Looking at getting a hair transplant. Opinions, advice?

[Swimmy]

Here's my story,

 

I've been thinning since I was 16. At first it wasn't really a big deal! My hairline was receding a little but I still had a full head of hair. But as the years went on I notice that I had some thinning in the crown area by the time I was 18. However, this possibly could have been thererearlier and I just then noticed it.

 

Fast forward all those years I was on nothing. No treatments. I was actually dying my hair so that wasn't helping. Unhealthy eating habits. Which if you know it or not what you eat plays a BIG part in your hair loss. There was also a time in my life where I was under a lot of stress and I would lose chunks of my hair in the shower...All this contributing to my problem...Now I wouldn't say that my hair loss is strong. I look at my grad pictures from 05 and my hairline then is still there! Its just thinner and lighter with some thinning on top. However, at age 21 the realization hit me like a brick wall..Now for a guy like me its devastating cause I am a pretty darn looking guy. So ever since I've been researching hair loss from all sides from natural,pharmaceutical, and transplants. All this stuff contemplated for years trying to find the answer to my hair loss.. Now I'm 23 soon to be 24 in a month.

 

For awhile now I'm so self conscious about my hair that I don't even go out. Like they say you lose a part of yourself and its true. I don't have the confidence or motivation to go out into public. Its hard for me to be me.Its really put a damper on my social life and at times it does depress me cause it feels like the world passes you by as you get older and it sucks.

 

 

So as of now. I've been taking internals for my hair loss and plan to clean up my diet. The good news is that I've managed to halt my hair loss and get slight regrowth in the temples all in 5 months. However, this is a very very slow process and I'm not guaranteed regrowth. This is where my interest in a hair transplant comes in. Cause I want to get some minor work done on my crown. My temples filled in and nothing on my hairline..But would actually like some minor work done behind the hairline. I feel that I can restore the hair line with the right products since right now they're just miniaturized.

 

Knowing all of this. Yes i know I may be too young in your opinions.

I know all of this. But at the same time I have all the confidence to halt my hair loss. However, I lack the confidence to be out in public cause of my hair loss now. I know a minor transplant operation would do wonders for my confidence. Hell, a restored hairline with the crown ignored would still make me content. As of now no pictures. But I will try to get some up soon.

 

Thanks

[Sparky]

If unhealthy eating habits contribute so much to hairloss, why is it I have never seen a blad or balding tramp?

[Swimmy]

LOL what?

 

 

Yes I said food plays a part. There's evidence that increased insulin has a major role in hair loss. That's just a tip of the iceberg. If you can fix your diet you can possibly cure your hair loss. Eliminate the cause not the symptoms.

 

 

Heres one such study

 

 

BACKGROUND: A recent report suggested that men with vertex balding have higher levels of plasma insulin-like growth factor 1 (IGF-1). The association of its major carrier protein, insulin-like growth factor binding protein 3 (IGFBP-3), with male pattern hair loss has not been examined. OBJECTIVE: We evaluated the relations of plasma concentrations of IGF-1 and IGFBP-3 with vertex balding in middle-aged and elderly men. METHODS: Participants were 431 male members of the Health Professionals Follow-up Study who responded to a question in 1992 on their hair pattern at 45 years of age and who were 47 to 81 years old when they provided a blood specimen in 1993-1994. Odds ratios (ORs) of vertex balding associated with IGF-1 and IGFBP-3 were estimated from logistic regression models mutually adjusting for each other and controlling for age at blood draw. RESULTS: Of the 431 men, 128 had vertex balding at age 45. Compared with men who were not balding, for a 1 standard deviation increase in plasma IGF-1 level (72.4 ng/mL), the OR for vertex balding was 1. 31 (95% CI, 0.95-1.81). For a 1 standard deviation increase in plasma IGFBP-3 (957 ng/mL), the OR for vertex balding was 0.62 (95% CI, 0.44-0.88). CONCLUSION: Older men with vertex balding have lower circulating levels of IGFBP-3 and higher levels of IGF-1 when controlling for IGFBP-3 level.

 

 

Vertex balding, plasma insulin-like growth factor ... [J Am Acad Dermatol. 2000] - PubMed result

 

 

 

Early androgenetic alopecia as a marker of insulin... [Lancet. 2000] - PubMed result

 

 

The previously proven association between androgenetic, alopecia and serious cardiovascular events raises a question of the common pathogenetic mechanism of these disorders. Our practice-based case-control study in men aged 19-50 years showed a strikingly increased risk of hyperinsulinaemia and insulin-resistance-associated disorders such as obesity, hypertension, and dyslipidemia in men with early onset of alopecia (<35), compared with age-matched controls. This finding supports the hypothesis that early androgenetic alopecia could be a clinical marker of insulin resistance.

[Swimmy]

If unhealthy eating habits contribute so much to hairloss, why is it I have never seen a blad or balding tramp?

 

 

But to answer this more directly. Us unlucky few are just more genetically vulnerable to certain things. Balding is a warning sign.

[aaron1234]

You should probably go on Finasteride. 24 is way too young for a transplant, espeically if you haven't tried FIn. Get on it and give it a year.

[EpilepticSceptic]

Swimmy,

 

 

Welcome to the MPB pit, a.k.a. -- hell!

 

I'm also in that stratosphere of exceedingly good looking with hair, and just another average balding joe without. Sucks doesn't it ? I went from looking like Rob Lowe to Richard Nixon in 5 short years (age 21-26). Fortunately for me the hairloss came to a grinding halt, and it appears I took after my mother's side where the men look like Richard Nixon.

 

It's a crying shame that you are so insecure about your hairloss state now that you won't go out in public. What you think looks horrible now is where you'd pay a million dollars to be in 10 years from now when you're 34. Trust me, you'll look back on those old photos and think to yourself "my god, why didn't I get out of the house while I still had at least some decent hair ? "

 

The thing about MPB is that it will only get worse with time, that's a guaruntee along with taxes and death. My advice to you is the same advice people give to young girls: you'd better enjoy these years now whilst you're young and pretty, cause in 10/15/20 years (which will seem like 10 minutes looking back) you certainly wont be able to rely on your looks anymore!

[Sparky]

Your diet wont contribute anything to MPB, if your diet was really really bad it would come out in clumps, but defo no difference to MPB.

 

 

When my Dad went bald, he was in great pysical shape and had an awesome diet, but he still had less hair at 24 than i've got at 34, and my diet it ok but it could be better.

[Swimmy]

Your diet wont contribute anything to MPB, if your diet was really really bad it would come out in clumps, but defo no difference to MPB.

 

 

When my Dad went bald, he was in great pysical shape and had an awesome diet, but he still had less hair at 24 than i've got at 34, and my diet it ok but it could be better.

 

 

 

What was his diet? The appearance of physical health doesn't make one healthy. You'd also be surprised at whats bad for you