Considering FUE Transplant, Thoughts?

[bmarx11]

Hi friends, I'm 31 years old and have been progressively losing my hair for the past ten years or so and eventually expect to progress to a norwood 5-7 based on my family history.

 

I don't plan on taking finasteride or any similar drugs to avoid any potential side effects.

 

My expectations are to restore my hair to as close to it's original state as possible and I understand I will most likely need another procedure at some point down the road as I continue to lose my non-transplanted hair.

 

I'm located in Canada but I don't mind traveling to have the procedure if I'm going to receive the same/better quality for a fraction of the price.

 

Based on my information and pictures..

 

Do you think I would be a good candidate for FUE?

 

Any recommendations on how many grafts to get, how to have them placed, etc.?

 

Which Surgeon(s) would you recommend?

 

I have on my list so far, Dr. Rahal (reputation/location) and Dr. Erdogan (reputation/price).

 

 

Thanks in advance for any help or suggestions.

[fueguy]

Hey man, we have a few things in common. I recently has FUE with Dr. Rahal and being from Canada also (Toronto), I can tell you that it’s cheaper to have it here than travel. After taking into consideration the conversion to CAD, cost of flight, etc. Or at minimum on par.

 

A lot of guys also don’t consider the possibility of needing a touch-up. Most guys need one after a procedure--even it’s a couple of hundred grafts. Are you going to travel to another country, pay flight, etc. just for a couple of hundred grafts?

 

We’re lucky to have Rahal in our backyard! He’s considered the best for FUE in CAD/USA. Feel free to PM if you have any questions. I met a few guys at the guest house and happy to share. All got FUE. BTW Rahal is booked 9 moths out for FUE. Says it all.

 

You can find some great FUE results here, http://www.hairrestorationnetwork.com/eve/167825-dr-rahal-results-collection.html

 

 

Have you considered strip at all? Are you on medications? I ask because it looks like you have an advanced hair loss pattern. FUE might not be your best option. Unless you’re ok with lighter density/coverage. While FUE is a great procedure, it does limit your life-time grafts by 2500+. This can make the difference.

 

Maybe looks at strip/FUE and SMP to help conceal the scar. At least keep your options open man.

 

Hope this helps.

[bmarx11]

Hey, I appreciate the reply.

 

I am definitely leaning more towards Dr.Rahal at this point and have already started the consultation process but it is a big decision and I was hoping to get some input from some veterans on here before pulling the trigger.

 

I plan on keeping my hair relatively short or potentially shaving it completely at some point in the future so the minimal scarring of the FUE really appeals to me but I am open to the strip if there is some significant advantage. Everything I'm reading suggests that in the hands of a skilled surgeon the difference in yield between the two is extremely minimal (I could be wrong though).

 

I'm not currently taking any medication and don't plan on it, the side effects may be extremely rare but I've read too many horror stories about permanent side effects for me to justify the risk vs reward.

 

I was thinking in addition to fixing the hairline the remaining donor grafts can be somewhat evenly spread out to anticipate the progressing loss of the non-transplanted hair so it looks more natural as it progresses opposed to an island of dense transplanted hair in the front and then completely bald around it but I'm not sure how realistic my expectations are?

[fueguy]

No real advantage to strip except that you can get more life-time grafts. Tax on an additional 2500+ grafts is you start with strip and then move to FUE. For the most bang for your buck, you can also look at strip/fue combo and smp to thicken things up in the crown. You can then focus on the front. The crown is a black hold anyway and by the looks of you photos, you won't have enough grafts for full coverage. You would really benefit from SMP in my opinion.

 

I stated with FUE but my hair loss pattern is not advanced as yours and i'm on meds to slow/keep what I have. I'm hoping (and sure I won't) need the extra grafts a strip/fue combo will give me.

 

I'll be straight up here: It's not a good idea to consider a hair transplant without meds. Rogaine at minimum. But it does seem that your goals are in check. If I were you, I would start with 2500 or so grafts to around the midscalp with a conservative hairline. Maybe a second down for the road for the crown. But only a light dusting. Then SMP to thicken things up. This opens up a lot of options.

 

Great your asking questions fyi. Lot's of options. I've been there! Took me years to jump in the chair. You're in great hands though. Rahal is great.