NW 6-7 | Your advice for Hair Transplant is needed

[Moshe]

Hi All

I'm 30 years old at Norwood 6-7 scale. When I was almost 17, I've noticed hairs on my pillow. I checked on the mirror and saw a thinning point. After lots of research I've found that Minoxidil (Alternative to Rogaine) and Finasteride/Propecia can help with stopping or slowing the hair loss and on some cases, regrowth. I've decided to start using Minoxidil only. It helped me for 6 years and then my genetics started to fight back and the hair started being thinner and thinner until what you will see in the pictures I've attached.

In the last 2 months, I've searching for a solution - Hair Transplant.

I reached to some clinics. Some of them said that I'm not suitable for Hair Transplant and some said I will need 2 sessions. I know that I won't get the hair I used to have when I was 12 years old but I do expect from an Hair transplant to be good as covering my bald areas and look pretty much full if I will grow my hair to 4-6 centimeters long.

I know that there are magicians out there but unfortunately, financially, I can't afford a 40-50,000$ Hair Transplant.

I also know that in order to cover my head, I will probably need 6-8,000 grafts. In addition, I do believe that thanks to my high density beard, at least 1,200 grafts can be extracted and used on my mid-back scalp, mixed with grafts from my donor area. But, some of the clinics doesn't want to use more than 600-800 grafts. They say that they must leave it for a future Hair Transplant.

I don't want to do an hair transplant without getting the result that I'm seeking for. I'm ok with the chance that in 10-15 years from now, my hair loss might be worse and another Hair Transplant will be needed to fix it and it might be impossible to do due to lake of grafts that can be taken.. For my opinion, 30-50 years old is the best years of your life so having a full head of hair on these years is most important for me.. What will be later, I don't care.

I've attached my pictures with the bald/thinning areas along with the donor areas.. I would be grateful if people that was in the same situation as me, did the procedure and satisfied.

BTW, my father has the same pattern but he is bald where I'm thinning

Thank you guys!

[makehairgreatagain]

Where are you located? Hasson & Wong are excellent for megasessions.

[Moshe]

Just now, makehairgreatagain said:

Where are you located? Hasson & Wong are excellent for megasessions.

Thanks for your reply.. Their cost is too high for me.. I just want to understand if I'm suitable for hair transplant or not and see cases like mine, before and after pictures

[makehairgreatagain]

Here's a link where you can contact approved doctors here for a consultation.

https://www.hairtransplantnetwork.com/Consult-a-Physician/hair-transplant-surgeons.asp?sr=HRN-MOB

You can start with your hairline and then do your crown later if a megasession isn't feasible now.

[asterix0]

You still have a fair bit of hair to save, I would recommend getting on finasteride.

[Moshe]

2 hours ago, makehairgreatagain said:

Here's a link where you can contact approved doctors here for a consultation.

https://www.hairtransplantnetwork.com/Consult-a-Physician/hair-transplant-surgeons.asp?sr=HRN-MOB

You can start with your hairline and then do your crown later if a megasession isn't feasible now.

Thank you very much

[Moshe]

2 minutes ago, asterix0 said:

You still have a fair bit of hair to save, I would recommend getting on finasteride.

I'm afraid of its side effects

[asterix0]

45 minutes ago, Moshe said:

I'm afraid of its side effects

Are you more scared of its side effects than going fully bald to Norwood 7? Which is where you are headed in my opinion.

If you are, then don't take it, you may scare yourself into thinking you have side effects (placebo effect). 

[SD1984]

A shame. Very weak donor and a NW7 in the making. Best you could get is 3500 grafts max imo to recreate a decent frontal region and hairline and call it a day. You'd have to live with a bald midscalp and crown though Joe Biden style.

[Moshe]

11 minutes ago, SD1984 said:

A shame. Very weak donor and a NW7 in the making. Best you could get is 3500 grafts max imo to recreate a decent frontal region and hairline and call it a day. You'd have to live with a bald midscalp and crown though Joe Biden style.

Hahahahaha.. I like your comment

You say 3,500 grafts maximum.. Is it including grafts from beard or from the donor area only?

[SD1984]

My 3500 prediction was donor only and even that might be pushing it a tad. Beard you can definitely get some more though so that's good news if it came to it.

[1978matt]

You could definately get something like this:

Filling in the crown is somehat unlikely, but you should have enough donor to recreate a hairline back to thte edge of the crown.

 

[kirkland]

Your beard could definitely yield another 2000 grafts at least for a clinic that also does BHT. With the amount of hair you still have left, I never think its a good idea to proceed with a transplant if you aren't taking fin/dut first. Otherwise, you are just going to lose the remaining hair and be left with the transplanted hair in the hairline and mid-scalp. 

[Moshe]

2 minutes ago, 1978matt said:

You could definately get something like this:

Filling in the crown is somehat unlikely, but you should have enough donor to recreate a hairline back to thte edge of the crown.

 

This is pretty good result.. You don't think that my beard can get me to a better point and fill the crown area as well?

2 minutes ago, kirkland said:

Your beard could definitely yield another 2000 grafts at least for a clinic that also does BHT. With the amount of hair you still have left, I never think its a good idea to proceed with a transplant if you aren't taking fin/dut first. Otherwise, you are just going to lose the remaining hair and be left with the transplanted hair in the hairline and mid-scalp. 

I think I'm willing to try using a topical fin but not instead of getting an hair transplant. I don't think that on this point, I can revert my hair loss.

[1978matt]

3 minutes ago, Moshe said:

This is pretty good result.. You don't think that my beard can get me to a better point and fill the crown area as well?

I think I'm willing to try using a topical fin but not instead of getting an hair transplant. I don't think that on this point, I can revert my hair loss.

Beard might help a bit to bulk things out as a filler.  You can only take it from under the chin or the scars may be visible.

[kirkland]

33 minutes ago, Moshe said:

This is pretty good result.. You don't think that my beard can get me to a better point and fill the crown area as well?

I think I'm willing to try using a topical fin but not instead of getting an hair transplant. I don't think that on this point, I can revert my hair loss.

The point of fin - topical or oral - is to keep your native hair as healthy as possible. Your donor management is more effective if you can keep what is already there. Otherwise, you are going to lose that hair certainly and then, on top of filling in the existing gaps with a transplant, you are creating more gaps.

[Moshe]

2 minutes ago, kirkland said:

The point of fin - topical or oral - is to keep your native hair as healthy as possible. Your donor management is more effective if you can keep what is already there. Otherwise, you are going to lose that hair certainly and then, on top of filling in the existing gaps with a transplant, you are creating more gaps.

But what if I will start using topical fin and keep using minoxidil after the hair transplant? I know it won't keep my hair forever.. Also, if I'll have some bald areas where there no grafts transplanted in the future, I won't be able to cover them with more grafts taken from the donor area with understanding that there is a chance that my donor area will be thinner? I mwan6, there is no proper solution for people with same case as mine?

[ciaus]

Rock that beard with all your might, shave the rest. 

[AB2000]

3 hours ago, 1978matt said:

Beard might help a bit to bulk things out as a filler.  You can only take it from under the chin or the scars may be visible.

I've had beard grafts taken out from all over, not just under the jawline.  If someone is contemplating using their beard to stretch the amount of transplantation that can get done then they have to way the pros and cons of using a lot of beard.

OP - if you chose to use fin then realize that eventually it's effects will wear out and you will wind up at your natural hair loss pattern.  Fin will just delay that point of time.  If you do any surgery make sure you plan it as if your balding hair is all going to go away, and start designing from that point.

[AB2000]

1 hour ago, ciaus said:

Rock that beard with all your might, shave the rest. 

If I wanted to restore from a NW 6 or 7 I'd give up all the beard and take what I can get for filling out on top of my head.

[A Fue Good Men]

6 hours ago, AB2000 said:

I've had beard grafts taken out from all over, not just under the jawline.  If someone is contemplating using their beard to stretch the amount of transplantation that can get done then they have to way the pros and cons of using a lot of beard.

OP - if you chose to use fin then realize that eventually it's effects will wear out and you will wind up at your natural hair loss pattern.  Fin will just delay that point of time.  If you do any surgery make sure you plan it as if your balding hair is all going to go away, and start designing from that point.

How evident is scarring with beard grafts? I can’t seem to find detailed info on this anywhere 

[Hair4Days]

14 hours ago, AB2000 said:

 

OP - if you chose to use fin then realize that eventually it's effects will wear out and you will wind up at your natural hair loss pattern.  Fin will just delay that point of time.  If you do any surgery make sure you plan it as if your balding hair is all going to go away, and start designing from that point.

Perfectly said. Don’t rely on a pill for the remainder of life. Plan as if you won’t be on it forever

[Melvin- Admin]

Have you tried shaving? The thing is without medication, you may eventually lose a lot of the transplanted hair. I see some extensive retrograde alopecia. The crown goes far down. Have you considered topical finasteride?

[deeznuts]

I think you got the look where you can pull off shaving it

[hairlosscpa]

I'd recreate the hairline and some midscalp with as much scalp and beard hair as you can and use a hair system for the rest.

Or shave, get smp and rock that beard hard!

Medication looks to be a must. As Melvin mentioned, the retrograde alopecia pattern is a little concerning.