Hair Loss Scale III at 22.

[Jacob1989]

Hi Everyone,

 

new to this kind of thing, i normally hate Forums as it tends to end in bitching anyway...

 

I thought i'd come on here to kind of share where i am with my Hairloss..

 

Im 22, and i had a receeding hairline from about 16 i'd say but it was easily hide able with my messy hair style, but it is becoming more difficult to hide the bald patches i have developed in recent years. My hair has always been thin and seems to of got worse over 2 years. I still style my hair and i guess its more of a rough messy comb over style that i keep in place with hairspray. Anyway i have attached a photo to this post so you can see.

 

I have been using Propecia for 6 months and i hate to say it but on/off with that Regaine stuff. However i have started to take it more solidly now. I also just started taking a Biotin tablet to increase my protien intake. I wash my hair before i go to sleep most nights and wash it with Alpecin Shampoo and Biotin Conditioner. I have hairs on my bed sheets (although i've noticed less in the last month), and i will notice hairs sometimes fall out in the day at work.

 

My scalp seems to feel like a slight burning effect (not all the time) but it doesnt feel great, sometimes i also have small red spots on my scalp?

 

Anyway that is basically where i am at, im massively unhappy with my hair and really want to do everything to get my hair back to how im happy with and live a normal young life that i should be, i pretty much avoid going out lots because of my hair, although i can hide it.. i guess its pretty obvious that my hair is a combover kind of look. Anyway it took me quite a bit to post this so be nice ha and like i said i've uploaded a picture for you to see my position of hairloss.

 

I am considering Getting FUE surgery next year, however im still saving the pennies and giving the propecia a chance to help grow and maintain any hair.

 

Thanks for reading

[mahhong]

Hi Everyone,

 

new to this kind of thing, i normally hate Forums as it tends to end in bitching anyway...

 

I thought i'd come on here to kind of share where i am with my Hairloss..

 

Im 22, and i had a receeding hairline from about 16 i'd say but it was easily hide able with my messy hair style, but it is becoming more difficult to hide the bald patches i have developed in recent years. My hair has always been thin and seems to of got worse over 2 years. I still style my hair and i guess its more of a rough messy comb over style that i keep in place with hairspray. Anyway i have attached a photo to this post so you can see.

 

I have been using Propecia for 6 months and i hate to say it but on/off with that Regaine stuff. However i have started to take it more solidly now. I also just started taking a Biotin tablet to increase my protien intake. I wash my hair before i go to sleep most nights and wash it with Alpecin Shampoo and Biotin Conditioner. I have hairs on my bed sheets (although i've noticed less in the last month), and i will notice hairs sometimes fall out in the day at work.

 

My scalp seems to feel like a slight burning effect (not all the time) but it doesnt feel great, sometimes i also have small red spots on my scalp?

 

Anyway that is basically where i am at, im massively unhappy with my hair and really want to do everything to get my hair back to how im happy with and live a normal young life that i should be, i pretty much avoid going out lots because of my hair, although i can hide it.. i guess its pretty obvious that my hair is a combover kind of look. Anyway it took me quite a bit to post this so be nice ha and like i said i've uploaded a picture for you to see my position of hairloss.

 

I am considering Getting FUE surgery next year, however im still saving the pennies and giving the propecia a chance to help grow and maintain any hair.

 

Thanks for reading

 

Hi Jacob!

 

Thanks for your post and the history of your hairloss. You're certainly not alone here, so I'm sure you'll get some great advice and support!

 

First off, getting on propecia and minoxidil was a good call, but as you know you really have to use that stuff daily to see the benefit! Both drugs, particularly propecia, work very well at keeping what hair you have so you should hopefully see your loss slow down or even stop for a good while. One thing I would say though; propecia and minoxidil tend to work best in the vertex and crown of your head and not so much in the hairline. I only say that because what it'll likely do for you is keep the hair you have in the middle and back of your head, but not make a huge impact on the frontal area - so don't go off the drug thinking it's not working for you, as chances are it still very likely is keeping hold of what you do have!

 

I can't vouch for the burning or spots but I am not on any drugs and get the same feelings sometimes! I often wonder if it's inflammation that causes these problems. Either way I would not worry too much about them, but obviously you can always go to the doctor if you feel it's not right.

 

Regarding a hair transplant, the major issue is your age. I know it's frustrating to hear but significant hairloss in your teens and twenties often means you could be heading for a lot of further balding, so good doctors will be cautious about using up your donor hair too much, too soon. That having been said you can get a lot of free online consultations with top doctors (you can find them on this website), or you can visit a few in person for a full consultation (the much better option if you have the time and money). A doctor will try their best to help you and accommodate your wishes, but at your age they will be more cautious about doing anything too aggressive or extreme. But make sure you get as many opinions and consultations as you can - you want to find out the truth about your situation from the best doctors and not hear what you want to hear from any old doctor!

 

So far you've definitely done the right thing - the propecia is your best chance at keeping the hair you have and maybe seeing some regrowth. In the meantime, you can do research on this forum and visit the websites of recommended doctors - many of them will happily look at your pictures and give you their opinion and you can hopefully make a consultation with one or more of them for a proper examination and a frank conversation about what you'd like to do and what the doctor feels is appropriate.

 

I hope this doesn't sound facetious, but have you also considered the shaved head look? I only say this because it is an option, it costs pretty much nothing, and it can look great on some guys. Of course you know whether this is something for you to consider and I'm only mentioning it as just another option in the arsenal of weapons you have against hairloss! If it's not right for you I'd totally understand - but it's always something to consider!

 

On a final note, I would be cautious about considering just FUE. You may find, if you're able to have a transplant, you need a relatively significant number of grafts and FUE might not be the best option. It's of course a personal decision if FUE is the route you wish to go down, but my instinct would be talk to some FUT doctors and at least consider that route alongside FUE.

 

And a final final thing! I don't wish to sound like the party pooper, but you have to consider the long term journey for your hair restoration. It may be the case that you need more than one HT in your lifetime to keep up with your hairloss and maintain the head of hair you want. I only say this because it's often, especially in younger men, not thought through enough. There is a lot of time, money and healing that goes into repairing advanced hairloss, and unfortunately it's a journey you can't really stop half way through (unless you're happy with the results of course!).

 

These forums will give you a lot of answers and advice, and everybody on here is going through what you're going through! I'm sure you'll be able to find a way forward that gets you closer to where you want to be - so good luck and looking forward to hearing from you in the future!

[corvettester]

Jacob,

 

I'd say that you're more of a NW4A, or in the last throes of a NW3A.

 

I would definitely get on and stay on Propecia, if I were you. Spend some time on this forum and others and you will see a lot of guys in their late twenties bemoaning the fact that they didn't start Propecia sooner, or that they ceased usage only to lose loads of hair afterwards!

 

Further, I'd consult with at least two reputable HT docs because you may not be a good candidate for HT after all. The fact that you're only 22 and already approaching NW4A territory does not bode well. However, it's not the end of the world either. I think a lot of it will depend upon how well you respond to the meds once you start taking them consistently.

 

As far as FUE goes, if you're "saving your pennies" as you put it, you're going to be saving a long time. You're going to need a lot of grafts, probably multiple procedures too. FUE cost twice as much as FUT, so you're easily looking at a $20,000 FUE procedure, or $10,000 for FUT.

 

Lastly, don't let the hair loss get the best of you. Stop avoiding social interactions, learn to live with it and be proactive in your response to it. You may even want to consider shaving down to see how it looks on you...

 

 

Corvettester

[gottitgood4me]

My bluntness is not intended to be rude, SHAVE IT ALL OFF at a #1 or so, and get a HT when you can afford it, but I, personally, would not wear my hair like that. I have had to face the facts and keep my hair very,very, short until I get another HT and I feel better about the way it looks. I have never heard one NEGATIVE word about my hair while it is short, and Im not self conscious while out in public. I would love to have longer hair, but not at the expense of not feeling good about the way it looks.

 

I have a 2,500 graft session scheduled for Nov,11 and Im thinking of cancelling it because Im not sure if the results will satisfy my needs. I have high standards for ultimate results, if they can not be met, I would rather keep it shaved.

 

These are all hard decisions for many of us, it was hard the first time I cut my hair so short, but I tolerate it now, and I dont ever wonder if someone is looking at a bald spot that Im not happy about having.

[mattj]

Jacob,

 

I'd say that you're more of a NW4A, or in the last throes of a NW3A.

 

So would I.

 

 

The red spots are quite commonly reported, and various descriptions of tingling sensations come up from time to time. It all seems to be part of the hairloss process in action. I've experienced both. The burning could be Rogaine related though, as it can cause irritation.

[Jacob1989]

Thanks for all the replies and of course i'll take note of what everyone has said as its good to get advice and support, i'll try to answer to some of what you guys have said.

 

1. Shaving my head - nothing against the look because it suits some people really well but i cant ever see me shaving my head, i feel very strong about this and would not be comfortable at all with shaving it,

 

2. I understand im young and it may be a problem for surgeons but i do understand that it may come to the future and i need another HT done, and i have accepted this but maintaining a good head of hair is my goal and i shall certainly be getting lots of consultations, i have to accept the hair on the front of my hair is gone so my goal is to keep the hair at the back and i know like i said im young but hopefully get a HT on the front, now i know future hair loss will be the case but i hopefully can work together with a good surgeon to reach a realistic goal.

 

3. I have been using Propecia every day, i never miss a tablet so thats very consistent, as for the Regaine that hasn't been as consistent but i am now making sure i use it daily every 12 hours.

 

4. I understand the prices and i know it will be expensive but i have spoken with Family and its not a problem, i just thought id come on here and get peoples advice, of course im not going to get mad at people who say HT may be the wrong thing at my age (because thats your advice) but i hope i can reach my goal in a realistic way. I will speak to both FUT and FUE Surgeons and get a good understanding before deciding to get it done.

 

5. I've used hairspray a lot in the last 4 years would anyone say this may be bad for the hair and making it worse?.. would be good to know what people think.

 

Anyway thanks for all your replies and i take it all constructively

 

Enjoy your weekends

Jacob

[mahhong]

Thanks for all the replies and of course i'll take note of what everyone has said as its good to get advice and support, i'll try to answer to some of what you guys have said.

 

1. Shaving my head - nothing against the look because it suits some people really well but i cant ever see me shaving my head, i feel very strong about this and would not be comfortable at all with shaving it,

 

2. I understand im young and it may be a problem for surgeons but i do understand that it may come to the future and i need another HT done, and i have accepted this but maintaining a good head of hair is my goal and i shall certainly be getting lots of consultations, i have to accept the hair on the front of my hair is gone so my goal is to keep the hair at the back and i know like i said im young but hopefully get a HT on the front, now i know future hair loss will be the case but i hopefully can work together with a good surgeon to reach a realistic goal.

 

3. I have been using Propecia every day, i never miss a tablet so thats very consistent, as for the Regaine that hasn't been as consistent but i am now making sure i use it daily every 12 hours.

 

4. I understand the prices and i know it will be expensive but i have spoken with Family and its not a problem, i just thought id come on here and get peoples advice, of course im not going to get mad at people who say HT may be the wrong thing at my age (because thats your advice) but i hope i can reach my goal in a realistic way. I will speak to both FUT and FUE Surgeons and get a good understanding before deciding to get it done.

 

5. I've used hairspray a lot in the last 4 years would anyone say this may be bad for the hair and making it worse?.. would be good to know what people think.

 

Anyway thanks for all your replies and i take it all constructively

 

Enjoy your weekends

Jacob

 

That's cool about shaving your head - it really is a personal decision and if it's not for you, then it's not for you.

 

The situation of multiple HTs is more tricky. You only have a finite amount of donor hair on your head - it will run out if you keep using it. Most men have around 6000-8000 grafts in their donor region to use in their lifetime (some maybe as many as 10-12,000 and some as few as only 4-6,000).

 

On the top of a man's head (in the balding region) I would estimate there may be anywhere being 18-25,000 of these graft equivalents. In other words, if you were to lose a significant amount of hair in the balding region, you would never have enough grafts to replace them all. Now, a HT works on the principle that if you replace say 40-60% of those grafts in an artistic way, you can achieve a good looking head of hair that looks full and dense in most situations. But you cannot get back to where you were at 15 - not even half way close really.

 

In a lot of men this doesn't matter because they want lose every hair in the susceptible balding regions. Some men may only be a NWIII or IV right into their old age. That means those precious donor grafts will have less area to cover and thus be more effective.

 

On the flipside of that, some men may experience pretty much total MPB, leading to a high NWVI or VII. In those extreme situations, a HT is ultimately not the best idea. 6000 grafts spread over 250 or 280cm2 of balding area will not give a lot of density - you'll just have a light spread of coverage that will look pretty odd frankly. Even 10,000 or 12,000 grafts on a severe NWVII case (which would be nigh on impossible) would not really give sufficient density - and you have to remember that every follicular unit you lose through balding is both an area to be covered and an area that cannot be harvested as donor. The net result being, the more hair you lose, the more you have to cover with less donor.

 

In a man your age, there's no way to tell where your balding pattern will end up. If you were to have a HT now of say 2500 to 3000 grafts (about what I imagine you'd need), you may find by the time you're 40 you could be a full blown NW7, and in that case you would very likely just not have enough donor to do the rest of your bald area even if you went for another 2 or 3 procedures. And then you'd end up with a fairly well transplanted hairline and a very bald or wispy crown and sides - not a good look for a man, certainly not in his 30s, 40s or 50s.

 

Propecia will slow down, maybe even halt your hairloss - but in reality likely not forever. At 22 you could be on the drug for another 50, 60 years or even more if you want to carry on seeing benefits from it. But in that time your hairloss wouldn;t just stop indefinitely - propecia might slow it down but in 20 or 30 years time it's a good bet you would have lost more hair.

 

In short - the degree of confidence to which a HT would be beneficial for you is very vague at the moment. Early balding is unfortunately usually (but not always) a sign of heading towards advances balding; NW6 or worse. If a doctor does a procedure on you, they have to be absolutely certain it's a journey worth taking. You'll never have enough donor to do a total restoration, but if you have advanced balding later in life chances are you won't even have the donor to do an acceptable restoration - and nobody would want to end up with a light, see through and fuzzy HT and no donor left.

 

This is just the worst case scenario and only a doctor can make any accurate diagnosis of things, so please don't think I'm trying to put you off. A HT could still absolutely be the best route for you if a doctor agrees, I'm just trying to demonstrate how simply committing to as many procedures as you need is not guaranteed to let you reach your goals. If a doctor can't be relatively confident of light at the end of the tunnel for you, they will suggest you wait until maybe your late-20s/early 30-s to see where you're at then. That's a very annoying thing for younger people to hear, but not half as annoying as getting to 40 and having made a major mistake committing to a HT so young.

 

As a final note, I wouldn't imagine hairspray would be doing too much damage. It's certainly not the healthiest thing to put on your hair, but it doesn't make hair fall out unless it was going to anyway, so if it's part of your look then I think you'll be fine with it!

[Jacob1989]

No i appreciate that reply and like i said ill take advice because its good to hear stuff like this, I understand that it could be leading to further balding and i understand i will never have all my hair like i use to, i guess the best thing is to have consultations with surgeons and get as much information as possible, i can see exactly what your saying about committing to a HT to early, but sadly effects my confidence a lot and as sad as it sounds, as long as i can work realistically with a surgeon then i do feel that having a HT to replace the hair ive lost would benefit from this age, i kind of know by the time im 40 or something i wont mind as much about my hair, its just the fact its at such a young age it does bother me a lot and i would rather go ahead with a HT if i can find the right surgeon like i say, i will keep on taking propecia and i fully understand what your saying about HT's. I also appreciate how in depth you went. Thanks

 

Jacob

[zenmunk]

You definitely found the right place for sound advice and support. I suggest you re-read all of the above posts, especially mahhong's. They are thorough and spot on. You're def. beyond a Norwood III and FUE is probably a no-go unless it's used as a adjunct to FUT. Definitely consult as many good docs as you can and research the hell out of HT. Btw, I'm 39, and my hair loss still matters to me. You'll find most guys my age and older feel the same way. It's probably wise to assume you will care when you're around 40 as well. Plan for it.

 

People have suggested shaving down as an option. You're against it right now. That's cool, but keep an open mind about it - it might be something to consider down the road. I don't mean to be insulting, but a comb-over look at any age is not a good look; at 22 it's a disaster. Even if you don't shave down, seriously consider other styling options.

 

Lastly, I'd say pour most of your energy into improving areas of your life you can control - work, school, health, fitness, etc... Try your best to get those things order, or if you already have, then maintain them. We all know how important hair can be to one's self-confidence, but it's by no means everything. Collectively, and even individually, attempts at mastering the other areas I mentioned will go a long way toward improving your self-esteem, confidence and overall quality of life.

 

Best of luck to you.

[Jacob1989]

Thank you, i understand the comb over look is never good! thankfully it doesn't look to bad and so much like a combover style at the moment but i can see what your saying and thank you for the advice, i will speak to lots of surgeons and see what they say but i do feel even covering a realistic area of the front hair loss would really benefit me but thats just how i feel. I will check out this forum and post a thread in the future with where i am at. Thanks for the reply's everyone.

Jacob

[mahhong]

Good stuff Jacob! The doctors will really be able to let you know what your options are in a way nobody on these forums can, so I'm sure you'll be able to develop a really good plan after talking to them!

 

Best of luck for the future and look forward to hearing how things work out!

[SugarHighs]

Hi Jacob,

 

One thing that's good for you is that you are so young. I live in a major city, in a highly populated area, with lots of young people 21-30 yo - so I see literally hundreds of people every day.

 

And one thing I notice about guys in their 20s with hair loss is that they look pretty good as long as they are:

 

a) fit /toned/in-shape and/or a little bit muscular (don't overdo it with pumping iron, that is even worse)

b) fairly tan (don't need to look like George Hamilton, but at least not chalk white skin)

c) they have short hair (not shaved, but meaning buzzed to a #1, #2 or #3 with clippers)

 

I see tons of guys fitting this description above at the gym, and I would say they really look no different than young guys who have hair. In fact, I think some of these guys are even better looking, because being fit causes you to see the bone structure in your face, which makes almost anyone better looking.

 

I'm not suggesting you should totally go out and change your lifestyle, or give up your hair maintenance. But you definitely should think about living healthy, and having a good diet, because that is a huge part of looking-good for a guy who has less hair, IMO.

 

Also, I'm not sure how much you care about women, maybe you already have a GF or whatever, but I recall two of the most attractive women I knew in my 20s were especially attracted to bald men, particularly guys who were other wise healthy and in shape.

[Jacob1989]

Hi SugarHighs,

 

Thats good to know, although from the picture i posted you can see if i cut my hair short then this may not be possible to do, i do manage to cover it up at the moment with a messy kinda look which at the moment is okay, although can be frustrating having to worry how my hair looks etc and spending time getting it right, but yeah i am toned i say.. i do work out and no i dont have a gf.. ive been in and out of relationships with good looking girls and currently seeing someone so i dont think its something that the other sex even notice yet (or maybe they do but they dont care). Either way i think my best thing is to talk to surgeons, i appreciate everyones advice on here and i know im young to get a HT but if it can even get a bit of my frontal loss done then i would still be very happy, im a true believer in things can be fixed, but i know that i need to be careful and be realistic at the same time. Ive been taking Propecia and other things to slow the process so its not that i want to suddenly get a HT, its the fact i know it will boost my every day life if i can even get some of the front done. I appreciate everyones comments on here so thanks for the replys people.

 

Oh and thanks Sugarhighs for the positive words

 

Jacob

[mattj]

If you go ahead with a hair transplant then I think you should aim for quite a conservative hairline. Go with a receded look which basically turns back time, but doesn't turn it back that far. You should also ask yourself if you would be happy leaving the crown bald or with very modest coverage if that area goes in the future.

 

Many or perhaps most HT patients (who are facing the choice) prioritise the hairline and are willing to ignore the crown. If you want to have some form of hairline restoration then it's important to conserve grafts for the midscalp area. This is because in the event that your hairloss exceeds your donor supply, some areas are more important to cover than others to retain an appearance that fits with natural hairloss patterns that we are used to seeing. (I hope that makes sense how I explained it).

[Jacob1989]

Yeah that does make sense

 

And i'd feel better gettng some of the front done, and having the crown eventually go.. than none that the front, but like i said if i go ahead with HT which im pretty sure i will end up doing then i wil be realistic with my goals and bare my future in mind, i understand im young for it but i have seen good results on similar situations on people in there 20's and i do think its possible as long as my goals are realistic.

 

Jacob