19 years old....will be getting a HT

[ohgodwhyme]

Alright, HEAR ME OUT.

I cannot deal with this hairloss. I AM SO UGLY with frontal hairloss, it just aint gonna fly. Period. End of story. Cant happen.

With that aside...

I have diffuse thinning, but it isnt really bad anywhere but the front and temples. Ive been on propecia 7 months and it seems it may have slowed things down a little but I am losing mainly in the front and temples. If youre gonna say theres nothing I can do, then don't say it. Im willing to do anything, and if shit completely hits the fan Ill wear a friggin tupay (spelling?) I dont give a crap. What I wanna do is get an HT and restore some hair in the front. As I lose more hair in the next year or so...I am willing to also get that filled in with other surgeries. Please tell me what I should aim for / what to expect and what not.

This hairloss is consuming my life and I dont look nearly as good as I once did. This NEEDS to happen, so PLEASE, PLEASE work with me.

[ohgodwhyme]

Alright, HEAR ME OUT.

I cannot deal with this hairloss. I AM SO UGLY with frontal hairloss, it just aint gonna fly. Period. End of story. Cant happen.

With that aside...

I have diffuse thinning, but it isnt really bad anywhere but the front and temples. Ive been on propecia 7 months and it seems it may have slowed things down a little but I am losing mainly in the front and temples. If youre gonna say theres nothing I can do, then don't say it. Im willing to do anything, and if shit completely hits the fan Ill wear a friggin tupay (spelling?) I dont give a crap. What I wanna do is get an HT and restore some hair in the front. As I lose more hair in the next year or so...I am willing to also get that filled in with other surgeries. Please tell me what I should aim for / what to expect and what not.

This hairloss is consuming my life and I dont look nearly as good as I once did. This NEEDS to happen, so PLEASE, PLEASE work with me.

[TheEmperor]

OK, heres a question for you. If you get a HT, can you live with a hairline that is 1-1.5cm higher than your original teen hairline and that has 1/2 to 2/3 the original density?

 

If your answer is yes, you may eventually be a good candidate for HT. Schedule a consult with a HT doc. Understand that the best docs are more likely to turn you away, but they may not. Check out Rahal; he is the most agressive of Coalition docs. I have no doubt that if he rejects you, that you will eventually find a 2nd (or 3rd) rate physician willing to operate on you if you keep asking. I would advise against that at all costs. Keep your search limited to the best.

 

Most HTs do not restore the original hairline or at the original density, but they do restore a hairline with enough density to be cosmetically significant.

 

If there is a Coalition doc who agrees to operate on you, he will probably plant the new hairline a bit higher and narrower than the original. Can you live with that?

 

The only doc known to plant teenage hairlines is Armani, but he is using tech-FUE technique exclusively (techs extract grafts, not doctor)which does not appear to yield as high as strip technique, so you are still going to be faced with at most 1/2 - 2/3rds original density (which looks bad with low hairline, IMO) and it may take up to twice as many grafts to achieve that result. The prospect of wearing a partial hairpiece or a wig when you lose more hair is much more likely.

 

So your options seem to be:

A) Consult with Rahal to see when he will be willing to work on you.

 

B) Go with Armani. A hairline restoration will take ALOT of grafts and you will probably need a toupee or wig for the back in 10-15 years. Your new hairline will not be 100% dense, but it will probably be sufficient for a year or two until you need a 2nd, 3rd, and 4th surgery to fill in behind until you run out of grafts.

 

C) Get a hair system now. They are good enough for the hollywood set, they may be right for you.

 

Good luck.

[Dr. Timothy Carman]

ohgodwhyme-

It sounds as though this is really getting to you-

Would it be possible to upload a few clear, up close photos?

Look at the "photo album" section to see the usual angles we shoot. To create a photo album, click on the photo albums section on the forum page and then click on the upper left "go" and choose "photo album".

In my opinion, the best way for you to evaluate your suitability for any elective cosmetic/plastic procedure is to carefully and meticulously do the research so that YOU understand the concepts and rationale behind the procedure. In general, the reason you hear "recurring themes" and trends surrounding a given procedure is that those concepts and observations are the results of many successes and many failures of those who have gone before you.

In the meantime, we would be happy to look at your photos, as they ARE "worth a thousand words".

AND, in the meantime, take it easy on yourself, time IS on your side right now, and there IS a solution to your individual situation.

 

Sincerely,

[ohgodwhyme]

I dont have any tools to upload pics as of now. Let me describe my situation as best as I can...

I am receeding in the front and temples. Nothing severe as of yet...but it has deffinitely gone back like 1.5cm. When my hair is wet you can see some scalp under a reasonably bright light (walking out of the shower i see a little scalp throughout my head in the mirror). I know that I have diffuse thinning. The front is what bothers me the most as I am not happy with the way my forehead looks without hair...

[beanz]

At 19, you are too young to be undergoing hair transplant surgery. No ethical surgeon will operate on you.

 

Try styling your hair differently. Start taking Propecia and consider using topical Minoxidil.

 

I first noticed a slight recession in my hairline when I was 19. This was back in 1994. Similar to you, I panicked and then consulted with MHR and Bosley. Both Bosley and MHR wanted to work on me. Constant phone calls from them trying to book a procedure after initially consulting with them.

 

Today, I'm 33 and moving closer to having my first procedure with a respected surgeon.

 

Here is a word of advice based on my experience with MPB. I was very depressed at 19 when I noticed the receding hairline. I had to change my hair style. My situation was not that bad back then. I made it worse by being down about it. Stay up and enjoy these years. The inevitable may or may not happen; however, don't waste time being depressed about it.

[thanatopsis_awry]

Nanogen and Dermmatch, emphasis on the former.

 

Consult with a few clinics, see what they have to say -- don't necessarily take it as gospel, but most definitely take their advice into serious consideration.

 

I had a HT when I was 22, fwiw.

[hatrick]

Ask a friend or family member if you can borrow their digital camera and upload some pics. None of us can really help without SEEING what type of loss your experiencing.

 

Without seeing pics, i'm assuming your just overreacting like most guys do when they start to notice their hair is thinning. I doubt anyone but you can even notice your hair-loss. I went through the same thing as you when i was your age. I thought my hair looked horrible, i started freaking out. However, nobody else except me noticed a thing. It took until i was 23-24 for my hair-loss to even become noticeable to others.

 

Try and post some pics so we can see if your just overreacting or truly are experiencing significant loss for your age.

[Dr. Timothy Carman]

Also, be aware that there is a normal process which occurs in males from the ages of 17 thru 21-22 wherein there is a natural maturation of the hair line which is normal and independent of MPB/androgenic alopecia, although the two processes can develope concurrently.

[Bill - Seemiller]

Also, be aware that there is a normal process which occurs in males from the ages of 17 thru 21-22 wherein there is a natural maturation of the hair line which is normal and independent of MPB/androgenic alopecia, although the two processes can develope concurrently.

 

Essential point Dr. Carman. Thanks for bringing it up.

 

Bill

[Smoothy]

OK-- please read this info. 19 is way too young for HT--any doctor telling you different is not a reputable doctor putting your interest first and is only interested in money.

Unless you are already a Norwood 5 which I doubt, you will probably have more hairloss over the next 10-15 years and having HT so young could cause devastating appearance 10 yrs from now if hairline is too low, too much donor is used or donor is exacted too high, density is too much now, ect. My suggestion is get on Propecia and Rogain ASAP if not already, take MSM/Saw Pallmetto/B6/Zinc/Omega fatty acid or fish oil (get at any nutrient store), start using Nioxin Shampoo and Conditioner daily. This will slow down the HL, but dont consider HT for another 5yrs or so.

 

SMOOTHY

HT-Shapiro

Propecia/Rogaine

MSM/Saw Palmetto

Nioxin

ZRII