Transplant for Diffuse Pattern Alopecia?

[Gavin Rein]

Hell. I am a 22 year old with diffuse pattern alopecia. I’ve been losing hair since age 18. Hairline is minimally recessed (not noticeable to many), and I do not have a significant spot on my crown. What I do have is the top of my head losing 200 hairs everyday (every time I shower it’s a lot). 
 

I am currently not on finasteride because I believe shutting down” your “5 alpha reductase” and reducing your neurological steroids and androgen profile to 60% is not good for my health in the long term (common sense) 

 

I’m aware some people will say that I am not currently eligible for a transplant (and I understand). But eventually it will be thin enough to where I am eligible.
 

Are diffuse transplants possible?

at what stage of loss are they possible? 
 

Who should I go to?

[WhereIsMyMind]

you are literally textbook classic example of NO transplant because regret years down the line is 99% guaranteed

medication is the only logical step forward

factors involved: age, type of alopecia, grade of alopecia (almost none)

[Chetman2112]

I agree with @WhereIsMyMind you should try oral minoxidil it seems to work well for diffused thinning, wait until you’re older to think about a HT. 

[mavigo]

The better candidates for HTs are in their ~30s and beyond. I wouldn't do anything for a long time aside from medication. 

[Tiger2050]

The only option is finasteride, you’ll regret not taking it the longer you wait. Try topical finasteride if you’re scared of side affects. Getting a hair transplant without stabilizing your hair loss is a terrible idea. Hair transplants are just an illusion of density and will never bring back your hair to native density. 

Edited November 18, 2022 by Tiger2050

[GoliGoliGoli]

Why are you convinced you have DUPA? I see no clear signs of that being the case. 

 

To be honest I see no real signs of hair loss at all. I hear you on the 200 hairs, but honestly if I were you I would just stay on Minoxidil. Don't even worry about trying finasteride until it becomes apparent you are actually balding. 

[Curious25]

5 hours ago, GoliGoliGoli said:

Why are you convinced you have DUPA? I see no clear signs of that being the case. 

 

To be honest I see no real signs of hair loss at all. I hear you on the 200 hairs, but honestly if I were you I would just stay on Minoxidil. Don't even worry about trying finasteride until it becomes apparent you are actually balding. 

DUPA is something different to diffused pattern hair loss, which OP mentions - DUPA is diffused UNPATTERNED alopecia, and relates to diffused loss found all over the scalp, including the donor. 
 

OP your hairline looks slightly receded on one side, which may also just have came with age, or maybe even always have appeared like that.  
It’s very hard from the photos you have provided to confirm whether or not you are diffusely losing hair - you really need an in person exam with a competent hair loss specialist, who can use a trichoscope to analyse your hair, and check for density disparities. 
 

RE. finasteride - totally get it, I was once in your camp too. All I can advise, is to study sad read as much scientific literature available, and listen/consult with dr’s with regards to it. If your hair loss as it is now is a concern, then this is going to be a very important component to help combat your problems.
 

Also bear in mind. If you have only recently started on Minox, this may be what’s causing the large amount of shedding you see in the shower. I shed like a dog , and it looks like hundreds of hairs in the shower also, when in reality, if I was to count, it’s usually only 30-50. What I mean by this, is that it often times looks worse than what it is. And shedding a lot doesn’t mean you’re balding either.
 

Anyway, you’re light years away from even thinking about a surgery.
 

Go do some reading and learning, and weigh up the pro’s v con’s for your own situation, and what you want out of life.  

[SilentUser]

thats a fat big whirl on the back of your head. I have the same all my life. you are not even balding!

[Gavin Rein]

Update: Stress and potential autoimmune disease (doing blood work and labs to narrow it down) are definitely the cause behind this high volume shedding. 

[WhereIsMyMind]

you made good decision to ask in this forum instead of panic jumping for a HT with such fixable conditions!

some people can't attest to that sadly

gl!