Are hair transplants short-term solutions and long-term hassles?

[caricatura]

I’m 30 and a NW 3A with diffuse thinning. My dad is around 70 and basically completely bald, though that may have something to do with his overall poor health. In any case, I’m trying to justify getting a HT, but the more I research, the more I doubt myself, so any feedback would be welcome.

If HTs were a one-and-done procedure like rhinoplasty, I’d get one immediately, but I fear that, for most people, while they may work in the short-term (1 - 5 years), unless and even if you commit to Min., Fin., and at least two more surgeries down the line, you're condemning yourself to a very odd-looking head of hair (not to mention a scarred head) in the long-term (10 - 15 years+). That means that by the time I'm only 45, I may look worse than if I had just shaved or somehow styled it accordingly in-between those years. Of course, there's the possibility that my hair loss stabilizes after a transplant, especially with the help of forthcoming pharmaceutical treatments, but this seems like a big "if." It also seems that, understandably, many people such as myself go for the transplant out of short-sighted desperation, but may be even more unhappy in the long-run. Unfortunately, due to the relative recentness of successful hair transplant procedures, it's difficult to even ask around about such long-term satisfaction. Then again, maybe more people are satisfied than I think, and they just don't hang around these forums (I'm thinking of celebrities like Jeremy Piven, Elon Musk, and Matthew McConaughey who seem to have had great hair for at least a decade now).

Am I over-thinking this, or being too cynical about the long-term success of the procedure? Should I just "go for it" and live up my 30s?

Thank you!

Edited January 6, 2021 by caricatura

[UnbaldEagle]

1 hour ago, caricatura said:

I’m 30 and a NW 3A with diffuse thinning. My dad is around 70 and basically completely bald, though that may have something to do with his overall poor health. In any case, I’m trying to justify getting a HT, but the more I research, the more I doubt myself, so any feedback would be welcome.

If HTs were a one-and-done procedure like rhinoplasty, I’d get one immediately, but I fear that, for most people, while they may work in the short-term (1 - 5 years), unless and even if you commit to Min., Fin., and at least two more surgeries down the line, you're condemning yourself to a very odd-looking head of hair (not to mention a scarred head) in the long-term (10 - 15 years+). That means that by the time I'm only 45, I may look worse than if I had just shaved or somehow styled it accordingly in-between those years. Of course, there's the possibility that my hair loss stabilizes after a transplant, especially with the help of forthcoming pharmaceutical treatments, but this seems like a big "if." It also seems that, understandably, many people such as myself go for the transplant out of short-sighted desperation, but may be even more unhappy in the long-run. Unfortunately, due to the relative recentness of successful hair transplant procedures, it's difficult to even ask around about such long-term satisfaction. Then again, maybe more people are satisfied than I think, and they just don't hang around these forums (I'm thinking of celebrities like Jeremy Piven, Elon Musk, and Matthew McConaughey who seem to have had great hair for at least a decade now).

Am I over-thinking this, or being too cynical about the long-term success of the procedure? Should I just "go for it" and live up my 30s?

Thank you!

I'm exactly in the same shoes, diffuse thinning NW3 (realistically that's more like a semi-NW6), having a bad family history and just maintaining despite being on an aggressive treatment + 2 HTs.

Like you said, it's a good short-term solution (or is it?), a huge gamble and uncertainty in the long haul. Most days I wish I never had a HT, but there's no way of turning back now, so it's a lifetime battle. Only time will tell. And others who hopefully are most optimistic than I am. 

[Melvin- Admin]

HT’s are a lifelong commitment, it’s not comparable to rhinoplasty, because the nose doesn’t continuously evolve like hair loss. Once the cartilage is shaved it’s done. Hair loss is progressive, so one-and-done HTs aren’t realistic. Now is it a hassle? If you think so, it’s probably not for you. 

[JayLDD]

1 hour ago, caricatura said:

I’m 30 and a NW 3A with diffuse thinning. My dad is around 70 and basically completely bald, though that may have something to do with his overall poor health. In any case, I’m trying to justify getting a HT, but the more I research, the more I doubt myself, so any feedback would be welcome.

If HTs were a one-and-done procedure like rhinoplasty, I’d get one immediately, but I fear that, for most people, while they may work in the short-term (1 - 5 years), unless and even if you commit to Min., Fin., and at least two more surgeries down the line, you're condemning yourself to a very odd-looking head of hair (not to mention a scarred head) in the long-term (10 - 15 years+). That means that by the time I'm only 45, I may look worse than if I had just shaved or somehow styled it accordingly in-between those years. Of course, there's the possibility that my hair loss stabilizes after a transplant, especially with the help of forthcoming pharmaceutical treatments, but this seems like a big "if." It also seems that, understandably, many people such as myself go for the transplant out of short-sighted desperation, but may be even more unhappy in the long-run. Unfortunately, due to the relative recentness of successful hair transplant procedures, it's difficult to even ask around about such long-term satisfaction. Then again, maybe more people are satisfied than I think, and they just don't hang around these forums (I'm thinking of celebrities like Jeremy Piven, Elon Musk, and Matthew McConaughey who seem to have had great hair for at least a decade now).

Am I over-thinking this, or being too cynical about the long-term success of the procedure? Should I just "go for it" and live up my 30s?

Thank you!

"That means that by the time I'm only 45, I may look worse than if I had just shaved or somehow styled it accordingly in-between those years."

Most of your post is totally reasonable, this on the other hand is very likely to be false. For the vast majority of patients their process involves complete rebuilding of the hairline and frontal third, then moving front to back in order of importance. A bald crown, a thin midscalp and conservative hairline for example is a perfectly natural look that men in their 50s+ have. It also looks significantly better than being slick bald, having a framed face is absolutely crucial for most men with even remotely imperfect facial features, for me and most men that is 1-2 points on looks in itself. The difference for a lot of people of being ugly vs reasonably attractive/sexually desirable is having even a conservative hairline. If you get ONE procedure that's in the realm of 3500-5k grafts then you're going to be permanently in a massively better position than you would be shaving it. Look at cases with those graft numbers, there are 5k graft cases that basically take a NW5 to a full head of hair albeit with thin spots.

With that in mind, you can indeed rebuild a frontal third and create a hairline in a single procedure. With a single procedure conservative hairline and some even thin hair extending into the midscalp, you will ALWAYS look better than if you were slick bald, now and forever. Hairloss is indeed progressive, but this doesn't mean you need to achieve perfection with hair transplants. You can absolutely achieve results in a single procedure that last decades and give you 75% of perfection. If you want to cover every single spec of scalp as it becomes visible, and *never* have anyone know you're balding of course that's a different story and will likely require 2-3 procedures over time. There are also candidates at a NW5 level who basically get full coverage in a single procedure too, look at the massive amounts of megasessions from ASMED/Erdogan and Hasson/Wong for example.  Assuming that you absolutely need to have 3 procedures long for a result that is better than being bald is ultimately inaccurate,  multiple procedures are totally optional. 

Your post and the above quote also seems to imply or hint at the idea that if you're not on finasteride that your scalp is going to act as a sinkhole and that even with a procedure every 5 years you're going to end up bald. Truth is that's totally false. Even if hairloss is progressive those transplanted hairs are permanent and eventually you're going to virtually cover your entire scalp in 2-3 procedures. There is an endgame for hair transplants, and it doesn't have to be perfection. Over the years you will absolutely appreciate a conservative result from one or two procedures. 

If you have the money, choose a competent surgeon and use enough grafts then you absolutely should go for it. If you're willing to have a second procedure down the track then you're golden and likely to cover the majority of your balding scalp. The only things that realistically matter are your donor quality and final norwood pattern, how much money you have and how much research you've done to find a competent surgeon.

 

 

 

 

 

[caricatura]

@UnbaldEagleAre you mostly upset due to the money, or the fact that you feel trapped into more and more procedures and no longer have the option of shaving?

@JayLDDI hope you're right about this--what you elaborated is my optimistic outlook on the situation. I guess I have gathered the above impression because of the number of threads on here of people getting multiple surgeries within 2-4 years just to be at the same place they were in before their first procedure. Hopefully, as you say, that's not the norm. If it is, I can't see how, after their donor runs out, they wouldn't be looking goofy in less than two decades. However, if, as you say, it just means easing the balding process so that you don't go from hair to bald/unsightly, but can distribute your hairs so that you age gracefully, I'm game. Not looking for perfection!

Edited January 6, 2021 by caricatura

[UnbaldEagle]

2 minutes ago, caricatura said:

@UnbaldEagleAre you mostly upset due to the money, or the fact that you feel trapped into more and more procedures and no longer have the option of shaving?

The latter and the fact that demand is not able to meet the supply long term. Well said, there's no longer the option of shaving either. Compromises will have to be made. And there's always a slim chance of losing it all in spite of everything (like we've seem quite a few examples on this forum), for which I'm not sure any of us has an ultimate exit plan. Okay, maybe body hair (if one has it) and SMP if you're willing to accept what those truly entail.

I'm surprised to admit but the above poster did make some good points as far as long term strategy is concerned. The only thing I don't agree with are megasessions, which are mega risks for diffuse thinners. I believe that's your case too so you might need some advice that's bespoke to you. 

[DenverBuff1989]

Matthew McConaughey wears a wig. 

Its always a hard decision on whether to get a hair transplant or not, But there are unique issues with getting a hair transplant if you are "only" a NW2 or NW3. Its a lot of stress and money to go through just to fix a minor receding hairline. Many of your non-hair-obsessed acquaintances may not even notice your hairloss. 

Whereas someone who is a Norwood 5-7, shaves their head and wears a hat 24/7, its alot easier to decide to go the hair transplant route. 

Edited January 7, 2021 by DenverBuff1989

[JayLDD]

1 hour ago, caricatura said:

@UnbaldEagleAre you mostly upset due to the money, or the fact that you feel trapped into more and more procedures and no longer have the option of shaving?

@JayLDDI hope you're right about this--what you elaborated is my optimistic outlook on the situation. I guess I have gathered the above impression because of the number of threads on here of people getting multiple surgeries within 2-4 years just to be at the same place they were in before their first procedure. Hopefully, as you say, that's not the norm. If it is, I can't see how, after their donor runs out, they wouldn't be looking goofy in less than two decades. However, if, as you say, it just means easing the balding process so that you don't go from hair to bald/unsightly, but can distribute your hairs so that you age gracefully, I'm game. Not looking for perfection!

There are plenty of older guys in their late late forties and fifties (many of them in very recent posts here) who have had transplants to give themselves a hairline while leaving the majority of the crown bare or thin. You'll see the same often even for much younger guys but typically their desires are more aggressive and that inevitably means more procedures. You use the term goofy, whenever I see fully bald guys in their 20s and 30s typically the state of their looks is a disaster. Its incredibly unattractive, they've aged 5-10 years minimum and they look ridiculous.  If I see a large bald patch on a younger guy sure it can also look a little goofy, but goofy with a framed face is a hell of a lot better than being completely bald which is the central point I think your posts miss. You suggest that over time it may appear more goofy, the reality is the complete opposite. Over time imperfect density or a super thin crown with a conservative hairline is going to look better and more normal. For me I was close to a NW4 with heavy diffusing at 21 and desired a full head of hair NW1 so of course that meant I had to have multiple procedures. Part of the problem with transplants in my experience is that if it goes reasonably well your looks and overall wellbeing go up massively to the point it gives a sort of addictive compulsion to wanting more which is why so many people have multiple in a short time period. They don't HAVE to do it, but its hard not to want to.

And again, even if you do settle on one conservative but reasonably high graft number/broad coverage transplant in the medium term you're still certainly going to look better than a bald guy if the results turn out well.

"I guess I have gathered the above impression because of the number of threads on here of people getting multiple surgeries within 2-4 years just to be at the same place they were in before their first procedure."

Personally I actually don't recall seeing a literal example of this at all for people who go to competent surgeons that are doing appropriate graft numbers. Depends how much area is being covered however, if you're a NW2 for example and don't like the idea of multiple surgeries then you're better off waiting until you're a NW3-4 with a thinned crown and then doing a larger procedure. Without knowing what your exact situation is, its possible that you're better off waiting a bit until you lose more hair and then opting for a large megasession that will cover the majority of the entire long-term balding area. Although NW3A still means you probably have the option to permanently put yourself in a position better than being bald. Unbald Eagle above who mentions they sometimes regret ever having a procedure first went to a mediocre clinic for a tiny hairline procedure which is something you should absolutely consider. Just make sure this isn't a position you ever put yourself in.

Your point about donor running out and leaving the patient in a bad position just isn't realistic on the basis of anything you'll find on the forum. Sure some people have a procedure with a bad surgeon or simply are unlucky and get a bad result meaning they don't have enough to cover their entire scalp. But 90% of patients in the NW5-NW6 final pattern range can get close to full coverage in the long term if they utilise both FUE and FUE. The notion of people running out of donor is largely a myth, you'd be hard pressed to find patients who haven't had a botched procedure where they can't handle more procedures. Most people can smoothly hit 6k grafts long-term which gives them solid coverage across the entire scalp, and if they utilised FUT or even beard hair on top you go to numbers that 99% of patients can't be bothered with even if they could. It shouldn't be understated, the vast majority of patients never hit their overall potential for grafts because they don't need to.

Again, its very rare I see examples which emphasise your sinkhole theory as having any validity. If you demand a NW1 with perfect density then sure you might have a point but it doesn't sound like that's what you're after.

If you cherry pick the worst case scenarios such as patients who go to poor surgeons, have an abnormally poor donor, are close to NW7, or are unlucky enough to get a bad result with a good doctor, then your points make more sense. Otherwise they just aren't reflected by the vast majority of patients who go to elite surgeons.  In my opinion the biggest risk for hair transplants is getting a bad result despite going to a good surgeon. If that doesn't occur, virtually all of your fears are unfounded. If you're worried about a succession of short term chasing losses then your focus should be on choosing a surgeon like Hasson/Wong who are experienced in high graft numbers/broad coverage, can perform FUT and are at the highest level.

[Melvin- Admin]

1 hour ago, JayLDD said:

There are plenty of older guys in their late late forties and fifties (many of them in very recent posts here) who have had transplants to give themselves a hairline while leaving the majority of the crown bare or thin. You'll see the same often even for much younger guys but typically their desires are more aggressive and that inevitably means more procedures. You use the term goofy, whenever I see fully bald guys in their 20s and 30s typically the state of their looks is a disaster. Its incredibly unattractive, they've aged 5-10 years minimum and they look ridiculous.  If I see a large bald patch on a younger guy sure it can also look a little goofy, but goofy with a framed face is a hell of a lot better than being completely bald which is the central point I think your posts miss. You suggest that over time it may appear more goofy, the reality is the complete opposite. Over time imperfect density or a super thin crown with a conservative hairline is going to look better and more normal. For me I was close to a NW4 with heavy diffusing at 21 and desired a full head of hair NW1 so of course that meant I had to have multiple procedures. Part of the problem with transplants in my experience is that if it goes reasonably well your looks and overall wellbeing go up massively to the point it gives a sort of addictive compulsion to wanting more which is why so many people have multiple in a short time period. They don't HAVE to do it, but its hard not to want to.

And again, even if you do settle on one conservative but reasonably high graft number/broad coverage transplant in the medium term you're still certainly going to look better than a bald guy if the results turn out well.

"I guess I have gathered the above impression because of the number of threads on here of people getting multiple surgeries within 2-4 years just to be at the same place they were in before their first procedure."

Personally I actually don't recall seeing a literal example of this at all for people who go to competent surgeons that are doing appropriate graft numbers. Depends how much area is being covered however, if you're a NW2 for example and don't like the idea of multiple surgeries then you're better off waiting until you're a NW3-4 with a thinned crown and then doing a larger procedure. Without knowing what your exact situation is, its possible that you're better off waiting a bit until you lose more hair and then opting for a large megasession that will cover the majority of the entire long-term balding area. Although NW3A still means you probably have the option to permanently put yourself in a position better than being bald. Unbald Eagle above who mentions they sometimes regret ever having a procedure first went to a mediocre clinic for a tiny hairline procedure which is something you should absolutely consider. Just make sure this isn't a position you ever put yourself in.

Your point about donor running out and leaving the patient in a bad position just isn't realistic on the basis of anything you'll find on the forum. Sure some people have a procedure with a bad surgeon or simply are unlucky and get a bad result meaning they don't have enough to cover their entire scalp. But 90% of patients in the NW5-NW6 final pattern range can get close to full coverage in the long term if they utilise both FUE and FUE. The notion of people running out of donor is largely a myth, you'd be hard pressed to find patients who haven't had a botched procedure where they can't handle more procedures. Most people can smoothly hit 6k grafts long-term which gives them solid coverage across the entire scalp, and if they utilised FUT or even beard hair on top you go to numbers that 99% of patients can't be bothered with even if they could. It shouldn't be understated, the vast majority of patients never hit their overall potential for grafts because they don't need to.

Again, its very rare I see examples which emphasise your sinkhole theory as having any validity. If you demand a NW1 with perfect density then sure you might have a point but it doesn't sound like that's what you're after.

If you cherry pick the worst case scenarios such as patients who go to poor surgeons, have an abnormally poor donor, are close to NW7, or are unlucky enough to get a bad result with a good doctor, then your points make more sense. Otherwise they just aren't reflected by the vast majority of patients who go to elite surgeons.  In my opinion the biggest risk for hair transplants is getting a bad result despite going to a good surgeon. If that doesn't occur, virtually all of your fears are unfounded. If you're worried about a succession of short term chasing losses then your focus should be on choosing a surgeon like Hasson/Wong who are experienced in high graft numbers/broad coverage, can perform FUT and are at the highest level.

You bring up good points, but in my opinion it’s gonna fall on deaf ears. Someone with this mentality shouldn’t get an HT period. Hair systems are a better option for him.

 

[ciaus]

Another riff on hair transplants being short term, and the concern of reading about it 'more and more'. Can see in the OP's post history he's participated in a few of the previous ones.

 

And I'm not accusing the OP of this, but I'd be curious to know how many shell accounts there are on the forum where someone is using multiple accounts to create fake momentum for ideas and drama. I see a similar situation over in the SMP section where the same question/issue again and again there is whether the inks ever completely disappear and are 100% safe.

 

[caricatura]

3 minutes ago, Melvin-Moderator said:

You bring up good points, but in my opinion it’s gonna fall on deaf ears. Someone with this mentality shouldn’t get an HT period. Hair systems are a better option for him.

 

Ha, what? I created this thread precisely because I want to hear everyone's opinions, especially from people who have had multiple transplants, preferably over the span of more than 5 years. @JayLDD Has brought up many points that I am grateful for and considering. It doesn't make sense to me not to have some healthy caution, skepticism, and long-term thinking before potentially spending a lot of money and embarking on multiple cosmetic surgeries. What I was referring to with regard to the "goofy 45-year-old" was the idea that, if by 45 all of the remaining non-transplanted hairs fall out, the remaining transplanted hairs may look goofy (for example, if only the front and crown were worked on, and there's an empty mid-scalp, or if the entire scalp is transplanted but ends up becoming really sparse-looking because the donor thins, etc.). You have addressed this, though, with the "front to back" plan. To @ciaus, I can assure you I have more going on in my life than to waste time creating shell accounts to make "drama" on a hair transplant forum! Like many people on here, I'm relatively young, feeling a bit insecure about my hair, and trying to make a rational decision about it that I won't regret.

[ciaus]

Nothing in this topic hasn't already been covered before. There are years of pages and pages of member considerations, questions and actual procedures documented on the forum, and a search function to access them. There's far more to be gained by utilizing that than this topic thread.

 

Most of us come at this from healthy caution, skepticism and long term thinking. That's why we're here. And at the end of the day those of us that pull the trigger do so knowing there are no guarantees or certainty when it comes to hair restoration. But not everyone can live with that, and those are the ones that shouldn't get hair transplants.

[TorontoMan]

Really great discussion. I wish I had participated more in discussions like these earlier, as I def chased short term gain out of the gates, and still there are days I question if my ht was to soon, or if it was too many grafts, or if I should have had It at all. I think that’s a normal contemplation. Someone mentioned it earlier that the transplant might offer the opportunity to go through progression of loss gracefully. & at some point you’ll come to a place where it will give you coverage in some areas and leave others exposed. However, as a man ages, and you begin to get to the 45+ years of your life, i Think it’s absolutely reasonable to accept the lower quality or conservative hair. I’m of the opinion that it’s still a worthy investment, even if for some individuals it only merely buys time. 
 

there was a poster recently who showed what his donor looked like after shaving down, he had 5k grafts extracted. Maybe someone could link his name. That would be a good starting point to see what it would be like to exit from all this if you had to. I would also look at some of the large sessions, particularly on H&W website, and ask yourself if those results are better than you being completely bald. 

these photos as an example are a definite improvement on this gentlemen. And I don’t think he gives a damn his crown is a bit thinner, he’s much more presentable now 

[Melvin- Admin]

2 hours ago, ciaus said:

Another riff on hair transplants being short term, and the concern of reading about it 'more and more'. Can see in the OP's post history he's participated in a few of the previous ones.

 

And I'm not accusing the OP of this, but I'd be curious to know how many shell accounts there are on the forum where someone is using multiple accounts to create fake momentum for ideas and drama. I see a similar situation over in the SMP section where the same question/issue again and again there is whether the inks ever completely disappear and are 100% safe.

 

Perhaps I need to look into it closer, people use proxy IP addresses nowadays it’s harder to tell, but posting style and topics are a telltale sign. Been a lot of these “HTs aren’t worth it” threads lately. Really, if that’s how you feel, there’s nothing to discuss, we don’t sell hair transplants here. 

[nbdy]

4 hours ago, ciaus said:

Nothing in this topic hasn't already been covered before. There are years of pages and pages of member considerations, questions and actual procedures documented on the forum, and a search function to access them. There's far more to be gained by utilizing that than this topic thread.

I disagree. I am contemplating the exact same questions as OP and found the response from @JayLDD in this thread very helpful.

[missingtemples]

Such a valuable discussion. Many posters here advise against transplant without Finasteride if you aren't close to your final NW pattern. They mention chasing the hair loss is a bad idea because you will look bad as you keep losing behind the transplanted area. But as I'm browsing the forum, examples I've seen aren't convincing.

@JayLDD made some great points and articulated them very well. I'm also leaning towards the idea that if you don't have too aggressive hair loss, chasing it with a conservative hairline starting from front moving to back is actually a better look than being bald. I'm observing that the society isn't too obsessed with hair loss like us. Their perception is mostly more black and white which is bald or not bald. And having some density starting from the front with a thin/bald crown is "not bald' and totally acceptable, especially for older men. 

One variable in this that I'm not sure of is what people who had transplants think about the all the hassle. Obviously a transplant involves shaving your head and some pain and swelling but more importantly months of scabbing, shock loss, healing and looking worse than before the transplant until your hair starts growing. I guess what I'm asking is if people who had multiple transplants think it is worth it to have smaller, multiple procedures and go through all this process over and over.

[caricatura]

4 hours ago, Melvin-Moderator said:

Perhaps I need to look into it closer, people use proxy IP addresses nowadays it’s harder to tell, but posting style and topics are a telltale sign. Been a lot of these “HTs aren’t worth it” threads lately. Really, if that’s how you feel, there’s nothing to discuss, we don’t sell hair transplants here. 

Are you sure, because your knee-jerk “get a hair system and move along here, buddy” and “I’m going to look into the IP addresses of people who question hair transplants” sounds as if you do. This forum is a massive resource that I’m glad to have found, but the majority of threads on here are results from clinics and patients that tend to peter out after a year, so it makes complete sense to me that there would be recurring questions about longevity. Such questions should not be discouraged (even if it’s recurring, what’s the ratio compared to the aforementioned results threads that pop up daily?). In fact, for me, that is “the” question. And I guarantee that if I were to bring up the topic of my potential procedure to some of my closest friends and relatives, their first question will also naturally be, “well, what happens once you lose the hair behind that?” Even after a lot of research on this subject, I didn’t/don’t feel I have a good enough answer to that question, so that’s why I’m here asking the veterans, who have been giving me some great rationales. Trust me, at the end of the day, my gut is telling me “give me that hair, and now!”

[caricatura]

5 hours ago, TorontoMan said:

Really great discussion. I wish I had participated more in discussions like these earlier, as I def chased short term gain out of the gates, and still there are days I question if my ht was to soon, or if it was too many grafts, or if I should have had It at all. I think that’s a normal contemplation. Someone mentioned it earlier that the transplant might offer the opportunity to go through progression of loss gracefully. & at some point you’ll come to a place where it will give you coverage in some areas and leave others exposed. However, as a man ages, and you begin to get to the 45+ years of your life, i Think it’s absolutely reasonable to accept the lower quality or conservative hair. I’m of the opinion that it’s still a worthy investment, even if for some individuals it only merely buys time. 
 

there was a poster recently who showed what his donor looked like after shaving down, he had 5k grafts extracted. Maybe someone could link his name. That would be a good starting point to see what it would be like to exit from all this if you had to. I would also look at some of the large sessions, particularly on H&W website, and ask yourself if those results are better than you being completely bald. 

these photos as an example are a definite improvement on this gentlemen. And I don’t think he gives a damn his crown is a bit thinner, he’s much more presentable now 

Yes, these are the types of surgeries that give me hope, ha. And I would love to see that post of the donor after 5k extractions as well. 

[deitel130]

In most cases a single hair transplant session will not be the solution. Meds will slow down the loss but not completely halt it. So you will continue to lose hair but at a much slower rate. Hence, multiple HT sessions will be needed. I was a NW 5 diffuse thinner and 10 years between my two hair transplants got on Finasteride and Minoxidil and really slowed down the loss. I kept my hair 2 inches long on the top and nobody would really be able to notice any signs of hair loss besides my crown which was always thin but has held up pretty well on meds. My plan is to go in for a third session next year to get some crown work done. Hopefully, that will be good for a while. I may lose some more native hair between my transplanted hair but after a certain age you may just be comfortable with a thinning look and not be so bothered by it. 

So are hair transplants worth it? In my opinion absolutely.

Edited January 7, 2021 by deitel130

[AB2000]

54 minutes ago, deitel130 said:

Meds will slow down the loss but not completely halt it. So you will continue to lose hair but at a much slower rate. Hence, multiple HT sessions will be needed.

This is a point that I have heard as well.  You can use medication for hair loss but eventually the progression will occur, it will never freeze it permanently.

So a good doctor will only provide a transplant that you can live with if you never come back to have more work done.  That's why the first one should have in mind what your future hair loss will look like and design to that and be conservative.  That way the problem described by the OP won't occur.

And I'll echo Melvin's sentiment - I don't think people like the one who started the thread should be looking to get transplantation done.  These surgeries are for people with more realistic expectations and can anticipate what the results will look like long term.

[TorontoMan]

5 hours ago, caricatura said:

Yes, these are the types of surgeries that give me hope, ha. And I would love to see that post of the donor after 5k extractions as well. 

I had the screenshot saved on my phone 

[caricatura]

8 minutes ago, TorontoMan said:

I had the screenshot saved on my phone 

This is phenomenal FUE work. I saw it after you mentioned it. Thanks.

[aaron1234]

17 hours ago, Melvin-Moderator said:

HT’s are a lifelong commitment. 

💯 I didn't fully understand this before round 1, so I initially set myself up for disappointment.  Now that I'm in the "touch-up" stage in my HT journey I'm happy I did it, but I needed to recalibrate my expectations along the way.  I do think that a lot of the HT marketing materials mislead new patients in what they can expect with one procedure, especially if they are young and have more hair loss coming down the pike. 

[Melvin- Admin]

5 hours ago, caricatura said:

Are you sure, because your knee-jerk “get a hair system and move along here, buddy” and “I’m going to look into the IP addresses of people who question hair transplants” sounds as if you do. This forum is a massive resource that I’m glad to have found, but the majority of threads on here are results from clinics and patients that tend to peter out after a year, so it makes complete sense to me that there would be recurring questions about longevity. Such questions should not be discouraged (even if it’s recurring, what’s the ratio compared to the aforementioned results threads that pop up daily?). In fact, for me, that is “the” question. And I guarantee that if I were to bring up the topic of my potential procedure to some of my closest friends and relatives, their first question will also naturally be, “well, what happens once you lose the hair behind that?” Even after a lot of research on this subject, I didn’t/don’t feel I have a good enough answer to that question, so that’s why I’m here asking the veterans, who have been giving me some great rationales. Trust me, at the end of the day, my gut is telling me “give me that hair, and now!”

My point is, the purpose of our forum is not too convince you to get surgery. If you’re not willing to either A) get on meds to halt further hair loss, or B) commit to several surgeries in your lifetime and accept the fact that you’ll never have a perfect head of hair.

Well, then you’re not a candidate period. We’re not here to tell you what you wanna hear. Hair transplants cost a lot of time and money, it’s a lifelong commitment that shouldn’t be taken lightly. Your expectations dictate your candidacy.

If you have high expectations, don’t want to take meds, and think getting multiple procedures that (will never look perfect) is a waste of time or a hassle, do yourself a favor and move on. That’s the brutal truth. No one can guarantee results, happiness, or how you’ll scar. Hair systems will be a better option for you.

best wishes, 

[Melvin- Admin]

41 minutes ago, aaron1234 said:

💯 I didn't fully understand this before round 1, so I initially set myself up for disappointment.  Now that I'm in the "touch-up" stage in my HT journey I'm happy I did it, but I needed to recalibrate my expectations along the way.  I do think that a lot of the HT marketing materials mislead new patients in what they can expect with one procedure, especially if they are young and have more hair loss coming down the pike. 

True, that’s why forums like this exist. We’re not here to promise you anything, if I think you’ll be a bad candidate, I say don’t do it and look elsewhere. Our job isn’t to sell hair transplants, we’re here to educate and help link “educated and reasonable” patients with doctors backed by reviews. 

If we start pushing HTs on bad candidates, not only will we do a disservice to the patient, but well do a disservice to the forum, and the doctor. There’ll be a ton of guys coming here complaining that they were misled, or were never told they needed multiple HTs or that an HT wouldn’t cure their hair loss. Sounds like common sense, but you’d be shocked the dms I receive.

Maybe I’m too blunt, but I know when I see a bad candidate. The line of questioning is always the same. Of course question long-term, but if your expectations are that if you can’t have a full head of hair it’s not worth it, then yea move on. No one can guarantee that ever.