Advice needed.

[Tigerkat]

Hi all,

 

I have been lurking on this website for over 5 years now. I am 24 (25 at the end of the yr) and have been suffering hair loss since I was 17. I have been using Minoxidil for the last 5 years but only on the recession part of the loss and only a minute amount. In future I would not like to use either fin (which I am not using) or minoxidil due to the side effects, Min has not been accepted by my skin well and has also given me dark circles.

 

I have been considering either Dr Doganay or Dr Erdogan but I would like to leave it late as possible i.e. a few years or so from now (approaching 26/27 maybe) as I see that is recommendation from a lot of senior members posts from this site. Ideally I'd want a great head of hair when getting married lol.

 

I have receded quite a lot and my temples are pretty thin as can be seen from the photos attached. I acknowledge that being able to have thick locks is unrealistic at my stage however was wondering on what peoples opinion is of having a less dense procedure but one which consists of a defined hairline which frames the face at a young age? Yes I will encounter further hair loss...i know i know, all the men in my family have gone bald pretty early late 20's early 30's so I wanted to make the most of what I have before I have to start shaving it all off. I see quite a few people at my gym that look like they have gone for a procedure some years back and have continued losing hair so they shave it all off leaving the outline of the frontal recipient area, funny thing is it actually looks OK in my opinion as yes they only have their hairline buzzed to a grade 1 or so with no or thinning hair behind it but their transplanted hair frames their face.

 

I would really appreciated if I could get some feedback from members and also in particular if any members can share their experiences who have had a procedure done when they were in the mid 20's..would they recommended it, would they not that kind of thing.

[2youngforthis]

i am in the same boat as you, but i am 33. i would and i know this sucks hearing it, because trust me i know. I would line up dr's, and start talking to them to get the front fixed (hairline). After a couple months of researching get that start of 2015.

 

Since you like it short i would go FUE, but i fan of FUT for hairlines. anyway then i would use fin for a year if you can, TIll all the hair is matured from the HT. Then and only then i would stop Fin, save money up and wait to see how your body does with a HT.

 

who cares what you look like at 55. I never understand why guys get a HT older than 55 yet don't get in shape first or have a nice set of teeth. hopefully like you said you will be married, but 25 to 45are some prime years!

[BUSA]

prob wudnt need more then a 1000 grafts. can't go wrong with either doganay or erdogan but if it was only a 1000 grafts I wud lean towards erodgan but really its a toss up imo. a difference of $2540 for doganay vs. $3040 for erdogan.

 

u shud post up a few more pics of ur donor area. doesn't really look thin but not incredibly dense either but if u hav family members that hav lost most of their hair u will lose more but if ur donor area is sufficient then transplant more as u need them. ull get at least a 1000 grafts from ur beard as well.

 

if u can tolerate the medicines without sexual side effects I wud surely get on some. remember with rogain what u have stopped from falling out will fall out if u don't continue using. it halts the loss for some but rarely grows for any. some do but its rare. the effects of rogain will be reversed if u stop using it. but then again it might not have done chit for you in the first place.

[Tigerkat]

Thank you both for your replies.

 

2youngforthis, you say i should wait...ie a few more years? I really want to stop minoxidil eventhought i apply a small amount but am apprehensive about the thought due to sudden loss. I wouldnt want to go on fin at all. Il post donor pics tommorow.

 

BUSA 1000 grafts, thats all? I sent some pics to both surgerys and was quoted alot more.

 

Have you guys ever seen anyone who after a procedure had alot more loss and therefore there recipient area looked like random patches of hair on their head.

[KO]

I wouldn't recommend a procedure for you right now. It is still early days, and you are still 24. Pick a different hairstyle perhaps to get more out of it.

[Loags79]

Firstly you need to be aware about the hairloss patterns of the members in your family who've lost hair. This will provide you with a prediction of your own hairloss pattern.

If i were you I'll be on finisteride and minox for a year and then have a HT. Your 20s are your prime years and it sucks hard boiled eggs to have loss at that age. At your age, your preferance for short sides and back and your pattern of hairloss, FUE will best because it will still give you the option of having your hair short.

[seeker2014]

Hey Tigerkat:

 

Your case sounds extremely similar to mine....I also started to experience hairloss at 17. In terms of getting a HT, make sure you consider the long-term. I received a FUT procedure from a top-rated surgeon at the age of 24 (after being on finasteride and rogaine since 18) and within a couple of years experienced significant recession in the transplanted areas (still working with my doctor to discover the exact cause). I am currently 26 and, in retrospect, regret not electing a FUE procedure which seems to yield equivalent graft survival rates in the hands of a talented surgeon. Also, with FUE, you won't have to conceal a linear scar (which I have to do with some clever blending techniques) nor consider a future FUE procedure for scar revision (which I am in the process of researching). If you are still considering a HT, like mentioned above, try to stabilize your hairloss and forecast your future recession pattern by analyzing those of family members. Best of luck!

[BUSA]

a 1000 grafts won't make a dent in most pp.'s donor zone. and yes a 1000 or maybe 1500 grafts wud make a huge difference in ur appearance. top HT doctors have great yield.

 

unless ur in ur 40's where ur hairless has pretty much stabilized ull always lose more hair as u age if ur in ur mid 20's now. so what? go back for more as u grow older.

 

thats the beauty of FUE vs. FUT is that u can have multiple surgeries without risking the linear scar getting worse and having to deal with the laxity of ur scalp.

 

u can't continue to go in there and carve huge chunks of flesh from ur scalp without it eventually causing the skin to stretch leaving u with a poorly healed scar requiring FUE to repair it. FUE doesn't come with those issues so a young guy can surely can have a HT if opting for FUE. I wud not recommend FUT at ur age tho.

 

1000-1500 grafts from another HT doctor won't look the same as it is in the hands of a top HT doctor who's yield is far better.

[1978matt]

Although your pictures are limited it looks as though your donor area is below average (low density and recessed on the sides).

 

I really don't think surgery is an option at this stage. Your best option is to get on fin and hopefully hold on to what you've got for the next 10-15 years. After then you may be more comfortable with baldness or new treatments available - donor cloning for example.

[Tigerkat]

Thanks BUSA, what you said is how I feel ie. get a procedure done when I'm 26 and then maybe another as and when needed.

 

Thanks Matt78 for your reply but what you said made my stomach squeel as its exactly the kinds of advice I was dreading to hear (however it also very important for me to hear this I acknowledge).

 

Attached below is a picture of my donor area.

[1978matt]

Unfortunately, as suspected that is not good donor area. Be careful as there are doctors out there who would still accept you for surgery.

 

I can only recommend you speak to a gp and try out finasteride for 4-6 months.

[snell1234]

Unfortunately, as suspected that is not good donor area. Be careful as there are doctors out there who would still accept you for surgery.

 

I can only recommend you speak to a gp and try out finasteride for 4-6 months.

 

Matt, with respect, that is poor advice.

 

There is no way you can call that a poor donor based on those photos. He has his back and sides cut very short. Even a nw1 could have back and sides that look like that at his length.

 

To the OP, go see a surgeon to get him to assess your suitability.

 

Based on what I see, I actually believe you have quite a strong donor.

[1978matt]

Matt, with respect, that is poor advice.

 

There is no way you can call that a poor donor based on those photos. He has his back and sides cut very short. Even a nw1 could have back and sides that look like that at his length.

 

To the OP, go see a surgeon to get him to assess your suitability.

 

Based on what I see, I actually believe you have quite a strong donor.

 

If 3 coalition surgeons tell him he has a strong donor area I'll Bic my head and post the results.

 

There is enough length to be able to see gaps in the donor region, coupled with the thinning on the sides it makes for below average donor.

 

But you are right, he should go and visit a few top doctors.

[Tigerkat]

Thanks for your replies.

 

What I was dreading to hear has been posted. However I understand this is important for me to aknowledge.

 

I have seen a few cases where thinning and receeding patients have got a procedure done to restore their hairline with less density. Would you not think that at the age of 26/27 should my condition be stable that I would potentially be ok with a transplant? I know that alot of variables come into it but just hypothetically speaking ofcourse. Before the procedure i would defo want to stop minox and would not like to continue with any other meds due to the sides.

 

Does anyone else find that drinking and smoking makes them loose chunks of hair literally overnight?

[KO]

I don't think you are bald enough yet for surgery. I would really not encourage you to consider this right now. As you grow older, you will become more comfortable,and you should revisit this topic at age 30 IMO.

[BUSA]

check this guy out. almost in the same boat as you as far as hair loss. worked fine for him. yea not apples to apples but certainly not apples to watermelons...

 

http://www.hairrestorationnetwork.com/eve/176881-dr-hakan-doganay-1842-grafts-7-months-ll-update-choi-implanter-pen-fue.html

[Shadow of the EMpire State]

check this guy out. almost in the same boat as you as far as hair loss. worked fine for him. yea not apples to apples but certainly not apples to watermelons...

 

http://www.hairrestorationnetwork.com/eve/176881-dr-hakan-doganay-1842-grafts-7-months-ll-update-choi-implanter-pen-fue.html

 

He's not in the same boat. Not even close.

 

First, the OP has more hair loss than the guy in the link.

 

Second, the guy in the link is 30, which is significantly different from 24.

 

Third, the guy in the link got more than 1,800 grafts. Meanwhile, you have (wrongly) claimed that 1,000 will make a significant difference for the OP.

[Tigerkat]

I too have to agree with the above. My loss is alot more than im the thread.

 

Would you not think that a low denity transplant would suffic for me? What i want to do is shave my head after a procedure ie have the skin fade look. Grade 2 ontop and skin on the sides. I would require some temple work too, however i havent ecer seen anyone who has had temple work and seen it blend into the existing hair. Anyone seen anything like this?

[Danyb]

I don't think you are bald enough yet for surgery. I would really not encourage you to consider this right now. As you grow older, you will become more comfortable,and you should revisit this topic at age 30 IMO.

 

I second that Tigerkat. And I would add that none of us are doctors, so in my opinion you should have some consultations in person with doctors, even if they are not the doctors you mentioned, as they are based in Turkey. Just to educate yourself before rushing to any decisions.

 

I had my operation with Erdogan recently and he is very honest and ethical. But it would be hard to judge based only on pictures. He gave me (or his team perhaps) an estimation of 3000 grafts. Upon my arrival in Istanbul, he said he could extract 4000 and maybe more on a second surgery. Bisanga gave me 1000 after examining me, Lorenzo 3000. I had 3 strips before...and regret having it at 29. So take your time...

[BUSA]

what did you think the two were clones? no chit there not exact. do I really need to explain that to you? smh

 

yea huge difference between 24 nd 30...:rolleyes:

 

just cause the guy got more then 1800 grafts doesn't mean the op will need that much. again, do I really need to explain that to u. a 1000-1500 grafts wud suit him fine so stop splitting hairs...:rolleyes:

 

He's not in the same boat. Not even close.

 

First, the OP has more hair loss than the guy in the link.

 

Second, the guy in the link is 30, which is significantly different from 24.

 

Third, the guy in the link got more than 1,800 grafts. Meanwhile, you have (wrongly) claimed that 1,000 will make a significant difference for the OP.

[Shadow of the EMpire State]

what did you think the two were clones? no chit there not exact. do I really need to explain that to you? smh

 

yea huge difference between 24 nd 30...:rolleyes:

 

just cause the guy got more then 1800 grafts doesn't mean the op will need that much. again, do I really need to explain that to u. a 1000-1500 grafts wud suit him fine so stop splitting hairs...:rolleyes:

 

Keep rolling your eyes.

 

Respectfully, I've read your posts, and it's clear that you've no idea what you're talking about. Worse still, you seem to have no compunction about dispensing your nescience to naive people who don't know any better.

 

Anyone who's spent more than 30 days on this forum (i.e., not you) understands that there's an enormous difference between 24 and 30 because the balding process is usually most aggressive in one's 20s, meaning that it's much harder to predict a 24-year old's terminal pattern than it is to predict a 30-year old's terminal pattern.

 

Raissman has discussed this at length: the vast majority of advanced balding patterns become manifest by 30. Thus, there's a world of difference between a 30-year-old NW3 and a 24-year-old NW3, the latter being considerably more likely to develop an advanced pattern than the 30-year old.

[Shadow of the EMpire State]

I too have to agree with the above. My loss is alot more than im the thread.

 

Would you not think that a low denity transplant would suffic for me?

 

No. Your situation appears equal parts good and bad. The bad, of course, is that you seem to have an aggressive balding pattern at a young age. Of course, the balding process can't be predicted with mathematical precision, and some men do experience a spontaneous and unexplained slowdown after early onset, but as a general rule, the sooner it begins, the worse it is. And in my opinion, that's sufficiently ominous to avoid a hair transplant at your age. After all, if you get a transplant now and then advance to a NW6 by 30 (which is very possible), the work will have been for naught.

 

The good part is that you're only 24 and will thus be a principal beneficiary of all the advances in the coming years. In fact, I wouldn't be surprised if they substantially resolve the balding problem in the next 15 years. But even if they don't, the treatments will be much better.

[KO]

This is not an aggressive balding pattern and if he takes meds, he will do well for a number of years. You all need to calm down, OP, take your fin and re-evaluate in your late 20s or at age 30. It's too early to get an HT.

[bismarck]

Take it easy buddy. Get on the big three, one by one. Then reassess in a few years. Don't burn your bridges this early in the game.

[Tigerkat]

Im on minoxidil atm and have been for 5 years. I dont want to get on the othet meds. Il revisit maybe when im 26 next december and take it from there. I really do not want to be visbily bald come time to get married.