What's one issue that you feel never gets addressed in forum discussions?

[nathanielbowditch18]

Between Hair Restoration Network, Real Self, Bald Truth Talk, etc., are there any topics that you feel never get adequately addressed?

 

Are the resources you rely on as you go through your own HT research?

 

Asking for a friend...the friend is me. I'm the friend.

[ussoccerfan1990]

YES! i believe that men noticing balding at all should jet to propecia and rogaine before major hairloss is noticed. at least rogaine. i started using rogaine when i got receding hairline and i have been using for 5 years and i have no bald spot. i think when people wait for noticable bald spot regrowth is hard to get. dont wait, play DEFENSE. #bettersafethansorry

[KO]

Postop care along with preop requirements. Each doctor has their own set of instructions which can differ significantly. There should be commonality but there isn't.

[gillenator]

Probably what remedies are available to the dissatisfied patient?

 

And the implications of the surgery contract before actually signing it.

[pkipling]

I agree with KO that one of the things I find most confusing and frustrating is the lack of consensus when it comes to post-op care. A quick search of what to expect after a hair transplant will give you so many conflicting answers that it's hard to keep all the info straight. It seems that for every doctor there is a different set of rules and guidelines - and one would think that if these rules and guidelines are based on science and research, the information should be pretty straightforward and unified.

 

So while the issue of post-op care does get addressed, the mixed information that accompanies it is beyond confusing.

[hsrp10]

(1) The aging process and how it affects hair loss down the road and also (2) patients with fine hair really need to consider their hair caliber and go denser in grafts/cm2 during hair restoration planning.

 

People just shoot out numbers like 45-50 grafts/cm2 and say half the coverage should be enough illusion (delusion.. lol) of density, but if you are in this game to achieve natural results and have fine hair you can start to get natural results at 60cm/grafts2 or higher.

 

Also agree with this by 911fan !

So very important to HT success or failure and most people really overlook this aspect.

Technicians do most of the surgery in FUE. What are their qualifications? How long have they been doing FUE? If the doctor isn't doing the majority of my work then I want to know more about who is and their qualifications to perform surgery.

[KO]

^That coverage value tutorial from Lorenzo should go a long way towards solving that problem.

[Yaz89]

^^ Coverage value was developed by Dr Erdogan, not by Lorenzo. But is being used by Lorenzo also

[voxman]

(1) The aging process and how it affects hair loss down the road and also (2) patients with fine hair really need to consider their hair caliber and go denser in grafts/cm2 during hair restoration planning.

 

 

 

Big +1 on both of these.

 

I also think there is an assumption of what a successful Hair Transplant should be, and it's not always reality. A dense hairline is great but not always achievable given the 1000's of variables from person to person.

[Spanker]

Probably the lack of concern/dialogue for the 30 year result. Most guys are still going to be in the workforce 30 years after their procedure. Even with all my research, I thought about 15 years down the road, but didn't give much consideration to 30.

[Transhair]

Same as Spanker but with the Donor.

The only surgeon who seems to put a hard limit on how much the donor should be depleted is Bisanga. 50% may more or less look the same as a full head of hair, but it seems like the slightest amount of age related hair loss could make it very thin.

[hsrp10]

A good point and one factor which makes choosing Turkey for a final procedure a bad idea, I realized.

 

Bisanga and the European fue doctors are a wiser choice for donor management.

As mentioned, Bisanga's approach is not to use up all of your donor but instead to leave you some left when you're old and aging.

[Ernie]

Read another post yesterday about getting prostrate checked after a period of time if you're taking fin or dut.

 

Strangely, I was always so consumed w my damn hair that I didn't stop to think about other health effects of what we do/take around here to keep our hair

[MAGNUMpi]

Probably the lack of concern/dialogue for the 30 year result.

Yea. I think about this a lot and even after a few years of research I'm still not fully convinced that a modern HT will be undetectable and looking good as I age.

I sat behind a guy on an airplane the other day who was now a NW 6. completely shaved head and a big nasty FUT scar. I looked at his top area and could tell that at some point he probably was hoping that coverage was possible. He was wrong. There was not enough space on the back of his head (normal head). He never had a chance.

When the native hair all goes, unless we are genetically predisposed to be a NW2 or 3 there might not be enough in back to make us look natural.

He was completely shaved down with a big high necked jacket trying to cover that scar. Not a place anyone wants to be.

 

I wonder if the only people who are really going to be ok in the long run will be the 3% who even in old age still have some native hair on top. The others might very well be looking strange with rice stalks in front, and a depleted and/or over harvested donor area.

I see a lot of guys on here who are going to be NW5 putting 2000 grafts up front and thinking everything is good. That is a short term band-aid at best.

This should be a major concern because the short term turns into the long run pretty quick in life.

Edited December 18, 2016 by MAGNUMpi

[voxman]

This should be a major concern because the short term turns into the long run pretty quick in life.

 

It should be a concern - but we have all seen here a number of guys in their early 20's that are devastated by hair loss and bound and determined to seek a solution asap. Sometime with terrible results. Patience, moderation, and careful planning should all be part of the decision. But in reality it is not that easy, is it?

 

Even at my age, I wonder what I will look like in just 10 years with my transplant.

[Sean]

1- surgical protocol qnd also if techs extract or robots extracts or docs do the surgical parts of surgery

 

2- content of all surgical realated consent forms and disclaimers in them

 

3- what remedies are given if patient as a less than average result

 

 

Really critical to know these points.

 

Surgical protocol also includes tools used

[Spanker]

Yea. I think about this a lot and even after a few years of research I'm still not fully convinced that a modern HT will be undetectable and looking good as I age.

I sat behind a guy on an airplane the other day who was now a NW 6. completely shaved head and a big nasty FUT scar. I looked at his top area and could tell that at some point he probably was hoping that coverage was possible. He was wrong. There was not enough space on the back of his head (normal head). He never had a chance.

When the native hair all goes, unless we are genetically predisposed to be a NW2 or 3 there might not be enough in back to make us look natural.

He was completely shaved down with a big high necked jacket trying to cover that scar. Not a place anyone wants to be.

 

I wonder if the only people who are really going to be ok in the long run will be the 3% who even in old age still have some native hair on top. The others might very well be looking strange with rice stalks in front, and a depleted and/or over harvested donor area.

I see a lot of guys on here who are going to be NW5 putting 2000 grafts up front and thinking everything is good. That is a short term band-aid at best.

This should be a major concern because the short term turns into the long run pretty quick in life.

 

Some good points. I think a lot more than 3 percent have some native on top. Fortunately, I do think that a modern transplant can look natural IF a proper hairline is done. Not saying that the much older will have super dense results, but it should be natural.

[n00b]

Yea. I think about this a lot and even after a few years of research I'm still not fully convinced that a modern HT will be undetectable and looking good as I age.

I sat behind a guy on an airplane the other day who was now a NW 6. completely shaved head and a big nasty FUT scar. I looked at his top area and could tell that at some point he probably was hoping that coverage was possible. He was wrong. There was not enough space on the back of his head (normal head). He never had a chance.

When the native hair all goes, unless we are genetically predisposed to be a NW2 or 3 there might not be enough in back to make us look natural.

He was completely shaved down with a big high necked jacket trying to cover that scar. Not a place anyone wants to be.

 

I wonder if the only people who are really going to be ok in the long run will be the 3% who even in old age still have some native hair on top. The others might very well be looking strange with rice stalks in front, and a depleted and/or over harvested donor area.

I see a lot of guys on here who are going to be NW5 putting 2000 grafts up front and thinking everything is good. That is a short term band-aid at best.

This should be a major concern because the short term turns into the long run pretty quick in life.

 

I agree with you. I get nightmares while I sleep thinking about how i would look in the future.

[matt3480]

Yep, I think people talk too much about numbers and don't realize that hair characteristics are uber important when it comes down to it.

 

A person with coarse hair might only need 1k grafts to achieve the same coverage that a fine-haired person received with 2k grafts or more. All a lot of people pay attention to are graft counts and density per square CM.

[MAGNUMpi]

Some good points. I think a lot more than 3 percent have some native on top. Fortunately, I do think that a modern transplant can look natural IF a proper hairline is done. Not saying that the much older will have super dense results, but it should be natural.

You're right. I should have said "a small percentage". Good to hear your thoughts and glad they are positive.

[voxman]

HT's and MEDS.

 

Are they absolutely necessary? Is the true efficacy in question? Is it clinical in it's effectiveness all over??...and so on and so on.

 

Some patients have been on meds for years with no problems, others a few months and the LDS (Limp D!*k Syndrome).

 

More constructive discussion please.

[Melvin- Admin]

HT's and MEDS.

 

Are they absolutely necessary? Is the true efficacy in question? Is it clinical in it's effectiveness all over??...and so on and so on.

 

Some patients have been on meds for years with no problems, others a few months and the LDS (Limp D!*k Syndrome).

 

More constructive discussion please.

 

Good point Vox, the one thing I never hear mentioned IMO is acceptance. It seems that as soon as a guy notices some slight recession his automatic response is HT and meds. However, some of these guys are ill informed about the cons associated with HT and meds, how many HT botched guys are bitter that they didn't buzz their head, how many PFS sufferers wish they would've never touched the drug. If they would've been properly informed about the risks I don't think many men would even do anything.

 

Now I'm not bashing HTs or meds I've done both, but I COULD NOT accept balding, so I took the risk knowing the possibilities. It seems many men don't even consider these factors and I believe many men would ultimately be happier just buzzing their head and accepting their fate.

[BaldingBogger]

HT's and MEDS.

 

Are they absolutely necessary? Is the true efficacy in question? Is it clinical in it's effectiveness all over??...and so on and so on.

 

Some patients have been on meds for years with no problems, others a few months and the LDS (Limp D!*k Syndrome).

 

More constructive discussion please.

 

Agreed there should be more discussion for purposes of balance. I personally don't think Meds are suitable or appropriate for everyone. Once you get on Fin you don't really know 100% if its working and just assume its working where as who really knows what level norwood you would progress too? And suddenly you are locked in for life due to the 'risk' of coming off it and losing hair. But would you really.?

 

I don't think either worked for me so ditched them early on. My loss area was not small but fairly isolated with high lateral humps so have replaced that area accordingly. Rest of my hair looks robust and no sign of thinning.

 

For me personally i am gladly staying away from 'Meds'. And i personally don't think they are mandatory for everyone.

[BaldingBogger]

One topic i feel that dosen't get addressed sufficiently on forums is the sheer number of sub par results and the number of procedures from all clinics that require 'touch ups'.

 

Based on vast experience of years online and speaking to many patients. I discovered a huge number of patients out there who have needed 'touch ups' post their procedures. However a lot don't necessarily share this online. A lot of the times keeping the clinic 'on side' for the free repair or touch up.

 

Just my main observation of something that is not reflected in the online forum world.

[hsrp10]

There is one clinic in particular that is shocking me with this phenomenon recently, have been seeing it here and there on the forum of late. I've had good experiences with them so don't want to openly name them.

 

I guess it just makes us realize that people really have to do a lot of research over 1-2 years time before actually choosing a surgeon to go with.

Be careful, proceed cautiously and don't listen to any hype when choosing a surgeon.