22 Year Old Seeking Hair Transplant Advice

[Anthony115]

Hello,

I am 22 and have been losing my hair (hairline and crown) since I was about 16 or 17. Once it became an obvious problem at 19 (around Norwood III) I decided to start Finasteride. This stabilized my loss and even gave me some density on the top and crown back. The crown area is still a bit thin but in general I'm happy with the density I got back. The biggest issue is my hairline. I prefer to style my hair up every morning in order to maximize the appearance of density up top, but the hairline is still so receded that I can never get the look I am after. I feel like my friends, and acquaintances see me as a person who is on his way towards being bald.

I have met with Dr. Robert Haber and felt very comfortable that he is a skilled and reputable surgeon, and he recommended 1200 grafts via FUT into my hairline to bring the temples down to meet my widows peak. This would result in a straight hairline about 7 millimeters up on my forehead, which from what I understand is on the higher side but still “natural” in appearance. The following week, I scheduled my procedure and put down my deposit, but now I am getting major cold feet.

Since the day I realized the finasteride was not going to bring my hairline back, I have been saving for this procedure (about 3 years). But now that the possibility of this procedure is real I am worried that I might be committing myself to a life of endless procedures, research, and paranoia that people will notice the transplant, or the scar. And I worry that if the Finasteride stops working for me and I am forced to shave my head, I will have scaring in both the donor site and the recipient sites. Dr. Haber’s told me that if I end up unsatisfied with my scaring I can always opt for an SMP procedure to camouflage the donor areas, and give the appearance of more density in my crown. Does anyone have experience with SMP camouflage? And if so were you satisfied with the result? Also, would it look strange if I filled in my FUT scar with SMP and then for whatever reason needed to shave my head bic razor bald? I feel like I’d probably have to keep a certain amount of stubble on my head for the SMP to look natural unless I had the procedure done on my whole scalp.

Success for me would be that the Finasteride continues to maintain my current hair, my FUT scar is concealed under hair cut to a #3 or #4 guard, and that Dr. Haber is able to create a non-receded hairline with natural density. I will continue to use Finasteride and minoxidil indefinitely but besides that I’d like to never worry about my hair again. Is this goal realistic? Or do I need to change my expectations before moving forward?

So I guess my question is… Have any of you had a similar experience to me or had work done by Dr. Haber? Did you decide to go under the knife? Why or why not and did you regret the decision you made?

I keep going back and forth on whether or not to cancel the reservation which is set for early January. Any advice you guys could offer would be really appreciated. Thank you

[Driver]

IMHO, you are both too early in your hair loss and too young for HT. I myself have not heard of Dr. Haber so I cannot comment on if he is good or bad, but 1200 grafts by FUT for a first procedure is not a lot of gain for a pretty good amount of risk. I would give this a lot more thought before moving forward if I were you.

[JeanlucBergman]

I appreciate that it's a matter of expense and potentially discomfort with going overseas, but 1200 grafts FUT is going to look absolutely terrible with VERY unatural density for what you're after. If I were you, I would go to Turkey where the transplant technology is of a much higher standard, and the prices you will be offered are significantly less, and get the entire front part of your head done at 4000-5000 grafts. Even with fin and minox most people don't hold on to the front forever, however you'll have a much better chance of retaining your crown. Look at the work Koray Erdogan is doing in Turkey, you could probably get 3 times the amount of grafts for the same price from him and get the full front of your head done. Dr. Habers work looks good and I'm sure he'll treat you well, but won't give a great result by any means.

I don't think age is necessarily an issue with a transplant as long as you consider the future when designing it, and make some effort to future proof. 1200 grafts will not future proof you in the slightest, you'll be back for another within two years if you choose this, and quite frankly it will look terrible in the present. I would outright say don't do it. If you treat your transplant like a fill in job like you're currently doing, no one goes in for just one fill in.

[JoeTillman]

Stop.

First off, don't listen to Jeanluc. I'm sorry, but no 22 year old should go to Turkey to get 4000 grafts into the "front". Just, no.

Second, yes, you are too young especially for strip. And while your hair may have thickened from Propecia you're still a NW3V with a thinning forelock. 1200 grafts may give you a "straight" hairline but it will have a low density as Jeanluc said. Your hairline shouldn't be straight to begin with. You should build in some temple recession like that of a NW2 at most.

I do not know Dr. Haber personally, but I have met him and I do think he's a very capable doctor based on cases I've seen but for anyone to suggest that one can "just put SMP into the donor scar" isn't giving you a valid option that has any sort of reliability or consistency.

SMP into donor scars is unpredictable. The pigment can disappear in a matter of weeks or it may stick around and spread into a confluence of color. Scar tissue is different from healthy skin tissue which is why test patches should be performed before fully committing to the procedure. In addition, I've seen several great looking results, of course, but in each one I can see the scar itself and where the SMP is done. In other words, it never makes it go away visually and in most cases it stands out and draws the eye. It would wind up being just one more thing to worry about if you ever did have to shave.

I think ultimately you should have not have a hair transplant and try to accept your current state. Look into using concealers like Dermatch to thicken the crown and forelock area and see how you like that. If you absolutely have to go with surgery then go conservative and try FUE. Don't straighten your hairline. It takes a lot of hair to get what you're talking about and it is hair you can't afford to waste.

[JeanlucBergman]

Stop.

First off, don't listen to Jeanluc. I'm sorry, but no 22 year old should go to Turkey to get 4000 grafts into the "front". Just, no.

Second, yes, you are too young especially for strip. And while your hair may have thickened from Propecia you're still a NW3V with a thinning forelock. 1200 grafts may give you a "straight" hairline but it will have a low density as Jeanluc said. Your hairline shouldn't be straight to begin with. You should build in some temple recession like that of a NW2 at most.

I do not know Dr. Haber personally, but I have met him and I do think he's a very capable doctor based on cases I've seen but for anyone to suggest that one can "just put SMP into the donor scar" isn't giving you a valid option that has any sort of reliability or consistency.

SMP into donor scars is unpredictable. The pigment can disappear in a matter of weeks or it may stick around and spread into a confluence of color. Scar tissue is different from healthy skin tissue which is why test patches should be performed before fully committing to the procedure. In addition, I've seen several great looking results, of course, but in each one I can see the scar itself and where the SMP is done. In other words, it never makes it go away visually and in most cases it stands out and draws the eye. It would wind up being just one more thing to worry about if you ever did have to shave.

I think ultimately you should have not have a hair transplant and try to accept your current state. Look into using concealers like Dermatch to thicken the crown and forelock area and see how you like that. If you absolutely have to go with surgery then go conservative and try FUE. Don't straighten your hairline. It takes a lot of hair to get what you're talking about and it is hair you can't afford to waste.

He's losing hair at such a rate that by 30 even on fin and minox he's probably going to be a norwood 5-6. I would agree that at the present he should wait, but why not consider an approach to covering the whole head with a transplant, in which case he should pull the hairline back, get it thicker graft wise in the front and top, while a a little thinner in the crown area, and then fill it out with a concealer like you mentioned. I also agree with "Your hairline shouldn't be straight to begin with. You should build in some temple recession like that of a NW2 at most."

See how many grafts you have, and get a plan for fixing the whole lot, preferably with FUE. It already looks pretty bad and you're a full on balding guy at this point, in a year or 2 probably a bald guy. I don't agree with Joe that a mammoth full head transplant isn't warranted, he's going to be in the same boat at 30 as he currently is where his hair is a mess at 22, and probably hate thinking about it the whole time. Why suffer for another decade? There are enough grafts for better looking hair than he currently has and in Turkey he could afford it, Dr. Haber is quality but very expensive relatively speaking. Certainly though like Joe said, stop and think about the future. Most people who get a transplant don't stop at one. Consider how many grafts you have and how they could be applied across the whole balding area, rather than how this quick fill in will go. It's much better to keep a higher density transplant in the front as this is what frames your face, however across the top and crown you can always use a bit of creative concealer to fill in density.

Also I wouldn't just settle with your local transplant guy, spend 6 months looking into what is out there, the results people get, their approaches, the prices, and also the complications that can arise. Look overseas, the USA isn't any better than anywhere else quite frankly, just more expensive, the only benefit being higher regulations to protect you from a surgeon with bad practice. Find a surgeon who makes their results very public, and there is ample information on across various forums. What Joe said is certainly true in the respect that 1200 grafts isn't going to make a substantial cosmetic difference or look natural, so it isn't worth putting yourself in the situation where you risk complications for little gain, and probably when you'll be coming back for more later.

[KO1]

Hairlines are implanted at high density and using singles, which uses up a lot of grafts. So I am skeptical that you will be happy with 1200, but I could be wrong depending on what hairline you have in mind. At your age and with your restoration goals, there is no need to get FUT. Don't do it. You should definitely consult with a number of different doctors and see what they think.

You are in pretty good shape overall though. You have a bit of a forelock, your midscalp, although I'm sure it's thinning, still has cosmetic coverage. If you stay on your meds, I think bald will be a choice.

[HTsoon]

You have aggressive hair loss for 22, unfortunately at this point determining the "safe" donor zone is shaky at best. By the time you're 30 your crown may dip far down in to the "universal zone", sides may drop and nape may thin, any hair taken from these areas will not only be lost but the surgical scars could be revealed whether it's FUT or FUE.

Try to buzz your head, if you buzz your head and realize you like it, well then you'll have the cheapest and safest solution, at least try it before spending thousands of dollars on an HT that's not guaranteed to leave you happy, and likely to leave you angry and bitter.

[Hairbrain]

Joe and HTsoon are absolutely spot on. Do not listen to Jeanluc! You will not get any better advice than from Joe. To go to Turkey and get 4000 grafts would be showing all your cards and betting the farm with blinders on....... Joe has not only had 9 transplants, he has been associated and worked with some of the worlds best HT surgeons and has been in the field for longer than 15 years. Hes been on both sides of this fence and has seen it all, and because of that his advice is always from the perspective of what is right and fair to the patient. You will understand this quickly by visiting his site, Hairtransplantmentor.com or listen to him as co-host of TheBaldTruth podcast.
Good luck and keep us posted.

[JeanlucBergman]

Joe and HTsoon are absolutely spot on. Do not listen to Jeanluc! You will not get any better advice than from Joe. To go to Turkey and get 4000 grafts would be showing all your cards and betting the farm with blinders on....... Joe has not only had 9 transplants, he has been associated and worked with some of the worlds best HT surgeons and has been in the field for longer than 15 years. Hes been on both sides of this fence and has seen it all, and because of that his advice is always from the perspective of what is right and fair to the patient. You will understand this quickly by visiting his site, Hairtransplantmentor.com or listen to him as co-host of TheBaldTruth podcast.
Good luck and keep us posted.

Joe is a walking encyclopedia of bad decisions and the difficulties of navigating the HT industry. He's certainly a worthy resource for information and worth listening to, however most people these days can get substantially better results and in one or two transplants substantially fix their problems. Turkey is a much better destination than the US for transplants too, that is just a fact.

Having 9 transplants isn't something to brag about either.

[Hairbrain]

Joe is a walking encyclopedia of bad decisions and the difficulties of navigating the HT industry. He's certainly a worthy resource for information and worth listening to, however most people these days can get substantially better results and in one or two transplants substantially fix their problems. Turkey is a much better destination than the US for transplants too, that is just a fact.

Having 9 transplants isn't something to brag about either.

I have personally met Joe and have spent time with him. There is specific reason he had 9 transplants aside from the first two. Some were for repairing bad work from a different era and others for research and experimentation of various methods . He has helped move this field forward in multitudinous ways in which I have no time to even begin to list. I can tell you I probably have more experience picking out and critiquing transplants than just about anyone, and to have met Joe I would have never guessed that he ever had any work done. As far as I know Joe never brags about anything (well aside from maybe how hot is wife is ) To advise a 22 year old who is experiencing aggresive MPB to run to Turkey, or anywhere for that matter, to get his entire head coverd with 4000 grafts in what could very easily be a NW6 + case is just pure ignorance. I will not go through the whole litney why that is a bad idea, but let me just propose at least one. In reality 4000 grafts into a NW6 is no where near enough grafts to even give an illusion of a decent head of hair without at a minimum say leaving the crown. So what happens after possibly getting into his 40s and becoming a NW6 if not before and you have 4000 sporadically placed grats based on a prior pattern or an assumed future pattern? Chances are great you will have an unatural appearance or one seriously diffused head of hair. So many NW6 cases are fortunate to get 6000 grafts. Even if he's lucky theres a good chance an additonal 2000 grafts would not fix this type of poorly planned consequence. God forbid a retro thinning of the donor that was used for the first 4000, then it is certainly game over. Then what? This is only one of many things that could go wrong. Aside from a couple of known Turkish IAHRS recommened surgeons why do you say Turkey is a better place than the US? Price? Price may be a factor however there are so many other factors that go into getting a hair transplant that involves serious considerations and its highly advisable to talk to more than just a single doctor or advocate for that matter. Saving a potential few grand doesn't mean shit to someone who ends up f'n up his life.
With all due respect and I mean this sincerely please, do yourself and everyone on this site a favor and dont just claim someone is an encyclopedia of bad decisions when that individual has given back to this community in ways you can not begin to account for. You posted in an unrelated thread and advised another individual in order to slow down or stop his hair loss he should try pumpkin seed oil and limiting his masturbation. If you believe that works for you then that's fine but try to understand individuals come to this site primarily for proven methods, help and advice that works. That usually means searching out EMPERICAL data and getting advice from qualified doctors or from those who have been there done that. I hope in the future you will expand your knowledge by doing more reading here than advising.