Undecided about having a transplant...Need advice

[FL_BOY]

First off I'm 26 and have slowly been losing my hair in the front for about 4 years, and now it's fianlly caught up with me. I tried natual topicals for a while with no luck, so a few months ago I started finpecia to at least maintain my existing hair count. Not too sure why I waited so long to act, but unfortunately I did and now it's more noticeable than ever. I'm probably a NW2 or 2A and I'd really like to get my temples and hair line restored to at least what my hair looked like 4 years ago. It was still slightly receded, but it was much fuller. I know the only way I can get that hair back is by having a transplant, but just the idea makes me uncomfortable. I guess I'm worried about being embarrassed, especially because I'm a lot younger than most recipients. My hairloss consumes me and I know I'd feel so much more confident and at ease if I had it done, but I can't get over the initial hump. Also, the cost is a major factor as well. It would just be another monthly bill I'd have to pay for. I'd really appreciate any advice or recommendations about my situation. I guess I'm just looking for a little reassurance. Also, I'm so damn tired of wearing a hat everywhere I go...

 

Thanks

[FL_BOY]

First off I'm 26 and have slowly been losing my hair in the front for about 4 years, and now it's fianlly caught up with me. I tried natual topicals for a while with no luck, so a few months ago I started finpecia to at least maintain my existing hair count. Not too sure why I waited so long to act, but unfortunately I did and now it's more noticeable than ever. I'm probably a NW2 or 2A and I'd really like to get my temples and hair line restored to at least what my hair looked like 4 years ago. It was still slightly receded, but it was much fuller. I know the only way I can get that hair back is by having a transplant, but just the idea makes me uncomfortable. I guess I'm worried about being embarrassed, especially because I'm a lot younger than most recipients. My hairloss consumes me and I know I'd feel so much more confident and at ease if I had it done, but I can't get over the initial hump. Also, the cost is a major factor as well. It would just be another monthly bill I'd have to pay for. I'd really appreciate any advice or recommendations about my situation. I guess I'm just looking for a little reassurance. Also, I'm so damn tired of wearing a hat everywhere I go...

 

Thanks

[Bill - Seemiller]

FL_Boy,

 

Welcome to our community. You sound a lot like I did when I first started my journey to restoring my hair. I felt my confidence slipping away from me and though I always wore hats, I wore them because I liked them. But once I started losing my hair, I wore them because I felt ashamed to some degree, less attractive. So we can certainly understand how you feel.

 

You've come to the right place for research and hopefully we can help you out.

 

Being a NW2 or 2A means you haven't lost that much hair.

 

I do strongly recommend that you get on finasteride. I believe finpecia is some sort of generice for Propecia, but in all honesty, I don't know much about it. I have never really trusted generic Propecia of any kind since it hasn't been released in the US. However, if you get on Proscar or the generic version which is 5mg of finasteride as opposed to 1mg with Propecia (just use a pill splitter to cut the pill into quarters).

 

Consider trying minoxodil also if you don't mind the messy regime. Both medications work better for the crown, but some swear that it also can work in the hairline.

 

At the very least, hopefully you will be able to slow down or stop your hair loss. At best, you may have some new growth.

 

Being on medication for at LEAST 1 year is recommended before considering a transplant

 

I would also consider reading the following:

 

1. "What should I consider when researching hair transplantation?"

 

http://hair-restoration-info.com/eve/forums?a=tpc&s=569...071019713#5071019713

 

2. "Am I too young for a hair transplant" and make your own decision:

 

http://www.hairrestorationnetwork.com/eve/showthread.php?t=152790

 

I hope this helps.

 

Bill

[tom thomas]

fl boy

 

if you really want good advice please post a picture of the top, back, front, and sides of your head. also would help if you could tell us how your brother or father's heads look.

 

about the cost, don't worry, if you need a transplant and it makes you look the way you want the money will be the best you ever spent.

[FL_BOY]

Thanks for the replies guys.

Bill, One of the first things I did when I got here was read your post about being too young and I definitely agree with it. One of my biggest concerns is getting something done, propecia not working, and then having the rest of my hair fall out. I just really hope that propecia works for me. If anything, I want to at least maintain what I have. I tried minox about 2 years ago, but I didn't stick with it because the mess wasn't worth it. I'm thinking about trying that new rogaine foam because it seems easier to apply. If not, then maybe I'll try regular minox again. I'd be elated if it at least thickened up my hair line.

 

Tom, I'll try to get some pics posted soon, but in all honesty it makes me completely uneasy to even look at my hair in the mirror, much less a detailed photo. But, it's something I must do if I want to combat this. About my father, he is 54 and still has hair, but it's pretty thin on top. On the maternal side all of my uncles are about NW5's, and that's about what my grandfather was as well. So, it doesn't look good to say the least. I'm definitely ok with spending the money for a transplant if it'll look the way I desire. Anyone know of any good surgeons in Central/South Florida area? I wish I was content with this and my appearance didn't matter so much to me because it'd be so much easier...Or about 15 years older.

[Bill - Seemiller]

FL_Boy,

 

I'm glad my posts are helping you in your research. Again, the best thing you can do at this point is get on finasteride, try minoxodil, and wait for some time to see if it has any effect. In the meantime, continue to educate yourself about hair transplantation and ultimately decide if it's the right decision for you. Remember...there is NOTHING wrong with waiting to get surgery...an educated patient makes good decisions and ultimately is a happy patient.

 

Keep us posted my friend.

 

Bill

[calvinmd]

-- Maintaining your current hair from age 24 until death with propecia is probably not realistic. Many users seem to report a "falling off" of its effectiveness after several years.

 

There's debate about whether the drug is actually losing its effectiveness over time, or whether it's just evidence that it never truly STOPS hair loss but rather just drastically SLOWS the loss. But either way, finasteride is probably not going to be a decades-long solution to freezing your hair's condition exactly where it is right now.

 

Can it hold you where you are for years? Yes. Can it give you decades of less hair loss than nature had intended for you? Yes. But decades of NO MORE LOSS AT ALL? Probably not.

 

 

 

-- There's also the safety issue with finasteride. Some (many? most?) people have side effects with it, as I'm sure you know.

But what concerns me most about Finasteride (at least in regards to HT planning) is this:

 

Sometimes people are still feeling those side effects starting and/or worsening several years after they start using the stuff. So even if you tolerate the stuff acceptably for the first few months, or even a couple of years . . . I'm not sure if there's EVER a point when you can really be assured that you will be "safe" on it for decades to come. I honestly think you must ALWAYS assume you could possibly have to quit the stuff eventually, even after a several-year track record of tolerating it okay.

 

 

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[MrJobi]

Hi

 

I started losing my hair at 24 but Propecia wasnt available until I was 28 or so.. It did stop my hairloss and regrew some hair for me.. I have not experienced side effects and have been on it for 7 years or so

 

Good luck

[FL_BOY]

Originally posted by calvinmd:

-- Maintaining your current hair from age 24 until death with propecia is probably not realistic. Many users seem to report a "falling off" of its effectiveness after several years.

 

There's debate about whether the drug is actually losing its effectiveness over time, or whether it's just evidence that it never truly STOPS hair loss but rather just drastically SLOWS the loss. But either way, finasteride is probably not going to be a decades-long solution to freezing your hair's condition exactly where it is right now.

 

Can it hold you where you are for years? Yes. Can it give you decades of less hair loss than nature had intended for you? Yes. But decades of NO MORE LOSS AT ALL? Probably not.

 

 

 

-- There's also the safety issue with finasteride. Some (many? most?) people have side effects with it, as I'm sure you know.

But what concerns me most about Finasteride (at least in regards to HT planning) is this:

 

Sometimes people are still feeling those side effects starting and/or worsening several years after they start using the stuff. So even if you tolerate the stuff acceptably for the first few months, or even a couple of years . . . I'm not sure if there's EVER a point when you can really be assured that you will be "safe" on it for decades to come. I honestly think you must ALWAYS assume you could possibly have to quit the stuff eventually, even after a several-year track record of tolerating it okay.

 

I've heard about it losing its effectiveness over time, but I've also heard about people maintaing their hair for 10 years plus. To be honest I'd be more content with this if it was happening 10-15 years from now instead of my mid 20's because I'm sure I'll be married and established by then. It's tough when you're so young and still have your entire life ahead of you. Safety concerns are another issue, but so far no side effects and even if they're minor it's worth it to keep my hair. Also, I'm assuming within the next 10 years there will be another form of treatment that's more promising, so maybe finasteride can save me until then.

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[FL_BOY]

Originally posted by Mrjb:

Hi

 

I started losing my hair at 24 but Propecia wasnt available until I was 28 or so.. It did stop my hairloss and regrew some hair for me.. I have not experienced side effects and have been on it for 7 years or so

 

Have you lost any more over time or do you still have your 28 year old hair at 35? Also, what NW are/were you?

 

Good luck

[Bill - Seemiller]

Calvinmd,

 

Great post.

 

There's also the safety issue with finasteride. Some (many? most?) people have side effects with it, as I'm sure you know.

 

I agree that some people have side effects, but I certainly would not use the words many or most. Of course, however, without statistical data saying one way or another, I am only speculating.

 

Personally, I've only been on it for about 3 years, but I haven't had any side effects yet.

 

Bill

[MrJobi]

Hi FL

 

Hard to say, as I have had 3 Ht's so if I did lose additional hairs it would be impossible to detect now.. I can say it stabilized my hair loss and regrew some at the beginning but that's as good as it got.. For the most part it "froze time" and gave me time to decide what I was going to do without getting worse ... This is good especially if you use a cover up like dermatch..

[TheHairLossCure]

When a person expresses that their hair loss is disabling to them in some way, I think that is a good time to at least consider hair restoration. With that said, I do not think a patient should good forward with a procedure if they are feeling uncomfortable about surgery. Through research on this board you should get a better sense about what options are best for you.

 

You also mentioned a concern about surgery cost. Keep in mind, if you can find the right medical therapy to stabilize or improve your hair loss, meds are usually far more cost effective that surgery. Of course, there are contexts where in HTs are totally necessary, but meds are good to check out.

[Al - Moderator]

I've been taking proscar for 10 years and I'm still slowly getting some hair growth. It's been sort of happening in stages. I'll gow some hair over a few months or a year and then it will stabilize and not get any thicker for a while. I wouldn't lose any either, just maintain what I had. Then a year or so later my hair goes into a new spurt of growth for a while. It's sort of been going back and forth like that for 10 years. Overall I've gained a fair amount of hair. The best part is even after 10 years of using it I'm now on the best growth stage I've ever had. It's lasted over a year and I've grown a few hairs in areas that I haven't had any in 15 years or more. I don't agree with anyone who says folicles die after a certain amount of time.

 

I have to say this though. I've been thinking a lot about it lately and I'm pretty sure the growth spurts have coincided with my on and off working out and lifting weights. I sort of go on a workout kick for a while until I lose a few pounds and gain a bit of muscle and then I slack off until I feel out of shape again. In December of 2005 I made a New Years resolution to start lifting weights and continue the entire year. I did it and have continued into this year and my hair growth has been going on ever since.

 

I DO KNOW that the proscar helps though. Whenever I miss taking it for more than about 3 days for whatever reason, I start getting a lot of shedding.

[FL_BOY]

Originally posted by TheHairLossCure:

When a person expresses that their hair loss is disabling to them in some way, I think that is a good time to at least consider hair restoration. With that said, I do not think a patient should good forward with a procedure if they are feeling uncomfortable about surgery. Through research on this board you should get a better sense about what options are best for you.

 

You also mentioned a concern about surgery cost. Keep in mind, if you can find the right medical therapy to stabilize or improve your hair loss, meds are usually far more cost effective that surgery. Of course, there are contexts where in HTs are totally necessary, but meds are good to check out.

 

 

My lack of self-confidence definitely supersedes the comfortless feeling I have about the procedure. I think I can get past the intial stages of embarrassment or awkwardness with reassurance from members of this site or from a great doctor. I couldn't imagine waking up everyday not being confined by the restraints of hair loss. Even though my loss isn't drastic it's still a daily burden. Some people can deal with hair loss, but I can't right now. Honestly, I've done my own research for years about which meds or naturals work best and even considered laser therapy, but none of those will be able to fix my hairline, which is the only place my hair is thinning/receding. It seems like a HT is my only option, so maybe spending $5,000 to rebuild my hair and self-confidence is worth it. Even if my hairloss stabilized with propecia, I'd still be uncomfortable. It's crazy, but true.

[MrJobi]

FL boy

 

I feel you man. I felt the same way..Watching your hair fall out is not a fun experience. It would eat me up inside and i couldn't do anything about it ..Caking on the dermatch to hide my thinning and having it take 30 minutes.. It sucked even with Propecia..

 

So now I just had my 3rd HT and have 5017 .. Now I hope to eliminate the cover up and be free of this feeling..

[Bill - Seemiller]

FL_Boy,

 

We definitely feel for you. I remember how awful I felt the first time I started losing my hair. Even though my hair is not super dense like it used to be, the fact that I've GAINED hair these last several years has helped my self-confidence.

 

But the one thing I DO want to caution you on (sorry if this is a repeat)...but...regardless of how you feel, do NOT make an emotional decision...make an educated one. Know what I mean? Take the time to do the research needed so you know what you are getting yourself into. Research physians and select one that you are comfortable with and that yields consistent results, etc.

 

Good luck my friend,

 

Bill

[calvinmd]

Money investments with hair loss:

 

I think a lot depends on your specific condition. Your age, your marital/relationship status, your overall attractiveness and how much the hair situation affects it, etc.

 

And most importantly, how much MPB are you headed for. If you're only destined for mild MPB, then dumping big money into medications & HTs could mean that the outside world never has to see you lose any hair at all. That could be huge in your life. Espeically with possible future advancements in the field, taking drastic early action could mean that you never have to endure publicly-visible hair loss in your life.

 

But if you're genetically headed for NW6-7 status in the first half of your life, then even the biggest medication regiments are probably only going to buy you some time. You'll probably show significant MPB within a few years anyway.

 

Same with hair transplants.

Let's say you're 30 years old with a given amount of money to spend for two Norwood levels of improvement:

There's a huge difference between a NW#4 getting transplanted back to a NW#2, versus a NW#7 getting transplanted back to a NW#5. The NW#4-2 guy looks entirely free of the MPB problem after two levels' worth of HTs, whereas a NW#7-5 is still basically a "bald guy" in the eyes of young women even after all that investment.

 

 

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[Al - Moderator]

There's a huge difference between a NW#4 getting transplanted back to a NW#2, versus a NW#7 getting transplanted back to a NW#5. The NW#4-2 guy looks entirely free of the MPB problem after two levels' worth of HTs, whereas a NW#7-5 is still basically a "bald guy" in the eyes of young women even after all that investment.

 

 

Totally agree. That has definately been part of my problem over the years. After a ton of hair transplanting, I still looked like a bald guy. Some time back I even had a few people who hadn't seen me since before I started my HT ask me why I never got the hair transplant I said I was going to do... and that was after I spent $16000 on it.

[FL_BOY]

Originally posted by calvinmd:

Money investments with hair loss:

 

I think a lot depends on your specific condition. Your age, your marital/relationship status, your overall attractiveness and how much the hair situation affects it, etc.

 

And most importantly, how much MPB are you headed for. If you're only destined for mild MPB, then dumping big money into medications & HTs could mean that the outside world never has to see you lose any hair at all. That could be huge in your life. Espeically with possible future advancements in the field, taking drastic early action could mean that you never have to endure publicly-visible hair loss in your life.

 

But if you're genetically headed for NW6-7 status in the first half of your life, then even the biggest medication regiments are probably only going to buy you some time. You'll probably show significant MPB within a few years anyway.

 

Same with hair transplants.

Let's say you're 30 years old with a given amount of money to spend for two Norwood levels of improvement:

There's a huge difference between a NW#4 getting transplanted back to a NW#2, versus a NW#7 getting transplanted back to a NW#5. The NW#4-2 guy looks entirely free of the MPB problem after two levels' worth of HTs, whereas a NW#7-5 is still basically a "bald guy" in the eyes of young women even after all that investment.

 

 

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Not knowing whether or not my hairloss will stabilize with propecia is a big concern for me because I am only in my mid 20's. But, I think as long as I stay on the regimen most of my hair should hold up. At least this is what doctors have told me. I know the HT is a toss up because my hair may never worsen, or there's a slight chance propecia may not work for me in the long run and I'll lose it, which would mean more HT's.

 

To your point about my specific condition. Right now I'm a single guy, but that's my decision. I've always been told I'm very attractive and maybe this is why I'm freaking out so much. I think I'm scared my hairloss will ruin my looks and thus any chance of remaining attractive. Obviously it's not all about looks, but it definitely helps the situation. I don't mean to come off sounding pompus, but I just wanted to answer your question honestly.

[scooping around]

FL Boy...

I'm 27 and have also been loosing my hair since my early 20s. I've been visiting this site for nearly a year by now, and have been on propecia for about the same amount of time. I'm lucky that I see none of the side effects that some people go through. If you are not sure about getting the HT, I'd learn as much about the procedure as possible here, or even talk to a few surgeons just to see what they have to say about your hair loss. I've had a consult with Dr. Keene and am scheduled for a transplant of 1500-2000 grafts during mid June. The surgeons that are recommended on this site can get a good idea of how your hair loss might progress and see if a transplant is really a good option for you. I'm personally not too worried about the 4-6 months of waiting time for the transplanted hair. I planned on taking about 1.5 month off work to concentrate on resting and keeping myself away from as much stress as possible. I'm also doing work in the hairline area, and was told that the redness and scabs should be gone in about 2 weeks (faster for the younger guys). Look at it this way, if you've been dealing with thinning hair for at least 4 years now, would waiting for 4-6 months(for the transplanted hair to sprout) be that big of a deal? After being a member on this site for quite some time, you learn that there's plenty of people thinking about and actually going through with the surgery at our age, and some as early as their late-teens. Just make sure you know all the details to make a good decision. Best of luck to you and let me know if you have any more questions, as we're in the same boat.

[calvinmd]

Personally I'd go through anything for while if I knew it would fix the situation in the long term.

 

I swear, I'd be willing to walk around with my head covered in green algae for two years if that's what hair multiplication took to work correctly and final results were guaranteed.

 

 

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[FL_BOY]

Originally posted by scooping around:

FL Boy...

I'm 27 and have also been loosing my hair since my early 20s. I've been visiting this site for nearly a year by now, and have been on propecia for about the same amount of time. I'm lucky that I see none of the side effects that some people go through. If you are not sure about getting the HT, I'd learn as much about the procedure as possible here, or even talk to a few surgeons just to see what they have to say about your hair loss. I've had a consult with Dr. Keene and am scheduled for a transplant of 1500-2000 grafts during mid June. The surgeons that are recommended on this site can get a good idea of how your hair loss might progress and see if a transplant is really a good option for you. I'm personally not too worried about the 4-6 months of waiting time for the transplanted hair. I planned on taking about 1.5 month off work to concentrate on resting and keeping myself away from as much stress as possible. I'm also doing work in the hairline area, and was told that the redness and scabs should be gone in about 2 weeks (faster for the younger guys). Look at it this way, if you've been dealing with thinning hair for at least 4 years now, would waiting for 4-6 months(for the transplanted hair to sprout) be that big of a deal? After being a member on this site for quite some time, you learn that there's plenty of people thinking about and actually going through with the surgery at our age, and some as early as their late-teens. Just make sure you know all the details to make a good decision. Best of luck to you and let me know if you have any more questions, as we're in the same boat.

 

Thanks for the reply bro. I have been doing some research for the past year about HT's and even visited MHR here in Orlando to see what they had to say. The guy I consulted with told me to definitely get on propecia and that I should wait a year to see what happens. I've only been on it 3 months, so I haven't had much time to see its effects. As far as being worried about the sprouting time for the hair, that's not a concern. I think my main concern is how it will look and if it'll be detectable because I don't want it to look fake. Also, I'm worried about propecia not working either. If I had absolute assurance about maintiang my hair and the HT looking authentic, I'd do it in a second. Let me know how your HT goes.

[scooping around]

The percentage of people that see the negative side effects of propecia is rare, but they do exist. From what I gather through my research, most of the results that I've seen that does have a bit of "unnatural" look are the patients that have pretty much no hair at all near or at the hair line area. Haven't seen your pics yet, but if you have some natural hair left in the hairline, most of the highly rated surgeons here can do a good job of blending in your transplanted hair with your natural ones, to go by fairly undetectable even under bright lighting environments. Combined with your hair color, skin contrast, and the way you style your hair, you can do a lot to make it even more "undetectable". I'm not as fortunate in that regard that I have black hair, light skin and straight hair, which makes thinning areas more apparent. You can always take a look at the pictures that our surgeons show in their gallery to see if they pass your "natural" test. I'm still about 3 weeks away from my scheduled surgery and will definitly be posting my progress for pictures.

[Here I Grow Again]

Hi FL Boy,

 

I see that you are in Orlando, Fl and visited MHR. I would recommend that you stick with the recommended docs on this site. There is Dr. Rose in Tampa and Dr. Epstein in Miami that also has an office in Tampa. Both are recommended here.

 

Give yourself time, in the long run you will come to accept your hair loss and when you do you will then be in a better place to decide whether to go for a procedure or not. Right now I think you are still in "shock" but give it time.