Seeking for honest opinions, should I do it?

[fred970]

I already posted this on ***, but I want to gather as much opinions as possible from people who don't beat around the bush when it comes to hair loss, we all know here it's ugly and we hate it. But my case might be different.

I have a hair transplant scheduled in a few months and all things considered, I really wonder if I should do it. I mean, it's a lot of money (2 x 5000 €) for not much of difference for me. I'm scared of the scarring (it would FUE though, but still, white dots). I've been losing my hair diffusely and quite aggressively in a diffuse only pattern (no receding at all) since I was 17. I'm now 24 with a few hundred hairs left in the NW5 area.

Here's what I look like now, well the first one is from 2013, the second 2012 and the last one 2011:

I just, I don't know, I'm 190 cm (6" 3'), blue eyes (it seems to be a plus when you're bald), in shape, girls still tell me I'm quite good looking despite of my NW5. I slept with two different girls only this week. Social life is great, my friends are great. People don't seem to treat me differently because I'm bald. The only hurdles I've encountered are some drunks in bars insulting me for being bald, or people in public places talking about hair loss behind my back because they saw me. Clearly, I think I shouldn't be going for a transplant for those futilities.

I'm worried about my well-being here. Would not getting a HT now impact my life in a bad way? Would getting it be beneficial in any way?

Based on my pictures and what I said, what's your honest opinion about this? Should I do it? Should I cancel it? Thank you in advance for your replies.

[35YrsAfter]

I already posted this on ***, but I want to gather as much opinions as possible from people who don't beat around the bush when it comes to hair loss, we all know here it's ugly and we hate it. But my case might be different.

I have a hair transplant scheduled in a few months and all things considered, I really wonder if I should do it. I mean, it's a lot of money (2 x 5000 €) for not much of difference for me. I'm scared of the scarring (it would FUE though, but still, white dots). I've been losing my hair diffusely and quite aggressively in a diffuse only pattern (no receding at all) since I was 17. I'm now 24 with a few hundred hairs left in the NW5 area.

Here's what I look like now, well the first one is from 2013, the second 2012 and the last one 2011:

I just, I don't know, I'm 190 cm (6" 3'), blue eyes (it seems to be a plus when you're bald), in shape, girls still tell me I'm quite good looking despite of my NW5. I slept with two different girls only this week. Social life is great, my friends are great. People don't seem to treat me differently because I'm bald. The only hurdles I've encountered are some drunks in bars insulting me for being bald, or people in public places talking about hair loss behind my back because they saw me. Clearly, I think I shouldn't be going for a transplant for those futilities.

I'm worried about my well-being here. Would not getting a HT now impact my life in a bad way? Would getting it be beneficial in any way?

Based on my pictures and what I said, what's your honest opinion about this? Should I do it? Should I cancel it? Thank you in advance for your replies.

Which doctor did you schedule with?
If you are concerned with white dotting, do a small test session first and ask the doctor what size punch is necessary to safely score your grafts. The brand name extracellular matrix product, ACell is only for sale to physicians in the United States the last time I checked. Other brands of extracellular matrix are available outside the US. Extracellular matrix improves healing and can reduce the appearance of white dotting. The following is from the ACell Website and read the last sentence:

Characteristics of UBM

UBM contains a collection of collagens and proteins arranged in a three-dimensional structure not currently available in synthetic materials and has been demonstrated to:

Maintain an intact epithelial basement membrane
Contain numerous collagens
Contain laminin
Contain numerous growth factors
Display antimicrobial activity
Contain glycosaminoglycans (GAGs)
Incorporate completely

UBM appears to fundamentally change the healing response by providing signals to the host immune system that stimulate an adaptive or accommodative response, conducive for wound healing and three-dimensional growth of various cell types. UBM has been shown to:

Recruit progenitor cells
Demonstrate chemotactic and mitogenic activities
Constructively remodel site-specific tissues where scarring would be expected


35YrsAfter also posts as CITNews and works at Dr. Cole's office
forhair.com
Cole Hair Transplant
1045 Powers Place
Alpharetta, Georgia 30009
Phone 678-566-1011
email 35YrsAfter at chuck@forhair.com
I am not a doctor and the content of my posts are my opinions, not medical advice.
Please feel free to call or email me with any questions. Ask for Chuck

[fred970]

Dr. De Reys in Belgium. I hadn't thought of that, thanks for the idea.

[PayDay]

You seem to be living a full life and you look very good without much hair. I think it would be a mistake at this point. You have a very strong face that works well without hair. You're one of the lucky few so enjoy it.

Why risk possible complications when you look good already and have no problem attracting women and having a great social life?

[Widowmaker]

I'm not sure a 24yo NW5 would benefit long term from a transplant...although, I'm no expert. It seems at that age, it will continue to progress and you might find yourself in a endless loop of surgeries. Maybe it'd be wise to see how well you stabilize on meds?

That being said, I think you look pretty good even without hair. Hair or none, I think you look a lot better than most guys your age. If the end game is attractiveness towards women, your hair is just one of many factors. Whatever you decide, the important thing is to keep a positive attitude. Women are more attracted to that than hair.

[Morbo]

Seriously man, you look good. Definitely got the Millow-thing going on. I'd almost wager you look better without than with hair. If I were you I'd do nothing. It's good money wasted.

[PaddyBateman]

You're a good looking chap, and the shaved look does work well with you. You have quite Scandinavian features, which works for you. It's good to see that it hasn't affected your life.

I imagine you are on your way to NW7 by the time you are 30, and if you're not on Propecia, the hair transplant really might not do much for you.

How about SMP?

[DAVE52]

............. Social life is great, my friends are great. People don't seem to treat me differently because I'm bald. The only hurdles I've encountered are some drunks in bars insulting me for being bald, or people in public places talking about hair loss behind my back because they saw me. Clearly, I think I shouldn't be going for a transplant for those futilities.

I'm worried about my well-being here. Would not getting a HT now impact my life in a bad way? Would getting it be beneficial in any way?

Based on my pictures and what I said, what's your honest opinion about this? Should I do it? Should I cancel it? Thank you in advance for your replies.

You answered your question already

" social life is great "
"..Clearly, I think I shouldn't be going for a transplant "

IMO Cancel

You look fine and it doesn't seem to bother you so don't get it .

[fred970]

Thanks for your comments. I'm think I'm not going to do it, at least for now.

I forgot it was not possible to edit the threads after some time here, could a moderator just remove the pictures from the thread please?

[James7]

Hi fred!

I feel like I know you already from reading the *** forums, even though I'm not on that forum lol I've been reading all the forums for years.

Just wanted to say, you look great with buzzed hair in your pics

Dare I say, you don't even look nw5, as you have some hair on top and I can clearly see your hairline in pic number 2.
Maybe rogaine is working it's magic, who knows.

I think I didn't reply before, as the answer seems unanimous already and as Dave52 has answered another point so clealy and concisely.

I slept with two different girls only this week. Social life is great, my friends are great. People don't seem to treat me differently because I'm bald.

Sounds wonderful, good for you! You are living life to the full.

So the only thing left is your occasional worry about drunk jerks, and overhearing conversations in public.
In that repsect, I think the only thing you might possibly need to do at the moment is to understand more about the psychology of people. It's not essential, it just might make it easier to deal with such comments.

In regards to 'people in public places' - it just sounds like people notice something like a buzz cut and it sparks a conversation. Simple as that. It's not necessarily aimed at you, don't think of it as any sort of attack.

As for drunks in bars, as Notcoolanymore said:

Take it as a compliment. You must have been looking like a damn stud if all they had to pick on you with was your hair. Who the hell goes to a bar to hate on dudes anyway...losers do.

Exactly. It might also help to understand the psychology of drunk jerks. There are various possible reasons, they may want to incite a negative reaction from you, or a positive reaction from their peers or anyone who will listen. Or both.
If it wasn't hair, they would likely just choose any other trait, like height, weight, charcteristics etc.
They may see it as 'funny' (to seek approval negatively) or to try to start a fight (they feel the need to prove themselves) - it might be habitual behaviour that they don't just do to you, they try it on anyone. To see if anyone will bite.
They are generally weak people seeking approval negatively. They can't get it by actually being any good at anything, or having enough of a life of their own, so they have to try to belittle others.
They may well also have an over-inflated ego that needs reinforcing.

People who are drunk may often act out of character, people lose their inhibitions, it affects their critical thinking etc. In short, people do stupid things when drunk! lol This is obvious, but people often forget this in the heat of the moment.

So they are either weak, or they are so drunk they're babbling stupidly

Either way the drunk comments are of little meaning since you have a social life, friends, you meet girls etc.
And hair (or any other singular trait) is nothing if you already have everything.