My BF is going bald :(

[Katie92]

Hey everyone,

 

So I am not a person suffering from baldness though I joined as I really need your help. I hope you guys don't mind me asking cos I have done all the research for him and help him manage his hair. He would never go on a site like this unfortunatly.

 

Anyway my fiance who I have been with for 4.5yrs has been going bald since about the age of 17. He is currently 20 turning 21 in a couple of months. We first noticed his front hair line declining and thinning when he was 17. I work in pharmacy so I started him on revivogen thinking start on the natural stuff first. This did help it made his hair really healthy and look thick. He used this for about a year then stopped and his hair started shedding very rapidly. So then I got him to start using Hair Again which is minoxidil 5%. He used that for about 2 years though his hair on the front kept declining. He also started to develope a bald spot on the back of his crown. (sorry guys I dont know all the proper names ) So we went to the doctors and got a prescription for propecia and has been on this for 8 months now along with taking saw palmetto capsules. His shedding has seemed to stop though the front of his head is nearly all gone. I would classify him as a NW3 vertex.

 

So a bit of history where he gets his Male pattern baldness from is from his dad mainly. His dad had lost all his hair from the front, top and back of his head by the time he was 30 leaving him with a ring of hair around the edges.

His mum though at the age of 60 does have a slight balded crown. So unluckily for him both his parents gave him a double dose. My fiance is a mix of scottish/indian so he has the thick black indian hair. He is showing that he will lose his hair in the same way as his dad. He also has started going grey with about 5% of his hair being affected which i believe is to do with the MPB.

 

This really has affected his self esteem, confidence and makes him feel old. He constantly wears a hat and is always checking his hair. Its becoming a hazard as he is constantly checking that his hat is sitting properly while driving! The propecia has changed his moods slightly but we will get past that if it is helping his hair.

 

So anyway we need to do something to fix the front of his head to make him confident and happy again and to be happy in our wedding photos .So I discovered hair transplants online and seen there is a clininc here in Perth, Western Australia called New Hair Clinic. I knew we could never afford one as we are building a house atm so I thought maybe next year we would look into it. Though out of the blue his kind hearted brother mentioned he noticed he was going bald and asked me if he could help. I told him about the HT but they are to expensive but he told me to get a price. So this week I took my fiance for an appointment at New hair clinic. We did not meet Dr Jennifer Martinick but had a consultation with her Business Development Manager. It was short and quick and basically told us it was good that he's on propecia as he would of expected more hair loss from the back and the crown considering how bad the front is. He explained that propecia does not work on the front of the head and that he could get a transplant to reclaim back his hairline and to fill it in. He recommended that he has 2,000 grafts done. So anyway we got a price and he mentioned that he had any appointment in a weeks time for 2 grand less as the patient had cancelled. So I told my fiances brother about the appointment and he said book the appointment for in a weeks time and he will pay for it and we can pay him back later. Now he is all booked in for a 2,000 graft hair transplant in 4 days time... though now i read reviews about Dr Jennifer Martinick who will be doing the transplant I feel concerned.

 

I know it is a very rushed decision but we have the opportunity to do this now. His hair loss is very bad for his age and I feel this is his only option. I realise he is still young though for a hair transplant. He has great doner hair which is really thick and full. What do you guys think??

[Cant decide]

I can relate to all of that. You are a good fiance for doing this research for him. I know the urgency you guys must feel but in my opinion, take a deep breath and keep researching. Wait until you will be able to go to a world class doc. I almost got a HT in 1999 when my hair was not bad and if I had, it would have been disasterous. I waiting until last year and went to Dr rahal and he has changed my life. I am not saying your fiance should wait 10 years but give it more time and make sure you get multiple opinions and choose the best option.

 

Good luck.

[Sparky]

I would advise much longer research and to definatly not go with the Dr that you are talking about. I was 22 when I had my first HT with a bad Dr and it made things much much worse, if he is upset about his hairloss now, getting a rushed bad HT will make him a million times worse!

 

Use my hindsight and don't go with this Dr, spend time on these forums everyday and you will soon get a much better understanding of this industry.

 

21 is far too young to do this by the way, and as he's had this much loss already, it won't stop if he gets this done, he will just continue to lose hair until he has an island of "nonsence" hair left at the front that was transplanted.

 

Head shaving would be a good idea for now, don't rush to get things done for your wedding, done wrong, this could ruin everything.

[ausmelb]

i havent been there myself but the before and after photos of her work dont look very good. I know exactly how he feels loosing his hair at a young age wearing a hat all the time. i waited till 27 but that was a very long time hating it and feeling older than all of my mates. hope it goes well if you go ahead with it, I belive there is a better doctor in tiahland (DR Path) i think. you could get a better job done, and a holiday for prob cheaper

[orlhair1]

I agree completely. Do more research and only go to a top surgeon. This is not something that should be rushed into. He will have to live with the results for a long time. Do not go to a surgeon that you have any concerns about. This site will give you a lot of information to find a great surgeon for him.

[TC17]

It sounds as though your boyfriend has a strong family history of advanced balding. That fact, when combined with his early onset of MPB leads a reasonable person to conclude that he too will suffer from advanced balding. I would tread cautiously before making the decision to undergo surgery. He should post some pics of his hair on this forum, and more importantly, he should send some photos of his loss to high quality, ethical doctors for a proper opinion.

[hairthere]

"I know it is a very rushed decision but we have the opportunity to do this now."

 

Never, ever, ever, rush into a surgery like this. You think you're saving money, but if the job is botched you will end up wrecking his self esteem further and having to pay way more money to get the job fixed. I remember the bad reviews of Dr. Martnick and seeing the results; they were not good. From what I recall her transplants looked like cornrows and she was no longer recommended on this site.

 

The proper way to go about Ht surgery is to do plenty of research, understand the limitations and realities of the surgery, see some HTs in person, and do as many consults as possible. This might involve some travel.

 

Also, your fiancee really should be more involved in the process--after all, it is his head. It's very nice of you to help, and your brother-in-law to offer financial aid. Just make it clear to all parties that it's not something to be rushed into and hopefully his kind offer will remain on the table.

[RodG]

Hi,

 

Small world I also live in Perth Western Australia and from what I know I have researched I am not aware of any really good HT surgeons in Australia. I am aware that HT surgeons in our country charge excessive rates for a procedure.

 

I had my HT with DHT Clinic in Bangkok and they were really professional and caring. I'm happy to give you some feedback if you wish.

 

Regards

 

Rod

[Katie92]

Thanks everyone for your advice though we have already paid.... My fiance is 100% involved with this decision as it is "his head". We realise he will most likely need another transplant at another time and we are prepared for this. So next time I think we will travel to thailand for future work. We are not rushing into this it just happened that the opportunity came up and we are definatly not rushing into this to save money cos money isnt the problem. We dont have the time to travel to another country to get this done so thats out of the option. He has been wanting to get one done for a very long time seeing as its the only thing proven to work. We realise all the risks with this surgery though I am prepared to work for the rest of my life to make him happy with his hair. He's only 20 and no way does he want to wear a hair piece. We have a very active lifestyle so a hair piece will not do for the next couple of years. Head shaving is out of the question as he has a small weird shaped head and will look weird and make him feel more miserable (his words not mine, I love him no matter what) and he's not getting this done for our wedding cos thats not even planned yet. Though I really dont want him wearing a hat on our wedding day. Well anyway I will post some before and after photos and how it all goes guys. Keeping my fingers crossed though I will be giving this doctor a stern talking to before the procedure..... and the way I see it she has been doing this over here for years and I cant find anyone with complaints from the past 4 yrs hope its a good sign or she may have killed them all off :eek:

[Sparky]

Haven't seen any good reviews about thius Dr either, I think this is a terrible mistake that he will regret. We all warned against this, it's all we can do.

 

I wouldn't go to this Dr for a Million pounds, first reviews on Google are all bad, you only get one head in your life and he won't be able to change it, you're already planning for another HT to cover this one, crazy :confused:

[orlhair1]

TeaganW, you don't have the option to work with him the rest of his life. There is a limited amount of hair that can be transplanted and if you waste it on this one you can't get that back.

[mars]

Listen to the advice you are being given..i too made a mistake at 21 and i had to fly to america 3 times for repair and thousands of dollars spent..its better to have no hair than a fake crappy ht trust me,il go as far to say if your bf gets this ht in perth yer wedding will be cancelled he will look worse than he does now-i wouldnt leave my house after i had a bad ht how the hell will your bf go to his own wedding?

 

2000 might seem like a waste of money but it will probably cost you 5+ times that when he has to go to north america for repair..only go to belgium or north america for a ht save up money do what ever you have to do to afford to get the best job done you possibly can this is an investment for life.

 

You have been warned.

[bonkerstonker]

Firstly propecia does work in the front even though merck do not market it to do so, i know this because it saved my front hairline for ten years after i was struck with the worst aggresive hairloss ever when i was 19!

 

I don't recommend any surgeon i haven't heard of or anyone who i do not completely trust. If it goes wrong he will be in a whole new section of the hairloss world which is repair patient territory! Worst place you can be!

 

I recommend staying with minoxidil and upgrading to 1 quarter of proscar which is 1.25mg of propecia. Get a 1000 grafts or so in the way of fue with someone good i'd say Dr umar is your closest to mind this will enable him to shave his back and sides still to a blade 1 without seeing any scarring and grow his hair long on top which will give him an amazing illusion of density.

 

It would appear you suspected your decision as bad to take this rush ht that is why you are here but you were hoping for good feedback so given the reason we have all slammed this ht and warned you againist it you should take it as a obvious sign not to continue!

Edited June 30, 2011 by bonkerstonker

[Sparky]

I'm actually confused, you came on here asking for a dvice about this Dr, we confirmed your fears and you're still gonna let your fiance go through with this?

 

We aren't telling you to go with a Dr recommended here, there is no benefit to us to tell you not to go to this Dr except another one of our balding brothers doesn't get a bad Hair Transplant. Going to this Dr is a mistake and you know that, don't let him go through with it, do some more research, a lot more.

 

Any Dr willing to operate on a 21 year old is evil, unless there are extreme circumstances, like the patient has lost hair through massive burns or something.

[hairthere]

Oh man, your BF is only 21? This is a big mistake you're making. You don't even realize how big. Your BF should be on meds for at least a year. They can work wonders. Let the deposit go, it's not worth it....you've been warned.

[Sigildark]

Teagan, 1st off i'd like to say that it think it's amazing that you are lending that kind of support to your future husband.

 

Not everyone can afford the top doctor and travel costs that might ensue or is willing to acrue substancial debt for it. So looking at surgeons with lesser reputation that are local is the reality for many.

 

But you need to take your time, making a slow and deliberate decision that you are comforable with. All the most knowledgeable people on these forums that give out the best advice will tell you that rushing into a HT can be a serious mistake.

 

Last thing i'll add is that from my experience reading forum posts here, top doctors usually turn away 21 year olds.

The donor area is finite unfortunately and you want to use what you have in the best way possible and at 21 that can be very difficult.

Edited July 1, 2011 by Sigildark

[cardel25]

Please go to propecia.com or search here. You can fx see my results if you click on my profile and see how meds worked for me. Make your boyfrind consider taking it and using rogaine aswell and Nizoral shampoo. They are called the big tree and they really help. If your boyfriend has a predisposition for one of the worst balding patterns NW6-7 its not certain even though he gets multiple procedures that he will have enough hair on his head to give an illusion of density. Theres a limit to how musch can be done with hair transplants.

[aaron1234]

Cancel that procedure even if you can't get your money back. I mean, ask for it back but even if you don't get it... don't do it. 21 is way way way too young. No ethical doctor would do a surgery on someone that young with that kind of balding in his family history.

[Vincent]

Hi,

 

I also got motivated to get a HT because I am getting married next year, but your finance does seem quite young. If you are to go through with it may I suggest not to make locality a deciding factor.

 

I initially had the same mentality of only wanting to get it done in Australia but after talking to RodG and researching alot I realised Thailand (Dr Path) was going to be a good choice. I only stayed there for a week and the price was half the costs compared to Australia (airfares included aswell). Most importantly he is a top notch surgeon and so far it's looking good.

 

Have a look at my blog.

[Bill - Seemiller]

TeaganW (Katie92),

 

Welcome to our community. Nobody likes to lose their hair, especially those who are still really young. But the harsh reality is, at 20 and 21 years of age, your husband to be is not a good candidate for a hair transplant. I don't want to sound like a downer here because I know you have your heart on a quick fix. But the reality is, in the long term, getting a hair transplant at such a young age will probably do more harm than good.

 

Catching hair loss early is key. If your fiance's hair is only just starting to thin, he should consider researching and then getting on Propecia (finasteride) and Rogaine (minoxidil) immediately. These two drugs, especially when used in conjunction with one another possess a good chance of slowing down, stopping and even reversing some of his hair loss. See our online hair loss treatment shop for a list of products we recommend and sell.

 

Hair transplant surgery is not a "cure" for hair loss. As it may provide some additional hair to balding regions of the scalp, it will do nothing to stop hair loss from continuing. Thus, it's critical for you and your fiance to vision the long term when considering hair restoration goals. A quality hair restoration physician can help your husband map out a long term plan, but in my opinion, he should hold off on hair transplant surgery for several years and let these powerful hair loss drugs work their magic.

 

Be aware that these treatments do come with the potential of side effects and you/he should research these carefully before deciding to use them. The good news is however, these side effects are considered rare and only a small percentage of those who use these treatments experience them. Those who stop the treatments typically stop experiencing side effects.

 

Hair transplants can be great when done right. But transplanting on a very young patient who only just started experiencing hair loss can be real dangerous, in particular, due to high, unrealistic expectations of the patient and failure to see the long term scheme of hair loss (which will continue) and hair restoration (including its limitations).

 

Please don't be hasty. That's the number one mistake hair loss sufferers make. I'd hate to see you and/or your fiance here in a couple of years regreting your decisions and in a worse position than you/he is now.

 

Best wishes,

 

Bill

[NEWHAIRPLEASE]

Excellent advice given. Get him on the meds and stay on them. When I was 21 I thought the meds were all hype! Boy was I wrong! Start with meds at least for a year and then reevaluate the situation.

[Chael]

teagan, give us an update..

[Katie92]

Hi, had a name change now.... yeah going really well, he is a changed person so much more positive! gave him his first hair cut the other day and its growing well as expected for 3 months. Scar is healing well its a really light pink and hairs are starting to grow in it. Doctor was great and so were the staff really looked after him. In the transplant area there is no pitting or whatever its called and his hair line is back where it used to be. I was really happy after the surgery as comparing his scalp to other ppls photos he had no clumps of blood it was a really clean transplant. I now see that at the recent meeting held in Alaska, Dr Jennifer Martinick was inaugurated as the President of the International Society of Hair Restoration Surgery. I can certainly say she did a great job for us!

[richie48]

I smell bullshit ...............

 

Written from the point of veiw of a concerned girlfriend , this is a cheap advert designed to play on the insecurities of young balding men .

 

pics please .............although i won't hold my breath .

 

good day

richie

[Katie92]

You smell bullshit? I know why cos you wanted to hear it went horribly wrong and his life is destroyed. I am the concerned girlfriend, Im the one that rubs cream into his scar and massages his scalp! FFS what do you people want to hear? You say he should have waited till he's older but what he says and feels is he's young now and you should not be bald when your young. He doesnt care if in ten to fifteen years time he starts going bald then cos he will be old and its sociably aceptable.

 

If is to do with me changing my username well it was so no one could identify the story to us though thats a bit pointless now cos anyone can read this forum without being a member and my name has already been mentioned. Pointless!!

 

I wasnt going to post an update as everyone on here is so negative about this.

 

As for photos its not up to me to post them. I have decided I will come clean with my partner about this forum discussion. I'm sure he will be angry with me cos anyone can read this though honesty is vital to a relationship... so wish me luck. Who knows he may want to show u photos to prove his decision was the right one for HIM. I am not saying it is right for anyone else or that his situation is the same. Each to their own!