What's the point in 'buying time' ?

[TommyLucchese]

Propecia seems like it is losing effect after only a few years, I've resorted to Avodart once or twice a week which seems to be doing the trick. I just wonder though, if it all ends up failing and my hair loss eventually regresses like it did pre-meds, what was the point of it all?

 

It's cost me a lot of money, I've invested in the HT route which could be a mistake if my hair loss gets to where it was going, all I'll have done is give myself years of stress trying to get it sorted - to then have to go through the stress of it failing and then having to go bald.

 

Are we not better off just going bald in the first place? Or, rather, letting the hair loss run its natural course and then seeing if there's any potential for surgery much further down the line?

 

Are the meds something that allow men in their 20s-40s the illusion of stable loss and to feel safe going ahead with surgery, letting the HT industry prosper, when really it's a huge risk?

 

I sort of wish I was in my 50s (not 25) with a bald head so I know where I was and how I could proceed. But then by that point there probably wouldn't be enough donor anyway :confused:

[Rootz]

Did your hair stabilize before getting your HT? How long were you on Fin beforehand? You say Fin has seemed to lose effectiveness after a few years, how long exactly are we talking and what makes you say that? Like, how much loss have you had while on Fin?

 

My thought is that it's pretty safe to go down the HT route if: 1) you've been on Fin for a long period beforehand and stabilized loss, 2) do a reasonable HT for your age and level of loss, and 3) continue Fin.

 

But I would also say the less aggressive the hair loss, the less risk there is too. A 30 year old who is a NW2 is probably not going to be losing much hair in the near future, even without medication. Whereas with a 30 year old NW4, future loss is more volatile. He could potentially be NW6 in 10 years, although on Fin I think this is highly unlikely it is perhaps still possible.

[watch4norwoods]

Because time is the most valuable thing we have.

[BaldingBogger]

Hopefully you have gone FUE. If things get quite bad. At least you can buzz your hair down short and sport the buzzed look even if it was thin in places it wouldnt be that noticeable.

 

AND you will have a framed face and hairline (transplanted) which makes a world of difference. You can compliment this look then with additional small FUE or even tattooing.

 

This should be every young guys approach IMO.

[Spanker]

I almost always think that guys look better after their HT's. A long as you didn't blunt your corners or get a super low hairline, you will be probably be fine physically. Emotionally and financially, however, it can be draining to go through transplants several times in your life, which is likely the worse case you will be dealing with. I have never seen your results, but I would suggest staying out of the crown until you are older and using your grafts wisely, and you will still likely look better than if you went bald. However, for someone considering a transplant, if they can do the shaved head thing and still feel happy and confident, then that is definitely the best route to go, because it puts hair behind you. For me, it was not an option, so I don't regret it, even after going strip. Also, fin is effective for many people, giving them years of better hair and confidence and you will almost always be ahead of the game with it then without it, so I don't look at it as buying time as much (for most people) as I look at it as always having more hair then I would have.

 

Sorry you are down.

[hsrp10]

You can always have additional procedures to fill in the areas of additional hairloss.

Also SMP is looking to me like a real option for some hair loss sufferers, having real growing transplanted hair + SMP by a reputable company could help you maintain a sharp look and also help disguise any scars too

 

Not to mention the future hairloss options to come.

Hang in there and stay positive! I know from experience that treating hairloss can sometimes be one step forward two steps back.....

[hairthere]

I stopped taking meds after my first HT with Dr. Feller. I decided to let nature take its course and just replace with HTs.

[Stuart01]

There are a few things in regards to hair loss that no one can tell someone – that is how fast they are going to lose their hair or how much hair they are going to lose. Also there is no way of predicting how well Propecia (finasteride 1mg), Rogaine or Avodart is going to work until an individual tries them for a period of time. History has shown that they are the most effect treatments for genetic hair loss. When is the right time for someone to have a hair transplant – that needs to be determined by a patient and his doctor. Anyone that is interested in a hair transplant procedure needs to tell the surgeon what his expectations are and the doctor will let the patient no whether he can meet his expectations or not. When a doctor looks at perspective patient he takes several factors into consideration – age, degree of present hair loss, potential future hair loss, donor availability, is patient on any non-surgical treatment, if so how well as it been working, family history of hair loss and most importantly the patient’s expectations. An individual that has decided to go forward with a procedure should never go into a hair transplant thinking they are only going to need that one procedure and never need a second or third procedure. If the surgery is performed a qualified surgeon that initial procedure should be able to stand alone if more hair is lost and the patient elects not to have another procedure. That is the beauty of transplanting follicular units unlike the old days of the large 5.0mm, 4.0 mm plugs and mini grafts. It should just appear that you lost your other hair and the transplanted hair remained. If you where to look at individuals with hair loss you will notice that there are many different patterns of hair loss, therefore it should not appear that the remaining hair was transplanted if done properly. The question is does an individual want to except the further hair loss or elect to have another procedure to improve on the further hair loss. Hair Transplant procedures are not for everyone. They are for individuals that do not like the present state of their hair loss. So if that is the case then it needs to be determined by them and their surgeon if they would be a good candidate for the procedure and if their expectations can be met now and if they have further hair loss. Therefore IMO I would not call it buying time more like improving on something that bothers me and if there is further hair loss down the road it can be improved again.

Edited May 25, 2014 by Stuart01

[TommyLucchese]

Thanks for your replies. My loss was stabilised but Dr. Feller did say at the consultation he thinks I'll lose more hair in the next 2 years so I was aware of this before committing to surgery.

 

My hairline is very conservative, 2000 grafts (strip, not FUE. I don't have the head for a buzz cut) that also go quite deep to midcalp on the right side. I'd be willing to have more surgeries down the line, it's just the worry of getting to NW7 and ending up looking silly due to lack of donor. All my uncles have got to NW6/7 so family history doesn't look good, my Dad has a great head of hair at 55 though.

 

I definitely look a million times better after the surgery so don't regret it at all, I just regret propecia not working as well as it did and am now pondering the future. Have to say, Advodart works so well - if it works well forever I'll have no problems.

[Paulygon]

I also look a million times better.. my parents were recently looking at my photos pre-HT and had gotten very emotional about how "bad" I looked.. of course, I did not want to be reminded about my baldness.. but they are right.. it was one of the best investments I've ever made in myself.

 

I'm happy I bought time.. the question is just how much time did I buy.. anyway, I do plan on filling in gaps with future procedures and my surgeon says my donor quality is very good so I shouldn't worry about ever being completely bald as long as I maintain my hair with HT's. Heck, I have no problem with that; I just have to remember to budget for it.