What Norwood level am I? grafts needed?

[tim4d]

Hello everyone!

I'm a new member here & this is my first post. I'm almost 35 years old & I have been losing hair for over 10 years. I have used Minoxidil %5 for many years and I think it has helped a lot in slowing the hair loss but in the last few years i hate going out if it's very windy or on a rainy day, so I have a reached a point where a hair transplant is necessary. I have taken several photos in a very bright light to show the gaps & my hair was a little wet from Minoxidil. So this is the worst state. I look much better after taking a shower & drying it but I wanted to show u guys my hair at it's worst state.

Anyway, I have a few questions if anyone would care to help me:

1) Which Norwood level am I, as I'm not sure.

2) Around how many grafts needed & if my donor hair is enough?

3) Istanbul, Turkey would be an ideal place for me to have a HT as I usually transit through here on my travels & only Dr. Erdogan is recommended in this site in Istanbul. I read he only uses manual FUE which should have superior results vs motorized, is that true? & how many maximum grafts can be transplanted in 1 session for manual?

4) I can take a month holiday for a HT & stay indoors mostly. People suggest wearing a cap afterwards but I'm a manager & I have meetings day & night and a cap is not a solution. Original hair will grow half an inch per month I read somewhere which is too slow & when I'm back to work, I'll look bald. Is there a way to shave the donor area but keep let's say 1-2 inches for the recipient during a HT? so that after 30 days I got more hair & i won't be shy to go out?

5) I read that some people get results after 3-6months but realistically most get results in around a year or so. When the transplanted hair comes out ugly in the first few months, can you shave it? or u should leave it grow as it is & don't mess with it?

6) What is the percentage of success is a FUE in general? For example if you transplant 1000 grafts, how many grafts would really stay in. I'm talking in general.

7) My final question, I read somewhere that the original hair near the transplanted hair in the recipient area might fall off for good or that's very uncommon?

 

I will appreciate it if someone who has experience to answer these questions or at least some of them. Thanks in advance!

 

Tim

[1978matt]

What's important is the norwood number you will probably end up and that number looks to be at least a norwood 6.

 

I would suggest trying propecia for a 6-12 months to see if that has any regrowth effect.

 

I'd say your donor looks a bit average and might only offer limited coverage and density. However, that could be styled flat like you currently do for a better cosmetic effect.

[Transhair]

Your actual hair pattern looks pretty fine, I'd honestly try the medications first and see if they thicken up your existing hair areas.

And I think FUE survival is about 85%. Apparently Fut allows more overall grafts and better survival, so if you expect a bunch of procedures throughout life, I might suggest it

[tim4d]

Hey Matt,

thx for ur reply! I hope I don't reach Norwood 6 or more but I guess that's where I'm headed to. I'm just trying to slow that process with Minoxidil. But which Norwood level u think I'm at right now? & do u think I should wait until the balding stops and then I decide to do an FUE ? Because I worry I have an FUE during this year then i lose more hair at the back and that will look weird.

 

 

What's important is the norwood number you will probably end up and that number looks to be at least a norwood 6.

 

I would suggest trying propecia for a 6-12 months to see if that has any regrowth effect.

 

I'd say your donor looks a bit average and might only offer limited coverage and density. However, that could be styled flat like you currently do for a better cosmetic effect.

[tim4d]

Hey Transhair,

Thx for ur message! U gave me some hope hehe. Are u also recommending Propecia? I never tried it since I worry about the side effects after long term use. I'm trying to have a baby with my wife & I worry about the sex drive will be low hehe. But I'm thinking to use it.

As for FUT OR FUE, I would prefer FUE since I don't want a scar on my back.

Another question, I got plenty of body hair, when do you guys think BHT "body hair transplants" will be as successful as FUE OR FUT?

 

Your actual hair pattern looks pretty fine, I'd honestly try the medications first and see if they thicken up your existing hair areas.

And I think FUE survival is about 85%. Apparently Fut allows more overall grafts and better survival, so if you expect a bunch of procedures throughout life, I might suggest it

[Transhair]

Yeah, I recommend proprcia or dutasteride before you begin planning for a ht. your sex drive will most likely be fine, I think the people whose sex drive dies is just a very loud minority.

Just don't let your wife touch the drugs, apparently they can make male babies intersex or something.

[Transhair]

And I don't honk Bht should be used as anything except a last resort. Body hair doesn't exactly match the characteristics of head hair

[Spanker]

I agree that you will probably end up a nw6 because you can see the pattern forming, but that may be in another 10 years, who knows. With meds it could be much longer. The thing about hair loss is that it doesn't get better on its own. If you are thinning in an area at a fairly young age, it will most likely eventually be gone if you live long enough. Your hairline seems high enough that as long as you don't drop it, you should be good to sure up what you have, but you should have an in-person consult. I agree that it looks like you have average donor, but it could be below average, the pics are pretty grainy. Because you may end up a nw6 you will want to be careful about planting in the crown area, and either leave it alone, or be very sparing in that area. I personally prefer to leave the crown alone as long as possible. I would do some research and decide if finasteride is for you. Some people choose not to take it when they are trying to conceive, but from the research I have read, as long as the female does not handle your pills you will be ok, but I recommend that you do your own research and make that decision with your wife. I have not had any issues with sex drive on finasteride and I use minoxidil as well, because it is an easy thing to use, so why not? I am 35 also.

[tim4d]

Hey Spanker, thx for ur message! I also think I shouldn't do any work on the crown area & leave it alone and what matters is the front line at the moment. Maybe I'll think about using Finasteride/propecia after my wife gets pregnant and I'll start using it. But as u said, I'll research about it & then decide. I have contacted a few doctors online & got an online quotation and 2 of them told me I needed around 3000-4000 grafts. 3000 for the front line & 1000 for the crown. Well I won't touch the crown area. But I worry if I do have an FUE and they would cover my frontline then I might lose more hair in the top of the head, that will look weird and I don't think my donor hair is enough for many operations. I guess I'll just wait & see which Norwood level I will reach then decide. I just hope BHT will be successful in the future because I have enough of body hair hehe

 

I agree that you will probably end up a nw6 because you can see the pattern forming, but that may be in another 10 years, who knows. With meds it could be much longer. The thing about hair loss is that it doesn't get better on its own. If you are thinning in an area at a fairly young age, it will most likely eventually be gone if you live long enough. Your hairline seems high enough that as long as you don't drop it, you should be good to sure up what you have, but you should have an in-person consult. I agree that it looks like you have average donor, but it could be below average, the pics are pretty grainy. Because you may end up a nw6 you will want to be careful about planting in the crown area, and either leave it alone, or be very sparing in that area. I personally prefer to leave the crown alone as long as possible. I would do some research and decide if finasteride is for you. Some people choose not to take it when they are trying to conceive, but from the research I have read, as long as the female does not handle your pills you will be ok, but I recommend that you do your own research and make that decision with your wife. I have not had any issues with sex drive on finasteride and I use minoxidil as well, because it is an easy thing to use, so why not? I am 35 also.

[Spanker]

Hey Spanker, thx for ur message! I also think I shouldn't do any work on the crown area & leave it alone and what matters is the front line at the moment. Maybe I'll think about using Finasteride/propecia after my wife gets pregnant and I'll start using it. But as u said, I'll research about it & then decide. I have contacted a few doctors online & got an online quotation and 2 of them told me I needed around 3000-4000 grafts. 3000 for the front line & 1000 for the crown. Well I won't touch the crown area. But I worry if I do have an FUE and they would cover my frontline then I might lose more hair in the top of the head, that will look weird and I don't think my donor hair is enough for many operations. I guess I'll just wait & see which Norwood level I will reach then decide. I just hope BHT will be successful in the future because I have enough of body hair hehe

 

 

BHT is successful, it just doesn't have the qualities that scalp hair has. Personally, I am not a big fan of it, but with that said, there have been people that have definitely benefited from it.

 

As far as loosing more hair, very few people should get a ht with the mind set of "one and done", as hair loss is progressive. But as long as you are not too aggressive with your hair line, you may be able to keep a nice frontal 1/3 to 2/3. An in person consult with a trusted physician will be your best option to help make a decision on a plan based on your miniaturization and your donor.

[1978matt]

Hey Spanker, thx for ur message! I also think I shouldn't do any work on the crown area & leave it alone and what matters is the front line at the moment. Maybe I'll think about using Finasteride/propecia after my wife gets pregnant and I'll start using it. But as u said, I'll research about it & then decide. I have contacted a few doctors online & got an online quotation and 2 of them told me I needed around 3000-4000 grafts. 3000 for the front line & 1000 for the crown. Well I won't touch the crown area. But I worry if I do have an FUE and they would cover my frontline then I might lose more hair in the top of the head, that will look weird and I don't think my donor hair is enough for many operations. I guess I'll just wait & see which Norwood level I will reach then decide. I just hope BHT will be successful in the future because I have enough of body hair hehe

 

I think with a top doc they will design it so it would not look odd if you lost further hair. Check out some of Dr Reddy's work. I like his conservatism with high norwoods.

 

Check out this result in particular:

 

http://www.hairrestorationnetwork.com/eve/171277-dr-reddy-fue-51-year-old-gentleman-norwood-6-4843-grafts.html

 

The only worthwhile BHT tends to be beard hair as it grows at a similar rate to head hair. You might be able to get some more coverage with it but it's not worth attempting until you have exhausted your regular donor supply.