Questions about HT's

[rms]

First would like to say Hi to everybody on the forum

 

I'm currently 19y heading for 20y and while i'm not bald or anything like that I see my hairline temples reaceding a bit and while what I would want is impossible (keep the current "hair" I have with shaving it,etc..etc.) I would like to know the answer for some of my main doubts about HT's.

 

- Is it possible to have HT's so that you can't see your scalp (without doing special hair styles or anything like that) on the crown and top area?

 

- What happens to the donor area, I mean if I do big number's grafts sessions will I not end up with a "bald" undercut?

 

- What is the average donnor area n?‚?? of grafts available?

 

- why do most people use the strip HT method?

 

Waiting an answer and sorry to bother you guys with so many "newbie" questions.

 

peace

[rms]

First would like to say Hi to everybody on the forum

 

I'm currently 19y heading for 20y and while i'm not bald or anything like that I see my hairline temples reaceding a bit and while what I would want is impossible (keep the current "hair" I have with shaving it,etc..etc.) I would like to know the answer for some of my main doubts about HT's.

 

- Is it possible to have HT's so that you can't see your scalp (without doing special hair styles or anything like that) on the crown and top area?

 

- What happens to the donor area, I mean if I do big number's grafts sessions will I not end up with a "bald" undercut?

 

- What is the average donnor area n?‚?? of grafts available?

 

- why do most people use the strip HT method?

 

Waiting an answer and sorry to bother you guys with so many "newbie" questions.

 

peace

[Brando]

Rms...welcome to the forum.

It's good you're doing research with us on this network. First, you really need to get on Propecia. I'm 20 and I take propecia on monday-wednesday-friday. It saves money, you don't have to take it everyday, and it works the same as if you were taking it everyday. I may be able to help you on one of your questions.

Most people go for the strip method because it is the most perfected method in the hair transplant industry. FUE is practiced by only a few doctors. FUE is also a good bit more expensive. FUE doesn't leave you with a scar in the back. However, if you get a top surgeon to perform strip surgery on you, your strip scar won't be noticeable after a while. I hope this helps a little, but I'm sure the veterans on this network can make things more clear to you and answer your other questions.

[rms]

thanks alot for the feedback now for the rest of my questions.

 

feedback highly appreciatted

[Ailene]

I did not notice you mentioning the crown but rather your temporal recession. I will try to give you answers on both. The crown is a more complicated area to restore because of a number of things. First the dome shape, hair diverges and therefore it takes more to accomplish an acceptable look. One of the most important facts on the crown is the pattern of loss. If the area thinning is a fifty cent piece in size and over time (we do not have anything that is 100% in stopping the loss), and the size of the loss increases it will not look normal even from the best surgeon. So, future treatment has to be considered.

Natural placement of the grafts is accomplished by looking at the pattern of the hair growth and the hair quality, straight vs curly, fine vs thick. Doctor Cooley evaluates each patient individually and desides what method to use in making his recipient incisions to emulate the natural pattern. This is important in both crown and temples.

The temporal area is also an area that if you lose behind it it can create an island of hair. These are some of the issues to contemplate. You should explore the medical options available. Propecia is the best we have that is FDA approved at this time. The Rogaine can help but is not something that should be started and stopped. It is a big committment. Do. Cooley feels Nizoral shampoo will help. (the prescription strength).

Strip extraction has a long track record of success. The reason FUE is not at this point considered by many surgeons who do it a gold standard is the long term results are not known. FUE works but it is more expensive. The scar in the back from strip is a linear scar but if you research FUE it can cause some dimpling. The scar in back (linear) is hidden by existing hair and is usually less than .5mm in width. It is an optical illusion that the hair is never missed. With FUE it just depletes it in a more diffuse pattern. Again, not missed because it is an optical illusion. Statistically you loose approximately 50% of hair from any given area before you notice the loss.

Average donor hair that is available is determined by your density at the donor site. It is usually in the 5000-6000 grafts or follicular unit range. The place to start is with the medications.

I hope some of this helps.

 

Ailene

Dr. Jerry Cooley's personal assistant

[gillenator]

Hello RMS,

 

Glad to hear that this forum has been of help to you as it has with many of the rest of us.

 

Everyone responding has suggested you to start a medicinal regimen with finasteride and minoxidil which are sound recommendations. Both of these ingredients may even regrow or thicken the crown area for you especially considering your younger age. If anything, you stand a very high probability that finasteride will slow down the loss in the vertex and crown areas.

 

Neither minoxidil nor finasteride have demonstrated any clinical efficiency in the frontal region of the scalp which includes the hairline and temporal lobe regions. Ailene made a very good point about starting restoration in areas (like the crown) where you will have future procedure commitments to in order to maintain the aesthetic appearance. It is perfectly normal for men to have some recession or what I like to call adult movement of one's hairline with age. We expect to see that even with men who do not have genetic hairloss. It is a natural progression that comes with age. I myself wore hair systems for a decade so anytime I see a man over say 40 years or older who has mamouth density and a low hairline, the first thing I am looking for is to see if he is wearing a system. Even in the few cases when it is their natural hair, it still is not what we are accustomed to seeing so it naturally grabs our visual attention.

 

So it is best that you wait it out until at least your mid to later twenties before you consider any surgery. If you have extensive hairloss in your family history, men who have reached Norwood class 6 and/or 7, your decisions regarding future hairline placement as well as the other areas of coverage become very critical. The crown area demands alot of donor so if you do have the potential to see class 6 and/or 7 someday, you may not want to be as aggresive in that area. As was mentioned 5,000 to 6,000 harvestable strip grafts is the average per patient unless you utilize FUE/FIT technology. Still the demand almost always exceeds the available supply for the advanced hairloss patient.

 

Remember, hair restoration is a visual illusion. Most men do not notice scalp until they start to lose more than fifty percent of original density. The reverse is also true. Generally speaking, if a completely bald surface area is restored to approximately 50 percent of original density, and even a bit more, say 60 percent, you do not notice the scalp any more. Color contrast, cylinder caliper, and hair characteristics have a dynamic play in these equations as well.

 

When you do reach an acceptable age for your first procedure, be sure to have several in-person evaluations done or at the minimum, a vitual consultation with pics. I wish you the best and lets us know how the meds work out should you chose to start them now.

[rms]

Thanks alot for your replys, I really do appreciate them.

 

and like I said i'm far from bald but the idea of in a few years having a massive hairloss scares me so much.

 

Does "minoxidil" have the same side-effects Propecia has (sexual drive,etc.), also do I need prescription and what are the prices?

 

Thanks alot for your feedback

 

peace

[gillenator]

RMS,

 

Minoxidil and finasteride do not have the same potential side effects. They are very different. You can read up more about potential side effects regarding them on this Network.

 

You can purchase minoxidil without a prescription at your pharmacy and even large discount retailers like Walmart, Target, etc. There are generic forms of minoxidil available which are far cheaper than Rogaine. There is not a generic form of Propecia and it is quite expensive.

 

Some of us "quarter" Proscar (5mg) finasteride per tablet and then cut it 4 ways with a pill cutter which you can also purchase at your pharmacy. The cost is much cheaper by cutting Proscar. Finasteride in any form will require a prescription from your doctor so if you do go the Proscar route, be sure you explain your intentions to your doctor so they document your chart accordingly.

 

Lastly, if you are over 40 years old, you will wamt to first have a PSA test done to evaluate your prostrate "before" you start finasteride. If you do decide to cut Proscar, BE SURE to keep it locked away and out of any reach of any females especially a spouse or significant other as it can have adverse effects on the genital development of a male fetus should they come in contact with the active ingredient and conceive. Best wishes!

[rms]

So, sorry if I sound dumb:

 

Rogaine is one of the many products based in "minoxidil" and that doesn't need prescription rigth?

 

I'm 19y

[gillenator]

RMS,

 

That is correct, you can purchase it over the counter even at nineteen years old. Don't ever feel that asking questions about anything regarding hairloss is dumb because it is not. We all had to start the information process at some time so let me commend you on doing your research. We are your friends here!

[rms]

So you think Rogaine would help then?

How often should I use it?

 

Also do you know about any good shampoo without conditioners and such?

 

thanks alot for your help

[Smoothy]

rms,

 

Use 5% rogain 2x a day (morning and evening. I put on after work so that it drys before I go to bed). Yes, get on Propecia daily as well.

 

THis combo will help you. As far as shampoo's, as Cooley mentioned Nizoral 1-2 times week. Nioxin cleanser and scalp therapy daily (it's shampoo and conditioner). Nioxin can be purchased on-line cheaper than salons.

 

Also, take a multi-vitiam, extra zinc, B-6, C, and saw pallmetto. (some GNC stores have super multis that have these in it). If not jus take the 4-5 pills daily. This helps the body chemistry and nutrients to the hair for healther hair growth. Best of luck.

[gillenator]

RMS,

 

Minoxidil did absolutely nothing for me YET many patients do realize some good resolve with it. You'll never know until you try it yourself. The recommended application is twice per day.

 

I personally use Tricomin Revitalizing Shampoo which contains a triamino copper nutritional complex. Procyte corporation makes the product which you can read up on the internet by doing a google search under Procyte hair products. This is the product that makes my hair feel healthier and stronger than any other product I have used.

 

It retails for about $20.00 US per bottle but here is my secret. I first wash my hair with a good but much cheaper shampoo to get the oils and hair spray washed out. I rinse clean and then apply just a drop or two of Tricomin which lathers up tremendously. I allow the lather to sit on my head for 5 minutes before I do a final rinse. It makes the product last for a long time. I have been using the same bottle for over 2 years now!

 

Allowing the lather to sit for awhile will allow the triamino copper complex to be absorbed by the hair cylinders which is then delivered to the dermal papilla inside the follicule.

 

There are many other products that I have not tried but I tend to stick with what "does" work for me.