Take a look at my case please =) [with pics]

[Vanilla]

Hello everyone

I'm a long time lurker but this is my first time posting.

So here is my case:

- I am currently 25 years of age

- Balding since 22 years of age

- No bald grandparents on either side except my father who is a norwood IV I would say

- older brother has perfect hair and absolutely no recession (not even temples)

- I am using finasteride, minoxidil, ketoconazole shampoo and Nioxin shampoo

- fit, work out and play a lot of sports

- measure my hair loss area to be around 130-140 cm^2

- sorry for the atrocious pictures

 

So below I am posting a few pictures of my hair loss pattern. I think I will end up as a Norwood IV like my father, however I did start balding quite earlier than he did. In one picture I outlined the extent of baldness when i examine my hair very closely.

 

My question: If I were to restore my hair with a transplant, how many grafts would I need to for it to look natural even when wet? Do I have enough grafts? I have a lot of hair (that as of now seems not to be affected by MPB) on the back of my head.

 

My guesstimate is that I would perhaps need around 7000 grafts

 

Any input is well appreciated and thank you in advance =)

[1978matt]

Whoa! 7,000 would be way too many.

 

Hairloss is a bummer but you're giving youself the best chance by being on finasteride and minixoidil.

 

I don't think you should get a transplant now for a few reasons:

 

1)You're still young and only in the early stages of your hairloss. You could end up a NW6 in under 10 years.

2)I don't think you have lost enough hair yet. Adding hair to that area could just shock out adjacent weaker hair and you're back to square one.

3)The crown area is the 'black hole' of transplantation because it thins in all directions. If you put hair in there, over time you could be left with an 'island'.

4)From a positive perspective you still appear to have a hairline. Trust me if I had to have one or the other I'd take crown loss over frontal loss any day of the week.

 

If you stick to the meds you can see how things pan out for the next 5 years and then maybe consider some moderate work in the crown and mid section.

 

A shorter hairstyle and some concealers may make your hair look better.

 

Good luck

[Vanilla]

When I mentioned 7000 grafts, I meant the amount of grafts that I will need once I go completely bald in the affected area.

 

I have been on Finasteride for 1 full year (1.25mg every day, no breaks) and the shedding has remained the same. I've been losing hair for 3 years and it seems quite aggressive and fast.

 

Although hair loss is always unpredictable I doubt I will extend beyond Norwood IV because that is the extent of my father's baldness. However I realize this could be just wishful thinking on my part.

 

As to my hairline, I have lost the temples and it has really thinned out about 2 cm from the original hairline (although some hair is still present).

 

Thank you for the reply however, much appreciated

[Spanker]

7000 grafts if you were completely bald would not give you pre loss density, but depending on your characteristics, would give you a decent head of hair with that pattern. Characteristics are very important. Caliber, density, color, and many other things play into your final result. 13,000 grafts on some people is not enough for some. It just depends really.

[Vanilla]

Oh yes, I understand that 7000 would not give me pre-loss density. My question was given those 7k grafts with a norwood 4 would I at least get 60-70% density as to look somewhat normal...

 

Thanks for the input guys!

[Spanker]

Oh yes, I understand that 7000 would not give me pre-loss density. My question was given those 7k grafts with a norwood 4 would I at least get 60-70% density as to look somewhat normal...

 

Thanks for the input guys!

 

Depending on your characteristics, yes.

[Blake Bloxham]

Vanilla,

 

Like Spanker indicated, there are a variety of variables at play, and it is difficult to simply state "how many grafts you would require." Variables like: the characteristics of your hair, your donor density, your compliance with hair loss medications, the desired density of your post-transplant appearance, whether or not you wanted to restore areas like the temporal triangles and vertex, etc.

 

Frankly, I think the easiest thing to do would be to schedule a few consultations with our recommended hair restoration physicians. During this time, you can discuss your goals and options, and get a better feel for how many grafts your may require.

 

I hope this helps!

[Vanilla]

Yes I actually have been wanting to consult with a hair restoration surgeon however I am currently in a different country undergoing medical residency which finishes in 6 months.

 

Maybe I will do one of those internet appointments meanwhile =)

[Levrais]

Vanilla,

Online consults are a great place to start. You can usually get quite a bit of information that way and start to put things into perspective.

[Vanilla]

Thank you guys so much for the responses. I just have 2 more quick questions if you guys have the time to answer.

 

I have been on 1.25 mg of finasteride for 1 full year (pharmacy bought) and it has done absolutely nothing pertaining to shedding. I shed now just as much as I did before I started. Any ideas?

 

Also what do you guys think of Dr. Coen Gho from HASCI? He performs regenerative hair transplants for a heftier price. I've read a lot about him/his procedure and checked out forums. Just wanted to know your opinions.

 

Thanks in advance.

[chrisdav]

Regarding Coen Gho:

 

1) He does very small session sizes and IF the donor does regenerate, it will take several sessions over several years to hit the larger session sizes if you are a high Norwood.The procedure uses very small punches (smaller than traditional FUE) so the scarring is less visible to the eye.

 

2) The cosmetic appearance of the work I have seen is average and not anywhere near the artistry and results demonstrated by the leading surgeons on a consistent basis.

 

There is a specific section on another forum allocated to it.

 

I am not really as well informed as some people are about HASCI but I am not convinced in the slightest. They need to be a lot more transparent in my opinion and considering the clinic stated it had 5000 satisfied patients at a previous point in time, my question is: where are they all?

 

A forum member on here Aim4hair from memory had the procedure.

[Vanilla]

Yeah there is a section dedicated to him on TheBaldTruthTalk Forum. I have read extensively about him and his work, but just wanted to hear opinion of people on another forum.