Is there any hope for me?

[67mph]

Akliner, my opinion is that you don't have to overly worry, your style looks just fine, looks good mate, but of course just remember to, keep us uptodate with progress, good luck!

[mike92]

Your hair in the original post doesn't even look bad, i thought you were the guy to your left at first. As for the pics you took w/flash & under overhead lighting - with hair buzzed that short you are going to see a bit of scalp on anyone, especially when you hold the camera at that angle allowing the flash to penetrate under the hairs lighting up your skin. On the other hand, yeh you got a little thinning at the back (i only noticed it under the flash though), but your hairline isn't reced or anything. Plus your hair looks thick as hell in the update.

[akliner]

Hi everybody! Time for another update with (progress?) pictures.

Again, my regimen:

Generic Finasteride - 1.25mg/daily - 14 weeks
Rogaine 5% Foam - 2x/daily - 16 weeks
Nizoral 1% Shampoo - 3x/week - 8 weeks

CROWN:




LEFT TEMPLE:



RIGHT TEMPLE:




HAIR LINE:



I had a follow up appointment with the same HT surgeon here in Chicago. This time, the doctor met with me and answered my questions.

He seems to think that I have a naturally high hairline, and that in all likelihood, my balding will progress slowly. Contrary to what I was told before, he seems to think I would be a good strip candidate.

I told him that my priorities would be to fill in the receded frontal areas and strengthen the frontal 1/3. Though he told me he didn't think surgery was necessary, he also mentioned that he doesn't think a procedure would be a bad thing, either.

I got an estimate for 2,000 grafts. Still mulling it over.

[mlao]

It definitely looks thicker and with your hair that length the hairline looks great. I think it is best to hold off on surgery as long as possible.

[mattj]

I don't think you need to do anything yet either. That style works for you. You aren't going to appear to people as someone who is suffering from hairloss. Could grafts be added to increase density and lower the hairline? Yes. But why bother at this stage?

[Weedwacker]

You are definately not a Norwood VI. You have thinning in the crown are;however, you still have decent density. Maybe the meds would work for you;if not, you could try a hairpiece. I know that sounds rediculous to some but the technology is such that it is a possibility. I can't relate much because I started balding at 17 and was a Norwood VI by 21; I was pretty much ****ed. Your hair looks pretty good to me.

[67mph]

looking good

Akliner!

i will pressume you are not going to believe me, but your hair looks fine and dandy friend, really, please do not get the HT an also someone mentioned the hair piece route, you'll be putting hair on hair here am i not right?

Do not get a HT anytime soon, carry on the path you're on, carry on with the meds, carry on the shampoo but for you to get suregery just seems plain daft to me looking at these pics, there, someone had to say it.

regards Akliner, 57mph

[akliner]

Thanks everybody! I think my truly does look thicker than before. However, as a young guy in the performance industry, having a youthful appearance is important. I know my hairline doesn't look AWFUL, but it could be improved.

Anyway, the encouragement and support in this thread has been a Godsend.

:wave:

[johndoe]

my hair looks way worse than yours, and i'm 19.

[doramide7]

mlao-- thank you for your thoughtful reply. One of the first things my doctor did when I began seeing him (following the conclusion of the eating disorder) was give me a pretty comprehensive blood test which included STD screenings, thyroid screenings, lipids screenings, as well as some other hematological screenings. Nothing out of the ordinary. Aside from eating full time again, I have been taking a multi-vitamind.

I checked out this website: http://www.bernsteinmedical.com/medi...a-finasteride/ and feel pretty encouraged. Especially by this statement:



Thanks again!

You haven't been on the medications for long. Hopefully you'll see some thickening up, or at least you'll see a halt to continued loss. But seriously, on the basis of those photos, your hair doesn't look that thin. You should definitely give it a while to see how you respond to the meds before you consider undergoing a transplant.

What was the doctor's explanation for your hair being too thin for a strip procedure? FUE will make your donor area thinner if anything. Perhaps not noticeably so, but if it's already thin it could make a difference.


__________________
ipad downloads
cheap ibooks

[hal]

Don't do it

I don't know you from adam but you would be CRAZY to have a procedure done.

First, your hair looks great. Not perfect, not movie star quality, but it looks full to me. More importantly, the style suits you.

Second, you're way too young and have way too much hair to be thinking about a procedure.

Third, I believe you would be risking more natural hair due to shock loss, etc. than you would gain from a procedure. It's not worth the trade off or the risk.

Personally, I believe a person should be an advanced Norwood 4 or solid 5 before you get a transplant.

Let the meds do their work and see how things go. The risk of a procedure for a guy in your shoes is just not worth it IMHO.

A final word of warning: you are EXACTLY the type of person who winds up on these boards crying in their beer about what a disaster their hair transplant turned out to be. Complaining that they went from a Norwood 2 to a 4 and agonizing about how thin they look... not to mention wondering why they spent 10 grand and six months of anxious waiting only to end up with LESS hair and more scars than before the procedure.

And don't go thinking that you're just "trying to stay ahead of the game" (rolls eyes). That's a huge red flag right there.

Now I'm not saying that getting a transplant is wrong or that you should never do it. Only that you're not there yet. Far from it.

Hal

[Don'tDoIt]

Akliner, please listen to the commenters above. It is disturbing that the surgeon is now recommending surgery to you. You do NOT need it and you will end up with a strip scar in the back that you will not like. Don't Do It.

[mlao]

Akliner, I understand that because you are in the performing arts there is a great deal of pressure to look and feel perfect. Believe me your hair looks great a lot of well known actors have naturally high hairlines and it has not stopped them from getting the great parts. As a matter of fact it makes them look more believable so if your concern is purely professional don't worry you look fantastic.
Hair restoration surgery at a young age will mean that you will probably feel the need to get more than one procedure done over time. You may end up chasing your hair loss.
If I were you I would continue on the propecia and rogaine for as long as possible. You have not been on it that long so there is a good chance you will see more improvement. It could be that by the time you really need it there will be better therapies available for hair loss and you might not need the surgery at all.

[dgman21]

Is anybody else feel way different at different times about hairloss. ? Meaning every morning when i wake up my hair looks soso/ok. But after my shower when wet its extremely thin and go crazy after looking in the mirror. Or think about what to do if it rains outside...Also I don't have a job right now,its been 2 years so that means more obsession with hairloss. Anybody else feel like that?

[Weedwacker]

Yeah, I used to be obsessed with my hairloss. Frankly, there isn't a day that goes by that I don't think about it. At this point, although I am not a fan of head-shaving, I think I may buzz it down to less than 1/8 inch because I look old and unattractive if it grows out too much. I am returning to school in a month and will remain there until 2012. I am going to work hard so, hopefully, I can have a better future.