Looking for some honest opinions. Please help a balding man out!!

[zerosum]

Please take a look at my pics and let me know if I am a good candidate for a HT. I have been watching this forum for awhile now, but I am really confused if it would be a good idea for me. I am not even sure if I took the pictures the best way to get the best opinion, so if I didn't let me know..

 

 

Thanks to anyone who offers help.

Edited April 6, 2013 by zerosum

[JohnnyDrama]

The pics aren't fantastic but at first glance your donor looks on the thin side. You have aggressive loss, but I reckon in order for people to give a more educated guess, you'd need to post better (and closer/brighter) pics of the back and sides of your head.

 

Have you ever used medication to try to halt the loss?

[zerosum]

My hair in these pics was only grown out for a few weeks. Do you recommend an amount of time to let it grow out before posting pics?

[zerosum]

I did try generic propecia for a few years and just didn't really see much in terms of results.

[JohnnyDrama]

I don't think the length is too important, it's more the clarity of the follicles in the donor area. It's difficult to judge how thick/thin you are on that back shot.

[zerosum]

I attached another pic if that helps. What is the best way to take pics for the best possible opinion?

[KO]

I'm not qualified to comment, given my own question in this thread, but I'll forward my opinion regardless. My humble opinion is that you're an "ok" candidate if your density/laxity are average. You seem to have a 5/6 pattern, with a thinning bridge, and most of your hair loss concentrated towards the front, with some crown loss. Frankly, similar to Jotronic and perhaps Dutch. I think your candidacy will depend on the density/laxity of your donor.

 

Good:

You have a light skin/light hair match.

Most hair loss is in the front, which is easier to solve

your sides look reasonably high, and the balding area tapers away at the parietal humps.

 

Bad:

Density/Laxity is unknown

Top of parietal humps/bridge is thinning.

 

I think you should continue taking finasteride - why? Even if you don't grow more hair, you can help prevent your donor from thinning out, which can and often does happen. So I think the starting point is always finasteride.

 

To document your hair best, you should take a front shot, left side, right side, back and top, in identical lighting and identical hairstyle.

[zerosum]

Thanks KO. I will try and get some better pictures up soon.

[StaggerLee123]

Take some better pics using a well lit room and get them off to some of the leading clinics for some answers!!! A mega session might be in your future...

[zerosum]

Who are the leading clinics?? I know about the one in Canada, but I don't think Canada is going to let me in (long story), so who in the U.S. should I send some pics to?

[socates123]

From the information gathered in this forum - H&W and Rahal (for canada)

[Questionmark]

You surely will need BHT in order to get a satisfying result in my humble opinion. You`ll have a long way to go, but it begins with the very first step;-)

[zerosum]

What is a BHT?

[zerosum]

Who are the best docs in the U.S.? I don't think Canada will let me in!

[JohnnyDrama]

Body hair transplant.

 

Have you send your pics to any clinics for an online consultation?

[zerosum]

Body hair?? are you serious? No I haven't sent any pics to clinics. I was hoping some people here could tell me about some good docs in the U.S.

[JohnnyDrama]

He could have also meant beard hair.

 

Both are genuine methods of transplant used by many top clinics, with good results. The likes of Umar and Bisanga come to mind.

 

Re top docs in the US, there are lots:

 

Konior - Chicago

Shapiro - Minnesota

Feller - NY

Lindsey - NY

True/Dorin - NY

 

to name a few.

[zerosum]

Why would I need beard or body hair?

[Mickey85]

Would need better photos buddy. Depending on how good of bad your situation is, it could be solved with body hair or without. It all depends on the level of loss and how good your density in the donor area is.

[Levrais]

Why would I need beard or body hair?

 

Not sure if you do or don't but if you do it would be because you have a large area to cover. From the pics it looks like you are a NW 5 to 6. Sometimes there's not enough scalp donor hair to cover the bald area. So, if that's the case, beard or body hair can be used to give more coverage. It will depend largely on your donor density and the amount of coverage you desire. You could use the online consults button above to get advice directly from docs.

[Jotronic]

Zerosum,

 

I'll chime in with my opinion. First, get away from the generic version of Propecia. We are finding that the reliability of generics to be suspect. I just had another patient call me this past week to tell me that switching to name brand Proscar made a big improvement over the generic he had been taking for a few years. Proscar is the original version of Propecia and comes in a 5mg tablet that you cut into quarters. Take one quarter of the pill and you get the same effect but for less money. You may already be taking Proscar and assumed it was generic. If it is generic it will not say Proscar on the box but "finasteride" which is the active ingredient.

 

Second, my gut tells me that your laxity is at least average and you have thin scalp tissue. I've looked at literally tens of thousands of photos sent to me over the years and you gain a sense for these things over time. I would suggest however that sharper photos should be taken and you should also watch my video on how to take proper HT photos for evaluation. You can see the video below. To correct a couple of things you're doing, you're using the front facing camera on your smartphone to take a picture of your reflection in the mirror. This is logical. However, it looks like you are using an iPhone 4 or 4s which only use VGA for the front facing camera. If you have the iPhone 5 it is about 1.2mp. You see the "fuzz" in the image because the optics are very basic and not as good as the rear facing optics. Second, you are placing yourself between the light source and the lens. You'll learn more in the video.

 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ra6XolNTkPc&feature=player_embedded

 

I think you are a candidate but your new photos will reveal more. What one should ask is what your expectations are. Are you looking for light coverage? Strong coverage in the front, light in the back? Do you even care about the crown or are you seeking a full head of hair? These are important questions to ask because it will determine your satisfaction with the final result. "Should" you get an HT? No, no one should get one. This is a cosmetic procedure and I never tell anyone they should do this. All things being equal it solely depends on how much your hair loss bothers you and if your expectations can be met.

 

And please stay away from body hair at this point. It should only be used as a last resort where all other resources are depleted.

[Bill - Seemiller]

Zerosum,

 

Whether or not you're a good candidate for hair transplantation will depend on your donor characteristics and your goals. You have pretty advanced hair loss and in the current pictures you've presented, your donor hair density appears a little thin. Of course, this could be as a result of the pictures being taken under harsh lighting conditions and the lack of clarity of the photos.

 

That said, you've been given some excellent advice and questions to consider by other members of this community.

 

At this point, I'd recommend researching and consulting with a few leading Coalition hair restoration physicians to discuss your concerns, goals and what can be realistically achieved for you.

 

Best wishes,

 

Bill