Hair transplant is permanent... Or maybe not.

[VictimofDHT]

Found this site while frantically searching the net trying to find some info on a case similar to mine. While this site seems like a place for hair transplant patients to share their positive experiences and happiness, I find myself -as a HT patient- feeling even more sad and angry than I have been the past few weeks. Sad and angry because for me it seems there is going to be no success story. Hair transplant, we are always told is "the only permanent" solution to baldness. Well, it turns out that's NOT the case.

My story - Had my first HT in '98. I was experiencing some thinning in the temples. It wasn't really bad but I hate baldness so much I couldn't bear the thought of having to look in the mirror and seeing a receding hairline. Baldness is something I've hated all my life ever since I was 15 and lived in constant fear of. Can't remember number of grafts but it was probably 800-1000. The result wasn't dramatic but maybe because I still had a lot of hair to begin with but I was ok with it. A couple of years later I began seeing more thinning in the front. So, I thought I was losing more hair around the transplanted area. So, I was under the knife once again. Not sure about numbers but it was probably around 1000 grafts again. The result once again was ok/satisfying but density -as expected- wasn't like it was with original hair. 2-3 years go by and suddenly I'm shedding hair so quickly in the same area, which was odd and worrying. I quickly make an appointment with the doctor and go under the knife yet again. This time I remember it was 1700 grafts. By now my loss was more than $ 16000 but I was thinking at least I won't have to worry about this nightmare any more. My frontal area (1/4 -1/3 of my head) is totally transplanted and I had been using Minoxidil and Fin and they were doing a good job slowing the hair loss in the rest of my head. I was fine for a few years until about a couple of years ago when I notice a sudden shed in the same area. I was really mad and frustrated and couldn't understand how I was still losing hair in an area that's been done THREE times. Anyway, I was back at the doctor's and this time he said I needed 800 grafts. I didn't even think twice. I'm not one who has the extra money to be wasting it like this and I hardly get by but again there was NO F***ING way I was gonna go bald even if I had to beg for the money. So, had the HT in Dec '09. There was a little bit of difference but not much but still the result was something I could live with. About 3 months ago out of no where I started noticing my hair disappear again. I was baffled and couldn't understand what the hell was happening. So, I made an appointment with the doctor to see what he has to say. I go there and he takes a look and he gives me the WORST news ever. He said I had a condition that causes the transplanted hairs to die -I think he said due to the effects of DHT and that there was NOTHING I could do about it. So, basically more than $20,000 went down the drain but most importantly I was going to lose all my transplanted hairs ???? I felt like I just wanted to die right then and there. My whole life was on hold for a whole decade while fighting this god damn curse and it's all for nothing. I was completely devastated and was feeling numb from what was just dropped on me. I cant remember the name of this condition but he said it's a very rare one that some people have.

 

But I still don't understand, if the hairs are gonna die from DHT effects like the original ones that means it should be a gradual thing. The hairs were shed in like 2 months or so.

I found a posting on this site that talked about "seasonal shedding", which I'd never heard of before. It really gave me hope for a second but withing minutes it all evaporated. If my shedding were "seasonal" where are the hairs from the 3 previous HTs ?? In total I think I had at least 4200 grafts in the frontal area. That should be MORE than enough to give a very good result.

I am not bald in the front but there's certainly obvious thinning -started 2-3 months back like I said. And if the doctor is right that means I will eventually lose everything especially that I do see miniaturizing hairs.

Sorry this has been long but I just wanted to know if any of you have this curse of a condition. I also wanted to bring your attention to this so you know that for a small minority of us there is NO light at the end of the tunnel.

My only hope is that the couple of companies that have been talking about a successful treatment for hair loss in the next couple of years do actually come up with something. Otherwise my life is over, even though my life has been over for the past decade.

 

BTW, the last 2 HTs I had in Vancouver at H&W. So, I know this isn't due to the work of a doctor who didn't know what he was doing.

[hairthere]

Hey victim, I'm really sorry to hear about your ordeal and this condition you have. I can only imagine how disheartening that must be to find out, especially after going under the knife so many times.

 

It's tough to offer you any real advice without knowing what your situation looks like, so posting some pics would help. I think the members of this forum can offer you some good insight and information, as well as support.

[HARIRI]

Thats so sad to hear really. If I were you with this much money spent, I would go crazy by now. My guess is that maybe the donor hair was taken out of the safe zone. Check your scar, was it within the safe zone below or was too high and out of the safe zone. Show us a pic of your scar to know they mysterious reason of the poor growth. I really feel you buddy.

[RodG]

Hi,

 

You probably need to show the forum some photographs and let us know the specific condition that you are suffering. Who was the doctor who diagnosed you with this condition?

 

Life can be tough and losing hair at a young age can really affect your confidence BUT I have to say that your life is not over. I lost 50% of my hair at 21 years old and it did affect my confidence. I ended up marrying a really nice and attractive wife (married now for 23 years) and I have 3 kids. I wish you well and I hope you get thru this so that you can enjoy your life.

 

Kind Regards

 

Rod

[VictimofDHT]

Hairthere, Hariri, RodG, thank you all for your replies and support. I tried to reply yesterday but after writing almost a whole page my stupid PC froze for some reason and I lost everything. Then I tried a second time and after several lines I accidently erased everything.

 

Anyway, I can't remember the name Dr.Wong (H&W) gave for the condition I have but if any of you is going to see him he can ask him, or I might go to see him in a couple of months and I'll ask him. Basically he said the new hairs would end up dying like the original ones. He said something about an autoimmune disorder although I'm not really convinced. He said the hairs would die gradually just like the way original hairs do. In my case, the new hairs seemed to live for some time (5-6 years after the 1st HT by H&W) then in like a couple of months -after 6 years- there was noticeable thinning in the area. This time there was considerable thinning again just a year after my last HT in Dec '09 and it all happened within 2 months, which made me think it was "seasonal shedding" but then like I said in original posting I've had a total of 4 HTs in the same area over the past decade or so totalling more than 4200 grafts, yet I was still experiencing thinning. And actually to be more accurate I've had 5 HTs but I said 4 because my very first HT was a very small one (300 grafts). Unfortunately I was in such a hurry to start my battle against this curse that as soon as I saw a very mild thinning in my temples I was planning my first HT. Unfortunately also, I was naive like many of you here and was fooled by all the ads by who else....Bosley. Those butchers were so eager to get me in instead of advising me to wait as at that stage the thinning wasn't even that noticeable. But they must have thought that was easy money. Close to $3000 for 300 grafts. Not bad (for them).

 

So yeah, 5 HTs over the past 12 years. First one at Bosley in LA. Second at Sword in Torrance. Third at NHI in LA. Fourth and fifth at H&W in Vancouver where I currently live. I can't remember but either after my HT at Sword or NHI there was a wider than usual scar left but thankfully Dr. Wong fixed it for me. Even I feel shock and disbelief as I type this. I can't believe I've been through this and then come to the realization that it's all for nothing. The toll this has taken on me is beyond description. I've been a hostage of this curse for such a long time. The anger alone I feel is going to kill me. I still would like to believe that I'll keep at least some of my transplanted hairs. Dr. Wong said we could do a biopsy to see if I do have that condition but then he said it wasn't a sure thing, meaning that I could get a false negative, but I can't remember if he said it was possible to get false positive too. I'm thinking about going back to see him in a couple of months because I'm dying to know what the hell I have. If a positive result is "true" positive then I know I'm doomed but at least I won't have to torture myself wondering if I have it or not. I also want to add that he'd only seen a couple of patients with this condition. So other HT doctors might also be familiar with it and I'm surprised that non of the people on this site have it. Wow ! I must be really unfortunate. So, for the small exception of us (who have this curse) the only sure way to find out if you have it or not is only after you go under the knife and all the trauma and lose a few thousand dollars. Life is wonderful, isn't it !!

 

RodG, when I said my life was over I wasn't exaggerating. The impact of all this on my life is immeasurable. I also need to mention that in my case there was another factor that made things literally a billion times worse for me. I have BDD (body dysmorphic disorder). For people who know what this is they know what people who suffer from it can go thru. I've been suffering from this (BDD) way before my hair started thinning. So, you can only imagine what it is like to lose your hair on top of it. I pretty much don't have a life. Couldn't even go to college or even try to put myself on the right track to a good job. No dating or nothig, although it was never a goal for me to get married or have a family with or without hair as I wold never create another soul to have the miseries of life thrown at it. But not a moment goes by without feeling great pain and sadness because I could never achieve any of my goals in life because of the psychological impact of this curse on me.

 

Like I said, I'm still not bald and still would be somewhat happy keeping what I have but knowing that the ghost of baldness and losing all my transplanted hairs is looming is what's worrying me and making me very depressed. But because of my BDD even looking in the mirror is a painful thing, although this has nothing to do with one's looks. And for the past 3 months -since the last shed- I've basically been avoiding looking in the mirror. But I still appreciate that you're trying to make me feel good.

 

I'm still hoping that the sudden shed I've been experiencing is "seasonal" or caused by other stuff though realistically it doesn't look like it.

My other hope is the treatments we've been hearing about that should be coming out in a few years or less -if they actually are successful- although I feel by then it will be a little too late for me to start my life.

[The count Of Baldecristo]

I dont understand nothing, from what you write i think you are also a bit in the dark about all this. Its an autoimmune disorder, like its killing your grafts? MPB is considered an autoimmune disorder where our body attacks our hair thats why they miniaturize. but the hair on the back are supposed to be immune. Did he say its gonna kill the hair in your safe zone as well?

 

this is very weird, are you on propecia or avodart?

 

If i was you i would go to a dermatologist or something like that to get a second opinion. does anyone else know about this condition i ve never heard it before. I ve heard about thinning in the donor area and for that most doctors advice propecia but something like that i ve never heard it before!

[VictimofDHT]

I dont understand nothing, from what you write i think you are also a bit in the dark about all this. Its an autoimmune disorder, like its killing your grafts? MPB is considered an autoimmune disorder where our body attacks our hair thats why they miniaturize. but the hair on the back are supposed to be immune. Did he say its gonna kill the hair in your safe zone as well?

 

this is very weird, are you on propecia or avodart?

 

If i was you i would go to a dermatologist or something like that to get a second opinion. does anyone else know about this condition i ve never heard it before. I ve heard about thinning in the donor area and for that most doctors advice propecia but something like that i ve never heard it before!

 

I don't know what you mean by "in the dark". What's there to be in the dark about ?? I am puzzled by what's happening, yes. I am quoting what the doctor told me, which I'm not convinced of. I don't know what autoimmune disorder has do with this. Maybe DHT for some god damn reason affecting the new hairs even thought we're told it's not supposed to. I was told that in very rare cases some people end up losing their transplanted hair. This is happening to me. I just hope I don't end up losing all of it.