Reflections 5 years later - story of a 24 year old who had 3 HT?s

[MikeTheDane]

Greetings fellow follicularly challenged people.

 

It?s been a while since I set my foot on these forums, but since it?s my 5 year anniversary since my last HT, I felt the need to give some insight and perspective on the notion of getting a hairtransplant, several in fact, at a young age.

 

If your attentionspan is like mine (Read:Short), then mark these words: Think carefully!

 

Allow me to start with the formalities, just so that we can get acquainted.

 

I am Mike, from Denmark, as the name implies. I am 29 year old, and have been suffering from male premature baldness since the age of 17. Yes, it was horrible. I?ll spare you the detail of my angsty teen selfimage at the time.

 

I went from a NW1 with a full head of hair, to a diffuse NW6 in less than 6 months. As you can imagine, the hair fell out in droves (drove is a good word, much like it drove me mad). I tried rogaine and finasteride a few years later, but honestly it was too late at that point, and although it did regrow much of my crown area, my hairline and templepoints were long disintegrated.

 

I was desperate. Although I didn?t realise it at the point, hair is not just something that keeps you warm during the winter. It is much more than that, something very primal; A part of your identity, self-image, and sexual appeal to the opposite gender. There are very few people that look better bald, and I wasn?t one of them.

 

Eventually I found myself consumed by the notion of restoring my hair, so much that the search for a cure took up the majority of my day for years. I read everything I could, researched as much as possible in order to make an educated choice for myself.

 

I got a hairtransplant. about 1600 grafts, here in Denmark. The results were below average, but atleast I wasn?t butchered. Fast forward a year, I had another one with Devroye of about 2800 grafts. The results were very good! He had restored much of my hairline and templepoints, albeit with thin density. And finally, completely drained of funds, I had one with Mohmand of Pakistan to add density to the hairline.

 

All of this was done when I was 20, 21 and 23 years old.

 

Success! Or so I thought. At first, I was very happy. Compared to what I had before, this was leaps and bounds better. With a bit of concealer I could almost pull off a full head of hair, barring the high temples. It looked... okayish.

 

I had spent about $18000 on 'okayish'. That's not a very productive outcome if you?re a perfectionist like me. And by the way, I was fully aware at the time that I would never get back what I had, I just didn?t account for the fact that I was going to change my mind as I grew older. Greed breeds greed, and this is especially true in my case. I can no longer stand looking at my hair. I?m not satisfied, even though I should be, and know guys would kill for my results. As of yesterday, I?ve ordered a full cap hair system. They?ve come a long way since their initial conception, and honestly if you?re a young perfectionist like me, then shy away from hairtransplants.

 

If there?s a lesson to be learned, it is this: You are young. You will change, as will your opinion and perspective on life. I thought I could accept mediocrity, but this was an illusion I had created for myself out of desperation. Perhaps I will, once again, change my mind as I grow even older. But for now I?ve learned a valuable lesson about myself... and I hope this will make you think twice about 'taking the plunge'.

 

Do a soulsearch. Are you REALLY okay with 'thin' over 'bald', or are you secretively hoping that transplants will give you hair like David Beckham? Because I can tell you right now, despite my excellent results, that just isn?t happening.

 

Thanks for reading. I?ll be answering questions for the next week or so, and I?ll post an update once I receive the system in case anyone is interested.

 

Cheers, and thanks for reading.

 

 

http://oi59.tinypic.com/qz5h0l.jpg

 

Shortly after my first HT

 

http://oi62.tinypic.com/308vaxt.jpg

3 years after my 3rd HT.

[FUE2014]

Your hair now looks great in my opinion.

[Swooping]

Thanks for sharing your story and I agree your hair looks nice!

[MikeTheDane]

Your hair now looks great in my opinion.

 

Thanks. The lighting is very favorable though.

Here is a more realistic hairline photo.

 

[ontop]

Thanks for your post, I sure hope the younger guys out there take note.

That's why myself is not a big fan of guys under the age of 40 to go for HT, I understand & respect they want hair now while there still youthful but I must say its risky esp when they don't take Meds.

 

your hair don't look to bad buddy. Are you off the Meds still?

[MikeTheDane]

I am off the meds, despite not having any sideeffects other than thin semen. I was on it for 7 years though, but I am at that age where I am thinking about starting a family, so..

 

I suppose you could say that although I was a good candidate due to the diffuse thinning, psychologically I was a poor one.

[ontop]

I am off the meds, despite not having any sideeffects other than thin semen. I was on it for 7 years though, but I am at that age where I am thinking about starting a family, so..

 

I suppose you could say that although I was a good candidate due to the diffuse thinning, psychologically I was a poor one.

 

I can respect that buddy..

 

I wish you well for the future.

[johnny2000]

Greetings fellow follicularly challenged people.

 

It?s been a while since I set my foot on these forums, but since it?s my 5 year anniversary since my last HT, I felt the need to give some insight and perspective on the notion of getting a hairtransplant, several in fact, at a young age.

 

If your attentionspan is like mine (Read:Short), then mark these words: Think carefully!

 

Allow me to start with the formalities, just so that we can get acquainted.

 

I am Mike, from Denmark, as the name implies. I am 29 year old, and have been suffering from male premature baldness since the age of 17. Yes, it was horrible. I?ll spare you the detail of my angsty teen selfimage at the time.

 

I went from a NW1 with a full head of hair, to a diffuse NW6 in less than 6 months. As you can imagine, the hair fell out in droves (drove is a good word, much like it drove me mad). I tried rogaine and finasteride a few years later, but honestly it was too late at that point, and although it did regrow much of my crown area, my hairline and templepoints were long disintegrated.

 

I was desperate. Although I didn?t realise it at the point, hair is not just something that keeps you warm during the winter. It is much more than that, something very primal; A part of your identity, self-image, and sexual appeal to the opposite gender. There are very few people that look better bald, and I wasn?t one of them.

 

Eventually I found myself consumed by the notion of restoring my hair, so much that the search for a cure took up the majority of my day for years. I read everything I could, researched as much as possible in order to make an educated choice for myself.

 

I got a hairtransplant. about 1600 grafts, here in Denmark. The results were below average, but atleast I wasn?t butchered. Fast forward a year, I had another one with Devroye of about 2800 grafts. The results were very good! He had restored much of my hairline and templepoints, albeit with thin density. And finally, completely drained of funds, I had one with Mohmand of Pakistan to add density to the hairline.

 

All of this was done when I was 20, 21 and 23 years old.

 

Success! Or so I thought. At first, I was very happy. Compared to what I had before, this was leaps and bounds better. With a bit of concealer I could almost pull off a full head of hair, barring the high temples. It looked... okayish.

 

I had spent about $18000 on 'okayish'. That's not a very productive outcome if you?re a perfectionist like me. And by the way, I was fully aware at the time that I would never get back what I had, I just didn?t account for the fact that I was going to change my mind as I grew older. Greed breeds greed, and this is especially true in my case. I can no longer stand looking at my hair. I?m not satisfied, even though I should be, and know guys would kill for my results. As of yesterday, I?ve ordered a full cap hair system. They?ve come a long way since their initial conception, and honestly if you?re a young perfectionist like me, then shy away from hairtransplants.

 

If there?s a lesson to be learned, it is this: You are young. You will change, as will your opinion and perspective on life. I thought I could accept mediocrity, but this was an illusion I had created for myself out of desperation. Perhaps I will, once again, change my mind as I grow even older. But for now I?ve learned a valuable lesson about myself... and I hope this will make you think twice about 'taking the plunge'.

 

Do a soulsearch. Are you REALLY okay with 'thin' over 'bald', or are you secretively hoping that transplants will give you hair like David Beckham? Because I can tell you right now, despite my excellent results, that just isn?t happening.

 

Thanks for reading. I?ll be answering questions for the next week or so, and I?ll post an update once I receive the system in case anyone is interested.

 

Cheers, and thanks for reading.

 

 

http://oi59.tinypic.com/qz5h0l.jpg

 

Shortly after my first HT

 

http://oi62.tinypic.com/308vaxt.jpg

3 years after my 3rd HT.

 

Mike, i am from Denmark too

Can you please tell me. Where did you order the hair system from and how Will you attach it?

Who in Denmark did your surgery?

 

Maybe you Can private message me or something in danish?

 

My e-mail is dk1984@outlook.dk

 

Pls. I am VERY interesting in This.

Hope to hear back from you

[pkipling]

Thanks for sharing your story/experience. I tried to look at the photos in your original photo thread, but the ImageShack links just kept making me watch iPhone commercials.

 

You make some very valid points. I think one of the main factors guys of any age (but particularly the younger ones/those under 25) should consider when making a decision is their expectations - and making sure they're reasonable. I've not been able to see all of your pictures, but the issue seems to be that it's less about the quality of the results and more that the results aren't as good as you were ultimately hoping for. It's a fine line to walk between your "dream results" and what is actually attainable. It ultimately comes down to knowing what you would be happy with and then determining if what you're hoping for is actually something that's possible. And unfortunately for you, you had to learn this the hard way.

 

I appreciate the positive attitude you still seem to have and that you're using your experience to caution others from possibly finding themselves in the same situation.

 

Do you think you could update us with a picture of the hair system when you start using it? I'm interested in seeing how this works out for you.

[MikeTheDane]

Thanks for sharing your story/experience. I tried to look at the photos in your original photo thread, but the ImageShack links just kept making me watch iPhone commercials.

 

You make some very valid points. I think one of the main factors guys of any age (but particularly the younger ones/those under 25) should consider when making a decision is their expectations - and making sure they're reasonable. I've not been able to see all of your pictures, but the issue seems to be that it's less about the quality of the results and more that the results aren't as good as you were ultimately hoping for. It's a fine line to walk between your "dream results" and what is actually attainable. It ultimately comes down to knowing what you would be happy with and then determining if what you're hoping for is actually something that's possible. And unfortunately for you, you had to learn this the hard way.

 

I appreciate the positive attitude you still seem to have and that you're using your experience to caution others from possibly finding themselves in the same situation.

 

Do you think you could update us with a picture of the hair system when you start using it? I'm interested in seeing how this works out for you.

 

Sorry that you can't see the photos. If you PM me your email, I can send them to you directly.

 

This may seem like a rather strange analogy, but my relationship to my hair has been similar to the one I had with my ex-girlfriend. At first, I was lonely (bald), and when I met her(had my hair restored) I was over the moon. Sometimes falling in love leads to actual love, even after their flaws and facets are revealed(accepting imperfection), but in my case I ended up realising that she/it wasn't enough for me.

 

I am indeed not here to point fingers, or to argue that hairtransplants are bad - my main reason for being here is to give a reality check to young sufferers of hairloss, so they can make a more informed decision for themselves.

 

I will update this thread once it arrives. These systems do take time though, as they are custom made from the bottom up, including the shape and material of the base. Since I ordered a full cap, it takes about 3 months, 45 days if I ask for a rush order.

[ontop]

I would take a guess that aggresive hair loss starts from 17 to at least 35 if not 40 yrs old so going for HT at a early age like I said its very risky & the young bucks out there need to take a look at your great post.

I hope you get some sort of comfort in the near future buddy.

[Spanker]

So, do you regret it? Do you wish you would have shaved your head? I think it'll be hard to guess at this point that you're going to be happy with a system so I hope you can update us periodically.

[TakingThePlunge]

Mike,

 

Welcome back and thanks for taking the time to share your experience. This is great information for younger guys considering hair transplant surgery.

 

I do have to say though that even in your better lighting pic, I think your hair looks very good. I personally don't understand the desire for a hair system but I wish you the very best of luck with it.

 

David

[FUE2014]

Yeah you don't need a system!

[gillenator]

Mike, I think we can be our own biggest critics and many of us with hair loss can relate to that. Currently you look like you have some mild recession around the temporal areas and a tad higher hair line yet I agree with many others that it looks good considering where you started.

 

A change in perspective? You bet. It happened to me when I was diagnosed with terminal stage lung cancer in 2009 and lost my right lung. I went through very extensive chemotherapy treatments, lost 65 pounds and 100% of all my hair including the private areas if you know what I mean.

 

So in a very short time, my focus was diverted from dealing with hair loss to a real chance of losing my life. Funny thing how that changes perspective on life.

 

Well as the story goes, I defeated all odds and survived the cancer albeit am living with one lung now and have other permanent limitations with my health.

 

Yet I am still alive and truly enjoining the real important things in life such as family, faith, and purpose. Only life is much different now. I care much more about each day that I have instead of each hair that I have lost.

 

After chemo, my hair did grow back but not as robust that it was from having 4 separate HT procedures for a grand total of 6917 grafts. I don't care. And I don't find myself looking in the mirror at every hair like I used to. Instead I am inspired to look at the people around me in my life that I care so very much about such as my wife and my family and a few close friends who stuck by me through the hardest times in my life.

 

Maybe that's also a part of maturing and getting older but for me one thing is for sure...we may lose our hair but love and family is what matters more than anything and life is better than ever whether I have hair or not my friend...

 

Whatever you do, system or not, surgery or not, I wish you the best in this life!

[Tigerkat]

Hi,

 

I dont usually post on the forum however OP your post made me want to reach out to you. I thank you for taking your time out to to tell of your experience. Im 25 and currently considering a procedure with the view of being able to buzz my hair down to grade 1 or 2 with restored hairline and temples as the result (trying to be realistic). Alot of what you have said sounds familiar in comparison to other patients experiences in terms of goals/density and overall expectations.

 

 

For people that want to want to know what goes on in the head of a younger hairloss suffer when considering a HT, its this. "I want to be able to enjoy the best years of my life, i wont care what i look like when im older". Granted looks are very important to us in the age range where we are establishing our career, seeking a spouse and trying to enjoy our social life...i also agree that looks are also important to a person regardless of age. Its what makes me want to wait till 27.

 

A common trait with alot of us who roam forums such as these is that we try some what to be perfectionists. Alot of people have hairloss however not all will obsess over it like alot of us do.

 

Mike do you feel the restorations benefitted you since youve had them? Were there things you did in your life that you did that you feel you wouldnt have had the confidence to do if you hadnt gone through the procedure?

 

Gillenator..great post!!

 

ps that analogy was great of the ex girlfriend LOL

Mike

[voxman]

gillenator, that is a very upbeat and life affirming post. Thank you for sharing it.

 

After my little health scare this year, my attitude and outlook re: my hair, changed also.

 

Keep the important things close- everything else has a place.

[Rawkerboi]

So you gonna shave your all transplanted hair and attach a system???

Honestly speaking you look way better than your before pics, its just that you are expecting too much, even in bright light your hairline is looking decent but yes if you expecting Zayn Malik Hair, then you definitely need a system.

I hope you had done your homework about systems.

Think twice, good luck

[MikeTheDane]

So, do you regret it? Do you wish you would have shaved your head? I think it'll be hard to guess at this point that you're going to be happy with a system so I hope you can update us periodically.

 

Yes and no. Looking at my bankaccount, yes definitely. But on the other hand, there were a lot of hardship associated with getting three hairtransplants AND paying for them, things that gave me a stronger character. It matured me, in a way. I still wouldn't advice others to follow in my footsteps, hence this post.

 

Yeah you don't need a system!

Even though you may or may not reconsider your statement once you see my crown area, the point is that I am not getting a hair system because I need it - I choose it. Calculated narcicism, if you will.

 

Mike, I think we can be our own biggest critics and many of us with hair loss can relate to that. Currently you look like you have some mild recession around the temporal areas and a tad higher hair line yet I agree with many others that it looks good considering where you started.

 

A change in perspective? You bet. It happened to me when I was diagnosed with terminal stage lung cancer in 2009 and lost my right lung. I went through very extensive chemotherapy treatments, lost 65 pounds and 100% of all my hair including the private areas if you know what I mean.

 

So in a very short time, my focus was diverted from dealing with hair loss to a real chance of losing my life. Funny thing how that changes perspective on life.

 

Well as the story goes, I defeated all odds and survived the cancer albeit am living with one lung now and have other permanent limitations with my health.

 

Yet I am still alive and truly enjoining the real important things in life such as family, faith, and purpose. Only life is much different now. I care much more about each day that I have instead of each hair that I have lost.

 

After chemo, my hair did grow back but not as robust that it was from having 4 separate HT procedures for a grand total of 6917 grafts. I don't care. And I don't find myself looking in the mirror at every hair like I used to. Instead I am inspired to look at the people around me in my life that I care so very much about such as my wife and my family and a few close friends who stuck by me through the hardest times in my life.

 

Maybe that's also a part of maturing and getting older but for me one thing is for sure...we may lose our hair but love and family is what matters more than anything and life is better than ever whether I have hair or not my friend...

 

Whatever you do, system or not, surgery or not, I wish you the best in this life!

 

Thanks for an awesome post! Glad you made it, and best of luck to you as well.

 

So you gonna shave your all transplanted hair and attach a system???

Honestly speaking you look way better than your before pics, its just that you are expecting too much, even in bright light your hairline is looking decent but yes if you expecting Zayn Malik Hair, then you definitely need a system.

I hope you had done your homework about systems.

Think twice, good luck

 

Yes. I don't think that it's a complete waste though. If hairsystems are somehow not my thing, I could always go back. Or get SMP, which looks better with stubble.

 

But the point is not about expectation; I got exactly what I expected, it's that my mind has changed over the years: I want a full head of hair now.

[pkipling]

Sorry that you can't see the photos. If you PM me your email, I can send them to you directly.

 

This may seem like a rather strange analogy, but my relationship to my hair has been similar to the one I had with my ex-girlfriend. At first, I was lonely (bald), and when I met her(had my hair restored) I was over the moon. Sometimes falling in love leads to actual love, even after their flaws and facets are revealed(accepting imperfection), but in my case I ended up realising that she/it wasn't enough for me.

 

I am indeed not here to point fingers, or to argue that hairtransplants are bad - my main reason for being here is to give a reality check to young sufferers of hairloss, so they can make a more informed decision for themselves.

 

I will update this thread once it arrives. These systems do take time though, as they are custom made from the bottom up, including the shape and material of the base. Since I ordered a full cap, it takes about 3 months, 45 days if I ask for a rush order.

 

Haha. Nice analogy. And regardless of how many many of us think your hair looks great, it's what you think about it that matters. And I can appreciate that you're not just sitting around feeling sorry for yourself, but stepping up to the plate and giving something else a shot. I hope the hair system does for you what the hair transplant wasn't able to achieve. I don't know much about hair systems, so I'll be looking forward to how this works out for you.

[pkipling]

Mike, I think we can be our own biggest critics and many of us with hair loss can relate to that. Currently you look like you have some mild recession around the temporal areas and a tad higher hair line yet I agree with many others that it looks good considering where you started.

 

A change in perspective? You bet. It happened to me when I was diagnosed with terminal stage lung cancer in 2009 and lost my right lung. I went through very extensive chemotherapy treatments, lost 65 pounds and 100% of all my hair including the private areas if you know what I mean.

 

So in a very short time, my focus was diverted from dealing with hair loss to a real chance of losing my life. Funny thing how that changes perspective on life.

 

Well as the story goes, I defeated all odds and survived the cancer albeit am living with one lung now and have other permanent limitations with my health.

 

Yet I am still alive and truly enjoining the real important things in life such as family, faith, and purpose. Only life is much different now. I care much more about each day that I have instead of each hair that I have lost.

 

After chemo, my hair did grow back but not as robust that it was from having 4 separate HT procedures for a grand total of 6917 grafts. I don't care. And I don't find myself looking in the mirror at every hair like I used to. Instead I am inspired to look at the people around me in my life that I care so very much about such as my wife and my family and a few close friends who stuck by me through the hardest times in my life.

 

Maybe that's also a part of maturing and getting older but for me one thing is for sure...we may lose our hair but love and family is what matters more than anything and life is better than ever whether I have hair or not my friend...

 

Whatever you do, system or not, surgery or not, I wish you the best in this life!

 

Hey man. I've been familiar with your posts for quite some time and never knew this about your story. Thanks for sharing and using your experience to help put things into perspective for me (and I'm sure many others reading this thread).

 

Glad to hear you recovered and have a new lease on life. Wishing you nothing but the best.

[fortune11]

Gillenators post really puts everything into perspective. Kudos sir.

 

MikeTheDane -- let me give you my perspective , since at 28 , I was nearly your current age when I got my first hair transplant , and now I am 40 having gone through 3 of them.

 

I actually think as you get older and closer to my age, a high hairline (like the one you have now in your second posted link) , looks better -- makes you look mature and professional . When I got my first HT, I could have opted for a younger hairline , but my good doctor (Shapiro) advised me not to, and to this day i can't thank him enough for what he designed for me.

 

A good example here is actor Jeff Goldblum. We have all seen his super thick young hair in Jurassic park back in 1993 but take a look today -- his hair is shorter, greyer and higher , but still looks handsome with his overall personality and sense of style.

 

A hair system may get you perfect hair for age 29 , but you have to also ask yourself , will you still like that perfect look when the rest of your body starts to age and when you are 40, 45 or 50. I guess the good thing is , you can always change the system out for another one , although the change may be a little more abrupt, I am not familiar enough to know if you can gradually "age" hair systems.

 

I wish you all the best, do keep us posted please.

[MikeTheDane]

Gillenators post really puts everything into perspective. Kudos sir.

 

MikeTheDane -- let me give you my perspective , since at 28 , I was nearly your current age when I got my first hair transplant , and now I am 40 having gone through 3 of them.

 

I actually think as you get older and closer to my age, a high hairline (like the one you have now in your second posted link) , looks better -- makes you look mature and professional . When I got my first HT, I could have opted for a younger hairline , but my good doctor (Shapiro) advised me not to, and to this day i can't thank him enough for what he designed for me.

 

A good example here is actor Jeff Goldblum. We have all seen his super thick young hair in Jurassic park back in 1993 but take a look today -- his hair is shorter, greyer and higher , but still looks handsome with his overall personality and sense of style.

 

A hair system may get you perfect hair for age 29 , but you have to also ask yourself , will you still like that perfect look when the rest of your body starts to age and when you are 40, 45 or 50. I guess the good thing is , you can always change the system out for another one , although the change may be a little more abrupt, I am not familiar enough to know if you can gradually "age" hair systems.

 

I wish you all the best, do keep us posted please.

 

I agree with you completely, this is also why the most important thing about a hairsystem is finding an appropriate density and hairline for your age. At 29, I feel like I can get away with more than someone your age, though.

 

I opted for a full cap, which means that it doesn?t require blending into your natural hair, allowing more flexibility for the density(and allows restoration of temple/sideburn areas)

 

I did not order a NW0 chewbacka density hairpiece though, I ordered a medium density, NW1.5ish hairline which is still a big improvement over what I have, without overdoing it. Think David Backham...ish.

 

Hairsystems are very flexible. If you like, you could ask the techs to remove 5% density and move the hairline 2 milimeter higher every 6 months, to accomodate for aging (if you so choose), and no one would be any wiser. The hairsystems have to be replaced at regular intervals, usually between 2-8 months, depending on the system itself.

[gillenator]

Hey Guys,

 

Thanks for all of the kind words and responses. It means a lot to me.

 

Anytime we can help out our fellow men is very meaningful. We all have our moments walking in the valleys of life and yet with faith, we can be overcomers.

 

Wishing you all the very best in this life...

[TommyLucchese]

Not sure if anyone has said this but, going to a great doctor from the beginning may have changed the outcome of your happiness. Unless of course your transplanted hair has thinned over time.