Looking for an FUE surgeon

[jakaroo]

I am a 20 year old male who has been struggling with hair loss since age 16, but didn't seriously start receding until age 18 (I know some users on this forum believe that 20 is too young to be considering a transplant). Relevant info:

• I've been on Finasteride for over a year.
• I was in a "freak accident" at age 17 that caused me to be subject to immense stress and brutal physical conditions for a couple months. This accelerated my hair loss, although it recovered slightly for a few months after.
• I live a very stressful lifestyle (working on improving this). I tried Minoxidil for about a week, but making time for it twice a day and dealing with the side effects unfortunately wasn't practical.

Anyway, I've done my research and would love nothing more than to not have to worry about always wearing a hat or no one believing I'm under 30. I'm grateful for current technology and the extensive list of surgeons on this site, but my main question is how to pick the right surgeon out of many, as this will be a decision I live with for life.

 

All photos are within the last month. I live in a suburb of NYC but would probably be willing to travel if necessary.

[RecessionProof]

How effective has the finasteride been for you so far? I would recommend waiting a few years to see how stable your hair loss is on the drug.

I live in the same area — if you’re looking to stay local, the best NYC surgeons are probably Feller & Bloxham, Carlos Wesley, and True & Dorin (I think they all perform high quality FUE at this point). I would consult with them, as well as other clinics that stand out to you, and see what they think about your age. But I will bet they’ll recommend holding off for a while

Edited April 4, 2019 by RecessionProof

[CosmoKramer]

4 hours ago, jakaroo said:

I am a 20 year old male who has been struggling with hair loss since age 16, but didn't seriously start receding until age 18 (I know some users on this forum believe that 20 is too young to be considering a transplant). Relevant info:

• I've been on Finasteride for over a year.
• I was in a "freak accident" at age 17 that caused me to be subject to immense stress and brutal physical conditions for a couple months. This accelerated my hair loss, although it recovered slightly for a few months after.
• I live a very stressful lifestyle (working on improving this). I tried Minoxidil for about a week, but making time for it twice a day and dealing with the side effects unfortunately wasn't practical.

Anyway, I've done my research and would love nothing more than to not have to worry about always wearing a hat or no one believing I'm under 30. I'm grateful for current technology and the extensive list of surgeons on this site, but my main question is how to pick the right surgeon out of many, as this will be a decision I live with for life.

 

All photos are within the last month. I live in a suburb of NYC but would probably be willing to travel if necessary.

Ahh man, it’s sucks what you’re going through at such a young age and I feel for you, I really do.

Honestly, I don’t think it’s a matter of choosing the right surgeon out of many as you say from this site, it’s more the issue of which reputable surgeon would be willing to take on such a patient that is 20 years old, even with your hair loss pattern, so that already limits you at this point, I’m sorry to say, and honestly out of all my research over the past couple of years I have not come across a patient your age having undergone a procedure but if I missed any then I’m sure it’s searchable on this site or someone might link to any.

i would definitely suggest taking your time to do lots of research on recommend doctors and if possible go with a family member or good friend to as many in-person doctor consultations as you can and not stress and rush into a decision and if you can give yourself some more time, yes it’s tough dealing with wearing hats every occasion and having people think you look older than you are but we all have gone through it at some point and if you don’t rush it and make the right choice not based on marketing you will come out ahead.

If you have any questions feel free to ask or DM me.

 

 

[PlzRespond]

Sorry to hear you began losing your hair so early. I can totally relate though, I began losing my hair around 15-16 also. So know that you’re not alone. Most reputable doctors will not perform surgery at your age simply because it’s difficult to predict how your hair loss will progress. What you need to do is try to maintain your hair with treatments such as finasteride and nizoral shampoo. I’ve seen some doctors recommend surgery after the minimum age of 25 or so. I also recommend waiting it out to see if/how your hair progresses while on fin. I know this isn’t something you wanted to hear but know that this advice is for your own good. 

 

Hows your scalp health? I know for me when I was losing hair at that young age my scalp was horribly unhealthy. I had uncontrolled seborrheic dermatitis and it accelerated my hair loss imo. So if your scalp is unhealthy also try to address that to give the meds the best chance to work.

 

in regards to your stress and mental health. Please seek a qualified therapist/psychologist. I dealt with/still deal with the same and it can truly help you. The sooner you start the better. If you’re in college they usually have therapist on site that provide services.

 

Good luck and feel free to ask any questions!

 

[Gasthoerer]

Considering your age and the amount of loss, it is very likely that you are not a candidate for HT at all (despite using FIN). What is the hairstatus in your family on both sides? Any NW6+? 

Be careful, it is a dirty industry and there will be a lot of clinics, which will be happy to take your money and destroy your life. A bad HT is worse than losing hair (I know this is hard to believe) and there is a life after 25, 30 and even 40 years old (I know it is even harder to understand). 

 

[VicTNYC]

Hey man, sorry about what you’re going through at such a young age. Since you’re in NYC I would suggest going to see Dr Bloxham, does great work and is in Long Island so you don’t have to travel far to get a consultation with a reputable doctor.

Here is a video he just posted to his YouTube channel of a young patient with similar hair loss pattern to yours, have a look and best of luck!