HELP! (pics inside)

[RE001]

Age: 22 1/2

 

I have been losing hair since junior/senior year in high school (2005/2006). It wasn't really noticeable at the time but I did foresee hair loss happening in the future. The hair loss didn't get bad and noticeable until my junior/senior year in college (2009/2010); that's when it got to this point (pics). I don't know on which level I am at on the Norwood scale nor do I know how many grafts would be needed if I decided to go on and have a HT. What age should I wait to do the HT? Approximately how much would it cost too? Can anyone take a wild guess at these questions because I know it takes an actual consultation to determine all of this but I need to know in advance where I stand at with this issue.

 

Thanks

[Blake Bloxham]

RE001,

 

Thank you for sharing these questions and photographs. Let's see if I can address some of your concerns:

 

First, it's a bit difficult to tell precisely where you are on the Norwood Hair Loss scale, but I'd say you're a Norwood III - IV, with some crown and midscalp involvement. Again, the scale isn't an exact science and this is simply my opinion.

 

Estimating the required number of grafts is also difficult, simply because it depends on a number of factors (the laxity in your donor area, density in the transplanted area, hair characteristics, etc). However, you may find the hair loss learning center graft calculator helpful in obtaining some sort of estimate and moving forward.

 

Because of your age, I also do not believe you're a candidate for hair transplant surgery at this time. Furthermore, I think that utilizing proven, non-surgical techniques such as minoxidil (Rogaine) and finasteride (Propecia) now would really make a difference and delay (or eliminate) the need for a hair restoration procedure.

 

If you're interested in gaining more professional insight and possibly creating a plan for battling your hair loss, you could consult with one of our recommended hair transplant surgeons (many of who offer free consultations). I hope this addresses some of your concerns. Please feel free to ask any additional questions. Good luck!

[RE001]

Thanks for the reply.

 

What age do you think I should start looking into getting HT done?

 

I'm also afraid to use any type of medication because of its side-effects. I used Rogaine before but got impatient with it and stopped using it. I believe that HT is the most effective way but am uncertain as to when to do it.

 

My MPB is 100% genetic. My father has MPB and so does his brother. My brother has a receding hairline but is not as bad as mine (he's 4 yrs older). Has it been proven that you will most likely have the same pattern as your family members or is everyone's MPB different?

[RCWest]

I wish I still had that much up top! I would get on Finasteride and wait it out a while. You're not too young for a transplant, but your pattern isn't really established. You could be like Charlie Sheen and just have a receding hairline but a thick forelock.

[RE001]

I wish I still had that much up top! I would get on Finasteride and wait it out a while. You're not too young for a transplant, but your pattern isn't really established. You could be like Charlie Sheen and just have a receding hairline but a thick forelock.

 

I appreciate your input!

 

I'm going to wait it out a bit and see what happens. My father still has hair on top (forelock). He's thin around the crown (like me) and on the sides (like me). He's in his mid 40's. I'm probably going to wait 2-3 more years until I will seriously consider doing a HT. I just want to keep what I have now but I'm skeptical of the meds.

[EpilepticSceptic]

RE001,

 

That looks like fairly aggressive MPB to me brother. I'd say you are a NW 2.5 right now in the front, but with significant crown loss.When I was 22 my hair was a solid NW1.5/2 without any hint of crown loss, just a bit of temple recession. By age 25 I was a NW3. By age 30 I was a NW3v, and I started on finasteride. Without the finasteride who the hell knows where I'd be today !

 

Your crown loss is worse (wider) than mine and I'm 41. Plus you have recession of the "rim" hair on the sides, and even a little into the bridge area. On me these areas are pretty solid, and I still needed 4500 grafts. Your forelock is better than mine was pre-HT, however you've got 19 more years of loss to go to catch up with me. Without meds that will almost certainly be enough time for MPB to finish you off.

 

I commend you for shaving down your head and showing your pics! When one does this there is no way to hide from the truth of their MPB level. Many on these forums won't do what you did, and they like to pretend they are not as advanced as they are -- which will only hurt them in the long run. Why should anybody be afraid to be honest on a hairloss forum ?

 

Anyway, IMO finasteride is your only hope right now. Otherwise you'll likely be looking into the mirror at a stranger in 3-5 years who looks like an old man at age 25/27, wishing he could turn back the clock and get on Fin. Or if you can live with the shaved look you have right now then just be happy with that and get on with your life.

 

IMO without the DHT blocking meds you'll never really be a good candidate for any kind of HT until cloning is available. I know, it sucks, but it's the harsh truth. You don't want to become another miserable anti-HT repair patient! Look around and you will find many who did not heed the warnings.

Edited July 11, 2010 by EpilepticSceptic

[wb280]

it always saddens me to see a fellow hair loss fighter in his 20s, and not able to get a HT now due to the reasons the guys already explained. Its tough dude, but thats the cards that u have been dealt with.

 

try the meds first, dun lose hope! maybe they will be really effective and u might not even need a HT! Be positive!

[1966kph]

hello re001,i would concur with all of the above,you are definately to young for a ht and it seems though i may be wrong that you hav'nt been researching the subject that long so don't rush into something you may regret for the rest of your days,how long were you on minoxidil for?as it doe's take time for the results to become apparent,my advice would be get on the meds [finasteride-minoxidil] and hop[efully you won't have any side effects but remember to come off the finasteride if your thinking of starting a family,try all you can to keep what you've got while you research and explore all options,good luck to you and have a nice day......

[RE001]

RE001,

 

That looks like fairly aggressive MPB to me brother. I'd say you are a NW 2.5 right now in the front, but with significant crown loss.When I was 22 my hair was a solid NW1.5/2 without any hint of crown loss, just a bit of temple recession. By age 25 I was a NW3. By age 30 I was a NW3v, and I started on finasteride. Without the finasteride who the hell knows where I'd be today !

 

Your crown loss is worse (wider) than mine and I'm 41. Plus you have recession of the "rim" hair on the sides, and even a little into the bridge area. On me these areas are pretty solid, and I still needed 4500 grafts. Your forelock is better than mine was pre-HT, however you've got 19 more years of loss to go to catch up with me. Without meds that will almost certainly be enough time for MPB to finish you off.

 

I commend you for shaving down your head and showing your pics! When one does this there is no way to hide from the truth of their MPB level. Many on these forums won't do what you did, and they like to pretend they are not as advanced as they are -- which will only hurt them in the long run. Why should anybody be afraid to be honest on a hairloss forum ?

 

Anyway, IMO finasteride is your only hope right now. Otherwise you'll likely be looking into the mirror at a stranger in 3-5 years who looks like an old man at age 25/27, wishing he could turn back the clock and get on Fin. Or if you can live with the shaved look you have right now then just be happy with that and get on with your life.

 

IMO without the DHT blocking meds you'll never really be a good candidate for any kind of HT until cloning is available. I know, it sucks, but it's the harsh truth. You don't want to become another miserable anti-HT repair patient! Look around and you will find many who did not heed the warnings.

 

Sorry for the late reply, I was on vacation for 3 weeks and during that time I decided to grow out my hair. What sucks about hair loss is you never know HOW MUCH you will actually lose as years go by. 6 years ago I had hair, 6 years later this is how I look. I can't predict if this is my final pattern or will I lose more. I am 90% sure I will get on the meds because I DO want hair and don't want to have to shave my head in my future years.

 

During my college years, I studied hard and was under pressure all the time. I believe that caused me to lose my hair at a faster rate. I remember seeing huge amounts of hair on my towel and sink after showers. I let my hair grow out now to see if I will experience this furthermore and to see if the process has stopped or slowed down. I feel pretty good after letting my hair grow out, the crown loss is bothering me the most though. It doesn't look that bad aside from the crown loss.

 

it always saddens me to see a fellow hair loss fighter in his 20s, and not able to get a HT now due to the reasons the guys already explained. Its tough dude, but thats the cards that u have been dealt with.

 

try the meds first, dun lose hope! maybe they will be really effective and u might not even need a HT! Be positive!

 

Thanks for the words of encouragement. I always think positively hence why I feel perfectly comfortable posting pics of my problem on a public forum. Who else could be more helpful to me than people who are experiencing the same problem as me? You know. I feel like this problem will be solved and one day I will have the hair I had and have always wanted.

 

hello re001,i would concur with all of the above,you are definately to young for a ht and it seems though i may be wrong that you hav'nt been researching the subject that long so don't rush into something you may regret for the rest of your days,how long were you on minoxidil for?as it doe's take time for the results to become apparent,my advice would be get on the meds [finasteride-minoxidil] and hop[efully you won't have any side effects but remember to come off the finasteride if your thinking of starting a family,try all you can to keep what you've got while you research and explore all options,good luck to you and have a nice day......

 

I was on Rogaine for just a few weeks. I don't like it and won't try it ever again. I think I will go towards Finasteride. The side-effects are the only thing I am afraid off. I don't take any medications whatsoever and even when I get sick I don't take meds. I let the sickness wear off. I'm afraid it's going to affect another part of me that was always in good health until I started taking Finasteride.

 

Below are some pics of my hair now; wet out of the shower. 3 weeks of growth.

[NotUrAvg]

Hey RE001. You are in great shape. Yes, you have a slightly aggressive pattern of MPB, but you are on this forum early enough in your life that with some motivation you can save yourself a lot of regret 5-10 years down the line. At 22, do not assume that you have reached your final pattern. Assume it's going to get much worse, and if your assumption is wrong, all the better. I do not think that the importance of compliance with medications can be stressed enough. When you're young and early in your pattern of hair loss, you don't know if the meds are doing anything. You can look in the mirror daily for years and not notice a difference with medications, and it may be discouraging, but the truth is, not noticing a difference may be a huge victory. It's a gamble either way, but staying on the meds, is the safer bet in my opinion. It's a pain in the ass, rubbing nasty rogaine on your head 2x/day or taking a pill daily, but my biggest regret is that I wasn't compliant. Like you I tried rogaine for a few weeks here or there, but since I got impatient and didn't notice a difference, I never stuck with it. Finally 4 months ago I started finasteride and minoxidil, and have been faithfully taking it everyday, and for the first time in my life I am not waking up with hairs on my pillow or in my shower. Plus I have luckily had a lot of growth on my crown already with the meds. I am 29 and a NW5 going on NW6, and I am 100% confident if I was compliant with meds starting at your age, I would have had a lot less hair loss. And I wasn't as advanced as you are now. What did you not like about rogaine? Also don't worry about finasteride as the sexual side effects only affect 2% of patients (i think), and are reversible with cessation of the medication. So get on the meds now, stay compliant, and I promise you there is a good chance you could postpone the need for a HT, require less grafts (and retain your precious donor area), and save some money. If you are lucky enough to maintain this level of loss, I think you could even avoid a HT, as your hair suits the shape of your head very nicely right now. Good luck!

[VickTayback]

I disagree with above posters. I think that hairloss at a young age causes a ridiculous amount of undue stress and problems in life, at a time when youre trying to establish yourself, find your social group, and begin to look

for a mate and a decent job.

 

I started thinning out same age as you, and the insecurity starts eating at your confidence. Later on,

the social jokes start coming from insecure ass holes. Why get to that point when you can

easily and quickly correct this right now?

 

Further, if you know your family history, you can pretty well predict your level of baldness.

 

Sure I'd do the meds, but Id also take solid action before the thinning gets worse.

 

Send your pics to Hasson, and if the meds dont help, get a headstart on a frontal hairline that will be age appropriate for middle age.

 

Dont get any work done in the back. A bald spot back there doesnt matter, and you

might need the grafts eventually in the front.

Edited August 1, 2010 by VickTayback

[Dr Markou]

I believe that starting hair transplants at your age maybe a mistake. Many patients do not want to take propecia, however, the side effects are minimal and the benefits are good. You should also consider low level laser(you can purchase a low level laser comb). Many of my patients benefit a lot with this. Platelet rich plasma (cells taken from your blood) injections are also very helpful , especially in the back.

The problem with starting hair transplants at an early age is that hair loss is an ongoing process. We really dont know how agressive your case will be, or how many grafts you will need for an acceptable result over the next 10 years or so. It would all depend on how stable your current pattern is (Its not stable at your age).

[Dr Markou]

I somewhat agree with this post, but do yourself a favor and give the Propecia, low level laser a full year.

[Sparky]

Do yourself a favour and dont bother with the laser as it does nothing.

[j1j9j85]

use nizoral 2% shampoo 3x a week

take, multi vits ,oil,zinc, amino acid,msm (holland and barret hair special vits) every day!!!

1mg propecia( finesteride) every day

rogaine liquid 2x a day morn and night

start saving now for a HT

send pics to DR hasson of H&W (so you know how much u need)

use a toppik powder concealer for crown

 

do the above for 2 years this should halt future hairloss and may be grow some back or make it thicker at least!!! by which time you have saved up abit of cash to address the hairline with a HT ignore the crown for now use toppik it will save you money.... and the grafts can be used at the front!!!!!!!

 

the above list will work wonders with what hair you have left trust me try it and stick to it for a year take pics first so you can see otherwise you will think its normal???? but dnt stop it or all your hard earned hair will shedd out.... it really works but only after like 6 months

 

im 25 and have had a HT with dr hasson and am doing the list above i chose to get it sorted now as i dnt want it to ruin the rest of my 20s!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[waveskier]

re001,

 

I admire your honesty and ability to be right up front with the issue.

 

Wish you the best!

[RE001]

Hey RE001. You are in great shape. Yes, you have a slightly aggressive pattern of MPB, but you are on this forum early enough in your life that with some motivation you can save yourself a lot of regret 5-10 years down the line. At 22, do not assume that you have reached your final pattern. Assume it's going to get much worse, and if your assumption is wrong, all the better. I do not think that the importance of compliance with medications can be stressed enough. When you're young and early in your pattern of hair loss, you don't know if the meds are doing anything. You can look in the mirror daily for years and not notice a difference with medications, and it may be discouraging, but the truth is, not noticing a difference may be a huge victory. It's a gamble either way, but staying on the meds, is the safer bet in my opinion. It's a pain in the ass, rubbing nasty rogaine on your head 2x/day or taking a pill daily, but my biggest regret is that I wasn't compliant. Like you I tried rogaine for a few weeks here or there, but since I got impatient and didn't notice a difference, I never stuck with it. Finally 4 months ago I started finasteride and minoxidil, and have been faithfully taking it everyday, and for the first time in my life I am not waking up with hairs on my pillow or in my shower. Plus I have luckily had a lot of growth on my crown already with the meds. I am 29 and a NW5 going on NW6, and I am 100% confident if I was compliant with meds starting at your age, I would have had a lot less hair loss. And I wasn't as advanced as you are now. What did you not like about rogaine? Also don't worry about finasteride as the sexual side effects only affect 2% of patients (i think), and are reversible with cessation of the medication. So get on the meds now, stay compliant, and I promise you there is a good chance you could postpone the need for a HT, require less grafts (and retain your precious donor area), and save some money. If you are lucky enough to maintain this level of loss, I think you could even avoid a HT, as your hair suits the shape of your head very nicely right now. Good luck!

 

I purchased Rogaine (foam) and used it a couple of times and felt like I was harming my hair even further rather than helping it. It just didn't feel right. I quit using it and will never buy it again.

 

Thanks for the words of encouragement. I will most likely get on Finasteride as soon as I can. I have done quite a lot of research on it lately and it seems promising. I really hope it can help in reducing the amount of grafts needed for a HT or even dismiss it altogether. We shall see. I just have to find a doctor to prescribe me some. That is the next step.

 

I disagree with above posters. I think that hairloss at a young age causes a ridiculous amount of undue stress and problems in life, at a time when youre trying to establish yourself, find your social group, and begin to look

for a mate and a decent job.

 

I started thinning out same age as you, and the insecurity starts eating at your confidence. Later on,

the social jokes start coming from insecure ass holes. Why get to that point when you can

easily and quickly correct this right now?

 

Further, if you know your family history, you can pretty well predict your level of baldness.

 

Sure I'd do the meds, but Id also take solid action before the thinning gets worse.

 

Send your pics to Hasson, and if the meds dont help, get a headstart on a frontal hairline that will be age appropriate for middle age.

 

Dont get any work done in the back. A bald spot back there doesnt matter, and you

might need the grafts eventually in the front.

 

I agree with your statement but I won't rush into anything that I will regret later. We'll see what the meds will do and the rest will be determined by that.

 

I somewhat agree with this post, but do yourself a favor and give the Propecia, low level laser a full year.

 

Propecia is in the plans but don't know where to get it from in MO? The only suggested hair doctors are in IL near Chicago, kind of far away from me.

 

use nizoral 2% shampoo 3x a week

take, multi vits ,oil,zinc, amino acid,msm (holland and barret hair special vits) every day!!!

1mg propecia( finesteride) every day

rogaine liquid 2x a day morn and night

start saving now for a HT

send pics to DR hasson of H&W (so you know how much u need)

use a toppik powder concealer for crown

 

do the above for 2 years this should halt future hairloss and may be grow some back or make it thicker at least!!! by which time you have saved up abit of cash to address the hairline with a HT ignore the crown for now use toppik it will save you money.... and the grafts can be used at the front!!!!!!!

 

the above list will work wonders with what hair you have left trust me try it and stick to it for a year take pics first so you can see otherwise you will think its normal???? but dnt stop it or all your hard earned hair will shedd out.... it really works but only after like 6 months

 

im 25 and have had a HT with dr hasson and am doing the list above i chose to get it sorted now as i dnt want it to ruin the rest of my 20s!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

I will look into Fin. soon and that will be my primary way of battling hair loss. Rogaine, I won't use again.

 

re001,

 

I admire your honesty and ability to be right up front with the issue.

 

Wish you the best!

 

Thank you.

 

Keeping things bottled up only eats you up even further. Letting it all out is the only way to go.

[j1j9j85]

with the rogaine? i use the liquid i part my hair and drip it directly on the scalp avoiding the hairs but getting it on the roots and wait till it dry,s??? it may not work for all but it certainly does something for me???

 

may be consider the liquid instead of the foam/gel....... this way its easier to avoid hair shafts and it will stimulate dormant hair cells to regenerate and will help maximise gains when used combined with finesteride

[PP2]

I totally feel your pain, I'm in the same boat as you. I have visited several physicians who have all told me that the recommended age to get HT's is between the ages 25-28. I'm 22 and I have been taking Propecia for over a year now and it has worked very well. The side effects have not effected me at all but it's different for every person.

 

Another great option that I have just started using this week is using Nanogen. It is used as a concealer to help cover up the area's where your hair is thinning out and it blends it extremely well with your natural hair. The results have been fantastic for me. It's a great option if want to go with the non-medical route. For more info check out (promotional link removed)

[RE001]

Well, well, well, I have changed my mind.

 

I won't be taking Finasteride or any kind of meds for my hair loss. I just couldn't get myself to accept the fact I would be taking medication; something I am totally against unless your life is on the line and you have to. I am not sick, therefore I don't need to be a slave to pills. I know the side-effects apply to a low percentage but in this situation I'd rather be safe than sorry. Who knows what side-effects I will have from these pills when I'm 50 or 60. I have seen too many people die from medication, unrelated to hair loss medication of course, but you get my point. I don't want to risk it for my well-being. I have cut my hair again to a #1 and I actually feel better than when I let it grow for a few weeks. It has been a voyage of yes or no, this and that but I came to a conclusion: I will continue cutting my hair short until my later years and see what happens. I will probably end up doing a HT (FUE) without meds later on in life to restore some hairs and still be able to shave it down. To me, that's a win-win situation. Having a big scar on the back of my head sounds bad enough for me to not consider the usual HT procedure.

 

What made my decision to do so: I also have gynecomastia. Many of you are familiar with it but it's essentially male-breast enlargement. It wasn't caused by any meds, just had it since puberty. I know all of this sounds pretty bad, hair loss and gyno but actually I don't look too shabby and I'm pleased with the way that I currently look. I choose to take care of my gyno problem over hair loss for now and put my full focus towards bodybuilding. One side-effect of Propecia is gynecomastia and now you see where I'm coming from with my decisions.

 

I feel like I'm making smart decisions for my well-being with what nature has stacked against me. Pills are a no-no to me. I have recently even made a thread about Finasteride and how to acquire it, made statements that I will get on it but after a week of debating with myself with these HUGE dilemmas I have decided to not be a slave to pills.

 

I sincerely thank everyone who has helped me with every question.

[EpilepticSceptic]

RE001,

 

Good for you man! Enjoy the few years that you have left with that stubble on top before it's all gone and you are a NW6/7. Without finasteride it's pretty much a guaruntee you'll be there shortly considering where you are now; but as you are no longer concerned about your hairloss you need not worry about any of this stuff anymore. You are FREE !

[RE001]

RE001,

 

Good for you man! Enjoy the few years that you have left with that stubble on top before it's all gone and you are a NW6/7. Without finasteride it's pretty much a guaruntee you'll be there shortly considering where you are now; but as you are no longer concerned about your hairloss you need not worry about any of this stuff anymore. You are FREE !

 

I'll let nature do its thing.

 

Sorry if you took my pill talk offensive but that's just how I feel about it. I do have family history of hair loss but NONE went to NW6/7. I know I'll lose some more and I'm fine with that fact. I choose to not let my hair rule my life at the moment. I have a head for the #1 look and I'm fine with it.

 

10 years ago we didn't have Facebook, we didn't have MySpace, it was Y2K, we didn't even have the iPhone! God knows what Hair Transplantation technology was like back then and look where it is now. 10 years from now, I might be getting a HT, one unlike nowadays. One can only hope.

 

It has been a psychological war these past few years but guess what, I WON that war and thanks to the knowledge I received in the short period of time being on these forums, it made decision making easier.

Edited August 6, 2010 by RE001

[EpilepticSceptic]

RE001,

 

No offense taken bro -- I just speak the truth.

 

BTW you won the battle maybe for now, but not the war. MPB will NOT quit and with the level of crown loss you have now the odds are ptretty high you'll end up at least a NW5+/6 by age 40.

 

If you want to see what you'll look like as a NW5/6/7 it's pretty simple: just shave the top down to bald skin and leave the monk fringe intact. If you can "live with" that look then you are truly home free! Make sure to go out and see how other people/women react to it as well.

 

My father use to tell me that the mind of a man changes every 5-10 years. Now that I'm 41 I can truly see the wisdom in his statement. That's why if I were you I'd do the shave thing mentioned above and see how you feel about that look. This way you don't have to wait until you're 35/40 to see how you will react about it.

[RE001]

RE001,

 

No offense taken bro -- I just speak the truth.

 

BTW you won the battle maybe for now, but not the war. MPB will NOT quit and with the level of crown loss you have now the odds are ptretty high you'll end up at least a NW5+/6 by age 40.

 

If you want to see what you'll look like as a NW5/6/7 it's pretty simple: just shave the top down to bald skin and leave the monk fringe intact. If you can "live with" that look then you are truly home free! Make sure to go out and see how other people/women react to it as well.

 

My father use to tell me that the mind of a man changes every 5-10 years. Now that I'm 41 I can truly see the wisdom in his statement. That's why if I were you I'd do the shave thing mentioned above and see how you feel about that look. This way you don't have to wait until you're 35/40 to see how you will react about it.

 

I actually did that when I cut my hair today for **** and giggles. Of course I didn't like it but I have more important things to take care of right now. It's all a big waiting game.

[RCWest]

In my opinion, if that is all you've lost in 6 years time then you are doing pretty good. Hairloss generally starts off pretty heavy then tapers off over time. I've seen people go NW 7 in 2 years time, and I've seen people go NW3 and completely stop on their own. But since medication is available these days it won't hurt at all to start taking it.

 

What is your family history like when it comes to MPB?