Am I a good candidate...

[NewHare]

I am 65, began losing hair at around 30 and have had 4 HTs over the years.  For the most part I had descent coverage from the HTs however recently I'm noticing I'm not able to give the illusion of fullness that I once could.  I started using Dermatch which really works great though I've been thinking of giving Minox a try. 

Given my history and age would I be a good candidate for Minox ?  

And if so what brand does the group prefer ?  I see on Amazon there are quite a few different brands available.  Kirklands, Amazon Basic Care, Rogaine, ect.  all 5% coming in foams, drops and sprays. Which is preferable ?   And how often should one use minox ? 

Also some come with a 'derma roller'...  is this worthwhile ? 

Thanks            

[BaldDude]

Need to post photos. 

Edited August 6, 2022 by BaldBobby

[HappyMan2021]

No input personally but I am following this thread....the forum doesn't get alot of posts from people 65+. 

Posting photos will definitely lead to more replies. 

[GoliGoliGoli]

Curious to know how many grafts you had per HT. Always makes me slightly nervous when people be talking about 4 HT's!

[NewHare]

3 hours ago, BaldBobby said:

Need to post photos. 

 

[NewHare]

12 minutes ago, GoliGoliGoli said:

Curious to know how many grafts you had per HT. Always makes me slightly nervous when people be talking about 4 HT's!

The first two were 90's plug HTs so hard to say. Large plugs vs grafts, though as I recall they were about 80+/- each.  The third was

a session of about 1800 by a 'recommended' doc. The last was again a 'recommended' doc who did a very small session > 1000.  All were strip.

 

Actually as long as we're on the subject.... I'm told I'm 'tapped out', however does that mean I couldn't have an FUE session ? 

Of course I'd need a surgeon to make that determination, though I had thought that a small FUE session might still be on the table even though one is tapped out strip wise so to speak ?  I think a carefully targeted FUE session might make a nice difference in my case.

 

 

 

 

[GoliGoliGoli]

16 minutes ago, NewHare said:

The first two were 90's plug HTs so hard to say. Large plugs vs grafts, though as I recall they were about 80+/- each.  The third was

a session of about 1800 by a 'recommended' doc. The last was again a 'recommended' doc who did a very small session > 1000.  All were strip.

 

Actually as long as we're on the subject.... I'm told I'm 'tapped out', however does that mean I couldn't have an FUE session ? 

Of course I'd need a surgeon to make that determination, though I had thought that a small FUE session might still be on the table even though one is tapped out strip wise so to speak ?  I think a carefully targeted FUE session might make a nice difference in my case.

 

 

 

 

What do you mean around 80 each? I assume these were FUT's since it was the 90's?

Who told you you were tapped out if not a surgeon? Generally this means you don't have enough left in your donor area to do any more procedures without making your donor look moth eaten and splotchy. Beard or body hair is an option but needs to be researched thoroughly. 

[NewHare]

48 minutes ago, GoliGoliGoli said:

What do you mean around 80 each? I assume these were FUT's since it was the 90's?

Who told you you were tapped out if not a surgeon? Generally this means you don't have enough left in your donor area to do any more procedures without making your donor look moth eaten and splotchy. Beard or body hair is an option but needs to be researched thoroughly. 

 

They took a strip out then 'punched out' plugs to insert into the recipient area.  Yea...

Yes a surgeon told me, though I took it as he meant no more strip sessions.  He was the last doc I had a procedure with. I asked if I could have another session should I need it and his response was, no you're tapped.  Though to me, my donor still appears to be rather full. I have thick bushy hair, so... 

I was considering speaking with a few FUE docs to see what they think. 

 

 

 

 

 

[HappyMan2021]

2 hours ago, GoliGoliGoli said:

Always makes me slightly nervous when people be talking about 4 HT's!

for what its worth I myself have had 4 HTs

1st HT: 1200 grafts

2nd HT: 600 grafts

3rd HT: appx 2000 grafts

4th HT: appx 3000 grafts

Total: appx 6800 grafts

Dr. Mwamba did my 4th HT and said I have 1-2k grafts left in my donor area

 

Point being if you have a great donor area and your hair transplants aren't crazy 5k mega sessions, it can be "reasonable" to have gotten 4 HTs. Especially if OP is 65 years old. 

[GoliGoliGoli]

3 hours ago, HappyMan2021 said:

for what its worth I myself have had 4 HTs

1st HT: 1200 grafts

2nd HT: 600 grafts

3rd HT: appx 2000 grafts

4th HT: appx 3000 grafts

Total: appx 6800 grafts

Dr. Mwamba did my 4th HT and said I have 1-2k grafts left in my donor area

 

Point being if you have a great donor area and your hair transplants aren't crazy 5k mega sessions, it can be "reasonable" to have gotten 4 HTs. Especially if OP is 65 years old. 

Yep I'm at the point where I need about 3500 for my first HT so kind of glad I waited so I hopefully can get away with 1 big one and then another 1 or 2 down the line later

[NewHare]

Guys, can we get back on topic ? 

[pkipling]

12 hours ago, NewHare said:

Guys, can we get back on topic ? 

Are you looking for guidance on whether or not you should use Minoxidil? If so, keep in mind that it's not recommended for men over 65, so based on that alone, it doesn't seem like a good idea. At the very least, you would want to discuss this with a doctor and get their input. 

As for wanting input on getting another procedure, if the last surgeon you had a procedure with told you were "tapped out", then that doesn't seem very promising. If you're unsure on what he meant by that, then I would recommend reaching back out to him for clarification. A surgeon who knows your history and the ins and outs of your scalp is going to be a much more reliable resource for you than any of us could be - especially considering how complicated the history seems to be.

[NewHare]

17 hours ago, pkipling said:

Are you looking for guidance on whether or not you should use Minoxidil? If so, keep in mind that it's not recommended for men over 65, so based on that alone, it doesn't seem like a good idea. At the very least, you would want to discuss this with a doctor and get their input. 

As for wanting input on getting another procedure, if the last surgeon you had a procedure with told you were "tapped out", then that doesn't seem very promising. If you're unsure on what he meant by that, then I would recommend reaching back out to him for clarification. A surgeon who knows your history and the ins and outs of your scalp is going to be a much more reliable resource for you than any of us could be - especially considering how complicated the history seems to be.

 

Thank you pkipling...    as to the age I was more concerned if it would be effective at this point, given so many years have past since I lost my hair (30+).  Does one need to use this during or right after hair loss ?  Is it effective 30+ years on ?    Also since it's 'only for use on the vertex'  would it be effective on the frontal and mid scalp regions as well  ?  

As far as the age and medical concerns I have no medical history to speak of however I would of course speak with my pcp and cardiologist prior to use. 

As to having another procedure I was hoping to hear from members here who after multiple strip procedures followed up with FUE.  But yes, speaking to the previous doc is a good idea, though being his was a strip only clinic I'm sure he meant tapped as far as another strip procedure.  Also, as I've learned each doc has their own opinion, so even if my last doc feels that's it, another may not agree.  Which is why I asked here, to get a broader perspective from a large patient base. That and maybe get a few recs as to which FUE doc would be best suited for this. 

Thanks........  

[Dillpickle123]

On 8/8/2022 at 12:35 PM, NewHare said:

 

Thank you pkipling...    as to the age I was more concerned if it would be effective at this point, given so many years have past since I lost my hair (30+).  Does one need to use this during or right after hair loss ?  Is it effective 30+ years on ?    Also since it's 'only for use on the vertex'  would it be effective on the frontal and mid scalp regions as well  ?  

As far as the age and medical concerns I have no medical history to speak of however I would of course speak with my pcp and cardiologist prior to use. 

As to having another procedure I was hoping to hear from members here who after multiple strip procedures followed up with FUE.  But yes, speaking to the previous doc is a good idea, though being his was a strip only clinic I'm sure he meant tapped as far as another strip procedure.  Also, as I've learned each doc has their own opinion, so even if my last doc feels that's it, another may not agree.  Which is why I asked here, to get a broader perspective from a large patient base. That and maybe get a few recs as to which FUE doc would be best suited for this. 

Thanks........  

@Gatsbyhes had multiple punch scars in his donor and underwent a massive FUE with great results so far after being told he wasn’t a candidate, Dr Sethi would be good to consult with 

[NewHare]

On 8/10/2022 at 1:22 AM, Dillpickle123 said:

@Gatsbyhes had multiple punch scars in his donor and underwent a massive FUE with great results so far after being told he wasn’t a candidate, Dr Sethi would be good to consult with 

 

Thanks Dill.  I'll have to read through some of Gatsby's posts.