Torn between a transplant and just shaving it and being done, how often do people regret a transplant years later(despite it being a good transplant)?

[Proc]

I'm not going to share my entire personal life story as it's pretty common to everyone else here so I'll try to keep it brief. Around 20y/o started balding(dad and brothers all have MPB and brothers went bald early 20s). Started finasteride and minox around 21. Did a good job at saving hair but now at 30 I find myself using more and more fibers. I think the finasteride has lost it's effectiveness and I stopped using Minox a few years back because my dandruff was just uncontrollable.

 

Like most here I've done hours and hours of research and have it scheduled with Dr. Nader in coming months but have found myself starting to second guess it. He's estimated 1500-2000 grafts but I'm worried I'll be looking at more transplants in the future as the medicine works less and less. I've discussed it with my wife and she's supportive either way just has concerns I will regret spending so much on it. And then when(or if) I do end up shaving I will have a scar that goes with it on the back, even with FUE and a good doctor. She really doesn't care if I decide to shave it or not, which is a plus. But we all know we would all prefer to have hair whenever possible. Lol 

 

I guess my question is how often do people regret the transplant(assuming it does good results and not just a random hair mill)? I mean like 5 years or 10 years later? How often do you keep pumping thousands and thousands of dollars into it? I have read many posts here and fully understand it is more an act of an illusion than thick illustrious full hair(so to speak) and am totally fine with that. Just worried about spending thousands of dollars just to end up shaving it anyways in 5-10 years since it seems like the efficacy of the Finasteride is not doing what it once was for me. I tried searching here and searching the web but it's hard to balance between biased and non-biased regrets

 

Thanks!

[gaz9318054]

The vast majority of transplant patients have no major concerns and regrets and so we don't hear about them. They are out living their lives and probably not even thinking about their hair most of the time.

Becoming one of them involves taking a risk and spending some money, but if you do enough research, the risk can be greatly minimized.

Taking meds can slow the loss, and some people are fine shaving their heads. If these options aren't enough for you, and the thinning and/or recession is bothering you the way it bothers most who end up on this forum, then I'd say you're far more likely to regret doing nothing than taking this risk.

[Berba11]

Have you actually buzzed it down and rocked that look for a while? If not it's total madness to proceed with a HT without first having done that. If you have done that (you should have done if you've got a HT booked in already), then how did you like it? A good buzzcut where you still have a decent amount of hairline left provides the benefit of both framing the face nicely but also being low maintenance (and basically free of charge!).

[BackFromTheBrink]

Have you considered changing to dutasteride? It may be more effective and help with the longevity of a transplant.

[Proc]

10 minutes ago, BackFromTheBrink said:

Have you considered changing to dutasteride? It may be more effective and help with the longevity of a transplant.

I have actually. My doctor prescribes the finasteride yearly though and my next re-up isn't due for two more months so I planned to discuss with him at that time

 

[Proc]

13 minutes ago, Berba11 said:

Have you actually buzzed it down and rocked that look for a while? If not it's total madness to proceed with a HT without first having done that. If you have done that (you should have done if you've got a HT booked in already), then how did you like it? A good buzzcut where you still have a decent amount of hairline left provides the benefit of both framing the face nicely but also being low maintenance (and basically free of charge!).

I have not. I intended to within the next couple weeks to give me a few months to rock it and get an idea, and so it's not the first time my head is buzzed whenever I get a transplant done. My problem is the use of fibers that I've basically mastered with mixing in with my hair. Wouldn't be able to use that on a buzzed cut and I also have a massive head haha 

[Proc]

21 minutes ago, gaz9318054 said:

The vast majority of transplant patients have no major concerns and regrets and so we don't hear about them. They are out living their lives and probably not even thinking about their hair most of the time.

Becoming one of them involves taking a risk and spending some money, but if you do enough research, the risk can be greatly minimized.

Taking meds can slow the loss, and some people are fine shaving their heads. If these options aren't enough for you, and the thinning and/or recession is bothering you the way it bothers most who end up on this forum, then I'd say you're far more likely to regret doing nothing than taking this risk.

Yeah I tend to expect that most people just don't ever come back here, or any other social media site for that matter, to post about their hair anymore because they've got the solution. Most people only return when it's likely they need a re-up or had a botched transplant and need to continue to vent. It's similar to how most people post complaints about businesses they go to but people don't usually continue to post when the experience is great and taken care of. I think Dr. Nader does great work and is reasonably affordable so I am not at all worried about that I'm just the worst person in the world with buyers remorse. Like I'll get it done, 5-10 years from now see it thinning more and regret it and the money/time spent. I'm probably just mostly getting nervous as the time gets closer 

[YodaHead]

How badly do you want hair? Some ppl are fine with shaving and rocking the look, while others would go to any extent to have hair. if it is affecting you every time you look in the mirror or is impacting your social life/menta health…then it is worth considering a HT.

If you can share some photos of your current situation may be people can provide feedback accordingly.

But in general, if you are progressing towards a high NW (based on your current pattern and family history) then 1500-2000 graft is just the beginning.

Whether or not you will regret spending $$—well, it all depends on how well you understand your specific situation and how realistic are your expectations. Doing indept research (which you might already have) will help you set a realistic goal. And if the goal is realistic—you won’t regret it.
 

[gaz9318054]

8 minutes ago, Proc said:

I think Dr. Nader does great work and is reasonably affordable so I am not at all worried about that I'm just the worst person in the world with buyers remorse. Like I'll get it done, 5-10 years from now see it thinning more and regret it and the money/time spent.

This is understandable, but even though the regret is not all that likely, it might help to reframe your mindset about it all.

For example, I don't expect to have great hair for the remainder of my life. I'm 38 years old and my procedure will have been completely worth it if I can just get through the majority of my 40s without constantly worrying about my hair. That alone is priceless for me. I just want some nice photos of me to look back on, and if I never need a touchup or a bit more work done, I'll consider that a bonus.

9 minutes ago, Proc said:

I'm probably just mostly getting nervous as the time gets closer

Also completely understandable. I don't believe anyone who says they aren't nervous as the date approaches.

I have generalized anxiety disorder and and prone to catastrophic thinking and panic attacks. For me, the best course of action was to become as familiar with the entire process as possible. Read about every detail of the procedure. Follow tons of threads on this forum. Ask tons of questions, especially to your surgeon. Know exactly what to expect so that you don't have to wonder, because for me, uncertainty is where my anxiety kicks in, filling in the blanks with the scariest thoughts.

By the time my number was up, I'd done so much research that I felt like it wasn't my first time having a transplant performed. There were zero surprises and I was able to keep my anxiety from getting the best of me.

If you've chosen a reputable doctor who you feel confident about, and you know what to expect, then your nerves are just nerves and not a sign of anything worrisome.

[Lenzman]

It’s tough and I have considered shaving also. I wonder if many just get to an age where they really don’t care anymore as other things take precedence. Certainly over late 50s I imagine…. All down to the individual ofcourse though I image our priorities change massively as we age. 

[HappyMan2021]

if you are only 30, have significant balding, and the meds are starting to lose effectiveness, that is a dicey road ahead. You have ALOT of years ahead of you to still lose hair.

If you have not even had your first HT yet and are contemplating just living with balding naturally, I highly suggest you at least try it out before committing to the HT journey

Do keep in mind that even if you go to an elite doctor, whether it is Nader, Konior, Gabel, etc - 1 HT is not enough in 90% of the cases

Often times, a single HT may make things look a tad bit worse for you aesthetically due to density issues. 

What is worse, having a bald but totally natural frontal scalp, or a 1st HT where you do have hair in the frontal scalp, but inadequate density

Ironically, 1 HT alone can make it look like your hair is thinning, so it can have the opposite effect of removing 'baldness', if that makes sense. 

If you commit to HT journey, to have a prudent, realistic approach, I honestly think you should assume you need 2-3 HT's to reach your desired end state. 

Also keep in mind that each one of these surgeries must go smoothly too. Even if you go to a great surgeon, NOTHING is guaranteed and mishaps DO HAPPEN. 

I am in no way saying you shouldn't pursue HT's. But just keep in mind that you are likely looking at multiple-years, multiple-surgeries, and tens of thousands of dollars. Please keep all of these scenarios in mind as you weigh hair transplants vs natural baldness

 

Edited February 23 by HappyMan2021

[TorontoMan]

its easy to say you'd shave it down.. you should try to shave it down and keep it like that for a few months and see if it fits

[Gatsby]

@Proc if you have the slightest interest in buzzing your head then don’t get a hair transplant. Today a shaved head is very cool 😎 Thirty years ago it wasn’t. You will be saving yourself tens of thousands of bucks, ongoing medication, hair styling products and the hope that you won’t get a bad result no matter which surgeon you choose. You can get on and move forward with your life now if you simply buzz. If it really bothers you in the future you can always have a hair transplant ‘tomorrow.’ All the best! 

[Betterhair]

I’ve had 3 FUT . I was lied to about the graft count on the first surgery, which is basically stealing. My second surgery was good but not great and my 3rd was great leaning on excellent!! 
Be careful who you choose as there are many crooks out there that don’t know what the hell they are doing and neither do their technicians.

On the positive side my last surgery experience again was really good and the staff was incredibly professional and now my results reveal that!

The surgery is definitely worth it if you choose the right clinic.

Be careful out there!!

[Bucky O Hair]

On 2/23/2024 at 3:03 PM, Proc said:

Yeah I tend to expect that most people just don't ever come back here, or any other social media site for that matter, to post about their hair anymore because they've got the solution. Most people only return when it's likely they need a re-up or had a botched transplant and need to continue to vent. It's similar to how most people post complaints about businesses they go to but people don't usually continue to post when the experience is great and taken care of. I think Dr. Nader does great work and is reasonably affordable so I am not at all worried about that I'm just the worst person in the world with buyers remorse. Like I'll get it done, 5-10 years from now see it thinning more and regret it and the money/time spent. I'm probably just mostly getting nervous as the time gets closer 

I'm a perfect example of this, ha ha ha.

I got my transplant about a year ago, and have lost the drive to post on here as much since the new hairs grew out.  I actually have a second HT coming up very shortly and I am very "ill-prepared" for it, in the sense that I am so laid back about it now that haven't even bothered to book my flight and hotels yet (meanwhile, during my first HT, I was almost over-prepared for it, where I was thinking and planning about it for months in advance).

 

RE: my advice for making the jump...

#1:  I would assume that you will need 3 hair transplants in your lifetime.  Don't assume that the drugs are going to stop progression.  Most of the time, they only barely slow down progression anyway.

 

#2: Don't worry too much about the money.

Sure, it will probably cost you tens of thousands of dollars, but this is probably over a 15-20 year period.  So even if it works out to $3-4 grand per year across that 15-20 year span... that's essentially nothing (if it's meant to correct something that is causing you to dedicate a significant portion of your lifetime on a message board).  A lot of people spend that same amount of money annually on all kinds of hobbies or vices.  As important as money is...it shouldn't be the main factor when deciding whether you want this or not.  You're probably going to blast that cash on something else anyway (like a new car or a couple of extra vacations).  Worst case, just use the time you spend posting on here to make more money. 

 

#3: It's all about the scarring!

IMO, this is by far the biggest risk.  Buzzing your head (or trimming it very short) will still be an option in the future...but will a visible FUT or FUE scar cause you issues?

I think for most people, a visible FUT scar is a big problem which is why FUE has become the standard now (with many docs no longer offering FUT).  FUE scarring seems a lot more manageable, and SMP can be used to mask it (if you ever decide to shave your head in the future).

Personally, I did not get any visible FUE scarring on my donor at all, but I was surprised to see (what looks like) scarring on my recipient area.  However, it seems to only be seen in certain lighting and now that my hair has grown out there, it cannot be seen at all.  So, I'm good for now, but I wonder if in the future this will ever become a problem for me (if I ever decide to buzz my head).  I'm tempted to do it now (since maybe some of this scarring has healed up during my post-op healing process) but I won't know for sure.

I think scarring is the biggest wildcard, because even if you get a mediocre result (or just continue to thin out more as you age) you still want to have that option to buzz your head.  That being said...most people never wet shave their heads anyway.  Everyone tends to do a "Jason Statham style" 1-guard or 2-guard trim with the hair clippers, rather than a zero-guard buzz (which would expose your scars).  I think going 1 or 2 guard helps in masking any scarring on your scalp.

 

 

 

 

 

 

[Al - Moderator]

Shaving your head doesn't have any side effects and it doesn't have to be forever. The hair will grow back, so if you are trying to decide between shaving or going through with a hair transplant, it makes sense to try shaving first and see if you can get used to it and be comfortable with that look. You may want to try different amounts of facial hair to get an overall style that you like. If that doesn't work for you then you will feel much better about going for the hair transplant because you'll know that shaving is not for you. In your case it's also much easier that your wife is OK with whichever one you choose.

 

[ScottishGuy21]

19 hours ago, Al - formerly BeHappy said:

Shaving your head doesn't have any side effects and it doesn't have to be forever. The hair will grow back, so if you are trying to decide between shaving or going through with a hair transplant, it makes sense to try shaving first and see if you can get used to it and be comfortable with that look. You may want to try different amounts of facial hair to get an overall style that you like. If that doesn't work for you then you will feel much better about going for the hair transplant because you'll know that shaving is not for you. In your case it's also much easier that your wife is OK with whichever one you choose.

 

Great advice.

Every patient is different but if you believe you are destined to be a high Norwood then shaving your head briefly to see what it looks like before any surgery is a great idea.

You never know you may like it and decide you can live without the stress of a transplant and the inevitable continued recession / tail chasing of further top ups.