How early into balding can I consider a hair transplant?

[greengrep]

Hi All,



I am a 25 y/o male with diffused hair thinning at the crown and through the centre of my hair - temples and hairline are fine. I like to grow my hair a bit as I don't like my ears, but I'm worried that I increasingly look stupid because the hair is so thick around the sides, but noticeably thinner on top.

I've used minoxidil, nizoral, revivogen, and caffeine shampoo over the past year or two (don't want to take Propecia), but it hasn't really helped stop or slow down the hair loss, so I'm considering getting a transplant.

How early into balding does someone need to wait before getting one? Does an area have to be completely bald of hair? Do I need to wait until the rest of the hair on my bonce thins and falls out?

As I mentioned, I like to wear my hair a bit long, so really don't want to deal with short hair all over if I can help it.

Does anyone have any recommendations for the best hair transplant clinics in the UK?

Thanks.

P.S Pic shown is without flash in quite poor light. Sure the 'damage' looks even worse in daylight.

 

[Hiker]

I started losing my hairline at 25 and my crown was intact until my 30's. You may not like it, but you should seriously consider propecia before having surgery. Maybe you can avoid surgery or put it off until your 30's.

 

[s.a.f]

I started losing my hairline at 25 and my crown was intact until my 30's. You may not like it, but you should seriously consider propecia before having surgery. Maybe you can avoid surgery or put it off until your 30's.

:agree: That

 

[andrei_eremenko]

why are you seeing guys this propecia like the thing that can stop this? In my opinion maybe can slow down...but it is not stopping this...nobody can stop it! I am in the 8 month of taking meds and no improvement...the situation is even worse! so I wouldn't count too much on this!

 

[greengrep]

Thanks for your responses so far, guys. I'm not keen on taking Propecia due to the whole might-make-you-impotent thing, no matter how small the risk. =/

If I'm not willing to take Propecia, where do I stand in regards to considering a hair transplant?

 

[s.a.f]

If I'm not willing to take Propecia, where do I stand in regards to considering a hair transplant?

Probably best to forget it then.

 

[greengrep]

If I'm not willing to take Propecia, where do I stand in regards to considering a hair transplant?

Probably best to forget it then.

As in now, or ever?

Is it essential to take Propecia with a hair transplant?

 

[greengrep]

I read this: http://hairloss.iahrs.org/hair-transpla ... a/#more-88

Which says that you don't need to take Propecia or Minoxidil after a hair transplant, but either one is recommended as an "insurance policy" against further hair loss and the need for further transplants.

If that's true, I wouldn't mind using Minoxidil long term.

 

[s.a.f]

Exactly if you had a bucket with a hole in it would you just keep refilling it or would you fix the hole?
Without finasteride you will just have to keep going back for more surgeries until all your donor is depleted. And thats assuming that finasteride will even work for you.

 

[dfwguy]

I'm of a differing opinion as opposed to most on this forum (who really give the best advice for 90% of us). I've always had thinning hair and a high front hairline since high school. Once I got to college it starting getting worse and I had to change my hair styling to hide my thinning temples. Things weren't ever that bad but I had to think about it everyday while styling my hair to hide things. I rarely had comments from friends about my hairline, but when it happened I changed the subject real quick. Then I had to go to grad school (age 24-28) and always thought I wish I could afford and make time for a transplant. I could never get myself to consider any medications to solve the problem because of fear of anyone finding out about it. It is a sensitive subject for me as you can see. I even remember one time in my early 20s ordering rogaine online telling myself I could do it secretly, then I found out it was mainly for the crown and I stuffed it all at the bottom of a trash can before opening them. Once I got to grad school (24-28) I always told myself I'd really consider a hair transplant once I got out. As soon as i graduated and started making some money i went ahead and got it done and have no regrets. I never let anyone know aside from my brother and no1 could tell. I haven't even told my current fiance. I never considered taking meds after the procedure either. For this second one, I told everyone I was taking a two week vacation with my brother. I am THAT ashamed of anything to do with hairloss.

I'm sharing this because I understand where you are coming from when I was 25 also. I would never have considered meds and if I had the time and money then I would've had it done. But, I would do it knowing that I'd probably need another procedure not too far down the line. In my humble honest opinion, if I were you (because I was) AND money wasn't an issue I would seek out a top doctor to get it done. Even good, ethical doctors understand the psychological factors that go into someone not wanting to try meds first and they will consider doing it if YOU understand there will mostly likely be another procedure required down the line. I am 30 now and have no regrets having to get my 2nd procedure done.

Saying all that, if you're the kind that wouldn't mind the meds for several months first, I would say thats the way to go. For crazy people like me that isn't an option. Perhaps when I'm 50 and not so stubborn and vain; and when I'm suppose to be losing hair, then I will consider meds. Good luck!

 

[s.a.f]

I'm sharing this because I understand where you are coming from when I was 25 also. I would never have considered meds and if I had the time and money then I would've had it done. But, I would do it knowing that I'd probably need another procedure not too far down the line. In my humble honest opinion, if I were you (because I was) AND money wasn't an issue I would seek out a top doctor to get it done. Even good, ethical doctors understand the psychological factors that go into someone not wanting to try meds first and they will consider doing it if YOU understand there will mostly likely be another procedure required down the line. I am 30 now and have no regrets having to get my 2nd procedure done.

Saying all that, if you're the kind that wouldn't mind the meds for several months first, I would say thats the way to go. For crazy people like me that isn't an option. Perhaps when I'm 50 and not so stubborn and vain; and when I'm suppose to be losing hair, then I will consider meds. Good luck!

If you'd used meds you might not have had to have a second op!
Theres no stress in buying generic meds and just keeping them in a draw. Its certainly less obvious than having to go through surgery and the whole recovery process.

 

[SemperFi]

I read this: http://hairloss.iahrs.org/hair-transpla ... a/#more-88

Which says that you don't need to take Propecia or Minoxidil after a hair transplant, but either one is recommended as an "insurance policy" against further hair loss and the need for further transplants.

Wow... what a load of cr*** and from a site that's supposed to offer a professional opinion...

Yes, it's true you DON'T need to take propecia anytime, if you don't want to, it's not like someone is holding a gun to your head forcing you to swallow the pills. On the other hand you have to take it (or some other DHT inhibitor, as already mentioned...) if you want to stop/slow down your hairloss.

The mathematics behind it is simple. You get a hair transplant and transplanted hairs are DHT resistant so they won't fall out. But on the other hand the exsisting hair are still submitted to the natural balding process and WILL eventually fall out if they're due to. So most likely getting a hair transplant without taking any hair loss drugs will force you to have multiple hair transplants in a rather short period of time, because the optical illusion of full head of hair with transplanted hairs will disappear as your balding will proceed. It's true - maybe your genes are programmed to lose only a NW2 region of hairs by the age of 25, but that is sooo highly unlikely that it borders to impossible...

 

[Krispin]

If one's hair loss, at 25, or at any age, has already progressed to the point where further loss would have a negligible cosmetic effect, then it is wholly
unnecessary, and also foolish, to commence medicating with DHT blocking substances. At such a point, logic dictates that a well-performed hair transplant will restore a certain cosmetic look without a great likelihood of losing that look due to continued hair loss. Conclusion? GET A HAIR TRANSPLANT IF YOU MEET THE ABOVE CONDITIONS AND DON'T LISTEN TO NAYSAYERS WHO ARE MOSTLY TRYING TO CONVINCE THEMSELVES THAT THEY MADE THE CORRECT CHOICES BY ARGUING AGAINST ALL WHO DIFFER.