What's a better option for me, FUE or FUT?

[JJacobs152]

I'm just wanting to ask a standard question. I know it all comes down to the person themselves, but I want to hear the opinions of what others are thinking. Sharing ideas, is a great way to make sure that an individual is not over looking some detail.

These pictures were taken almost a month ago. I typed up the following info in the thread:

Anyways, I told you guys you would be the first to know if I had any s/e from fin. Well, I have experienced bouts of feeling sad at times and loss of motivation. I decided since my exam was coming up, I couldn't risk these days of being beta - so I stopped fin cold turkey. Didn't take it for about a month or so. I was so involved with my exam, I stopped applying minox as well, my schedule went to sh!t. the only thing i was actively applying was the T-Sal shampoo and Niz 2%.

I'm not sure if the sadness could be due to fin or just because of being burned out. My exam is next Friday, so if I don't have these feelings again, well then it wasn't the drug. No weight gain, gyno, or any other side effect.

Here are the latest update pics. I really have to see a derm after my exam, because I have no idea what is on my scalp. I think it's seborrheic dermatitis, because of the stress. Neighbor down the street verified it isn't ringworm or anything...so that's good. Turning 28 this August, I'd ideally like to get a procedure maybe Christmas of 2014...or who knows.

My barbers tell me my hair has never looked this great, along with a couple of friends. Friends don't know I'm on fin, but the barbers do. Still hard to accept it when the shedding and the horseshoe pattern increases day by day. As always, no flash used in any of the pictures.

[topcat]

I would lower the temple maybe 1 cm and forget about the crown. Using fue you can cherry pick thinner caliber hairs giving it a very natural appearance. The session would be so small that you can get the feel of what it is like to get into the chair and you will put yourself in a position where you can say to yourself I would not like to continue and your issues will be relatively insignificant. As a patient you have a responsibility to yourself to cause as little harm as possible just as much as the doctor.

[Still-Researching]

I would go for FUE if I were you. Especially if you want to be able to cut it short.
Cheers

[JJacobs152]

I would lower the temple maybe 1 cm and forget about the crown. Using fue you can cherry pick thinner caliber hairs giving it a very natural appearance. The session would be so small that you can get the feel of what it is like to get into the chair and you will put yourself in a position where you can say to yourself I would not like to continue and your issues will be relatively insignificant. As a patient you have a responsibility to yourself to cause as little harm as possible just as much as the doctor.

Thanks for the input. I'm too concerned with vanity, it's unfortunate. Propecia/minox/and nizoral have been doing a great job keeping my scalp thick. Haven't been on fin for about a month, nor minox for 2 months and still feels fine.

I agree with topcat start conservative lowering the hairline slightly. You have all the right hair characteristics for the procedure it just depends on if it really bothers you enough to move forward with a procedure. If you start conservative You can always have additional procedures later.

Thanks for your input. If you don't mind sharing but what are the "right characteristics" that you're talking about, please?

I hear that some patients make good candidates whereas others dont. Just want to see what differentiates between the two. Thanks!

[Valerie]

Depends

At our office we consider a lot of other details - age, likelihood of more hair loss, hair styles you prefer, etc.

If you are a young guy and there is a lot of hair loss in your family, doing an FUT will help you utilize the most donor long term effectively. I think it all comes down to how short you want to be able to wear your hair.

Good Luck!

[35YrsAfter]

I'm just wanting to ask a standard question. I know it all comes down to the person themselves, but I want to hear the opinions of what others are thinking. Sharing ideas, is a great way to make sure that an individual is not over looking some detail.

Hair loss in one's family is very important to consider. Although I have seen young patients with classic early MPB and no known family history of hair loss, mostly those losing their hair have relatives on their father or mother's side with hair loss.

Please consider the degree of hair loss in your family before moving forward with hair transplant surgery. If you have relatives on your father's or mother's side of the family who are in the Norwood 6 or 7 category, think twice about going ahead with hair transplant surgery at age 28-30. My younger brother for instance had a full thick head of hair with very little recession until he was 26. After it began thinning, it went fast. He is now a Norwood 6 and shaves his head. When he was 25 or so, I thought he missed the MPB gene. Our family is a mixed bag with some men having a full head of hair until old age. A Norwood 6 can achieve cosmetic benefit from hair transplant surgery if one has excellent donor hair characteristics. Please also consider that donor hair can thin out as you get older. I once had exceptional donor density. Not the case today at all. We see patients on a regular basis who had strip surgery, only to continue to lose hair and watch their donor area thin to the point that their strip scar shows through their hair no matter what length. You don't want this to happen to you, believe me.

35YrsAfter also posts as CITNews and works at Dr. Cole's office
Cole Hair Transplant - Atlanta Clinic
Toll Free: 1-800-368-4247
Please feel free to call or email me with any questions.

[didi]

'A Norwood 6 can achieve cosmetic benefit from hair transplant surgery if one has excellent donor hair characteristics'


That's the key but I see most NW6s have poor donor area which is susceptible to further thinning in the future.

To these guys only option is BHT but as you said only 25% of BH patients is happy with result.
It is fair to say NW6 with poor donor is not suitable for HT unless they are happy with combover

[35YrsAfter]

'A Norwood 6 can achieve cosmetic benefit from hair transplant surgery if one has excellent donor hair characteristics'


That's the key but I see most NW6s have poor donor area which is susceptible to further thinning in the future.

To these guys only option is BHT but as you said only 25% of BH patients is happy with result.
It is fair to say NW6 with poor donor is not suitable for HT unless they are happy with combover

Many men who are a Norwood 6 are happy with framing their face as opposed to being completely bare on top. As long as the result looks natural, patient's usually prefer having some hair on top. A Norwood 6 individual posted in this forum asking about getting the Jason Statham look. A few days later, here at Dr. Cole's office we had a patient in wanting fuller hair on top whose hair looked very similar to Jason Statham's. I showed him the forum post and he was flattered. Some men are satisfied with nothing less that a teenage head of hair. Aside from a natural appearance, the end result/look is very subjective.


35YrsAfter also posts as CITNews and works at Dr. Cole's office
Cole Hair Transplant
1045 Powers Place
Alpharetta, Georgia 30009
Phone 678-566-1011
Please feel free to call or email me with any questions.

[gillenator]

Over the years, I have found that cosmetic benefit is ambiguous at best. Only the individual can define what they see as a cosmetic benefit.

What one individual will accept can be at the opposite end of another. In many ways, it's like life itself.

In principle, a hungry homeless person will appreciate a jelly sandwich far more than the person who owns the jelly factory.

I have found that the younger patients have much higher expectations than the guy who is 50 something and already a class 6 and just wants a frame to his face. He has already suffered with hair loss for many years and appreciates every graft like it was a life changing event.

And for him, it is.

[northeastguy]

Jacobs..... there's some good advice here. I didn't see your age but that does play into the process. As does family history. Most importantly, if you can stop further hair loss with the help of the products you mentioned.... big 3, your in fantastic shape and ahead of the game. The biggest issue most have is they continue losing hair and it becomes an endless chase. Going forward, keep in mind, you want to do what allows you to cut your hair at any length you want, 5, 10, 25 years from now. That is not FUT. Find a Reputable FUE surgeon and start small. You have the ability to lower the temples, soften the hairline and have no visual signs that any work was done. The later part can't be done with FUT.

continue researching, ask questions, and don't rush the decision.

[Sean]

A lot of great advice here. I would start nice and slow and go FUE with surgeons that have enormous amount of experience doing it manually. Check out surgeons in Europe and Turkey, you end up paying much less for work that is performed with more attention to detail and care. Just my opinion based on what I have seen.

[Sean]

Happy to hear you had a great experience in Turkey or Europe. Have you had a FUE procedure in Turkey or Europe? We have great surgeons here in the USA who areperienced and have been doing the FUE procedure for 10-20 years or longer. Yes, the prices are cheaper but you still have to consider other expenses. It is all up to the patient wherever he or she feels comfortable that is where the procedure should be done. I do agree with your comment start with a surgeon who has experience doing the FUE manually.

I did not have one in those areas but know many folks that have. I had mine in Canada. You are right long term experience does matter along with numerous other factors. There aren`t many FUE only surgeons in North America. Majority of surgeries are done in FUT or combination of the two. I would suggest picking doctors who are highly skilled and dedicate complete focus towards one patient at a time.

Prices in Europe/Turkey are cheap, but that's including flight and hotels. Over here you also have to worry about hotel, travel costs, taxation, and average fue prices of $7 per graft. I know of 2 surgeons in US that solely focus on fue and are active on these forums. Overseas, you got way more fue only surgeons that not only do everything manually, but they work on you with very little assistance and focus on one patient, one scalp, one customer at a time.
You are right, it is about where the patient feels comfortable, but then again we must not let location be a factor when deciding on a very skilled surgeon. Should a person pay more when docs rely on their techs and do multiple surgeries per day or should a person pay more when a doc does just your scalp manually one graft at a time one patient at a time?