Will a HT look unnatural in the years to come?

[alex_mil]

Looking at getting my temples and hairline restored. I am taking Finasteride now, but if I were stop for some reason, would my hair continue to reduce around the transplant? Or is the transplant affected by DHT as well? Would it all be lost evenly? 

[LaserCaps]

It all depends.  How long have you been on the medication? Take me, for example.  I have been on Fin for more than 20 years.  If my destiny was to lose all the native hair I had, and I stopped the med, that's exactly what will happen. Meaning, you will lose what you were meant to use had you not been on the medication.  Now, if I was not meant to lose anything during those 20+ years, nothing will happen.  Unfortunately, we do not have a hair crystal ball that's going to tell us anything. 

Many believe there are more than 101 different types of hair in the donor. Fine, course, thicker, etc. If you notice, typically the hairline, is not a "line." Rather, it is a transitional zone that gradually develops into more density as you go farther back into the pattern.  The hair up front is typically finer and coarser as you go back. Thus, if thicker hair in the front is placed, it will stick out like a sore thumb because it will not match the caliber of the hair that you typically find in that specific area. 

For year we've know that DHT does not affect the donor. That's why harvesting is almost always done there.  Magically, once the transplant is done, that hair will remain as if it was in the donor and will not be affected by DHT.  So, you'll never be empty. So, this brings up a whole other set of issues.

Imagine a patient working the temporal areas, (corners), and nothing else.  The patient has been on Fin for years and all of the sudden he stops. (He is destined to lose everything up top). The doctor fills the areas as per the original request.  The patient will end up with two horns and nothing else.  So, it is important for the doctor and the patient to consider this from the get-go.  Blending grafts into the native hair is HUGE. This way, regardless of what happens, there will be connection and makes the end result more natural.  Almost as if the patient went on to lose the hair naturally.

Please do not get off the med(s).

[Rahal Hair Transplant]

For most individuals, hair transplantation really does stand the test of time. My first heart transplant was performed in 2000 for my last one was in 2007 or 2008 and now 15 years later, my hair still looks just as good if not better than when my last hair transplant matured.  That said, as one ages/gets older, even hair that’s not affected by androgenetic alopecia can thin a little however, it is typically not noticeable   And if it does become evident, it’s usually at an older, mature age.

Best wishes,

Rahal Hair Transplant 

[Mike10]

3 hours ago, Rahal Hair Transplant said:

For most individuals, hair transplantation really does stand the test of time. My first heart transplant was performed in 2000 for my last one was in 2007 or 2008 and now 15 years later, my hair still looks just as good if not better than when my last hair transplant matured.  That said, as one ages/gets older, even hair that’s not affected by androgenetic alopecia can thin a little however, it is typically not noticeable   And if it does become evident, it’s usually at an older, mature age.

Best wishes,

Rahal Hair Transplant 

are you on medication?

[Mike10]

I guess it would look unnatural with only the transplanted hair 

Edited January 21, 2022 by Mike10

[pkipling]

Ideally, the short answer is no. However, that requires choosing a surgeon who will help you come up with a longterm game plan based on a number of different factors. How old are you? How severe is the hair loss? Based on your family history, what is your projected hair loss over the course of your lifetime? While there's no crystal ball that will tell you with certainty how your hair loss will progress, there's a way to get a pretty good idea... And then whatever decisions they make in terms of grafts and graft placement will be made with these longterm factors in mind, which will help ensure that your hair transplant will continue to look natural even as you age. 

[NARMAK]

20 hours ago, alex_mil said:

Looking at getting my temples and hairline restored. I am taking Finasteride now, but if I were stop for some reason, would my hair continue to reduce around the transplant? Or is the transplant affected by DHT as well? Would it all be lost evenly? 

I believe the general held believe is that Donor Area hair is DHT resistant so if you stop Finasteride, the natural hair will be lost where its sensitive and the transplanted hair will remain. Which is why doctors say to always stay on Finasteride at the very least long term. 

My question to you would also to ask your age and how long you been on Finasteride. 

The second is to ask if you can post pictures of your current hairline so we can see what you are looking to do. 

Temple points, the side triangles or the top hairline corners, which are you looking to have done? Both?