Regular Member Theodpliske8711 Posted January 14, 2018 Regular Member Share Posted January 14, 2018 Hello all, I've been scoping this forum for years now, and have posted quite a bit. I've made a post similar to this a year ago, but have come to try and ask one final time. I'm 30 years old, have been slowly balding since I was about 20 or so. The progress has been pretty slow, that I am still just about a N3 moving to maybe a N4 (have noticed that my crown is now thinned a bit). My front has receded quite a bit over the years,* I'm determined to get a hair transplant and have been for maybe over 6 or so years now. Money has been the biggest issue, but I am now fortunate to have a job that pays me pretty well and so I figure I may finally go through with it. I know the big names on this forum, and have met/gotten consultation with a number of them. I'm looking to do maybe around 4K on it, mainly focused on the front and build some on the back. My question is: which method, why and who? I feel like I have locked it down to a few names: Hasson/Wong and Erdogan being my main candidates. The issue is: FUT or FUE. I've followed the discussions back and forth on here, so I'm not looking for people to litigate them on here again. The scar issue is a factor for me, since I'd rather not have to deal with that and hence thinking toward FUE with potentially Erdogan (please send me recommends if you think it would be better to go with someone else). Travel is an issue: I work quite a bit and would need to maybe schedule a vacation in order to go through with it. But I've also recently thought that as my first surgery, and perhaps my age, maybe an FUT might be better? Quality is also an issue, as I've heard that doctors in Turkey rely more heavily on technicians and am worried about regulatory issues about it. Nevertheless, the doctors on here seem pretty stellar over all given the reviews people have left. Given my context, I was wondering what some on here have to say? Nothing too short and again, no need to relitigate the basics, just looking for some input and advising on the process of picking. Thank you all and thank you for this site being a great help in this process. *Photos to come Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Regular Member Theodpliske8711 Posted January 14, 2018 Author Regular Member Share Posted January 14, 2018 Updated with photos Keep in ind I purposely messed up my hair a bit so it's significantly thinner looking than when I style it. Would love to know what people here would recommend in terms of graft #s. Leaning on that 4000 or so, but maybe I can taper that number down if people feel it's too much. Thanks! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Senior Member hairthere Posted January 14, 2018 Senior Member Share Posted January 14, 2018 First of all, are you on meds? If not, the reality is that at 30 years old you will get a transplant and then likely want to have another in a few more years because you are on your way to losing more hair (judging by your current pictures and NW pattern.) I only say this so you are prepared for that, both mentally and financially. FUE vs FUT: My concern here is that you mention considering FUE because "the scar issue is a factor for me." Make no mistake, FUE creates scarring. In fact you're creating more scarring over a larger surface area than you would with a strip scar and thus doing more damage to your donor area. Why is this an issue? Well if you're destined for a high NW pattern, which you are, and you want a decent hairline with full coverage and adequate density from front to crown, then you'll likely need all your grafts available. The most efficient way to extract those grafts is to do as many strips procedures as your scalp/physiology will allow and then switch to FUE. Unfortunately, there is no perfect solution when it comes to donor/graft extraction. Strips can widen (especially when multiple ones are removed), and FUE can significantly thin your donor. Either option can create a problem that you didn't previously have. If I were you I would really consider the longterm ramifications of both procedures. Think about where you see yourself going in terms of hairstyle. Do you ever see yourself shaving your head or wearing it very short? Think 10, 20, 30 years down the road. Then you can make a decision. I am the owner/operator of AHEAD INK a Scalp Micropigmentation Company in Fort Lee, New Jersey. www.aheadink.com Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Senior Member home1212 Posted January 14, 2018 Senior Member Share Posted January 14, 2018 your first decision should be the surgeon and it seems you've started to do some research on that front, Hasson & Wong, Konior, Shapiro, Rahal were all on my short list. I'm from the US and did not even consider any clinics overseas. I would almost bet any of these physicians would recommend FUT in your case although they would give also give you the option of going FUE if that's what you wanted. To maximize your donor and plan for future procedures as your hair loss progresses - because you are still young - FUT will ultimately maximize yield and growth rate. I went the FUE route with Dr. Rahal as a personal choice because of my age, need to get back to work as soon as possible, and expectation that I would try to create an age appropriate and not so dense of a result. That was a personal decision, although if I started out earlier - like in my 30's - my expectations would have been very different and I would have likely gone FUT which is still the true and tested method. There also is a wide price gap especially with North American physicians between FUT and FUE pricing - which wasn't an issue for me, but certainly is another factor to consider. Good luck to you. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Regular Member Theodpliske8711 Posted January 15, 2018 Author Regular Member Share Posted January 15, 2018 (edited) First of all: thank you all for your sage and honest advice. I really appreciate it. To answer the first question: yes, I am on meds (although have been on and off, and currently 3x a week 1mg) and it may be the reason why my hairloss has been so gradual over the last few years; and yes, I plan on having multiple surgeries over the course of my life as my hair loss progresses more over time. I'm very fortunate to have a fairly good and solid career trajectory that pays me pretty well, so I expect that my future isn't too uncertain in that regard. I'm prepared for what I may have to do in the future. Ive never shaved my head and to be honest, have never even really considered it as an option. I can't predict the me in 20 or 30 years, and I don't know that I can even pretend to. In many ways all of my actions now will have a repercussion, but I think I ultimately have to make momentary decisions (especially, tbh, to maximize my youth). That said, this is something I have considered for almost a decade now. I know that hair loss does not stop, and I can see family members and where they have progressed. I would say my hairloss has been similar to my father's, who, from sight alone, has quite a healthy donor amount (I've even joked with him that he could probably get a lot of his hair back with an HT, though he has no interest at 65 and married for over 30 years). In addition: what can I expect for recovery for an FUT? From what I have heard, FUE has a better kind of recovery, but the yield mentioned seems to be a bigger concern. I'm very into fitness, to be honest, and it would suck to miss out on it for too long. Presentability at work is a concern, but I'm fortunate that my firm isn't too strict about office facetime and I know people who have done stints of working from home for a week or so. You all make a strong case for FUT, and maximizing my donor is definitely a concern here (and perhaps my biggest concern, and something I've heard repeatedly). Thanks all, and I appreciate any further comments that come along! Edited January 15, 2018 by Theodpliske8711 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Senior Member fortuneplant Posted January 21, 2018 Senior Member Share Posted January 21, 2018 Hi Theodpliske8711. Oh wow. You have time, money, the option to go to some of the best surgeons for HT, and the years to enjoy it. Those are rare combinations. Take advantage of it. If I were in your shoes, I'll probably just contact the doctors and settle on the one that I am most comfortable with -since in terms of technical skills, you can't go wrong with any one of them. Let the expert decide whether FUE or FUT is the best for you. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Regular Member Theodpliske8711 Posted January 23, 2018 Author Regular Member Share Posted January 23, 2018 Hi Theodpliske8711. Oh wow. You have time, money, the option to go to some of the best surgeons for HT, and the years to enjoy it. Those are rare combinations. Take advantage of it. If I were in your shoes, I'll probably just contact the doctors and settle on the one that I am most comfortable with -since in terms of technical skills, you can't go wrong with any one of them. Let the expert decide whether FUE or FUT is the best for you. The problem is, experts are so specialized, it's hard to go by what they say. If I go to an FUE doctor, they will swear their method is a better option, while FUT doctors, mainly in the States, will still swear by that. If I get an FUE, it won't be in the US most likely, so I'll have to go with a specialized doctor. Due to certain constraints, and based off of a number of other recommendations, it seems like FUT might be a better procedure for me, but it's hard to decide by what the docs themselves say. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Senior Member fortuneplant Posted January 23, 2018 Senior Member Share Posted January 23, 2018 I understand. A bit like if you only have a hammer, everything is a nail. The doctors you are considering are all high caliber. All of them have done procedures admired by everyone - whether you are an advocate for FUE or FUT. It's kinda like picking one of the mythical five to join your grade school basketball team. Any of them will win you the game. All things considered, I'll go with the one I'm most comfortable with and submit to the technique that the doc is strongest with. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bill - Seemiller Posted January 23, 2018 Share Posted January 23, 2018 Theo, Thanks for posting. My concern is that if you've been here browsing and posting on and off for years and you're still not convinced on which donor technique you wish to endeavor, then I'm not sure if hair transplant surgery is for you. I have a feeling that you may regret either choice and play the "what if" game in your head wondering what your donor and recipient areas would look like had you chosen the other one. Now, of course, this is just a guess. My opinion to be honest, and this is unless you plan on wearing your hair ultra short, is to go with FUT/strip. Yes, FUE has come a long way and is preferred amongst many patients. But FUT/strip has a long history of proven success and better growth rates. At the end of the day, you have to ask and answer this question. "Am I more concerned about filling the recipient area with more hair or whether or not there may be slight scarring that will show in the donor area if I decide to cut my hair ultra short". Consider your hair now for example. It's not very short in the donor area. Why? Is it because you like your hair that length? When was the last time you wore your hair ultra short? If you have no intentions of wearing your hair short, than don't worry about the donor at all and pick the procedure that best fits you based on other characteristics. Personally, I chose strip for the reason that I really didn't care about how my donor looked (to a degree of course). I just wanted to fill the recipient area with natural looking hair so I could grow it again. And you know what? I have a mild scar (not too thin and not too thick but only because I had 4 procedures) but the recipient area looks great. I'm very happy with my results and don't ever think about my hair loss or donor area. But if you are going to obsess about your donor area, you may want to consider FUE. But keep in mind there is a possibility that you may obtain less growth yield. Now FUE has come a long way, so this isn't necessarily true. But it's possible. Best wishes, Bill Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Regular Member Theodpliske8711 Posted February 2, 2018 Author Regular Member Share Posted February 2, 2018 Yea, I've been thinking about it. I've never really kept my hair all that short. What would ultra short mean? The lowest I've gone is maybe a 3 on the barber scale. Yield is definitely my biggest concern. I'd like to get the most fullness possible within the restrictions available. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Senior Member wheretogo Posted February 2, 2018 Senior Member Share Posted February 2, 2018 Well said hairthere. A lot of people have an fue procedure thinking it’s a type of of one foot out the door approach. (If it doesn’t work out you can always shave it and no one will be the wiser). With 4000 fue the guy in back of you at the movies will be able to play connect the dots with your scalp as he waits for the coming attraction to start so be very aware there is a ton of scarring involved with FUE. If you really want to go down this road, understand you must be on meds given your situation and a strip is the right way to go to begin. what is the most amount of grafts you can use without, as you well put it, "the guy in back of you at the movies will be able to play connect the dots with your scalp as he waits for the coming attraction to start"? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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