Norwood 3A, 40 Years old, NYC based.

[JHBB]

Hi, just joined the forum, and after thinking about getting a hair transplant about 10 years ago, and then deciding against it... I think I'm going to go for it, as I'm 40 now, the thinning has seemed have slowed. Life's too short right? I can afford it, so as long as its graceful and subtle what have I got to lose? I am looking for a good FUE recommendation. I have been doing research and it looks like Dr Omar might be a good choice? I'll obviously do a lot of research but any help getting to a short list is much appreciated. Oh, one question, FUE seems to have come a long way since I 1st started reading about it in terms of density and yield. And some of the results are frankly mind blowing. Are these great results getting more and more common or are they the exceptions to the rule?

 

I wish everyone good luck on this journey, whether you have the balls to get a procedure, or have the even bigger balls not to! I'll post my progress as I go. Cheers fellas!

[corvettester]

Since you're in NYC and interested in FUE, I highly recommend True & Dorin. I had my procedure with Dr. Dorin via FUT. You should do a consultation with them.

 

I've spoken at length with both doctors regarding FUE though. They both told me that they are seeing upwards of 90% yield with FUE these days and are very confident in FUE.

 

Judging by your photos, it appears that you have minimal loss, NW3, so I would think that you're a pretty good candidate for FUE considering that you have minimal loss, it's stabilized and you're 40 years old.

 

You probably just need your temples closed and it appears that you may have loss behind your forelock too... I can't really tell due to the picture quality.

 

Anyway, I'm guessing about 2,000-2,500 grafts.

 

 

Corvettester

Edited September 8, 2011 by corvettester

[JHBB]

Thanks for the message, and thank you for the recommendation. Yes you are right I have some loss behind the forelock as you called it. Your result looks fantastic, though I would say you had great hair before! A couple of questions if you don't mind:

 

1. Your redness seemed to go away very quickly. I've followed others on this site and their redness seemed to last 2-3 months. I am self conscious anyway about my head, so could you hazard a guess at the average time for the redness to disappear? I plan to have my FUE then wear my hair the same for months and month so it slowly grows in without too much of a step change.

 

2. Even though your hair looked great to start, and AWESOME in those photos at the end of the 1st HT with wet hair, you are obviously not happy yet. I am starting to think this is a long term commitment to multiple procedures. Am I correct?

 

Anyway, thanks again for your response. Good luck with your HT - your hair is looking great in my humble opinion!

[Vincent]

Hi JHBB,

 

Looks like you are a little more than a NW3 as there seems to be an island slowly forming in the forelock there. Are you on any medication yet? As Corv mentioned around the 2K - 2.5K number of grafts sounds about right to give you great density based on the second picture.

 

Since you asked that second question regarding if a HT being a long term multiple procedure commitment I am guessing you haven't quite gotten what to expect out of a HT? Realistic expectations is a crucial key to grasp before jumping into a HT.

 

After discussing HT's with multiple people who have no idea, their consensus of a HT is that it will 100% restore your hair back to when you were 18 years old. A HT in most cases will give you about 50% on average of your original density and it only creates an illusion of density. However with a good haircut and clever styling you can get it to look very good, check out my blog photo's.

 

Vincent.

[Vincent]

Also my redness went away significantly after 2 weeks but was still slightly red. It probably didn't fully dissipate until around the 2-3 month mark as you have said.

[JHBB]

Hi Vincent thanks for your note. Yes I think I need to balance my expectations, you are correct. I basically I am ok with keeping my hair really short like it is now, but have enough hair for people to think I just cut it this was because I liked it, not that I was going bald - the truth. You are also correct I think with me being beyond a NW3 looking at the scale again, I think I'm more a 4A?. Umar recommended 3000 FUE, which is what I'll be saving for.

 

Your HT looks great by the way - very impressed. I can't believe how far HTs have come! They are a realistic option now and look totally natural.

 

Thanks again.

[Spanker]

I would keep your same general hairline and mostly fill in behind your forelock. if you are going to keep it that tight FUE is the way to go, and it will appear that you have more hair that tight as well.

 

I am jealous of all of you guys with really great heads that have this as an option.

[Sean]

I think your balding pattern was similar to mine. I just had 3000 grafts done in the frontal areas using FUE. I really don't think your a 4A, but you never know what the future holds, so I would definitely plan accordingly. Seems like you keep it skin tight as I would on the sides. So, your choice with FUE route is a good option. You are right, it definitely has come a long way from what it once was. People are able to achieve great densities, some surgeons that do both FUE/Strip have been able to match their quality between the two procedures.

[corvettester]

1. Your redness seemed to go away very quickly. I've followed others on this site and their redness seemed to last 2-3 months. I am self conscious anyway about my head, so could you hazard a guess at the average time for the redness to disappear? I plan to have my FUE then wear my hair the same for months and month so it slowly grows in without too much of a step change.

 

Once the scabs came off, after a week or so, there was hardly any redness at all. At worst, it looks like a bit of acne or a mild rash, but it's only noticeable when you're looking for it. However, some people heal differently so nobody can say definitively how you will fare...

 

The general rule seems to be that the fairer your skin is, the more noticeable it will be afterwards, which can last up to 2 months. The darker the skin, the less noticeable it will be. Having said that, my skin is very fair and after 10 days it was hardly noticeable. Personally, I have never seen any of these cases of patients with severe redness after more than a couple weeks.

 

 

Even though your hair looked great to start, and AWESOME in those photos at the end of the 1st HT with wet hair, you are obviously not happy yet. I am starting to think this is a long term commitment to multiple procedures. Am I correct?

 

From what I gather, most people need two procedures. I was anticipating two from the very beginning so it wasn't a big deal for me. My hairline and temples simply weren't dense enough for me. True, I do have hair where I didn't before and it does provide decent coverage, and I think a lot of guys would have been satisfied with my results, but it just wasn't enough for me.

 

To me the hairline and temples are of paramount importance. If I'm going to go through with an HT, I'm going to get the best possible result, period. Considering the money, downtime, pain and hassle an HT is, it wouldn't be worth it for me to simply have a slight cosmetic improvement, it needs to be dramatic.

 

I think my hair looks great when it's wet and combed back. It's just that I don't ever wear it that way now... although I hope to one day. I'd like to have the option to wear my hair combed and gelled/moussed back, especially when I'm wearing suits or a tuxedo. It just looks more dapper... more 007!

 

Once this one grows in, I should be a NW1. My temples are completely closed, my hairline is back to where it was in my early twenties and it should be dense enough that you can't tell the difference between my transplanted hair and my native hair. Yes, my expectations are high, but I also believe that they're realistic.

 

Who knows, maybe I'll have to go back for another 1,000 grafts if this isn't dense enough for me, I certainly have the donor supply to support it...

 

 

I basically I am ok with keeping my hair really short like it is now, but have enough hair for people to think I just cut it this was because I liked it, not that I was going bald - the truth.

 

Dude, in my opinion, that is a terrible reason to get an HT. This should be for yourself, not what some strangers may or may not believe about you. It's also what's called a "limiting belief" on your part too. Who cares what they think? If they're giving your hair that much thought, then they're the ones with a problem, not you...

 

Not to mention, you're looking to spend 25-30k on a FUE procedure. Do you really think it's worth that much simply not to look like you're worried about balding? If you don't want to look like you're worried about balding, then don't worry about balding. The innermost is reflected by the outermost...

 

Once you get your temples closed, your hairline reestablished and your forelock sorted out, you're going to have a world of styling options like you probably haven't had in years. You're going to be able to do things with your hair and appearance that you forgot were possible. It will easily make you look 5 years younger, if not 10 depending on how well you groom, style and take care of yourself.

 

I noticed that in your pics you're wearing a Joy Division t-shirt. This leads me believe that you're young at heart and have good taste in music and culture. I'd hang on to that as long as possible and having a full head of hair just might help that. I'm just saying...

 

 

Corvettester

Edited September 8, 2011 by corvettester

[JHBB]

What a great bunch of guys you lot are. So selfless and genuine. Thanks all.

[JHBB]

Hi all, I am 99% booked (just arranging the actual date) with one of the recommended surgeons on here, and looking at my photos he said I needed around 2000-2500 FUE to achieve a "mature hairline" with good density. I'm going to see him in person (I live in a different country) in Oct so I hope to get a better measure on my crazy dreams.

 

So looking at my head, what result can I realistically expect for 2-2500 fue? Don't laugh, but I want to keep myself grounded and stop thinking I'll look like David Beckham! Am I being totally unrealistic? I have high expectations I know. If so would someone be kind enough to post an image of a more realistic goal?

 

Thanks all as always. When I get the HT I'll post my progress on here. This place is such a great source for encouragement and knowledge.

 

Me:

[GreaseDJ]

Hi all, I am 99% booked (just arranging the actual date) with one of the recommended surgeons on here, and looking at my photos he said I needed around 2000-2500 FUE to achieve a "mature hairline" with good density. I'm going to see him in person (I live in a different country) in Oct so I hope to get a better measure on my crazy dreams.

 

So looking at my head, what result can I realistically expect for 2-2500 fue? Don't laugh, but I want to keep myself grounded and stop thinking I'll look like David Beckham! Am I being totally unrealistic? I have high expectations I know. If so would someone be kind enough to post an image of a more realistic goal?

 

Thanks all as always. When I get the HT I'll post my progress on here. This place is such a great source for encouragement and knowledge.

 

Me:

 

I had a very similar hairline to yours and was scheduled for 2k grafts then thought what the heck and went for an extra 500 for a total of 2,500 the day of the surgery. Although mine is not grown in yet, I can say that in my case, I need to keep telling myself that my Dr's recommendation for a mature hairline was a good one. For me it is easy to think, "Gee, I am getting a HT, I should have a juvenile hairline like Beckham or Tom Cruise." It is easy to get greedy.

 

A good looking mature hairline is generally between 7 and 9 cm above the center of in between your (relaxed) eyebrows. Measure that out then take a marker and make a dot, then draw a curved line across. That will give you a good idea of what a mature hairline looks like in the meantime between now and when you see the doc.