Hair grafts for a thin crown area

[hairavatar]

I'm looking at getting hair transplants/grafts for my crown area. Its relatively thin but certainly not what any one would classify as any "bald" spot.

I have grown a lot of my hair back through finesteride. But a few years down the track there's still a bit to go which will never come back through just finesteride.

I mainly want to sort the area out as I keep getting sun burnt in there.

I have been told I'm a good candidate and should need 800 maybe 1000 grafts.

I don't know too much about the procedure but I understand that I'll probably looking at getting FUT over FUE for cost reasons.

I also don't care about the quality too much either as its just for a thin crown area. Cost is one of the main constraining factors.

I thought people may have a few good bits of advice or things to add on this forum??

Look forward to your comments.

[Tracy C]

Have you tried Rogaine on that area? You should know if Rogaine is able to fill the area in after about a year of using it. The shedding period stinks but thats temprorary. Also, are you using Nizoral or Nizoral A-D yet?

[hairavatar]

I have. I've gone through all sorts. I mainly used 7% minoxydil solution with something like 0.01% ret acid, its been a while. I didn't like it as it was annoying having to apply it all the time, plus I found it irritable. Plus its not the best for someone who likes being out in the sun and surf. I think rogaine is a bit over rated. (I used the minoxydil for around 2 years maybe).

Never heard of Nizoral is that for use in a shampoo, for temp dht blocking? I have shampoos with saw palmetto and other stuff in.

[Tracy C]

I think rogaine is a bit over rated.

I don't think so. It's proven to work and it worked for me, so I mentioned it. Nothing works for everyone though. I should say though that the only percentage of Minoxidil available legitimately here in the U.S. is 5%. There is a very good reason for that. Those formulations with higher percentages and additional "stuff" are questionable at best. You would likely have been better off using regular 5% generic Minoxidil that you can buy at your local pharmacy.

BTW, how long has the area you are concerned about been thin? How many years?

Never heard of Nizoral.

Nizoral is a shampoo. It comes in two versions, a prescription strength 2% version and a non-prescription strength 1% version. The active ingredient (Ketoconazole) is a mild anti-androgen that may be able to block DHT at the scalp. Nizoral is part of the "Big 3" and is on the list of medications useful in treating women's hair loss. You might want to give it a shot.

[hairavatar]

I paid a fair amount of money for specialist treatment and they advised against the 5% rogaine type solutions. It was a pure 7% minoxydil and 0.01% ret. acid solution. But yeah you're right different things work for different people. I didn't like having to use it all the time. I'm glad to hear it worked for you

Its been thin for a long time it got pretty bad around 7 years ago then I grew a lot back. But its still a little thin. Thin enough for me to want to look at hair transplants. Plus like I said I get a little sun burnt from there from time to time.

Thanks for the advice about Nizoral its appreciated. I use a formulated shampoo from a group called Ashley & Martin in Australia and that has Saw Palmetto in which I understand to block DHT.

(BTW my thinning is due to typical male pattern baldness).

[Tracy C]

I paid a fair amount of money for specialist treatment and they advised against the 5% rogaine type solutions. It was a pure 7% minoxydil and 0.01% ret. acid solution.

Sounds really sketchy. There were some "specialists" doing that here in the U.S.. The FDA has shut them down for the most part - and for good reason. Your "specialist" recommended against 5% Rogaine because he wanted you to use his questionale formula. The retinol in that questionable formula is what makes your thin spot more sensative to sun.

There really is no good legitimate evidence to suggest that Saw Palmetto can do anything meaningful to treat hereditary hair loss.

Its been thin for a long time it got pretty bad around 7 years ago then I grew a lot back. But its still a little thin.

Yeah I'm pretty sure that's too long. I don't think you will be able to fill it in with medications. No one is really sure how long hair follicles can remain dormant and still be resarted but for the most part I keep reading that it's probably five years.