Young and rushed into FUE - please help

[baldtoo]

I've never felt so horrible about a decision in my life. I am only in my early 20's and have diffuse thinning all over the top of my head and the anterior 1/2 of my scalp was almost completely hairless (very few thin hairs). I had been using Toppik to cover that area and although I still lived life as the "extremely premature bald kid", I had somewhat of an outline to my face with this artificial hairline (very very light layer of Toppik). I was so sick of peoples comments and the fact that I had the appearance of a 70 year old man that I rushed into a hair transplant with a robotic system for 1800 grafts to try to cover that anterior half of my scalp with diffuse hair (rather than completely hairless) so it could match the posterior 1/2. I am now realizing that this was an immature decision that will probably affect the rest of my life.

It has been a little over a month since my transplant, all the transplanted hairs have fallen out and I am struggling to use Toppik to cover the transplanted area because it seems like the small amount of natural hair that used to be there has fallen out due to the aggressiveness of this procedure. Not only that, but my donor area strangely has an outline of where the grafts were taken out (see my other post) and I am now learning that the robotic system leaves larger scars than traditional FUE..bad news for a diffuse thinner like me. So now I have to cover both my recipient and donor with Toppik.

I don't want to be in the hair transplant game for the long run..I thought I could just have and equal diffuse look over the top by doing this procedure. I don't think my results will show that in the long run. I think I am going to be completely bald on the top with this patch of transplant hair on the top. And I've lost the option of shaving my head now due to the donor scars. I hate the idea of having to get several transplants in the future just to make myself look normal.

I sincerely need the help of people on this forum because I have no one to talk to. I know I made a rash, immature, stupid decision that will affect the rest of my life. I guess I'm just hoping that someone out there may have good news for me someway, so that this nightmare can be more tolerable.

Edited July 12, 2013 by baldtoo

[Mickey85]

One month post-op is very early buddy. The transplanted hairs were meant to fall out because their growth cycle has been reset. They should return by month 4 onward and by 12 months you should get a final result. The donor may also have had shockloss from the trauma of surgery and also have been reset, this should come back by about month 4 or 5 and then you can make a proper evaluation. Was the robotic system the ARTAS? Or the Neograft? Who was your surgeon? At one month post-op things sound normal and will improve over time.

[baldtoo]

post op day 5 1800 grafts FUE robot

 

I opted to go very conservative with the hair line since I am very young. I was hoping to just grow it out and brush it forward to bring my "hair line" down to its natural area.

[Mickey85]

Anymore photos of the donor?

[baldtoo]

Thanks for your reply mickey

I know it too early for results, but I'm regretting making the decision in the first place because it seems that the general consensus is that I am a terrible candidate for a HT because of my diffuse thinning alopecia, unless I want to do multiple procedures throughout my life..which I really don't. I wish my doctor had told me that earlier.

I don't want to mention my doctor, since he is a great doctor and this is generally a negative post.

It was with the ARTAS. Do you happen to know if I'll be able to eventually shave my head in the future without the 1 mm punches being visible?

Edited July 12, 2013 by baldtoo

[baldtoo]

Immediate post op

[Mickey85]

Hey there champ. I can totally understand what you mean buddy. We go in trusting the surgeon because we are brought up our whole lives to believe Doctors take care of us and have our best interests at heart. There are disingenuous Doctors out there that just want to get you into the chair. I really wish I had not gone through strip and that clinics were much more honest and open but there is hope for me and you also.

 

The good news is that you did not go through a NeoGraft procedure. ARTAS is significantly better than NeoGraft in terms of yield. ARTAS currently uses 1mm punches(although the .9mm punch is said to be available very soon?) and even with scarring(or missing follicles) you still should be able to shave down to a grade 1 or grade 2(I assume the former due to the small quantity of grafts taken). A grade zero would be unlikely however. You may be pleasantly surprised by the result but I do think you will need a subsequent procedure to cover more area but on the plus side you will have more hair on top. Chin up buddy, it is way too early to dwell and there are positives with you.

[Britanium]

Hi

The work looks very good. Although that does seem a unusual pattern for your donor area?

Im not convinced that amount of FUE would cover that large area well.

Was it recommended you have 1800 or more ? or was it a cost issue. I know the robotic ARTAS procedure is the most expensive.

i

[Britanium]

I do agree with Mickey. It will make a difference starting in a couple of months time. I hated my look after 1st procedure (ugly duckling stage) but was pleasently pleased once it had grown in and hair had come back from shock loss.

 

are you on any regime of hair loss products? IE like the ones reviewed and recommended on this site..?

certainly would help any future loss and keep what you have at present.

[MAGNUMpi]

also you do have a good shaped head. That will be a beneficial in the long run. Must be hard to lose hair so young but remember in a few years you'll look like tons of other guys and no one will even think twice about it. I agree that in the future you might want to add a bit to your FUE but this could help a lot for now. Hope it looks great in a few months when things start to grow!

[jameslondon]

i can't comment on the procedure because it's not something i know a great deal about, but it sounds like you are being very hard on yourself. you made a decision that included emotional factors but you did a lot of things right - you found a doctor who you think is great, and took action to improve a situation that was making you unhappy. i think it is pretty standard for ht hair to fall out, and it does regrow. maybe go back to your doctor and say you're feeling unhappy about the recovery process? he should have support staff, and should be used to dealing with the kind of questions and worries you have. it's still really early days, please post back again if you can, and let us know how you get on?

[another]

baldtoo, its very normal to have all kind of doubts and questions after the HT as everything comes as surprise and for everything different results or recovery progress.

 

I had the same doubt and questions as you have, regretting and all kind of things but now 3 months post op I am happy I have done HT even though its very early days to see good results.

 

I am sure you will feel just fine after couple of months.

 

Remember, stress and thinking negative all the time can affect your hair growth and can make your existing hair fall out much more and much quicker...so try to be relax about it.

 

You will be fine and happy about your HT.

[baldtoo]

Thanks for your words of hope everyone, it's really appreciated.

I think the main reason for my negativity now is the fact that I'm so young, and I didn't do enough research before going through with it. I kind of just listened to my doctor and trusted that I am a good candidate. Doing more research here, I realized that I am not a good candidate. But you're right, I should be more hopeful and maybe I will be pleasantly surprised.

 

Johnboy, yeah my donor area pattern is unusual. 1 month out now it's growing back very patchy and there is a large patch of thin hair on the right side of my head where more density of grafts were taken. It was expensive but I got a "deal". The point of the procedure was not to get back a full head of hair, but just a shadow of a hair that I could wear relatively short and give me somewhat of a hairline..since i didn't really have one to begin with. I'm happy I didn't do anymore grafts since I'm so young and my hairloss will probably progress further. At least this way I won't have a thick patch of hair on top and a bald circle around it in the future.

I took rogaine for a year which didn't do anything. I considered propecia but I am scared of starting a "life-long" medicine at my age.

 

Magnumpi, thank you! I hope it ends up being better than I'm making it out to be now.

 

Jameslondon, I will definitely continue posting here and keep you updated. Thanks for your motivation.

 

Another, I'm praying I will have the same experience you had and be happy in a couple months. I guess now all I can do is be hopeful and try to reduce my stress.

 

Thanks for your support guys

[another]

At 1 month I had bad patchy donor, thin hair all over, sore, full of pimples and on top of it I had pain in the donor area. It was driving me mad from itching. I panicked and start emailing the surgeon, my gp, friends who done HT and I was for days on the internet going through forums.

Everyone was telling me that it will get better in couple of months but because I was worrying badly it was hard to believe.

 

They were right you know, now at 3 months I got my normal donor density back and no signs of HT. I don't have patchy spots anymore on the sides. In my whole donor area I have only 2 pimples which is very normal (used to be really a lot)...I hated it.

 

Now I enjoy the feeling that I will not be bold anymore as I was before.

 

If you want good results and good feeling then you should only do this: be positive, be patient and keep the donor and recipient area very clean.

 

p.s. I don't use anything like propecia or regaine. Just letting it grow naturally. I am frightened by the side-affects

Edited July 12, 2013 by another

[jameslondon]

i think staying hopeful and reducing your stress is a good plan, and i hope you start feeling happier soon. it's funny that i was only thinking this morning that i wish i had done something at a much earlier age (i'm in my 30s now) and then i saw your post.

 

i am on propecia (about 3 months in) and i also felt very wary about starting a medication that i will probably be taking for a long time. i also use regaine and it seems to have done something for me.

 

i think what i'm trying to say, is that if you keep reading these forums and posting, you get to a point where you feel you are making the right decisions at the right time for yourself, and you are following a program that works for you. there is a lot of support here for you

[Spanker]

You are going to have a long road ahead of you. I am sorry to say, but really, we all do.

 

1mm punch is not a small punch. I think you will get away with a #2 though.

 

Try to hold judgement until it all grows out. I have a feeling you will meet your goals.

[Janna]

Baldtoo,

 

In your pre-op shaved pics without toppiks, the back looks like you used a grade 3-4. You should be able to shave to a grade 2 or possibly a grade 1 without the round scars showing. You had a large area addressed with 1800 grafts that look evenly distributed. It was really wise to go with the conservative hairline placement. You should see a nice improvement by 6 months post op. Good luck.

[Bill - Seemiller]

Baldtoo,

 

It sounds like you may be experiencing a bit of buyer's remorse, especially if you jumped into it quickly without putting much thought and research into it. However, there is some good news.

 

For starters, your post-op photos look good and the conservative numbers and placement of the grafts will help you plan for the future as you consider whether or not you want to proceed with more procedures.

 

If you aren't happy with the results after they grow in (which will take approximately one year), you can always proceed with another procedure or possibly wear your hair cropped real short without any signs that you had a hair transplant.

 

Keep in mind that most patients feel disheartened only one month after their procedure, especially since they've spent a lot of money and in many cases, feel and look worse than before surgery. That said, you may feel differently after your new hair starts to sprout which may renew your hope in restoring a natural looking head of hair over multiple procedures.

 

Best of luck,

 

Bill

[Britanium]

Looks like this thread has gone off topic. This guy is looking for some reassurances.

I think you will be pleased with your result when it grows in. And you have made a wise choice going with a conservative hairline.

 

You have so many options open to you by having a small procedure now and saving you precious donor area for the future.

[baldtoo]

Thanks again for the advice everyone.

You all may not realize how big of an effect your reassurance/advice has on others but you're doing a great service in this community and it is very appreciated.

 

I have a question about keeping the donor and recipient area clean. As I said earlier, I have to use toppik on the donor and recipient otherwise I will look strange to all my friends and family. So my question is, is it ok that I am using a light layer of toppik or will that affect my results in any way?

[Britanium]

yes it can be used after 10 days usually and/or when your wounds have healed !

[baldtoo]

Ok great, finally some good news!

 

Also can someone maybe provide me with some insight on Propecia. I know it is a very debated topic, and there are people who swear by it and people who swear against it. My hair transplant doctor recommended that I start taking it but the fact that he has samples in his office to distribute makes me believe that he is getting paid to promote it.

I think I am prone to developing prostate cancer in the future because I already have a crazy amount of DHT causing my alopecia at such a young age and this DHT is also acting my prostate cells. Would something like Propeica therfore decrease my chances of developing prostate cancer or prostatic hyperplasia in the future? Or are they unrelated?

Because if that is the case, that means the benefits of propecia, 1) decrease chance of developing prostate cancer and 2) possibility of regrowing hair, far outweigh the reversible risks of potential impotence.

Can anyone confirm whether or not my thinking is correct?

Edited July 12, 2013 by baldtoo

[Throwaway28925]

Ok great, finally some good news!

 

Also can someone maybe provide me with some insight on Propecia. I know it is a very debated topic, and there are people who swear by it and people who swear against it. My hair transplant doctor recommended that I start taking it but the fact that he has samples in his office to distribute makes me believe that he is getting paid to promote it.

I think I am prone to developing prostate cancer in the future because I already have a crazy amount of DHT causing my alopecia at such a young age and this DHT is also acting my prostate cells. Would something like Propeica therfore decrease my chances of developing prostate cancer or prostatic hyperplasia in the future? Or are they unrelated?

Because if that is the case, that means the benefits of propecia, 1) decrease chance of developing prostate cancer and 2) possibility of regrowing hair, far outweigh the reversible risks of potential impotence.

Can anyone confirm whether or not my thinking is correct?

 

While it is in early stages, many surgeons agree that Keratene Retard (the name makes it sound pretty shit..) is the next best thing. It's basically like Propecia but has no known side effects. I would link you but I believe it'd be taken down.

 

I am 23 (nearly 24) and I'm having my procedure next week, I really hope I don't end up regretting it.

[GreatPelo]

Being in your early 20s and being a future Norwood 5-6 should've been enough evidence for your surgeon to put you on medical therapy and wait!!!!!!! Far too young...especially using FUE...not the best method for a patient that will need several surgeries throughout your life,...with aggressive hair loss.

 

Hope you get on medical therapy...look forward and be positive.

Edited July 19, 2013 by GreatPelo

[Torip]

baldtoo,

Being in your 20s I do not think you should worry about your future prostate issues. At this point there are no clues on whether you would have prostatic hyperplasia or prostate cancer. You getting bald has nothing to do with higher levels of DHT. It is just that your hair is sensitive to it. Do not worry about the problems you could possibly have in future, but worry about the problems you have now.

 

I think you should start Propecia ASAP. There have been no proven risks of permanent impotence due to Propecia. But if you start having severe erectile dysfunctioning problems you could stop using it. I think you should give it a chance to work for you. There is a very high probability that it would work for you restoring your hair and making you happy. On the other hand the chances of permanent impotence are very very low.