Looking for Some Advice and Wisdom

[pryzbo646]

Hey All,

 

I'm looking for some advice from the community on whether I should consider surgery (or wait) and how to perfect my daily routine to prevent hair loss. Below is a short history of my hair loss and some questions. Any wisdom/advice or recommendations would be immensely appreciated!

 

My Hair Loss Timeline:

-I started noticing my hair falling out around age 20/21. I have a family history of hair loss on my mothers side. My fathers side does not suffer from hair loss until they are in their 60s.

-I went to Dr. Bernstein in NY and he proscribed Propecia and Rogaine. I used them as directed until I began to suffer from unprompted depression. After conversing with Dr. B he recommended that I stop using Propecia but continue with the Rogaine.

-After several years of Rogaine my hairline has continued to recede and my crown area has begun to thin out as well.

-I did my research and decided to try PRP + ACell to stem the tide of my hair loss. I did 3 rounds 1 month apart beginning February 2016. I am due to go back to Dr. Hollande Chen later this month for a follow up. It seems to have helped more in my hairline than the crown.

-Recently, I have submitted online consultations with Dr. Feller and Bloxham (who I have also seen in person and will again very soon), Hasson and Wong and Rahal. Hasson recommended a small strip procedure to reestablish my hairline. However, Dr. Rahal said I am not far along enough to have any surgical work done.

-I have recently purchased Nizoral shampoo and have put Biotin in my daily anti-hair loss routine. I'm also trying to be more consistent with my Minox use too.

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Attached are some pictures that help illustrate my hair loss and short term goals. I drew a possible hairline in a few pictures. All pictures were taken with damp hair and without using concealer (Toppik).

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Questions:

1) Different doctors have recommended surgery, others have advised against it. Do you think surgery is in line with my short-term goal of having a solid hairline for my wedding?

 

2) What advice do you have for someone in my position? I am 26 about to be 27.

 

3) Should I add anything to my current hair loss routine? (Minox, PRP + ACell, Biotin and Nizoral)

 

4) Is topical finasteride a safe alternative to pill fin.? Does it have the same side effects as the oral form? I've been struggling to find scientific papers on this issue.

 

5) Out of the doctors I have been conversing with- do you have any recommendations of who I should go with?

 

 

Again, I really appreciate any ideas or recommendations you guys have! Thank you!

[ontop]

Thing is that more often these top 2 meds you speak about works best mostly everywhere except the hairline unfortunately.

I have heard of topical Fin but how effective it is I havent seen much to be honest.

You could look up a supplement called Foligain which got all the goodies such as Biotin, zin, msn & also claims to be some sort of DHT blocker havent tried myself but heard some good reviews here lately.

 

To me your hair looks great but thats me saying this but you obvious it bothers you somewhat so if your willing to the HT route just think long & hard of what you could become in the future as the last thing you want to be doing at a young age it chasing your tail having HT every several yrs.

 

Its a tuff one buddy especially for you with a fine head of hair but just keep a lid on your emotions at this time, take your time over your life changing decisions.

 

I wish you well.

Edited June 15, 2016 by ontop
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[manfue]

IMO yoour hair looks great. I'm not sure why you want to mess with it. Thee healing time, potential shock loss etc etc for minor improvements that may not even be noticeable....be happy with your great full coverage of hair.

[Dolph1969]

You do not have a degree of hair loss that requires surgical treatment at this point, in my opinion.

[n00b]

Your hair looks great. Please do not consider surgery at all.

Add Dr.Gabel to your list of doctors to consult. He is not only ethical but also empathetic.

When i consulted with him he recommended me to not do surgery at the present and advised to wait a year and see how things go. But i jumped the gun with a different doctor. Now I wish i had taken dr.Gabel's advise.

[Paulygon]

I think you should wait a year or two and then go back for consult.. you look great right now. If a HT doc is telling you don't need it yet, I would trust him.

[Mikey1970]

You have received some great advice on this thread. Surgery is not without its risks. I think you should be happy with a great head of hair...

[MrGio-WHTCClinic]

The short-term goal needs to be improving the appearance of the frontal hairline but maintaining it is what the long-term goal should be. Lowering the location of your hairline is a decision that can possibly complicate your situation. As you experience progressive hair loss, you need to make sure your donor resources are available. Medical therapy should be given your greatest effort and consideration.