Diffuse Thinner (35) - Hairtransplant now, later or maybe never

[KenzoTenma]

hey everyone,

I have posted a few times already and are still undecided what to do next. I am on 0,5mg Finasterid (started 09.22) and 2,5 mg Minoxidil (started 03.23) daily (both oral). I went to Dr. Bisanga in March this year. He indentified my hair loss as diffuse thinning and prescriped  5 mg Minoxidil daily (which I reduced to 2,5 mg, because my blood pressure went very low). He told me to come back after about 9-12 month. The minoxidil should strenghten my hair, so a possible hair transplant will not cause shockloss of existing hair. He measured my donor and I have roughly 6000 grafts to spair.

I am planning to visit Dr. Bisanga again early 2024, but are worried that I will need multiple hair transplants in the next few years. Do you think Dr. Bisanga is a good one in case of this kind of hair loss? Do you think it is feasible to add grafts in the front as well as in the mid scalp in the same session? If I understood Dr. Bisanga correctly, he would like to fill in grafts in the 1/3 of my scalp. 

I am mostly worried, that the hair loss is still progressing afterwards. I do not have pictures from the last 12 years, but from what I have noticed, my temples started receeding from age 23-33 and the thinning on the whole mid scalp started from 33-35. Should I still wait longer than this year, or do you think a transplant would make sense in 2024? /or would you hand the decision over to the Doctor, in this case Dr. Bisanga.

 

Kind regards,

 

Kenzo

 

Edited June 30, 2023 by KenzoTenma

[Curious25]

Do you mean you were prescribed 5mg of oral Minoxidil, and you are taking 2.5mg of it. Because 0.5mg and 0.25mg are extremely low doses. 

You could transplant the front as that area is already bald - and then hopefully the medications will help strengthen your thinning in the vertex and crown.

In your own time, and if you are comfortable - aim to increase the dosages to 1mg daily finasteride and 5mg daily minoxidil to really give yourself the best chance of benefiting from them. 

 

[KenzoTenma]

13 minutes ago, Curious25 said:

Do you mean you were prescribed 5mg of oral Minoxidil, and you are taking 2.5mg of it. Because 0.5mg and 0.25mg are extremely low doses. 

You could transplant the front as that area is already bald - and then hopefully the medications will help strengthen your thinning in the vertex and crown.

In your own time, and if you are comfortable - aim to increase the dosages to 1mg daily finasteride and 5mg daily minoxidil to really give yourself the best chance of benefiting from them. 

 

hey curious25,

thank you for your feedback :). You are right, I got the dosage wrong ;-). 5 mg minoxidil prescribed and are using 2,5mg now.

So you are saying a transplant in the front could make sense (but it is not bald I would say, just less hair then in the mid and vertex). You would wait in mid and vertex area until more hair is lost?

I was taking 1mg finasterid and I had side effects, so I will stay at 0,5mg, which I heard is working pretty well. For the minoxidil I could try again. But from what I have read, taking the full dosage will only bring a few % more effect, so I would rather not risk the side effects.

[Melvin- Admin]

Dr. Bisanga is an excellent doctor. Have you considered dutasteride with mesotherapy? I know it’s something Dr. Bisanga offers. Best to try all medical options before surgery.

[A_4_Archan]

If you have issues with blood pressure with 5mg than better be at your current dosage(2.5mg) ...good that your are on medication ..as melvin stated you may consider dutasteride mesotherapy after consulting your doctor..you can fix your hairline with a transplant at this stage..mid scalp and crown can be taken care with medication and other therapies...dr bisanga is a good ethical man and he will advise you what will be best for you..set the dosage of your medication which will help your hairs and cut down those side effects... you can move on according to his advice...best of luck ...

[mr_peanutbutter]

i think you could get a ht in the front. sure if you keep losing hair even on meds … nobody can tell the future. follow up procedures are possible

[KenzoTenma]

On 6/30/2023 at 8:00 PM, Melvin- Moderator said:

Dr. Bisanga is an excellent doctor. Have you considered dutasteride with mesotherapy? I know it’s something Dr. Bisanga offers. Best to try all medical options before surgery.

hey Melvin, do you mean taking dutasteride in general? I am too far away (Germany) too get a mesotherapy by Dr. Bisanga. I am thinking about trying dutasteride thou. But I would think the side effects are more probable then in taking finasterid I suppose.

[Henry]

Based on my knowledge, good and ethical surgeons would probably be hesitant to operate on a diffused area unless they test out how you grow first, for example focus on your hairline recession first, see how you grow after a year or more and then decide after that, probably based on growth and how your scalp deals with shock loss, if they can transplant in a diffused area.