24 year old

[moses0324]

hi forum members,

I want to start by saying this website is a great place for those suffering from hairloss (i.e. like myself). It has tons of information, experiences, etc. I want to thank members and moderators in advance for putting time and effort into creating such a great community.

On to my story. Ever since I turned 20-21 years old i noticed i had thinning temples. I never really thought much of it until my temple area started to disappear and eventually recede. After some recession I noticed some serious thinning in the mid-scalp/crown area.

So about a two years ago I decided to take some control. I started by using some minox. I did this for about 6 months. I didnt notice any transformations. It kept my hair about the same. Although a success, I wasnt impressed. Plus it was a pain to apply twice a day especially when in college.

Anyways after that experiment ended I decided to visit a HT doc. Dr. Distefano. He took a look at my hair and prescribed finasteride. He suggested I take it for a year and assess my hair after treatment. Which brings me to my current situation.

I have posted my before and after pictures below. I reacted beautifully to the drug. I have a lot of thickening of hair in the crown, forelock, and mid-scalp areas. Now i am faced with the decision to undergo FUE to replace lost hair in my temple areas...I am scheduled to see him again in about a week. We'll see what his recommendation is...I am also thinking of visiting doctors: true, dorin, and feller...

Take a look at my results and let me know what you think. Thanks.

Before:






After (year later):

[moses0324]

I just took these a few minutes ago (note hair is really short in these)...any help or suggestions would be appreciated especially from HT doctors and aides...Thanks.

[mlao]

It looks like you have had great results.

[Jcm800]

Wow, thats a bloody good result i'd say, if you grew that out it'd look thicker i'm sure too Guess it hasnt helped your temples as much but still a great gain, on the crown/top - better leave it to the pro's to advise you on your next move tho..

[Spex]

Great response to the meds bro - well done!!!!

[moses0324]

any recommendations?!?!

[CIT_Girl]

Congratulations on your impressive results! You are still quite young to be considering hair transplantation, though, with your success on finasteride, your physician may well decide you are a good candidate. If you decide to have a procedure, keep it conservative and don't try to lower your hairline significantly as this is something that needs to age with you. You also want to be careful to retain as much donor hair as possible in case you need to have additional procedures in the future. I definitely think it's smart to stick to FUE due to your age and the fact that you seem to wear your hair very short. Best wishes and keep us updated on whatever you decide to do!

[moses0324]

thanks for the feedback. yes my results have been stellar. if I had a HT performed it would be minor fue in the temple regions. I would be very conservative. I am still on the fence though as I dont want to be pre-mature in my decision.

My expecatations would be to only restore the high recession. I would still have a widows peak. Definatley wouldnt aim to lower the hairline or create a flat youthful hairline. It wouldnt look good and I would run out of donor hair quickly.

My only reluctance is future hairloss and if i dont like the results of a HT I would have small pin like scars. This would not allow me to shave down to hide any disappointments.

[CIT_Girl]

Those are definitely valid concerns you should bring up with any physician you consult with. It's important to have a long-term plan, keeping a worst-case scenario- as far as continued hair loss goes- in mind.

With a very small procedure, you're unlikely to have noticeable hypopigmentation/scarring in the donor region but it is always a possibility. You have to weigh your options between having a pristine, untouched donor area and having more hair up top. Take your time, consider your options and consider consulting with more than one physician to get multiple opinions.

I personally think your hair looks just fine as it is so perhaps the best thing you can do is delay any surgical decision for another 5-10 years.

[moses0324]

i agree my hair doesnt look that bad but with filled in temples it would look perfect. the temple area is the only are that really bothers me. even 800 grafts in that are would make a huge improvement.

[moses0324]

any other feedback?