How Would You Describe My State / What Can I Expect From Treatment (photos Included)

[Ivery22]

Hi Everyone,

I'm a long time reader / first time poster.

My Situation
I'm 30 years old. I started thinning around 5 years ago from what used to be described as 'the thickest hair ever". In the past 2 years my thinning has gotten considerably worse all over, and my crown area is the most impacted. Please refer to the attached photos.

Treatment
I've been using 1mg finasteride for the past 3.5 months and have been on 5% Minoxidil for around 6 weeks. I used Minoxidil a few years ago for about 3 months and stopped using as I was going on an extended travel and never picked it up after (bad idea I know).

Expectations
I'm obviously trying to get as much of my hair back as possible but I would really appreciate some advice on how others view/describe my current state of loss and what others may do in my situation.

My intentions are to eventually go through an FUE procedure in the near future as I feel this will only be the real long term solution to get back the result I desire. I also said to myseld once I turn 30 I would do this if my hair situation was at a stage that I don't feel comortable with. I've done a lot of research on this and have been in touch with a few clinics in Turkey to get an idea of what they may be able to offer me. I've been told from them that they could extract about 3500-4000 grafts to shape my hairline and recover the lost density at the top of the scalp and the crown.

I would also really appreciate whether people think this type of procedure would be viable for me based on what you see in the photos. And also if you guys think I'm a good candidate for such a procedure.

Any feedback much appreciated.

Regards

[Dr Tejinder Bhatti]

Dear Mr. Ivery22,

 

The first course of action is to not have a procedure at this time. You should give the medication time to do what it is going to do. In other words, your scalp may thicken considerably in the next nine to fifteen months, which in turn will reduce the number of grafts you may need to a desirable result. 

I will caution you, however, in that one procedure is not going to restore the density you have lost as there is not enough hair in the donor region to replace every hair you've lost with any hope of maintaining a healthy appearance. The donor region would have to be severely depleted to get so much hair, and at that point, your true "lost" density will remain lost. Your pattern of loss is that of a NW6 but your loss is diffused which is why your continued use of finasteride may reduce and reverse much of your loss. 

You are a very good surgical candidate, however, so when the time comes you can have a very pleasant result that will have fuller coverage and added density. Your benefit is that the sides of your scalp are still quite strong and your temple points are very well defined so all of the grafts moved can be used to concentrate on the top and the back. 

[Ivery22]

52 minutes ago, Dr Tejinder Bhatti said:

Dear Mr. Ivery22,

 

The first course of action is to not have a procedure at this time. You should give the medication time to do what it is going to do. In other words, your scalp may thicken considerably in the next nine to fifteen months, which in turn will reduce the number of grafts you may need to a desirable result. 

I will caution you, however, in that one procedure is not going to restore the density you have lost as there is not enough hair in the donor region to replace every hair you've lost with any hope of maintaining a healthy appearance. The donor region would have to be severely depleted to get so much hair, and at that point, your true "lost" density will remain lost. Your pattern of loss is that of a NW6 but your loss is diffused which is why your continued use of finasteride may reduce and reverse much of your loss. 

You are a very good surgical candidate, however, so when the time comes you can have a very pleasant result that will have fuller coverage and added density. Your benefit is that the sides of your scalp are still quite strong and your temple points are very well defined so all of the grafts moved can be used to concentrate on the top and the back. 

Thank you very much for the feedback Dr Bhatti. Yes my plan was to wait atleast 6-9 months of using Fin (already 3.5 months in). My thoughts time wise are to reassess in Jan by which point it would take me to the 9 month mark on finasteride treatment.

I am very open to the idea of having a second procedure at a later stage if this is necessary. My expectation for a first procedure is just get to a level where I feel comfortable with a more dense crown and thicker look on top which is enough to atleast style it in a simple and short way, I always plan on having a short hair style. I'm led to believe if we use my current state as an example this could be achieved with the grafts available to me in a single procedure (listed above). But of course with the realisation that a second procedure at a later stage may well be required to achieve further density.

My goal after a first procedure is to acheive something similar to what you see in this photo below. Do you think this is viable?

It's very reassuring to hear you think I'd be a good candidate for this type of treatment at the right time. This gives me the confidence that I will be able to achieve the results I really want. What type of procedure (when the time is right) would you recommend? I've only primarily researched FUE procedures. 

Again, many thanks for your feedback.

Regards.

 

Edited August 17, 2018 by Ivery22

[Ivery22]

2 hours ago, spex said:

Before you start deciding on which procedure id wait to see how well you respond to treatment. Keep mind open to both FUT and FUE as both great techniques in the right hands. Also depends on YOUR goals. My advice is just wait and watch and meanwhile research !

 

Regards

SPEX

Thanks for the feedback. Yes will most definitely wait to see how I respond to the treatment. As I say, I'm only really seeking a look which doesn't make me look incredibly thin on top as it does now. I would be satisfied if I could achieve something similar to the photo above. I always intend on keeping a short hairstyle. Regards

Edited August 18, 2018 by Ivery22

[Dr Tejinder Bhatti]

20 hours ago, Ivery22 said:

Thank you very much for the feedback Dr Bhatti. Yes my plan was to wait atleast 6-9 months of using Fin (already 3.5 months in). My thoughts time wise are to reassess in Jan by which point it would take me to the 9 month mark on finasteride treatment.

I am very open to the idea of having a second procedure at a later stage if this is necessary. My expectation for a first procedure is just get to a level where I feel comfortable with a more dense crown and thicker look on top which is enough to atleast style it in a simple and short way, I always plan on having a short hair style. I'm led to believe if we use my current state as an example this could be achieved with the grafts available to me in a single procedure (listed above). But of course with the realisation that a second procedure at a later stage may well be required to achieve further density.

My goal after a first procedure is to acheive something similar to what you see in this photo below. Do you think this is viable?

It's very reassuring to hear you think I'd be a good candidate for this type of treatment at the right time. This gives me the confidence that I will be able to achieve the results I really want. What type of procedure (when the time is right) would you recommend? I've only primarily researched FUE procedures. 

Again, many thanks for your feedback.

Regards.

 

Dear Mr. Ivery22,

I do believe that a result similar to that which you shared is possible with one procedure. In fact, I believe this is a very modest expectation so it should not be a problem. If you would like a formal assessment please email me at dearbhatti@gmail.com.