My current situation and Hair Transplant queries

[mitts]

Hello, how are you all doing?

I am new to the forum and started following it for 3 weeks only. I wish that I would have known about this forum earlier but rightly said better late than never.

Here is my short story about my baldness. I started loosing hair at around 18-19 years of age (it wasn’t that much then) with receding hairline and then gradually increased which affected my look and confidence (I started looking 5-10 years older than my actual age).

I am currently 29 years old and this is my current situation (photos taken 2 weeks ago). Looks like NW-5. BTW I have never taken any meds like Finasteride/Minoxidil. Just taking Biotin capsules and doing Derma roller (micro-needling) regularly along with CG210 hair spray.

But now I am almost convinced that Hair Transplant is the only way to get the desired look and results so from last 1 and half years I started my research about Hair Transplant.

After shortlisting couple of clinics, I have contacted them (I don’t want to reveal their names) and recommended different technique for HT:

1. Recommendation from Clinic 1: 4000 grafts can be extracted safe donor zone using combined FUT + FUE technique with “Trichophytic Closure” method.

2. Recommendation from Clinic 2: 4000 grafts cab be extracted, 3000 grafts from scalp safe donor area + 1000 grafts from Beard using only FUE technique (as my donor area is weak)

Now I have few queries and concerns regarding the techniques recommended by each clinic for HT:

1.       I have learnt that FUT leaves linear scar on your scalp but if done with “Trichophytic Closure” which leaves almost negligible or minimal scar at donor site and hair can again grow from Scar. I want to understand and know the reviews of this technique from the people that how true is it and can you keep very short hair after FUT??

2.       I also understood that FUE also leaves very minimal scar but not as visible as FUT, So what are your reviews on results of using scalp and Beard grafts for HT.

I wanted to keep the post short, but anyways I appreciate your time and looking forward for your response on this.

Thanks and have a good day.

Edited November 25, 2019 by mitts

[Sean]

FUT does leave scar but its a hit or miss on how you will heal.

FUE can also decimate your donor hair and leave density reduced patches and rectangles if such high grafts are extracted from already weakened donor and done wrong

beard hair has very unnatural look and really low yields when transplanted to scalp. Can also shock existing hairs as it is thicker
 

you are better off trying meds you can tolerate for a year and see what happens.  Fin or minox.

remember, once you are cut or extracted, you cant go back.

my life has been turned upside down and I didn’t have low donor issues prior to all this mess.  Now, i am trying to get things resolved.  Just be careful, try not to fall for any traps.  Best of luck

[LaserCap]

"Trichophytic Closure."  Awesome name, but quite common.  It's a technique used to help camouflage the scar. It's done in such a way - it helps have the hair grow "through" the scar. That's all.  Sometimes it's best to do a closure under and one above.  This helps keep the tension below and allow for a finer scar.  During the evaluation the doctor will check elasticity and make a decision.

Your pattern is similar to a 5A in the Norwood chart.  Fortunately you've kept a lot of the native hair, which seems to be miniaturizing.  Also, looking at the donor, it seems you're limited, and may be experiencing some retrograde.  

My suggestion - get on medical therapy and give it a year., (Propecia, Rogaine, Laser, PRP).  If you can retain and perhaps enhance what you have, you may end up just doing grafts towards the front.

[mitts]

Thanks for your reply @Sean and @LaserCap.

This is the dilemma I have, Indeed FUT can yeild more grafts than FUE and even though "Trichophytic Closure" is performed Scar will be visible if I want to keep very Guard 2 or 3 haircut.

The reason you are seeing miniaturizing hair because I have been using Derma-roller (micro-needling) On & Off since 1-2 years along with Abott CG210.

After reading few posts and seeing few videos about Minoxidil, from this week I started using Minoxidil 5% Rogaine Foam based 2 times a day along with Derma-roller, I will continue using it for 3-4 months. Let's see how this therapy works on Me.

BTW, here are some more pics from around July 2015.

[LaserCap]

If you are planning on keeping a 2 guard, I would dissuade you from going FUT.  You can always do FUT down the road if you decide to change the length of your hair.

You are developing into a class 6.  Yes, I do agree you've retained and enhanced the hair.  Keep it up and consider adding a laser and perhaps PRP at the time of the procedure.  Consider grafts in the front and blend to the mid scalp.  Do NOT do crown, it takes too many grafts - which you need elsewhere.

[1978matt]

You're not a great candidate I'm afraid:  limited donor zone of 'permanent' hair at the back, below average density and high level of baldness.  You may end up a NW7.

FUT:  May provide better but still limited results, but at least a hairline and some hair but likely a complete bald and large crown.  A skilled doctor could predict the likely scar size based on experience but usually in good hands it should not exceed low millimetres.

FUE: probably end up with less good results but perhaps a shorter haircut will be viable due to less visible scarring provided doctor doesn't flirt with the donor boundaries too much.  Donor zone could be thinned out significantly.

Really have a think about older family members and the current state of their hair, and what it might look like with an isolated patch of hair at the front.

 

Edited November 26, 2019 by 1978matt

[Sean]

Mitts,

 

3-4 months is not enough to see viable results from rogaine or finasteride.  Try it for a whole year without missing any days.  I am telling you it may make a big difference and you may get back what youve lost to a degree if all goes well.    It will make your hairs stronger if you follow regimen.  Also, consider vitamin d3 one a day if you can tolerate it.  Believe it or not, vitamin d deficiency is very common in folks with melanin, thus resulting in weaker hairs, shed hairs, and etc.  

 

yaar surgery risky hay

[mitts]

Thanks everyone for your responses and providing helpful information.

Meantime will continue using Minoxidil Rogaine Foam with Derma-roller and keep updating my results.

On 11/27/2019 at 5:02 AM, Sean said:

yaar surgery risky hay

Baat to sahi h @Sean 😊

BTW, I found this video which of how the scars of FUT and FUE looks like and it also depends on patient to patient.

 

[mitts]

I found one study to Determine the Efficacy of Topical Minoxidil plus Micro-needling/derma-roller versus Topical Minoxidil Alone.

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/30886475