My First Post - Considering Hair Transplant

[davehhh1]

Hi all,

 

Longtime lurker finally built up the courage to join this great forum and share my story and ask some questions.

 

I'm 34 from UK. I always was obsessed abt my hair always had a cool brushed back hair cut and believed hair was the most important thing. I don't know what happened but one day at 17 years old I was round a mates and saw my hairline was a bit M shaped! Yep only 10 years later I realised I had a mature hairline. However, where the hairline had matured the density of the hairline was quite thin more so left side.

 

Since 17 i studied my hair everyday and denied i was balding after all my brother wasnt and he was older. So i grew a ponytail and this helped cover the hairline i once loved but now hated. Now at age 30 I cut the ponytail off and have a short messy haircut. It looks good but since 17 i still look at my hair. It is thin at the hairline. The density is such that outside and under bright light I cannot look at it. It shines right through.

 

Most people do not notice but a few people say "Your hair is thin."

 

It is not thin its just the front is. And my hair is spiked so makes it worse. I want a denser hairline. That is all. I tried no drugs maybe some minoxidl once and gave up. To be honest i am surprised my thin hairline has not progressed to full balding seeing as i was 17.

 

So what now? Well I want a transplant. I know about the different techniques. Wanted FUE until I saw the great hairlines Hasson and Wong do with FUT. I also like Dr Rahal too. My problem is I have not got the guts to even contact them. 1 Because of my girlfriend not understanding, or at least thats what I think and 2 because of the travelling and im a bit of a coward to contact them.

 

Why am I here? Well you are the only people I have told.

 

Thanks for listening feels good to get this off my chest.

[SADbutTRUE]

whats up , welcome to the forum, i joined recently as well , and ive been a loooooooong time lurker, this is a good place to share your opinions on every thing hair related,every1 here is dealing with the same issue, hair loss, trying to stop it and trying to get some back.so your not alone, did you share your thoughts with your gf, or any family members? as far as ht. hairloss , dont hide your thoughts from your loved ones , having support will make the journey easier for you or any 1 else. every journey starts with a step, sounds corny but true, research , and talk to other ht vets here, once your ready you will be able to take the next step, good luck .

[Icecreamman]

Congrats on your first step. Everything you say is exactly what I went through, however I didn't start losing hair till 28 or 29. But at 34 it bothered me so much I pulled the trigger on a ht. I researched for years and I can say absolutely, 100% this was one of the best decisions I've made.

 

For me telling my gf and parents was easy, however they didnt understand why I wanted to go thru with a ht. none of them cared how my hair looked. But we all have hang ups and to get my hair back and move on from thinking about it all the time really is a great thing for me. And it might be a great thing for you. But many people around you may not fully understand.

 

Send an email to jotronic of h&w or mattj from rahal. They will certainly point you in the right direction. Good luck with your decision.

[davehhh1]

Hi guys thanks for the greeting.

 

Even to this day I am shocked that at 17 my hairline matured and i only noticed one morning especially the amount of time i used to spend on my hair.

 

I guess its even more surprising that I held on to the rest up to now. Normally balding so young accelerates rapidly. I take vitamins for the hair since that day and it is the only explanation I have. But the front is thin as i mention. I think i will contact hasson and wong as you say. Thanks.

[TommyLucchese]

I am 23 and from the UK. In July I travelled to Heathrow and then to New York for 4 days all on my own for my surgery. It isn't as bad as you think, personally I found it quite exciting! Lots of people travel and from my experiences it's not a problem.....so personally I don't think you should be concerned about that!

 

Your girlfriend, well, only way to find out isn't there! Have you mentioned to her your hair loss concerns? It's not something you'll be able to hide from her if you do it, so really you should talk to her about it ... if you show her some of the results on here I'm sure she wouldn't be negative!

 

Regarding being a coward contacting a clinic - you can do online consultations via email and send your photos and get feedback. There are representatives on the forum who can help you - Spex helped me so much and made the whole thing much much easier for me. You shouldn't be scared to contact the clinics, they see and hear from people like us all the time - nothing to be concerned about!

 

Have you tried taking propecia and minoxidil to see how that helps your hair?

[davehhh1]

Hi thanks,

 

Spoke to my gf. I explained my story abt being 17 and consideing hair transplant. First she said my hair is fine. I joked that that was the problem! She said my hairstyle looks good. I showed her the problem areas and asked for support. She was cool. I guess the biggest problem was admitting to her my concerns.

 

No i have not tried propecia. Tried minox but gave up. Hairlines are not good responders. But i guess if i have HT the drs will put me on propecia...

[TommyLucchese]

I was told when prescribed it that propecia wont reopen dead follicles (hence the need for surgery) but it thickens up hair where you have it. I noticed significant improvement all over, including hairline.

 

I don't know if a doctor would recommend it but as you describe your hair as thin, maybe propecia would help to thicken it up, then maybe a transplant would sort out the part of the hairline that is too far gone for medication to save. This is just me speculating, you should really get in touch with some of the top doctors to find out

 

Contacting some clinics should be much easier for you now you've had the courage to talk to your girlfriend about it. If you look around enough you'll find the same names cropping up of doctors/representatives who you can contact to assess your situation. Don't be scared to get in touch, you're under no obligation ... I even had a consultation in person with my doctor and still was able to walk away and think it over.

[davehhh1]

Thanks.

 

I know it sounds weird but propecia scares me because i heard that it is not good for temple areas and some people online claim it fried temple hair. But then i guess u can find anything online...

 

Yes i will contact Hasson and Wong and Dr Rahal too and see how to proceed being oceans apart.

[TommyLucchese]

I was at a point where I was so desperate about my hair I didn't even care when warned of the potential side effects of propecia, I went straight on it when I had the chance. If I'd researched, maybe some of the negative views would have put me off. I've recently learned not to read too much into everything - everything can have an alternate theory. Even something as sure as the fact that Xavi is an incredible footballer, you get MANY people questioning if he is really any good or not. So of course there will be differing views on hair loss stuff in abundance.

 

Best thing to do is to try it out yourself. The side effects are rare, I haven't heard of it frying temple hair and I've seen people with improvement with their hair at the front.

 

I had no sides and as I said, along with minoxidil, my hair improved a lot all over.

 

There's not much else I can say really. I'm not a doctor or a propecia salesman, it's up to you to research and decide for yourself. All I can speak for is my own experiences with the meds, travelling and surgery, so far it's been incredibly positive.

 

Good luck!

Edited September 17, 2012 by TommyLucchese

[davehhh1]

Thanks I am getting some finasteride from a doctor (5mg) which I have to halve and take monday wednesday and friday.

 

I think it is worth a try.. I'm not getting any younger. But nervous but lets see