Advice for a newbie

[BaronVonHairline]

Hey all, so I'm researching with the plan of having an HT some time in the next couple of months, and would love some general advice.

 

My thinning is mostly in the front and center, where my hair is parted. The part is widening visibly and getting much thinner on either side, and also by the temples it is starting to recede. (pics attached)

 

Anyway, I live in NY, so I should have access to pretty good local options, though I'd travel for the right doctor, of course.

 

Having done research so far, the names that seem to come up again and again are Fellner, Rahal, H&W. I've also heard about Dr. Carlos Wesley.

 

Any opinions or comments about these or other docs would be much appreciated.

 

My plan for now is to schedule consults with 2-3 doctors and see whose plan/price/demeanor/etc feels like the best fit.

 

Also, I have long hair, and am willing to cut it somewhat shorter, but really don't want to shave for the procedure. I'm trying to do this all as inconspicuously as possible. Is shaving the head mandatory for FUTs? On patient result pics I see some shaved post-op and some not.

 

Thanks for any advice and support you guys can give.

[ScienceHair]

Hi Baron,

 

First off, don't feel like you need to rush this process. Take your time, do plenty of research and don't limit yourself to just 2-3 consultations. There are a lot of excellent doctors and you'll find that some will fit your needs better than others depending on their approach to your specific situation.

 

The doctors you listed are all world class surgeons and you would be in good hands with any of them.

 

Some other doctors you may want to look at:

 

Dr Ron Shapiro - Minnesota

Dr. Cooley - Charlotte, North Carolina

Dr. Gabel - Portland

Dr. Alexander - Arizona

Dr. Konior - Chicago

 

Most of the Doctors on these 2 lists will prefer you shave. H & W may even be mandatory (I may be wrong but you'll want to ask about this if you do a consultation with them.) I know for a fact that Dr. Cooley regularly does no shave surgeries.

 

A little information about yourself would also help some of the members give you some advice.

 

1) How old are you?

2) Are you taking any meds for your hairloss?

3) What kind of hairloss history do you have on both sides of your family?

 

Take your time, research everything you can & get plenty of consultations. Good luck and don't be afraid to ask questions. There are a lot of good people on this forum and they'll help you out along the way.

[BaronVonHairline]

Hey there,

 

Thanks for the reply and additional Dr. list. I don't mean to seem hung up on the no-shave thing, but I'm really hoping to do this with as little attention as possible, and as I've always had long hair, a suddenly shaved head would draw tons of attention from all coworkers/friends/family/etc.

 

Also, was starting to think I was maybe going overboard considering even more than 3 consults, more like 5 or so, but it seems like people do that regularly...good to know.

 

About me:

--36 years old

 

--Not on any meds as yet. Willing to try Rogaine if a Dr. recommend, though my loss seems more frontal and widening of center part than crown. MAY be willing to try Propecia, but having read enough stories on potential long term effects, I am very wary about that one. I know horror stories only represent the small % of people angry enough to start a website, but still, some of them are downright worrisome.

 

--Family history- actually my mom's side is worse. She lost much of her hair through her 40s n 50s, and now wears a wig. Her dad was also totally bald. My dad's side actually has pretty good hair, he still has a decent amount at age 72, as does my aunt on his side.

 

--Personal hair loss history- I actually had 1 small procedure (600-800 grafts, I think) about 10 years ago...with Bosley. Was considering going to them again till I started researching and saw what a bad rep they have.

 

I have a consult with Dr. Bloxham (Feller's partner) in 2 days, and will scheduling an online one with a rep from Rahal soon. I will definitely look into Cooley as you suggested.

 

Thanks again for the help.

[Pete-from-Farjo]

On the shave issue, something you could consider is to shave your head (or cut very short) a few weeks before your procedure. That way, family, friends, work colleagues etc will get used to your new look and not be so suspicious or questioning when you get your ht done.

 

Edited to say I've just seen that you've already had a procedure before so shaving is probably not a viable option. You could still try cutting your hair as short as possible though, while still hiding your scar.

[BaronVonHairline]

Well, as ScienceHair pointed out above, Dr. Cooley does not require shaving. I checked his website and it's specifically mentioned, so I'm definitely keeping him in mind and researching his rep a bit more. But so far so good.

 

Also, I had a consult with Feller & Bloxham and Dr. Bloxham told me since my current loss is in fairly early stages, that I can really be patient on this, see how things progress, take it as it comes so to speak. It was nice to hear an honest opinion instead of, "oh, you need one NOW!" So I'll stick to that plan of playing it by era a bit while still doing research. But at the moment, Dr. Cooley is sounding like a great Plan A if/when I do it. Thanks again, ScienceHair for the rec!

[ScienceHair]

You're welcome. Sounds like Dr. Bloxham gave you some good advice. You've got plenty of time so you don't have to feel rushed.

 

Dr. Cooley is an outstanding surgeon. I've never seen a poor result or a complaint about him. You can use the search feature here and go look at his work. There is a lot of it and it's all good. If you contact him via his website, you'll be contacted by Lollie (sp?). She's cool and she'll take all the time you need and answer all your questions.

 

Just so you know, I have no affiliation with Dr. Cooley, I'm just a huge fan of his work.

 

Good luck.

[pkipling]

If you find yourself hitting a wall with surgeons not willing to do no-shave and it's something you're set on, it is something that Dr. Mohebi does consider if someone is a good candidate for it. Since he's in LA, you could do an online consultation with him.

 

Aside from that, you're doing a great job of doing solid research and asking as many questions as possible. I agree that you shouldn't be in too much of a rush to do this and should take your time until you find the surgeon that you know in your gut is right for you. That's not to say that you couldn't find the right doctor for you relatively soon, but don't let a deadline be your motivating factor in making a final decision.

 

Anyway - you're off on the right foot. Best of luck.

[BaronVonHairline]

Thanks again for the replies, guys.

[ontop]

Cant say nomore than the great sound advice you have been given.

All the Drs mentioned are top class.

I see your in your late 30s & to me looks like your doing somewhat well at your age but its upto you but I would defo give meds a chance if only 1.25mg every other day as from what I can see may help you out more than you may think.

This is a personal choice & one to take seriously.

 

There is one thing I do want to say about the non shave option is there is Drs who do it some charge more by the way.

to me its more of a hindrance as with you the surgeon got to go deep Into zone 2 & 3 where there is still native hair left & may cause shock loss sometimes they survive but not guaranteed.

Thats why I think the shave route is best for surgeons where they wont having any long hairs in there way & less chance of transection.

Also have at mind after the operation it be much easier for you to keep your newly folicals clean & scab free

 

Just my 2 cents whatever you decide I wish you well.

Edited May 26, 2016 by ontop
edit

[ontop]

Also take a read at this post,there you will find a video on non shave.

 

http://www.hairrestorationnetwork.com/eve/183059-non-shaven-long-hair-fue-video.html