Regular Member Matt83 Posted April 15, 2020 Regular Member Share Posted April 15, 2020 Hi all, first time posting after many weeks/months looking at many posts. I’m looking for help as to what I should do and also where is the best place for me for my HT. I am 36 years old and have been losing my hair for the last 10 years now to the point where I want to try and do something about it. I would say im a Norwood 6-7 and my donor area isn’t particularly great from the places I’ve spoken to already. I have recently started on finasteride and been taking that for the last month, do you think I should be taking anything else? I will upload some pics and look forward to hearing your views. cheers Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Administrators Melvin- Admin Posted April 15, 2020 Administrators Share Posted April 15, 2020 First, what are your expectations? How much hair would you be happy with? Have you tried shaving your head? If so was it something you could live with? As you are well aware, you are a difficult case, some surgeons may turn you away. I’d like to hear your responses to my questions and then we can proceed. I’m a paid admin for Hair Transplant Network. I do not receive any compensation from any clinic. My comments are not medical advice. Check out my final hair transplant and topical dutasteride journey: View my thread Topical dutasteride journey Melvin- Managing Publisher and Forum Moderator for the Hair Transplant Network, the Coalition Hair Loss Learning Center, and the Hair Loss Q&A Blog. Follow our Social Media: Facebook, Instagram, Linkedin, and YouTube. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Regular Member Matt83 Posted April 15, 2020 Author Regular Member Share Posted April 15, 2020 22 minutes ago, Melvin-Moderator said: First, what are your expectations? How much hair would you be happy with? Have you tried shaving your head? If so was it something you could live with? As you are well aware, you are a difficult case, some surgeons may turn you away. I’d like to hear your responses to my questions and then we can proceed. Hi Melvin, thanks for your reply. My expectations to be honest are that I would like a good hairline and to fill as much as my receding area as possible. I have been told that due to my limited donor area it would be very difficult to fill my crown area. I currently shave my head and although I don’t mind it I would like to see the difference with a good hairline. Even if I had a HT I would more than likely keep it relatively short but a good hairline would make a big difference for me. Some of the places I have spoken to already have said that I am not a good candidate and a few others have recommended me to start using finasteride which I have now started. Many thanks Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Administrators Melvin- Admin Posted April 15, 2020 Administrators Share Posted April 15, 2020 8 minutes ago, Matt83 said: Hi Melvin, thanks for your reply. My expectations to be honest are that I would like a good hairline and to fill as much as my receding area as possible. I have been told that due to my limited donor area it would be very difficult to fill my crown area. I currently shave my head and although I don’t mind it I would like to see the difference with a good hairline. Even if I had a HT I would more than likely keep it relatively short but a good hairline would make a big difference for me. Some of the places I have spoken to already have said that I am not a good candidate and a few others have recommended me to start using finasteride which I have now started. Many thanks Honestly, I would advise you to stick with the shaved head. You will never be able to shave your head again, even with FUE. I would recommend strip first in your case, but forget about cutting your hair short. In this case, the best clinic for your situation in my opinion is @Eugenix Hair Science they have the biggest Norwood 6/7 portfolio with FUE alone. I’m a paid admin for Hair Transplant Network. I do not receive any compensation from any clinic. My comments are not medical advice. Check out my final hair transplant and topical dutasteride journey: View my thread Topical dutasteride journey Melvin- Managing Publisher and Forum Moderator for the Hair Transplant Network, the Coalition Hair Loss Learning Center, and the Hair Loss Q&A Blog. Follow our Social Media: Facebook, Instagram, Linkedin, and YouTube. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Regular Member Matt83 Posted April 15, 2020 Author Regular Member Share Posted April 15, 2020 3 minutes ago, Melvin-Moderator said: Honestly, I would advise you to stick with the shaved head. You will never be able to shave your head again, even with FUE. I would recommend strip first in your case, but forget about cutting your hair short. In this case, the best clinic for your situation in my opinion is @Eugenix Hair Science they have the biggest Norwood 6/7 portfolio with FUE alone. Oh really, not even to a grade 1-2. Are you talking about a strip as in FUT? Not sure I would want the scar. I have already been in contact with Eugenix Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Administrators Melvin- Admin Posted April 15, 2020 Administrators Share Posted April 15, 2020 24 minutes ago, Matt83 said: Oh really, not even to a grade 1-2. Are you talking about a strip as in FUT? Not sure I would want the scar. I have already been in contact with Eugenix Now that’s a grade 1 if you look closely you can see my scars. I don’t want you to expect not seeing any scars, you need to have realistic expectations before considering surgery, otherwise, shaving is your best option. 1 I’m a paid admin for Hair Transplant Network. I do not receive any compensation from any clinic. My comments are not medical advice. Check out my final hair transplant and topical dutasteride journey: View my thread Topical dutasteride journey Melvin- Managing Publisher and Forum Moderator for the Hair Transplant Network, the Coalition Hair Loss Learning Center, and the Hair Loss Q&A Blog. Follow our Social Media: Facebook, Instagram, Linkedin, and YouTube. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Regular Member Matt83 Posted April 15, 2020 Author Regular Member Share Posted April 15, 2020 8 minutes ago, Melvin-Moderator said: Now that’s a grade 1 if you look closely you can see my scars. I don’t want you to expect not seeing any scars, you need to have realistic expectations before considering surgery, otherwise, shaving is your best option. Appreciate the vid and for your advice. I think I would still be happy to have a good hairline and maybe a little scarring from FUE than having to shave my head all the time. Are Eugenix the only ones you would recommend for my case? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Administrators Melvin- Admin Posted April 15, 2020 Administrators Share Posted April 15, 2020 36 minutes ago, Matt83 said: Appreciate the vid and for your advice. I think I would still be happy to have a good hairline and maybe a little scarring from FUE than having to shave my head all the time. Are Eugenix the only ones you would recommend for my case? They have the most experience, but definitely consult with other top docs like Dr. Bisanga, Hasson and Wong, Dr. Diep was my personal doctor, and my hair was similar to yours. I’m a paid admin for Hair Transplant Network. I do not receive any compensation from any clinic. My comments are not medical advice. Check out my final hair transplant and topical dutasteride journey: View my thread Topical dutasteride journey Melvin- Managing Publisher and Forum Moderator for the Hair Transplant Network, the Coalition Hair Loss Learning Center, and the Hair Loss Q&A Blog. Follow our Social Media: Facebook, Instagram, Linkedin, and YouTube. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Regular Member Matt83 Posted April 15, 2020 Author Regular Member Share Posted April 15, 2020 32 minutes ago, Melvin-Moderator said: They have the most experience, but definitely consult with other top docs like Dr. Bisanga, Hasson and Wong, Dr. Diep was my personal doctor, and my hair was similar to yours. Again thanks for your help! I will take a look Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Senior Member hairlosscpa Posted April 16, 2020 Senior Member Share Posted April 16, 2020 I feel SMP would be a good option for you 1st Procedure, Oct. 2012 - 1,704 grafts FUT w/Dr. True 2nd Procedure, Sept. 2015 - 2500 grafts FUE w/Dr. Vories FUE Progress - http://www.hairrestorationnetwork.com/eve/180966-my-experience-w-dr-vories-2-500-grafts.html FUE 1 year result - http://www.hairrestorationnetwork.com/eve/184716-1-year-results-2-500-grafts-w-dr-vories.html Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Senior Member TrixGlendevon Posted April 16, 2020 Senior Member Share Posted April 16, 2020 11 hours ago, Matt83 said: Oh really, not even to a grade 1-2. Are you talking about a strip as in FUT? Not sure I would want the scar. I have already been in contact with Eugenix I agree with @Melvin-Moderator, you should go for FUT/strip. If you go to a good clinic renowned for FUT mega-sessions and that consistently put out top results that have pencil line scars (Hattingen, H&W) the scar won't be an issue. You can't see mine at all (Hattingen) and I had 4400 grafts done as a NW5. Check out my thread on here for pics of my starting point, the donor and the result. You can FUE 100 grafts into the FUT scar after and shave it down even further then too. Hattingen do online consultations via Skype and H&W have reps that will look at you via Skype. The reason I think FUT for you is that ff you look at the back and sides of your head, you are thin/thinning around the sweet spot but the density right across your sweet spot is just fine. That last picture highlights it best. For you to get a mega-session with FUE, they are definitely going to have to go outside of the sweet spot or your donor will look a mess. This means they are going to implant hairs that are potentially going to continue thinning and then it will look shite in a few years as when they thin, they will be on top of your head or in your hairline. FUT is definitely the right option for you. You could add body/beard hair in the future too. Re. Fin - I think the risks outweigh the benefits for you. By taking it, you are messing with your endocrine system and testosterone is critical to so many functions in the body, especially in men. Google post-finasteride syndrome. Feriduni agreed with my decision not to take it precisely because of this issue. Many people say "just take it" but they are not doctors. Also, the doctors that do tell you to take it are looking at it from a hair transplant perspective and are not endocrinologists or looking at your taking it from a holistic perspective like a GP would (who probably wouldn't have the sub-specialty knowledge to make an informed recommedation anyway). Those are the risks and the benefit I mentioned is that you would have more time with the little hair you have left but it is so little it won't make much difference and it will likely go eventually anyway. Hence, I think the risks outweigh the benefits. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Regular Member Matt83 Posted April 16, 2020 Author Regular Member Share Posted April 16, 2020 4 hours ago, hairlosscpa said: I feel SMP would be a good option for you I have never looked into SMP before, are there any places you particularly recommend for this? Thanks for your help Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Regular Member Matt83 Posted April 16, 2020 Author Regular Member Share Posted April 16, 2020 3 hours ago, TrixGlendevon said: I agree with @Melvin-Moderator, you should go for FUT/strip. If you go to a good clinic renowned for FUT mega-sessions and that consistently put out top results that have pencil line scars (Hattingen, H&W) the scar won't be an issue. You can't see mine at all (Hattingen) and I had 4400 grafts done as a NW5. Check out my thread on here for pics of my starting point, the donor and the result. You can FUE 100 grafts into the FUT scar after and shave it down even further then too. Hattingen do online consultations via Skype and H&W have reps that will look at you via Skype. The reason I think FUT for you is that ff you look at the back and sides of your head, you are thin/thinning around the sweet spot but the density right across your sweet spot is just fine. That last picture highlights it best. For you to get a mega-session with FUE, they are definitely going to have to go outside of the sweet spot or your donor will look a mess. This means they are going to implant hairs that are potentially going to continue thinning and then it will look shite in a few years as when they thin, they will be on top of your head or in your hairline. FUT is definitely the right option for you. You could add body/beard hair in the future too. Re. Fin - I think the risks outweigh the benefits for you. By taking it, you are messing with your endocrine system and testosterone is critical to so many functions in the body, especially in men. Google post-finasteride syndrome. Feriduni agreed with my decision not to take it precisely because of this issue. Many people say "just take it" but they are not doctors. Also, the doctors that do tell you to take it are looking at it from a hair transplant perspective and are not endocrinologists or looking at your taking it from a holistic perspective like a GP would (who probably wouldn't have the sub-specialty knowledge to make an informed recommedation anyway). Those are the risks and the benefit I mentioned is that you would have more time with the little hair you have left but it is so little it won't make much difference and it will likely go eventually anyway. Hence, I think the risks outweigh the benefits. I am definitely going to look into FUT now and see what places say. I have always been put off with this way due to the scar but as you say I’m sure the scarring is minimal these days. I will take a look at your thread and see how yours went. I’m going to continue with finasteride for the time being and see if I can get some improvement with it. I was wondering if I should be taking anything else like minoxidil etc? many thanks for your help Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Senior Member TrixGlendevon Posted April 16, 2020 Senior Member Share Posted April 16, 2020 24 minutes ago, Matt83 said: I am definitely going to look into FUT now and see what places say. I have always been put off with this way due to the scar but as you say I’m sure the scarring is minimal these days. I will take a look at your thread and see how yours went. I’m going to continue with finasteride for the time being and see if I can get some improvement with it. I was wondering if I should be taking anything else like minoxidil etc? many thanks for your help You should! Plus it is cheaper than FUE. The scarring isn't minimal these days for the pure sake of being these days. You can, and do, see some really bad ones. However, you also see some shocking donors after FUE so this risk isn't something innate to FUT. In fact, somebody has posted a thread needing a repair job on their donor from FUE in the last day or two. The trick for either is to go with a top surgeon with a long track record. I assume from the time of your response you are in Europe. I would look at Hattingen and Feriduni is also good but he wouldn't do FUT on me. FUT is hard to find these days in Europe. There are also good options in the North America (cost more too though). Yeah, take a look at my thread and come back to me if you have any questions. My starting point is not to take meds so I am probably not the person to ask for an impartial opinion. That said, Minoxidil is only beneficial, if you see any benefit at all, for so long and they aren't even sure why it works. I would skip it. SMP might be complicated because of your hair colour. I would use it in conjunction with a transplant as it will give the illusion of great density (less scalp seen under the transplanted hair) rather than as a standalone treatment. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Regular Member Matt83 Posted April 16, 2020 Author Regular Member Share Posted April 16, 2020 14 minutes ago, TrixGlendevon said: You should! Plus it is cheaper than FUE. The scarring isn't minimal these days for the pure sake of being these days. You can, and do, see some really bad ones. However, you also see some shocking donors after FUE so this risk isn't something innate to FUT. In fact, somebody has posted a thread needing a repair job on their donor from FUE in the last day or two. The trick for either is to go with a top surgeon with a long track record. I assume from the time of your response you are in Europe. I would look at Hattingen and Feriduni is also good but he wouldn't do FUT on me. FUT is hard to find these days in Europe. There are also good options in the North America (cost more too though). Yeah, take a look at my thread and come back to me if you have any questions. My starting point is not to take meds so I am probably not the person to ask for an impartial opinion. That said, Minoxidil is only beneficial, if you see any benefit at all, for so long and they aren't even sure why it works. I would skip it. SMP might be complicated because of your hair colour. I would use it in conjunction with a transplant as it will give the illusion of great density (less scalp seen under the transplanted hair) rather than as a standalone treatment. Many thanks for all your advice, I will do some research into FUT and see what I think. I am indeed in Europe so will see what top surgeons are about this way. Regarding minoxidil I have had a few people say the same thing so I think I will skip it. I was going to ask that, would SMP be ok to have alongside a transplant. I think that would definitely benefit me. Many thanks Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Senior Member TrixGlendevon Posted April 16, 2020 Senior Member Share Posted April 16, 2020 Just now, Matt83 said: Many thanks for all your advice, I will do some research into FUT and see what I think. I am indeed in Europe so will see what top surgeons are about this way. Regarding minoxidil I have had a few people say the same thing so I think I will skip it. I was going to ask that, would SMP be ok to have alongside a transplant. I think that would definitely benefit me. Many thanks I never really looked into SMP so it just stuff I have picked up as I was doing my own research but I would recommend bringing it up at consultations so the doctor knows you are thinking about it and can plan/advise accordingly. There is really only Hattingen and Feriduni in Europe to be honest, and I am not sure Feriduni even still offers FUT (he told me he wouldn't do it on me and that was 2 years ago). Most clinics here are FUE or have transitioned to FUE from FUT. Fortunately, both those I have recommended are world class. As I said, check out my thread. The scar is a pencil line. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Senior Member HairFunk Posted April 22, 2020 Senior Member Share Posted April 22, 2020 SMP could work better to be honest. FUE and SMP combinations are becoming more popular also ! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Regular Member Matt83 Posted April 22, 2020 Author Regular Member Share Posted April 22, 2020 2 hours ago, HairFunk said: SMP could work better to be honest. FUE and SMP combinations are becoming more popular also ! Many thanks for the advice, I am currently looking into this idea. I also had a very good video call with Dr Arika from Eugenix hair sciences and might well be heading there towards the end of the year for HT. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Senior Member TrixGlendevon Posted April 22, 2020 Senior Member Share Posted April 22, 2020 18 minutes ago, Matt83 said: Many thanks for the advice, I am currently looking into this idea. I also had a very good video call with Dr Arika from Eugenix hair sciences and might well be heading there towards the end of the year for HT. I honestly think if you go FUE you will regret it in a few years. It is not the right procedure for you, for reasons I outlined above. To cover that area of baldness, they will need to take grafts from all over your donor and the donor is patchy indicating miniaturisation there. FUE already has a higher transection rate and even if the grafts do survive, they will then be prone to continue miniaturising on top of your head. I would seriously consider FUT. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Regular Member Matt83 Posted April 22, 2020 Author Regular Member Share Posted April 22, 2020 I am looking into FUT aswell, I have been in contact with Hattingen and I’m awaiting a video call with them aswell. Eugenix seem very confident that my donor area is fine and have said I can have 5000 grafts of which 3500 will be from my head and 1500 beard grafts. I appreciate all your help and advice and will continue to do my research. Thanks again Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Senior Member TrixGlendevon Posted April 22, 2020 Senior Member Share Posted April 22, 2020 1 minute ago, Matt83 said: I am looking into FUT aswell, I have been in contact with Hattingen and I’m awaiting a video call with them aswell. Eugenix seem very confident that my donor area is fine and have said I can have 5000 grafts of which 3500 will be from my head and 1500 beard grafts. I appreciate all your help and advice and will continue to do my research. Thanks again Look at another patient who has had around 3500 FUE grafts and look where the spread of extraction is. Then compare that pattern with the last picture you have posted above. If there is any cross over of the weak looking parts of your donor and the pattern of extraction, I would avoid. Good luck and let us know how it goes with your video consultations! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Regular Member Matt83 Posted April 22, 2020 Author Regular Member Share Posted April 22, 2020 I will take a look and compare. Will let you know how the video consultation goes. Thanks again Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Create an account or sign in to comment
You need to be a member in order to leave a comment
Create an account
Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!
Register a new accountSign in
Already have an account? Sign in here.
Sign In Now