20 years old nw3, is it possible to preserve hair indefinitely?

[acexzzn]

I’m 20 years old, been using finasteride 1mg once daily for two years and minoxidil 3.25mg twice daily for the past 6 months. 

I plan on getting a hair transplant when I’m 23 by a reputable surgeon. A couple FUTs then FUEs to maintain. I’m wondering if with the combination of finasteride/minoxidil and transplants, if I’ll be able to keep my hair forever?

I’m considering doing an smp tattoo as well in the future which could help me preserve grafts if I had a less dense hair transplant done?

Also, about how much grafts would filling my hairline take? around 3k? and does that means I have around 3k left for use in the future if I used all available grafts? Based of the average availability of 6k?

Looking for hope and anecdotals, I really want to maintain my hair. 

I’ve attached pics of hair. The red circled area I was also wondering if that can be used as donor if it was needed?

Crown has some thinning but this isn't the best pic.

Edited June 10 by acexzzn

[donpizmeov]

You have indeed been very proactive and its a great start being on medication to try preserve what you already have as you are still pretty good with hair despite clearly you are still very young - and too young for a HT! The truth is medication does not stop hairloss in the long term, it only slows it considerable down. So there is no magic formula other than what you are already doing. Look to your dad, and men in your parents close family and you will have a good idea of where your hairloss will eventually end up at. 

[A_4_Archan]

Hair loss is highly unpredictable. While certain indicators can help us make assumptions, no one can provide a definitive answer.

It's good that you are addressing the issue early. It's good to see someone being proactive at this age which is unusual. So you took the first step right on time. Your current medication is the only one that can assist you, but you should not manage this on your own. It's crucial to consult a reputable hair transplant specialist to develop a medication plan that helps your hairs and minimizes side effects. So If you haven't seen a doctor yet, please do so.

Generally, 2.5 mg to a maximum of 5 mg of minoxidil per day is sufficient; only exceed this dosage if advised by your doctor.

You are too young to consider hair transplant surgery at this point. So just be on medication and other non surgical therapies for few more years.

I hope this helps you. Good luck.

[manutd4545]

Great to see some forward planning. It would be great to give you a definite answer but no one possible could. 23 would still be considered too young. My first one was 24  and 2nd at 26. Most doctors say wait until you are at least 25 but I do understand why you would want to do it earlier as I was in your shoes before.

 

Have you seen much progress from the meds?

Edited June 10 by manutd4545

[acexzzn]

13 hours ago, donpizmeov said:

You have indeed been very proactive and its a great start being on medication to try preserve what you already have as you are still pretty good with hair despite clearly you are still very young - and too young for a HT! The truth is medication does not stop hairloss in the long term, it only slows it considerable down. So there is no magic formula other than what you are already doing. Look to your dad, and men in your parents close family and you will have a good idea of where your hairloss will eventually end up at. 

thank you for your input, i appreciate it. most seem to be nw2-4 with overall thin hair, some are 5-7. honestly i hope to get the best use of my grafts as possible considering future loss, in the area i circled, do you think a surgeon would consider using that area, say after like 10 years and i’ve used up all available donor space, could they use that area to more “evenly” distribute the hairs. 

Edited June 10 by acexzzn

[acexzzn]

11 hours ago, manutd4545 said:

Great to see some forward planning. It would be great to give you a definite answer but no one possible could. 23 would still be considered too young. My first one was 24  and 2nd at 26. Most doctors say wait until you are at least 25 but I do understand why you would want to do it earlier as I was in your shoes before.

 

Have you seen much progress from the meds?

i understand that 23 is young and it is not definite, i still have to check in with my surgeon at that time, in which he will re-evaluate. 

as far as the meds are concerned, not much regrowth as far as i know, but definitely way thicker and healthier hair, also darker hair, don’t know if that’s from aging or not.