Transplant to make buzzcut look great?

[mrwoods]

So ive got a mildly recessed hairline with lowish density at 23 years old. (similar photo on the left side attached for reference)
Eventually the #1 buzz cut really began to grow on me so I think if I can have my hair look reasonably dense and consistent while short id be satisfied. (so to go from the left hand picture to the right hand picture)

My question is, if I got multiple transplants is it possible to create a consistent looking buzzcut without finasteride and minoxidil? 
I  understand that my native hair will continue to fall out but im curious if I could continue to transplant overtime so that a buzzcut can be pulled off long term since the donor hair wont be lost to DHT?

I see photos of norwood 6's etc getting full scalp transplants and looking reasonably dense, so if that hair doesnt require fin or min then isnt it reasonable to assume I could go this route for a buzzcut? 

Thanks guys, I see how knowledgeable this community is and would love some guidance.

Edited December 3, 2021 by mrwoods
correction of text

[Gokuhairline]

is the right photo photo shopped ? lol serious question ...and i don't think your a norwood 2.5 its probbablly higher...but i am not expert....good luck 

[Gatsby]

That before photo looks like a diffused Norwood 6 (possibly)? Without medication you always have to assume that you may become a full Norwood 6/7 in the many years to come. If that's the case then your lateral humps will drop and the bottom of the crown will be lost, etc. With the amount of grafts required to cover such a large area then you will run into the issue of scarring becoming evident and the supply/demand issue for full coverage becomes a reality. I'm not a doctor but I think it's always best to start from the worst case scenario and work backwards and to plan accordingly over the lifespan. All the best.

[BDK081522]

Firstly, it seems like your attached pictures are an example of your pattern but not actually you, correct? If that's the case then you're definitely not a NW 2.5. That's a NW 6 pattern and could even progress to 7 without medical intervention. Secondly, what's your reason for not wanting to try finasteride? It helps to strengthen your donor and not just the top of your scalp. So, in high NW patients their donor or traditional DHT resistant areas can actually thin over time. Medical therapy is always the first choice before a transplant. Lastly, most hair transplants do not look great at short buzz cuts. They work by a layering effect to create the illusion of density but can never actually attain natural density. Longer hair helps to create this effect by covering more scalp.  You've come to the right place so just do some more research. 

Edited December 3, 2021 by BDK081522

[mrwoods]

I've edited what I wrote about norwoods, I had always assumed norwood just referred to how far back your hairline is and that density was another issue.

So, lets say im currently a norwood 6. 
If I was to transplant enough hair to create similar density to the guy in the photo provided how many grafts would that be?
Secondly, suppose I had zero native hair on my scalp (assuming it all fell out due to no fin) would an additional transplant be enough to recreate similar density to the guy above?

In regards to taking fin I had gyno and brain fog when taking 1mg every second day. I could experiment with a lower dosage but id sooner go this route if its actually possible.

Thanks again for your help, I figured you guys likely have many hours more research under your belt so id sooner take your judgement than make assumptions

[BDK081522]

Well, it's hard to answer that question because there are many factors that go into coverage value. Hair caliber, hairs per graft, hair texture, and straight vs wavy all play a part. True NW 6's might need anywhere from 6,000-10,000 grafts just to get the "illusion" of a full head of hair when grown out. You have to assume that if you can't take finasteride and you have a NW 6 pattern currently manifesting that eventually all of that hair will be lost. So, essentially to perform hair restoration on a slick bald 6 would take multiple procedures and more than likely you would need to supplement with beard grafts. Even with this type of plan you would be hard pressed to pull off density that allows you to buzz your hair.

[mrwoods]

So would you say in all likelihood it is a lost endeavor?

If thats the case I may just have to either enjoy a few years of dense hair with a transplant or adjust to being slick bald really. I think id be cool with slick bald at 30 or so, feels a little too soon at 23

[BDK081522]

Trust me, if it bothers you now, then you won't think it's cool to be bald at 30. You have to realize that if you get a transplant (no matter what age) you're permanently altering your scalp and you will not likely be able to just shave it off. The scarring even with elite surgeons using small FUE punches is still scarring. Without medical intervention, you're too young for a transplant currently. Best advice is to alter dosing regimens of finasteride, use minoxidil, ketoconazole, and even try some topical anti-androgens such as the finasteride or RU. You have to try and stabilize your loss before any surgical intervention is attempted .

[Gatsby]

With the deepest respect at 23 it's not possible to comprehend the balding experience over the lifespan. I'm confused with the photos you have posted? If it's an idea of where you are and where you want to be then surgery isn't for you. You need thousands of grafts that won't exist because you won't have the donor supply for it by the time you reach Norwood 6. And if you have had surgery/ies by the time you reach Norwood 6 with your native hair you will have less donor hair, miniaturized donor hair and scarring throughout your donor supply (be it FUT, FUR or both). Also if you have Norwood 6 now at 23 you need to abandon the idea of a 'hair style' you want now and you need to be realistic with what 'illusion of hair' can be achieved years from now in the future. Otherwise you will regret ever having had surgery in the first place. All the best.

[mrwoods]

I appreciate what you guys are saying here. Perhaps I'm being short sighted.

Would you say that being a norwood 6 at 23 means that the whole hair transplant route in general isnt worth pursuing? Or is it a different story entirely if I was to make use of finasteride? I had figured with FUE I would be able to have a consistent buzzcut for a while and then if worst comes to worst I could shave down to a #1 later without the scars being visible 
Thanks again for your time and considerate approach.

Edited December 3, 2021 by mrwoods

[Gatsby]

Have a look at SMP.

[Gokuhairline]

just post actual pics of yourself so we can keep giving our honest opinions....

[Al - Moderator]

1 hour ago, mrwoods said:

Would you say that being a norwood 6 at 23 means that the whole hair transplant route in general isnt worth pursuing? Or is it a different story entirely if I was to make use of finasteride? I had figured with FUE I would be able to have a consistent buzzcut for a while and then if worst comes to worst I could shave down to a #1 later without the scars being visible 

 

I do think a buzz cut can look good after a hair transplant if it's done right, but if you are headed for NW 6 or worse, then here is one scenario that can likely happen that you need to be careful of... and this is if everything goes well.

1. You get 2500 FUE grafts to add density to your thinning, so you can get a good buzz cut that looks full. 2500 grafts is not so much, so you still have good looking donor

2. A few years later you lost some more of your original hair, so you add another 2000 FUE grafts to thicken it up again.

3. Another few years later and the rest of the original hair is gone, so you add another 1500 FUE grafts.

4. Now the problem is you have a thin donor from all of the FUE that was done and you don't look good with a buzz cut, so now you want to shave it all, but you look even worse shaving down to nothing because now that you have 6000+ FUE scars, all those scars look even worse than when it was buzzed.

What do you do now? That is the issue that you *could* run into, so be careful with what you decide to do.

If you do decide to get it done, you have to make sure you don't try to get a low hairline. That's what Gatsby was referring to when he said "if you have Norwood 6 now at 23 you need to abandon the idea of a 'hair style' you want now and you need to be realistic with what 'illusion of hair' can be achieved years from now in the future."

 

[mrwoods]

@BeHappy
Thanks for the response, yeah so thats definitely not an ideal situation.

Do you have any idea how many grafts you can take from the back and sides without compromising the look of the donor zone when it comes time buzz all over since the density is once again lost? I dont think id regret it if a transplant gave me a few extra years of decent hair if I could shave it off without noticeable scarring. Just assessing my options here.

Im not so fussed about trying to keep a super youthful hairline, id basically just want to fill in what I have now without making it any lower.

Will upload photos of my own hair soon, heading out right now, thanks again everyone

[Britanium]

Please post your actual pics so we can guide you. 🙏

[mrwoods]

@JC71Will do when I get home, cheers!

[Berba11]

It would be much more helpful to see your own pictures. 
 

But also, there are videos on YouTube of people buzzing down their hair transplants. Take a look and see what you think. 
 

Further, take a look at @back2life_45’s progress thread. At just 4 months growth post HT he’s already got himself a very, very credible buzz cut. Could he get away with keeping it that length? Certainly looks like it to me. 
 

What you might want to do is find as many patient threads for higher NW cases and see how they look around the 3-4 month mark. That’s the point in which hairs are just starting to burst through and the patients will have buzzcut-length hair. 

It also depends on exactly how short your buzz things down. A 3/4/5 grade all over could look pretty good as long as the HT’s have been done well. Maybe a 2/2.5 depending on the donor area. 
 

It’s a tricky one but I think what you want is achievable. That said, at 23 I’d really not advise having surgery. 

[SeanT1]

My man, I'm going to be straight with you.  Unless you have a good reason not to use finasteride, you should.
Don't listen to the horror stories on the internet, the majority of man have no sexual side effects.

Look into micro pigmentation also.

But never EVER get a hair transplant if you're choosing NOT to use hair loss medication.
Hold on to what you have now before you regret it.

Edited December 3, 2021 by SeanToman

[BadBeat]

There was a guy that Ron Shapiro worked on who did a combo FUE + SMP and I thought it looked really good. It's somewhere on the internet and would be a good case study to look at. I think with this strategy, SMP is probably a must, both to add density to the translated area, as well as mask the scarring in the donor area.