Opinions regarding a small, possible no shave procedure.

[OceanMountainSky]

Hi

I'm in my mid 30s and have been suffering from hairloss since the age of 19/20. When I was 21/22 I jumped on finasteride which has held my hair very well for the last decade or so. I also tried minoxidil which actually gave me loads of hair, but I developed a severe allergic reaction and had to stop using.

 

Unfortunately, I still think about my hair every day. I check all the forums upon waking, hoping to find out about some miraculous new treatment. I've had enough of waiting and I'm considering a small transplant procedure to put this to bed (at least for a few years). 

I saw this case of a patchy fue performed by Dr Mwamba and got excited:

https://www.hairlossexperiences.com/threads/mywhtc-dr-patrick-mwamba-805-fue-grafts-by-fit-patchy-shaven-in-fhl.3913/

I think I'd need more grafts than this guy - does a patchy fue lead to a less desirable result than a standard fue? Seems like it could effect the density in the small area that the grafts are removed from. Any other considerations I should be aware of with this kind of procedure?

Also, I've attached a couple of photos. As you can see my hair is in a good state, I'd just like to reinforce my hairline. How many grafts would be suggested?

 

[1978matt]

Pictures suggest you dont need a HT.

I could see a desire to lower it 1cm, but why take the risk of a cr4ppy outcome.

[Britanium]

For mid 30s I would say you have great hair. As Matt said not worth any surgery for what would be a very minor change. 

[OceanMountainSky]

Thanks for the responses. I think you're both probably right, although i think my hairline is higher than the photos suggest and also not as dense. I have to style my hair in a particular way to balance out my features.

 

Edited November 11, 2020 by OceanMountainSky

[gillenator]

The risks of shock loss to the hair mass that you presently have would outweigh any small gains that you might attain from a small procedure.

[DenverBuff1989]

On 11/11/2020 at 12:10 PM, OceanMountainSky said:

I still think about my hair every day. I check all the forums upon waking, hoping to find out about some miraculous new treatment. I've had enough of waiting and I'm considering a small transplant procedure to put this to bed (at least for a few years).

@OceanMountainSky IMO you should go for a hair transplant. Some guys with hair loss can totally brush it off, live with it, shave it, etc. but as you said the the quote, and for all us guys on HairRestorationNetwork, hairloss is at the forefront of our minds. If you go to a top, highly reviewed, excellent Dr, I see no reason why you can't get your desired result. 

Of course, as others have said, no matter how small or relatively benign a hair transplant is, things can go really wrong. The native hair can be shock lossed for many months, or perhaps forever. You can get bad scarring in the donor area. The transplant hair can grow in weird and look different from your native hair. The list goes on and on. 

Essentially I think you can have your desired result if you go to a top-rated doc, but be aware there are many risks, even with a small procedure. 

Edited November 13, 2020 by DenverBuff1989

[Gatsby]

Your hairline is age appropriate for someone in their 30's. More importantly your hair looks 'natural.' This is the number one goal of a successful hair transplant. Having surgery now (regardless how small) could very well undo what you already have. All the best and glad to hear the finasteride is working!

[gillenator]

I think his hair looks good presently and for whatever it's worth, I still think the risks outweigh any small gains that might be made even with the best surgeon(s).

Over the years I have heard from too many guys who had very similar situations with a healthy hair mass, then tried to add grafts to it or lower their hairlines, and then experienced rapid loss around or behind the grafts that were added...this started a chase that could have been prevented by doing nothing.