Does a HT fix your self-confidence? Looking for experiences.

[Jonas Medin]

During the recent years I have got more and more bothered with my thinning hair and the fact that my hairline goes higher and higher. On one hand I'm thinking that if I do a hair transplant, I will get rid of the disturbing ideas in my head that I don't look the way I want to look. On the other hand, I'm not sure that my new hair will solve this problem. Therefore I am looking for all of you on this forum who already made a hair transplant: what are your experiences? Do you feel better about yourself after the HT? Do you get more looks from people on the street (= more confirmation)? Or are you actually just finding new "problems" with the way you look and continue being unsatisfied?

Just to be clear; I'm not so much interested in opinions like "You can't solve a bad self esteem with a surgery". Rather, I want to know the real experience from people who have had a HT. Thanks in advance! 🙂

/ Jonas, Sweden

[davidn]

If its a good one..

If its a bad one you might end up a social outcast.

[Doron Harati]

I had 3 HTs, on my 1st HT I was botched badly by Arenamed clinic in Turkey which traumatized and destroyed my confidence, I was lucky I could have 2 repair procedures at HDC clinic by Dr. Maras and his team who brought and regained my confidence with these corrective good experiences, totally changed my life for good 🙂

 

 

 

 

Edited December 11, 2022 by Doron Harati

[BackFromTheBrink]

I’d say yes - it’s made my life better. I feel more comfortable in my own skin generally and think less about taking part in social occasions, having my photo taken with my family etc.

On the flip side, I do now have hair greed and am more critical of other aspects of my appearance, but nothing compared to pre surgery. 

[Jonas Medin]

2 hours ago, Doron Harati said:

I had 3 HTs, on my 1st HT I was botched badly by Arenamed clinic in Turkey which traumatized and destroyed my confidence, I was lucky I could have 2 repair procedures at HDC clinic by Dr. Maras and his team who brought and regained my confidence with these corrective good experiences, totally changed my life for good 🙂

Thanks for your story Doron and for warning about unprofessional clinics. I'm happy to hear that things went well after your first unsuccessful surgery.

 

 

 

 

[Jonas Medin]

2 hours ago, BackFromTheBrink said:

I’d say yes - it’s made my life better. I feel more comfortable in my own skin generally and think less about taking part in social occasions, having my photo taken with my family etc.

On the flip side, I do now have hair greed and am more critical of other aspects of my appearance, but nothing compared to pre surgery. 

This is really interesting. I have never heard of the expression hair greedy but I totally get the idea. Good to hear that you feel comfortable in front of the camera again. Thanks!

[rob7331]

2 hair transplants, first at 26 and second at 29. I experienced rapid hair loss from a very young age (as early as high school), eventually slowed with Finasteride.

I wouldn't use the word 'fix' as my confidence wasn't broken to begin with. However I've experienced a measurable uptick in appreciation from women, colleagues, and people in general. I was fairly confident and proud before the surgeries but they've definitely given me more confidence and security in how I present, which has made me happier. Alongside the hair transplants I've also made efforts to be fitter and eat better, which I think has the greatest effect on overall health and happiness.

I'm also not afraid of mirrors anymore, which is nice. 😂

[asterix0]

100% it helped, but on the flip side, trying to do it cheap and quick at a hair mill can ruin your life.

 

[pkipling]

I think getting a hair transplant can definitely help someone's confidence, but it's definitely not a quick and easy fix. Speaking from personal experience, my receding hairline was definitely contributing to my insecurities, and having a hair transplant has been a huge blessing for me and helped my confidence tremendously in that regard. 

However/comma/but...

Confidence is ultimately an inside job - and I don't think it's something most of us are taught how to foster within ourselves. A lot of people have this misconception that our insecurities are solely rooted in external factors, and that if we can just fix any of the things we don't like about ourselves (whether it's our hair, our nose, new clothes, or even our financial status, etc.), then the confidence will immediately follow. But the human psyche doesn't work that way. 

There is undoubtedly tremendous value in addressing any of the things that are the root of our insecurities, and they can really serve as a beautiful launching pad for our overall confidence and the way we feel about ourselves and how we move through the world. It's just imperative that we also do the inner psychological, emotional, and mental work to go along with that so that our confidence is rooted in something much more stable than our ever-changing appearances. 

Some of the most confident people I know have hair loss or bodies that aren't up to par with traditional beauty standards... And some of the most insecure people I know are people who seem like they should be the most confident people from the outside looking in. 

I think you hit the nail on the head with this: "Or are you actually just finding new "problems" with the way you look and continue being unsatisfied?"

If you don't do the inner work alongside the hair transplant, your mind will likely find other things to be unsatisfied with and the confidence you're after will likely always be on the other side of whatever problem your mind has convinced you needs fixing. 

And all of that to say... It takes daily practice and consistent work to be able to create a new mindset. I'm more consistently confident than I've ever been over the past couple of years, and I still have many days where my insecurities get the best of me... And then I try to figure out what aspects of my mindset are contributing to that, and do whatever I can to shift my perspective. 

I hope that helps!

[Gatsby]

2 hours ago, pkipling said:

If you don't do the inner work alongside the hair transplant, your mind will likely find other things to be unsatisfied with and the confidence you're after will likely always be on the other side of whatever problem your mind has convinced you needs fixing.

This ^ A great hair transplant is not the secret to happiness. But a bad hair transplant can be the cause for ever greater unhappiness. I had two badly botched surgeries when I was young (way too young). Nearly eleven months ago I had a hair transplant that hid all the mistakes and now I have hair. Do I feel better about it? Hell yes. Has it given me happiness? No. That job comes down to me. I will admit that the recent surgery has removed my old insecurities I had about my scars that I had. So my mind has more room to fill up with other things now. But all the other problems are still there in my life and are no different. It's a bit like saying a brand new car will solve all of my problems. Pretty soon all those other problems come back because they were always there. I think your question is an excellent one @Jonas Medin because it's really an existential question. Happiness has to come from within and is something that is shared. That requires a lot of work but it's rewards are worth it. All the best.

[deeznuts]

Were you suffering from self-confidence issues prior to losing hair?

[StillAlive]

I think that what the OP meant to say was whether a good hair transplant really takes care of the 'I'm constantly checking the mirror and obsessing over my bald patches/I hate how I look in pictures' aspect of it. A bit like having a thorn in your shoe which is a real problem. You gotta take off the shoe, shake out the thorn and then you forget all about it. Maybe being paranoid about actual results and the so called 'illusion of density'. 

I think that's a healthy dose of paranoia that goes through the mind of all of us around 3-4 months post-op. Like 'is it always gonna be like this?' 'Am I gonna look patchy as all hell?' 'What did I just do to myself?'

Now to the point, yes, a good hair transplant will resolve any discomfort around hating your face in pictures or looking bald in public. At least temporarily, or if you are lucky, permanently. The rest of it heavily depends on the kind of person that you are. You can go crazy chasing 'imperfections' that only you can see or get on with your life. 

[Melvin- Admin]

Yes and no. Confidence is inward, if you’re generally not a confident person. Getting an HT isn’t going to change that. Might even have the opposite effect making you more self conscious. 

However, if you’re a confident person that has lost some confidence due to hair loss, absolutely it will make you more confident. 

Having more hair doesn’t automatically change your self-esteem or confidence, especially if you had issues prior to the hair loss.  Hair transplants also do not cure hair loss, it’s not like getting a hair transplant will fix all your hair loss problems.

You will need to take medication to stop further hair loss, and you’ll probably need additional surgeries down the line to keep up with the appearance. Keep that in mind.

[Gatsby]

12 minutes ago, Melvin- Moderator said:

Yes and no. Confidence is inward, if you’re generally not a confident person. Getting an HT isn’t going to change that. Might even have the opposite effect making you more self conscious. 

However, if you’re a confident person that has lost some confidence due to hair loss, absolutely it will make you more confident. 

Having more hair doesn’t automatically change your self-esteem or confidence, especially if you had issues prior to the hair loss.  Hair transplants also do not cure hair loss, it’s not like getting a hair transplant will fix all your hair loss problems.

You will need to take medication to stop further hair loss, and you’ll probably need additional surgeries down the line to keep up with the appearance. Keep that in mind.

Well summed up @Melvin- Moderator! 💯👌

[Curious25]

From an appearance stance, I would blanket statement say a (good) hair transplant will most certainly improve your confidence, had there been a lack of it previously, as a result of thinning or receded hair. 

I have seen it many times act as a catalyst for men to go on and further improve on their self, whether this be getting in better shape, re-educate/qualify in something to further career or financial opportunities, or even just branch out into trying more things that would have traditionally been out of their comfort zones - hardly an extreme feat here by any stretch of the imagination, but as a quick personal example, I took up surfing for a while after many years of being afraid to have wet hair in public, which was a very liberating feeling. 
 

Just like they say money can’t buy you happiness, but it can certainly offer you freedom, hair transplants can’t buy you confidence, but successful ones without a doubt help free up your focus and anxieties associated with that element of your life. 

[botchedguy95]

16 hours ago, Jonas Medin said:

During the recent years I have got more and more bothered with my thinning hair and the fact that my hairline goes higher and higher. On one hand I'm thinking that if I do a hair transplant, I will get rid of the disturbing ideas in my head that I don't look the way I want to look. On the other hand, I'm not sure that my new hair will solve this problem. Therefore I am looking for all of you on this forum who already made a hair transplant: what are your experiences? Do you feel better about yourself after the HT? Do you get more looks from people on the street (= more confirmation)? Or are you actually just finding new "problems" with the way you look and continue being unsatisfied?

Just to be clear; I'm not so much interested in opinions like "You can't solve a bad self esteem with a surgery". Rather, I want to know the real experience from people who have had a HT. Thanks in advance! 🙂

/ Jonas, Sweden

Depends, if you go to a good and ethical clinic it can, if you go to a bad clinic it can destroy you. I went to ASMED years ago and I am still trying yo get my life back together after my horrible experience, if you have a bad result you will live in a world of shame and regret, it will permeate every aspect of your life, social life, work life.. everything 

It is something you will have to live with forever because these hair mills will deplete your donor so you are left with few options for the future.. you only have one life and it is so easily ruined..

DO YOUR RESEARCH guys, this forum is a good start but don't stop here, check out the Spanish forum as well, they probably are the most critical out of all forums I have seen

[Ryan Daniel]

Hair transplant only fixes self confidence if it's done right.  If you end up with pluggy looking hairs on the hairline, you're going to feel even less confident when going outside and being face to face with people around you

[BaldDude]

Depends on the results

[TommyLucchese]

Yes mine was a big success and improved my self confidence a lot. I didn't 100% go back to the "old me" because the hair loss had messed me up mentally so much, plus I've still had to use concealer on the crown and go through the headache of that routine every day. But overall fixing the frontal third was a massive improvement and I am so glad I found this place which led me to a great surgeon. Can't wait to get the crown done next and live freely again.

[bear56]

what confidence are we talking about?  quote... there are 3 types of confidence. 1 . self centered confidence- or cockiness. we all know the persons that walks around like everything revolves around him because they have the perfect body or hair and when they don't get affirmation they suffer quietly. 2. perfection seeking confidence-  people who think that if they perform good in all areas of life then they will be confident but if one area lacks  it will be their  downfall 3. faith based confidence-  the true confidence) it is not dependent on outside forces but rather accepting the idea that tomorrow can be better than today and you get there even if you don't succeed at first but you continue trying ( like a mishap ht)

so its best to ask yourself first the question why you want to go ahead with a ht and the answer will be in front of you.

[Jonas Medin]

14 hours ago, Gatsby said:

This ^ A great hair transplant is not the secret to happiness. But a bad hair transplant can be the cause for ever greater unhappiness. I had two badly botched surgeries when I was young (way too young). Nearly eleven months ago I had a hair transplant that hid all the mistakes and now I have hair. Do I feel better about it? Hell yes. Has it given me happiness? No. That job comes down to me. I will admit that the recent surgery has removed my old insecurities I had about my scars that I had. So my mind has more room to fill up with other things now. But all the other problems are still there in my life and are no different. It's a bit like saying a brand new car will solve all of my problems. Pretty soon all those other problems come back because they were always there. I think your question is an excellent one @Jonas Medin because it's really an existential question. Happiness has to come from within and is something that is shared. That requires a lot of work but it's rewards are worth it. All the best.

Thanks @Gatsby for your perspective which seems to be shared with a lot of people in the forum. I will make sure to do my research in order to avoid unprofessional hair clinics. Happy to hear that the HT helped you to feel better about your appearance!

[Jonas Medin]

12 hours ago, deeznuts said:

Were you suffering from self-confidence issues prior to losing hair?

@deeznuts Were you referring to me with this question? I would say my self-confidence has always been good. However, it is obvious that my hair loss is effecting it in a negative way. It's like a disturbing stone in the shoe, always reminding me about the fact that I'm not fully satisfied with my appearance.

[Jonas Medin]

10 hours ago, StillAlive said:

I think that what the OP meant to say was whether a good hair transplant really takes care of the 'I'm constantly checking the mirror and obsessing over my bald patches/I hate how I look in pictures' aspect of it. A bit like having a thorn in your shoe which is a real problem. You gotta take off the shoe, shake out the thorn and then you forget all about it. 

This is exactly what I wanted to know! Thanks @StillAlive for formulating my question in a better way.

[Jonas Medin]

10 hours ago, Melvin- Moderator said:

However, if you’re a confident person that has lost some confidence due to hair loss, absolutely it will make you more confident. 

Thanks @Melvin- Moderator for your opinion. If you are right, it's good news for me since I would consider myself to be a person with a pretty stable self confidence although I have lost some of it due to thinning hair.

[Jonas Medin]

8 hours ago, Curious25 said:

I have seen it many times act as a catalyst for men to go on and further improve on their self, whether this be getting in better shape, re-educate/qualify in something to further career or financial opportunities, or even just branch out into trying more things that would have traditionally been out of their comfort zones - hardly an extreme feat here by any stretch of the imagination, but as a quick personal example, I took up surfing for a while after many years of being afraid to have wet hair in public, which was a very liberating feeling. 

This, @Curious25, is an interesting perspective - the fact that a HT can be a catalyst for someone to improve themselves further. I had never thought this way before. Sounds like a potential bonus for sure!