ht advice... time to act... 1st ever post

[shedder82]

hi people i'm 28 i reckon i'm a Norwood 3 at mo been coming to this site on and off since i was 23 when i first realised i had my father’s side of the family hair gene. i struggled in the early stages to cope went through the usual motions, hats, playing with hair in front of a mirror, staying in, depression, bad times etc etc

Started taking propecia then finastridate at 23 (i was a poor graduate) think i took it for about 12-16 months in total. They did work it slowed the process for sure, not sure why i stopped taking them think i just gave up on the idea of keeping my hair.

Later found out about the causes of side effects from propecia which i'm pretty sure have decreased my libido much to my g/f annoyance, who has been supportive all the way. So i took on a new strategy. Which has worked up untill now.


So now at 28, 5 years into receding i am at the stage where i need my hair cut every 2/3 weeks (£20 )or it looks a bit crap and i can't style it anymore..... So im thinking HT 'i'v always thought about it as an option and have seen some brilliant results...am thinking its time for change...sounding a bit like david cameron

Is there anyone who has had a HT to replace their hairline (I have added a picture of my barnet its starting to thin in the middle part now), then have either managed to keep their remaning hair or had a 2nd HT to replace the hair behind their 1st transplant? Interested in finding out how this was managed and what the time scales were?

I like the work of feller, wong, and feriduni...idea on costs....

Thanks for you advice.. this site offers hope!

[hindsight2020]

I am strongly against HT's, especially at a young age. I am a bit tired tonight and have told(typed) my story on numerous other posts. To make a long story short, I got a HT at 24... if you want to know my personal pro's and con's to having it, let me know =)

a few pros ... many cons.

[CIT_Girl]

shedder82, since you are still young, I would definitely advise you to opt for a FUE procedure over strip. There are pros and cons to either type of technique but, with FUE, you can avoid the linear scar that many men come to regret later in life (particularly if you one day decide you want to shave your head or wear your hair very short). Dr. Cole still does the occasional strip procedure but he absolutely will not perform strip on men under age 30 for this reason.

Prior to undergoing any procedure, it would be a good idea to get back on Propecia or finasteride to try and stabilize whatever hair loss you are experiencing. This is your best bet for retaining what hair you do have for as long as possible.

Costs will vary a good deal. Most doctors charge by the graft and, in general, strip is more inexpensive than FUE, and shaven versions of FUE are less expensive than non-shaven FUE. You can try calling around to clinics whose work you admire to get an idea of how much they charge per graft. The doctors you referenced are all highly reputable as far as I know (though I'm not actually familiar with Dr. Feriduni). The IAHRS is a great resource for finding other ethical and highly-skilled surgeons whose work you might want to consider.

Whatever you ultimately decide to do, it's important to put time into researching your options, the different techniques, doctors and even possible drawbacks (such as possibly having to undergo additional procedures later in life). As hindsight2020 points out, you will live with the results of a hair transplant for the rest of your life so it's definitely not a decision to take lightly. That said, many men (those who are good candidates for a procedure and take their time making the best decisions based on their goals and limitations) have fabulous results that do wonders for their confidence.

[shedder82]

thanks guys it sounds like i should get back on propecia which i dont really want to do but i dont want to keep losing more hair..where's the best place to buy it from these days... does taking propecia have any effects if your trying for a baby...

i'v seen pics of guys who have similar hairlines to me who have had HT which looks great, but just wondered how they managed when the remaining hair falls out behind the transplanted hair... i assume you have to wait for a large amount of hair to leave the head or you'll have to have transplant top ups which i'm imagine ain't going to be cheap...

[CIT_Girl]

Many men are able to retain their existing hair behind the hair transplant work either because they have success with medical therapy or they're just lucky and their genetics don't predispose them to having more extensive hair loss. For most men, however, their hair loss will progress to the point that they will need to have more than one procedure in their lifetime. As you are young, you likely fall into this category and might need additional 'maintenance' procedures over your lifetime. This is why it's important to choose a doctor who will help you develop a long-term plan. As daunting as the cost factor of multiple procedures in a lifetime may seem, an even worse outcome would be depleting your donor supply too early.

Although Merck studies show that it's safe, I'd frankly be cautious in taking Propecia while trying to conceive and definitely if she were to get pregnant. There have been no actual reports of birth defects but I just believe caution is the best policy.