Advice on my diffuse thinning - hair transplant Worth it?

[Ray's Stance]

Hi guys im from the UK

I've been suffering from hairloss for years. Im now 35 and I still use minoxidil and Keto shampoo. Was on finasteride for over a year but had lots of sides, dropped it down to half a pill and then a third and still had loads of sides. Maitained but didnt really thicken up or grow.

I think I have diffuse thinning. Its basically from the middle to the back. my sides have recedeed a bit too but tbh, I'm not really that fussed about them. Its my density.

Im basically reliant on concealer. My hair makes me look ill as im pretty pale (irish heritigie) and i have dark brown hair.

I use Dermmatch daily and for me it works like a charm.

I actually sometimes forget I have hairloss - only until I have to go away with other blokes for a stag do or when I need to get my hair cut. The idea of being caught out is franlkly awful to me. I am pretty obsessed with it.

I have a bit of money, and i'm starting to think about the possibility of a FUE procedure. how many grafts would I need for a better visiual apperance?

The first pic illustrates the middle thinning, second is usually how i have it combed, the third is with dermatch on in the brightest sunlight I could photo myself under. I didnt even put the dermatch on with care, i normally spend about 20 mins and it looks pretty much perfect and I have been complimented on my hair. I actually missed a little bit on this pic.


Im also terrified of needles in my arm. not so much my head thats fine (well not fine but it dosent upset me) but I hate giving blood or having needles in my arm and that scares me more than a hair transplant!

Any suggestions?

Thanks guys

Ray's Stance.

 

[alex85]

It's worth, but you will need at least 6-7k grafts to fill this. Your donor area seems to be good.
Looks pretty much perfect? Oh man, please.

 

[Esprit]

Hey Ray, how have you got a result like that from Dermmatch?!! It usually only does that for your type of loss with fibres! I must be using it wrong! love to see your technique, it looks great. Is there no fibres in that last pic? That's all just from Derm?

 

[Ray's Stance]

Yep. Just derm. And like i said, i just banged it on, i didnt really check or finesse it and went into the brightest sunlight to take the pic. Ive strated using it dry, it works well wet but i think its more natural and resiliant when dry. I basically scratch the derm with the opposite end of the applicator and make liitle crumbs. I then rub it with the applicatior and then slowly press it into my scalp quite hard. Just before this i brush my hair to excentuate my thinning ( makes me feel like cr@p!) to expose my areas and then i can fill it in. Then i brush my hair to mix it in and to the side a few times and then spray in hair spray, wait a few mins a brush it out which makes it more fuller and smoother and then again with hairspray to set. Also, when i want my hair to feel bulletproof as in thick and full of volume- i add on tinted dry shampoo which works as well as combo of fibres and derm, but is miles cheaper. Check out concealer forums if you want my thoughts on dry shampoo.

 

[Esprit]

I'm amazed you get such great results from it on it's own. You're a master. I've been using for years, but not I've got more loss, the crown is just painted, I need the fibres, and as we all know, they come off on the pillow, at night, which is really crap, and like you, seeing the thinning is a real gut wrencher. Us diffusers are not great hair transplant subjects, so I keep getting told! And it's really bugging me now. Seems like maybe just the UK hair transplant guys are frightened of doing diffuse hair transplant.

You don't mean you can use the shampoo instead of Derm, you need that first presume

 

[Ray's Stance]

Changing my hairstyle from a quiff type "do" to a slightly more casual mature style has helped. Making sure my sides and back are clippered down to a no 3 with as much as possible left on top really does make a difference and i hate going to the barber. I tipped him, told him i have alopecia (sort of truth) told him what the craic is with me having powder on my scalp (dermmatch) to blend in with my hair. Anyways, decent haircut with as much on top as possible - Add on concealers and styling products that dont shine or grease and you already looking better for it. Literally my barber trims split ends on top and leaves it. It dosent grow very fast as its thin. The sides and back do. Mushroom head hair looms if i dont go every 6 to 8 weeks. Also my hair is prob a slightly longer than youd think, but with it being brushed to the side. Every single thing on the internet says to go shorter if your loosing your hair. However i beg to differ if you have the desire and the right products to travel a road less traveled.

- - - Updated - - -

Obviously not very long. But longer than a few inches if ur thinning. Dermmatch makes me feel at ease and normal etc when im out and about. Dermatch + dry shampoo is when i wanna go for a slightly more edgier hipper look. Its much more dressy and cool looking. And i now get my barbet cut with derm in it. Barber just goes easy, dry cuts it and i feel so much happier and less embarresed

 

[swingline747]

If you can afford it and loss is consuming you then you know your answer friend.
There will be no needle in your arm

 

[Esprit]

Changing my hairstyle from a quiff type "do" to a slightly more casual mature style has helped. Making sure my sides and back are clippered down to a no 3 with as much as possible left on top really does make a difference and i hate going to the barber. I tipped him, told him i have alopecia (sort of truth) told him what the craic is with me having powder on my scalp (dermmatch) to blend in with my hair. Anyways, decent haircut with as much on top as possible - Add on concealers and styling products that dont shine or grease and you already looking better for it. Literally my barber trims split ends on top and leaves it. It dosent grow very fast as its thin. The sides and back do. Mushroom head hair looms if i dont go every 6 to 8 weeks. Also my hair is prob a slightly longer than youd think, but with it being brushed to the side. Every single thing on the internet says to go shorter if your loosing your hair. However i beg to differ if you have the desire and the right products to travel a road less traveled.

- - - Updated - - -

Obviously not very long. But longer than a few inches if ur thinning. Dermmatch makes me feel at ease and normal etc when im out and about. Dermatch + dry shampoo is when i wanna go for a slightly more edgier hipper look. Its much more dressy and cool looking. And i now get my barbet cut with derm in it. Barber just goes easy, dry cuts it and i feel so much happier and less embarresed

I've never got away with just Derm on my hair, even when it was not as lousy as it is now, always needed fibres or you just see a painted head. Agree with the hair length 100%, when I went a bit too short on top, the hair wasn't long enough to cover the crown to use the fibres, so yes that's true. But also agree about short on sides and back, I found the style lasts longer like that, because as soon as it grows it doesn't look so hot.

When you said you put on dry, did you mean the Derm dry on wet hair, or dry derm on dry hair?

 

[Ray's Stance]

Dry Derm on Dry hair. Go easy, peeps on youtube brush it back and forth and that will rip bits of hair out... Kind of pat and ever so slightly move it up and down while leaning in. Takes about 2 mins.

 

[Esprit]

Dry Derm on Dry hair. Go easy, peeps on youtube brush it back and forth and that will rip bits of hair out... Kind of pat and ever so slightly move it up and down while leaning in. Takes about 2 mins.

Never done dry on dry, interesting. I probably go too wet, it just looks like wet brown paint on skin for crown areas. It's losing it's magic near front too as loss get's increased. Your crown pics were amazing, unless your loss has been very magnified by a bright light. I've never seen coverage as good with Derm alone. I'd love to lose fibres and only use Derm, but don't see that happening

 

[kanikagupta]

Hey Ray,

Great technique mate..its also looks like great donor capacity u have got. And hair transplant not a bad idea at least it will relief you from taking needles on our body !!