NW6/7 advice?

[baldforawhile]

Hello,

I've been balding since I first noticed it in my freshman year of college (19 years old), and am now 41.  I've attached some pictures of my current state of hair affairs, and after doing some research I think I'm a NW 6 or 7.  (After taking a look at the pics I've uploaded, I'm leaning towards NW 7).  I recently came across this forum and have been researching / reading posts, and the members here seem to be very knowledgeable!  I figured I'd ask what people think is achievable for my head, as I've seen some others do.

For some background - when I realized I was balding at 19, I accepted the fact that it was going to happen pretty quickly.  Back then I only remember seeing hair transplants using FUT method and was very wary of having any scars on my head.  I assumed that since I was balding at a young age, that I'd eventually be extremely bald and did not want to have scars if I ever had to completely shave my head.  I was also hesitant to do literally anything to stop the hair loss progression, since at the time the medications seemed unproven and there was not as much information on the internet.  I was also not keen on the idea of having to be on meds for the rest of my life just for my hair.  Looking back, I'd probably have preferred to use the meds and roll the dice on whether they'd work or not.  

I've been slowly balding for the last 20 years, and about 7 years ago took the plunge and shaved it all off.  The pics you see here are about as long as my hair has been in the last 7 years.  I do not look terrible with a bald head, but I don't personally like the look on myself, and have always wanted to fix it but just didn't think it was possible.

About 6 months ago I saw a video on social media of someone applying a hair system.  Shaving their head, applying glue, and slapping down the hair.  I started laughing immediately because I thought it was a joke, but after a haircut they showed the end results.  I was shocked at how natural and awesome it looked.  It was then that I started researching hair systems, transplants, etc, and became interested in fixing my hair situation.  I started weighing my options - is it better to be bald, or is it better to walk around with a toupee?  I actually bought a hair system and tried it out just to see how I liked it (I figured I'd go to a professional if I felt like it was something I wanted to do).  The jury is still out on that as having hair is awesome but the maintenance and just being self conscious about is very much not awesome.  A better alternative I've felt would be to get a hair transplant.  If I could just pay a lump some and have a hair transplant and be done worrying about it, I'd do it.  I figured people like Elon Musk have done it and look great, but I don't have millions of dollars for the best surgeon.  And of course, who knows if his hair loss is anything like mine.

That leads me to today - I'd like to ask everyones opinion on what my best options are, how my donor hair looks, how many surgeries (and approx. grafts) people think would be required, and possibly find some links to threads of people with similar loss to my own.  I have searched the forum already and have a few examples, but just figured i'd throw that out there.  Also would you think it would be wise to start on fin/min before thinking about a HT?  I would still prefer to not be on meds and would also prefer to not use FUT but I would do either if it meant I could get the result I want.  As far as the result I want - to me, if someone looks at me and thinks "he's going bald", I may as well not mess with my scalp at all and stay very bald.  If I could get a full head of hair with a high hairline that would be acceptable though.  I did also see a thread on having just the hairline transplanted and filling the crown with a system - that may also be acceptable and I'm sure would open up my options considerably.

I have not consulted with any HT surgeons and obviously will be consulting with many before I take the plunge, but figured since there seems to be a lot of knowledgeable people on this forum, that I'd ask for opinions here first!  A few notes on the pics - the hair I do have is turning grey so the pictures might look like worse donor area than it actually is, but I'll let you be the judge of that.  When I've let my hair grow out in the past, I actually dislike how thick it is, so always figured it would be good donor hair (of course as I mentioned it's been a while since I've done that). 

I appreciate everyone reading this, and also appreciate anyones feedback!

Thanks!    

 

 

Edited September 1, 2021 by baldforawhile
Cropped one of the photos

[baldforawhile]

Not sure why the photos aren't working so here they are.

[JDEE0]

You don't need millions of Dollars, it's a sort of myth or misconception people have - they see celebrities get HT's and assume it must have cost them some ridiculous price, but it's not really the case. FUE is generally more expensive than FUT, and the U.S. is generally more expensive than the other region of quality hair transplants that the world has to offer - Europe (not saying these are the only two places with good surgeons, just that the majority are concentrated between the two).

World class surgeons in Europe are going to cost anywhere from 2.5/3 to 4 EUR per graft generally speaking, whilst the U.S. is probably going to be around about double the price for the same quality of surgeon. 

You are a NW6, not a 7, and your sides or lateral humps are quite high which is good. Donor hair looks ok, it looks somewhat patchy in the very middle of the back of your scalp, but its really hard to give any accurate indication based just off of that photo. If I was you, I would go and get it checked by a reputable doctor for an assessment and they will tell you what you're working with, but probably average, maybe a little below. Although you did say the pics make it look worse.

Your graft amount is going to depend on things like how coarse your hair is, how many double, triple etc grafts you naturally have and so on, but you're going to need at least 6000 for decently dense conservative coverage. I would opt to do it over two surgeries, but there are a few clinics in the world who specialise in mega sessions who could potentially do 5-6000 in one session, look up Hasson and Wong and Eugenix for starters.

You can potentially get a 'full head of hair with a high hairline', yes. But, it's not really going to be a full head of hair, it won't be as dense as a non balding persons scalp - we're talking 50 grafts per cm/2 being classed as high density for a transplant generally speaking when non balding areas are often double this - but it can visually look close to it and fool the human eye in most scenarios (i.e. styled and dry). 

I would advise to try fin and see how you get on, it can only help and if you decide its not for you, stop taking it. no harm done and nothing to lose. Whilst it's probably not necessary in your case, you have more hair that it's possible to lose even at this point than you realise - go look up a NW7 pattern in detail.

Out of interest, at what age were you clearly showing the pattern of being as bald as you are now - was it clear you were heading here by your later 20's for example?

 

[baldforawhile]

Thanks JDEE0!  I'd say it was pretty clear where I was heading by my late 20's, yes.  I had an obvious receeding hairline by 25, and by 30 people would refer to me as the 'bald guy'.  (Thanks random stranger in a movie ticket line).  When I initially started shaving my head, 33/34, I would say it was not obvious that I'd lose anything at the back of my head, I only started noticing that in the last few years.  So I do think I am continuing to lose hair even now, although at a pretty slow rate.

[Melvin- Admin]

In my honest opinion, you would be better suited to go FUT first. You need the most grafts you can get, and you can only do that by combining FUT and FUE. Overall your donor looks sparse, if you don't have realistic expectations I would say do not get a hair transplant.

[Gatsby]

Quote

As far as the result I want - to me, if someone looks at me and thinks "he's going bald", I may as well not mess with my scalp at all and stay very bald.  If I could get a full head of hair with a high hairline that would be acceptable though.  I did also see a thread on having just the hairline transplanted and filling the crown with a system - that may also be acceptable and I'm sure would open up my options considerably.

Unfortunatetly you will never be able to achieve a head of hair like someone who has never lost hair. A hair transplant is the art of giving the illusion of having a full head of hair (depending on your donor supply). The other option you mentioned is to have the front hairline transplanted and a hair piece worn behind it. This can give an undetectable appearance of a full head of hair. This was offered to me. However what if you change your mind after several years? You will be left with a band of hair running along the hairline with nothing else. It's a big commitment for life. I wore a hair piece after two bad hair transplants and spent 25 years wearing a hair piece. I wanted to shave my head for the last ten years of wearing my hair piece but I had severe scars preventing this. Then when SMP came along I had the scars camouflaged and just shaved my head. This was four and a half years ago.

You could try finasteride and see what benefits you get and you may be surprised. It can improve your donor hair and you may be a candidate for surgery if your goals are realistic? Wishing you all the best.

[baldforawhile]

3 hours ago, Melvin- Moderator said:

In my honest opinion, you would be better suited to go FUT first. You need the most grafts you can get, and you can only do that by combining FUT and FUE. Overall your donor looks sparse, if you don't have realistic expectations I would say do not get a hair transplant.

Thanks Melvin, I appreciate your feedback!  I almost didn’t post this after writing it out and looking at the pics, since I was like what’s the point I am doomed, and my hair loss is bad.    I am not opposed to Fut these days since I’ve lived with being bald so long and just don’t want to do it anymore.  I figure later in life I still won’t want to be bald and will wear the toupee.  
 

I hadn’t thought of the fact that a line of transplanted hair with nothing behind it would be way worse then scars, thanks Gatsby, I had not thought of that.  That is a lifelong commitment to a hair system and I don’t think I’d be willing to do that.  
 

Maybe I’ll get some hair dye and dye the hairs so they are all black and then update this thread, I think that is the only way I can show the donor area well.  I am really not under any illusion that a miracle can happen here but do think the donor area is better than the pics show.  I did hit “post” on this thread after thinking it’s hopeless just because I want to get some real and realistic opinions so I very much appreciate you guys taking the time to post.  

[Britanium]

Maybe you could look at FUT with Hasson & Wong or Hattingen as they both do really good work. And would get you the max amount of grafts out of your donor area without compromising it. You could also consult with Dr Bisanga who does some awesome combo FUT/FUE sessions. What is your beard like ? Your going to need another source of you want to get decent coverage. Especially since you don’t want to be known as the balding guy. Is it possible to get a transplant? Yes, is it going to give you adequate coverage? I’m not so sure. But it’s definitely worth consulting with some of the elite clinics. I would also say Eugenix as they excel in this area. But this would be a combo of FUE/Beard grafts. As Melvin mentioned you do need to max out your donor area and this would normally involve FUT. 

Edited September 2, 2021 by JohnAC71

[baldforawhile]

My beard is pretty strong I think.  As with my usual donor area hair it gets out of hand if I let it grow out, and is also greying.   I’ve been wearing a stubble look since my early 20’s and don’t plan on ever changing that.  I don’t know how that effects your ability to use the beard as donor (can you still wear a stubble beard after?).  
 

It has been one of the paradoxes of my life that my side head hair and beard are so thick yet the top of my head is so bald.  But I’m thinking the thickness of the hairs is not as important as the density of them, so I really have no idea what kind of donor hair I have.  I’ll definitely consult a few doctors before jumping off the cliff, but beard hair is definitely fair game I think.

Edited September 2, 2021 by baldforawhile

[baldforawhile]

[baldforawhile]

I should note I have a couple scars on my chin there from falling off my bike when I was a kid (whoops) and no hair grows there.  That patch on my left chin is a graying area.  There are a lot of those graying hairs spread throughout the beard and donor area pics as well.

That being said, I would not mind taking the entirety of all the hairs below my jaw line.

Edited September 2, 2021 by baldforawhile

[Britanium]

1 hour ago, baldforawhile said:

I should note I have a couple scars on my chin there from falling off my bike when I was a kid (whoops) and no hair grows there.  That patch on my left chin is a graying area.  There are a lot of those graying hairs spread throughout the beard and donor area pics as well.

That being said, I would not mind taking the entirety of all the hairs below my jaw line.

Eugenix would definitely be a good clinic to consult with, they really are particularly good at using beard grafts. And as I mentioned they are also very skilled with Norwood 6. HDC @Doron Haraticould be another clinic you could consider. 

[Kharmacoma]

Your donor looks a bit weak to me. Can you please post some more pictures? Either way you definitely will be needing finasteride as the back side of your donour is receding. 

[Havar]

11 hours ago, baldforawhile said:

 

11 hours ago, baldforawhile said:

My beard is pretty strong I think.  As with my usual donor area hair it gets out of hand if I let it grow out, and is also greying.   I’ve been wearing a stubble look since my early 20’s and don’t plan on ever changing that.  I don’t know how that effects your ability to use the beard as donor (can you still wear a stubble beard after?).  
 

It has been one of the paradoxes of my life that my side head hair and beard are so thick yet the top of my head is so bald.  But I’m thinking the thickness of the hairs is not as important as the density of them, so I really have no idea what kind of donor hair I have.  I’ll definitely consult a few doctors before jumping off the cliff, but beard hair is definitely fair game I think.

Hi, I would recomend to talk with Hattingen. You can have a Skype consultation, and you usb microscope. This will give you the donor-answer. I had the same issue ad you; NW 6, same haircut😂, and same comments about weak donor. You really can’t say anything with pics, because it is not detailed enough to show the truth. For me, when Sever  saw with the usb Microscope, he could give me the answer after 5 min. 

[Melvin- Admin]

In my honest opinion, there are two clinics that have excellent results on cases like yours, they are Hasson and Wong and Eugenix. The first is an FUT+FUE clinic, and the other is FUE+BHT. If you’re really serious, I would start there. 

[MachoVato]

I agree with FUT as your best approach. Hasson & Wong are legends in this area. In the US, you could look into Bloxham & Feller in NY. But for mega sessions, Eugenix in India has great success, as Melvin mentioned.

[InTheSix]

On 9/1/2021 at 5:31 PM, baldforawhile said:

Hello,

I've been balding since I first noticed it in my freshman year of college (19 years old), and am now 41.  I've attached some pictures of my current state of hair affairs, and after doing some research I think I'm a NW 6 or 7.  (After taking a look at the pics I've uploaded, I'm leaning towards NW 7).  I recently came across this forum and have been researching / reading posts, and the members here seem to be very knowledgeable!  I figured I'd ask what people think is achievable for my head, as I've seen some others do.

For some background - when I realized I was balding at 19, I accepted the fact that it was going to happen pretty quickly.  Back then I only remember seeing hair transplants using FUT method and was very wary of having any scars on my head.  I assumed that since I was balding at a young age, that I'd eventually be extremely bald and did not want to have scars if I ever had to completely shave my head.  I was also hesitant to do literally anything to stop the hair loss progression, since at the time the medications seemed unproven and there was not as much information on the internet.  I was also not keen on the idea of having to be on meds for the rest of my life just for my hair.  Looking back, I'd probably have preferred to use the meds and roll the dice on whether they'd work or not.  

I've been slowly balding for the last 20 years, and about 7 years ago took the plunge and shaved it all off.  The pics you see here are about as long as my hair has been in the last 7 years.  I do not look terrible with a bald head, but I don't personally like the look on myself, and have always wanted to fix it but just didn't think it was possible.

About 6 months ago I saw a video on social media of someone applying a hair system.  Shaving their head, applying glue, and slapping down the hair.  I started laughing immediately because I thought it was a joke, but after a haircut they showed the end results.  I was shocked at how natural and awesome it looked.  It was then that I started researching hair systems, transplants, etc, and became interested in fixing my hair situation.  I started weighing my options - is it better to be bald, or is it better to walk around with a toupee?  I actually bought a hair system and tried it out just to see how I liked it (I figured I'd go to a professional if I felt like it was something I wanted to do).  The jury is still out on that as having hair is awesome but the maintenance and just being self conscious about is very much not awesome.  A better alternative I've felt would be to get a hair transplant.  If I could just pay a lump some and have a hair transplant and be done worrying about it, I'd do it.  I figured people like Elon Musk have done it and look great, but I don't have millions of dollars for the best surgeon.  And of course, who knows if his hair loss is anything like mine.

That leads me to today - I'd like to ask everyones opinion on what my best options are, how my donor hair looks, how many surgeries (and approx. grafts) people think would be required, and possibly find some links to threads of people with similar loss to my own.  I have searched the forum already and have a few examples, but just figured i'd throw that out there.  Also would you think it would be wise to start on fin/min before thinking about a HT?  I would still prefer to not be on meds and would also prefer to not use FUT but I would do either if it meant I could get the result I want.  As far as the result I want - to me, if someone looks at me and thinks "he's going bald", I may as well not mess with my scalp at all and stay very bald.  If I could get a full head of hair with a high hairline that would be acceptable though.  I did also see a thread on having just the hairline transplanted and filling the crown with a system - that may also be acceptable and I'm sure would open up my options considerably.

I have not consulted with any HT surgeons and obviously will be consulting with many before I take the plunge, but figured since there seems to be a lot of knowledgeable people on this forum, that I'd ask for opinions here first!  A few notes on the pics - the hair I do have is turning grey so the pictures might look like worse donor area than it actually is, but I'll let you be the judge of that.  When I've let my hair grow out in the past, I actually dislike how thick it is, so always figured it would be good donor hair (of course as I mentioned it's been a while since I've done that). 

I appreciate everyone reading this, and also appreciate anyones feedback!

Thanks!    

 

 

your overall expectations will be key.. not expecting people to say "he's going bald"  is, in my opinion, a tall order... as people have mentioned, HT is an illusion of density, specially for people with higher norwood and less than ideal donor...  if you do go ahead... FUT+ DUE or FUE + BHT will be your options... its good that your sides have still not fallen completely... i would suggest you try min/fin since you have lots of miniaturized hair and those may get some help...but they are both lifetime commitments, so only do if your serious about moving ahead with addressing your hair loss..

best of luck