25 yo, Considering Hair Transplant, Have a few Questions About it

[Ferris]

The pictures of my progress on Fin/Min are below

I've been slowly losing my hair since I was about 22 based off what old pictures I have of myself. Fortunately I caught it somewhat early and began taking Finasteride when I was 24 in Nov of 2021 to stop my hair loss

Here is what I've been taking and for how long:

• I've been on Fin since Nov 2021 (18 Months)
• I've been on Topical Min since June 2022 (5 Months) and switch to Oral Min in December 2022 (5 Months)

I think at this point I've hit the limit of what Fin/Min can do for me. It has reversed some of my hair loss but not all. Min alone has also boosted my beard and interestingly enough made my hair much darker than it was (I got a few confused questions from my family about that 😅) 

I want to get a small hair transplant to fix up what Fin/Min is not able to regrow and I want to find a good place to get it done...

So I got a few questions

• Should I get a transplant at 25? (As mentioned Fin/Min has stabilised the loss but isn't going repair much more for me)
• How much transplanted hair am I looking at to fix what's in my pictures?
• How much will it cost to get it done at a trustworthy surgeon (I know I could go to Turkey but understand that's a risky choice that's frowned upon on here)
• What are the good surgeons on here people recommend?

One final question, why do some hair transplants go very well and some end in failure? What determines failure or success? Is it the surgeon or to some degree pure chance based on stuff like genetics? I see some incredible work from what's considered bad places on here and failures from said places too. I don't really get why some fail badly and some succeed and look incredible

Edited April 9, 2023 by Ferris
Details

[Curious25]

16 minutes ago, Ferris said:

• Should I get a transplant at 25? (As mentioned Fin/Min has stabilised the loss but isn't going repair much more for me)
• How much transplanted hair am I looking at to fix what's in my pictures?
• How much will it cost to get it done at a trustworthy surgeon (I know I could go to Turkey but understand that's a risky choice that's frowned upon on here)
• What are the good surgeons on here people recommend?

- If you commit to continue with your medication, then I don’t see your age being too much of an issue relative to the amount of loss you have. 
 

-Depends on your hairline design. For a gauge of potential graft numbers, post up a pic with a rough outline drawn on of where you’d like your hairline to be.
 

-far too broad of a question to provide any real answer. 
 

-For your case, I would look at

Europe;

Feriduni, Bisanga, De Freitas, Pinto, Ferreira, Hattingen, Reddy, 

North America; 

Konior, Bloxham, Shapiro, 

 

In Turkey, Pekiner and Keser have notable hairline results - however the former has a bit of a hit and miss reputation online. 

[ThePerseverantWarrior]

Good that you are on finasteride and minoxidil. Few questions : 

1) What's your family history of baldness? At that grade are you likely to end up without medication? 

2) Do you plan to address just the frontal part with the transplant?

 

 

[Ferris]

24 minutes ago, ThePerseverantWarrior said:

Good that you are on finasteride and minoxidil. Few questions : 

1) What's your family history of baldness? At that grade are you likely to end up without medication? 

2) Do you plan to address just the frontal part with the transplant?

1. Dads completely bald and as for my grandads, Dad's side kept his hair but my Mom's side he receded quite heavily.TBH I have no clue where in the genetic lottery I stand but as shown in the pictures above in 5 months not much has changed and I have not lost ground, just gained some
2. I just want to address the front part, no issues on the back of my head or anywhere else ever really before/after I started meds

Edited April 9, 2023 by Ferris

[Mike10]

Does it bother you a lot? you seem to be NW2-NW3, it is not bad. before doing HT,  you need to understand the limitations of medications, that you will need follow-up surgeries and the risks of getting a HT at such young age.  it is your decision but I recommend you do more research.

[Ferris]

28 minutes ago, Curious25 said:

- If you commit to continue with your medication, then I don’t see your age being too much of an issue relative to the amount of loss you have. 
-Depends on your hairline design. For a gauge of potential graft numbers, post up a pic with a rough outline drawn on of where you’d like your hairline to be.
-far too broad of a question to provide any real answer. 
-For your case, I would look at

Europe;

Feriduni, Bisanga, De Freitas, Pinto, Ferreira, Hattingen, Reddy, 

North America; 

Konior, Bloxham, Shapiro, 

In Turkey, Pekiner and Keser have notable hairline results - however the former has a bit of a hit and miss reputation online. 

For hairline this is where I'd like it to be. Don't take it as absolute as I drew it on with a mouse in MSPaint, but it would be nice to have the corner bits filled in

[Ferris]

10 minutes ago, Mike10 said:

Does it bother you a lot? you seem to be NW2-NW3, it is not bad. before doing HT,  you need to understand the limitations of medications, that you will need follow-up surgeries and the risks of getting a HT at such young age.  it is your decision but I recommend you do more research.

• It does bother me quite a bit being forced to have certain haircuts and not being able to grow my hair out like I used to when I can 100% get this fixed. Not so much a question of why get it fixed for me but why wouldn't I get it fixed
• What are the limitations of Fin/Min. My understanding is this is probably all it can do for me at this stage and will most likely hold the line for some time to come
• Give me an idea of what sort of risks I could encounter with a HT. I posted here in part to be a lot better informed about HT's, it is surgery so I want to take this seriously

Edited April 9, 2023 by Ferris

[Big Rome]

30 minutes ago, Ferris said:

For hairline this is where I'd like it to be. Don't take it as absolute as I drew it on with a mouse in MSPaint, but it would be nice to have the corner bits filled in

conservative hairline, any experienced doctor should be able to knock this out the park. have you had any sides on the medication you are taking? 

[Ferris]

3 minutes ago, Big Rome said:

conservative hairline, any experienced doctor should be able to knock this out the park. have you had any sides on the medication you are taking? 

None to speak over the last 18mo fortunately

[duckling]

1 hour ago, Ferris said:

For hairline this is where I'd like it to be. Don't take it as absolute as I drew it on with a mouse in MSPaint, but it would be nice to have the corner bits filled in

is it possible to post a pic with same angle but showing the part just behind your hairline? you have hairs pulled back so its hiding that part. Wanted to see the density there. You can part your hair and take a pic.

From the existing pic i can say that , if the density behind hairline is slightly thin and not too much empty then with 2500 grafts first transplant should be done based on the hairline you drew. But you didnt make temples though.. Temple area will take more grafts if you want them.

This below case i think is somewhat like yours but with better temples:

 

[Ferris]

3 minutes ago, duckling said:

is it possible to post a pic with same angle but showing the part just behind your hairline? you have hairs pulled back so its hiding that part. Wanted to see the density there. You can part your hair and take a pic.

From the existing pic i can say that , if the density behind hairline is slightly thin and not too much empty then with 2500 grafts first transplant should be done based on the hairline you drew. But you didnt make temples though.. Temple area will take more grafts if you want them.

This below case i think is somewhat like yours but with better temples:

 

Ah I know what bit your talking about, the Minox filled in that part completely fortunately 

[mister_25]

2 hours ago, Ferris said:

• Should I get a transplant at 25? (As mentioned Fin/Min has stabilised the loss but isn't going repair much more for me)
• How much transplanted hair am I looking at to fix what's in my pictures?
• How much will it cost to get it done at a trustworthy surgeon (I know I could go to Turkey but understand that's a risky choice that's frowned upon on here)
• What are the good surgeons on here people recommend?

• 25 is generally speaking the minimum accepted age that is universally agreed upon. My opinion is a bit different and that the requirement to be a HT candidate is to show that you have stabilized your hair loss on medication in a one year timeframe.
• Somewhere between 2000-3000 grafts. 3000 is extreme but some clinics like to go really dense to match your native hair.
• Cant really say how much it would cost because price varies.
• For your case, I would take a look at Pinto, Bisanga and Ferreira which are all European options.

2 hours ago, Ferris said:

One final question, why do some hair transplants go very well and some end in failure? What determines failure or success? Is it the surgeon or to some degree pure chance based on stuff like genetics? I see some incredible work from what's considered bad places on here and failures from said places too. I don't really get why some fail badly and some succeed and look incredible

There are many reasons that dictate failure and success. Poor work can result in unnatural angles, overharvested donor, unnatural placements, unnatural design, shock loss, cobblestoning/pitting, and poor planning for the future. Outside of Poor work there are things such as undiagnosed scalp conditions and as sad as it is to admit, a element of chance when it comes to genetics. 

The reality is, you are early in your hairloss, even at your worst you are still rather early. The gap between Norwood 3A (which is what you were at your worst) to Norwood 5 is massive. You would need to plan for the worst so something conservative like you drew out is reasonable and a good approach.

[duckling]

20 minutes ago, Ferris said:

Ah I know what bit your talking about, the Minox filled in that part completely fortunately 

then i guess 2000 grafts just like the case i posted should be enough for you. maybe with 2500 they can give you little temples if you need. Doctor will let you know  though if temples needed to frame your face or work can be done with just hairline. 

Edited April 9, 2023 by duckling

[BaldReaper]

2 hours ago, Ferris said:

For hairline this is where I'd like it to be. Don't take it as absolute as I drew it on with a mouse in MSPaint, but it would be nice to have the corner bits filled in

thats a conservative approach and easily achievable, what is the distance from the brows to your hairline now?

[Ferris]

30 minutes ago, BaldV said:

thats a conservative approach and easily achievable, what is the distance from the brows to your hairline now?

At it's best it's always been a little further than a your average person

[BaldReaper]

14 minutes ago, Ferris said:

At it's best it's always been a little further than a your average person

how much is that in cm?

[Berik]

4 hours ago, Curious25 said:

- If you commit to continue with your medication, then I don’t see your age being too much of an issue relative to the amount of loss you have. 
 

-Depends on your hairline design. For a gauge of potential graft numbers, post up a pic with a rough outline drawn on of where you’d like your hairline to be.
 

-far too broad of a question to provide any real answer. 
 

-For your case, I would look at

Europe;

Feriduni, Bisanga, De Freitas, Pinto, Ferreira, Hattingen, Reddy, 

North America; 

Konior, Bloxham, Shapiro, 

 

In Turkey, Pekiner and Keser have notable hairline results - however the former has a bit of a hit and miss reputation online. 

Keser's results are much worse than Pekiner IMO.. Pekiner's advisor is the one who has a poor reputation online, not his results. Keser doesn't even use microscopes for graft extraction and dissection, just loupes for implanting as far as I know, so you're bound to get a bunch of multis in the hairline. 

[Gatsby]

I think the fact that you have stabilized and improved your current hair situation would make you a candidate. Bare in mind that you will be on these drugs (or others in the future) for the rest of your life. Also you will require further surgeries in the many years ahead (and the money that goes with that). Definitely take your time and research surgeon's who would be a good match for you from the forum by the results that they have churned out. All the best!

[Bhumik Shah MD]

I think it is reasonable to consider a hair transplant given that you are on medical stabilization. Since you are on the younger side, I would recommend being conservative with your hairline design and the number of grafts that are utilized. 

[Ferris]

6 hours ago, Berik said:

Keser's results are much worse than Pekiner IMO.. Pekiner's advisor is the one who has a poor reputation online, not his results. Keser doesn't even use microscopes for graft extraction and dissection, just loupes for implanting as far as I know, so you're bound to get a bunch of multis in the hairline. 

I had a look through the forum and save for one iffy transplant Pekiners results look stunning

Typically how long are waiting lists for transplants from these surgeons?

[Berik]

13 minutes ago, Ferris said:

I had a look through the forum and save for one iffy transplant Pekiners results look stunning

Typically how long are waiting lists for transplants from these surgeons?

I've heard Pekiner is hard to get ahold of these days. Massive increase in demand recently. You're probably looking at around 3 euros per graft for shaven and 3.3 for unshaven. Waitlist of minimum 6 months, probably around a year. 

[Berik]

Fair warning though - Pekiner is pretty strict about the patients that he operates on. He generally doesn't accept patients with higher levels of hair loss, with poor donor quality, and he won't hesitate to stop the surgery if he finds additional issues with your scalp/hair. 

 

It's definitely worth sending a consultation, but if I were in your position traveling internationally to Turkey wouldn't be on the top of my list. A good budget option around the same budget is Nader, in Mexico just over the border in Texas. He's around $4 per graft for the first 1,000 grafts and $3 per after that. His results and hairline macro is very very good for the price. 

[Mike10]

14 hours ago, Ferris said:

• It does bother me quite a bit being forced to have certain haircuts and not being able to grow my hair out like I used to when I can 100% get this fixed. Not so much a question of why get it fixed for me but why wouldn't I get it fixed
• What are the limitations of Fin/Min. My understanding is this is probably all it can do for me at this stage and will most likely hold the line for some time to come
• Give me an idea of what sort of risks I could encounter with a HT. I posted here in part to be a lot better informed about HT's, it is surgery so I want to take this seriously

There are always uncertain factors with HTs. Generally, the uncertainty and risks are greater when you are so young. It is always better to delay the HT a few years. 

- In time your hair loss will likely progress regardless of the medication, and you will need further follow-on surgeries. There is also the possibility, that you have to get off the medication in the long term for some reason or the other (side effects or loss of efficiency). People like to disregard the latter but it can and has happened. 

- HTs are all about supply and demand. However, at age 25 it is kind of difficult to predict where the hair loss is going and to make a certain estimate of your donor capacity. There is no such thing as a safe donor. 

I am not telling not to have a HT.Only you can decide but you  should be fully informed. You can book some consultations with reputable Drs and ask them the right questions. A HT Forum should not be the basis for having a HT or not in my opinion.

 

 

 

 

 

[Ferris]

 

5 hours ago, Berik said:

Fair warning though - Pekiner is pretty strict about the patients that he operates on. He generally doesn't accept patients with higher levels of hair loss, with poor donor quality, and he won't hesitate to stop the surgery if he finds additional issues with your scalp/hair. 

 

It's definitely worth sending a consultation, but if I were in your position traveling internationally to Turkey wouldn't be on the top of my list. A good budget option around the same budget is Nader, in Mexico just over the border in Texas. He's around $4 per graft for the first 1,000 grafts and $3 per after that. His results and hairline macro is very very good for the price. 

I agree, nothing against an internet forum but it's a good call to speak with a HT specialist about my situation. I'm quite clueless about how consolations really work with this, get the feeling they are not free and might cost me a bit especially if I speak with multiple Dr's about it

Where do I even go for consultations, do we have a repository of contact info lying around here I can use?

[Ferris]

5 hours ago, Berik said:

I've heard Pekiner is hard to get ahold of these days. Massive increase in demand recently. You're probably looking at around 3 euros per graft for shaven and 3.3 for unshaven. Waitlist of minimum 6 months, probably around a year. 

I can get HT unshaven? Cost aside, Is that a good idea?