Looking for honest advice

[researchinghairtransplants]

Hi everyone,

 

I'm 34 and have been losing my hair since my late teens & early 20s. I'm going through a (happy & amicable) divorce and am obviously going to be back dating. I have been self-conscious about my thinning/balding hair for quite some time and don't go swimming or do a lot of the things I enjoy because of it. Mostly, I wear hats when not at work. I'd like this to change.

 

I have taken 1/4 of a 5mg finasteride for the past 10 years which has likely helped slow the progression but I now have diffuse loss & miniaturization. I have reached out to some Beverly Hills surgeons (Baubac, Mohebi, Diep, & Umar). Dr Mohebi requested a $150 consult fee and I am awaiting responses/consults from Diep & Umar. Dr Baubac recommended PRP (a $2500 value for free if I book the transplant in Feb :rolleyes:) and 1,500 grafts to the crown and top ($12,000). What I can find of his work appears to be quality and he appears to be a good surgeon on the surface (absent the pressure sales tactics).

 

I am looking for advice though, both on whether I should have a procedure at all at this point and whether I should simply continue getting consultations with other physicians and avoid Dr Baubac.

 

I have attached a number of photos wet & dry, styled & unstyled. Every single comment and recommendation is appreciated. I need as much information as possible to make the right decision for myself at this point in my life.

[ej]

Hi

To be honest, you do not need a hair transplant. I think your hair looks fine as it is.

Hope this helps

ej

[mattj]

Your hair still looks pretty good, especially when dry in the last two photos. Your thinning isn't very noticeable at all in those. Personally I don't think you need a HT at this stage, but I would suggest going through with the consultation process with more doctors to give yourself a wide range of opinions. It's also worth noting that your donor area doesn't look very dense in that first photo.

[researchinghairtransplants]

Thanks for your input guys. I am struggling a bit with the decision myself because I recognize dry + Caboki I can get a reasonable appearance but I would love to be free & not scared of the pool or rain. I had a long conversation with Dr Baubac's representative today & scheduled an in person consultation as well. I look forward to hearing from other patients & surgeons and will keep doing my research.

 

I know there is a good argument for waiting but I wonder what you all think about the fact you are only 30-something once. Why not have more confidence and feel better about your hairline or enjoy swimming etc. in your 30s? Is it really worth postponing that until it gets worse? You may not even live to be 55....

[Gasthoerer]

Understand you concern, but: You might lose as much hair via shock loss (permanent one) tha you gain. Plus you lose the ability to buzz down. Also you donor Looks poor.

 

You Need a F2F consultation with a carefull inspection of your hairs in all areas (donor and recipient). Visit Minimum 3 clinics!

[alex84]

Hello, i just need to say that i understand you... i had exactly the same tipe of hair loss and i know how it feels. To some it looks like you have enough hair but it is so thin and weak.

I don't think you need to wait any longer, you are 34 and you want good looks.

[alex84]

People are right when they say that you need more dr. opinions so try to contact some other HT doctors, maybe some over mail.

Your donor is very limited and another thing to be careful about is a chance of some shock lose to your hair, but i would say that with one good op you could have your looks back.

[mikeyhwk]

What Gasthoerer brought up is the real worry, when you have a substantial amount of native hairs you risk shock loss, you need a doc that has lots of experience working cases like yours for you to consider it, even then it's a risk. You do need to continue down the consult path and get your head in front of docs, they need to see what level of minaturization is occurring which could dictate if you're viable right now. Your hair loss isn't that far along but I get that telling somebody that in his prime dating years that isn't helpful cause there is still evident loss. I was in the same boat, I was a bit older than you but I am single and didn't want to put off my procedures and wait for my hair to worsen to a level that someone else thought it was bad enough to do a transplant, i wanted to act. That said I did wait until every doc i talked to thought it was safe in my case to do so. That is especially important in your case with a limited donor, or at least what appears in pictures to be a limited donor. If you transplant too early with a limited donor and end up with a net 0 or net negative, you're screwed. You need to get it right from jump. I think you got some good docs on your list in Mohebi and Diep. I'm not a fan of Baubac, I talked to a patient of his and he told me Dr Dorin (who did his last surgery) told him that his procedure with Baubac depleted his donor and showed poor donor management. Given some of the practices of the clinic and hearing that I can't in good conscience recommend him. Umar I prefer only for body hair work, for scalp hair I think you can do better.

[Triple7]

Drive up to Charlotte and see what Dr. Cooley says. He is top of the line.

[researchinghairtransplants]

Thank you everyone for your kind advice. I'm certainly going to submit to collective wisdom and get a number of in-person consultations.

 

If I can't come to some reasonable consensus from friends, other hair loss sufferers, and the surgeons then I probably just shouldn't have such a drastic procedure. I'll let everyone know how my consultations go and would be happy to share results if I do end up having a procedure.

 

I've been researching a bunch and am super jealous of the results of Lorenzo and Couto in Madrid. If anyone knows them please beg them to return my emails, I'd be happy to take a vacation! ;-)

[researchinghairtransplants]

Dr Umar recommended 1200 head + beard grafts for the crown using linear-scar-free advanced FUE methods by UGraft.

[Speegs]

Diffuse thinning is difficult, it's good you're on finasteride, do you think your hair loss has progressed any since being on it? It could be appropriate to speak with a physician about upping the dose a little since you've been on it many years or if you feel you've thinned a little while on it.

 

I dunno if a transplant is a priority for your hair loss just yet, you look pretty good, even people with transplants look a little thin with wet hair.

[Gasthoerer]

 

I've been researching a bunch and am super jealous of the results of Lorenzo and Couto in Madrid. If anyone knows them please beg them to return my emails, I'd be happy to take a vacation! ;-)

 

Yes, they have tremendous results online, but (!) despite being world class clincis they are not better than any other top clinic IMO. Their average case in the net (and probably their average case in General) just has very good donor material (=very thick hair Diameter). You do not (!) have this advanatage and thus will not get a similiar result.

[mikeyhwk]

Yes, they have tremendous results online, but (!) despite being world class clincis they are not better than any other top clinic IMO. Their average case in the net (and probably their average case in General) just has very good donor material (=very thick hair Diameter). You do not (!) have this advanatage and thus will not get a similiar result.

 

I have to disagree, it is not about comparing yourself to another patient it is about comparing what is achievable from one doctor vs another. These 2 docs in particular get more mileage out of grafts than other top docs imo. If you don't have great characteristics it is even more vital to get more mileage out of your grafts than somebody with a thick donor and great characteristics. I also believe that most good clinics can do a hairline, you may have an aesthetic preference of one doc vs another but what sets an elite clinic apart from a top one is crown work and donor maintenance. Few other clinics go as deep into a donor and keep it as pristine as Lorenzo and Erdogan ( can't speak for Couto ) and these 2 docs (Lorenzo/Couto) imo do the best fue crown work on the planet.

[Gasthoerer]

These 2 docs in particular get more mileage out of grafts than other top docs imo.

 

This is the point where we disagree: In my opinion, they do not get out more, the just happen to have patients with better characteristics.

 

With the same type of hair, other clinics get similiar results.

[mikeyhwk]

This is the point where we disagree: In my opinion, they do not get out more, the just happen to have patients with better characteristics.

 

With the same type of hair, other clinics get similiar results.

 

We'll agree to disagree

[researchinghairtransplants]

I can say this. There are only a few surgeons I have seen with the guts to show their results as they are combing through the patient's hair. Dr Diep, Lorenzo, & Couto have all done this without any evidence of "funny business." Of those I have seen willing to comb through the crown of their patients' heads Lorenzo and Couto are the only ones I have seen with the guts to then spray the hair with water.

 

If nothing else, this shows a passion for and confidence in their work that any good surgeon needs.

 

For my purposes, I had a haircut a few days ago with 1 guard so my donor area looks the way it does partially because the hair is cut so short. I am not sure of the real quality of it but will find out once I get my in-person consultation with legit measurements.

 

Still, if anyone can get Dr Lorenzo or Couto to respond I'd be greatly in-debt. :-D

[mikeyhwk]

 

Still, if anyone can get Dr Lorenzo or Couto to respond I'd be greatly in-debt. :-D

 

Lorenzo will respond but it takes anywhere from 3-5 weeks. His schedule is insane, he's in clinic at 7 am and doesn't leave until midnight 4 days a week, friday is his consult day with anybody who wants to come in office so hes got very little downtime. Weekends is when he breathes lol His pecking order in terms of importance to him is

 

In office patient

former patient (if I write him I'll get a reply within a day as a former patient)

 

and lastly consults

 

and he prefers to do that all himself, he doesn't want office staff handling consults so he'll write you back personally but it takes a while as you are literally the last thing he'll get around to. It's just a waiting game. I waited about 3 weeks and then his responses were prompt with follow up questions and then booking with Pilar is straight forward as she replies asap.

[researchinghairtransplants]

Thanks mikey! I feel like he'd be worth waiting for. Are you happy with your results?

[sadhairlossman]

 

I am contemplating a large beard session given that I had a very rich beard donor source..can you share a pic of those white dots? what size punch was used and who was the doc? Did you the beard hair survive on your scalp?

[mikeyhwk]

Thanks mikey! I feel like he'd be worth waiting for. Are you happy with your results?

 

I just started my 9th month and I'm ecstatic. He did my crown so it's not technically a finished work yet as crowns are supposed to take about a year and a half. That said, it's everything I could've asked for already, I've got full coverage, no more crown showing but I can tell that my natural hair characteristics haven't kicked in fully yet so it's going to get better. I would absolutely say he's worth waiting for.

[Melvin- Admin]

Honestly don't do anything, I understand you don't want to use toppik, you fear rain or wind, you could use dermmatch, I used dermmatch last year on vacation, it didnt come out without shampoo and even then it was tough to get out, rain and wind wouldn't do anything, the challenge with dermmatch is you need a lot of hair for it too look natural, you're a perfect candidate for dermmatch, you could even go swimming.

[BaldingBogger]

I can say this. There are only a few surgeons I have seen with the guts to show their results as they are combing through the patient's hair. Dr Diep, Lorenzo, & Couto have all done this without any evidence of "funny business." Of those I have seen willing to comb through the crown of their patients' heads Lorenzo and Couto are the only ones I have seen with the guts to then spray the hair with water.

 

If nothing else, this shows a passion for and confidence in their work that any good surgeon needs.

 

For my purposes, I had a haircut a few days ago with 1 guard so my donor area looks the way it does partially because the hair is cut so short. I am not sure of the real quality of it but will find out once I get my in-person consultation with legit measurements.

 

Still, if anyone can get Dr Lorenzo or Couto to respond I'd be greatly in-debt. :-D

 

 

Lorenzo is the best HT surgeon in the world IMO