Considering Hair Transplant - Advice?

[pxp852]

Hey everyone,

 

Coming to this forum I had a bunch of questions regarding shock loss, transplant timeline, etc. After reading the FAQs a lot of these questions have been answered. However, I am looking for opinions on my current situation and was wondering if I should get a transplant in my current state. I am 27 and have been classified as a NW3V. My father was a NW7. I have received a consultation and suggested 2000 grafts on the crown and 1500-2000 grafts in the hairline.

 

I have attached pics of my crown and hairline. Based on the amount of hair I have now and my father's almost complete baldness, should I move forward with the transplant or wait longer? Any opinions are greatly appreciated. Oh, I have been using Propecia and Rogaine for about 6-7 years. Has definitely slowed balding but has not stopped it.

[FriskyDingo]

Based on those two pictures I'd suggest focusing your attention on your hairline if you decide to get a HT. Your crown, while thinning a bit, still looks pretty manageable; if you were willing to use a product like Toppik or Dermatch I think hairloss there would be completely undetectable.

 

While there are HT surgeons who will do more than 2000 grafts a session and work on both the crown and hairline, most of what I've gathered in my research seems to indicate the best results come from focusing on one area at a time and then tackling the other "problem area" at a later date.

 

I have a similar pattern of loss to you (Norwood 3V, going on 4) and opted to get 2000 grafts in my hairline, because that was clearly going to make the most difference for my overall appearance. I'm taking finasteride and using minoxodil to help slow down the crown loss until I decide what to do about that aspect of the problem.

[pxp852]

Hey FriskyDingo,

 

Thanks for the reply. How much of a hassle is Toppik/Dermatch? And as far as it getting wet (sweating, swimming, etc)? Does it wash away?

 

Do you have photos of your HT progress? I think one of my main concerns with the hairline is the "island" in the front going away. Should this be a worry at all?

[FriskyDingo]

Most of my experience is with Toppik (I'm thinking of giving Dermatch another go once my HT recovery gets a little further along), and it's worked well for me for the past 5+ years. It has a few downsides: it's (obviously) not a replacement for hair loss treatment, because it is purely cosmetic, and it's not particularly effective on the hairline - though I have seen some people use it successfully with certain hairstyles. It is however, nearly undetectable if you are covering a thinning crown area. The fibers anchor pretty well to the existing hair follicles (which is why I recommended it in your case; if you are slick-bald in the back it would have nothing to attach to and then it DOES look rather fake) and can survive a little moisture/sweat, but I wouldn't recommend immersing your head in a swimming pool unless you could do a quick 'touch-up' afterwards. I'd suggest watching a few videos on Youtube to see how people apply it and then give a trial-size container a go and see if it works for your lifestyle. It certainly made me feel like I could delay dealing with my crown thinning for a while.

 

I'm planning to upload some of my HT photos soon (just joined the site yesterday, and I'm only 1 month post-op). I had a few concerns about the "island" of hair I had left, too, but they were able to transplant some of my donor hairs into that area to increase the density a bit, so if I do continue to recede, it won't look particularly weird - at least, that's my hope! With any luck, the regimen I'm on (finasteride and minox) will be able to keep further hair loss to a minimum, but that's admittedly always a gamble; there's no telling exactly what my "final" hair loss status will be 5/10/20 years from now. The reason I finally went in for surgery was that I realized I'd done everything I could stop further loss, but nothing was going to bring my hairline back except a HT.

[greatjob]

Who was the doctor you had a consult with? I would say that your hair looks pretty good and it is good that you have been on propecia for so long as you would probably be a lot worse off by now. I would say from the limited info I have that you would be a suitable candidate for a ht. Firsky gives some good advice about possibly leaving the crown untouched, however if I was you I would go see some reputable docs from this site and have them give you an estimate of your total available donor and discuss with them whether or not they think it would be a good idea to touch the crown. If the doctors think you have enough grafts available over your lifetime you might be able to have some work done on the crown. You are very fortunate that you have found this site first as there isn't a better place to find good advice regarding ht's.

[pxp852]

FriskyDingo,

 

Thanks for all of the advice on the concealers. Toppik may be something I look into but as with so many others I would love a permenant solution. I'd hate to have to put the concealer on every single morning. I've come to the point where I am really leaning with three roads: 1. Ride it out until I go bald, 2. Shave it all off, 3. Get a HT. These three options reallly hold the least amount of effort in the longterm in my opinion (assuming the HT is successful). I don't mind taking Propecia but once the routine starts including concealers and other products I really wonder if it's worth it.

 

I look forward to seeing your photos as it sounds like you and I are in the same boat. Do you feel comfortable sharing your doctor. The reason I'd like to do the crown/hairline at the same time is because it'd be cheaper in the long run. But I don't know how risky this is.

 

As always I greatly appreciate all of the input. Thank you!

[pxp852]

greatjob,

 

I had an online consult with Dr. Hasson. I do think Propecia has saved much of my hair as my dad was clearly a NW7. I don't really know exactly when he went so bald since he shaved it in his 30s but I know he never took Propecia. Hoping that keeps me from the same fate. Thank you for the advice regarding reputable doctors. I believe I have found one in Hasson and even though the price can be steep I don't want to go down a bad road of horrible transplants until finally going to the right guys. This site is very thorough and I feel lucky to have such a resource.

[Pulpedfiction1]

Most people your age are not candidates. However, you did the smart thing and got on meds EARLY. I'm in my mid-30's and would give anything to have begun treatment 10 years ago. I'd have saved so much time, energy, money...and most of all, confidence. So congratulate yourself on being proactive.

 

The 2000 grafts will do wonders for your hairline. The crown can certainly use work, but is quite salvageable. If you can handle it financially, I'd say go for it all in one procedure--that way you're likely to have a nice head of hair the next decade (if not longer) and would be able to focus on other things.

[pxp852]

PulpedFiction,

 

Do you make that comment about this age not being good because I'm young? In most cases how long should an individual wait to get a transplant? 30? Sorry you didn't get on treatment sooner but you're balding must not have been apparent until you were older, correct?

 

I do agree that doing it all in one shot would be preferred. Like I said, I'd hate to get the transplant and lose all hair around it (I'd imagine that would look very silly). But I'm leaning towards taking that shot.

 

Have you had any transplants yourself?

[Pulpedfiction1]

Your age is somewhat borderline. However, since you've been on meds for quite awhile...you have the stability of loss that most people your age do not.

 

When I was 27, I was only mildly thinning in front. It wasn't really visible, and did not affect my self-confidence to any degree. However, when I'd brush my hair, things just felt a little less dense. Things got more noticeable around 29-30, and took a dramatic turn for the worse at 31.

 

I've had one HT (and am shooting for another quite soon). It won't completely fix things, but should at least provide a nice illusion when viewed from the front.

 

I'd say go for it. You're on meds..and therefore doing everything that you can to avoid/minimize future loss. Yeah, it hurts to spend nearly as much on a bunch of hair follicles as you would have on a new car..but as long as you have the donor supply, it's well worth the price of improved self-confidence.

 

 

 

PulpedFiction,

 

Do you make that comment about this age not being good because I'm young? In most cases how long should an individual wait to get a transplant? 30? Sorry you didn't get on treatment sooner but you're balding must not have been apparent until you were older, correct?

 

I do agree that doing it all in one shot would be preferred. Like I said, I'd hate to get the transplant and lose all hair around it (I'd imagine that would look very silly). But I'm leaning towards taking that shot.

 

Have you had any transplants yourself?

[pxp852]

It sucks that it got that bad for you so quickly. I wish you the best of luck in your next hair transplant. I will be sure to track your progress here if you decide to share it. I plan on showing my progress as well here.

 

Thanks for the advice! The price definitely hurts and I was currently quoted for a 15k loan at 17% interest (whoa!). I can pay the transplant with savings but it would deplete my account for such a cosmetic reason. The loan would be interest free if I pay it within a year (rough challenge). How did you finance your procedure?