Managing Hair Transplant Expectations

[punk]

Hi All,

 

Ive been reading this forum for a couple of weeks & found it really informative, inspiring & helpful.

Im 43 & looking to have a hair transplant probably in Turkey.

 

Ive had thinning hair since my teenage years & it seems to have stabilised somewhat in the last couple of years so im thinking now would be a good time to take action.

Ive been told im NW 6, & a suitable candidate for HT procedure.

 

I realise im never going to have the hair of my youth but im wondering what to expect & manage my expectations.

 

I will add my pictures & would love to hear your opinions & if a good result is achievable.

 

Thanks.

[Speegs]

Are you taking preventative drugs such as finasteride?

 

You need to be to try and preserve what you have left on top and to keep the crown from getting worse.

 

Realistically a transplant will focus on a hairline and frontal third restoration for maximum cosmetic impact in your case, you may not have donor availability to do much about the crown.

 

I am a little concerned that your donor looks a little sparse as is, you'd need to grow your hair out to conceal a scar.

[punk]

Are you taking preventative drugs such as finasteride?

 

You need to be to try and preserve what you have left on top and to keep the crown from getting worse.

 

Realistically a transplant will focus on a hairline and frontal third restoration for maximum cosmetic impact in your case, you may not have donor availability to do much about the crown.

 

No im not taking any medication at the moment.

 

Its more a hairline that i want to achieve, im not as bothered about the crown at the moment.

[punk]

In regards to donor area a couple of the doctors im researching can take hair from the chest ir beard.

Do these hairs give a good result?

[California]

Hi All,

 

Ive been reading this forum for a couple of weeks & found it really informative, inspiring & helpful.

Im 43 & looking to have a hair transplant probably in Turkey.

 

Ive had thinning hair since my teenage years & it seems to have stabilised somewhat in the last couple of years so im thinking now would be a good time to take action.

Ive been told im NW 6, & a suitable candidate for HT procedure.

 

I realise im never going to have the hair of my youth but im wondering what to expect & manage my expectations.

 

I will add my pictures & would love to hear your opinions & if a good result is achievable.

 

Thanks.

 

Hi Punk,

 

As pointed out by Speegs, getting on meds would be advisable.

 

In regards to realistic expectations, unfortunately your donor does not look promising. I think that you will need to tap into your body hair in addition to your scalp donor. Between the scalp and BHT, you should be able to achieve a decent hairline and mid-scalp HT. It seems that your expectations are not too high and that does help. No matter how you slice and dice it, an HT will never be able to restore the hair of your youth. It can however dramatically improve your appearance.

 

I wish you all the best.

 

Regards,

California

[punk]

Thank you both for your advice.

Im not keen on taking meds, im prone to anxiety/depression & have been suffering from low sex drive anyway so im not sure im a good candidate.

I have just ordered some Rogaine, is that any good & will it help?

[Speegs]

Thank you both for your advice.

Im not keen on taking meds, im prone to anxiety/depression & have been suffering from low sex drive anyway so im not sure im a good candidate.

I have just ordered some Rogaine, is that any good & will it help?

It can, but it's not as singularly effective as finasteride.

 

I recommend trying the foam version, it's easier to control and less prone to drip, which can have some unintended consequences in places you might not want hair.

[lorenzo]

Punk thank you for posting your photos. Looking at your photos I honestly do not see you as a candidate. I know if could be the photos but your donor does look quite weak. If possible you should get an opinion from the recommended doctors in Turkey. As for the meds you should also look at topical finasteride without side effect. I wish you the best!

[punk]

Punk thank you for posting your photos. Looking at your photos I honestly do not see you as a candidate. I know if could be the photos but your donor does look quite weak. If possible you should get an opinion from the recommended doctors in Turkey. As for the meds you should also look at topical finasteride without side effect. I wish you the best!

 

I think the photo may make it look worse than it is.

It is quite thick if i let it grow.

This pic was taken with 2 weeks growth on a zero clipper.

I have done 5 online consultations with doctors & none have said that it would be an issue.

Its good to get unbiased opinions though which is why ive posted on the forum.

What about used beard & body hair i have loads of both.

I will have a look at topical finasteride, i didnt know about that.

Thanks for the heads up.

[Shera]

Hey Punk,

 

You are right in assuming that your hair loss has stabilised now at the age of 43.

 

Now looking at your donor area, it doesn't look the best but having it cut so short doesn't always do it justice in photos. I would say that you could get about 2500-3000 grafts from there at the most. This will however result in an even thinner look so its best not to over harvest. Again the photos can be deceiving.

 

Depending on how it looks when it is grown out you may be able to go for a second surgery of approximately 1000 grafts. It really depends on how you want the back of your head to look. In your case it will be a trade off.

 

It will also be possible to harvest a further 500 grafts from your beard and 500 grafts from your chest as you have stated you have plenty in these regions.

 

That's an estimate of 3500 grafts that can be used to build you an age appropriate hairline, slightly reinforce your temple points and fill in your mid scalp. If you look at my own pics, you can see what can be achieved with this amount of grafts if all the factors affecting a final result weigh in your favour.

 

Depending on the outcome of this surgery, you will have the option of topping it up with approximately half the grafts to add more density and perhaps add some grafts to your crown area. It's best to wait 9-12 months before going for part 2.

 

Most clinics will advise you use DHT inhibitors and in particular try Finasteride if you already have not done so. This will help you preserve your existing native hair and in my opinion judging from patient results will help your new transplanted hairs too. You could look into topical Finasteride but I would personally try the normal stuff first, in the vast majority of cases there are no issues.

[punk]

Hey Punk,

 

You are right in assuming that your hair loss has stabilised now at the age of 43.

 

Now looking at your donor area, it doesn't look the best but having it cut so short doesn't always do it justice in photos. I would say that you could get about 2500-3000 grafts from there at the most. This will however result in an even thinner look so its best not to over harvest. Again the photos can be deceiving.

 

Depending on how it looks when it is grown out you may be able to go for a second surgery of approximately 1000 grafts. It really depends on how you want the back of your head to look. In your case it will be a trade off.

 

It will also be possible to harvest a further 500 grafts from your beard and 500 grafts from your chest as you have stated you have plenty in these regions.

 

That's an estimate of 3500 grafts that can be used to build you an age appropriate hairline, slightly reinforce your temple points and fill in your mid scalp. If you look at my own pics, you can see what can be achieved with this amount of grafts if all the factors affecting a final result weigh in your favour.

 

Depending on the outcome of this surgery, you will have the option of topping it up with approximately half the grafts to add more density and perhaps add some grafts to your crown area. It's best to wait 9-12 months before going for part 2.

 

Most clinics will advise you use DHT inhibitors and in particular try Finasteride if you already have not done so. This will help you preserve your existing native hair and in my opinion judging from patient results will help your new transplanted hairs too. You could look into topical Finasteride but I would personally try the normal stuff first, in the vast majority of cases there are no issues.

 

 

Hi Shera,

 

Thanks for your input and detailed reply.

 

So there is hope i think.

 

Im changing my mind like the weather about having this done. I guess my biggest worry is if it looks awful i wont be even able to shave it short as i do now. That would be even worse & dont know what id do.

 

The clinics i have spoken to have said that 3000 - 3500 will be needed for 1st treatment & then a further procedure to fill in the crown at a later date.

 

How long would my hair need to be to cover the scars, would a clipper cut of grade 2 cover them?

 

Thanks Again.

 

Punk.

[Shera]

Hi Shera,

 

Thanks for your input and detailed reply.

 

So there is hope i think.

 

Im changing my mind like the weather about having this done. I guess my biggest worry is if it looks awful i wont be even able to shave it short as i do now. That would be even worse & dont know what id do.

 

The clinics i have spoken to have said that 3000 - 3500 will be needed for 1st treatment & then a further procedure to fill in the crown at a later date.

 

How long would my hair need to be to cover the scars, would a clipper cut of grade 2 cover them?

 

Thanks Again.

 

Punk.

 

Hey Punk,

 

I would say there is definitely hope for you, it all depends on whether you want to give it a go.

 

Obviously the chances of a better result will greatly increase with your choice of surgeon and whether they have a proven track record in dealing with challenging cases such as yours.

 

It's quite natural for you to constantly change your mind, it does at first feel like a huge commitment. Once you have committed your procedure date can't come soon enough and once you've had the procedure you will probably look back and think why you didn't have it done much sooner. That's the feedback I usually get.

 

Again if you have a procedure completed by a reputable surgeon then the chances that your final result will look awful will be greatly reduced. I personally haven't yet come across a result with any of my patients that I would say looks awful after the 12-18 months growth period.

 

Of course if it does look awful then it's important to get reassurance from your surgeon that he/she will do everything to put it right. In your case, with your limited donor I would say you will have one good crack at this, and possibly one chance to put it right if it doesn't work out to plan.

 

You could go for the 3000 - 3500 grafts (scalp & body) in the first procedure and then a further 1500 - 2000 grafts (scalp & body) in the second procedure giving you a total of 4500 - 5500 which should be enough grafts to give you the illusion of a full set of hair. (for the hairline and mid scalp and possibly some coverage for the crown too). Looking back at your pics, I personally think it will make a huge difference.

 

To create the optimal aesthetic illusion, you should grow your hair out to an inch - an inch and a half at the front and top, and you should keep your hair at the back to a grade 4/5 to make it look more full. This should hide any possible FUE scarring but I think it will be much more difficult to hide the scars that could result from FUT. You need to be aware of this.

 

Again I hope that helps.

[Rawkerboi]

I think you are a perfect candidate for HairSystems.

Do think.

[punk]

I think you are a perfect candidate for HairSystems.

Do think.

 

Yes thats an option. Could always go down the transplant route later & hopefully the treatment options will improve.

[Speegs]

Yes thats an option. Could always go down the transplant route later & hopefully the treatment options will improve.

Unless the hair loss gene is nipped in the embryonic stage, something perhaps that will be done in the bio-ethcially controversial future of designer babies, we born with the predisposition to male pattern baldness will always have to take preventative treatment actions or restorations unfortunately.

[Dolph1969]

I'd recommend trying lipogaine. I found it easier to apply and less irritating than rogaine.

[Spanker]

I think that you should see a doctor in person, I don't think you have great donor, but I don't see a huge problem in the photos.

 

However, hair loss stabilizing is a myth IMO. Your sides and back will likely drop, so you'll want to be very conservative, with a high hairline and pretty low density.

 

My expectation for you is that you would look balding, but not bald.

 

I don't think the pics are detailed enough to say you have bad donor. See someone that you trust in person.

[Spanker]

Also, I think you have a nice head, and doing nothing is a great option. Also, a hair system could work well. They are pretty good nowadays. Especially for someone with a lot of loss that wants a full head of hair.