new member after some advice 25 years old pics included

[asher951]

hello everyone,

 

finally signed up after lurking for almost a year I've learnt a lot from the forum already and enjoy keeping up to date with everyone stories specially when they have a great ending.

 

I'm looking for some advice on my own situation that i was blissfully unaware of until around the beginning of this year.

 

i am 25 years old, did not notice my hair loss until this year but looking back the signs have been there for the past 3-4 years, now i would really really not like to go bald so i am considering the transplant route, I'm aware i will need a handful of sessions as my hair loss progresses and it will never be the same as when i was younger but i would like to chase it and keep a relatively full head of hair.

 

I first noticed after getting a shorter hair cut than normal my hairline didn't look quite like i remembered, since then I've noticed in my opinion a vast decline in the volume of my hairline and even worse in the crown.

 

i believe I'm going the same way as my father, he's had a bald spot on his crown for as long as i can remember but the front to mid is still okay in his mid 50's, but this is not certain i also have uncles on my mothers side who are moth completely bald nw 6's.

 

The bit I'm most concerned with is my hairline, and mainly the left side has gone quite far back compared to the rest,

i would like to get a small transplant to correct the shape and add some density to the front, do you think I'm an acceptable candidate? have many grafts would you suggest i need?

 

is it totally unacceptable to address my crown because of my age and the instability of my hairloss without medication? could i get any at all put into the vertex?

 

i have naturally very thick and curly hair which i think helps make the mid scalp look so thick, i am hoping because of my hair characteristics i will need a less density transplant than most but maybe someone could tell me if i am wrong?

 

i have attached some pictures of myself with my hair in quite a vulnerable state with no product at all in, on a daily basis it wouldn't look so bad but there is no sense in showing you guys it at its best, sorry if there is too many I've tried to get it at most angles in natural sunlight to give the best indication, if anyone has and other picture requests i can take some more

 

I am not willing to try under any circumstance medication such as finasteride or rogaine, i have the upmost respect for the people that do take it, it clearly helps a great deal and would certainly do me a lot of good, but a lifelong commitment and the risk of the sides is just not for me, i do however use nizoral shampoo once a week.

 

i have no shame in my hair loss and i will talk openly about it and have no intention on hiding a transplant, i am only 25 and would like to worry about this later in life, in my position what would you do?

 

thank you very much for any advice offered

[TheGman]

Get on the meds, it"s the only thing to do. A HT without meds is not a smart move at your age, and the meds will be enough for you.

[Spanker]

For someone that will not use meds under any circumstances, I think that I would pass on a transplant.

 

Your donor does not look dense and you have some retrograde alopecia. It looks like a good portion of the top is thinning and in another 5 years you could be pretty thin and no longer able to hide it. I definitely wouldn't touch the hairline at this point.

 

That is not to say that you can never get a transplant, I just think that you would be fighting an uphill battle and your hairline is too good now the "make a stand" where it is today, especially without meds.

 

Good luck to you whatever you decide.

[asher951]

Thank you for your detailed response spanker, I thought as much about the retrograde alopectia my hair has been like that since I was a teenager,does that also get worse over time?

 

I should add i am not thinking of a transplant ASAP, I am thinking in my future within the next few years once I am a little older and my patern will be more established,

 

My donor area to me seems a little weak on the left side but the rest feels thick, I could maybe take a better picture for you, but maybe you are right, maybe someone else could give their opinion?

[pkipling]

The fact that you're not looking to pursue anything for a few more years at least makes me feel much more comfortable about whatever decision you should make. If you could manage to wait until you're 30, you'll have a much better idea of where your hair loss is heading and what the approach should be for you. The sooner you do it, the more "guessing" you will have to do about your future hair loss, which increases the odds of you not being satisfied long term.

 

Your relatively young age, the potential for quite advanced hair loss, and your strong stance against medication lead me to believe that you're not the most ideal candidate for a hair transplant - especially at this point in your life. I would also hate to see you start tampering with the hairline under your current circumstances as well, which could only complicate things for you in the future. Since you're willing to give it a few more years anyway, you can reevaluate the situation later on down the road and see if you find yourself in a more promising situation. Until then, keep a positive attitude and hope for the best.

[Melvin- Admin]

I agree with a lot of what's been said, from my personal experience ages 23-28 are the years in which hair loss can progress rapidly without medication, I can personally attest to that, touching the hairline at this point would be a huge mistake especially since you have Norwood 6's in your family.

 

I hate to say this but you probably have some diffuse thinning through out your scalp, it's hard to tell because you have long curly hair, but if you want to know for sure cut your hair all around to a #3 and take pictures under a light. I went from Norwood 3 age 24 to Norwood 6 age 29 without medication, had I gotten a hair transplant to lower my hairline back then I'd be in a dark place right now, I'm very lucky I didn't do it.

[Rawkerboi]

A hair transplant without the drug Finasteride in a young man under 35, increases the risk of shock loss.

 

For men who have a hair transplant under 30, the risk for shock loss is close to 70% so create caution should be exercised in the decision to have a hair transplant for men under 25 because the value of the hair transplant could be offset by the loss of hair from shock loss.

 

Those men who are undergoing rapid hair loss and are under 25, the first of shock loss goes up to close to 100% but it is generally recommended to take medication like Finasteride and Rogaine but it is not an absolute rule!!

[ontop]

Well picked up by other members as myself at first glance that you looked okay & hair chararistics which looked again at first looked fine but my suspicions that they are correct with the patern hair loss you have, but it definitely won't hurt you by having a one on one consultation with one of the recommended forum doctor's to confirm what most are saying here.

 

Now that the so called bad new is out the way, when you say your dead against medications I understand & fully respect your opinion on this as myself & others proberly had the very same concerns of these drugs especially reading all the internet horror stories, but the truth is that majority of guys who take this drug does pretty well on it & from what ive read & seen guys who has hairloss like yourself in a defuse pattern hairloss & still young seem to to have the better results & with medications even taken the drug at very low doses per a wk.

Don't get me wrong I'm not pushing the drug on you but like other's has said the future looks bleak for you otherwise I'm afraid to say.

 

Again have maybe a few one on one consultations with some forum doctor's so at least instead of this guess work we are all doing here speak to the professionals who does this day in day out.

 

Hairloss for us guys is something only us hairloss guys can understand but its a big kick in the nuts especially when your young also as many on here can feel your pain.

 

I wish I can give you a hug & tell you everything will be okay but the truth is that the only thing which is available for you before you even consider HT is the 2 FDA medications propicia & rogain to control your DHT levels again especially being under 30.

 

Whatever you decide I wish you the best & if there is anything else us member's can do to help just pop back in & ask whatever you want as there is some top member's here who knows there stuff.

 

Best wishes.

[Spanker]

Yeah. Its a shame because you have a lot of hair to save with meds. You could be looking at 10 to 15 years with the hair you have now on meds....but without it...not so much. I know its a hard decision and I respect those who chose not to. Your hair isnt nad at all now and now.is the time to do something medically if you can bring yourself to do so.