27 yo with fine hair. Should I get a HT?

[trader]

I started losing my hair in college when I was 21. About a year later I went on propecia, and it has almost stopped the loss but I am still have hair loss both at my temples and on the crown of my head. My balding head makes me self conscious and at 27, the height of my dating life, I want a full head of hair like most men out there. My hair is extremely fine, and I am wondering if HT will work on this type of hair? How many grafts will I need to get back a natural look?

 

Thanks so much for any help

[Blake Bloxham]

Trader,

 

I'm please to hear you are already taking Propecia. Preventive measures, such as finasteride (Propecia), will really help you maintain in your current state. Additionally, you may want to look into adding minoxidil (Rogaine) and a shampoo containing ketoconazole (such as Nizoral or Revita) to your routine.

 

As far as a transplant is concerned, it's a bit difficult to discern from the photographs, but you may be a candidate. I think the most proactive step you could take right now is consulting with one of our recommended hair restoration physicians and discussing your goals, options, and potential treatments with a doctor. Also, you can use the hair loss learning center graft calculator to investigate how many follicular unit grafts you may require.

 

I hope this helps!

[mattj]

There are numerous things that you have to consider before deciding to go ahead with a transplant, but I think the fineness of your hair is not something you need to be too concerned about. Your hair doesn't look especially thin from what I can tell. But hair transplants can be performed on patients with fine hair with very good results.

[Goldilocks]

Arguably, the hairline can look even more natural with fine hair. Of course, you'd need more grafts to achieve adequate density for the transplant overall...

 

Nice iPhone by the way.

[EpilepticSceptic]

Concerning hair shaft diameter, I actually think the best place to be is somewhere in the middle -- unless the loss is so severe and the area to cover so large that the HT will look too thin.

 

The problem with coarse hair (IMO) is that even the best docs cannot totally avoid the "pluggy" look upon very close inspection. So the HT may look great from a distance, but up close and running fingers thru the hair may reveal that something was done. This might be OK for some, but for me I'd have issues if a girl could "spot" something strange and unnatural.

 

BTW, my shaft diameter is medium fine. Had it been coarse I probably would have opted to not get a HT, mostly because I've seen a few URFUT plants with coarse hair and, though it looked great, up close I could spot it as a plant.

 

I was actually ALOT more concerned about this issue than I was the strip scar, because the recipient area is what everybody sees on you (up close and personal) every day -- and it CAN'T be hidden, unless you live under a hat!

[mahhong]

Hi trader!

 

Your hair is very similar to mine at the moment, and we're both 27, so some similarities! I probably don't have quite as much loss at the temples but, by contrast, am slightly more diffuse across the whole hairline.

 

Firstly, your hair actually doesn't look that bad! I understand you want to do something about it (as I do with mine!) but I would imagine the vast majority of people, girls included, wouldn't notice your hair as 'balding'. Even though you do have a bit of recession it's amazing how many people that don't think or worry about hairloss don't notice thinning or receding hairlines. I'm only saying that because, even though you're going to do more to combat hairloss, I don't think you have much to worry about with girls (so long as the personality and other stuff is intact!).

 

Although it's difficult to tell from the photos my initial reaction was that your hair isn't that fine. That having been said, even if it is I don't think that would make a massive impact on your suitability as a HT candidate. As Future HT Doc suggested above, you should look into adding minoxidil and nizoral to your regime as these could both help to thicken your existing hair up and generally make it a bit thicker and denser. They might also help a bit more on the temples/crown, although those seem to generally be the most difficult parts to tackle. I'm sure the minoxidil/rogaine could make even bigger improvements to your hair.

 

Regarding HTs you'd have to speak to a doctor about whether you're suitable but some things to bear in mind. Because you're young and the extent of your hairloss is not well established yet it's unlikely any doctor would risk 'restoring' your hair completely to its original density. There's no doubt they could thicken up your hairline and crown and reshape your hair but they would probably be hesitant to use up too much of your donor hair as your baldness could get worse in the next 20+ years. I'm only saying that because you mentioned the phrase "full head of hair" and, whilst a HT can work wonders, it's not going to quite give you that back and I would imagine a doctor would want to keep as much donor hair as possible in case you needed more HTs in the future.

 

I'm not a doctor though, so don't take my suggestion as fact, just my gut feeling based on the results and procedures of others. An HT could make a big improvement to your hairline though, so please don't think I'm saying you can't or shouldn't have one! Best thing to do is speak to a coalition doctor and get an initial consultation on what can be done and if you are a candidate!

[RCWest]

Consult with Dr. Feller. He is in New York and gets excellent reviews on here, and his prices are very reasonable.

 

For 6 years of hair loss, you still have a pretty strong forelock and crown. If Propecia is maintaining, you could get a small procedure done in the hairline and have yourself in good shape in under a years time. My hair is medium/fine, but considering I've only had 1200 grafts throughout over the front half, it shows promise that another 2000 or so would give me the illusion of a full head.

Edited July 31, 2010 by RCWest

[EpilepticSceptic]

Consult with Dr. Feller. He is in New York and gets excellent reviews on here, and his prices are very reasonable.

 

For 6 years of hair loss, you still have a pretty strong forelock and crown. If Propecia is maintaining, you could get a small procedure done in the hairline and have yourself in good shape in under a years time. My hair is medium/fine, but considering I've only had 1200 grafts throughout over the front half, it shows promise that another 2000 or so would give me the illusion of a full head.

 

 

RCWest,

 

Do you have before and after photos ?

[trader]

Thank you everybody for your kind responses.

 

I did try Rogaine for some time, but I didn’t see any improvement from it and it made my hair very oily and matted down so I eventually stopped it. The only drug that has worked for me is propecia. I think that given how fast I was balding before I started using it, that I would have lost much of my hair before I was 30 without it.

 

Mahhong I agree with you that my hair loss pattern has not yet been established, and both my Grandpas are completely bald, so I know that the odds of it getting worse are good. I want to be careful about this, at the same time I want to look my best so it is a bit of a tricky walk.

 

RCWest, thanks for recommending Dr. Feller. I live in Manhattan so he is close to me. Have other people had good results with him. Are there other good doctors in the area that I could consult with?

 

Thanks all,

Trader