2 very general questions for the experts: (i.e. Falc)

[notsosure]

1. I live in central Indiana (Indianapolis) and am looking for a really good HT surgeon. I am 30 years old. My hair is thinning overall (although nobody else notices when I tell them it is. To me it is VERY obvious). The temples of my head are receeding. I spike my hair up and comb it in a way that it's not severely noticable, but again... for me, it is very noticable and getting more and more by the day. So, the question is, if you had to recommend 1 surgeon for me, who would it be? Cost is not a problem, as I am willing to pay for the results if that's what it takes. Again, this would mainly be to correct the receeding areas of my temples and maybe a tiny portion in the very front. I really respect everyone's opinions here and am looking for some solid advice from those of you that know enough to offer REALLY solid advice.

 

2. Currently, my only main reservation to this is I'm afraid of the "tight scalp" sensation that I've heard people have after the surgery, and perhaps forever afterwards. Is that even a problem anymore? I feel very uneducated about this, even after reading lots of posts.

 

Thanks so much for the advice!

[notsosure]

1. I live in central Indiana (Indianapolis) and am looking for a really good HT surgeon. I am 30 years old. My hair is thinning overall (although nobody else notices when I tell them it is. To me it is VERY obvious). The temples of my head are receeding. I spike my hair up and comb it in a way that it's not severely noticable, but again... for me, it is very noticable and getting more and more by the day. So, the question is, if you had to recommend 1 surgeon for me, who would it be? Cost is not a problem, as I am willing to pay for the results if that's what it takes. Again, this would mainly be to correct the receeding areas of my temples and maybe a tiny portion in the very front. I really respect everyone's opinions here and am looking for some solid advice from those of you that know enough to offer REALLY solid advice.

 

2. Currently, my only main reservation to this is I'm afraid of the "tight scalp" sensation that I've heard people have after the surgery, and perhaps forever afterwards. Is that even a problem anymore? I feel very uneducated about this, even after reading lots of posts.

 

Thanks so much for the advice!

[HK500]

Hello and welcome to the forum,

As we tell all new members we'll need your statistics so we can guide you better:

- Age 30

- Are you taking any kind of Finasteride/Dutasteride or using Minoxidil?

- Take pictures of you hair, top, front, back and sides and post them here in the photo album section, you'll get a lot of expert advice. For the best way to take pics go to:

http://www.hairtransplantmento...-loss-photo-tips.htm

 

- Ask as many questions as you need, we are here to help. Research, read, learn as much as you can on this forum and on the Multimedia Hair Loss Learning Center:

http://www.hairlosslearningcenter.org/

 

- Once you are a bit more familiar with the terminology and the different approaches you can guesstimate your own Norwood scale:

http://hairloss.cyberatlantis....ry/norwood_scale.php

 

- Check members Hair Loss Weblogs to find cases similar to yours, the doctors who did their HT and their results:

http://www.hairtransplantnetwork.com/blog/

 

- You can also play with the graft calculator to get an idea:

http://www.hairlosslearningcenter.org/mm/calc.html

 

Don't rush, the more you know, the better the choices you'll make. Some members spend months and sometimes more than one year researching before reaching their best educated decision.

We are looking forward to more of your details so we can be more helpful.

The tight scalp sensation is temporary for the vast majority of patients, only a few weeks after surgery, when you go to a good surgeon.

[fusion47]

As to number 1, I had my HT with Dr. Cooley in Charlotte, NC. Great experience. As to number 2, Dr. Cooley excised a 20cm x 1.5 cm strip and I never really experience any tightness after the first day. I have average to below average donor laxity and the strip yielded nearly 2200 grafts, so maybe you can use this as a comparison in your research.

[Bill - Seemiller]

notsosure,

 

HK500 gave you some great advice and a number of links to our resources and others to start your research.

 

Narrowing down a surgeon takes a lot of time and research. Selecting a surgeon should also be a person choice based on that research and looking for consistency in results.

 

Though I'm not familiar with a quality surgeon in Indiana, there are several top notch surgeons in the surrounding states. To see a list of surgeons we recommend, click here. To see our standards for recommendation, click here.

 

The tight scalp sensation is a very good possibility if you go through with surgery and depends upon the session size verses scalp elasticity. It's usually only temporary and goes away after a few weeks to a few months.

 

I hope this helps.

 

Best wishes,

 

Bill

[notsosure]

Ok guys, here we go... I've taken 3 pictures. It was really hard to take them of myself. Especially the back one, so please excuse the blurriness. I tried the best I could. Hopefully it gives you an idea what my Norwood scale is. I do want to preface this by saying I never want to take propecia. Nothing against those that use it, but the potential side effects just aren't worth it for me, as my wife and I hope to have another child soon.

 

Anyway, on with answering the questions:

 

1. Are you taking any kind of Finasteride/Dutasteride or using Minoxidil?

 

Answer: No. I tried rogain about 2 years ago and it did nothing for me, other than stain up my pillow at night :-)

 

2. I would guess my Norwood scale is a II with overall thinning.

 

Below you'll find the pictures. I know my hair could be a lot worse, and for that, I'm very thankful, but this really bothers me and I feel like something needs to be done.

 

Other things to note:

 

- My hair started noticeably receding around age 24 after I finished treatment of accutane. My hair thinned overall and then I'm guessing it just happened to be the time that my hair decided it wanted to recede as well.

 

- My father has a receding hairline in the temples mostly, and overall thinning at age 58, which I suppose is pretty normal. There is no major balding that runs in my family.

 

- Price isn't a concern, as I just want good results that leave me better off than I am now. I'm VERY afraid of having the surgery and ending up worse off for the rest of my life. Like I mentioned above, my hair isn't completely ruining my life by any means, but I find myself always thinking about it and how it gets worse and worse by the day.

 

Anyway, please take a look at the pictures and let me know your suggestions. I'm very eager to hear what you would suggest.

 

If any of the doctors out there would like to comment, I would be much appreciative. Thanks so much in advance!

 

 

 

[Eman]

Looking at your pics and the strength of your hairline with minimal receding at the temples, I would just leave good enough alone. Like you said, "nobody else notices", and they are right!

 

Surgery is a big deal (i know you know this) and the procedure is invasive--I would recommend you come back here in ten years and the technology will be better and you might actually need a procedure. When I look at pictures of guys like yourself and I show my girlfriend, she cannot understand why you would even contemplate this. You risk permanent shockloss, you will have a nice smiley fave on the back of your head, and who knows where your recession will go in the future.

 

It is great that you found this forum and that you are researching here. You have at minimum saved yourself from one of the mills, which would have started you down the road of many procedures to repair the mistakes done to your head by them.

 

Take it from a NW4+, you honestly do not need surgery (which is a good thing!!)

[mmhce]

Surgery is a big deal (i know you know this) and the procedure is invasive

 

Eman,

 

Why would we define HT as an invasive surgery?

[hairthere]

I understand you being bothered by your hairloss, but at this point i'd say you're not a good candidate for ht surgery. no one else notices your hairloss because at this stage it's just not that bad. i would say you're more like a nw1. leave it alone.

[notsosure]

Hey guys, thanks for the response. I totally hear what you're saying. I think those pictures must have been taken at a good angle or something. I would say my hair is receding a good inch on the side, from where it once was. Does that change your opinions or no?

 

I guess I didn't realize the problems that would come along with an HT. In my mind, I saw this:

 

1. you get a scar on the back of your head that nobody ever sees, because it's covered up by hair.

 

2. You have a nice and bloody/nasty looking scalp in the front areas where hair was transplanted, which lasts only a week or so.

 

3. The HT hair falls out on its own, and in 3 months and beyond, the HT hair starts coming in.

 

Those 3 things didn't sound bad to me at all. Am I missing some major component here? Sorry to be so naive. Again, thank you for your honest opinions.

[latinlotus]

I don't think you need HT at this time, especially since people don't notice anyway. You should start finsateride right now though. Also stop Rogain, it does not work, as you can see for yourself.

 

As for the tightness of the scalp, it is unlikely that you will experience beyond a few weeks after HT. I didn't feel any tightness after one month, and i have a bit more hair loss than you.

[Eman]

Not hijacking this thread but simply answering mmhce's question and hopefully helping notsosure as well.

 

The reason I said that HTs are invasive is due to the strip removal--a large incision-- of up to 1 to 3-cm width by 20(+)-cm length (many are less than that, but some are more) on the back of your scalp. Plus the incisions made on the recipient site where the grafts are placed which as you know can be in the 1000's.

 

That is why I would call a HT invasive.

[Mr. GQ]

Originally posted by Eman:

Not hijacking this thread but simply answering mmhce's question and hopefully helping notsosure as well.

 

The reason I said that HTs are invasive is due to the strip removal--a large incision-- of up to 1 to 3-cm width by 20(+)-cm length (many are less than that, but some are more) on the back of your scalp. Plus the incisions made on the recipient site where the grafts are placed which as you know can be in the 1000's.

 

That is why I would call a HT invasive.

 

eman it's a no brainer really. that and plus add a hack doctor to the mix and you are a ticking time bomb....

[mmhce]

Not sure I understand Mr. GQ's comment about it being a no brainer.

 

There was another poster who made a comment a while aback about scalp exercises being a "no-brainer" and almost lead some people astray, if Jotronic had not stepped in.

 

But, and not to hijack this thread, I was under the impression that only upon entering the body of a patient that a surgery can be considered invasive. But apparently, surgery CAN be MINIMALLY invasive as described here:

 

"By definition, minimally invasive surgery utilizes small skin incisions, minimizes the damaging effects of large muscle retraction, and attempts to leave the body as naturally intact as it was prior to surgery. "

 

Thank you for your corrections.

[notsosure]

Originally posted by latinlotus:

I don't think you need HT at this time, especially since people don't notice anyway. You should start finsateride right now though. Also stop Rogain, it does not work, as you can see for yourself.

 

Are there any major side effects with finasteride?

 

Thanks.

[notsosure]

hmm... ok, no thanks after reading this:

 

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Finasteride

 

I'd rather be bald than suffer from these side effects. Although, it's "almost" a toss up.

[Chuckisduck]

I lost a bunch from my accutane treatment. Mine is a bit worse than yours and just got a HT.

[HK500]

Notsosure,

Your case is similar to mine in certain areas, I was in my forties, my loss was around a NW 2, many people told me to wait and that I did not need to do a HT. Check out my Hair web log to see my early pictures.

I can see you have some recession but it's still minor, I would agree it's a bit early to do a HT. The best thing to do at your age is to stabilize the loss with Finasteride and maybe a shampoo. I understand your concerns with the drug's potential side effects, very few people experience them but you never know... In my case I take 1/4 Proscar (generic) per day, I use Revita shampoo and I do one in office laser session per week. I still think Finasteride is very safe, if you get bad side effects you can always try it for 6 months then stop and the effects will be reversed, use a good shampoo like Revita, go do a few in office laser sessions and see how it goes, given your low hair loss I bet you you'll get good enough results that you'll postpone your HT until your forties, with luck you may not even need one at all if you respond well to all these treatments.

[Jotronic]

From what I can see in your photos it appears that your left temple is slightly more recessed than your right temple. I believe this is the area you are referring to.

 

If you want my opinion, and I work for a clinic, you have the kind of hair now that most patients would love to have. Sure, you have some recession, but it is not severe in the least. However, knowing full well that hair loss and how it affects different people can vary, your anxiety about loss is relative. It bothers you probably as much as someone that may be further along on the hair loss chart.

 

In short, I don't think you "need" to do anything. I'd focus on your family and move on especially because you are so fearful of side effects. I can tell you however that after having written thousands of prescriptions for finasteride that side effects are indeed quite rare overall and if one does have side effects they usually disappear after about a week or two of not taking the meds. If you want a procedure after you and your wife have another child then go for it but for now you should be happy with what you have and focus on the more important things in life.

 

And regarding the "invasive" comment. I believe ALL surgery is invasive, just to varying degrees.

[Dewayne]

notsosure:

 

I'm fairly sure there are at least 100 people on here who'd pay $25,000 to have your hair, so that's why you're getting those comments.

 

But, to a guy like me hair transplants aren't a big deal anymore, but I WAS a lot balder than you. Now I'm only a little balder.

 

All that said, there are plenty of docs in the midwest / northeast outside of Indiana. If cost is not a factor, consider Feller, Cooley, Bernstein, H&W, etc. You could get 2,000 grafts and probably look 18 again from the looks of your hair.