Running out of donor

[PreVet]

Hi guys,

Say if one were to get a hair transplant and subsequently their sides drop to norwood 7,the transplanted hair looks odd,right?

Would it be possible to just shave the top of your head and shave the back and sides to blade 5/6(with dermamatch for the scar if needed) and have the horseshoe look?

Or are there scars left where the transplanted hair is?

Thanks

[Levrais]

There shouldn't be much if any visible scarring in the recipient area but probably in that situation it would look better to shave everything assuming it was an fue procedure.

[Dutch]

I've always feared that. Worrying that the sides & the crown drop & would end up with a horse shoe look & not have enough donor left to fix it!

[PreVet]

And if it were a strip procedure,obviously u couldnt shave it down.

Do a lot of guys get to norwood 7 eventually?

I have an uncle balding in a norwood 6 pattern(on fathers side),1 grand uncle on that side norwood 6,grand aunt on that side who went bald,2 grand uncles on mother side norwood 6s.

These are the only members of my immediate family who went bald

[Levrais]

Another option if there wasn't enough scalp donor left at that point would be to fill in the gaps with bht.

[mahhong]

This is one of the major reasons doctors a reluctant to perform transplants on patients under 30.

 

Generally speaking (and it is only generally) NW7 hairloss is characterised by earlier and more aggressive loss. Therefore, by the time you're into your late 20s/early 30s, there will probably be good evidence you could be heading that way. Things like bulk/miniaturization analysis can help test that theory by looking at your hair right across your scalp for evidence of thinning in areas where it is not obvious visually. These are by no means 100% foolproof tests, but they can help make reasonable guesses.

 

Norwood 7 is relatively rare compared to the other NW classes and the older you are before you consider transplantation, combined with a thorough analysis of your hair prior to making any decisions, are factors that can help limit the risk as much as possible that you will do something you'll later regret! If by your late 20s there are no visual or analytical clues that you're heading towards NW7, there is a fair chance you've managed to steer clear of that problem!

 

Family history can also be a factor. If there are lots of NW7s in your family on both sides, there is a higher risk of you becoming one, and vice versa. Again, not foolproof as the balding gene can come from both sides of the family and skip generations, meaning you could be unfortunate to inherit the balding gene from great great great grandpa Joe whose photo or history you know nothing about! Generally speaking though, immediate family history of a few generations is a helpful clue as to where you might be heading.

 

Medication of course can also slow the progression of any hairloss, meaning NW7 patients will hopefully keep hold of existing hair much longer.

 

If you do get an HT and progress to NW7, then I suppose you can try and shave your head and go for the horseshoe look. That's really not ideal though! The best thing to do is wait as long as you can before having a HT, see a good doctor and get a thorough examination. Those are the factors that will best diagnose where you are or might be headed (though nothing is certain) and if a doctor thinks based on your examination and family history you have a reasonable chance of heading towards NW7, they will likely not recommend a HT at all.

[PreVet]

Thanks for your help guys.

Ya,i guess the horseshoe look might not be ideal but maybe i should take the risk if thats the worst case scenario.

Thing is,i dont even know if i have MPB.

I took the acne drug accutane and a prominent Dermatologist in the uk(Chu) think post accutane hair loss is diffuse alopecia areata.I also have pubic loss and leg hair loss.

And i have scalp psoriasis.

Alopecia areata is a difficult diagnosis and even scalp biopsies dont help much in diagnosis.

Maybe ill let the pattern continue and see if its MPB.It looks likely it is though as the loss on the head is mainly from the top i feel.

Thanks for the detailed reply

[RCWest]

According to Dr. Rassman and Baldingblog.com, only around 5-7 percent of men with hairloss will reach the NW7 pattern. It is really rare, from what I've seen in public. NW6 is usually the max most men reach.

[PreVet]

According to Dr. Rassman and Baldingblog.com, only around 5-7 percent of men with hairloss will reach the NW7 pattern. It is really rare, from what I've seen in public. NW6 is usually the max most men reach.

 

Cheers.

Its good to hear that.im in my early stages of hairloss now,so we'll see.If i end up a NW6 ill probably take the risk of transplantation if i have a good donor area.

Thanks