Hair Transplant Guidance/Reassurance

[balf1234]

Hi all, 

I've been lurking for a while but this is my first post. I am 28 years old and my hairline has been receding for a while.  A year ago I started taking topical minoxidil without any noticeable results.  I was afraid of finasteride due to sides but gave in and started taking it 3 months ago (taking 1mg daily, no sides so far).  I've realized that the only option to get my hair back is a hair transplant.  I've always worn my hair short (I fade starting at a 1 and working up to a 3) so originally I was only considering FUE.  I consulted with a hair transplant surgeon local to me but there were a lot of red flags (including an event with champagne and hors d'oeuvres to promote a pyramid scheme selling a shark fin supplement for hair loss) so I spread out my search.  I've had consults with 3 surgeons recommended by this forum and 2 of the 3 have recommended FUT over FUE.  I've been told I need 2,500 - 3,000 grafts and that FUT would be better because my age and if I continue to lose hair I will need a second procedure (my dad's hair loss is far worse than mine).  

 

I am looking for advice from people who have been hesitant of FUT due to the scar or afraid of a transplant in general.  I am afraid I will get a transplant and regret it and wish I never did it/prefer to shave it off.  I've seen some examples of great FUT scars that could be hidden if I grow my hair out slightly but without knowing how my head would scar I'm afraid of the worst case scenario.

What are your thoughts? Do I just go with FUT or keep looking? How do I know I'm making the right choice? I'd love to hear some reassurance from people who were afraid of what would happen but are glad that they went through with procedures.

 

Thanks so much!

 

[Britanium]

If you want to ever have your short/fade cuts then a FUT isn’t really a good option imho. But like me if you have a high Norwood and you don’t mind having your a bit longer then that’s a different matter.

I maxed out on FUT and then went for FUE. 

[balf1234]

To clarify, I am willing to wear my hair slightly longer than I usually do (but to a degree).  I was told that I should be able to wear a 3 without the scar of an FUT being visible and some surgeons have even told me as low as a 2.  I would be willing to do a quick fade that quickly transitioned to a 3 but I probably don't want to go higher than a 3.

[balf1234]

12 minutes ago, JohnAC71 said:

If you want to ever have your short/fade cuts then a FUT isn’t really a good option imho. But like me if you have a high Norwood and you don’t mind having your a bit longer then that’s a different matter.

I maxed out on FUT and then went for FUE. 

Did you end up regretting your procedures (regardless of which ones you got?) or are you overall glad you did it.

[Britanium]

If I could start over I would still start off with FUT but might have opted for a “mega session” rather than had 2 separate FUT. 

It’s a tough call to make as we have all seen really nice practically invisible FUT scars. But at the other end of the scale they can be more noticeable and even stretched. 

I reread your post and you would do well to research as much as possible and look at the Drs this forum recommends. Run in the opposite direction of the sales clinics 😜

Definitely don’t base it on proximity. Ok if a top Dr is in your area then great, otherwise look further afield and be willing to travel to get a Dr which will suit your needs. 

[Gatsby]

If you are considering shaving your head at any time in the future I would not opt for FUT. If you did shave your head, FUT scars can never be fully camouflaged with SMP. FUE also obviously also leaves thousands of tiny scars but are much easier to camouflage with SMP. All the best.