Fin/Min vs Second Procedure and SMP

[GoliGoliGoli]

Hi all,

Hopefully this is the right sub-forum for this type of question.

I'm 33.5 years old with balding on the crown and a receding hairline. I also have a pretty thick donor area. (Pic attached). I am hoping to get in for a transplant with Dr Nader in the next few months. 

My question is this: I really don't want to go on Fin/Min. Mainly because of the side effects, hassle, and long term costs. I know this topic gets a lot of opinions swirling so I'd like to avoid the "Most people don't get side effects" discussion. What I would like to discuss is peoples thoughts (And personal stories) on avoiding Fin/Min after a first transplant and just planning to get a 2nd done later on with perhaps some Micro Pigmentation to add the appearance of thickness. It sounds like 6000 grafts is what's needed for a decent full head of hair, and with prices in Mexico/Turkey being lets say 1.35 per graft that's only $8100. I understand this wont return you to full native levels of thickness, but add in some Micro Pigmentation and it seems like you're good to go. No risk of side effects, and cheaper long term cost than a lifetime of Min/Fin but also without the daily hassle. 

Does anyone have any thoughts on this plan? 

. 

[LaserCaps]

18 minutes ago, GoliGoliGoli said:

Hi all,

Hopefully this is the right sub-forum for this type of question.

I'm 33.5 years old with balding on the crown and a receding hairline. I also have a pretty thick donor area. (Pic attached). I am hoping to get in for a transplant with Dr Nader in the next few months. 

My question is this: I really don't want to go on Fin/Min. Mainly because of the side effects, hassle, and long term costs. I know this topic gets a lot of opinions swirling so I'd like to avoid the "Most people don't get side effects" discussion. What I would like to discuss is peoples thoughts (And personal stories) on avoiding Fin/Min after a first transplant and just planning to get a 2nd done later on with perhaps some Micro Pigmentation to add the appearance of thickness. It sounds like 6000 grafts is what's needed for a decent full head of hair, and with prices in Mexico/Turkey being lets say 1.35 per graft that's only $8100. I understand this wont return you to full native levels of thickness, but add in some Micro Pigmentation and it seems like you're good to go. No risk of side effects, and cheaper long term cost than a lifetime of Min/Fin but also without the daily hassle. 

Does anyone have any thoughts on this plan? 

. 

Hopefully this is the right sub-forum for this type of question. YOU'VE COME TO THE RIGHT PLACE.

I'm 33.5 years old with balding on the crown and a receding hairline. I also have a pretty thick donor area. (Pic attached). I am hoping to get in for a transplant with Dr Nader in the next few months. 

My question is this: I really don't want to go on Fin/Min. Mainly because of the side effects, WHAT SIDE EFFECTS ARE YOU CONCERNED ABOUT?

hassle...THERE IS NO HASSLE WITH TAKING A PILL.  TAKING A PILL AND WALKING OUT THE DOOR IS A LOT EASIER THAN USING ROGAINE WHICH IS MORE LABOR INTENSIVE, PARTICULARLY FOR THOSE WHO USE IT TWICE A DAY.

cost....COSTCO ON-LINE CHARGES $26 FOR THE WHOLE YEAR.

 What I would like to discuss is peoples thoughts (And personal stories) on avoiding Fin/Min after a first transplant and just planning to get a 2nd done later on with perhaps some Micro Pigmentation to add the appearance of thickness. It sounds like 6000 grafts is what's needed for a decent full head of hair, and with prices in Mexico/Turkey being lets say 1.35 per graft that's only $8100. I understand this wont return you to full native levels of thickness, but add in some Micro Pigmentation and it seems like you're good to go. No risk of side effects, and cheaper long term cost than a lifetime of Min/Fin but also without the daily hassle. 

Does anyone have any thoughts on this plan? 

THERE ARE OTHER MODALITIES OTHER THAN FIN YOU CAN DO TO HELP YOU RETAIN.  (MIN, PRP, LASER).  IF YOU PLAN ON NOT DOING ANYTHING, I WOULD AVOID TRANSPLANTS TO THE CROWN.  

IT IS IMPORTANT TO RECOGNIZE, IF YOU'VE SHOWN THE PROPENSITY TO LOSE, YOU WILL CONTINUE LOSING.  YOUR CROWN SEEMS TO BE EXTENDING FORWARD. I THINK YOUR ENTIRE TOP IS AT RISK.  NOT DOING SOME TYPE OF MEDICAL REGIMEN IS JUST SILLY. YOU WILL NEVER HAVE THE TYPE OF DENSITY YOU HAVE BY DOING NOTHING.  KEEP IN MIND. THE DONOR IS LIMITE AND FINITE.  

SMP WILL BE A GOOD ADJUNCT AND WILL BUY YOU TIME. 

[GoliGoliGoli]

25 minutes ago, LaserCaps said:

Hopefully this is the right sub-forum for this type of question. YOU'VE COME TO THE RIGHT PLACE.

I'm 33.5 years old with balding on the crown and a receding hairline. I also have a pretty thick donor area. (Pic attached). I am hoping to get in for a transplant with Dr Nader in the next few months. 

My question is this: I really don't want to go on Fin/Min. Mainly because of the side effects, WHAT SIDE EFFECTS ARE YOU CONCERNED ABOUT?

hassle...THERE IS NO HASSLE WITH TAKING A PILL.  TAKING A PILL AND WALKING OUT THE DOOR IS A LOT EASIER THAN USING ROGAINE WHICH IS MORE LABOR INTENSIVE, PARTICULARLY FOR THOSE WHO USE IT TWICE A DAY.

cost....COSTCO ON-LINE CHARGES $26 FOR THE WHOLE YEAR.

 What I would like to discuss is peoples thoughts (And personal stories) on avoiding Fin/Min after a first transplant and just planning to get a 2nd done later on with perhaps some Micro Pigmentation to add the appearance of thickness. It sounds like 6000 grafts is what's needed for a decent full head of hair, and with prices in Mexico/Turkey being lets say 1.35 per graft that's only $8100. I understand this wont return you to full native levels of thickness, but add in some Micro Pigmentation and it seems like you're good to go. No risk of side effects, and cheaper long term cost than a lifetime of Min/Fin but also without the daily hassle. 

Does anyone have any thoughts on this plan? 

THERE ARE OTHER MODALITIES OTHER THAN FIN YOU CAN DO TO HELP YOU RETAIN.  (MIN, PRP, LASER).  IF YOU PLAN ON NOT DOING ANYTHING, I WOULD AVOID TRANSPLANTS TO THE CROWN.  

IT IS IMPORTANT TO RECOGNIZE, IF YOU'VE SHOWN THE PROPENSITY TO LOSE, YOU WILL CONTINUE LOSING.  YOUR CROWN SEEMS TO BE EXTENDING FORWARD. I THINK YOUR ENTIRE TOP IS AT RISK.  NOT DOING SOME TYPE OF MEDICAL REGIMEN IS JUST SILLY. YOU WILL NEVER HAVE THE TYPE OF DENSITY YOU HAVE BY DOING NOTHING.  KEEP IN MIND. THE DONOR IS LIMITE AND FINITE.  

SMP WILL BE A GOOD ADJUNCT AND WILL BUY YOU TIME. 

Thanks for your response!

Side effects I'm concerned about: Loss of libido/sexual function and depression. I'm sure you're familiar with the horror stories out there, do you think these people are not being honest or do you think it's just a very small minority? I certainly don't claim everyone gets side effects - drugs interact differently on everyone. However their are a ton of other endocrine disruptors out there in our daily environments (Microplastics, agriculture pesticides) so adding something like Fin on top could potentially really hurt certain people.  Testosterone levels are already WAY below what they were on average in men 60 years ago and I tend to believe the thousands of people with Fin horror stories, even if it is a minority of cases.

 

I definitely plan on doing the Laser Cap therapy that you recommended in an earlier post. You recommended one that was only by prescription - just out of curiosity what makes this one better than the other ones you can buy over the counter? I think I may start doing Min also since basically no side effect risks. I'm worried about my cats because I know it's toxic to them but I guess I'll just be careful. 

 

You say not to do the crown at all if I'm not doing any other things to help. Can't I just do a 2nd transplant to cover up whatever spots I continue to lose, assuming the donor area I have has enough? I have a thick beard I could use too I suppose. 

[ciaus]

29 minutes ago, GoliGoliGoli said:

Side effects I'm concerned about: Loss of libido/sexual function and depression. I'm sure you're familiar with the horror stories out there, do you think these people are not being honest or do you think it's just a very small minority?

Yes its a minority, read the horror stories at your own peril. They just help increase the probability that you'll manufacture side-effect like symptoms from the paranoia they inspire. But it sounds like you can't help yourself when it comes to things like that. Worrying about getting minoxidil on your cat is a new one.

Supplementing hair transplants with SMP is a good strategy more guys should consider. And millions have been using finasteride for years with no issues, myself included. Try to get a more practical grip on where your mind wanders, use the internet for non-medical entertainment, and stick with approved drugs under the supervision of your doctors.

 

 

 

[MAIZE1694]

5 hours ago, GoliGoliGoli said:

Hi all,

Hopefully this is the right sub-forum for this type of question.

I'm 33.5 years old with balding on the crown and a receding hairline. I also have a pretty thick donor area. (Pic attached). I am hoping to get in for a transplant with Dr Nader in the next few months. 

My question is this: I really don't want to go on Fin/Min. Mainly because of the side effects, hassle, and long term costs. I know this topic gets a lot of opinions swirling so I'd like to avoid the "Most people don't get side effects" discussion. What I would like to discuss is peoples thoughts (And personal stories) on avoiding Fin/Min after a first transplant and just planning to get a 2nd done later on with perhaps some Micro Pigmentation to add the appearance of thickness. It sounds like 6000 grafts is what's needed for a decent full head of hair, and with prices in Mexico/Turkey being lets say 1.35 per graft that's only $8100. I understand this wont return you to full native levels of thickness, but add in some Micro Pigmentation and it seems like you're good to go. No risk of side effects, and cheaper long term cost than a lifetime of Min/Fin but also without the daily hassle. 

Does anyone have any thoughts on this plan? 

. 

 

I think you're taking a massive leap of faith by implying a cheap clinic will give you the result you want, or a great result even, which would allow you to forgo fin/min etc.

It's the biggest risk, infinitely more risky than medication. Not saying you MUST go to Dr. Konior and the like but let's not kid ourselves here.

Also, everyone's donor looks thick when it's 1+inch long. Can it handle 6k grafts? Let's see a better picture.

[GoliGoliGoli]

1 minute ago, MAIZE1694 said:

 

I think you're taking a massive leap of faith by implying a cheap clinic will give you the result you want, or a great result even, which would allow you to forgo fin/min etc.

It's the biggest risk, infinitely more risky than medication. Not saying you MUST go to Dr. Konior and the like but let's not kid ourselves here.

Also, everyone's donor looks thick when it's 1+inch long. Can it handle 6k grafts? Let's see a better picture.

Thanks for the response. Dr Nader is pretty well recognized so I think even though his prices are cheaper than a US clinic he's still produced very good quality as reported by many on here. If you know of any other reputable Dr's in Mexico please share those if you could be so kind. 

I will try to get a better picture of my donor area, back of your head is a difficult area to get a clear picture of. But trust me I've always had very thick luscious hair so I imagine there are a good bit of double, triple, quadruple back there. 

 

[HappyMan2021]

7 hours ago, GoliGoliGoli said:

I know this topic gets a lot of opinions swirling so I'd like to avoid the "Most people don't get side effects" discussion.

99% of men don't get side effects though. 

[BaldDude]

11 minutes ago, HappyMan2021 said:

99% of men don't get side effects though. 

but for us that do, it really sucks 😒

[BDK081522]

Not sure where you got that 6000 grafts to restore a full head of hair number. There's so many varying factors that go into calculating how many grafts would be needed. Hair color, native density, NW pattern, hair caliber, hairs per graft, hairline height, temple points, etc. Unless you go to the elite clinics at restoring high Norwoods like Zarev or H&W you're likely looking at more than two procedures. 

[Mike10]

6 hours ago, HappyMan2021 said:

99% of men don't get side effects though. 

wrong

[Eugenix Hair Sciences]

17 hours ago, GoliGoliGoli said:

Hi all,

Hopefully this is the right sub-forum for this type of question.

I'm 33.5 years old with balding on the crown and a receding hairline. I also have a pretty thick donor area. (Pic attached). I am hoping to get in for a transplant with Dr Nader in the next few months. 

My question is this: I really don't want to go on Fin/Min. Mainly because of the side effects, hassle, and long term costs. I know this topic gets a lot of opinions swirling so I'd like to avoid the "Most people don't get side effects" discussion. What I would like to discuss is peoples thoughts (And personal stories) on avoiding Fin/Min after a first transplant and just planning to get a 2nd done later on with perhaps some Micro Pigmentation to add the appearance of thickness. It sounds like 6000 grafts is what's needed for a decent full head of hair, and with prices in Mexico/Turkey being lets say 1.35 per graft that's only $8100. I understand this wont return you to full native levels of thickness, but add in some Micro Pigmentation and it seems like you're good to go. No risk of side effects, and cheaper long term cost than a lifetime of Min/Fin but also without the daily hassle. 

Does anyone have any thoughts on this plan? 

. 

You require 4000 grafts maximum for your transplantation procedure. 2000 grafts in the frontal zone and 1500 to 2000 grafts in the crown. Without finasteride you will require another transplantation in the future. You can use topical finasteride if you are worried about the side  effects. Topical finasteride has 0.01% chances of giving side effects. If you are still weary of topical finasteride too then maybe skip it also.

In that case when your new areas get empty, you can go for additional hair transplants or you can get SMP if you would be comfortable keeping your head shaved.

If you take oral finasteride then your baldness will completely be prevented from progressing and you will not require another transplant. But the choice is entirely yours.

[GoliGoliGoli]

9 hours ago, Eugenix Hair Sciences said:

You require 4000 grafts maximum for your transplantation procedure. 2000 grafts in the frontal zone and 1500 to 2000 grafts in the crown. Without finasteride you will require another transplantation in the future. You can use topical finasteride if you are worried about the side  effects. Topical finasteride has 0.01% chances of giving side effects. If you are still weary of topical finasteride too then maybe skip it also.

In that case when your new areas get empty, you can go for additional hair transplants or you can get SMP if you would be comfortable keeping your head shaved.

If you take oral finasteride then your baldness will completely be prevented from progressing and you will not require another transplant. But the choice is entirely yours.

Thank you. Is the oral Finasteride more effective than topical?

Also, am I wrong or can SMP be used to "camouflage" areas where you've had hair transplanted that maybe isn't super thick? Like do you really have to keep your hair short for SMP or can you use it to hide areas with longish hair?

[RTC]

Side effects are definitely WAY more prevalent than the so called 1-2% quoted by finasteride advocates online.

I had a HT four years ago and have barely had any thinning or loss since.

I use dutasteride topical now and would consider using low dose topical finasteride, but not oral. Too risky.

[Eugenix Hair Sciences]

8 hours ago, GoliGoliGoli said:

Thank you. Is the oral Finasteride more effective than topical?

Also, am I wrong or can SMP be used to "camouflage" areas where you've had hair transplanted that maybe isn't super thick? Like do you really have to keep your hair short for SMP or can you use it to hide areas with longish hair?

Oral finasteride is more effective than topical finasteride.

SMP can be used to camouflage the areas where the hairbis not super thick and can be done so even with long hair.