Confused After Consults with Bernstein, Wesley and Konior

[baldmangetspaid]

Hi! I'm a male age 38 years old who has been slowly losing his hair for a long time, with a significantly acceleration in loss over the past 3 years. I've gone from a Norwood 3 in 2019 to a Norwood 5 today. I've been using Rogaine for the past 10 years and started finasteride 0.5mg in April 2021 and just upped it to 1mg/day a few weeks ago. I also bought a Derminator and have started using that once a week along with a shampoo w/ KZ. My dad and every male is his family is essentially a Norwood 7 so I am worried about going down that path. Now my confusion comes following my most recent consultation with Dr. Wesley. He said to me that he would not recommend FUT for me because if I do end up being completely bald I won't be able to shave my head. I was surprised at this response because I thought most doctors (Konior included) suggested to me that I go with FUT first to maximize the number of lifetime grafts I can have so I was really confused when Dr. Wesley was so adamant against me getting FUT and pushing FUE. Obviously I would prefer FUE given it is less invasive, but I want to do what is best for me long-term.

 

Curious to hear from others - thanks!

[NARMAK]

12 minutes ago, baldmangetspaid said:

Hi! I'm a male age 38 years old who has been slowly losing his hair for a long time, with a significantly acceleration in loss over the past 3 years. I've gone from a Norwood 3 in 2019 to a Norwood 5 today. I've been using Rogaine for the past 10 years and started finasteride 0.5mg in April 2021 and just upped it to 1mg/day a few weeks ago. I also bought a Derminator and have started using that once a week along with a shampoo w/ KZ. My dad and every male is his family is essentially a Norwood 7 so I am worried about going down that path. Now my confusion comes following my most recent consultation with Dr. Wesley. He said to me that he would not recommend FUT for me because if I do end up being completely bald I won't be able to shave my head. I was surprised at this response because I thought most doctors (Konior included) suggested to me that I go with FUT first to maximize the number of lifetime grafts I can have so I was really confused when Dr. Wesley was so adamant against me getting FUT and pushing FUE. Obviously I would prefer FUE given it is less invasive, but I want to do what is best for me long-term.

 

Curious to hear from others - thanks!

A doctor that usually pushes towards one method does so because that's what they do best. Few places are able to do both well. In fact, Hasson and Wong stuck with FUT for a long time till FUE got to a point they felt it had become superior for them to use on most patients. 

Personally i think if you're a Norwood 5, it's best to stick it out for about 12 months with Finasteride and see if your hair loss is stable during that time before pulling the trigger and then do so with a reputable clinic that you feel offers you the best chance of success for your individual goals. 

[baldmangetspaid]

Yeah Wesley is known to be one of the best surgeons in the US and said that he does just as many FUT as he does FUE. That's why I am was surprised. 

[NARMAK]

Just now, baldmangetspaid said:

Yeah Wesley is known to be one of the best surgeons in the US and said that he does just as many FUT as he does FUE. That's why I am was surprised. 

In that case, it's because the surgeon probably feels that is the best way to achieve the outcome you might be looking for if they were to do it but give you an "out" in the event things don't work out. 

At the end of the day, you still have to do your research and trust in who you choose that you feel will offer you the outcome you want. 

 

[HappyMan2021]

2 hours ago, baldmangetspaid said:

My dad and every male is his family is essentially a Norwood 7 so I am worried about going down that path

even if you take a DHT blocker for life (unlikely considering you've been suffering from hairloss for a decade and only started taking the standard Fin dose a few weeks ago) its still realistic for you to be a NW 7 at some point in life. 

If you had your consult before upping your Fin dose, then I would share Wesley's sentiment that you are likely to be a NW 7. 

I think Dr. Wesley is looking out for you. 10 or 15 years from now, who knows you might say F this its so much easier to shave my head instead of keep chasing more HTs. But if you start with FUT, shaving your head is not an option. 

2 hours ago, baldmangetspaid said:

Wesley is known to be one of the best surgeons in the US

Who is saying this? I'm not even sure he is in the Top 10 in the US. Bernstein as well is kind of a random doctor. 

Edited April 14, 2022 by HappyMan2021

[Melvin- Admin]

I think Dr. Wesley's reasoning is sound. I chose not to go FUT for that very reason. Now, keep in mind, that even with FUE you will see some scarring. But you can get away with a buzz cut. FUT you will be out of options.  For me, as a Norwood 6 the best option was to go FUE and then BHT. Even Dr. Hasson is pushing FUE more. 

 

[baldmangetspaid]

4 hours ago, HappyMan2021 said:

Who is saying this? I'm not even sure he is in the Top 10 in the US. Bernstein as well is kind of a random doctor. 

Fair enough. I think the general consensus is that Konior is the best in the US. Who would you put in there alongside him to round out the top 10? Agree that Bernstein doesn't fit in there. 

[Hair4Days]

8 hours ago, NARMAK said:

. In fact, Hasson and Wong stuck with FUT for a long time till FUE got to a point they felt it had become superior for them to use on most patients. 

 

Did it really become superior or is it because it generates more money? He didn’t really touch on the lifetime graft count argument in that video. 

[Hair4Days]

Did Wesley say your donor was good enough to get the coverage you’d need if your balding pattern progresses further? If so, there’s nothing wrong with his suggestion of avoiding fut. i just had a consult with him and supposedly my donor is outstanding so fue was his recommendation to me as well. 

[NARMAK]

55 minutes ago, James C said:

Did it really become superior or is it because it generates more money? He didn’t really touch on the lifetime graft count argument in that video. 

Personally i don't know if it does generate more money but with their reputation, they could probably have switched to it a lot sooner if it was only about making more money i guess. The fact they waited it out for so long says to me they care about their reputation and they can already charge a premium being one of the most lauded in the world with that reputation. 

[jjsrader]

If you've been losing hair slowly for a long time & everyone in your family eventually becomes a NW7 - it can accelerate into your 40's and beyond as well.  It's all genetics & even dut won't stop it in the long run.  You take the dut so your donor is robust.

If you are destined to be a NW7 FUE in 2022 (w/the best surgeons) holds a slight edge over FUT especially since your're already almost 40 and a NW5 moving towards more accelerated hairloss.

Good luck.

Edited April 15, 2022 by jjsrader