Is it even worth it for me?

[hairydunn]

Hey guys.

I've been thinning since I was 16. I finally bit the bullet two years ago and shaved my head.

I'm 26 now. It's okay. But I can't accept it, sadly, and the toll it has taken on my life is such that I'm exploring any option now.

I'm around a nw5-nw6. My dad is a nw6. I expect I will match him, and indeed you can clearly see the separation of the hair loss areas and the back area. My permanent area goes above my temple on the sides. We both have dark, dense and thick hair. I'm really realistic about what I want, something super conservative... Even when my hair thins out considerably I was able to camouflage for a long long time because of the thickness of the ones which remained.

Would it be possible to do a HT soon, one that keeps in mind my eventual final hair pattern?

[hanginginthewire]

Pics?

[hairydunn]

http://m.imgur.com/a/eWgSY

[hanginginthewire]

I'm no expert but from your pics I would think you could have a transplant with the expectation that you will still have substantial crown loss. But I could be wrong, maybe you could expect an even better result than that.

[HTsoon]

Can you post pictures of your donor area? I looked pretty much the same as you prior to my surgery. Its possible, however surgery is a life long commitment, there are no gurantees, you want to make sure your hair loss is stable before attempting any surgery. At 26 id wait a few years to make sure your hair loss is stable maybe around 30.

Are you on any hair loss meds?

[Stevedawg18]

Yeah maybe give it some time. 26 is really young and once you have surgery there really isn't any turning back.

[hanginginthewire]

What do people mean by "stable" really?

Also HTSoon did you have nape thinning/balding?

[Stevedawg18]

Guessing stable is you've reached kinda reached a plateau in hair loss not that it will ever necessarily completely stop but really slowed down. By the time your in your 40s it probably has but 26 is likely going to lose a lot more.

[JoeTillman]

Based on your age and your degree of hair loss there isn't much more to lose before you're "stable" but what you can lose can make a difference to your final appearance. I think you should speak to your doctor about Propecia and try that for a year to see how you respond before you have a procedure. I've seen some minor miracles on guys with your degree of loss and at the very least it is something that will give you the best chance of stabilizing your loss now, not when you've lost more hair. Then and only then should you consider a procedure.

[hanginginthewire]

Based on your age and your degree of hair loss there isn't much more to lose before you're "stable"

Can you elaborate on what you mean or give examples? Are you saying your only really "stable" when there isn't much more hair to lose?

[JoeTillman]

Can you elaborate on what you mean or give examples? Are you saying your only really "stable" when there isn't much more hair to lose?

For many guys, yes. It isn't an absolute for every single hair loss sufferer but it is for most. Hair loss is progressive and doesn't really stop, it just slows down. I've seen cases where a patient thinks his NW4 loss is "stable" only to see himself turn into a NW5 five years later and not realize it because of the slow progression. He still thought he was a NW4 but he clearly lost enough to be a textbook NW5. That's a lot of loss and is the difference between needing another surgery or not.

Not to mention, I can't count the number of times I've had patients tell me they wish they had learned about Propecia earlier than they did, or that they wish they had tried it earlier than they did. In fact, had I known about Proscar (original form of finasteride) myself when it first came out in 1992 (the same year I had my first surgery) there is a good chance I wouldn't even be here today. I never would have lost as much hair as I did, thus I would never had needed my first and subsequent repair procedures with Dr. Wong.

[hairydunn]

Hello.

http://imgur.com/YdCLfRy

http://imgur.com/GJlu7MY

Here are two images of the sides and back of my head. I shave my head now, so I guess this isn't the best, but to give you an idea, this is about 3 days of growth for me from a clean shave.

I have started taking propecia and rogaine daily. I'm willing to let that ride out a while, though I do feel like waiting till I'm 30 defeats the purpose of my wasted youth...

It's very frustrating for me having NO luck dating since this. And nothing has changed in my personality because I do online dating. Unfortunately, I've always been shy and this has only made it worse.

But I guess I have no choice. And even when I do leave it just frustrates me thinking of how I look! Sorry for the rant, but I guess you all already know.

[JoeTillman]

Hello.

http://imgur.com/YdCLfRy

http://imgur.com/GJlu7MY

Here are two images of the sides and back of my head. I shave my head now, so I guess this isn't the best, but to give you an idea, this is about 3 days of growth for me from a clean shave.

I have started taking propecia and rogaine daily. I'm willing to let that ride out a while, though I do feel like waiting till I'm 30 defeats the purpose of my wasted youth...

It's very frustrating for me having NO luck dating since this. And nothing has changed in my personality because I do online dating. Unfortunately, I've always been shy and this has only made it worse.

But I guess I have no choice. And even when I do leave it just frustrates me thinking of how I look! Sorry for the rant, but I guess you all already know.

Based on these limited photos I think you have a good head shape so the shaving option appears to work. Now, it's up to you to own it. Get some sun, keep the shave close every two days instead of three, and stick to the regimen and forget about this issue for a while. It really is the best thing you can do for yourself and then re-evaluate in a year. At the very least you will have learned what you're not happy with and you'll know whether or not medical therapy works for you but don't stop anything till you speak with a doctor at the end of one year.

[Stevedawg18]

Yeah it is frustrating. Online dating is all based on looks at least at first. Anyway can you try dating not online? Meeting people in person? Maybe not for long term but there's a lot women closer to 30 that hair isn't that much of an issue. Could try that just to have fun get some attention.

[hairydunn]

Eh, I already feel inadequate enough.

I'm a relatively fit/tall person, can grow a very good beard, but it doesn't matter because I - ME, do not like the way it looks.

It may interest some of the other guys here to know that I was a decently attractive person before (or so I'm told, Ive always had poor self image) and girls actually approached me somewhat regularly - but since shaving my head I've gotten "the eyes" from girls way more than I ever did before. I am a cynical person, and clueless about women, and personally alwaysthought that anytime I read about some dude shaving his head and getting a ton of action was a bunch of bull - well, I can confirm, there are some women who do fetishize this look it seems, or at least this look on me, so maybe at least try it if you're insecure about it.

But, on the flip side, they are also more hesitant to approach now it seems, and I am very love-shy.

Also, older women have openly hit on me now - which is hilarious and I love it, so there are silver linings.

Still, the main thing is - I don't like it. Some days I give myself a pep talk and go out in the world - these are the days where people show interest. Otherwise, I'm a nobody. There's something to be said about self acceptance. I'd just rather accept myself with more hair, even a NW3 would be good for me.

Well, I wish you all the best.