Thinking of Hair transplants. Need Info Please.

[JoJoFromFrisco]

Hey guys,

I have been slowly receding since I was 29 years and now at age 40 it's very noticeable to the point I have to shave my head. In the past I have tried rogaine for a year and fin for 6 months but I didn't have any results.
Now I am thinking of hair transplants but I am wondering what do they cost, do you work for the long haul and is there scars?
I have attached a photo of my hair from three years ago which is a lot more thinner now. Since I shave my head you wouldn't see much if I took a photo now.

[pkipling]

Welcome aboard! I'll give you the Cliff's notes version on hair transplants. It's a big, big world out there in HTLand, and you'll have lots of research ahead of you, but this is a good starting point.

There are two main types of hair transplants:

1) FUT (Strip)
2) FUE

FUT (Strip) is the procedure where the surgeon removes a strip of your scalp from the back of your head and then closes the wound (with sutures/staples/etc.). These types of procedures leave the patient with a linear strip scar in the back of the head. You can google pictures of this to get a better idea of what it would look like. For many people, the linear scar is the main deterrent for going this route. However, depending on the skill of the surgeon and how well the patient heals, often times the scar is nearly undetectable (given the hair isn't cut too short on the sides/back). It's also generally quite a bit cheaper than FUE. The hairs are taken from this strip of scalp and placed individually into the recipient area, where they will eventually grow in their new home just like your natural/native hairs.

FUE procedures involve removing the hairs from the donor area (the back/sides of the head) individually, one by one, and then placing them in the recipient area. Instead of the linear strip scar you get with FUT, FUE can leave the patient with small little white "dots" where the grafts were removed. People generally choose this route because the scarring is much more minimal than with FUT and you can cut your hair significantly shorter than you could with the strip scar. This procedure is also generally more expensive than FUT.

There is a long list of Pros/Cons for each procedure, and many people in the community feel very strongly one way or the other about which one is the best. Personally, I believe that choosing FUT or FUE really varies depending on quite a few different variables - and what is good for one person/surgeon may not be the best decision for another.

What I suggest you do moving forward is to really start researching the difference between these two methods and also start looking at surgeons on this forum and others to see what sort of results the top surgeons are presenting. Ask questions (like you did here), read a lot, gather as much information as you can, ask more questions, etc.

You're in the very early stages of this journey, so take your time and become well informed. More often than not, the guys who end up regretting their hair transplants are the ones who made uninformed decisions, so do your homework.

Let me know if you have any other specific questions. Best of luck!

I am a patient advocate for Dr. Parsa Mohebi in Los Angeles, CA. My views/opinions are my own and don't necessarily reflect the opinions of Dr. Mohebi and his staff.

[JoJoFromFrisco]

Thanks for all the info. I have read up on people's post and heard of nothing but complaints.
I guess my question is do all HT leave scars?

[pkipling]

Certain forums in particular tend to have more complaints about hair transplants than others. I'm not sure why that is. But there are definitely places where you can find constructive, informative information out there.

As for your question, the short answer is yes - all HTs leave scars on some level. FUT/Strip definitely leaves the linear scar in the back of the head, but when done right by a highly skilled surgeon, this scar is often undetectable as long as the hair is slightly longer on the sides/back. I have seen strip scars that are completely hidden and undetectable even when I know they're there. (I've also seen really bad ones, which is why it is imperative that you do really solid research).

There are some people that like to refer to FUE as the "scarless" procedure. While this is true when looked at in comparison to FUT, the truth is that there is no such thing as "scarless". For example, I had 2,000 grafts with my procedure (FUE), which means there were 2,000 individual punches made into my scalp where the skin was removed to retrieve the graft. That also means that there were 2,000 little wounds that had to heal. If I were to shave my head down with a razor, there may be lots of little white dots. However, let me add that in my own case, I can't detect anything at all back there. Furthermore, I just got my haircut today and always have my barber be mindful of the potential FUE scars so that she doesn't go too short, and she couldn't find one spot where she saw anything out of the ordinary. This is why many people refer to FUE as "scarless".

And as always with issues such as scarring, it really varies from person to person and there are several factors that go into how well/poorly someone does/does not scar. My donor area healed really well, due to a combination of my physiology and also from following my post-op instructions very well (keeping the wounds out of the sun, for example).

Does that answer your question?

I am a patient advocate for Dr. Parsa Mohebi in Los Angeles, CA. My views/opinions are my own and don't necessarily reflect the opinions of Dr. Mohebi and his staff.

[JoJoFromFrisco]

That's one thing I don't want is a long scar because I can't have my hair long on the bottom. I usually do a double fade with a number zero or a number one guard and I have about an inch and half of hair on top with my hair comb forward.

I tried Costco brand (Kirkland) minoxidil and generic finisteride but I didn't see any growth. I also tried those hair loss shampoos which didn't work as well. I don't jump on the bandwagon when something new pops up and people swear by it because I have learned it always turns out to be snake oil. I have also learned most people will believe in something and swear by it because they think their is growing thicker. I know friends and family will be polite and tell us we are not balding when it's so obvious we are. I really do hate shaving my head and miss having hair.

[JoJoFromFrisco]

Hi JoJo

No, U won't left with any visible scars if you go for FUE technique for HT, As I am a doctor had done thousands of surgeries. You need any consultation or more detailshttp://www.softyhair.com or just write me @ drkkarora@softyhair.com. I will try to sort out ur problem in the best way i can.

Hi are you located in the San Francisco Bay Area? What am I looking at in pricing to do the FUE?
Thanks.