I need advice about HT surgery and the cost involved.

[Diverso]

Well, where do I start! I'm 21 but have experienced what can only be described as extreme hair loos for an individual my age. As the attached photos demonstrate i have an unusually shaped head so shaving my head isn't an option. I think I need to transfer quite a lot of hair over to the front but I don't know if I have enough hair to be able to do that. I am also unsure of how to go about making this surgery happen.

[Diverso]

Well, where do I start! I'm 21 but have experienced what can only be described as extreme hair loos for an individual my age. As the attached photos demonstrate i have an unusually shaped head so shaving my head isn't an option. I think I need to transfer quite a lot of hair over to the front but I don't know if I have enough hair to be able to do that. I am also unsure of how to go about making this surgery happen.

[Diverso]

Here is a picture from the top

[mmhce]

Diverso,

 

Welcome to this commmunity. You're in the right place.

 

Firstly, to me, there is no doubt that you have MPB.

 

If you have not already started, you have to get onto finasteride and minoxidil ASAP.

 

You definitely are going to, if not already, NW7.

 

I am quite sorry for you, but you have to focus on reconstructing your hairline and adding density to the top.

 

You may never have hair again in your crown, since the priority in all HT surgeries is to do as I outlined above.

 

Dr. Mike Beehner, who is a Coalition doctor is good with NW7s, but you can also check out Hasson and Wong.

[TC17]

I don't think I've ever seen a 21 year old with such extensive hair loss, you look to be at least a NW 6.5 and unquestionably moving towards a NW 7. Realistically, there is a strong chance that you are not a candidate for a transplant because of your loss. If anyone is going to turn into the 50+ year old man with a see through donor, it would most likely be someone with your pattern.

 

My opinion is that your best bet is to forget about a surgery. Even if you are a candidate for a transplant, do you really want to be 21 with a pattern that only looks acceptable on men who are in their 50's? There is no doubt that Dr. Beehner has made improvements to a number of NW 7's on this site, but the look is only appropriate because the men are all 30 years older than you. In my opinion, men our age are far better off buzzing or shaving down, rather than having a thin, high hairline, with nothing behind it.

 

Ultimately it is your scalp and your decision, but just be careful.

[mmhce]

do you really want to be 21 with a pattern that only looks acceptable on men who are in their 50's

 

TC17 is right about the age appropriateness of a hairline and hairloss pattern, and the age at which you should entertain surgery.

 

Though some younger men are accepted as candidates, some are not. And some are just plain rejected because of inadequate donor supply.

 

You should speak to H&W or Dr. Beehner and hear what they have to say.

 

Best of luck and I mean it!

 

But remember, to understand that beauty is about how you see yourself, and with a proper social standing, a sense of humour (you don't even have to be smart) and a sense of independence, you can be appealing to women.

[Speegs]

Friend, i know you don't want to hear this but i think there will be more heartache, expense and frustration with a hair transplant then simply adopting a buzz cut or shaved head, you look like you have a round melon so with a little coloring from the sun you will look just fine.

 

I know it hurts, its a real psyche blow but you are better off being confident in your present appearance than forcing an issue in desperation and making it look a lot worse.

[Forrest Gump]

For the time being take Finasteride (Propecia) and Minox (Rogaine). See if these make a significant difference in about a year from now.

 

It's quite possible that you'll gain some hair coverage using these products. Also, talk to your doctor or a dermatologist regarding getting prescribed for Propecia.

 

Good luck!

[Diverso]

Originally posted by mmhce:

Diverso,

 

Welcome to this commmunity. You're in the right place.

 

Firstly, to me, there is no doubt that you have MPB.

 

If you have not already started, you have to get onto finasteride and minoxidil ASAP.

 

You definitely are going to, if not already, NW7.

 

I am quite sorry for you, but you have to focus on reconstructing your hairline and adding density to the top.

 

You may never have hair again in your crown, since the priority in all HT surgeries is to do as I outlined above.

 

Dr. Mike Beehner, who is a Coalition doctor is good with NW7s, but you can also check out Hasson and Wong.

 

Thank you for the reply, first of all I am unaware of the term MPB, what does that mean? Secondly I have been taking Provillus for the last three months and although I have not noticed any more hair loss but no hair gain whatsoever. Should I stop taking this medicine and start taking the ones you recommended?

 

I was hoping to gain density at the top and build a hair line, I am not worried abo9ut the back as there are ways around that and to be honest if I don't see it then it doesn't bother me. Realistically speaking, do you think I have a chance?

 

You suggested that I contact Dr. Mike Beehner but I forgot to mention I live in London. Do you think I should stick to local surgeons or be willing to go as far as possible to get what I need?

 

I'm sorry for all the questions but I am just so unhappy and depressed.

[Diverso]

Originally posted by Speegs:

Friend, i know you don't want to hear this but i think there will be more heartache, expense and frustration with a hair transplant then simply adopting a buzz cut or shaved head, you look like you have a round melon so with a little coloring from the sun you will look just fine.

 

I know it hurts, its a real psyche blow but you are better off being confident in your present appearance than forcing an issue in desperation and making it look a lot worse.

 

I don't think I can ever be confident, I am very shy by nature and to have this added it's just more than I can handle. I'm a student so I don't have that much money for the procedure but I'm willing to find the money any way I can just to look acceptable.

 

I suffer from depression because of my hair and I tried shaving my head but I have a strange shape at the back of my head which isn't shown on the pictures and even though nobody says anything about my boldness I feel like I am not an equal human being to everyone else.

[mmhce]

Diverso,

 

I'm sorry for all the questions but I am just so unhappy and depressed.

 

I started to lose my hair when I was 16 years. I know everything you're going through.

 

One of most important things on this forum is the emotional support that we can give to each other. That is why I frown when other posters tell or imply to those seeking help that the seekers are beyond help. Only when posters:

 

1. Ask INCREDIBLY stupid questions as though they've NEVER visited a pharmacy or

 

2.Try to promote a business on this good forum or

 

3. Try to blasphemously use the name of God on a forum that is governed by the amoral rules of science,

 

that I become irritated.

 

Thank you for the reply, first of all I am unaware of the term MPB, what does that mean?

 

MPB stands for Male Patterned Baldness also known as AndroGenetic Alopecia (AGA).

 

 

Secondly I have been taking Provillus for the last three months and although I have not noticed any more hair loss but no hair gain whatsoever. Should I stop taking this medicine and start taking the ones you recommended?

 

 

I too started off with herbal treatments, but quickly learnt that the only drugs proven scientifically to regrow hair are Finasteride (brand name Propecia) and minoxidil (brand name Rogaine).

 

I was hoping to gain density at the top and build a hair line,

 

Something like 85% of your social interaction will be face on, so your focus should be to reconstruct your hairline and add density to the top.

 

I am not worried abo9ut the back as there are ways around that and to be honest if I don't see it then it doesn't bother me.

 

 

Good! Stay out of the crown, until you are ready for that, perhaps in the 3rd or 4th surgery, if you want to go that far.

 

 

Realistically speaking, do you think I have a chance?

 

One of the greatest things human beings possess is the belief in the abstract thing called HOPE!

 

 

You suggested that I contact Dr. Mike Beehner but I forgot to mention I live in London.

 

I think Dr. Feller is from UK, but he specialises in FUE. You can check him out, or contact Spex (one of the members of our community) who is aligned to him.

 

Do you think I should stick to local surgeons or be willing to go as far as possible to get what I need?

 

The vast majority of us have to do air travel for hair transplants.

 

I did.

 

 

I'm sorry for all the questions but I am just so unhappy and depressed.

 

 

I don't think I can ever be confident, I am very shy by nature and to have this added it's just more than I can handle. I'm a student so I don't have that much money for the procedure but I'm willing to find the money any way I can just to look acceptable.

 

I suffer from depression because of my hair and I tried shaving my head but I have a strange shape at the back of my head which isn't shown on the pictures and even though nobody says anything about my boldness I feel like I am not an equal human being to everyone else.

 

The FIRST and MOST important thing in treating any patient is their mental health.

 

This is a war that you will fight for the rest of your life. But there are more things to life than just your hair.

 

You're a student, so you have to focus on that. Develop your career,your social network, a sense of independence and humour and confidence. Respect yourself and others and everything should be fine.

[Old Baldy]

Diverso: You, as you know, have aggressive balding. You have to go to a HT doctor to get a professional opinion.

 

NW7's can sometimes get fairly decent coverage after multiple surgeries.

 

But you should email some pictures to some of the recommended doctors on this site.

 

Go to the calculation section of this site and you'll see that for a NW6 or NW7 you'll probably need at least 7,000 to 8,000 grafts for decent coverage. (This is assuming a 40 grafts per sq. centimeter density.)

 

Here's the link to the graft calculation:

 

http://www.hairlosslearningcen...ments/mm/introa.html

[hair_care]

In my opinion you have to play your cards very carefully. You do not have a lot of donor hair and therefore must plan the surgeries very carefully. For your situation I would personally recommend Hasson and Wong. These guys are industry leaders when it comes to doing large sessions like 4000+ grafts, they will fit your situation because you will probably need at least 2 surgeries of 4000+ grafts each. So get in touch with them.

[PD]

diverso,

 

i am really sorry to hear about your situation. being very shy and bald is a double whammy.. i can relate to that very much.

 

first and foremost see a coalition doctor (a doctor recommended by this website ), discuss your issue..

 

second, since you have started losing hair so early, you should probably give it some time until it settles down, otherwise you could end up with a situation where you cannot meet the transplant needs with your supply of your donor area.

 

third, you need to force yourself to expose to people, society. Unfortunately, with todays technology, people are meeting less and less in person, thus more susceptible for being shy, depressed, etc.

 

Much bigger issue here seems to be your depression, IMO, being bald does not and should not necessarily cause it; it might certainly contribute to it.. but then there are hundreds of things in life that can do so..

 

be strong, move around with friends who understand you, keep yourself busy with something, someone, study, music and so on... as you age, things will improve, your perspective will change, trust me!

[imissthebarber]

Farjo is based in Manchester but does some consults in London.

 

However, I do agree with the other guys that you have very extensive loss and limited donor hair which could itself thin out thus exposing the scar.

 

IMO, if you are dead set on surgery, you might want to consider FUE so that you can still shave down short say a #2 or even a #1 but there will be the appearance of hair in the hairline.

 

FUE is likely to yield less grafts and costs more but you are not left with the long strip scar which can be difficult to hide. Most people say it should be possible to hide but shaving to a #4 but there are plenty of guys who have to have their hair much longer than that to cover a scar that goes from ear to ear.

 

I do empathise with your situation but overall I am not convinced that hair transplantation is for you, especially at the age you are at now with the significant loss you already have.

[hairthere]

You have been given some fairly sound advice. your course of action should be finasteride/minoxidal for a year. during this time learn as much as you can about hair transplants. you can do so by just researching on this forum. you can also start doing online consults, and saving money because an Ht with a top doc will cost you $12k and up for the number of grafts you require. btw, Hasson and Wong should be at the top of your list. best of luck!

[Guest wanthairs]

Diverse---

 

 

Sorry to see your predicament., I think the best thing for you is to shave your head and bbuild your body and not worry about hair loss. I started losing my hair at 14 so I know what it is like to suffer all those teeage years, although my loss was not as extensive as yours.

 

If you still feel like you want to do something about this, start taking propecia and rogaine foam. Contact Hasson and Wong in Vancouver as they are the only clinic I know of that does the largest sessions in the industry. I had a successful procedure with them and can wholeheartedly recomend them and so can hundreds, if not thousands of other patients.

[Empty Area]

i see im kind of late on this thread, and hopefully you are still doing your research on this forum getting your learn on!

 

Im surprised no one has suggested a hair system to you yet. Being as you are young, and a HT is not recommended, and hair system IMO would be your best bet, even financially.

 

This will at least, temporarily if not permanently, boost your confidence and attitude. Of course, get on the meds as the others said, that way if you do decide to go the HT route, you'll be able to see if the meds made any difference.

 

It's a bad situation man, for lack of better words. But these are the cards we have all been delt. I wish the best of luck to you bro.

[aw33]

At your age and with the status of your hair, a transplant would simply be too expensive. That is a fact.

 

I am in your situation as well but I am a NW3.5. Propecia helps - it has kept me from going to a NW4 for the 2 years that I am taking it. Rogaine - hard to say but it is meant for people who have mild hair loss.

 

Forget about Rogaine. Use 5mg Proscar and cut em' into quarters or fifths.

 

You gotta put your energy to use. If you need to lose weight, run a few KM 3/4 times a week and try to consume less and drink more water. If you need to builk up, hit the gym. Focus on your studies and get on your path to becoming whatever you want to be.

 

As for being shy, you can overcome this by opening up conversations with anyone you want. You don't have to strike up a convo with the best looking woman around, just look around and find something to talk about with the closest person around.

 

If all else fails, get a hair system. But think about the risks and benefits carefully before you go through this.

 

In the end it is all in your head man.

[PanamaJimmy]

Diverso,

 

MPB- Male Pattern Baldness

 

I know that people can be pretty self conscious about the shape of their noggin, but yours really appears to be pretty decent!

 

There's a chance that you'll retain your donor hair, or at least enough for a transplant, but it's really better to wait for a few years until you know the hair loss pattern back there. Otherwise, getting a transplant could simply result in your transplanted hair naturally falling out as genetically planned in your donor area.

 

Stay positive! Remember that there are a thousand worse things, really, that can happen to you in life. Do you have your health, your family, a roof over your head? Focus on that. Gratitude is powerful, whereas sinking into depression will only cause pain and suffering.

 

Panama Jimmy

[Empty Area]

Agreed with PanamaJimmy. I apply that thought process to almost every situation i encounter. Things could alwayssss be alot worse.

[gtz101]

If hair multiplication was around, I think then hair transplant would work great.

[Sparky]

Also if you rushed into an HT with a bad doctor, your resulting depression could drive you over the edge as it almost did with me. I'm still recovering now, hopefully when my latest repair grows in I'll feel a lot better.