Im confused trying to check my donor density

[grizzl]

Hey guys

 

I was trying to check my donor density because i want to get a HT.

The issue is: i have long hair (and very fine hair follicles) and am struggling to determine if my donor density is sufficient enough based on the photos.

In the first picture is think my donor density looks very decent even though im pulling the hairs apart pretty agressively with the comb.

In the second picture it seems kind of meh and in the third picture it looks like im basically bald in the donor area.

Since i have very fine hair, it might just look worse than it is in picture Nr3 especially with the lighting and the crappy phone camera OR i might actually have terrible donor density and that picture Nr1 looks good was just a fluke.

Im really struggling to evaluate what is actually the case here and id be very thankful for your opinions.

Also if you have suggestions or advice on how to capture the density in a better way, id be happy to hear.

[NARMAK]

3 minutes ago, grizzl said:

Hey guys

 

I was trying to check my donor density because i want to get a HT.

The issue is: i have long hair (and very fine hair follicles) and am struggling to determine if my donor density is sufficient enough based on the photos.

In the first picture is think my donor density looks very decent even though im pulling the hairs apart pretty agressively with the comb.

In the second picture it seems kind of meh and in the third picture it looks like im basically bald in the donor area.

Since i have very fine hair, it might just look worse than it is in picture Nr3 especially with the lighting and the crappy phone camera OR i might actually have terrible donor density and that picture Nr1 looks good was just a fluke.

Im really struggling to evaluate what is actually the case here and id be very thankful for your opinions.

Also if you have suggestions or advice on how to capture the density in a better way, id be happy to hear.

You need a proper professional evaluation. Visual eyeballing isn't always going to tell the whole story. 

Like for example, in measuring my own hairline as a cm measurement it seems to be in the right range, but on the pictures i take, it seems higher than it is. 

So sometime pictures as you've demonstrated don't give the best look. You usually have somebody with a Trichoscopic machine able to measure hair diameter and density. 

[Britanium]

Yeh, have a F2F consultation, what area are you in ? I’m also wondering your age ? Can we see the areas you think your losing ground ? Thanks 🙏 

[grizzl]

3 minutes ago, J.A.C said:

Yeh, have a F2F consultation, what area are you in ? I’m also wondering your age ? Can we see the areas you think your losing ground ? Thanks 🙏 

Im from Germany and im turning 27 in december. ill attach some fotos of my recession

[Britanium]

Are you also a member of the popular German forum ? We can’t post links here but it’s easily found. Not quite Germany but Hattingen (Swiss) are doing some particularly impressive work ! 

[NARMAK]

3 minutes ago, grizzl said:

Im from Germany and im turning 27 in december. ill attach some fotos of my recession

Couple of things i'm noticing is that your temple points are starting to recede and thin out and the temporal areas on the corner are going back where one side looks more receded than the other. 

Can you post the following:

Age:

Medications/ Hair Loss prevention if any

Right now, depending on the above, its also hard to advise whether you should be focusing on hair restoration or looking at the transplant route. The younger you are though, it's usually advised to wait it out on medication till you can demonstrate hair loss stability. 

[grizzl]

5 minutes ago, J.A.C said:

Are you also a member of the popular German forum ? We can’t post links here but it’s easily found. Not quite Germany but Hattingen (Swiss) are doing some particularly impressive work ! 

I have never heard of that German forum, how is it called? I was considering driving to Belgium to Dr. Bisanga but Switzerland would also be an option i guess.. although Swiss prices are probably on another level compared to other European countries.

[Britanium]

1 minute ago, grizzl said:

I have never heard of that German forum, how is it called? I was considering driving to Belgium to Dr. Bisanga but Switzerland would also be an option i guess.. although Swiss prices are probably on another level compared to other European countries.

Alopezie.de 

[Britanium]

Yes the choices in Belgium are particularly good, Dr Bisanga, Dr Mwamba, Dr Lapunzula and Dr Feriduni ! 

[Britanium]

9 minutes ago, grizzl said:

although Swiss prices are probably on another level compared to other European countries.

They have a price menu depending on FUT/FUE, If its FUE then its €4.55.. (5 CHF) 

Edited April 30, 2022 by J.A.C

[grizzl]

7 minutes ago, NARMAK said:

Couple of things i'm noticing is that your temple points are starting to recede and thin out and the temporal areas on the corner are going back where one side looks more receded than the other. 

Can you post the following:

Age:

Medications/ Hair Loss prevention if any

Right now, depending on the above, its also hard to advise whether you should be focusing on hair restoration or looking at the transplant route. The younger you are though, it's usually advised to wait it out on medication till you can demonstrate hair loss stability. 

Im turning 27 in december this year.

Im using ketoconazole and piroctone olamine shampoo since a few months now and im microneedling about 2 times a week. And i want to start using minoxidil after the hair transplant.

I THINK that my hair actually stopped receeding since i started using ketoconazole and PO + microneedling and im seeing a lot of little hairs growing more again. You can see in the 3rd picture how many short to medium length hairs are sticking out of my hairline. At least i would like to attribute that to my regimen but maybe my hopefulness is making me misjudge reality? The hairs on my temples are still extremely thin after all.

[NARMAK]

8 minutes ago, grizzl said:

Im turning 27 in december this year.

Im using ketoconazole and piroctone olamine shampoo since a few months now and im microneedling about 2 times a week. And i want to start using minoxidil after the hair transplant.

I THINK that my hair actually stopped receeding since i started using ketoconazole and PO + microneedling and im seeing a lot of little hairs growing more again. You can see in the 3rd picture how many short to medium length hairs are sticking out of my hairline. At least i would like to attribute that to my regimen but maybe my hopefulness is making me misjudge reality? The hairs on my temples are still extremely thin after all.

The one big thing you should be using imo that you aren't is Finasteride. It's actually the proven medication designed to stop DHT from causing male hair loss as aggressively. I am not familiar with PO, but you need to use Finasteride as the primary hair loss medication or given you are already near a Norwood 3 pattern, whilst 27, you might end up losing a fair bit more. 

I think you should add Finasteride and you likely will see a greater benefit from that to restore the frontal temporal areas with Microneedling. Then, save up for a couple of years and whilst on medication you can hopefully show your hair loss has stabilised or stopped. You'll be considered a better candidate and having saved up, hopefully also done your research on this forum can see who might be the best clinic for you. 

[grizzl]

22 minutes ago, NARMAK said:

The one big thing you should be using imo that you aren't is Finasteride. It's actually the proven medication designed to stop DHT from causing male hair loss as aggressively. I am not familiar with PO, but you need to use Finasteride as the primary hair loss medication or given you are already near a Norwood 3 pattern, whilst 27, you might end up losing a fair bit more. 

I think you should add Finasteride and you likely will see a greater benefit from that to restore the frontal temporal areas with Microneedling. Then, save up for a couple of years and whilst on medication you can hopefully show your hair loss has stabilised or stopped. You'll be considered a better candidate and having saved up, hopefully also done your research on this forum can see who might be the best clinic for you. 

Since Minoxidil also counteracts male hair loss but with less side effects i wanted to go for minox first and only use finasteride as a last resort. Woulndt it be better to go for minoxidil first before just going on finasteride? You think im near NW3? From comparing my picture to others online i though im a pretty clear NW2: slight temporal peak recession, M-shape with rounded corners and some temple recession but frontal Hairline very little recession. Did i evaluate that wrong?

[NARMAK]

2 minutes ago, grizzl said:

Since Minoxidil also counteracts male hair loss but with less side effects i wanted to go for minox first and only use finasteride as a last resort. Woulndt it be better to go for minoxidil first before just going on finasteride? You think im near NW3? From comparing my picture to others online i though im a pretty clear NW2: slight temporal peak recession, M-shape with rounded corners and some temple recession but frontal Hairline very little recession. Did i evaluate that wrong?

The reason it's not as good to go for Minoxodil first is because it firstly has a lesser success rate and it also doesn't treat the underlying cause of male hair loss which is DHT. So you end up masking the issue more than tackling it. 

Personally i started Dutasteride (stronger version of Finasteride if you will) and i can always use Minoxodil down the line if i really need to. It's also a 2x a day commitment compared to say just taking a pill once a day. Although if you do add Minoxodil into the mix, you will see a boosted result with Microneedling but once you're on any treatments, you need to keep using them indefinitely for as long as you want to maintain the results. 

Now, regarding your Norwood scale. You are right in that some would place you in the Norwood 2 category however, and this is just my personal opinion on it, your left side temporal areas getting much closer to what i'd say is a Norwood 3 and if you potentially don't act now and get it perhaps back moreso towards how it looks on the right which is more down, then you will end up as a Norwood 3 sooner rather than later. 

My personal recommendation for you is to get on Finasteride and leave Minoxodil in the back pocket. Taper the use up till you can do 1mg everyday to block the maximum DHT from the medication. Continue with the Nizoral and Microneedling at 1.5mm once a week. Keep monthly progress pictures over the next 24 months or so. Educate yourself on hair transplants, researching the best clinics and results similar to yours. This gives you time to save up, properly plan and potentially get on a waiting list as some are a couple years long. 

I know as a guy hair loss can be annoying but i think with how yours is atm, you can probably get away with styling it a certain way and it shouldn't be too bad until you decide what to do potentially leading into any hair transplant.