HT - does it make sense?

[j23]

Hi, 

Thanks everyone for sharing a lot of information, great forum, I have been reading for some time and finally decided to do something about it ;-).

I am 43, started loosing hair pretty early (in my 20s), I was on Finasteride for couple of years, then stopped, then returned, 2 years ago I switched to 0.5mg Dutasteride. 2 months ago I also started using topical minoxidil 5%. Since I started Dutasteride I haven't seen any drastic changes (neither for worse nor for better).

With my Norwood 6(?) and relatively thin hair - does it make sense to consider HT? Although the cost is not such a big issue, the whole procedure seems painful and tedious, I am just not sure if results in my case would make a difference.

 

[Rahal Hair Transplant]

@j23,

Only you can determine whether or not hair transplant surgery is worth it for you.  as far as I can tell from the photos it seems that you have advanced balding which means that you would have to be very realistic in what can be achieved if you proceed forward with surgery.

Depending on your available donor hair which is hard to determine by the photos alone, an experienced surgeon can re-create a conservative looking hairline and then essentially go back as far as you can get available donor hair.  After the first procedure grows in, you can consider going back for a second one to obtain more density and or coverage depending on your ultimate goals.

if you’re interested in a one on one information session with Dr. Rahal, please send me a private message and I’ll be happy to set it up for you and answer any questions you might have.

I hope this helps 

Rahal Hair Transplant 

[Doron Harati]

@j23

Seems you're NW5-6, you need to grow your hair for 2 weeks for more accurate estimation, apparently you'll need 2 sessions, a conservative hairline will help to get a better coverage on 1st session, 2nd can be done after 8-9 months to cover the crown and add touch up enhancements for the 1st procedure result.

By the photos your top area scalp looks narrow and you have natural hair at the top corridors that will support the result of the transplanted hair, we need to exam better the quality of your donor.

For a detailed review at HDC clinic you're welcome to contact me.

[pkipling]

Whether or not a hair transplant would be "worth it" in your case is going to come down to personal preference, and I think getting a couple consultations under your belt to gather more info would be a great place to start evaluating things. I agree with Doron that growing your hair out for a couple of weeks will really help give you and any potential surgeons some good insight as to what sort of results are possible for you as well.

Your hair loss is fairly advanced, and so I think the biggest factor will be managing your expectations and deciding for yourself if "what's possible" is "enough" to satisfy you... And then weighing the pros and cons between your "best case scenario outcome" and sticking with your current buzzed look. 

As a general rule, if you've found a way to be happy with how things are now and are content with having the buzzed look (which seems to suit you based on the photos!), and it turns out that your results won't meet your standards, then it's probably best to leave it alone. But if you're unsatisfied with it as-is and you feel like you'd be happy and satisfied with an outcome that leaves you at an NW3 (for instance), then it's worth considering. 

First things first... I'd grow my hair out and get a consultation or two under my belt with some qualified surgeons and reevaluate then once you have more info!

[gillenator]

The 2 factors that really stands out in your case is that you’re 43 and that you are responding positive to DUT…at this point in time you definitely want to get a microscopic examination of your scalp to accurately see exactly where DHT is impeding and also potential harvestable grafts.

[WhereIsMyMind]

Honestly (even it sounds ridiculous to say so from a picture), it seems your donor doesn't have many 3s and 4s grafts and low density, so it might be a bit too hard case.

But if you are willing to go a long dedicated journey, we have dozens of NW6 recoveries on this forum. Just be warned, your case is on the verge of almost not possible, but still possible. 

[j23]

Thank you everyone for responses. I checked pictures of NW3 and actually I would be pretty happy with results like that (if the look would be natural-ish). 

I am from Europe, willing to travel, but probably US or Canada is a bit too far. Which doctors would you recommend for case like mine? 

 

[j23]

In similar cases I have seen recommendations for Eugenix. Any other doctors I could consider, preferably in Europe? 

[gillenator]

Dr. Mwamba would be a great choice.

[Dr. Robert Haber]

I think this is a great example of a case where FUT (strip surgery) would be preferable to FUE, as long as you are willing to grow your hair longer to hide the harvest scar. If you undergo 3000+ FUE grafts, you might have a see through donor area and that would not look good. With FUT however, you could easily have 4000+ grafts harvested over two sessions, achieve excellent cosmetic results up front, and easily hide your donor scar with longer hair +/- SMP.

If keeping your hair this length is a priority, I agree with a very conservative approach, and even consider a fully shaved look, again with SMP to achieve a very nice masculine look.

[Matt3210]

Always treat the doctors offered to you as an item for research. There are no shortcuts and you have to check them all yourself.

You have received valuable and wise tips here, beneficial for you. Many doctors will only want to sell you HT, without a thorough analysis of your benefits from it for long years.

Good luck. 

Edited December 20, 2022 by Matt3210