What do you think of this?.....

[Time to do something]

Here is what someone said. I'd like opinions. Thanks

 

First of all, I regret having HT's in the first place. I was a NW5 pre-HT, and for my hair type and characteristics, HT's were a huge mistake. However, "type and characterisitics" really don't matter much when you are a NW5.

 

With that being said, I wish that instead of them puting all my grafts up front (like I asked them not to do), that they all would have been put in the crown and vertex. Then my crown and top would look good, and I could grow my hair long, and just comb the hair on top forward.

 

I have had 3 HT's and most of the grafts went into the hairline, and it blows.

 

There is not enough density for it not to be "see-through" for my hair type (even if all my donor was used up doing this). In my case, puting a piece behind my "frontal" would look awful, just plain awful...and even more obvious.

 

Like I said, I regret not forcing my HT surgeons to put all of my grafts in the crown, and vertex (the top), and work their way forward.

 

Because I was a NW5, I am stuck with the typical "frontal HT with a hole in the back" which looks obvious (and detectable) because no normal balding pattern even remotely resembles the way it it looks.

 

"Frontal" HT's don't fool anyone...as soon as you turn your head sideways, or when people can see the back of your head, your "frontal" becomes laughable. (Can you say Joe Biden? )

 

With that being said, what happens if you get HT's to give yourself a complete "frontal" (use all your donor up in the process) and you find out that the piece looks obvious behind "transplanted" hair?

 

And transplanted hair does not always "blend in" too well with natural hair (let alone fake hair), particularly in the "border" regions - even when the best surgeon in the world does your HT.

 

Basically my HT's transformed me from a normal bald guy into a weird looking bald guy who has had "something weird" done to his hair.

 

I strongly urge guys getting HT's to really weigh all of their options and do plenty of research. Otherwise, they could wind up like me...going from "bad" to "worse" as far as hair...and paying major $$$$ for it.

 

Oh, and having a "strip scar" also blows. I would give anything not to have one from ear to ear. If I didn't have the donor scar, I could (and I most definately would) just shave my head.

 

I was bald, and I should have just shaved and never looked back. But I chose the wrong path for me...the "HT path."

[Tony Montana]

It's unfortunate that you went through the ordeal that you describe. However, I thank you for your very detailed post. It provides a good balance to the glowing ads on TV and print media.

 

I have been balding for ~ 20 years. Only now have I started to consider my options and started 5% minoxidil only 1 week ago. My dermatologist suggested Propecia. I have been thinking about hair transplants but after reading your post I decided to continue minoxidil. If that does not work to any significant/noticeable degree (I'll give it a year) I am inclined to just shave the dome.

 

Again, thanks for the post and good luck finding a satisfactory solution.

[Time to do something]

Thanks Tony Montana-I'm not the one who wrote that nor went through that, it is what someone else went through and I just posted their email. I was looking for opinions as to whether this sounded accurate. I'm not disputing him but some of the things in the email went against what I've read. I want to know as much as I can before making a mistake so I'm looking for the opinions of others in regards to what this guy had to say.

[kaounis]

HT's, for all intense purposes, are actually straightforward and simple....you move hair from one place to another....how hard can it be, right? Wrong...angle, placement,density..etc.,etc.,...Those with high NW levels, will never have any true density, they will have coverage, but the rest is just an illusion....Those with minimal loss, who are looking for the "perfect" head of hair, think that they can go into existing native hair, to "thicken" it up a bit...sometimes suffer permanant shock-loss, and end up back where they were before, or worse...it can be a no win situation...I beleive that HT's are only for a select group of people...those who fully understand what can be acomplished, have resonable expectations, good hair characteristics, 35 and over, good donor density,or at least average, can afford it,low skin to hair contrast, etc.,...I think you get the picture...

 

 

Just a thought from the peanut gallery..

[mattj]

Originally posted by Time to do something:

Thanks Tony Montana-I'm not the one who wrote that nor went through that, it is what someone else went through and I just posted their email.

 

It really came across like you were talking about yourself and your work with Dr Epstein.

[spin266]

time,this post is confusing it does lead the reader to believe you are unhappy with YOURhts.have you had any hts yourself.and what exactly are you looking for the ppost is misleading and confusing

[Severn]

Well, there is something to be said for covering the crown and combing forward a bit. I've seen this on naturally balding guys and it looks fine. I personally think it looks better than a fully restored hairline with a big bald spot. However most prefer to have their face framed and work from front to back.

[Forrest Gump]

Kaounis makes a good point. In almost all cases, no amount of HT surgeries from even the best doctors will give someone their original head of hair. At the most, there would be some coverage and some illusion of density. Maybe for a very small percentage of patients, who have had very minimal hairloss, there might be scope for achieving true density, but such cases are rare, and also susceptible to other risks (such as shock loss issues).

 

IMO, before going for a HT one should have realistic expectations and be aware of the limitations of HT.

[Mp96]

I don't find this post "misleading or confusing" one bit. I think many guys jump in this hair transplant thing without knowing the possible consequences of this difficult procedure... For myself, I honestly wish I found this site before my first hair transplant. I really do think I would of never went through with it if I knew all the consequences. Guess we can just live and learn!!

 

Oh one more thing, Dr Epstein is not the only doc with unhappy patients... I know this for certain IMO. Thought I'd point that out for you!!!

[Time to do something]

Originally posted by mattj:

Originally posted by Time to do something:

Thanks Tony Montana-I'm not the one who wrote that nor went through that, it is what someone else went through and I just posted their email.

 

It really came across like you were talking about yourself and your work with Dr Epstein.

 

Sorry, that is why I stated at the beginning "Here is what someone said". I guess I should have been more clear.

[Time to do something]

Originally posted by spin266:

time,this post is confusing it does lead the reader to believe you are unhappy with YOURhts.have you had any hts yourself.and what exactly are you looking for the ppost is misleading and confusing

 

Again-let me re-explain myself. This is an email from someone else describing their experience. Some of it contradicted what I have read in the past and wanted other posters opinion. This will hopefully clear up any confusion.

[thanatopsis_awry]

What did it "contradict"? I think that's the key thing that needs to be made clear so as to evaluate the contention(s) being made by either camp.

[Time to do something]

Originally posted by thanatopsis_awry:

What did it "contradict"? I think that's the key thing that needs to be made clear so as to evaluate the contention(s) being made by either camp.

 

Yes, I found some of the statements in this email to be contradictory to what I've read in other places. I found the email intriguing and want to investigate further but can't reach the person who wrote it. They indicate their transplant was a huge mistake for their type of hair type and characteristics. They said they wish all of their grafts had been placed on the crown. From what I've read the crown is a 'hair pit' meaning it takes a huge amount of grafts to cover it adequately. It sounds like what they are saying is they would have preferred a comb over brushed forward. Couldn't they also achieved the same effect if the grafts were placed in the front and had a comb over brushed back? They said a hair piece behind their frontal would look awful and even more obvious. My stylist has shown me other clients with this and I couldn't notice anything that looked fake or obvious. How long ago did they have their transplant? They compare it to Joe Biden. They are right his is very detectable but the advancements in the past five years down to the single graft has made them undetectable and I've seen many people with transplants using the newer procedures who I'd never be able to tell. In the hands of the right doctor strip scars and hardly noticeable. He is basing his views on his experience but I wonder why his experience is so different from other opinions I've read on here. That is why I'm saying his contradicts other statements. I'm not saying his statements aren't valid for his experience just different from others I've read. All I can imagine is he had a procedure long ago by a bad surgeon. I just want to make sure from other posters that this isn't what I've got to look forward to. I'm sure others out there have read something that scares them and wants confirmation on the validity.

[Al - Moderator]

I agree with the original post almost 100%. I don't want a huge bald circle in the back of my head. I'd rather have the HT be a bit thinner and cover the entire area. I also tried wearing a hair system behind the HT in front, but couldn't pull it off because the frontal hair was too thin, high, unnatural looking to look right with a hair system behind it.

 

If you know you want the back covered and you know you are OK with wearing a hair system then cover the front half first to a point where it's thick enough to be acceptable to you while still leaving some donor grafts available. Then try the hair piece behind it and see if you can live with that for a while. If not then use up the remaining grafts to give a thin coverage to the back.

 

This can be a good idea to use the hair system on the back for a few years and then as you get older and may be more comfortable with a thin area in back, then go back and transplsnt that area and do away with the hair system.

 

That was my plan, but the HT Dr insisted on covering the back first just to prove that I didn't need the hair system at all. Don't let that happen to you.

[Ventuoguy]

I want to know as much as I can before making a mistake so I'm looking for the opinions of others in regards to what this guy had to say.

 

Time-you quote this line above, yet it appears you've already had TWO procedures with Dr. Epstein. What do you mean when you say you want information "BEFORE making a mistake.."?? Thanks..

[Blond]

Originally posted by BeHappy:

If you know you want the back covered and you know you are OK with wearing a hair system then cover the front half first to a point where it's thick enough to be acceptable to you while still leaving some donor grafts available.

 

BeHappy,

 

This is EXACTLY my plan! I always thought the reason why sometimes this approach doesn't work was due to the patient not being brave enough to go for a high density at the front hair line and temples. Perhaps there is more to it than that, like hair characteristics etc.

 

In terms of wearing a hair piece behind a thin transplanted hair line, I believe hair systmes now-a-days can be of a low density. Do you think that would help or not?

[Time to do something]

I'm having a third procedure. Hope that clears up any confusion.

[Time to do something]

Originally posted by Blondie:

Originally posted by BeHappy:

If you know you want the back covered and you know you are OK with wearing a hair system then cover the front half first to a point where it's thick enough to be acceptable to you while still leaving some donor grafts available.

 

BeHappy,

 

This is EXACTLY my plan! I always thought the reason why sometimes this approach doesn't work was due to the patient not being brave enough to go for a high density at the front hair line and temples. Perhaps there is more to it than that, like hair characteristics etc.

 

In terms of wearing a hair piece behind a thin transplanted hair line, I believe hair systmes now-a-days can be of a low density. Do you think that would help or not?

 

Yes, hair pieces may be made at any density. I've seen numerous guys with a crown piece and the ones I've seen are undetectable. If someone has one that doesn't blend it is probably a low quality one done by a non professional.