New member/ young guy considering a minimal HT

[Drew1221]

Hi all, this website is great , truely remarkable, and only a bald/balding person can really appreciate it for what it's worth. Unbelievable amount of information and amazing people who are willing to travel everywhere finding the best doctors. I've been coming here on and off for the past couple of months absorbing information. I finally decided to get membership and I am seriously considering getting an HT.

 

HERES MY STORY, YOU CAN SKIP IT IF YOU WANT TO GO TO THE QUESTIONS I HAVE ON THE BOTTOM.

 

I started going bald when I was 18, by the time I was 20 my hairline in front completely receeded and I looked just like Bruce Willis after he made DieHard 3 with a vengeance(1995), and the crown on top was getting more and more noticeable. I wasnt happy with this at age 20, but i dealt with it. I was always able to part it after taking a shower and it would blend in well with my face and forehead, and my ex-gf would always cut it short for me. But like most balding sufferers, the bald pattern didnt stop at just a receeded hairline. Im now turning 26 in a month and the "peak" on top of my head is starting to turn into a "poof". Its down to the point now where i can see the scalp regardless of how i part it or special shampoo to use. when i carefully(lightly) run my hand over the top of my dry hair, 5+ hairs get stuck to my hand I am basically a norwood 4a. The crown on top my head is almost all gone and you can see scalp.

 

I know im rambling on and maybe I should of posted this part in the support forum, but this is leading to an important question. I want to get an HT done, but only to the front part of my head. I still have a "peak" but in a couple more years it will be gone. I just want to fill in that area so i still have a receeded hairline, maintaining that 1995 Bruce willis look. I do not care about the CROWN being filled in, people dont see that when I talk to them face to face. I just hate it when im talking to someone and suddenly they glance above my forehead because you can see the scalp there now, especially in bright lighting and the worst of all is when it's windy outside!

 

I want to get this minimal HT only to the front CENTER TOP part of my head, I do NOT want to fill in the crown, and I do NOT want to fill in the hairline where it receeded, that part has been gone for years now! And i am use to the receeded look, it doesnt bother me. What bothers me is knowing that my peak will soon dissapear.

 

MY 1st QUESTION: How much would this cost(ball park range), from what ive been reading im thinking around 4-5 thousand.

 

SECOND QUESTION: Could i accomplish this in 1 surgery? and never have to deal with it again?

 

THIRD QUESTION: I have slight adult acne on my face that's almost unnoticeable, but occasionally I get small pimples on my scalp that are never serious and go away in a day or 2. I also get pimples occasionally on the back of my head, possibly where the recipient area would be, the pimples i get on the back of my head tend to be more cyst-like but go away fast and are very infrequent (couple times a month)

 

Will this acne problem cause interference with the operation and post operation?

 

Thanks in advance!

[Spanker]

I am sure something could be done about the acne, but someone will have to chime in on that. As far as price, that seems a little low to me. that would be for about 1000 grafts, and even doing a very conservative hairline like you are talking about, would be more than 1000, and you will be looking at between 4.25 and 6 dollars per graft. Assume you need 2000 grafts, which is still a small proceedure, you are looking at 8500 to 12000 dollars depending on the doc.

 

At 26, I would not plan on one surgery and never dealing with it again.

[corvettester]

The acne shouldn't be a problem if you described it accurately. I had the same thing.

 

One thing of note, throughout my first three months, I had more acne in my recipient area than in my entire life. It was new hair sprouting, but it manifested itself via acne. It was the most frustrating part about the HT. They were very large pimples, with blood, sometimes four or five a day.

 

The price you mentioned seems very low in my opinion. Think closer to $8-10K for 2,000 grafts. A thousand grafts doesn't cover much, especially on a NW4a, IMO.

 

26 is too young to think about just one surgery, especially if you're a NW4a.

 

 

Corvettester