Am I a candidate?

[allmaple]

Hello everyone. I have been browsing my options for the past few weeks as I notice I am losing my hair. My temples are receding and my hairline has low density and the front has sporadic hairs. I am shedding around 50 hairs per shower so I think it is safe to say I am doomed.

 

I looked at propecia and even got a script for it. However, after reading many reports of sides and some shocking stuff at www.propeciahelp.com I decided against it. In reality I may be fine but I just don't want to risk it.

 

The HT route seems to be the best long term option. However, I question if I am a candidate at this point.

 

I'm 27.....almost all males (in fact all I can think of) in my family have gone bald. Genes are not on my side.

 

I spoke with Dr. Rahal's office who explained that even at my age or stage of loss I would be a candidate. My worry is that at this point, I would want more density in the front and some filling in of the temples. However I don't want to risk not being able to fill in other areas of loss in the future.

 

Here are a few pics. If you can give some input, I would greatly appreciate it.

 

http://img512.imageshack.us/my.php?image=hair60516pa7.jpg

 

http://img379.imageshack.us/my.php?image=hair50516zi5.jpg

 

http://img512.imageshack.us/my.php?image=hair20516fh0.jpg

 

http://img99.imageshack.us/my.php?image=hair10516wm8.jpg

 

http://img512.imageshack.us/my.php?image=hair70516fa0.jpg

[allmaple]

Hello everyone. I have been browsing my options for the past few weeks as I notice I am losing my hair. My temples are receding and my hairline has low density and the front has sporadic hairs. I am shedding around 50 hairs per shower so I think it is safe to say I am doomed.

 

I looked at propecia and even got a script for it. However, after reading many reports of sides and some shocking stuff at www.propeciahelp.com I decided against it. In reality I may be fine but I just don't want to risk it.

 

The HT route seems to be the best long term option. However, I question if I am a candidate at this point.

 

I'm 27.....almost all males (in fact all I can think of) in my family have gone bald. Genes are not on my side.

 

I spoke with Dr. Rahal's office who explained that even at my age or stage of loss I would be a candidate. My worry is that at this point, I would want more density in the front and some filling in of the temples. However I don't want to risk not being able to fill in other areas of loss in the future.

 

Here are a few pics. If you can give some input, I would greatly appreciate it.

 

http://img512.imageshack.us/my.php?image=hair60516pa7.jpg

 

http://img379.imageshack.us/my.php?image=hair50516zi5.jpg

 

http://img512.imageshack.us/my.php?image=hair20516fh0.jpg

 

http://img99.imageshack.us/my.php?image=hair10516wm8.jpg

 

http://img512.imageshack.us/my.php?image=hair70516fa0.jpg

[Aquarius]

I would say NO !You realize that everyone is a candidate in the eyes of the clinic? What matters is your well being, in this case a h/t could be a disaster.

Is your hair perfect ? No. Will a h/t make it perfect. No f-ing way and probably worse with future scars, surgeries and depression to follow. That is the only guarantee you will get.

Glad you found this site.

Summer is here kid .. go have some fun.

[allmaple]

Any reason in particular you suggest staying away for now? When you say it could be a disaster, anything you are refering to in particular?

 

Thanks!

[Aquarius]

Shockloss- future hairloss- accelerated hairloss- chasing hairloss- scarring - unnatural appearance.. Other nastier complications ect.-

Or did Dr Rahal leave out the complications with early hairloss and SURGERY ?

If you have the disposable income either buy a boat or give it to me. : )

[tisab]

Hello there Allmaple

 

First off i would have to say,

 

your hairloss is not as bad as you make it out to be. at most you might be a norwood 2, maybe 2.5 tops

 

also your other hair appears to be thick which is good, your not thinning

 

but i would also suggest getting better pics.

your pics are TOOO close/zoomed.

take a picture of your whole hair, with your head, if you dont want to show your face, you can blurr it out. the reason it would be better is because we need reference points, how close your hairline is to your eyes. cause from what i see, just a little receding.

 

i dont want to sound rude but im not sure if u should listen to aquirius, he doesnt give any reasons, just points out bad stuff that occur in a HT if you are Unplanned, to go bad doctor.

 

these problems are solved because u said you were planning for weeks, so you should know most of the things about a HT, if u have any questions just shoot them out and someone will be glad to help you out

 

and you picked a great Doctor, so you shouldnt see any shockloss.

 

now for my recommendation.

im not sure if this is a good recommendatin since i am not a doctor or anything, but if you have the money i would go for FUT. its 10$(estimated price from all doctors) a graft, and you would prolly need at most maybe 1000 grafts, and this technique would have no scar, and you should be good from any further HT for atleast 4-5 years.

 

another thing about getting your first ht...is that its YOUR FIRST HT. i dont think i seen many people just get 1 ht. most people get hairgreed and more hair, or they need to catch up.

 

anything i didnt discuss just shoot it out in a question

 

-basit

[tisab]

also did u try a hairstyle where u have your hair forward, you should have more coverage like that

[Aquarius]

He could go to Jesus Christ M.D. . If he told him he would not have shockloss ; not need future surgeries ; not chase his hairloss or be scarred . It would be a lie.

It's time for him to fill in the blanks not you to fog them.

Unless your ready that is...

[tisab]

Also last thing i forgot to add

 

im sure Bill is gonna come up in this post to give some feedback but just incase he dont(which i dont think will happen haha)

 

here is a post he did

 

its about people's characteristics of what a HT candidate should be

 

http://www.hairrestorationnetwork.com/eve/showthread.php?t=152499

 

haha i dont want to be sued for plagerism..its by Bill again

[tisab]

i heard jesus christ M.D. is booked until 2015

 

If he told him he would not have shockloss ; not need future surgeries ; not chase his hairloss or be scarred . It would be a lie.

 

i referenced all those in my posts.

Ethical/good HT doctors minimize the risk of shockloss, and they normally dont cause permanent shockloss.

i told him a bad thing about HT's is that you need future HT's which also referenced he might chase his hairloss.

and i recommended FUT for no scar.

 

your comments are invalid and voided

[Aquarius]

FUT is not scarless it is less scarring.You are doing a disservice here buddy.It is usually followed up by a strip . The salient advice is to wait.

Have you had a H/T?

I'll cosign if I can video you for six months after and have rights.

I don't think Bill is going to rush in and save your arse on this one.

[tisab]

so you want to video another guy for 6 months...what kind of forum did i join, i thought this was about hairloss

[Aquarius]

No - Your on the right site. Answer the question and its not boxers or briefs.

[Aquarius]

Thought not.

[Guest]

Hello Allmaple,

At 27 years old & your minimal natural hairloss pattern, it is probably not time for a HT yet.

 

Yes, you may be doomed to future hairloss, but you sound as if a HT is a cure or will stop you from loosing more.

 

You have the propecia that has been prescribed to you, you should use it to halt or slow down future hairloss.

You can always quit if you have side effects & by all accounts you should return to normal.

Keep in mind side effects were reported by only 2% of the trial participants.

That means that most of us won't experience any side efeects.

You have plenty of time to get a Hair transplant & they are only getting better at performing less invasive & more impressive Hair transplants.

I hope this helps,

Good luck!

[Bill - Seemiller]

tisab,

 

You beat me to posting the link....kudos to you .

 

Of course, that is a helpful guide that I normally post for people to read...but of course, one had to take the generalizations and apply it to them specifically.

 

allmaple,

 

I do not believe you are a good candidate for an HT at this time IMO. Read the link tisab posted and you'll see some generalizations as to why...but here are some specifics about your case:

 

1. Your family history of hairloss is extensive from what you say. This increases the risk that you may indeed lose a lot more hair

 

I must ask though...when have most of the males in your family started to lose their hair? This MIGHT be helpful in making a decision.

 

2. You have opted not to take any preventative measures to save your hair from potential further loss. Whereas I respect your decision, keep in mind, that without medication, nature will take it's course and you MAY end up like the other men in your family. Of course, hair loss is unpredictable.

 

3. If you dense pack the thinning areas now, for example, in the event you lose a lot more hair, you will end up with thicker patches and not enough donor hair to go for coverage. So if you do have an HT, don't go in with the expectations that you will be able to maintain a full head of hair like you had in high school IF you lose a lot more hair. It's just not possible.

 

 

My suggestion to you is:

 

Reconsider medication (finasteride and/or minoxodil) to attempt to prevent future loss.

 

Learn about / research hair transplantation and develop reasonable expectations.

 

If you do go for an HT, plan conservatively and keep a lot of donor in reserve for the potential of future surgeries in the event you lose more hair.

 

Plan financially for this endevaor. If you end up a NW6, you will need at least 6000 grafts to have a decent look...and this will most likely be over $20000 depending on how many surgeries you have.

 

I hope this helps.

 

Bill

[Guest wanthairs]

Allmaple....

 

Listen to the other guys here......dont get a HT yet. You have more hair than I did when i was 18. Get on Minoxidil , healthy diet and every other day take propecia. My Doctor, Jeffrey Epstein who was great, told me that we could take propecia every other day and suffer no side effects, and get all the benefits. I have two brothers who are doctors and freinds who are dermatologists and they all agree and do it this way.....Good luck, do this and keep reading this forum for a while, before you make any hasty decisions

[Guest HLBD]

Allmaple:

 

Bill has very good advice in his post and I wrote a little follow-up with some things that young candidates need to consider before making the move for an HT.

 

Firstly, I agree with all on this post that you are not yet a good candidate and that's not because of your age - from many of the doctors and dermatologists I've spoken wiht over the years, with the state of technology, etc. most HT doctors believe that anywhere from 26 - to 28 is the earliest that they would recommend a man to consider an HT as this is when most men's pattern starts to form and a good time to judge the aggressiveness of your specific hair loss - I would say you are not a good candidate as you have very minimal loss. Now, I'm not going to lie to you, it does look like you are thinning, but it looks as if (if your pictures are accurate) that you are a diffuse thinner. Medication can help with this and it could be years before you need an HT.

 

One thing that very few people seem to take into account (and I think is very important) is how long you have been loosing hair. If you've only recently noticed the thinning, even within 2 to three years, that isn't enough time for you or a doctor to judge the aggressiveness of your hair loss or any pattern that may form later.

 

Just for an example: I have been judged a good candidate for an HT and I am twenty-eight. BUT, I have eleven (almost twleve) years history of balding - I stated my loss at 17 (yes, it was VERY hard). I am a moderate diffuse thinner NW3 that will probably progress to more frontal balding than anything and I follow the exact history of my father who also started loosing at 17 and, although he is thinning in the crown, he's now 58 and still is only lightly thinning at the crown but is completely bald to his frontal third. Also, I have excellent donor density and average donor laxiety. BUT, the main thing is that I have been on fin and now dut for four years and I've responded to both. This is a good factor that helps make me an even better candidate because the HT doc can be confident that my results are going to grow in before I start any massive loss.

 

The be-all-end-all is that HT is your choice, but you need to be careful. Many doctors (the ethical ones, anyway) would not fill in your temple area at you age and risk wasting grafts you could need in ten years - of not sooner. Also, you have quite a bit of native hair that may be prone to shock loss. The thing about shock loss is, as I believe both Dr. Rassman and Dr. Feller have pointed out on this forum is that it can advance your hair loss. That is, if the hair shocked into loss by the HT were DHT prone and weak, the shock loss could push them over the edge and they could be gone forever.

 

The best advice is to get on propecia and stay on it for at least a year. If possible, get a doctor to follow your progress on the drug and judge its effectiveness in your case for you. Then at twenty-nine or thirty (if not older, given the drug's efficacy for you) you might more confidently consider a very moderate to small HT (1000 to 1500 grafts) with a doc that will be more inclined to want to perform the procedure knowing that his work wouldn't just be like watering a dead plant and you will achieve a good result.

[allmaple]

Thanks for all the responses. Greatly appreciated. Seems like everyone is on the same page that a HT is not a good option at this point.

 

I know Dr. Rahal is a member of this network. If I went for a consultation, do you guys believe he would be honest and make sure he considered all the things you have mentioned? Ultimately, is he "ethical" in this sense?

 

As for propecia, I wish I had the balls to take it. I hate taking any medication, so the thought of playing with hormones scares the sh*t outta me. The stories of people having long term troubles even after stopping the drug at www.propeciahelp.com worries me even more. Since I'm already nervous about it, I could see my mind playing tricks on me and having side effects for that very reason.

 

In terms of money, although I can't say it isn't an issue, isn't a reason I would avoid a HT. However the idea of not having enough donor hair for the long run makes me nervous.

[Bill - Seemiller]

most HT doctors believe that anywhere from 26 - to 28 is the earliest that they would recommend a man to consider an HT as this is when most men's pattern starts to form and a good time to judge the aggressiveness of your specific hair loss...

 

One thing to remember, whereas this may be a decent generalization, it's not always true.

 

IMO, Allmaple looks like the typical guy who is just starting to lose his hair. Whereas most people at least START losing their hair before 30, clearly, I've seen many people start to lose their hair anywhere between 18 and 29.

 

That being said...though it's not cut and dry, I think if I had to apply a general principle here, I'd say that AGE is less of a factor than extent of loss and length of time since one started that loss.

 

And now the general principle...

 

ANYONE who has started losing their hair to the first 2-4 years should not consider an HT IMO. I also believe medication should always be attempted first.

 

f one is against medication, I'd recommend holding off until the hairloss pattern is truly established which pushes the time frame of 2-4 years off a few...perhaps more like 5-8.

 

These numbers are stricly my opinion, because certainly specifics must override general principles.

 

Just some more of my thoughts.

 

- I would say you are not a good candidate as you have very minimal loss.

 

 

Certainly I agree with this!

 

Bill

[hairbank]

wanthairs,

 

You'll receive varying opinions in answer to your question..........I'll give you mine.

 

At your age with the loss you have, I suppose I disagree somewhat with the advice you've been given about a HT. Age is a factor, and Bill mentions a good point that if you have family history that shows rapid loss in a short period of time it's something to pay attention to.

 

As for Finasteride (Propecia), I'd get on it ASAP. Do some research, if you can't get comfortable with it don't go there. I was like you for a time and very nervous about taking it. I just started taking it at age 39 (1 year ago) and wish I'd done it years ago. I haven't noticed any sides and my research leads me to believe it will not be harmful to me as age.

 

As for a HT for you right now............I wouldn't see a problem attacking your frontal third (up to your existing hairline) but likely in a conservative fashion is case you lose more. Especially if you opt not to use Fin to try and save what hair you have. You definitely don't need crown work right now............if you take Fin it may very well help you there.

 

Anyway, just IMO. If you do decide to try Fin I'd get on it at least 6mo-1yr before any HT just to see how good a responder you'd be. Again, at your age and stage of loss, I don't see a problem with getting a HT but that question is best answer by a qualified surgeon that can examine your situation first hand and review your history of loss.

[Bill - Seemiller]

Hairbank,

 

I think you meant your words of wisdom for allmaple, not wanthairs

 

Bill

[Bill - Seemiller]

Hairbank,

 

I'll also add that since allmaple is NOT taking any medication, that even attacking the frontal third IMO at this point is risky. Any miniaturized hairs may be permanently shocked, and even with a conservative approach (which IMO, is the only acceptable approach at this point), he may not end up with a net gain. Of course, this is not a definite, only a risk one is willing to face or not. Of course, the pictures may be deceiving, but it appears that he still has a good amount of hair in the frontal third.

 

That's why I'm reluctant to recommend HT at this time.

 

Good discussion. Even the vets will have varying opinions

 

Bill

[hairbank]

Originally posted by Bill:

Hairbank,

 

I think you meant your words of wisdom for allmaple, not wanthairs

 

Bill

 

Thanks, my brother...........yes, I meant allmaple, not wanthairs.

 

I agree Bill, it is a bit risky. IMO it would be okay to conservatively address the frontal third..........I wouldn't recommend trying to fill in areas with existing hair.

 

In reality, he is much better off to get on Fin, see how he responds, then address HT if necessary. Everyone has to make the choice that's right for them.

 

I agree, great discussion.............often times there isn't a sure "right" answser. We all have our own prospective and at the end of the day that is one of those things that make this site great, my friend!

[Naruto]

sup

 

dont want to be harsh, but seriously get on propecia or the generic one. this drug works, im 24 and i so wish i started it when i was 19. ive had regrowth after the shedding which has brought back maybe 2 yrs worth of loss.

 

this is definitely a drug worth the trial risk.

 

if you dont start on meds imho opinion you are killing your own follicles.

 

naruto

ps sorry to be pretentious

but someone had to