Mental Illness and Hair transplants

[INeedHelp]

It has recently been suggested to me by a therapist that I more than likely have bi-polar disorder. Over these last few months I became increasingly obsessed with my hair. I couldn't stop looking at it in mirrors and found myself constantly touching it. I was having lots of obsessive repeating thoughts at this time. I would apply minoxidil religiously every day and evening, and use hair loss shampoos. Anyway I'm 29 and I had what was an early Norwood 2 "maturing" hairline, but otherwise do not suffer from hair loss of any kind. I had no VISIBLE hair loss aside from a slight spot on my left temple where I part my hair. However, in my own mind I saw myself as balding. Baldness does not run in my family, My father and his father both never lost any hair. On my mother's side, both my uncle and grandfather had receding hair lines on their temples but never went bald.

 

I became increasingly manic, and was awarded a speeding ticket for driving 98 miles an hour on my way to Bosley where I signed up for a hair transplant immediately. I can't say I was "conned" by the salesman because I barely spoke to him. I did no research and knew next to nothing about hair transplants. Any way I had the procedure carried out by Angela Phipps. I can't blame her for this because she seemed off put and even asked me if this was what I really wanted and I said "yes." I believe I was living in a disassociated state at this time. I had 1225 graphs implanted into my existing hair line which subsequently fell out from shock loss. This was traumatic for me because I actually had good hair. The idea that I killed my native hair is very depressing to me.

 

Once the procedure was over I was overcome with euphoria and called up my parents to tell them I loved them while crying. However once I began looking up hair transplantation online I realized I had made a terrible mistake and fell into a deep traumatic depression. I don't think they are a smart idea unless you are older. I feel as if a knife has been stabbed into me and its no one's fault but my own.

 

I fully believe that this was the single wost mistake of my life. Not only financially, but the notion that I have ruined my natural good looks hurts me deeply. I was going through a period of self improvement in my life and the hair transplants played into that I suppose. Its a shame because I was finally starting to feel confident with women. Just how bad and obvious is this thing going to look when it matures?? How am I going to be judged by others? Will I be made fun of? I'm actually hoping the procedure was a failure right now.

 

By the way, I can't take propecia due to its side effects and I know I am destined to recede slightly further although I'll never bald.

 

If I had to sum up the emotions I'm feeling right now they would be: Shame, guilt, humiliation, loss, and regret. I feel like I"m disfigured in a way, although no one else can notice any difference. I don't like how the hair on the back of my head feels flat. It used to blow in the wind.

 

The funny thing is, I now no longer care about hair loss, but am in effect married to it because I don't wish for my hair line (primarily my temples) to recede past the transplants although I should have a good decade at least before that happens.

 

What exactly are my options for undoing this and returning to my natural state, in so far as this is possible? Surely there is a cosmetic surgeon who would be willing to return the graphs? I just want to grow old naturally without the stress of keeping up with a receding hair line. I don't want "islands" of hair on my head as an old man.

 

At any rate, I'll be speaking to a psychiatric doctor to get on medication, and a dermatologist to see just what I've done to myself.

 

I hope everyone here is having a good day.

[Blake Bloxham]

Help,

 

I think the last line of your post sums up the best "next step" for you perfectly: See a certified psychiatrist (physician) to evaluate and manage the bi-polar disorder, then see a hair loss/hair restoration specialist to manage this issue. In the meantime, I don't think worrying about the potential shock loss, further thinning, or anything else would be helpful. These issues will likely be much easier to comprehend and manage once the psychiatric issue is appropriately treated. After this point, if you would like further recommendations for a hair loss specialist, please feel free to send me a private message or simply review our recommended hair restoration physicians. However, I do think all of our approved physicians would agree with your plan of resolving the psychiatric issue before seeking further surgery.

 

I truly wish you the best of luck.

[NEWHAIRPLEASE]

I can't add anything to what Blake said. Good luck to you.

Actually I do have one piece of advice...there have been PLENTY of people on here with horrible transplants, me included at 19 years old, I'm now 40 and I have the best hair I've had since I was 20 !

I found a great surgeon here on this site.

[INeedHelp]

For me, its the fact that I ruined a good thing, that bothers me the most. That's what is most difficult to deal with psychologically. Unlike most people on this forum this had nothing to do with baldness insecurity and more to do with insane psychotic narcissism. There really wasn't any way I would benefit from the procedure cosmetically, it was all in my head. I looked great the way I was. I have no desire to undergo any further transplants. I think they are just too risky and I like the hair I have left on the back of my head. I can't believe I spent 8000 dollars to mutilate a perfectly good head of hair. That's what stabs at me the most and I have no one to blame but myself. My own vanity did me in. I'm only about 2 months in so I don't know how this is going to turn out in the end. I just hope my native hair grows back so I can work on having the transplanted hairs removed. I don't want to risk f**king things up even more. I just want to salvage what I have left and make the most of it. I want to find a woman who can love me. This mistake will haunt me for the rest of my life I think. Why is the transplant industry completely unregulated? How was I ever accepted as candidate for this surgery? It could have only harmed me.

 

I don't feel like being around people. I can't focus on my job at work. I lost all my ambitions out of this. It killed apart of me. I don't know exactly how I'm going to pick up the pieces after this. I'm not the type to kill himself but this has been a very painful experience that will be very hard to fully recover from.

Edited January 6, 2014 by Future_HT_Doc

[NEWHAIRPLEASE]

Man that's tough! All I can say is I will pray for you. Get the help you are seeking. Good luck.

[Shampoo]

I'm not the type to kill himself but this has been a very painful experience that will be very hard to fully recover from.

I hope you can be evaluated quite soon by a medical professional and start down the road towards a healthy mental outlook. Just curious do you suffer from panic/anxiety disorder and did you fully explain to Bosley your current mental issues? I understand you are not blaming Bosley, but if Bosley was fully aware of your current mental state and still went ahead with the surgery it would border on malpractice.

[INeedHelp]

Bosley had no idea I was psychologically sick because at that time neither did I. I felt invincible and was picking out minor "imperfections" in my existing hair line. It was an obsession. I'm checking myself into the hospital after I speak to my general practitioner today. I can't eat or sleep and I keep throwing up. I couldn't go to work today. I keep crying uncontrollably. Please tell me this is not permanent shock loss? I know the miniature hairs don't come back but this was like my entire hair line. I didn't even have a forelock prior to this.

[Shampoo]

Dude....you are way early in the process. I know with your current issues it is tough to relax and give it some time. My full results were not fully realized until about the 14 month mark. I think once you are evaluated for your psychological issues and most likely given medication these issues will be much easier to deal with. I think you are doing the right thing by moving forward with getting the mental part worked on, which will in turn help you handle the hair issue much better. Please keep us informed on your progress and hopefully we can help in any way that we can to get you through this difficult time. Best of luck and you will be in my prayers.

[tacolinowest]

ur geting a little ahead of yourself i think, ur telling me u have good hair, thats fantastic as is the hair is strong it will return, also jus the fact that u have good hair and baldness dosnet really run in your family its 100 percent fixable, but hey u might not even have to fix it, it will most likely grow in fine, at 2 months my front was pretty much completely bald, it will get thicker each month,, i no its hard but if u post some pics of ur situation and also what it looked like be4 we can better tell you if ur in any trouble, witch i dont think u r in any by the sound of it

[Cant decide]

ur geting a little ahead of yourself i think, ur telling me u have good hair, thats fantastic as is the hair is strong it will return, also jus the fact that u have good hair and baldness dosnet really run in your family its 100 percent fixable, but hey u might not even have to fix it, it will most likely grow in fine, at 2 months my front was pretty much completely bald, it will get thicker each month,, i no its hard but if u post some pics of ur situation and also what it looked like be4 we can better tell you if ur in any trouble, witch i dont think u r in any by the sound of it

 

This post is about his mental status much more than his hair. Its obvious to us all that his hair is likely fine and will turn out fine not just months down the road but for the rest of his life due to his favorable family history. However, we can all say this until our fingers fall off from typing but it is futile since it is his mental status that is causing these issues and he needs to address.

 

I wish him well as I know we all do.

[tacolinowest]

Yea, I guess ur right

[Shampoo]

This post is about his mental status much more than his hair.

 

I agree Can't decide.

 

This patient seems to clearly have BDD.

 

Body Dysmorphic Disorder

[Britanium]

Please pm if you want/need to talk. I have Bi-Polar and can help you understand it and how it impacts on your life.

[INeedHelp]

Ok so I've been diagnosed with bipolar by my general practitioner. I have to take leave from work and go to treatment. My hair is really starting to fall out now. I thought the shedding phase was over? I'm really REALLY kicking myself for doing this. I HATE that I have done this!

 

someone please tell me that its possible to remove 1225 graphs from your frontal hair line without eradicating the native hair? Is this something that can be done? I want out of this! The stress and anxiety is killing me. I keep seeing visions of myself as a old man with "islands" of hair where hair shouldn't be! What can I do?

[INeedHelp]

I can't take propecia, do what other options do I have? I'm not having additional transplants! I want out!

[INeedHelp]

I'm feeling a little better now, and trying to be more positive about the future. Thanks everyone for putting up with me. I appreciate your support.

[Cant decide]

I'm feeling a little better now, and trying to be more positive about the future. Thanks everyone for putting up with me. I appreciate your support.

 

Your hair will be fine. 1200 grafts is not much but when they fully grow in, you will see that they will blend in well. Focus on the fact that you have better hair than probably 75% of the guys on here and you dont have to worry about becoming an advanced NW. I would trade places with you hair wise in a second.

[INeedHelp]

Thank you everyone for being so kind. As I mentioned before. I experienced a great deal of shock loss from my frontal hair line after this procedure. I think I look about 5 to 10 years older, which ironically enough has drawn female attention. I always have had a very youthful look so maybe in a way looking a bit older isn't such a bad thing. I was always a pretty boy with my flowing blond hair, when I saw a small bald spot forming on my left temple I panicked. Because of my state of mind I went out and had transplants and regretted it immensely within a week of doing it.

 

In all honestly, and don't take this the wrong way. I would much rather become an advanced Norwood and look natural than look like a guy with a shitty hair transplant!

 

In the end, even after a year of waiting for it to mature, I believe this procedure will have only cost me hairs. You know those thinning hairs that you have been painstakingly nourishing with minoxidil, only to see them destroyed by the transplant? In the end, and this might be a year from now or ten years, I fully believe I will be lasering this shit off to regain the appearance of normality. The end result, less hair in the back, and less hair in the front. I have only accelerated my natural hair loss. I feel as if my pride and vanity was my undoing because I had a real nice head of hair before this. Its like a knife stabbing into me. I can't stop thinking about it. I dream about it, and I believe the stress is only making more hairs fall out.

 

Ironically enough, if I get put on lithium next week, one of its side effects is further hair loss!

 

The only positive to come out of this is that from now on I will not be so self absorbed. Now I can focus on loving other people. I no longer "check myself out" in the mirror like I used to like a vain narcissist. Now I am repulsed by myself. I need a woman in my life because I don't want to die alone! But if I come out of this looking like a freak, no chance for that to happen. This is my mental state right now. I just want to age naturally, Hair transplants never age well!

[Shampoo]

I fully believe I will be lasering this shit off to regain the appearance of normality. I can't stop thinking about it.

 

No you won't. You are over-reacting and obsessing at a very early stage. We live in a world where everyone wants instant results. Hair transplants don't work that way. It's takes a full year for complete hair transplant results to materialize. Why would you laser something now? Why not wait and see what happens later in life? If your worst fear happens (which is unlikely) you could laser it off then.

[INeedHelp]

I guess I should check my hair for miniaturization, that is to see where my future hair loss is heading. If I have nothing to worry about then I'll leave it. If I feel I only have a few years until its obsolete so to speak, I'll just get rid of it now and save myself the embarrassment. I have anxiety issues and this whole thing about deciding my future path is playing upon that.

[Al - Moderator]

INeedHelp,

How long ago did you have the hair transplant? It sounds like it was very recent. If so then just stop even thinking about it. I know that's hard, but don't do anything else to your hair right now. You will only make it worse. The hair that has been falling out due to shock loss will grow back, but it takes several months to even START to grow back, so just try to relax and forget about it for a while. Just lay low for a few months.

[INeedHelp]

I had it done the day after thanksgiving. Like I said I put no research or thought into this what so ever. It was an impulsive thing. I regretted doing it literally a few days after having done it when I came down from my manic phase. I believe that it will prove to be the biggest regret of my life. That's why I'm wondering if its impossible to reverse FUE transplanted graphs from a hair line? My biggest wish is to simply grow old normally, without having to do "transplant repair" ever couple years.

 

As I said before, I'm finally at that time in my life when I'm feeling comfortable around women, what if this thing looks like shit? Its right in my hair line, so how could I possibly get rid of it without damaging my native hair?

 

I realize I sound crazy right now, and thats because I am. I'm in a program for mental heath and taking a week or two off work. The anxiety is killing me! I think they made the hair line too low anyway! This thing will not be age appropriate in 10 or 20 years!

[Atticus]

All I can say is what the others have said. Try to take it easy and don't even think about lasering off hair right now. Your bi-polar condition is making things seem worse than they are. Just try to relax and do what the docs tell you.

 

I have major depressive disorder but I am on meds and stuff, so I can function pretty well. Always ask for meds that don't cause hairloss. I do. My doc is cool about it and knows I am picky about my hair.

 

Hang in there man, it will get better.

 

Atticus :cool:

[INeedHelp]

Thank you. With group therapy I am feeling alot better. I don't want to take meds if I don't have too but I can't stop crying. I realize that this isn't the end and I'm far from suicidal, but oh man have I fucked up this time! I got a hair transplant that I didn't even need! I was just an early norwood 2 with still mostly thick hair. With my hair combed the right way it didn't even look like I had any hair loss at all! I was just losing hair on the temples and it was unnoticeable to other people! Ethical people would not have accepted me as a patient, they would have sent me to psychological counseling in stead!

 

You have no idea how stabbing this pain is too me! I will be scared by this for the rest of my life, and the experience has changed me in so many ways!

 

While I will never go bald, it is a certainty that my hair line will retreat from where it is now and I simply do not want the hair transplant "V" showing. I have slightly wavy blond hair which I think should help cover that up.

 

So is it even possible to have the transplant hairs removed from a hair line without damaging the native hairs? Does anyone know anything about this? I realize it is still early and all, but like I said, I just want to look normal when I'm older. I'm not obsessing on this nearly as much as I was in the beginning, but I'm still deeply depressed over this whole thing. Many thanks for the support you guys have done so much.

[Blake Bloxham]

Help,

 

You can always have hair extracted from the hairline region via the FUE method. It's done quite frequently in repair cases. However, unless the grafts were obviously misplaced or your native hair greatly recedes, it will be very difficult to tell the natural hair from the transplanted hair. If you find hairs you would like removed, I'm sure it can be done. The real question is whether or not it will be necessary. While I'm inclined to say that it won't be, I suppose only time can tell. I know this is difficult advice, but all you can do now is relax and wait for the 12 month mark. I understand "pushing this out of your mind" may be very difficult for you, but it would be immensely helpful if you could. Try and focus on your mental health and wellness and let the transplant naturally mature.

 

We are here if you have any more comments or concerns. Best of luck!