30 year old, should I get an HT?

[sidbtz]

Hi fellas,

 

Been lurking these boards for a while now. You guys are doing an amazing service here, with all of the info and advice.

 

I am 30 years old and have had hair loss for the last 8-9 years. I've used Rogaine for 5 years and continue to currently use. I tried Propecia for 4 months but had severe side effects so I stopped. I think I am at a Norwood 4 or greater. I've been told my donor area is weak/think and may be difficult given the amount of grafts I may need.

 

I consulted with one Canadian surgeon who refused.

 

Any thoughts?

 

Thanks in advance,

 

Sid

[Louisjams]

The bad news, I think, is that your donor looks very sparse already and you have a lot of surface area to cover. I know how hard it is to lose hair at your age, but you may not be a good candidate for HT.

[Melvin- Admin]

Hey Sid,

I hate to say this but you are a Norwood 7, your lateral humps have receded and your crown has dipped, you also have some retrograde alopecia which is causing your nape to thin. Unfortunately, I don't believe you have enough donor to have a typical transplant, have you thought about a hair system? There is smp also, the issue is your donor hair looks to be DHT sensitive therefore any hair that is taken from there could fall out and you'll have visible scarring, not worth it IMO. There are other alternatives though certainly not the end:

[sidbtz]

Thanks for the feedback guys. Think I am coming to terms with it. HTSoon, yes I am looking into SMP.

[Harbal]

You might look into a FUE/SMP combination. Some clinics in Europe offer both or are working together with an SMP specialist.

[sidbtz]

Thanks for info all, appreciate it. Harbal, that's a good suggestion as I shave my head now/keep it short. Have there been other guys who have done SMP/HT combos on the board? I was thinking of a transplant to recreate the hairline in the front as much as possible, then doing SMP for the rest. SMP hairlines tend to look fake from what I've seen. Also, I was of the impression that FUT would be better for me given that my donor area is weak, as it may reduce the risk of the transplanted hair failing. Is there a reason why you suggest FUE?

[Melvin- Admin]

Thanks for info all, appreciate it. Harbal, that's a good suggestion as I shave my head now/keep it short. Have there been other guys who have done SMP/HT combos on the board? I was thinking of a transplant to recreate the hairline in the front as much as possible, then doing SMP for the rest. SMP hairlines tend to look fake from what I've seen. Also, I was of the impression that FUT would be better for me given that my donor area is weak, as it may reduce the risk of the transplanted hair failing. Is there a reason why you suggest FUE?

 

You are not a suitable candidate for FUT for the simple reason that your donor appears to be thinning, if you were to get FUT its likely that the scar would become visible due to the thin sparse donor area. Additionally, you'd have to grow your hair out and I don't feel you would have enough donor to make it look good or most importantly natural. You can consult with some doctors but I think most will turn you away due to the limited area.

 

If you were to get a transplant with smp it would have to be FUE as the doctors would have to inspect under magnification which hairs are suitable for transplantation and you'd have to wear your hair buzzed to pull it off. Another option is of course transplanting a hairline and getting a hair system behind it, the hairline is the only part of the system that can be detected every thing else is undetectable.

 

The question is do you have enough donor hair for a hairline, I don't know to be honest, your sides are out of the question as they're severely receded and the back has only a thin strip of hair that may be DHT susceptible as well. A doctor would need to inspect the area microscopically to see what's really going on if you're really serious about it go in for a consultation. At this point you would be asking if you have enough donor for a hairline nothing else.

[Harbal]

If you search the internets you can find some results. But there are not too many (yet). SMP is not so widely known I think this might be the reason. Personally I would not touch a hairpiece but that is everyone to its own.

 

Personally I would never do FUT. The recovery time is much longer and I like to buzz my hair short and I also would keep the possibility of shaving it completely. FUT seems to be an American procedure mostly as you hardly see it here in Europe / Turkey. Don't limit your options to only Canada / USA but have a look at Europe / Turkey as well. You will save a lot of money!

 

But before you do any of it. Why don't you shave it all off, or buzz it with no clip? You seem to be blessed with the right head shape to pull it off. See for a few weeks how you like it. You could always do SMP (with or without a small FUE) later. But you will be destined to keep it very very short anyway.

 

Good luck mate!

[sidbtz]

Good advice guys, some good for thought. Thanks

[AB2000]

Since you are sporting short hair as it is, have you considered using non-head hair as donor to expand your supply? I don't think you'll get to a Norwood 1, but if you can obtain a mix of some head and beard hair, that could help create the appearance of more hair.

[sidbtz]

Since you are sporting short hair as it is, have you considered using non-head hair as donor to expand your supply? I don't think you'll get to a Norwood 1, but if you can obtain a mix of some head and beard hair, that could help create the appearance of more hair.

 

I don't know much about non-head hair, is it as effective for a hair transplant? The doc I saw did suggest beard hair but he also sad it would be substantially more expensive.

 

Thanks,

 

Sid