NWIV age 25 Need help making a big descision

[boldat25]

hey all,

I recently stumbled upon the podcast "the bald truth" a while back. It really is an awesome show and it lead me to these forums.


Ive been lurking this forum for quite some time. My hairline started receding when I was in college. It started out on just the right side but now has spread to the crown and the left side and has gotten to the point where I can no longer hide it. I never could sport a buzz cut or shorter hair so losing my hair has been tough especially since it seems like all of my peers have thick heads of hair. This past month I have really started to consider getting an HT. It seems like it could be such a big risk at my age which is what scares me. I got a good job out of school and I don't really have any financial burdens right now at this point in my life so right now I have the funds to afford a procedure like this which is another reason I am leaning towards it.

I have had a consult with Dr. Cooley and Dr. Vories. Both docs were very professional and straight forward. This was about a 16 months ago and at that time both recommended between 2000 and 2400 grafts. I decided to wait and see if it got worse thinking that maybe it was ok.

Well sure enough it got worse.. A lot worse. I started digging into these forums again and found Dr. Lorenzo and Dr. Koray Erdogan. Both of these Docs have published outstanding results. I have decided if I am going to have it done I am going to go with the absolute best. Now this is not to imply that dr. Cooley and dr. Vories are anything less than top notch. I felt very comfortable with both of them but I was most attracted to the method discussed in Dr. Erdogans videos in YouTube. I don't really want the strip method because I am so young still and may have to shave it if unsuccessful. my hair follicles themselves are rather fine which I read could pose a problem for the neograft which is used by dr. v. My choice is based on what I feel is best for my particular set of circumstances.

I sent in pics to Dr. Lorenzo and he stated that an HT was not indicated by my pictures and that he would be willing to discuss it after I had been on a Finasteride regimen for 12 months. He stated that "due to my aggressive hair loss I would need to stabilize with meds urgently or else the HT would be a disaster"

I am an avid gym goer/weight lifter and am not to keen on the idea of tampering with my hormone levels for cosmetic purposes. It just seems sketchy.

Last week I ALSO consulted with Dr. Erdogans ASMED clinic. I have been in communication with Sevinc who has been very informative. She replied to my consult form that I was a candidate for the procedure. Based on my pictures they recommended that I would need 5000 grafts over a 2 day session.

I wanted to know if I would still be able to shave my head if the HT didn't work out and they assured me that I could still shave my head because scarring was very minimal on my skin tone. My skin does not really scar as it is; even after the worst of cuts so I'm sure I would not have to big of an issue with it.

My father is NW 6 and obviously thinks I'm crazy for even considering doing something like this but he has been bald since 23 and can't even remember what it was like to have hair. Plus he wears the look well and I do not.

I have attached some pics below, I would like help and honest answers from you all so that I can make an educated decision. Having more hair would definitely better my life, but I would want it to work well. I think I would kick myself forever if I went through with this and it didn't turn out like I had hoped.

What expectations should I have with the way my hairline is now?

Thanks in advance guys

PS i included a pic of my dad so you guys can see where I could be headed

-Alex

[boldat25]

I realize it is a lot to read. What I am essentially asking is what are the risk with such an advance FUE procedure that they offer?

I mean other than it not working out and wasting your money, I would just have to shave it and be in the same boat I am in now already right?

Ive done a bunch of research and I just can't quite put my finger on what exactly the risk are with these high quality FUE Ht.

It seems like there is pretty much no risk of an unsightly scar without close examination.. to the point that people are even having the same type of graft extraction performed on parts of their face?!

If it is safe enough to do that then what do I have to loose? other than money of course?

Could someone please shed some light on this?

[Deal]

There's nothing to lose other than donor hair and money. Fue is very reliable, safe, and known. If you have the money go for it. You will have great hair for a few years until you have more loss. If you can do fin or minox and are a good responder you could be a nw1-2. In your case the dr is absolutely correct. Without fin there's no point if your headed to a nw6

[GoingGoing]

I'm not going to try to talk you out of anything, nor would I likely be able to, but what makes you think the tight buzzcut (or shaved head) look doesn't suit you? You seriously look great in the face-on pic you posted. Head shape looks good and your features seem to suit it well. I know it's an unfortunate circumstance with hair loss at your age, but you lucked out in this regard.

I know this is not what you're asking for, but I thought this might be helpful in its own right.

[brunobald]

Agreed, from your pic you have good features and head shape for the bald look. You even have good skin ie not too pale.

I would say try shaving your head for 30 days. If you still can't live with it then think again about the transplant.

[Illusion]

Yeah what GoingGoing said.

Beside that, I would not go for a HT. You have pretty aggressive MPB, meaning that if you get a HT, you'll need to be on meds SUCCESFULLY for the rest of your life. I'm emphasizing the word 'succesfully' because not everyone responds the same to meds. For some people fin might only slow their hair loss down (not halt or regrow) and for some it won't be effective for a very long time.

If you get a HT now and hop on fin (I know that you said you're not thrilled about messing with your hormones but atm there aren't really any other options), imagine what will happen if fin stops working for you after 5 years. Your hair will start to fall out again and you'll be left with a very shitty head of hair + scars. HT's have def improved over time regarding scarring (FUE ftw right) but I believe it'll still be somewhat visible when you shave it down slick bald. I guess a guard 1 makes FUE scars near invisible. But if your doc says that your skin will heal well and the scar will be minimal, then believe him I guess.

Just realize what you get into when taking a HT: A life long on fin (or until something else comes along but that can take a while). But you look good now (shaved down) too, so I personally wouldn't bother too much about taking a HT.

[robincurtz]

If u have the perfect age to enjoy HT u should go ahead.in worse case you would have at least 7 years of better head.

[Illusion]

If u have the perfect age to enjoy HT u should go ahead.in worse case you would have at least 7 years of better head.

lol no, in the worst case he lost a lot of his existing hair even before the transplant hairs have started to come through. Your example is actually a really hopeful scenario imo

[robincurtz]

there are some people on this forum who are against propecia,minoxidil and HT.they only want cure for mpb which is actually 15 years away.but this time nothing is in pipeline so probability that it would take more than 15 years is not zero.don't get confused with this kind of people.consult an ethical hair transplant doctor like dr.bernstein,dr.rassman,or dr.farjo and make master plan for treating your hair loss.

[Sean]

In the right hands, you can get a decent fue treatment. You will definately need at least 5000 grafts. Graft yield will be an important thing to consider. It may be wise to break up the procedure into multiple sessions versus one day alone, so, consider surgeons that offer this. Again, you have a decent shaped head. Even if there was a chance of failure, you can at lease shave your head. I think you should proceed cautiosly though. Compare prices too. You dont wanna pay too much and if yield becomes an issue then there isnt much of a refund, but you will be really upset. If you go to a doc that is considerably cheaper, you may mot be completely out of luck when things do not yield Appropriately, but at least you would have more financial security. Good luck.

[Notcoolanymore]

I would say do what the doctor said and get on fin and see where you are at in a year, then plan your next move. If you are really against taking fin then I would say forget about getting a transplant as it wouldn't look good within a few years as you continue to bald.

Also I get what Illusion is saying. There are a lot of "ifs" when it comes to hair loss. You never know how you will continue to bald, you don't know how you will respond to fin, etc. You just have to make the decision that will help you live a better life. If you think the only way you can do that is with more hair, then do what you need to do to try to make that happen. If it is possible for you to live a good life without hair, then buzz is down and try to move on with your life.

[chaplin]

maybe you don't want to hear this, but i rly think you rock the buzz cut/shaved head. you've got the right headshape for it. fwiw

[DAVE52]

you look fine in pic # 7
Don't do it

[boldat25]

I would say do what the doctor said and get on fin and see where you are at in a year, then plan your next move. If you are really against taking fin then I would say forget about getting a transplant as it wouldn't look good within a few years as you continue to bald.

Also I get what Illusion is saying. There are a lot of "ifs" when it comes to hair loss. You never know how you will continue to bald, you don't know how you will respond to fin, etc. You just have to make the decision that will help you live a better life. If you think the only way you can do that is with more hair, then do what you need to do to try to make that happen. If it is possible for you to live a good life without hair, then buzz is down and try to move on with your life.

Hey I really appreciate all the feedback it really helps because its a situation you feel like its almost taboo to talk about to anybody which makes it feel like you are having to deal with it in your own little world of psychological trauma.

Notcool- since I found out about the bald truth I pretty much have listened to all of the 2014 broadcast while I am at work. I remember the show where you called in and talked about how it was no big deal until you saw that photo of you where you realized you were really getting thin. Its a horrible feeling. I experienced exactly what you described about 6 months ago. I always had a small recession but really in the last 6 months its almost like someone had been poring round-up on my head, feels like I just woke up one day and suddenly realized I no longer had hair that looked well enough to keep it on my head.. I have to shave it.. surrender to it.. to keep my dignity. Its like it just died off or something. A very f*&ck*d up situation, but I am glad there are resources like this available.


My father explained as the same as breaking up with a long term GF or losing a loved one. One day that part of your life is just gone and its shocking, traumatic, and hard to understand. I look at my buddies and most of them have thick manes and I can't help but think "why me"? It feels like I used to be the man when I had a nice head of hair, these past few months have been tough not going to lie. Im just in shock still and have not really gone anywhere without a hat. This pic was taken last may so you can see how fast it has accelerated, If I could even get this amount back AND keep it I would be thrilled.



If I could achieve a result that even gave me somewhat of a nice hairline but yet the appearance of a minor recession I think I would be happy. If I had bad luck I would just shave it and get SMP on the back of my head if there was noticeable scarring. Some Dr. K's result are truly phenomenal which is why it is hard to completely let go of the idea of having an HT with ASMED.

http://asmedfue.forumcommunity.net/?t=57356338

IF I am to proceed with the HT that is. For now I am going to take you guys advice and give the meds a shot first

I went to doctor cooleys office today and got a script of fin. I spoke with some other dude in the waiting room who said he'd been on it for 15 years with no issues so I felt a little better about it. I do feel a lot better about the shaved look after what you guys said and I really appreciate it. A little goes a long way in a situation where your confidence level feels so vulnerable.

But thanks again for all the feed back guys.

Alex

[BarneyStinson]

Wow, you really lost a LOT of hairs in a little period. Go fina my friend, it might REALLY help!