How many of you left the crown alone??

[Westview]

How many of you who have gotten a hair transplant on the top of your head have decided to leave the crown alone and leave it bald?? I've seen some guys get away with it, they looked okay. with a bald crown.  And on others it looks incomplete and not very good

 

[DenverBuff1989]

from my own personal experience, its not that I don't want coverage, but that doctors are hesitant to operate on it. Many balding crowns still have a bit of hair that covers it. The worry is that by adding grafts to the crown, this can permanently shock loss the hair thats already in there, negating any positive effect. Furthermore, crown loss can enter its "final balding phase" later than the hairline. Someone who has a decently balding crown at 30 and gets operated on, can end up with massive crown loss throughout their 30s, necessitating the chase of further HTs.

Dr. Diep, Dr. Harris, Dr. Feller, and a rep for Dr. Shapiro all concurred with the above when I presented my NW3, moderately balding crown. Dr. Konior had no problem quoting me for the crown, but thats bc he is a wizard so anything is possible with him. 

I was in the end able to get my crown operated on after much pushing on my end with Dr. Harris. He agreed to do 400 grafts, which he carefully explained to me is not would enough to fully cover all my crown, but enough to have a positive effect. He only did 400 vc he placed it in very selective areas that wouldn't transect with the hair thats already there. 

I agree with your above point there is a fine line in terms of crown loss. A mild "bald spot" is no issue at all - even teenagers can have crown bald spots. But if your crown loss gets severe enough, without a HT you really might as well shave it off bc even a 10/10 hairline will not make up for a horrible crown. 

[Hair4Days]

On 1/19/2021 at 1:32 AM, DenverBuff1989 said:

But if your crown loss gets severe enough, without a HT you really might as well shave it off bc even a 10/10 hairline will not make up for a horrible crown. 

This is highly subjective. Some people are content with coverage just right up to the crown. There’s a few hairstyles you can pull off to mask a bald crown. Me personally, i agree with you. I rather be slick bald then only have a frontal third of hair. One thing i can say is those doctors you mentioned are pretty optimistic of getting front to back coverage if your donor is considered “good” or better.

[EvoXOhio]

I think it’s all personal preference. For me, my receding hairline hardly bothered me, but my balding crown caused me serious anxiety and depression. When I got my hair transplant, I told them filling the crown was my first priority, and only do the hair like if there was enough hair. 
 

IMO, it looks really weird when people have their hairline restored but then have a giant bald spot. Like President Biden. It just looks really weird when someone appears to have a full head of hair from the front, then they turn to the side and you see a giant patch of scalp. 

[kramer79]

I think being on FIN helps with potential shock loss and some doctors seem more confident than others addressing the crown.

Obviously expectation has to be in check depending on donor availability and overall master plan.

I find that doctors are more willing to address the crown relatively early on with patients who are willing to do FUT first as this ultimately can be the difference of being able to have some crown coverage and not

[deitel130]

I would say it also depends on how much coverage is required for all areas and available donor. If there is light thinning in the crown and potential for permanent shock loss then It's probably better left alone. If it has thinned enough where the surgeon can safely transplant around existing natives and donor is available then it makes more sense to proceed.

[Melvin- Admin]

I have left my crown alone for several years. My last HT I did get a couple hundred grafts to the crown and some to the midscalp. I'm pretty happy with my hair, especially if I use concealers. But I would be lying if I said I didn't want to get another HT. It depends on how you style your hair as well. If I were to comb my hair forward, it would completely show the crown, it looks horrible. If I comb my hair back, it looks okay. 

[plus]

16 hours ago, Melvin-Moderator said:

I have left my crown alone for several years. My last HT I did get a couple hundred grafts to the crown and some to the midscalp. I'm pretty happy with my hair, especially if I use concealers. But I would be lying if I said I didn't want to get another HT. It depends on how you style your hair as well. If I were to comb my hair forward, it would completely show the crown, it looks horrible. If I comb my hair back, it looks okay. 

interesting how most people who have done HTs comb their hair back and not front. combing forward could give the illusion of a better hairline but people don't use that.

I think for your face if you hadn't lost any hair at all it would look good to have some hair falling on the forehead. but with a HT, I wonder how it would look.

[Melvin- Admin]

7 minutes ago, plus said:

interesting how most people who have done HTs comb their hair back and not front. combing forward could give the illusion of a better hairline but people don't use that.

I think for your face if you hadn't lost any hair at all it would look good to have some hair falling on the forehead. but with a HT, I wonder how it would look.

Part of this because modern hairstyles are going to the side or back. Like Brad Pitt in fury 

[Westview]

19 hours ago, Melvin-Moderator said:

I have left my crown alone for several years. My last HT I did get a couple hundred grafts to the crown and some to the midscalp. I'm pretty happy with my hair, especially if I use concealers. But I would be lying if I said I didn't want to get another HT. It depends on how you style your hair as well. If I were to comb my hair forward, it would completely show the crown, it looks horrible. If I comb my hair back, it looks okay. 

You're exactly like me.  When I come my hair backwards people dont notice the bald crown as much.

I think the only reason why I want my crown done is because I'm a perfectionist and I dont like loose ends.

 I'm also clean shaven and never grow a beard, so why not transfer all those beard grafts onto my crown and put them to good use....LOL

[gillenator]

On 1/22/2021 at 11:30 AM, EvoXOhio said:

I think it’s all personal preference. For me, my receding hairline hardly bothered me, but my balding crown caused me serious anxiety and depression. When I got my hair transplant, I told them filling the crown was my first priority, and only do the hair like if there was enough hair. 
 

IMO, it looks really weird when people have their hairline restored but then have a giant bald spot. Like President Biden. It just looks really weird when someone appears to have a full head of hair from the front, then they turn to the side and you see a giant patch of scalp. 

Depending on how bald the crown is, the area can potentially take as much as 60% of one's scalp donor supply...other options involve a light density pass so that the area does not look slick bald and include blending in beard donor or other BH donor....I know a few guys that wear a partial system for the crown only and saved their grafts for the frontal zone and mid-scalp.

[Melvin- Admin]

22 minutes ago, Westview said:

You're exactly like me.  When I come my hair backwards people dont notice the bald crown as much.

I think the only reason why I want my crown done is because I'm a perfectionist and I dont like loose ends.

 I'm also clean shaven and never grow a beard, so why not transfer all those beard grafts onto my crown and put them to good use....LOL

That’s true, most bald guys can grow a thick beard.

[Britanium]

Just now, Melvin-Moderator said:

That’s true, most bald guys can grow a thick beard.

Certainly can ! 👏

[gillenator]

I brush my hair front-to-back as well...I grow the hair on top of my head to a long length and style a "reverse combover".

[DrTBarghouthi]

I think it is important to consider the hair loss scale when approaching this. In hair restoration, you'd really hope to climb up the ladder when it comes to doing a transplant. Therefore, if someone is a NW 6, a NW 3v or 4 is a major improvement. If someone is likely a 3v, then some crown work can be done given his age and possibly his family history/maintenance regimen. It is a case by case, but generally, you want to climb up the ladder and plan for the future. I see many NW 6 in their mid 20s or late 20s and I certainly discourage them from tapping into the crown that early. Dont forget that it can expand outwards, which means you will have a larger surface area to cover in the future. Any extra cm of baldness in the crown is reflected by the square of the radius in terms of surface area and this means more grafts than other areas. There is no harm being cautious and generally, it is an area that can be nicely covered with MS hair or concealers. I left my crown alone personally (so far)