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Diffuse thinning, Whats my best course of action?


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  • Regular Member

I am 21 years old, and have been losing my hair for about 3 years. Being a diffuse thinner, its worse as instead of a receding hairline you jump straight to a NW7. I have been thinking of getting a hair transplant recently but much of the information on this site doesn't apply to diffuse thinners. I have been using minoxidil and nizoral for the last year, but don't want to use this for the rest of my life also the results I had initially were great, but I had a massive shed and never got back to what it was. Before getting a HT I think its best to completely stop Minoxidil usage for 2 months so the Doc can have an accurate indication of how many grafts I need.

 

My question, should I proceed with a HT and which doctors would you recommend for diffuse thinner. Also would it best to stop minoxidil use before a HT?

 

p.s. Donor area is cut very short, had a skin fade just 2 weeks earlier.

 

Also how many grafts do you think I need??

 

thanks

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Edited by Bej520
Forgot something
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No doctor should touch you at this point as you have to understand that if you're going to commit to surgery you must first commit to prevention, in the form of medical therapy. It is unrealistic to expect that you can get a hair transplant at the age of 21, being a diffused thinner, and think you can safely stop any treatments such as minoxidil. It is like replacing some of your teeth with crowns and saying "I'll just stop brushing my teeth every day.". It doesn't work like that. You'll eventually lose the hair you have still and then you'll need more surgery, and more surgery, etc. etc.

 

You should re-evaluate your priorities and consider the reality of your situation. Commit to medical therapy, including possibly using finasteride, either oral or topical, and attack your problem safely and responsibly. If you don't you risk being far more unhappy than you may be now.

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No doctor should touch you at this point as you have to understand that if you're going to commit to surgery you must first commit to prevention, in the form of medical therapy. It is unrealistic to expect that you can get a hair transplant at the age of 21, being a diffused thinner, and think you can safely stop any treatments such as minoxidil. It is like replacing some of your teeth with crowns and saying "I'll just stop brushing my teeth every day.". It doesn't work like that. You'll eventually lose the hair you have still and then you'll need more surgery, and more surgery, etc. etc.

 

You should re-evaluate your priorities and consider the reality of your situation. Commit to medical therapy, including possibly using finasteride, either oral or topical, and attack your problem safely and responsibly. If you don't you risk being far more unhappy than you may be now.

thanks for the reply, using finasteride isn't an option for myself as I wouldn't even want to risk the side effects from what I've read. Also I should of mentioned I am willing to have more than one operation and my wish is to be able to have a good enough buzz not a full head of hair.

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Your donor looks to be suffering from diffusion as well, I don't think you have multiple procedures in your donor if any at all. Your scarring would be hugely evident. If all you want is to be able to buzz it down and not look slick bald, why not look into smp...at your age and level of diffusion with no meds no ethical doctor would touch you for a transplant.

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Thanks mate, but what is smp? and btw I think my donor area is fine its just short atm, when it grows long its thick.

 

smp is scalp micropigmentation, on a bald head it gives you the illusion of a hairline and hair shaved down, that 5'oclock shadow look so to everyone it looks like you're not bald just shaving it down. It can provide an illusion of density to people like us who diffuse thin as well as it reduces the color contrast between skin and hair. http://www.hairrestorationnetwork.com/eve/scalp-micropigmentation-smp/ check out this forum for examples

 

I will take your word on your donor, I'm just going off the picture, you should get in front of a doc and let them see it, they'll be the definitive word. I've had 2 fue procedures and I skin fade my hair from the bottom up to a number 1 at the top and as it grows in it doesn't show the gaps I'm seeing in your donor, that is what concerns me. A linear scar would for sure show thru that but even fue dots would be evident as it is now and most .8mm punches shouldn't be seen with a number 1 unless the hair is depleted.

Edited by mikeyhwk
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I emphasize what u going through.. it is tough being a diffuse thinner .. especially at such an early age .. u probably will have a long battle with hair loss .. n it’s understandable that u want to do something about it right now .. u don’t want bald spots .. even though ur hair is thinning right now but at least u still have coverage . So u want to keep it like that..

- honestly u need to get on propecia .. just go on it for awhile to keep as much hair as u can ..u r destined to be a high Norwood.. n it’s already evident what ur hair loss pattern is going to be .. so u need to find a good doctor so U don’t waste grafts with bad transplant because u don’t have great donor hair . n u need to focus on school so U can make a lot of money In life cuz it’s going to be expensive battling with hair loss n transplants.. it’s obvious u want one n no one is going to change ur mind about that .. do a lot of research n make ur decisions wisely. Wish u the best ..

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Best course of action is to do nothing for now, if you’re interested in SMP, shave your head first and see how you like it. If you like the shaved look then just keep it like that, quick easy solution. Now if you don’t like the look you’ll probably get tired of SMP, after a while you’ll have to get touch ups. Now this is just my opinion, but the older you get the stranger it will look if you have a juvenile hairline and “choose” to shave down. I personally don’t think that will look natural and people may question it and I know I would.

 

As a short term solution smp sounds good, as a long term solution not so much IMO. Now, no doctor is going to operate on you unless you’re on finasteride that’s just the truth, the danger is that you may end up balder after surgery, because all of the hair is weak and miniaturizing. If shock loss occurs, there’s a strong possibility some of the hair won’t grow back, you’ll be left with less money and even balder not to mention the scars.

 

There’s another thing you can do, you can try minoxidil, PRP, laser therapy, ketocanozole shampoo, and in the interim use toppik, you have enough hair to use toppik and look like you have a full head of hair, it’s relatively cheap, and something you can do while you try hair loss prevention, if I were in your shoes that’s what I would do, monitor your hair loss see if it’s getting worse, if you’re able to at least slow it down, you may be a candidate in a few years. At this point though not a good idea.


I’m a paid admin for Hair Transplant Network. I do not receive any compensation from any clinic. My comments are not medical advice.

Check out my final hair transplant and topical dutasteride journey

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Topical dutasteride journey 

Melvin- Managing Publisher and Forum Moderator for the Hair Transplant Network, the Coalition Hair Loss Learning Center, and the Hair Loss Q&A Blog.

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Htsoon is making sense .. u too young n balding .. so the best u can do to manage ur situation is go on propecia.. keep what u got for as long as u can .. n since u are a diffuse thinner it will help u .. n with toppik or dermmatch u can make ur current thinning hair look thicker .. so u have some advantages with those options over someone that’s just receding .. make the most out of what u got .. look towards the positive n accept what you have to deal with . N make the most out of it ..

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I think you have been offered some excellent advice already, so apologies if I'm repeating what's already been said. At 21 you do need to keep what you've got, and the best thing is Fin. Try it, if it gives you sides, reduce the dosage. If the sides continue then stop it. You will never know till you try. Personally I think the sides are over hyped, most research shows 95% of users experience no sides - good odds in my book.

Your donor does look weak, but the picture could be deceiving. Your loss is also high for your age - sorry if that's blunt, just being honest.

I would advise having a few consultations with reputable Dr's who will no doubt advise you to stabilise the situation with meds ASAP. I would use topic or dermatch or a combo to hide your loss until your older and your loss has stabilised. They are excellent products if used correctly (I used them for a few years). Once your loss is stable your Dr can plan an appropriate course of action to remedy the situation to give you the best possible result.

I wish you all the best.

5024 grafts with Asmed Clinic. Dr Koray 25th & 26th Oct 2017

 

Those who spend their time looking for the faults in others usually make no time to correct their own. –Art Janak

 

 

http://www.hairrestorationnetwork.com/eve/187649-countdown-my-hair-transplant.html

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thanks for the reply, can I ask why no doctor would operate without me using finasteride? I'm new to this site but I've seen men balder than me have some good results so I'm a bit confused. Also don't think I'll do SMP and does the laser comb do anything?

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thanks for the reply, can I ask why no doctor would operate without me using finasteride? I'm new to this site but I've seen men balder than me have some good results so I'm a bit confused. Also don't think I'll do SMP and does the laser comb do anything?

 

Well for one your age, you’re only 21 years old, two you have aggressive hair loss. At your age it’s impossible to now where you’ll end up, meaning the doctor won’t even know what hair is and isn’t safe to transplant, on top of that, there is a possibility of shock loss, meaning the hair will shed due to the trauma of surgery, now in most cases the hair grows back, however in your case it’s likely that a good portion won’t grow back.

 

Why is that important? Let’s do some simple math, most men are born with 100,000 hairs which would equal to roughly 50,000 grafts, the top of your head would have 25,000 grafts, now let’s say you get 3,000 grafts transplanted, however you get bad shock loss and shed around 60% of the hair on your head, which would be about 15,000 grafts, now let’s say only 50 % grows back, that would mean you’ve lost 7,500 grafts and transplanted 3,000 which is less than half of the amount you’ve lost. Now these are just numbers, but I’m trying to paint a picture for you.

 

Hair transplantation is all about reputation, most respectable surgeons aren’t going to place their reputation on the line, most importantly most ethical surgeons aren’t going to do that to a young man that’s only 21. Furthermore, there’s no way we can tell that the transplanted hair would survive and will be permanent, because as your pattern isn’t established yet, you could be Norwood 6 or 7 which makes all the difference in the world, a Norwood 6 keeps the lateral humps (side wall hair) a Norwood 7 does not, if you were to get surgery and hair is taken from that area, not only would the hair fall out, but you’d see scars.

 

I’ve been there, look at my photo I know what you’re going through, wait! Give it time, try hair loss prevention first and see how you respond, if your hair doesn’t change for a few years then come back and revisit the idea of surgery, until then use toppik trust me it’s a life changer, it’s a miracle product it really is.


I’m a paid admin for Hair Transplant Network. I do not receive any compensation from any clinic. My comments are not medical advice.

Check out my final hair transplant and topical dutasteride journey

View my thread

Topical dutasteride journey 

Melvin- Managing Publisher and Forum Moderator for the Hair Transplant Network, the Coalition Hair Loss Learning Center, and the Hair Loss Q&A Blog.

Follow our Social Media: Facebook, Instagram, Linkedin, and YouTube.

 

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  • Senior Member
Well for one your age, you’re only 21 years old, two you have aggressive hair loss. At your age it’s impossible to now where you’ll end up, meaning the doctor won’t even know what hair is and isn’t safe to transplant, on top of that, there is a possibility of shock loss, meaning the hair will shed due to the trauma of surgery, now in most cases the hair grows back, however in your case it’s likely that a good portion won’t grow back.

 

Why is that important? Let’s do some simple math, most men are born with 100,000 hairs which would equal to roughly 50,000 grafts, the top of your head would have 25,000 grafts, now let’s say you get 3,000 grafts transplanted, however you get bad shock loss and shed around 60% of the hair on your head, which would be about 15,000 grafts, now let’s say only 50 % grows back, that would mean you’ve lost 7,500 grafts and transplanted 3,000 which is less than half of the amount you’ve lost. Now these are just numbers, but I’m trying to paint a picture for you.

 

Hair transplantation is all about reputation, most respectable surgeons aren’t going to place their reputation on the line, most importantly most ethical surgeons aren’t going to do that to a young man that’s only 21. Furthermore, there’s no way we can tell that the transplanted hair would survive and will be permanent, because as your pattern isn’t established yet, you could be Norwood 6 or 7 which makes all the difference in the world, a Norwood 6 keeps the lateral humps (side wall hair) a Norwood 7 does not, if you were to get surgery and hair is taken from that area, not only would the hair fall out, but you’d see scars.

 

I’ve been there, look at my photo I know what you’re going through, wait! Give it time, try hair loss prevention first and see how you respond, if your hair doesn’t change for a few years then come back and revisit the idea of surgery, until then use toppik trust me it’s a life changer, it’s a miracle product it really is.

 

100% agree

5024 grafts with Asmed Clinic. Dr Koray 25th & 26th Oct 2017

 

Those who spend their time looking for the faults in others usually make no time to correct their own. –Art Janak

 

 

http://www.hairrestorationnetwork.com/eve/187649-countdown-my-hair-transplant.html

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  • Regular Member

Thanks and btw your hair looks great and the way its slicked, it looks like its been licked by a camel. How long do you think I should wait? Bare in mind the hair I have, most of it is due to my minoxidil usage, if I stop I'd probably lose a lot of it. Also I see we both had a similar hair loss pattern which is reassuring, how many grafts did you have put in.

 

I know its a lot of questions but I appreciate your answers.

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  • Senior Member

I agree with previous posts. You’re far too young to have a transplant. Finasteride can help a lot especially for diffuse thinners. My surgeon gave me the best advice for it. Try it. If you get side effects stop it. Try the shaved head look and or concealers. Even a hair system.

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  • Senior Member

If you don't have the intellectual maturity to attempt finasteride (barring any good reason to do so beyond a 2-5% chance of short term side effects) then you shouldn't get a hair transplant. The risks of hair transplantation particularly on a diffuse thinner are laughably larger, and you're going to get far more benefit from finasteride in the long run than a few transplants.

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  • Senior Member

You might want to look into the SMP for thickening. A lot of the good providers are doing this now and so you can wear your hair about the length in your pics but the SMP will add the illusion of a lot more density.

 

The other option is to start using concealers but you need to understand that that's going to be a commitment. If you start using those you'll become dependent on it and won't ever want to show your hair without them (at least in my experience that's what it's been).

 

The best option is for you to reconsider using fin. It typically works wonders on diffuse thinning like yours. I've been on it for about 8 years and haven't had any side effects and have 2 perfectly healthy children that were conceived while I was using fin.

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