How to know when natural hair loss progression has stopped

[MagikHair229]

Im 23 yr/o male and have been dealing with have been dealing with hair loss for years now.

 

Highly considering getting a transplant done within the next year. A big concern for me though, being so young, is that my hair loss is most likely not complete and still have many years of loss ahead of me. Judging off family history I'm probably in this for the long haul. Knowing that my natural progression of hair loss is not complete, the thought of getting a hair transplant makes me nervous. What are the chances that I continue to lose the native hair after a HT? I would not be opposed to getting a second hair transplant down the road if my first one can buy me 6 or 7 years of time without having to worry about it.

 

Also I have consistently been using the "Big 3" for about a year now. How/when do I know if I have stopped or at least slowed down the natural progression of hair loss? Is it rare for the Big 3 to completely stop one's hair loss? Because i feel that if I get to the point where I know I had stopped my hair loss with the Big 3, I would be 10x more confident about pulling the trigger and getting an HT. I guess it's just the degree of uncertainty of my native hair falling out after an HT and feeling like the HT was a waste of time and money.

 

Any suggestions or information would be greatly appreciated.

[Rashid36]

Book consultations with the reliable doctors and they would be best able to advise you regarding your hair loss and treatment.

[thisguy1]

There is a great liklihood you will be fighting MPB all life even with the Big 3 if you material loss at this young of an age. Generally the thought is there is some efficacy loss with fin in time - how much time is up for debate but 15-20 years down the road it wont be as helpful as 5 years down the road. Not sure if that is true for minox or not but expectations for massive hair regrowth with either are to be kept in line - they can sure help, and certaintly at maintaining and slowing down the process. So at your age you are fighting a multi decade battle and need to go in realistic.

 

As to your original question you can usually count on hair loss ending when you die.

 

23 is very young - see if you can hold out 3-4 years at least and see how things progress in terms of your pattern. Then find a good doctor who will build a good long term plan for you - that plan should include a relatively conservative hairline and not throwing 3000 grafts into the first 3-4 inches of your head.

 

Your HT wont be a "waste of money" - those hairs will stay and some natives will go. There are NW5s and NW6s who get HT all the time in the area there is no hair at all, which is not what your case is - and there are benefits. You wont have Justin Bieber hair though so you just have to be realistic - you can get a solid result that even in sunlight doesnt look like you are "balding" if it is done well.

[gillenator]

I could not agree more. MPB is a lifelong progression and never stops although we can enjoy long periods of efficiency with effective hair loss meds like low dose finasteride. I started taking it in summer of 1996 and it is still working efficiently for me.

 

My grandfather was a true Norwood 6 and I had reached class 5 by the age of 40 having worn a full hair system for 11 years. Most of my frontal third was gone by then and I concentrated my first three surgeries mostly in that zone transcending into the mid-scalp. Out of nearly 7,000 grafts total, roughly 700 went into my crown which is still thin but not bald.

 

It's my crown where finasteride has helped me the most otherwise if I were not still taking it, it would look much worse.

 

MagikHair, do you have more of a recessionary pattern of loss or do you have a diffused thinning pattern of loss?

[MagikHair229]

I could not agree more. MPB is a lifelong progression and never stops although we can enjoy long periods of efficiency with effective hair loss meds like low dose finasteride. I started taking it in summer of 1996 and it is still working efficiently for me.

 

My grandfather was a true Norwood 6 and I had reached class 5 by the age of 40 having worn a full hair system for 11 years. Most of my frontal third was gone by then and I concentrated my first three surgeries mostly in that zone transcending into the mid-scalp. Out of nearly 7,000 grafts total, roughly 700 went into my crown which is still thin but not bald.

 

It's my crown where finasteride has helped me the most otherwise if I were not still taking it, it would look much worse.

 

MagikHair, do you have more of a recessionary pattern of loss or do you have a diffused thinning pattern of loss?

 

I have uploaded some pics to my profile, feel free to take a look. Should I base my hair loss progression from my mom or dads side of the family. I feel like making somewhat reliable predictions could be useful in the way I handle hair loss.

[MagikHair229]

Also, when a doctor is transplanting the hair, do they do this in such a way that will help with future hairs loss. For example, will they put hair in thinning areas to account for native hairs that will most likely fall out?

[esrec]

Your mindset should be that this is a lifelong battle.

 

On the plus side, surgery has come a really long way and options do exist. On the flipside, the progress make by big pharma has been lackluster. There's little financial incentive for a cure, but there's tons of money being throw into re-growth methods.

 

Good doctors will develop a plan based on your current and future loss.

[thisguy1]

Also, when a doctor is transplanting the hair, do they do this in such a way that will help with future hairs loss. For example, will they put hair in thinning areas to account for native hairs that will most likely fall out?

 

Yes they will put in hairs assuming your native hair (if thinning and miniaturizing) is on the way out. Sometimes the HT procedure itself accelerates those weak hairs leaving so something to be aware of. That's called "permanent shock loss".

 

Looking at your photos you have a pretty good amount of hair loss for a 23 year old. But if you were 35 it would be very much in line. So keep on the meds, take photos every 6 months or 12 months and monitor how your loss is progressing and try to hold out for a few more years. Some doctors won't operate at all on someone your age.

 

Your family history is usually on your mom's side but I wouldn't count on an exact pattern. You can see in your own head some loss very early in life so my assumption is you are headed for NW5/6 down the road - most of us who are that level began losing hair in our early 20s like you.

[thisguy1]

There's little financial incentive for a cure.

 

I would think there is massive incentive for a cute. Hair loss affects probably 1 in 3 humans on earth. Other than heart disease I am not sure there is another ailment that affects more people.

 

I do agree I am surprised there are not more companies attacking the problem but holy smoke if someone comes up with a cure that someone could have Bill Gates money in a few decades.

[Spanker]

HT'S do not prevent hair loss at all. You have quite a bit of loss for your age and I would suggest sticking with finasteride and minoxidil for a few years.

 

Have you tried the shaved look yet? I advise eceryone, but especially young guys, to give it a shot for 30 days and see how you feel.

[gillenator]

MPB can come from either side, maternal or paternal, and for some guys, they get it from both sides.

 

It's always best to be as pro-active as possible with effective hair loss meds and the like, but as far as surgery goes, to take a more conservative approach just in case the progressive loss ends up being more advanced than expected.

[robc]

Good that you are trying to prevent at an early age. I would try Nizoral a couple times a week and laser comb (works well for me).

 

Is hair loss slowing? Unscientific but when you wake in the AM before shower lean the top of your head over the bathroom sink, use your fingers to whisk out any loose hair.

a lot of short 2" and under hairs is a bad sign. A small number of hair is normal

[chris39]

Just to chip in on the maternal / paternal thing , I'm 1 of 6 brothers and we all have different levels of hairloss ranging from virtually none to NW6/7.

[Rashid36]

In my family and near cousins most have been affected totally, others have loss while some have none at all !

 

I thought my hair loss had stopped because i don't see no hair on pillow etc

Now it seems to be thinning rather then falling.

 

23 to 27 years of age - falling out, then 28 to 33 years of age - Not much falling

Now 33 to 35 years of age - Thinning to the point i can see more scalp.

 

If i had a transplant before i would have had to have probably 2 more by now and looking towards a 3rd and maybe 4th if i had the donor to support it.

 

How much this will continue i don't know but the skilled doctors can tell how far it is likely to go i.e. norwood 7

[gillenator]

I have 2 brothers although one of them passed away.

 

I was the only one who got MPB...:rolleyes: