Would i be a good HT candidate? Pic included

[A8TYF]

Hi Folks,

 

I'm new, but i've been reading a lot of threads on this forum over the last few weeks and really think this a useful website.

 

I'm attaching pics of myself as i'm thinking of getting HT done. I'm based in the UK and am considering going to Ferudini or Devroye. So far Devroye's team has been very good at keeping in touch with me and responding to mail.

 

In your experiences would i be a suitable candidate for HT, i know my hair is short, and the flash doesn't help, but you can generally see what the situation is.

 

Thanks,

 

Atif

[PanamaJimmy]

Atif,

 

It would help to know your age, but yes, it appears you have a typical pattern that would give you enough donor follicles to work on your crown and front. The last photo of the back of your head makes it tough to tell if a strip would work best. If not, FUE may be an option.

 

Both Ferudini and Devroye do excellent work. I encourage you to consult with both of them and also reach out to others on the forum who have had work done by these doctors.

 

Also, it would be great if you would start a hair blog with photos so we can see your progression once you choose the right doctor.

 

Best of Luck!

 

Panama Jimmy

[TC17]

As PanamaJimmy said, your age is certainly a factor in determining whether you're a suitable candidate. That being said, you do have thinning in what looks like a NW 5 pattern. I think a lot of people on here would say you're thinning to a 6, but I think your sides are too high for that. However, your crown does appear to be thinning into a rather large area, so it's best you see a doctor in person.

[TheEmperor]

If you are in your 20's I would say its very risky. If you are in your mid/late 30s, I would say you can get a nice improvement.

[PD]

If you are in your 20's I would say its very risky. If you are in your mid/late 30s, I would say you can get a nice improvement.

 

TheEmperor,

 

Can you elaborate what you are saying ? Meaning what do you suggest someone in 20s should do and what is right thing for someone in late 30s ?

 

Thanks.

[Megatron]

I think the only way you'd not be a good candidate from just looking at pictures is if you were a diffuse thinner. That is, if you were experiencing minaturization in your donor region. That said, there are other factors to consider as the posters above eluded to. Age, rate of hair loss, willingness to use Rogaine / Propecia, and most important of all what your expectations are.

[A8TYF]

Hi folks!

 

Thansks for the feedback. I think my doner area is quite thick and healthy (feels like a moroccan rug back there!).

 

I'm 29 years old, although some may say you should wait till your mid-30s my argument is that, i want to look good while i'm young (ish) rather than be a bald eagle in my 20s and 30s and look good in my 40s!

 

I've asked both docs for a diagnosis and i hope to hear from them soon.

 

 

 

Anyone know how much time i should take off from work? I don't want my mates to know i've done this. so i want my scars to heal, at least on the top.

[mahhong]

Hi folks!

 

Thansks for the feedback. I think my doner area is quite thick and healthy (feels like a moroccan rug back there!).

 

I'm 29 years old, although some may say you should wait till your mid-30s my argument is that, i want to look good while i'm young (ish) rather than be a bald eagle in my 20s and 30s and look good in my 40s!

 

I've asked both docs for a diagnosis and i hope to hear from them soon.

 

 

 

Anyone know how much time i should take off from work? I don't want my mates to know i've done this. so i want my scars to heal, at least on the top.

 

 

I would say you are a potentially good candidate. As someone stated, one limiting factor could be if you are a diffuse thinner all over, but this is relatively uncommon and the pictures of your donor region suggest this isn't the case.

 

At 29 you should be old enough to seriously consider it, especially given that it seems you have a relatively well defined pattern of hairloss. Only a qualified HT surgeon will really be able to make that decision though.

 

As someone said, the thinning area in your crown does appear to be fairly large and so a good doctor will be upfront with you about what you could expect. There's every chance you could expect excellent results across the entire thinning region but chances are a doctor may feel they can give you good density at the hairline and top of your head, with perhaps a thinner crown (although it would have some coverage). The big thing is expectation I think. If the doctor feels you know what to expect and you're happy with that they would be happy to do the surgery. I reckon you could get great results but obviously it won't be the case you can have a completely full head of hair again.

 

Another factor may be that you need multiple surgeries to achieve your desired look. This is perfectly normal but something to consider price-wise, and also in terms of whether you're happy to have it done 2+ times.

 

Are you on propecia or minoxidil (or both)? A doctor will probably recommend pretty strongly that you get on them before your HT. They will help maintain the hair you have and possibly regrow some back (or at least thicken the miniaturized hairs you have). At your age in particular this is probably the major factor in whether you could have the surgery. Doctors will be keen to stabilize your hairloss and see where your hair is at on the drugs before committing to any hair transplant strategies. As a diffuse thinner you might also find these drugs work wonders and really help to thicken up your existing hair; you could gain back a bit of density before you even have a single graft transplanted!

 

In terms of concealing your scars you might find your transplant scars in the donor region and the top of your head are red for a few weeks or more (though they do conceal fairly quickly). It's certainly possible to hide a transplant but you might have to take a bit of time off work and/or commit to wearing hats for a while to make sure it stays hidden.

 

These are just personal observations, however. Your doctor will be able to tell you properly what the situation is and what you can do to move forward.

 

Best of luck!

Edited May 19, 2010 by mahhong

[A8TYF]

Thanks for the reply mahhong. I went to a place called the belgravia centre for hairloss last year and they prescribed minoxidil and propecia which i took for a year, i took a tablet everyday and rubbed that damn cream on my head every night and it barely made a dent. I eventually gave up the treatment and thought about something more drastic.

 

It's been about 4 months now that i stopped my treatment, as i didn't see the benefit of continuing something that was relatively expensive for no results.

 

I'm negotiating with my boss at the moment for 3 weeks off for the surgery. He's agreed in principle and i'm thinking of paying firiduni and devroye a visit soon for a face to face consultation. Ideally i'd prefer to have one surgery as money isn't in abundance in my life.

 

I spoke to Spex and he spoke to Dr Feller who thinks i'd be looking at around 3500 grafts for a decent results.

[aw33]

So you took Propecia but you gave up after 4 months? Were you not seeing anything? Was it at least slowing down or stopping your progression? If you go through an HT, you need to keep your exsiting hair.

[A8TYF]

No i took it for 12 months! I only gave it up 4 months ago. I'm happy to continue to take propecia after the HT i think it did help me maintain my hair, but i was hoping for growth, which is probably why i was so disheartend.

[TheEmperor]

Atif,

Overall, you will need more than 3500 grafts. That is a good number for a starting surgery, but it will likely not get you where you want to be.

 

Your pattern looks like a NW6, with thinning down the back. This may be the photograph and the way your hair is cut. As a point of reference, I had considerably more hair than you at age 29, and you can see where I am 10 years later. I think my loss pattern is more favorable than yours (does not go far down in back). My guess is that for a "complete" restoration, you will need 7K grafts over the next 10-15 years.

 

It is very easy to get a doctor to say what you want to hear. If you are not a raving lunatic and appear to have realistic expectations, they will tell you that you are a good candidate. You need to understand what this means. It means that (if you are willing) that they will have the ability to perform multiple surgeries on you to improve your position, until either A) You are satisfied, or B) You run out of grafts or money.

 

Your ability to reach condition "A" depends on your degree of loss. I cannot imagine a scenario where a 29yo who is a NW 6 will be happy with the amount of coverage and density that they will be able to give you. Certainly not with 3.5K grafts.

 

If they give you a hairline that you are happy with now, there is a very good chance that in the next 10-15 years the remaining loss will be severe enough to leave you looking odd. Only proceed if you have 40 K cash, are willing to undergo 3 or more surgeries, and are going to be happy with a significantly receded hairline. H&W are probably you best bet for getting it done in only 2 procedures.

 

I'd like to add that subsequent procedures are smaller. If they only get 3500 in the first, a typical follow up might be 2K, and a third procedure would be 1.5K. Average person only has around 7K grafts available. Do the math on the cost of 3 surgeries for 7K grafts total.

 

Also, keep in mind that surgeries are not always a slam dunk. You will have a scar that you need to style around. And the new hairline may not look perfect, may not even look good or natural and may require daily styling to make it look good. Lots of things can go wrong. Your head is shaved now, and if that is a look you are reasonably comfortable with, I urge you to keep it. Going from clean shaven to permanent "bad hair day" (that you spend a load of money on), may not be in your best interest.

Edited May 19, 2010 by TheEmperor

[A8TYF]

Thanks for that emperor.. Lots to think about.