How important is family history?

[Greg_Swanson]

I've been wondering how important family history is to surgeons?

For instance, my father, and my older brother are both NW5/6, and NW7.

If I am headed in that direction, is there truly enough hair that can cover a NW7 loss? 

I am worried that if I get a transplant, I will still end up losing virtually all my native hair due to my genetics.

I am on finasteride, but many have said that this doesn't last forever, and the body grows a tolerance to it eventually. 

I.e. are there cases in which the potential to lose lots of hair means a transplant isn't a good option for someone?

Thanks all!

Edited June 26, 2019 by Greg_Swanson

[bonkling]

I've often wondered this.

Like, should you get a FUT to cover for future loss if it's all gonna go anyway? And then you've just got a scar and hardly any hair 😛

[vindiesel111]

 Family History is one of the factor majors in men for hair loss. We can also call this "Genetics". The Process worked like a cycle example if your grand father have baldness then your dad will have too and in the same age you will also face hair loss. However, if your lifestyle is healthy means if you are taking clean diet, indulged in any physical activities then this process may slow down but you will face it too. 

Solution? 
There is only one solution and which is Hair Transplant. If You have started seen such conditions on your scalp better consult any hair transplant doctor.

 

 

 

 

[LaserCap]

Good subject, particularly when you consider all the factors that go into it.

Yes, family history is important as it will give you information. At least you know that the possibility exists and, if you are going to be proactive, start by visiting a dermatologist or a hair transplant specialist.  Medical therapy should be the next consideration.  (There are several tests out there in the mail order form which can help confirm if hair loss is in your future.  A derm can also biopsy and give you that information).

I have homework for you.  Go to the mall....Look at all the people that are truly class 7s.  They  lose hair in a particular way.  They tend to keep a bit in the forelock, they tend to lose everything else, and will typically dip in the back considerable.  There is then some hair in the donor.  And not enough to allow for a full set of hair.  There may be enough, however, to allow for a forelock....which, again, is how a class 7 typically loses hair.

The main thing to consider is looking natural and pattern appropriate.  Got to work with what you have.

Returning to the subject of family history.......this is a complicated message that is passed to the offspring. It can skip generations.  Plenty of documented cases out there...Everyone is fine and, all of the sudden, someone experiences severe loss.  Upon researching they learn that a great uncle experienced hair loss.  It happens. 

In my own family.. My grandfather was a class 20.  My grandmother had tons of hair.  Everyone, except for my uncle, has hair loss.  My uncle, however, seemed to have kept his mother's genes.  Awesome hair.  This also can happen.

My suggestion, given your question, consider medical therapy and visit with a doctor.

 

[bonkling]

23 hours ago, LaserCap said:

Good subject, particularly when you consider all the factors that go into it.

Yes, family history is important as it will give you information. At least you know that the possibility exists and, if you are going to be proactive, start by visiting a dermatologist or a hair transplant specialist.  Medical therapy should be the next consideration.  (There are several tests out there in the mail order form which can help confirm if hair loss is in your future.  A derm can also biopsy and give you that information).

I have homework for you.  Go to the mall....Look at all the people that are truly class 7s.  They  lose hair in a particular way.  They tend to keep a bit in the forelock, they tend to lose everything else, and will typically dip in the back considerable.  There is then some hair in the donor.  And not enough to allow for a full set of hair.  There may be enough, however, to allow for a forelock....which, again, is how a class 7 typically loses hair.

The main thing to consider is looking natural and pattern appropriate.  Got to work with what you have.

Returning to the subject of family history.......this is a complicated message that is passed to the offspring. It can skip generations.  Plenty of documented cases out there...Everyone is fine and, all of the sudden, someone experiences severe loss.  Upon researching they learn that a great uncle experienced hair loss.  It happens. 

In my own family.. My grandfather was a class 20.  My grandmother had tons of hair.  Everyone, except for my uncle, has hair loss.  My uncle, however, seemed to have kept his mother's genes.  Awesome hair.  This also can happen.

My suggestion, given your question, consider medical therapy and visit with a doctor.

 

Very good points there.

With medication, would you think someone even headed to a NW7 could keep enough hair that transplants can provide good coverage?

[LaserCap]

10 hours ago, bonkling said:

Very good points there.

With medication, would you think someone even headed to a NW7 could keep enough hair that transplants can provide good coverage?

That will depend on how much native hair they currently have.  So, if you have lots that still hasn't left the building, I would get on all of them.  Give them a year.  Keep a photo record.  You could photo every 3 months.  If you look the same or better, than you know the medication is helping.  If you are losing, despite the meds, get off of them because they are not being effective.

[bonkling]

3 hours ago, LaserCap said:

That will depend on how much native hair they currently have.  So, if you have lots that still hasn't left the building, I would get on all of them.  Give them a year.  Keep a photo record.  You could photo every 3 months.  If you look the same or better, than you know the medication is helping.  If you are losing, despite the meds, get off of them because they are not being effective.

I've done this for the past couple of years, to which I've been on .5mg of fin and 1mg ln minoxidil.

My temples are slowly receding (maybe), but the rest of my hair has gotten a lot more full, as has my crown.

Bit of a weird one.

[harry_potter1]

I think it is very important and one of the main questions that is asked for patients who are in the early stages of hair loss

That being said, I think it is a bit tricky 

1- Genetics has its weird ways, not all people get it same way. some people gets bald while their brother will live and die with thick hair

2-You get your genetics from both parents, dad side is obvious but what about the mother side? How you can be sure about it?

For example in my case, mom has 3 brothers and only one of them became bald (NW4) while the other 2 had perfect hair till they died in their 60's 

My dad (RIP) was NW5/NW6 , so I was getting those hair loss genes from him but was never sure to what extent considering my mom side seems more favorable. 

My 7 years older brother still has very good hair at the end of his 30's, while I am almost a diffused NW5 , so it seems he got the more favorable genes unlike me despite expectations that things should have been slower with me.

Even then, I've lost hair in different pattern than my father, who started to lose hair in crown 1st, which was the last area that I've lost hair from 

[LaserCap]

9 hours ago, bonkling said:

I've done this for the past couple of years, to which I've been on .5mg of fin and 1mg ln minoxidil.

My temples are slowly receding (maybe), but the rest of my hair has gotten a lot more full, as has my crown.

Bit of a weird one.

This, too, can happen.  Seems the meds tend to be far more effective in the crown. Mind you, when I say effective, patients are actually seeing a visual difference.  This means you are reversing miniaturization and the hair is actually enhancing.  Only a small percentage of patients achieve this.  Continue doing what you're doing.

With regards to the 5 mg, or .5 mg, whatever it is, talk to your doctor about changing this to 1 mg which is all that's needed to take advantage of hair retention properties.  If less than 1% experience side effect at this dose, you are taking 5 times the dose and exposing yourself to potentially more of a chance to experience side effects.