HT for diffuse thinner?

[jobber1900]

Hi guys, I am wondering what is the best mode of treatment for a diffuse thinner?

I have been on finasteride for 2 years and minoxidil for nealry 5.

i have good coverage of hair on all of my thinning area but clearly it is very thin and hair loss is very clearly visible and obvious.

 

my question is - are there many guys who are diffuse thinning and undergo HT? is this recommended approach?

what would then be the best approach - cover entire area in one session since only need fewer hairs in the entire area?

or approach in multiple session, front first dense packed and then crown?

 

what i am more concerned about is shockloss of thiining hair and if that will fall due to HT?

 

how does shock loss in recipient area take place? does it happen due to implanted hair cutting in through existing hair's blood supply or implanted hair cutting the existing hair completely?

 

looking forward to some advice. thanks

[Thehairupthere]

Diffuse thinning is tricky and every case is different. This should be looked at by a doctor who can take a look at your specific situation and see if a HT is a good option for you. Without photos it's very hard to say. If the donor area is too thin already then FUT is most likely not a good option for you, but FUE could work but again it depends on the situation and if it's worth it in the long run. Schedule a consultation in person or send some photos to them for an online consultation to see where you stand.

 

Shock loss occurs usually due to trauma to the surrounding area of where the hairs are transplanted. If the hairs in that area are "healthy" they should come back within 3 months, but if they are also in danger of falling out they could very well never come back, but that is something that you would plan for with your surgeon before having the actual procedure. More than one procedure may be necessary for your case and in the long run with any future hair loss.

[jobber1900]

hairupthere, thanks a lot for sharing your expert advice

[Dr. Glenn Charles]

Hair transplantation is generally not recommended for patients who have diffus thinning. Do you think that your donor area is also thinning?

[jobber1900]

i have updated the post and added some pics now

[salami]

It's a little hard to tell with your hair that short, but if you have sufficient donor, then you may be a good candidate.

Definitely consult with a few high-end doctors, and stay on the minoxidil and finasteride.

I went off finasteride for about a year around 2 years ago and it cost me a lot of hair!

 

I am a diffuse thinner, but I have poor donor density. I was still able to get a cosmetically significant result with a small number of available grafts.

 

This is one of my favorite diffuse thinner results. He stopped posting at 6 months, but the result was very impressive even at that point. Not everyone can get over 4000 grafts at one shot though.

 

Hair Restoration Site for korean boy

[jobber1900]

thanks buddy

other fellow forum members, any more suggestions/advice?

Edited November 21, 2012 by jobber1900

[Jotronic]

Jobber,

 

First, we need to differentiate between diffused hair loss and diffused alopecia. These are two different animals. When we talk about diffused hair loss, at least in our clinic, we are referring to a pattern found on the Norwood hair loss chart but one that is thin throughout and not exactly bald or thinning in one particular area. Diffused alopecia refers more to a general thinning throughout not only the top of the scalp or the NW hair loss area but also the traditional donor zone. These types of diffused thinners are generally not candidates for any type of surgery as the donor hair itself is prone to loss over time.

 

From what I see in your photos you appear to be the former rather than the latter. This is especially evident in your posterior donor zone as the density looks good. The caveat is that the photos are small and not of the highest clarity not to mention I'm seriously exhausted from jetlag and consultations here in Italy:)

 

With that out of the way, we now need to discuss the issue of shock loss. There are two types of shock loss with the first being temporary shock loss and the second being of course permanent shock loss. Temp shock loss is unpredictable and is a result of the procedure in general. We don't know exactly why this happens but we know it stems from the overall trauma of having so many incisions made into the recipient scalp. These hairs that are typically shocked generally begin to come back between three to five months. There can be some hairs permanently shocked and as TheHairUpThere said these are hairs generally considered to be on their way out to begin with and in my opinion are not cosmetically significant to begin with if/when this happens.

 

Patients like you are on the highest end of the scale for potential permanent shock of cosmetically significant hairs because most clinics would work on your scalp without shaving the recipient zone. This is the number one cause of permanent shock loss in patients. When the hair is not shaved then the true angle and direction of the hairs and how they exit the scalp are distorted. This happens because as with everything, hair has weight and the longer the hair the more weight there is to distort the angles. Furthermore, when the doctor starts making incisions into recipient scalp tissue without shaving they have to manipulate the hair to make said incisions. Obviously, this seriously distorts the angles as well. Now imagine the amount of manipulation needed for thousands of incisions and this is before the technicians even come in to do the same thing just to find these incisions to place the grafts.

 

You may be asking why this is important. It is because if the incisions made into the recipient scalp cannot be matched with the angle and direction of the native hair then some of the native hair can and will be transected. Transection is when the blade or needle crosses the path of a neighboring hair thus destroying it. The incisions must be parallel to these angles and directions to avoid this. Shaving the hair to 2mm allows the hair to stand true without too much length and weigh to distort and without the need for manipulation to find the spaces.

 

Here are some examples of diffused thinners that we've worked on...

 

Dr. Wong - 3525 Grafts...

 

 

 

 

Here is the HD video for this result...

Hair Transplant Videos - Before & After Videos Page 1

 

Here is another Dr. Wong result with 4295 grafts...

 

 

 

And the accompanying HD video...

 

Hair Transplant Videos - Before & After Videos Page 1

 

Here is a great one, a long term result of six years and 5480 grafts.

 

 

 

Here is one of my favorites, 5584 in one session by Dr. Wong on a diffused thinner.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I hope I've answered your questions. If you have any further questions just let me know.

[darkhorse0510]

Thanks Joe for the explanation and examples!

[socates123]

Out of curiosity - which will serve the patient in the long term - multiple FUE or a single pass FUT?