Advice needed RE drugs and hair transplant

[Dweezel]

Hi All

I've been browsing this forum for a while but this is my first time posting. I first noticed my hair loss at 22 and I'm know 35. The picture below gives an indication of the hair loss (and the hair I want to get back) during this 13 year period. I'm guessing I'm an NW2, what do you think?

-Please excuse the dodgy felt-tip pen line.

There is male pattern baldness on both sides of my family, but the most severe case is only about an NW3. The main pattern of hair loss on both sides of the family is for a long slow recede at the temples and occasionally thinning on the crown. My crown is fine at the moment by the way.
I need to start a treatment regimen with a view to stabilising my hair loss prior to a hair transplant. A combination of minoxodyl and finasteride seems to be the most popular choice. I'm a little concerned about finasteride. Taking pills that alter my body's hormone balance for the rest of my life seems a little extreme.

Though my hair transplant is a long way off (I'm guess about 18 months) I've started looking around for the best doctors. Money will not be any object for this surgery as I have no intention of scrimping for this. As I'm sure you all understand it is extremely important to me that I get a good result. I'm in the UK but am planning on travelling to the US to get this done having read posts on this forum.

I think I have quite fine hair. I certainly wouldn't describe it as thick. Approximately how many grafts do you think I'd need to restore my hair to approximately where the dodgy red line is on my photo? I've ruled out FUE as I will never shave my head. I have a long face and a large nose so a buzzed head is not a good look on me. The most important factors will be getting a good hairline with the smallest possible scar. With that in mind do you guys have any recommendations? From previous posts I think Ron Shapiro and Feller are considered very good. Who would you choose if you were in my position?

Glad I finally made a post here having browsed and prevaricated for so long. Thanks for reading, and thanks in advance for any advice.

 

[Avery]

Yikes, lowering your hair line to that line will look awful. Not to mention the number of graphs that would take, leaving you without resources for further hair transplants. Nor is finasteride/minoxidil going to grow hair that low (although you may see some thickening/growth near the hair line, still I wouldn't count on it).

Take finasteride to maintain what you've got. Personally, I say don't bother with a transplant, but if you're dead set on one, just fill in your hair line, maybe bring it down a centimeter or 2. Chasing your youthful hair line is only going to cause you more grief later on.

 

[Petchsky]

Propecia and nizoral shampoo are your best bets for maintaining what you have, but it sounds like you have good hair genes. If money is no obstacle you could consider proxiphen which is a topical product.

Both those docs you mention are top class, though are you sure you want to lower the hairline that much? That's pretty low dude. If so 3000 grafts, but I advise sending your photos to the docs your interested in and they will be able to give you a better opinion.

 

[Dweezel]

Thanks for the advice guys.

I think I may have gone a little OTT with that red line. My hairline has always been relatively high but as I've been losing my hair for over a decade it's quite hard for me to pinpoint where my hairline used to be. I have very few photographs of me in my teens and early twenties, and the pics that I do have are generally with my fringe combed down, so they’re not much use.

 

[s.a.f]

I think I may have gone a little OTT with that red line.

No sh*t !!! :shock:

You're hairline does'nt even look anything out of the usual as it is now. You dont really have anything to worry about. Resorting to surgery in your situation is crazy.