Can you wear buzzed hair (particularly on top) with FUE if you continue to lose hair?

[22able]

22able,

If you have been losing hair since age 17, then that's a goof indicator that you are headed for the most advanced class of hair loss such as Norwood class 7. If you have men on either side of your family history that are Norwood 7s, than that's a real possibility for you.

The implication then is you undoubtedly will be chasing this progression of loss for a long time or until you run out of donor, and you will eventually if you are headed for advanced hair loss.

Whether you choose FUE or FUHT, scarring will be an issue no matter the skill of the surgeon because of the multiple procedures needed along with the volume of extractions and also the volume of recipient incisions.

If you choose to still move forward, then I highly recommend that you keep a very conservative level of density overall. The shorter length of hair style will allow for lower density levels however the scarring also becomes more visible. Not a good trade-off.

So if you have Norwood 7 in your cards, think long and hard before ever getting started.

This may very well be not what you want to hear yet over the years I have dialogued with many guys in a similar profile as yours and many wish they would have just buzzed their scalps and not got started with surgery.

Hi Gillenator,

Thanks for your comments. My grandfather on my mothers side was a norwood 6 who started early in his youth, a little later than me. My dad is a norwood 6 and he didn't start until he was 40 then lost it in a diffuse fashion in about 9 years. So yes, most likely, this is where im heading. However, I am on finasteride and intend to use it indefinitely. While it may not be advised, i'm viewing the transplant as a "temporary" solution provided that the surgeon i'm consulting with can show me specific examples of his work that tailor my needs and goals for the future. Only under these circumstances, will I consider it. I have no issue shaving down to any level which still conceals the scarring when i'm in my mid 30's. But right now, i've lost my hair very gradually from 17 to 25 in a diffuse pattern and some of my friends still don't even notice i'm losing my hair. A single procedure around 2500+ grafts and continuation with the medication (potentially with dutasteride if i begin to lose ground quickly) should get me a run of at LEAST 5 years. By which point I will be closer to an age where losing hair will make me feel more comfortable. If I need to undergo a second transplant to maintain my hairline which I can then shave down, I will be happy to do so. I also think that a lot of men who get hair transplants are crap at styling their hair or don't do anything to it. I've used hair products for years and it's helped me hide my hair loss successfully, this is also another factor I am considering when undergoing transplant.

Do not mistake, the point of this thread is that I am not fully sold on the idea of a transplant. However, the benefit/costs are what i'm trying to weigh up when I consider the skills that my surgeon can offer in allowing me to opt for a very short/shaved hair style in the future if I decide to not continually return for repeat procedures. The scarring/"pot mark" effects of transplanted hair are issues I have which will affect my decision to undergo a transplant.

When it comes to hair transplants without medication to suppress further loss, I think anyone doing so is very foolish. I believe that 80% of those losing their hair from 17-45 will eventually go towards a norwood 6 inevitably. Age shouldn't be a factor in that males being transplanted on at 35 are more likely to head to norwood 6/7 without medication just as much as somebody losing their hair at 17. In this case, about 10% of men are probably realistic hair transplant candidates to maintain a decent full head of hair. If I can have hair to run me through the prime of my life up until about 35 and then buzz it once i'm settled with nothing visually noticeable (maintaining low density, short top cut and slightly longer sides to hide scarring) then that to me is a successful transplant given my expectations for the future. And that's conservatively ruling out further treatments or progression in the industry. I'd like to hear your thoughts given my personal outlook and circumstances.