Guest youngguy24 Posted May 18, 2006 Share Posted May 18, 2006 Well here goes I am currently 24 years old and have been losing my hair since I was 19 or 20. When I was 22 I went to the dermatologist to ask what we could do about my hair loss. He suggested Propecia and Rogaine but for some reason I only went with 5% Rogaine. I had amazing results after about 3 to 5 months of use, but sadly discounted us for about 3 to 4 months due to scalp irritation, major shedding followed. After I graduated college (still 22 almost 23) I returned to the dermatologist and picked up some propecia and started using 2% Rogaine. Once again awesome results and they occurred very quickly. I had a full head of hair again and was extremely pleased. Then I had another doctor warn me about gyno (slang for the development of breasts in men) telling me that it can be a side effect of propecia (true, but only in 1 out 200 men from what I've read on the internet). So he suggested I take propecia every other day. I did this for about 4 months and once again major shedding. So for a year now I have been using propecia everyday and about 2 or 3 months ago began using 5% DNC spectral minoxidil (which has caused some but not much scalp irritation). Since I have been taking the propecia daily for the past year I have had some new hair growth. Sadly my hair is much worse than it was before I switched to only using propecia every other day. I guess that I am a 3 or 4 on the Norwood scale and I am diffusively thinning in the areas of a Norwood 5 (Sorry no pictures yet). My dad is 55 and is a Norwood 6 and says he began losing his hair at age 30. His brother age 52 is a Norwood 5 and other brother age 48 is a Norwood 2. My mother's father was a Norwood 2 when he passed away at 81. So yes there a family history of hair loss I'm just surprised it occurred so early for me. I honestly believe that the use of creatine during the majority of my college years has played a roll in this problem. So now that you know my hair loss history my question is when would be the right age to get a hair transplant. I would like to do it ASAP but I know that's most likely not in my best interest. My major concerns about having a transplant include the donor scar but with the new trichophytic closer technique it looks as if the scar wouldn't be very noticeable even if someone was to shave their head completely bald. Other concerns include future hair lose especially if I have to go off propecia to have children. Shock loss scares me as well since most of my hair in the thinning area is very light and not thick. Any advice would be greatly appreciated I am considering doing some traveling this summer (its nice being a teacher and having u summers off) and speak with doctor Cooley, Shapiro, Hassan, and/or Jeff Epstien. So please let me know what you all think. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest youngguy24 Posted May 18, 2006 Share Posted May 18, 2006 Well here goes I am currently 24 years old and have been losing my hair since I was 19 or 20. When I was 22 I went to the dermatologist to ask what we could do about my hair loss. He suggested Propecia and Rogaine but for some reason I only went with 5% Rogaine. I had amazing results after about 3 to 5 months of use, but sadly discounted us for about 3 to 4 months due to scalp irritation, major shedding followed. After I graduated college (still 22 almost 23) I returned to the dermatologist and picked up some propecia and started using 2% Rogaine. Once again awesome results and they occurred very quickly. I had a full head of hair again and was extremely pleased. Then I had another doctor warn me about gyno (slang for the development of breasts in men) telling me that it can be a side effect of propecia (true, but only in 1 out 200 men from what I've read on the internet). So he suggested I take propecia every other day. I did this for about 4 months and once again major shedding. So for a year now I have been using propecia everyday and about 2 or 3 months ago began using 5% DNC spectral minoxidil (which has caused some but not much scalp irritation). Since I have been taking the propecia daily for the past year I have had some new hair growth. Sadly my hair is much worse than it was before I switched to only using propecia every other day. I guess that I am a 3 or 4 on the Norwood scale and I am diffusively thinning in the areas of a Norwood 5 (Sorry no pictures yet). My dad is 55 and is a Norwood 6 and says he began losing his hair at age 30. His brother age 52 is a Norwood 5 and other brother age 48 is a Norwood 2. My mother's father was a Norwood 2 when he passed away at 81. So yes there a family history of hair loss I'm just surprised it occurred so early for me. I honestly believe that the use of creatine during the majority of my college years has played a roll in this problem. So now that you know my hair loss history my question is when would be the right age to get a hair transplant. I would like to do it ASAP but I know that's most likely not in my best interest. My major concerns about having a transplant include the donor scar but with the new trichophytic closer technique it looks as if the scar wouldn't be very noticeable even if someone was to shave their head completely bald. Other concerns include future hair lose especially if I have to go off propecia to have children. Shock loss scares me as well since most of my hair in the thinning area is very light and not thick. Any advice would be greatly appreciated I am considering doing some traveling this summer (its nice being a teacher and having u summers off) and speak with doctor Cooley, Shapiro, Hassan, and/or Jeff Epstien. So please let me know what you all think. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Senior Member troy Posted May 18, 2006 Senior Member Share Posted May 18, 2006 Start with online consultations. With your list of docs and your approach I believe your on the right track. My Hair Loss Weblog Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Senior Member the B spot Posted May 18, 2006 Senior Member Share Posted May 18, 2006 Good Advice Troy! youngguy, I would add doctor Feller to your list of potential docs as well. Good Luck! Go Cubs! 6721 transplanted grafts 13,906 hairs Performed by Dr. Ron Shapiro Dr. Ron Shapiro and Dr. Paul Shapiro are members of the Coalition of Independent Hair Restoration Physicians. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Regular Member maki8787 Posted May 18, 2006 Regular Member Share Posted May 18, 2006 Originally posted by youngguy24: Other concerns include future hair lose especially if I have to go off propecia to have children. . i also would like to know more about this! im having HT soon and im taking propecia now but what if i stop to take it after transplant,and if i loose more of my natural hair?? then my transplant will look completly unnatural? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Senior Member kamin Posted May 18, 2006 Senior Member Share Posted May 18, 2006 Originally posted by youngguy24:I honestly believe that the use of creatine during the majority of my college years has played a roll in this problem. I have also heard of this, but I'm not sure if there is any scientific data to back it up. Why can one person use creatine and not experience any hair loss while another person will experience hair loss? It seems that creatine can cause certain side effects in some people but not others, just like pratically all medications, supplements, etc. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Senior Member scooping around Posted May 18, 2006 Senior Member Share Posted May 18, 2006 I have also started thinning at a early age (now 26) and used creatine consistently also in my early 20s. I think creatine does have a role, but just especially so for those that already have MPB. youngguy24, why are you concerned about shaving your head after the sugery? I currently have my head shaved bald right now, but I probably won't keep it shaved after the surgery. Are you concerned about the 3-6 months period after the surgery for the transplanted hair to blend in with the rest of your thinning hair? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest youngguy24 Posted May 18, 2006 Share Posted May 18, 2006 My concerns are of further hair loss and not having the resources be it money or donor hair to get the number of procedures needed for the desired final result. If this where to happen I would choose to shave my head in the future and would like to have that option even if I choose to have surgery. Which is why I am asking if the surgery is done with the trichophytic closer technique how noticeable will the scar be to myself and others if my head is shaved. If any one has pictures of a healed scar done by trichophytic closer I would greatly appreciate if you could post the picture. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Regular Member RoboNick Posted May 20, 2006 Regular Member Share Posted May 20, 2006 youngguy24 Im in the same position as you and Im 24 and thinking the same pats about in the longer run if the results aint what I looked for then I would also like to shave the hair but sorry to tell you m8 but getting STRIP eather way tripo your scar still be noticeable if you shave the hair of. =/ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest youngguy24 Posted May 20, 2006 Share Posted May 20, 2006 I understand that it will be some what noticable but isn't it usually a flat 1mm scar that runs from 1 to 12 inches long? When done by a top docotor with trichophytic closer. I dont see this being a big problem that would prevent me from shaving my head, if I chose to do so, thoughts on this? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Senior Member the B spot Posted May 21, 2006 Senior Member Share Posted May 21, 2006 Guys, DO NOT look to be able to shave your head EVER after getting a HT. You have no idea how you will heal, etc.... It is called planning for the worst and then being pleasantly surprised if you can shave down to a #1 later on in life. Not something I would count on. As far as propecia, anytime you stop taking it, from the moment it is out of your body, DHT will start affecting your hair. Once you go back on, you may or may not regrow, but you will probably hold onto what you have, (if it was working before). I firmly believe Creatine accelerates hairloss in those of us that would have eventually lost hair later on in life. I have several Baseball and Football buddies that eat that stuff night and day, and each one of them has lost hair. Could be a coincidence, I just think it raises testosterone levels which results in more DHT. I hope this helps out. Go Cubs! 6721 transplanted grafts 13,906 hairs Performed by Dr. Ron Shapiro Dr. Ron Shapiro and Dr. Paul Shapiro are members of the Coalition of Independent Hair Restoration Physicians. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Regular Member RoboNick Posted May 21, 2006 Regular Member Share Posted May 21, 2006 the B spot: I dont think you are getting what I ment, ofcourse noone will want to shave their head after a procedure BUT we that are under 30 are still losing hair eather way you eat propecia or something else the hair wont stop 100% and as me Im 23 and if I do the procedure and later on maybe all of the hair will be gone beside the transplanted or thined out and then I could maybe not a good density result by doing more procedures after done 2 already and then I would ofcourse shave the hair. Because their is nothing more ugly then have a hair with low density in my opinion is shaving head much more confortable then low density hair, wouldnt you agree? youngguy24: When it comes to linear scar, Im with you about that, that if the svar was realy thin that wouldnt stop me eather to shave but it can be wider then 1-2mm and it could be a crooked line not a smooth and that cannot even a top notch doc help as it depends on the healing and streching under the healing time. But one more concern for me is that the scar needs to come out on the sides also, would be more comfortable if the scar was on the neck only and not going on the sides behind the ears. And to you B-spot I think many of your posts are a bit negative you dont take situation to concern, I get feeling from your posts that doing a HT is easy thing and then you live your life happy... youre misstaken dude or you just dont see stuff. And about creatin, I did not know this information before. I suspected creatin when my hairloss started at 18 years, Ive just used creatin every day for 2 months when I was training and then some weeks after I stoped using it my hairloss started, so it sounds like the stuff are increasing the DHT or whatever makes the hairloss But as I stoped it still loosing, so it maybe just made that it started earlyer then it should =/ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest youngguy24 Posted May 21, 2006 Share Posted May 21, 2006 Well I got my pictures back that I took the other day. I was kinda upset at how bad my hair loss looked so I went ahead and shaved my head. Not a bad look I guess, I will stay on the propecia and stop the minoxidil maybe consider a HT in a few years. Hopefully by then they will simply be able to use stem cells to fix the problem for us all. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Senior Member the B spot Posted May 21, 2006 Senior Member Share Posted May 21, 2006 Robo, for your info, I am under 30 as well. Secondly, I lost ALL of the hair on the top of my head by 25, and shaved down for 3 years before I got a HT. Thirdly, I have no idea where you are going with the negative posting, pal. I say again, you need to read what I post closely before you get emotional and start scribbling out some fun little emails. And to you B-spot I think many of your posts are a bit negative you dont take situation to concern, I get feeling from your posts that doing a HT is easy thing and then you live your life happy... youre misstaken dude or you just dont see stuff. Doing a HT can be easy, if you take the time and energy to look at everything from every angle. In your case, and your age, you are right to be concerned about future hairloss and potentially running out of donor hair and not looking the way you want to. However, your NOT going to come on here and start talking about shaving your head after 1 or 2 surgerys if you do not like the way it looks, in an advice type of manner!!! Someone here with half a brain is going to post a warning, and in this case it happens to be me. Calling me out or pretending to actually know what you may or may not do in the future at the age of 23, goes to show you need to spend some more time here, that's all. Anyway, I GET and GOT what you are trying to say, and to all of the other young men following this thread, YOU WILL NOT BE ABLE SHAVE YOUR HEAD AFTER A HT. Use that as a basis for making the decision and if you are able to shave your head in the future great!!!!! Just do not count on it. Go Cubs! 6721 transplanted grafts 13,906 hairs Performed by Dr. Ron Shapiro Dr. Ron Shapiro and Dr. Paul Shapiro are members of the Coalition of Independent Hair Restoration Physicians. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest youngguy24 Posted May 22, 2006 Share Posted May 22, 2006 B spot do you have any of your pictures pre and post on this site? Also how old where you when you had surgery with Dr. Shapiro? Also thank you for the advice about shaving my head after a HT. I was just trying to get an idea of what people thought. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Regular Member Browny217 Posted May 23, 2006 Regular Member Share Posted May 23, 2006 Hi I too am 23 norwood 3 and i have my transplant booked in for july somtimes im excited about it and somtimes im not sure if to do it or not anyhows b spot are you happy with the job you got done, and how did you feel or act in public socially if you dont mind me asking thats the main time that concerns me We Can only Play the cards we are dealt http://www.hairlossweblogs.com/home-page.asp?WebID=95 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Senior Member the B spot Posted May 23, 2006 Senior Member Share Posted May 23, 2006 Browny, I am happy with my results, and the biggest satisfaction of the entire process is NOBODY can figure out why I look different. People keep asking if I have lost weight, or have I been working out, etc... The thing you have to keep in mind (for me) is the fact that I was a NW6, and I am going for another large session (4000+)with Dr. Shapiro in the coming months that will put me over the top. As far as socially, I never really changed who I am simply because I went bald. I held on for about 6 months using what hair I had, and then shaved it off. I only decided to follow through with hair transplantation after intense research which led me to Dr. Shapiro. I had a list of about 10 doctors, and I kept cutting it down one or two doctors at a time. 3 months before I narrowed my list down to 4 and then started seriously talking to each, and then narrowed it down to 2 clinics. (I hope this helps) At this point the pictures I am posting in a few minutes represent about 2 months of NOT shaving down to a #2, and 7months after my HT. I hope to eventually get the type of coverage some of the other phenomenal posters have displayed. YG, 28 years old for #1, and probably just turned 30 for #2. If you go to HT Photos under B-spot, you will see my before and afters. Give me a few more minutes and I will update them with month 7 photos. Go Cubs! 6721 transplanted grafts 13,906 hairs Performed by Dr. Ron Shapiro Dr. Ron Shapiro and Dr. Paul Shapiro are members of the Coalition of Independent Hair Restoration Physicians. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest youngguy24 Posted May 23, 2006 Share Posted May 23, 2006 B spot, Your hair looks great at 7 months! I was wondering how long you had to wait to get an appointment before Dr. Shapiro would perform the HT? Also I was wondering what the cost was for the 3100 grafts? Of course if you don't want to share the cost of the HT I completly understand. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Senior Member the B spot Posted May 23, 2006 Senior Member Share Posted May 23, 2006 YG, I actually set an appt for 2 1/2 months in advance, but took an early opening and got in a little sooner. If you get on a waiting list you can save a few dollars simply because things come up for patients all of the time. I negotiated 9500 for my HT, which was set for 2500 plus whatever else the doc harvested. Ended up being 2970 grafts, but I had some 5 and 6 hair grafts that needed to be split, which brought the total of grafts up. Go Cubs! 6721 transplanted grafts 13,906 hairs Performed by Dr. Ron Shapiro Dr. Ron Shapiro and Dr. Paul Shapiro are members of the Coalition of Independent Hair Restoration Physicians. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest youngguy24 Posted May 23, 2006 Share Posted May 23, 2006 Ok thanks so much for the help. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Regular Member RoboNick Posted May 23, 2006 Regular Member Share Posted May 23, 2006 B-spot: Im not nagging on you at all, I do remember we chat som on the PM before but I dont realised it the time I wrote this and as I said I saw some posts lately from you that others had posted and I thought they were a bit negative where people ask where to buy propecia/avodart ect. cheaper or if its possible to shave after HT and so on. I think a forum should be a helpful place and not a nagging place whatever stupid question if you think the members ask. A question is never stupid its only knowledge that everyone are right to get. And when it comes to me I have still not decided on HT yet, still concerining on the SCAR and if this HT realy helps and so on, trust me Im thinking about this every day. Im not in the same position as you describe that in did never involve your personal life style, mine has to 110% so thats why Im maybe more concern as Im afraid HT can make more damage then Im already are in. Im looking into the Thailand surgeon that has been spoken on some forums that is one of the best on the side of the world, one thing is that his site aint updated for 2 years and he knows it so its a bit warning I feel but as to the reputation he seems very good. So propably any day now I will get a time for HT if I decide to do it as I think I will. Sorry for blasting your thread youngguy24 and B spot PEACE Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Senior Member JakeVig Posted May 23, 2006 Senior Member Share Posted May 23, 2006 Hi RoboNick, Its good to see you've opened your stance. I did think it was a little hopeful to suggest that anyone who had a HT will have the option of shaving their head in the future. I didnt want to voice my opinion then cause you were having a heated argument. But this is only going off all the pictures I have seen. I have seen undetectable at #1 and undetectable with hair - but never undetectable with a completely shaved head. So I think it was a little hopeful to say to potential patients that they will still be able to shave their head without a HT. Again nothing against your views but I just dont want people thinking shaving their head is still an option after a HT. 1344 grafts with Ron Shapiro - June 2006 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest youngguy24 Posted May 23, 2006 Share Posted May 23, 2006 Well I called up Dr. Cooley's office and made an appointment for a consultation in early July Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lee64 Posted June 26, 2006 Share Posted June 26, 2006 A trichophytic scar is only less visible because the technique that closes the scar will allow hair to grow thru the scar, but there will still be a pigmentation differentiation of color (red when healing, and permanent white when healed). You will not be able to shave your head and have it not show, but with short hair it will not be visible or as visible. Having a long scar on the back of my head, I highly recommend that you use a doctor that will remove the follicular units individually. These removals of grafts (to be transplanted) will cause very small scars but they are preferable to a big long scar. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lee64 Posted June 26, 2006 Share Posted June 26, 2006 The scar will still show when shaved. The only reason it doesn't show as much as a regular scar is because the closure technique allows hair to grow thru it. There will still be a difference in color that will be permanent. Get the extraction method where the grafts are extracted individually. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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