TRosen Posted March 6, 2009 Share Posted March 6, 2009 Hi Guys, This forum is a great source of information for guys like me that are researching and contemplating an HT. Thanks to all the contributors. I am 42 years old and I have been losing my hair since I was in my late teens. I was taking propecia for about 9 years and I made the mistake of thinking that my hair loss had stopped. I have been off propecia for about a year now and I recently noticed that the hair loss was accelerating again. After a recent short haircut I have noticed that I am really pretty thin on top and on the crown. I have been on minoxidil 5% for a couple of weeks now. It seems to be helping the hair from falling out but it is a hassle that it takes so long to dry and it leaves my scalp very red. I just started to take Proscar 1.25mg again today and I plan to not give that up again. At this point, I really don't expect my hair to look like it did when I was 17 but I would really like to have more density and more freedom to style my hair in different ways. I am open to doing an HT but I am concerned that it is a pretty big step and you can't undo it if there are side effects. I had LASIK almost 10 years ago and have had some negative side effects and some regrets about getting that done so I am being extra careful here. Please take a look at my photos and let me know your thoughts about whether a guy like me should go forward with a HT, and if so, what type of procedure and number of grafts am I looking at. Thanks in advance guys. http://farm4.static.flickr.com...512_5d50ae2209_b.jpg http://farm4.static.flickr.com...673_aee55c3049_b.jpg http://farm4.static.flickr.com...885_a2b7d5507e_b.jpg http://farm4.static.flickr.com...411_05f0958412_b.jpg Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TRosen Posted March 6, 2009 Author Share Posted March 6, 2009 Hi Guys, This forum is a great source of information for guys like me that are researching and contemplating an HT. Thanks to all the contributors. I am 42 years old and I have been losing my hair since I was in my late teens. I was taking propecia for about 9 years and I made the mistake of thinking that my hair loss had stopped. I have been off propecia for about a year now and I recently noticed that the hair loss was accelerating again. After a recent short haircut I have noticed that I am really pretty thin on top and on the crown. I have been on minoxidil 5% for a couple of weeks now. It seems to be helping the hair from falling out but it is a hassle that it takes so long to dry and it leaves my scalp very red. I just started to take Proscar 1.25mg again today and I plan to not give that up again. At this point, I really don't expect my hair to look like it did when I was 17 but I would really like to have more density and more freedom to style my hair in different ways. I am open to doing an HT but I am concerned that it is a pretty big step and you can't undo it if there are side effects. I had LASIK almost 10 years ago and have had some negative side effects and some regrets about getting that done so I am being extra careful here. Please take a look at my photos and let me know your thoughts about whether a guy like me should go forward with a HT, and if so, what type of procedure and number of grafts am I looking at. Thanks in advance guys. http://farm4.static.flickr.com...512_5d50ae2209_b.jpg http://farm4.static.flickr.com...673_aee55c3049_b.jpg http://farm4.static.flickr.com...885_a2b7d5507e_b.jpg http://farm4.static.flickr.com...411_05f0958412_b.jpg Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Senior Member dakota3 Posted March 6, 2009 Senior Member Share Posted March 6, 2009 being 42 with that much hair left I'd say yes you are a perfect candidate for a HT. Just make sure you go to the right place or you may end up with less hair than you started with. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Senior Member youngsuccess Posted March 6, 2009 Senior Member Share Posted March 6, 2009 I agree with dakota: considering your age and the amount of native hair you've retained, the potential for a really great result is definitely there. It sounds like you did well on finasteride without becoming acclimated to its effects after nine years, so it might still do you a lot of good. And of course another advantage is that you don't need to lower/recreate a hairline; you just need to reestablish your existing one with some density. Also, I don't know if you're familiar with the stuff, but I suspect you'd be a great "responder" (can't think of a better word) to concealers in the meantime. ------- All opinions are my own and my advice should not constitute as medical advice. View my My Hair Loss Website Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Moderators Al - Moderator Posted March 7, 2009 Moderators Share Posted March 7, 2009 Concealers are too messy. Can't play with your hair, can't go swimming, have to worry about people seeing you without concealer one day and with it the next day and then again without it another day, etc, have to worry about some of it brushing off on someone's clothes or something else. worry about sweating too much. just seems to me to be more worries than thinning hair. Al Forum Moderator (formerly BeHappy) I am a forum moderator for hairrestorationnetwork.com. I am not a Dr. and I do not work for any particular Dr. My opinions are my own and may not reflect the opinions of other moderators or the owner of this site. I am also a hair transplant patient and repair patient. You can view some of my repair journey here. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Regular Member Yogi's Dad Posted March 7, 2009 Regular Member Share Posted March 7, 2009 Your pictures look like a few "before" pictures posted on our web blogs - you do have a lot of existing hair. It looks like you'd benefit nicely from a HT. However, you need to see a coalition doctor. Your donor area/ scalp laxity/ personal goals & expectations should be assessed by a pro. You'll be given a honest assessment of what to expect and you can make an informed decision as to whether or not at HT is in your best interest. Good luck! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Senior Member kaounis Posted March 7, 2009 Senior Member Share Posted March 7, 2009 Welcome to the comunity Trosen. I have to echo what dakota said. For your age you still have plenty of native hair. If I were you I would send those same pictures to as many docs via online consults, which you can do from this site, and get as many opinios as possible. When you feel satisfied with your descision, you should than meet that surgeon in person before you go forward. I'm not a Dr. so even if I give you an estimate on how many graphs you need, it wouldn't be acurate. But for the hell of it, I say about 3000-4000 for excellent restoration. Hope this helps... Just a thought from the peanut gallery.... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TRosen Posted March 7, 2009 Author Share Posted March 7, 2009 Guys, Thanks for the feedback. I have been to one doctor locally that I didn't get a good vibe from. I want to go see a top notch doc but there seem to be just a two coalition doctors in the San Francisco area. One of them does a zillion radio ads, which makes me skeptical. The other one has had quite a few negative reviews elsewhere on this forum. Does anyone have any recommendations for Bay Area doctors other than the two listed coalition docs? BeHappy, I agree with you about concealers. That's not a good option for me since I tend to sweat a lot on my scalp. 2 questions for you guys that have experience: 1) What does your scalp feel like after the HT? My sense is that there might be a tightness after the donor section is removed. Is that correct? I wonder if this actually can pull even as far forward as the face, possibly affecting the way you smile, etc. Is there anything to be concerned about here? Anything that can be done about this or does it ever loosen back up? 2) I have no idea what I should expect to pay for a top quality doctor and a state of the art procedure. I could make appointments all over the country and get that information straight from the horses mouth, but I just don't have that kind of free time. Any guidance that you all could give me would be extremely helpful. Thanks again for your comments and suggestions, guys. Trosen Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Senior Member flyby Posted March 7, 2009 Senior Member Share Posted March 7, 2009 Hi TR Like others have said, from looking at your pictures you look to be a great canditate for an HT and I think you'd end up with an excellent result. Haven't really seen alot from any great Dr's in N. CA. Definitely don't choose your Dr based on location. I'm in S. CA and I went to Dr. Alexander in Phoenix (twice :-) and his work is incredible. I like the fact that he doesn't require shaving down the recipient area. This was a requirement for me do to work requirements. I'm 40 and also had thinning native hair such as yourself and I was back to work after 6 days and no one even knew. I've seen some nice work from Dr. Gabel in Oregon as well. As far as concealers go I think you DEFINITELY should give Toppik a try. I've used it and it's not messy or noticible at all. Sweating isn't a problem either. Just make sure you don't go overboard and put too much on. As for the donor area, it will definitely feel tight for about the first month and sore for about the first 2 weeks. Nothing major though. Your scalp will also feel numb but this has gone away after 3 months in both cases for me. I've never heard of anyone having their face or smile affected and it didn't have any affect on me. Tightness of the scalp will vary based on each individuals physiology characteristics and the amount of grafts you go for. Some have looser scalps than others. Spend some time doing your research and find a couple Dr's who's work you really love. Then rather than travelling all over for consultations you can do an online consultation with them. The best Dr's can discuss a pretty good game plan with you based on pictures or video. Best of luck to you! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Senior Member mgem Posted March 7, 2009 Senior Member Share Posted March 7, 2009 Good advice from flyby My Hair Loss Website - Hair Transplant with Dr. Feller Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TRosen Posted March 12, 2009 Author Share Posted March 12, 2009 Hey Guys, Thanks for all the responses. I have decided to plan for an HT in about a year. I want give the finasteride and minoxidil a year for my existing hair to stabilize before I do anything about a HT. Thanks, TRosen Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Senior Member Acrobaz Posted March 12, 2009 Senior Member Share Posted March 12, 2009 Good decision TRosen - take your time and keep researching. Incidentally, I noticed that your question about tightness is outstanding. It is difficult to describe the sensation. I am just over three weeks post-op and the tightness feeling is going. Speaking for myself, I had no tightness in my face, only the back and sides of my head. The nearest sensation that I think would work to describe the tightness experience of the first fortnight or so is to imagine a very tightly drawn ponytail that pulls from the sides. Generally it is not noticeable now, although I may feel a slight strain if I put my chin on my chest. I also retain some (diminishing) numbness around the donor and recipient areas. I expect both sensations to disappear in the months to come. Otherwise, all is good. Best wishes. 17 Feb 09 - 3,200 FUs by strip surgery (Dr Feller) My Hair Loss Website Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Senior Member GTDL Posted March 14, 2009 Senior Member Share Posted March 14, 2009 Hello TRosen, The guys have given you some very good advice here and agreed, you are a perfect candidate for a HT given your abount of existing hair. However, one more thing that I will say to you (that flyby also pointed out) that is the unwritten no. 1 rule for any person contemplating a HT, and that is NEVER let distance be a deciding factor on choosing your surgeon. With limited donor supply (although you have plenty of it), it is not worth risking it in the hands of an incompetent surgeon. I am from Ireland and have chosen to go to the US to Dr. Feller due to his proven track record and patient testimony. Best of luck with whatever you decide to do. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Senior Member MrJobi Posted March 15, 2009 Senior Member Share Posted March 15, 2009 Be sure to do the scalp exercises and this will help big time with post op tightness and posibbly yield more grafts JOBI 1417 FUT - Dr. True 1476 FUT - Dr. True 2124 FUT - Dr. True 604 FUE - Dr. True My views are based on my personal experiences, research and objective observations. I am not a doctor. Total - 5621 FU's uncut! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Senior Member Byehair Posted March 15, 2009 Senior Member Share Posted March 15, 2009 You are a short flight from Hasson and Wong in Vancouver. Or maybe Alexander in Phoenix. You are looking at about $12,000 to $15,000 to thicken up your scalp although you hair still looks pretty good to me. 3,000 to 4,000 grafts most likely to strengthen the front and add some density to the mid section. Skip the San Francisco doctors and go to one of the best even if it means spending a few more $$$$. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TRosen Posted March 26, 2009 Author Share Posted March 26, 2009 Guys, Thank you all for your comments. I am open to traveling to get my procedure done by the best doctors, so I will check them out. I just didn't want to have to physically travel to see every doc in order to get a consultation. As someone pointed out earlier, many will be able to answer my question from photos and email. That will be a big help. In the meantime, I will continue to do research and take my meds for the next several months. In preparation for the surgery, I would like to do whatever I can to make the surgery and recovery as easy as possible. Where can I learn about the scalp exercises? Thanks, T Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Senior Member Leeson Posted March 26, 2009 Senior Member Share Posted March 26, 2009 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gOQX_WyLosA My Hair Loss Website - Dr. Hasson Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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