Jump to content

Considering a Hair Transplant - Need Advice


irregardless

Recommended Posts

Hello everyone,

 

This is my first time posting here. I'm 32 years old. I first started noticing my hair thinning about 10 years ago, but it looked fine after styling it, and I didn't trust any of the ads I saw on TV for treatments. In the past year I seem to be losing my hair much more rapidly (or maybe the loss was just more noticeable at my current level), and it's now starting to bother me to the point where I feel I have to either treat it or shave it this year. My brother is 11 years older than me and completely bald on top, so I can't help but think that might be the path I might also be heading down (although I think he was much also *much* further along that me when he was 32).

 

I've learned a *lot* from reading some posts on this forum recently, and have grown to be less skeptical about the treatments and doctors that are out there, but I'm still not sure what will be right for me. So I thought this would be a great place to ask for advice.

 

A couple of questions that are on my mind :

 

1) Can you tell what Norwood level I am, or heading toward, from the photos?

2) Can Propecia be effective on someone with my level of hair loss? My doctor recommended Propecia, but I feel I've lost enough in the front (especially at the temples) that I might need a transplant.

3) If I do decide to get a transplant, would I be able to keep a short and athletic haircut afterwards? After working out is one of the times when my hair lost most bothers me right now.

4) About how many transplant procedures will I need in the long term? Is there a limit to how many procedures you can handle based on how much donor hair you have? I'm worried if I get a transplant now, and continue losing hair, that the result would end up looking worse in the long run.

 

I *very* much appreciate any advice you might have for me. I think the information will help me to find the right treatment much more quickly, and to have more productive conversations with my doctor. Also let me know if there is any more information or photos I can provide that would be helpful.

 

Thank you!

5b32dd6e8dcc5_photo(12).jpg.336b6fe7db32752c887df669e9d9e6c1.jpg

5b32dd6ea2bcc_photo2.jpg.2e2be25a37d5799b2c1a3fd3e315d60f.jpg

5b32dd6eaf5b3_photo1.jpg.30f5f3d2cfce3047340287111ed683aa.jpg

5b32dd6ec6661_photo3.jpg.6fe54b8423116fefa81bfdb302285a97.jpg

5b32dd6ed4140_photo5.jpg.1ae75926c120415548264a17394bfcdd.jpg

5b32dd6ee791d_photo(11).jpg.49aaf8bf51ebf7b17777d4365ae82e19.jpg

5b32dd6f05053_photo2(1).jpg.16dd530703b651d31bc1b103938f4c97.jpg

5b32dd6f1599a_photo3(2).jpg.f77236013b27ab8af39b66d142d9ff8e.jpg

5b32dd6f272c9_photo1(1).jpg.95e482a5b772667f880d881c57dfaeec.jpg

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • Regular Member

Wow If you got a good HT, you hair could look absolutely amazing in it's current state.

I know propecia isn't for everyone but you could maintain an extremely thick healthy head full of hair if started taking it after getting a Hair transplant.

Btw try to fix your temples, know one seems to ever want that, I think it will make a world of difference.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • Senior Member

Looking at where you are thinning you could be on your way to a Norwood 6 at some point in your life. Maybe not for another 18 years possibly...if only we could predict.

 

Right now you should try out propecia and minoxidil (I recommend Rogaine once per night) for a period of about 9 months minimum. Take photos each month to see if there is a noticeable regrowth or at least a cessation of hairloss.

 

Regarding the questions:

 

1) Can you tell what Norwood level I am, or heading toward, from the photos?

 

I always look at the worst case but at the moment you're on your way to a NW4 in the near future.

 

2) Can Propecia be effective on someone with my level of hair loss? My doctor recommended Propecia, but I feel I've lost enough in the front (especially at the temples) that I might need a transplant.

 

Yes it can greatly slow down the rate of loss and might regrow some hair. It works best on miniaturising hair rather than slick-bald areas. Some people will say it doesn't work on the hairline but it does - it's just if you go bald in that area first then that's where your most agressive MPB is.

 

3) If I do decide to get a transplant, would I be able to keep a short and athletic haircut afterwards? After working out is one of the times when my hair lost most bothers me right now.

 

Grade 3 or 4 is about as low as you can go for a strip procedure. That's about 10-12mm. That's the price you pay for having hair, i.e. you aren't able to have every hairstyle option but at least you arent bald!

 

I wouldn't recommend FUE as I'm not sure you would get enough donor hair to keep up with your long term loss.

 

4) About how many transplant procedures will I need in the long term? Is there a limit to how many procedures you can handle based on how much donor hair you have? I'm worried if I get a transplant now, and continue losing hair, that the result would end up looking worse in the long run.

 

Best to go and visit a recommended hair doc but I think most people can get enough donor hair for about 2/3rds the top of their head, starting at the front and fading it into the crown.

 

You probably want to factor for getting 3 procedures over 15-20 years. Depends how well the propecia works for you.

4,312 FUT grafts (7,676 hairs) with Ray Konior, MD - August 2013

1,145 FUE grafts (3,152 hairs) with Ray Konior, MD - August 2018

763 FUE grafts (2,094 hairs) with Ray Konior, MD - January 2020

Proscar 1.25mg every 3rd day

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • Senior Member

Could you please post a full shot of your donor? The shots of your donor right now do not look good for either strip or FUE. It seems thin but it could be due to the lighting.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Wow, thank you all so much for your thoughtful comments! I feel like I understand my situation so much better just 24 hours after posting. What a great feeling.

 

Mickey, here are some photos of my donor area, taken under 3 lighting conditions. Hopefully these help.

- The first photo was taken in my bathroom, under the same (pretty harsh) lighting conditions as the photos in my original post.

- The second one was taken in front of a large window, with natural light being cast on the back of my head.

- The third was taken in front of the hanging lights above my dining room table, with the less harsh light from that fixture being cast on the back of my head.

 

Matt, the information in your post is amazingly helpful. I'll probably give Propecia a try over the remainder of the year, while I'm consulting with doctors, so I can start to figure out how it works for me and what my realistic options are.

 

Are there any tips on specifically what to look for in your monthly photos if Propecia is working for you? I haven't been monitoring my month-to-month loss very closely up until now, though, so I'm slightly worried in my ability to detect if it is working to maintain my existing hair.

 

One question regarding FUE / Strip - If you get multiple transplants over several years, is it possible to mix them? (ie. 1 FUE procedure and 1 strip procedure 5 years later) Or do you need to choose one type for all of your treatments?

 

SayIfDoit, thanks for the encouraging words. I really hope you are right!

 

Thank you all so much again :).

5b32dd750ddc4_photo1(2).jpg.465e4a60dc0fd5537e6f2c13eb15fbbc.jpg

5b32dd752062c_photo2(2).jpg.306357eefa96f573aa107eed00e6f65c.jpg

5b32dd75358eb_photo3(3).jpg.684794b046e0dcc459f31001eb0a8dfc.jpg

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • Senior Member

Thanks for posting the 3 donor photos I totally see what Mickey saw in the first set. It appears from the photos that you have some miniaturization in the hair calibre and colour change in your crown. It was apparent in the first donor shot and then in the first two of your more recent shots,

 

In the darker shot 3 it appears to ok but I think that is just a trick of the light. Either way you should have a in person consultation to determine this.

 

1) Can you tell what Norwood level I am, or heading toward, from the photos?

 

Hard to say from the photos but it appear that you are heading for a 6 with that crown thinning.

 

 

2) Can Propecia be effective on someone with my level of hair loss? My doctor recommended Propecia, but I feel I've lost enough in the front (especially at the temples) that I might need a transplant.

 

Yes I would hope to see you hold that crown hair and mid scalp, the front is unlikely and only a transplant will help here.

 

3) If I do decide to get a transplant, would I be able to keep a short and athletic haircut afterwards? After working out is one of the times when my hair lost most bothers me right now.

 

How short do you want it to be? You appear to have good density in the area where a strip or fue would be taken from. A good strip scar with a reputable Doctor should allow you to shave to a grade 3, if you want shorter then fue is your option.

 

4) About how many transplant procedures will I need in the long term? Is there a limit to how many procedures you can handle based on how much donor hair you have? I'm worried if I get a transplant now, and continue losing hair, that the result would end up looking worse in the long run.

 

This is where propecia to stabilize your loss comes into play, if you can hold onto what you have maybe you will only need one session. You cannot rule out the possibility of requiring or wanting another session in the future even when on the medication.

 

You should see how you react to the medication for 6 months to 1 year ideally before committing to a transplant to see how you respond as you may have some improvement. Either way I would only recommend doing the front area at this stage if you went for a transplant.

 

If you don't take the medication you will need further procedures for sure as for how many that depends on the Doctor you choose and the level you progress to and of course you desire to continue surgery. A combination of strip and then fue will allow you to obtain the highest number of grafts.

---

Former patient and representative for Hasson & Wong.

 

Dr. Victor Hasson and Dr. Jerry Wong are esteemed members of the Coalition of Independent Hair Restoration Physicians.

 

My opinions are my own and do not necessarily reflect the opinions of Hasson & Wong.

 

 

My Hair Loss Website - Hair Transplant with Dr. Hasson

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • Senior Member
Interesting observation Matt, can you elaborate please on why you think strip would be more beneficial to this gentleman than FUE (I'm not challenging your contention, would just like to understand your reasoning).

 

The follow up posts pretty much answer this: not a dense enough or wide enough donor area. However, my usual train of thought when I look at pictures is to ask the question:

 

"Have I ever seen a guy with hairloss and donor hair/characteristics like this get restored from NW6 to NW2/3? by FUE alone?"

 

The answer was no.

4,312 FUT grafts (7,676 hairs) with Ray Konior, MD - August 2013

1,145 FUE grafts (3,152 hairs) with Ray Konior, MD - August 2018

763 FUE grafts (2,094 hairs) with Ray Konior, MD - January 2020

Proscar 1.25mg every 3rd day

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • Senior Member

>Matt, the information in your post is amazingly helpful.

 

Glad to be of some use:)!

 

>Are there any tips on specifically what to look for in your monthly photos if Propecia is working for you?

 

Just pick a consistent spot in your house with the same lighting conditions. Maybe take a photo after a haircut, assuming you always cut it to the same length. If you google 'propecia before after photos' you should be able to get example results. Those tend to be exceptional regrowth results but even if you show no change then that is deemed a success.

 

>One question regarding FUE / Strip - If you get multiple transplants over several years, is it possible to mix them? (ie. 1 FUE procedure and 1 strip procedure 5 years later) Or do you need to choose one type for all of your treatments?

 

It looks like your band of permanent hair might be fairly narrow. As Garageland says, best to get it checked out.

 

Generally it is easier to take strip first and then follow with FUE. This is a good question to ask the doctors.

4,312 FUT grafts (7,676 hairs) with Ray Konior, MD - August 2013

1,145 FUE grafts (3,152 hairs) with Ray Konior, MD - August 2018

763 FUE grafts (2,094 hairs) with Ray Konior, MD - January 2020

Proscar 1.25mg every 3rd day

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Guest ronitwillson

Hi Friends,

 

I want to tell you about my personal experience about my Hair transplant with ADHI INDIA.

ADHI INDIA is a best for hair transplantation they provide ADHI Technique, FUE and FUT technique for hair transplant. I am satisfied customer of ADHI INDIA, and now i feel better, they provide Pain less hair transplant on very reasonable cost. Now they are going to open our branches in Out of India, like Dubai, UK, AUZ, etc.

You can go with ADHI for Best hair transplantation.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Create an account or sign in to comment

You need to be a member in order to leave a comment

Create an account

Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!

Register a new account

Sign in

Already have an account? Sign in here.

Sign In Now
×
×
  • Create New...