling not to get a HT, simply at this point in time you dont *need* one. Its all subjective. If you want to have your temple filled in, by all means do your homework and go have it done.

 

GL.

[wylie]

Why is everyone telling you not to get a hair transplant? Because you simply dont need one, its unnecessary. You dont have enough of a receding hairline to go to the lengths of surgery to correct. There looks to be nothing wrong with your hair seems to be the general consensus and I would agree. Surgery is too drastic for that hairline. Save your money that surgery would cost and spend it on medicine to keep your existing hair and you got it made.

[NervousNelly]

Topher,

 

You keep asking why are we saying not to get one? I am not the "king of links", so hopefully Bill will see this thread and chime in because I believe that he has a premade answer to this question for many of the young guys.

 

The main problem in a nutshell is the unknown. You might lose a lot more hair. You might lose hair in a strange pattern. Your donor area might thin. You might not have money for a second, third, fourth surgery. How dense should the surgeon go with your HT? To little density will look funny right now. Too much density will look funny if you end up losing the rest of your hair. You might have complications during surgery. You might have complications after surgery--remember this is a very serious surgery. You might be the type that becomes more concerned about the scar than you even were about the hairline. Etc., etc.,etc.....

 

Do your research. In your particular case I honestly believe you need to go to one of the doctors that I mentioned if you do go ahead with things. As I stated earlier, there may be other docs qualified, but because of the density of the native hair I highly recommend you do not go to Dr. Lehr. Maybe I am wrong but you asked for opinions.

 

NN

[thanatopsis_awry]

Being 22, I can understand the panic and dismay that sets in when you find yourself in the throws of hairloss.

 

There is a glut of valid reasons for why you should not explore surgery at this point, and instead get on non-surgical treatment for ~12months and then re-assess. This would be the safe, conservative play and also the standard rule of thumb for how to proceed. Your hair loss is really at its genesis so its hard to say where you may be headed and how aggressive or non-aggressive your hair loss will be.

 

*However* you clearly feel there is a major issue with your hair that needs to be addressed in a robust manner. This too is a reality. So maybe you are willing to roll the proverbial dice to ensure satisfaction with your hair in the present and near-future. Your hair really isn't that bad for a 26 year old, and it looks fairly strong and "youthfull", your now "mature" hairline aside.

 

Regardless of whether you decide to get a HT now or a year from now or 10 years from now, the most important things to do, imo, are: get on The Big Three, consult w/ doctors Nelly mentioned and ask tons of questions and voice all your thoughts(Dr. Feller imo has a superb mind, and is also a FUE guru but you can't go wrong either way), give dermmatch or toppik a try, experiment with different hair styles/hair products, which, imo, may do wonders for you.

 

I have a pretty bold attitude toward HTs, but given all the info you have provided, I would 100% say you should hold off, at least for the time being, and heed the various nuggets of advice given in this thread.

 

**above all else, inform yourself from various angles and thoughts, and then make a rationale decision where you can live with the consequences**

[Topher91]

Thank you for all of your input. The last few points really hit home on why I should wait. While I do not like my receding hairline, I certainly do not want to have a small "island" in the front with a HT should I continue to recede.

 

My main issue is that i've been like this for 3 years now. I have not seen any considerable loss since then. I certainly would not consider an HT if I was convinced that I was still losing a dramatic amount of hair - in fact, the pics taken when I was 23 are almost identical to where I'm at today.

 

I am going to put off an HT for now. I will reconsider it again after seriously committing myself to propecia and rogaine for a year, and check back with you guys again. I will also see what Dr. Rahal and Dr. Shapiro say (i have submitted a consultation to both).

 

thanatopsis_awry: Do you have pics of your hairline? I ask because we are both relatively young, and Id like to know what prompted you to go for a HT.

[thanatopsis_awry]

Topher, none readily available right now, but I will have a bunch in the coming weeks which I'll be sure to PM to you w/! My hairline is actually quite strong, along with my sides/temples and back; bad diffuse pattern thinning, however. I've responded very well to the propecia/nizoral over the past 15months, thankfully, and am going to start up rogaine foam post-ht. I'm looking at two mega-session HTs over the next decade as well as a possible 3rd touchup....just in time for HM

 

Best of luck, I think your taking your hair in a positive direction.

[10 years out]

Hey,

 

Seriously, I would put it off. Also look at male relatives on both sides of your family and see what they are like. You are by no means bad now, and your emotions seem to get the best of you.

 

I went to Dr. Lehr, and they are growing now. I literally cannot tell the difference between a transplanted and an original hair. I cannot say enough good about him.