Using only 1's for hairline?

[gillenator]

Levrais,

 

Do you think most docs would honor the request to venture outside of the safe zone in order to spread out the extraction pattern as much as possible for the reasons we've discussed?

 

Zen,

 

I think some docs would consider that request and want to document it in writing with your signature.

 

Obviously this is not something they receive very often if ever.

 

Very interesting ideas that you have and think I understand what your goals are.

[Op.Dr.İlkay Hüthüt]

FUE is not scarless surgery.But there are other techniques the doctors can use FUE /FUT...

 

 

Best Regards,

İlkay H?th?t,MD

Ekip Estetik

[zenmunk]

You are correct. In my opinion though, I'd rather pack things together so there is more "virgin scalp" for future cases, than going back in a scalp that has a bunch of areas that have a little scar tissue.

 

If a patient plans to have multiple FUE procedures throughout his life, then your plan makes perfect sense to me. Thank you for that bit of insight.

 

I've been quoted as needing approximately 1,300 grafts to restore my hairline. I prefer FUE. If necessary, I'd also be willing to have a follow-up FUE procedure to address the areas of poor growth from the first procedure. Assuming, after one or two procedures, my cosmetic goals are reached, I do not want to continue chasing my hair loss with surgery after surgery.

 

I'll be 39 next month. I've been on Propecia religiously for 13 years, and for all intents and purposes it has stabilized my hair loss since I started the regimen. If the meds stop working for me, and I start losing the native hair around the transplants, my plan is to shave down and get on with my life. Therefore, I have a keen interest in minimizing the appearance of scarring as much as possible.

 

Considering the above:

 

- Do you think it's reasonable to request that a HT doc spread out the extractions as much as possible, utilizing the entire safe zone, and even venturing outside of the safe zone, all in an effort to spread out the scarring and avoid creating a clear, sharp-edged pattern of thinner hair in the occipital region of the scalp?

 

- Obviously no one has a crystal ball, but is it reasonable to presume that, given my long-term success with the meds, I will continue to enjoy its benefits for many years to come?

 

- Is my overall plan realistic, or should I seriously consider not getting a HT, because of my desire to not chase my hair loss with HT procedures for the rest of my life?

 

Many thanks.

[gillenator]

Hi Zenmunk,

Yes I'm an fue patient. When the hair is short the transplanted hair tends to be a little stiffer and spikes a little more than the native hair. I don't think its noticeable to the untrained eye. I will try to put up some pics at the shorter length in the next couple weeks.

 

That is usually attributable to the higher degree of coarseness that the transplanted terminal hair has over the native exisitng hair that is still present. The native hair which is DHT receptive is slowly diffusing and losing caliber therby looking thinner and more pliable.

 

The transplanted hair is more apt to spike because again of the higher degree of coarseness.

 

It is hard to notice unless the person observing knows what to look for or unless the native hair is so diffused to the point that it becomes rather obvious how thin the caliber is..

[zenmunk]

All good points, gillenator. I suppose those of us who have been able to maintain the caliber in our native hair via nature and/or meds are lucky indeed.

 

Do you think the finer the hair is in the donor area, the more chance there is of achieving an undetectable or less detectable native-to-transplanted hair transition, especially when buzzed down?

[gillenator]

All good points, gillenator. I suppose those of us who have been able to maintain the caliber in our native hair via nature and/or meds are lucky indeed.

 

Do you think the finer the hair is in the donor area, the more chance there is of achieving an undetectable or less detectable native-to-transplanted hair transition, especially when buzzed down?

 

zen, for those reasons, some docs will want to cherry pick those finer hair(s) or even harvest the nape hair that is on the lower neckline.

 

Yet for those men that have donor zone thinning in their family histories, that hair may be DHT receptive after all and lost in the future.

 

Even cherry picking the finer caliber hair in the occipital zone could prove to be disasterous later on in life. Who knows, 10, 15 years later part of one's hairline is lost because of this as rare as it is. We will probably be seeing more cases of this in the future as I am seeing.

 

I know there are those who will disagree with me, but I am not an advocate of using nape hair for donor and then implanted in the hairline, especially commencing a hairline with nape hair.

 

When transplanted hair is buzzed down, hair caliber differences can hardly be noticed when the color contrast is more narrow, however I still feel that it is when the angulation is off that can cause the eye drift even moreso.:rolleyes:

[zenmunk]

Excellent reply, gillenator. Very educational. Thank you.

 

My goals may be somewhat unique. As I've mentioned, I don't want to chase my hair loss for the rest of my life. If I get an FUE procedure to restore my hairline (and a 2nd to fill-in poor growth areas from the 1st, if necessary), then I plan on stopping there no matter what happens to my native hair.

 

Since propecia has maintained my hair for 13 years, I'm rolling the dice that it will continue to do so for a long time. If the meds stop working, then I plan to shave down. That's why I've been very concerned about minimizing the appearance of scarring through the use of the smallest possible punches (but not so small they do damage) and the most spread out extraction pattern.

 

I wouldn't mind at all if the doc extracts from the nape of my neck or other areas considered outside of the safe zone. In fact, I'd request it if it increases the odds of matching the native hair adjacent to the recipient sites and allows for the most spread out extraction pattern.

 

If the meds stop working and my native hair goes bye-bye, then the more transplanted hairs that follow suit, the better. That would reduce the unnatural appearance of the transplanted hairs that remain at my hairline. Hell, if I could clone non-DHT resistant hairs and only use them to restore my hairline, I'd do it.

 

By the way, what do you think the odds are that propecia will continue to work for me long into the future, considering the success I've had with it so far?

 

Thanks.

[gillenator]

You are very welcome zen and thanks again for your kind words. Out of curiousity, have you heard back from any docs with feedback on your philosophy?

 

Also, we have been on finasteride for about the same amount of time. It's just so hard to say how long the efficiency will last. Many other drugs like metmorphin for example continue to work for diabetics for decades on end, including myself.

 

But I guess that is a part of the risk. Nothing is for sure. That is why I am so thankful for every year I have to serve my fellow mankind. I try to count the number of blessings rather than my losses. I know you understand where I am coming from.

[zenmunk]

gillenator,

 

I haven't discussed my HT philosophy with any docs yet; I plan to, however. I wonder what the reactions will be... I expect that some will suggest that I shouldn't undergo an FUE procedure if I'm not prepared to chase the hair loss with additional surgeries for the rest of my life. Perhaps they'd be right. I'm still in the process of deciding, and corresponding with concerned people such as yourself on this site is quite helpful. It's good to get outside perspectives.

 

Yeah, I suppose there really is no way to know how long the meds will continue to work. I made that question a separate topic, and no one has replied, probably for that very reason. Regardless, I think the odds are in our favor that they will continue working for us for quite a while since they've done such a good job so far, but it is a crap shoot.

 

I do know where you're coming from and admire you for it.

Edited October 1, 2011 by zenmunk