Need Help

[StressedOut]

 

Had 3 HT 30 yrs ago. Big mistake. It looks like crap and always has. Half HT never took. All that is left looks like  corn rows.

 

 At the time I wished I would have done more research. Or better yet just shaved my head. Self esteem is low

 

Was never really on any meds. Just not informed enough about meds. Just learning about shock loss from this site ( which I have never heard of before )

 

Looking to have my hairline repaired only. Don't think I have enough donor hair for anything else. Repair possibly by FUE. Wondering about beard and BHT

 

Thank goodness for this site, it's very informative. Everyone here is fantastic.

 

Need advice on surgeon, 

Which procedure

And if I should go on meds and if so which ones?

 

Regards

Stressed Out

 

PS - Factors affecting my decisions.

I am 60 yrs, how much time do I have left.

Cost

Not comfortable with travel because of Covid. I am located in Canada. But this site has some great recommendations throughout the world.

[JDEE0]

Sorry to hear things didn't work out for you, I think people often forget how lucky we are nowadays to have modern hair transplant technology/practices and ease of access to effective medications to prevent further loss, things were very different in 1991.

The good news is that things have come a long way since then, and results are far more successful and effective today. The bad news is that your donor looks very limited from what I can see, and I'm not sure how much you can reasonably give, even with modern techniques.

Body hair for your case will probably be a must... how is your beard and (potentially) chest hair? If you have a solid beard then you could take X thousand grafts from there and combine with a small amount via FUE from the donor and have some conservative coverage in your frontal third, leaving the crown sparse. Maybe Joe Biden-esque, but perhaps less dense.

I would recommend contacting Eugenix in India, probably the best choice for your case. But as I say, it will probably ride on the amount of body hair (mostly beard) you have available to give. 

[LaserCaps]

Looks like you might have a bit of donor left....not much mind you....but enough to soften hairline and maybe add a little density.  Pls, if you do have some, concentrate just on the hairline and the area right behind it.

I do see that your grafts were spread throughout the pattern and now you look like you have a diffused look. I also see you have no native hair left so I think it would be a waste of time to do any medical therapy.  Not sure about elasticity but I would encourage you to visit with a doctor and see if there are any FUE grafts available.  Even 400-600 grafts could soften up things.  It is important to realize that gray hair is now your best friend. A little can go a long way particularly when you consider the color of your skin.  

 

[aaron1234]

The fact that the HT's didn't take leaves you in a better position now.  You only have a few plugs producing hair at the moment.  A completely bald top would look more normal.  You can always do laser hair removal, or punch out the plugs via FUE.  You just don't have enough donor supply to make it worth the trouble, but that is ok.  Trim or shave) the hair growing out of the plugs and look like a normal, bald gentleman. 

[1978matt]

One for @Gatsby to help on.

Would suggest Drs Konior, Cooley, Gabel, Lindsey, Shapiro, Hasson & Wong as suitable options for advise.

[pre-screened]

Go to the best in the biz (Konior / Hasson Wong) and let them come up with a game plan…your in Canada so Hasson/Wong seems like a great option...I’m certain they could work wonders but what I can assure you with those two doctors is that they’ll do the RIGHT thing for you. I could see even a few hundred FUE grafts…strategically placed would completely change the game, disguise the old plugs and give you a nice age appropriate light framing of the face

Life’s too short to be unhappy and with todays procedures and going to the best in the biz any risks that do exist are now so small that for you I think its a non brainer to go and get something done with Konior/Hasson or Wong

[Al - Moderator]

How much beard and chest hair do you have? I also had hair transplants done 30+ years ago, starting in 1989. A few years ago I began fixing it using beard and chest hair because I didn't have any scalp donor left. I had over 5300 beard and chest grafts done so far and it's turned out OK considering the large area I had to cover and all the scars that were there. I put a lot into my crown because that area really bothered me, but if I had concentrated all of the crown grafts into the frontal half the way you say you want to do, then the front half would be basically completely full of hair. Whether this is possible for you really depends on how much beard and chest hair you have.

 

[Gatsby]

@StressedOut I’m 54. Back in 1985 at the age of ‘18’ I had two punch graft operations that left me with a low hairline of doll’s hair from a procedure that I never really needed at the time. It took the next 6 or 7 years having half a dozen operations with a plastic surgeon to cut out in strips all of the plugs. I then wore a wig for 25 years to hide the scars and my baldness. Four years ago I finally decided to shave my head and have SMP to camouflage the scars (with an 80% improvement) and then got on with my life. In my honest opinion if you can shave your head and have SMP (to camouflage the scars) then you can reclaim your life. If you are not equipped to shave your head then have a consultation with Hasson and Wong. Personally I think you will get a better result if you have a consultation with Eugenix only for the simple fact that they have mastered the art of being able use beard hair along with scalp hair. You may be able to use up to 2,000 grafts of beard hair. However it will be pointless unless it is mixed in with scalp hair. I wouldn’t waste your time with chest hair as the success rate of survival is around 50%. 
The challenge you now face is how much scalp hair you can harvest without depleting your donor area. But the answer to this I will leave with you in consultation with the experts. There is definitely a way out from your current situation and I have walked in your shoes since I was 18. I’ll put up some pics when I get home to give you an idea of my scars, etc. wishing you all the best!
 

 

[stephcurry30]

No offense but save your money and move on with your life. You're 60 years old and unless you are balling with money there is no point in spending thousands only to have a few grafts placed to make a hairline. You're donor is not ideal and limited. 

[Britanium]

With such a limited donor area and outdated work on your scalp maybe you could consider a hair system instead ? It won’t compromise your donor area and will totally cover up the previous work on your scalp. 
Hair systems have also improved vastly and can be a really good option. 

[EvoXOhio]

If it were me, I would just shave it or maybe consider SMP

[Al - Moderator]

 

Here are a few examples of men over 60 getting some decent results. I'm not endorsing any particular Drs here. I'm just trying to give you an idea of what may be possible if you are able to get enough donor grafts. You may not need too many grafts to get a decent frontal area.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[gillenator]

IMHO, I would recommend waiting on doing any SMP until you get an idea on how much hair could be harvested from your primary donor zone...it appears that some hair could be taken via FUE only as some of that hair is in good condition...also get an assessment on how much beard donor could be potentially blended.

The best you could probably do is a highly placed thin frame and then transcending with possibly beard grafts mixed behind it....the commencement of this higher placed hairline must be done with scalp donor so it is imperative that you get an accurate estimate as to how many scalp grafts can be taken from your primary donor area.

Then, and only then will you be able to get a better gauge on how much and where SMP is best utilized.

If this type of plan is not acceptable to you and you must have hair coverage, only a quality hair system will provide that as JohnAC71 suggested....although your rim is thinned out, a custom tailored hair system can potentially adjust the density as it meets the rim on both sides.

[StressedOut]

What a great site this is. So informative and so many great people wanting to help.

Thank you !!!

I am just looking to fix my hairline so that I hope it could cover  my old HT. I would not want hairline extended to the sides of my head. Just want front part fixed .,that's all. If this could be done I would start having my hair slicked back. Would also wish to have beard hair used. Also could I use beard hair along with SMP to cover old scar marks???

[gillenator]

Yes you can certainly try using beard donor for the scars but I recommend that you do a smaller trial first to see how the beard hair grows through some of the scars, and how well the yield is.