Is a hair transplant viable for me in future?

[futureresearch]

Hi all,

 

I am 25 and have been losing hair since I was 18. I was on fin from age 20-23 but I had side effects all throughout and decided I should stay off. Currently I am using minox though I know it is not a permanent solution. 
 

I know it is generally not recommended for young people to get transplants without meds as they are likely aggressive candidates. Is there no alternative in that case? I’ll attach pics and show some ideas I have.

My hair type covers a lot of thin spots when grown out as you can see below. I also have a decent beard. I was wondering if fue, beard, and smp would work. I would do FUT but I worry that the scar would be too raised as my body is prone to doing that. As for shaving my head, I have done that and am not a fan of the look, my head is quite wide and long and I used to be bullied for it as a kid though I can accept it if I have no other options. Money wouldn’t be an issue and I would make sure to find a top surgeon, so far I am thinking Dr. Diep or Bisanga but would like to hear your guy’s input as well. Also I wouldn’t do this until about 2 or 3 years as I want to see how my hair loss stabilizes off fin and also hoping a new anti androgen would get approved though I know this is unlikely.

All the pics are with same hair loss, just hair grown out.

[Raphael84]

Hi @futureresearch

Your photos are not the most clear to be honest and your donor is not visible in any images. Your donor area will be influential in regard to if surgery may or may not be the most appropriate option for you so by all means share further quality images showing all angles of your head including full profiles and back donor.

You would appear to still have a decent amount of hair and the first step will be to stabilise and slow/prevent progressive loss if possible which bring us back to meds.

If you were not able to tolerate finasteride well, you can consider topical finasteride as opposed to oral. As you say you are using minoxidil, I would imagine that this may be topical. Oral minoxidil is an emerging treatment with very promising results and at low dosage has a positive efficacy and safety profile. Many patients who are not able to use finasteride now use oral minoxidil and have shown good improvements and stability. Of course, all patients respond uniquely based on their physiology and sensitive but it may well be worth considering in your case based on the information shared above and your age.
 

 

[Gatsby]

Another hat hat worth throwing in the ring is Dr Mwamba for your case. He recommends topical dutasteride which has a heavier molecular weight than topical finasteride for example and is far less likely to go systemic. All the best!

[futureresearch]

Thanks for the reply. I tried topical finasteride a couple of months ago and developed side effects again in a month. I’ll look into oral minoxidil and dutasteride but with the latter I am expecting that it will also lead to side effects despite the molecular size theory. Medication is probably my best bet so happy to take a look at any options.

Here are some pics of donor as well. My hair curls tightly if I haven’t combed in a while which you’ll see in one of the pics. Also I currently have alopecia areata and dermatitis, have gone to a derm to address that.

Again sorry about the quality of pics, my goal really is just to determine if I have any options or ways to hold ground until there is a new treatment given my experience with side effects related to current treatments.

[Rahal Hair Transplant]

By the photos alone you look like a decent candidate for FUE. You mention thin spots that I can see in the photos but it also appears like you have pretty thick hair.  More background an evening in personalization might be more helpful in determining candidacy in particular to rule out any other conditions that may cause increased patchy hair loss in the donor area, etc. It may just be the way your hair sits naturally but it’s always good to rule out any other conditions that may create problems down the road for your long-term hair restoration goals. 
 

Rahal Hair Transplant 

[futureresearch]

Yes I’ll get a good consultation before anything, the thin spots I believe are just what happens if my hair is short and curled, which happens in the back if I let it grow out after a haircut and don’t comb. The top is fine since I’m always messing with it to get it to look right. Either way, it’s good to know it is a possibility. I’ll see if I can figure out a tolerable medication plan in the meantime.