donor density

[sapcote]

Just about to book a transplant for next month or feb, but i'm now concerned about my donor area at the back of my head. I was going to upload an exciting video of me combing the back of my head! but i guess i can't upload a video clip so i'm attaching some pics of the back of my head.

 

i had a consultation last feb and was told my donor area was good (it was just a quick visual inspection by the doc however) and other posters on this board and others have said it looks to be decent.....as you can see there's a bald strip on the back ( i don't believe it has changed much over the years). the bald spot just about reaches the small protruding bone at the back of the head. would the strip be taken from above this bone or below it? If taken from above then the strip would run right across an area that as you can see in the pics is thinning...

 

Should I go and get a proper test to see if the donor area is minaturizing before i go and reserve a surgery date?

[Cant decide]

Its hard to say but it looks like the strip would be taken below your "Bald" patch which looks more like a cowlick anyway.

[mahhong]

It couldn't hurt to get a professional opinion on it, but I see this sort of thing quite a bit in non-balding men too. I think it's something to do with the direction and what in which the hair grows, but I couldn't say for certain.

 

As I say, couldn't hurt to get it checked out, but everything else looks too dense and normal around it for just that little strip to be thinning.

[sapcote]

i'm so confused right now. I sent the pics of the back of my head to the doc in thailand and they said the donor area looks ok...there's a surgery slot open for late Jan. I just today went to a clinic in seoul Korea where I live. I saw 2 doctors there. The first assistant doc said my donor area was 'thin but donor density relatively good" (isn't that a contradiction?)......he then said another assistant would measure my area with the telescope.....it wasn't measured, instead i then saw the head doctor who said my donor area was 'thin relative to other people's" !! and then said i wasn't a good candidate....he did then go on about how he is only used to korean people's hair etc etc

 

just don't know what to do....the hairloss is killing me and it feels right to do something about it now, however, caution is telling me to get lots of consultations both in thailand with the clinic that i'm planning to do it at, and also in Uk (my native country). I'm on holiday for jan and feb and plan to go to thailand and uk anyway, regardless of whether i get transplant or not....

 

is the best thing to do to have my hair telescopically measured with a densitometer? can the results be interpreted differently or is there an industry standard in terms of what makes a result good or acceptable for treatment? e.g one doctor's 'acceptable' donor density for a patient may be another doctor's 'unacceptable' density.....

 

i've read posts on here of people having their trasplanted hair fall out or thin a few years post surgery, and this has partially been explained by the original donor hair being subject to DHT....if my donor is thinning even a little bit then there's no point in having a transplant?

[sapcote]

i've attached beolow a one min link of me brushing my hair at the back, exciting stuff haha. can anyone please take a look and comment as to whether you think the donor area looks good.....i don't know why the video is upside down, it's my first youtube video upload.

 

Also, can anyone comment on the variance of hair transplantation surgeon's clinical diagnoses, e.g, one doc says you're a good candidate with good donor hair and the next doc says the opposite......is a bit of variance to be expected? did anyone have a transplant with good results after being told before they weren't a good candidate by a previous doctor??

 

 

[AnthonySC]

Your transplant would depend not only on donor density, but the quality of your hair: coarseness and type (straight, wavy, curly). Straight and thin with low density would be the worst because you would require the most grafts to get good coverage. Strait and fine does tend to look more natural when transplanted though or so I am told. Optimal traits would be curly, coarse and with high donor density.

 

Scalp laxity is also important for a strip procedure as it determines how much hair can be taken from that region. Scalp exercises can help increase elasticity prior to surgery.

 

Your donor looks good to me, but I am not a doctor. I would just make sure that you have classic MPB. If it is some sort of diffusive thinning make sure it doesn't extend into the permanent zone.

 

I also think you can get a reasonable result if you prioritize. So if your donor characteristics are not that great maybe just plan on transplanting the front half and use medication for the rest. You might eventually have a bald spot in the back...personally it wouldn't really bother me as long as I look good in the mirror. Also you could get the hairline places slightly further up and still look good (saves donor hair needed).

[mahhong]

I'm not a doctor or a professional but now having watched the video, my bet would be that you're not balding in the donor region.

 

Unfortunately only a microscopic analysis can tell you for certain if this is the case. Nobody, not even a doctor, can be accurate with just a visual exam. I would say there are no signs of thinning though. The only place that looks different in the crown/whorl region, which is prone to looking thinner even in non-balding men just because of the way it grows out from that region in certain individuals.

 

Out of interest how old are you? I only ask because from what little I can see of you in the video, you look pretty young. If you're younger than 30 I would be cautious over whether now is the right time to get a hair transplant. That's not to say you couldn't or shouldn't, but your dilemma highlights the problem; you've often got little information as to how severe your balding could become in your 20s (especially younger 20s). I know hairloss sucks, but a badly planned transplant sucks more!

 

A bit of divergence from doctor to doctor is to be expected on what they consider good donor or good density. Some doctors are very conservative or modest in their approach, others a bit more robust. But again, nobody can be totally accurate with a quick visual inspection - your donor density would need to be mapped to stand a good chance of ascertaining exactly how good a candidate you are.

 

And of course, finally, make sure you're seeing a reputable surgeon! You'll always be able to find a surgeon out there who'll tell you what you want to hear; make sure the people you're seeing are thorough and only deal in the truth.

[RodG]

Hi,

 

I think you need to do a bit more research before you commit to a HT. You should frequent this board as much as possible and do more due diligence.

 

Which doctor in Thailand are you considering? It is pretty hard for a clinic to do a an online consult. All reputable doctors would take hair from the safe zone in your donor area.

 

Regards rod

[NEWHAIRPLEASE]

Your donor looks great to me, my biggest problem with your case is I don't know if your balding. What's the front look like? Are you receding at all? I certainly wouldn't jump into a transplant!

[sapcote]

the doc in thailand would be dr prathomanvinch. yes i've lost it all on the front third of the scalp and most on the top above that - my other posts have pics of the rest of my head............thanx for all your comments.......next step is to have a densitometer test i think so as to quantify things