I'm Interested In Getting A Hair Transplant But Was Told That It's Not A Good Idea Until The Balding

[bekeero]

I've had a pretty badly receding hairline for some time now. I'm interested in getting a hair transplant but was told that it's not a good idea until the balding is near its end because then I would still be receding and losing hair while the transplanted hair will remain. This will make my hair look patchy and weird. So should I wait until hair loss is nearly finished before I get a transplant? Alternatively I can get a transplant now and then a second one later. What have you heard?

 

[Spanishboy97]

Are you on Finasteride?

 

[bekeero]

No

 

[Left4bald]

I've had a pretty badly receding hairline for some time now. I'm interested in getting a hair transplant but was told that it's not a good idea until the balding is near its end because then I would still be receding and losing hair while the transplanted hair will remain. This will make my hair look patchy and weird. So should I wait until hair loss is nearly finished before I get a transplant? Alternatively I can get a transplant now and then a second one later. What have you heard?

Wrong section

 

[stonecold]

I've had a pretty badly receding hairline for some time now. I'm interested in getting a hair transplant but was told that it's not a good idea until the balding is near its end because then I would still be receding and losing hair while the transplanted hair will remain. This will make my hair look patchy and weird. So should I wait until hair loss is nearly finished before I get a transplant? Alternatively I can get a transplant now and then a second one later. What have you heard?

Whatever hair you get added to your head will last and the rest will at some point eventually fall out .if the cost isn't a problem, id say go for the surgery now and get a touch up a few years down the line.

If you are happy to lose your hairline and go completely bald and then have surgery that's something only you can answer .

I'd rather get the fron fixed and years later do the back .

 

[Spanishboy97]

No

If you get and Finasteride and your hair loss get stabilized then you should get one, try at least

 

[BalderBaldyBald]

Agree with @Spanishboy97

Stabilization of hairloss is a prerequest to a hair transplant
Without it, you've already lost, donor area simply can't cover a full NW6 horseshoe pattern, maths, this will look like sh*t 100% guaranted

But yeah, wrong section

 

[RU serious]

And then you have people like me who were NW4 ish at 25, hair loss not stabilised. Had 4K grafts into my front and it’s basically changed my whole life, dating, confidence, I have my youth back. My non transplanted crown is thickening with minoxidil and wounding, but if it does thin I still have donor to transplant there. It may cause me issues further down the line but got to live the way you want to when you can. This isn’t saying don’t try finasteride and don’t try to stabilise before as that’s still the safest way to do it.

But people HAVE achieved a full head of hair with transplants, it can done if donor is adequate and you have a high hairline and some compromises like less density in the crown area. Look at David Dimuzio. You need a proper hair transplant surgeon to assess your donor and give you an honest opinion, but the notion that you have to be on finasteride to have a successful transplant is a lie.

 

[BalderBaldyBald]

And then you have people like me who were NW4 ish at 25, hair loss not stabilised. Had 4K grafts into my front and it’s basically changed my whole life, dating, confidence, I have my youth back. My non transplanted crown is thickening with minoxidil and wounding, but if it does thin I still have donor to transplant there. It may cause me issues further down the line but got to live the way you want to when you can. This isn’t saying don’t try finasteride and don’t try to stabilise before as that’s still the safest way to do it.

But people HAVE achieved a full head of hair with transplants, it can done if donor is adequate and you have a high hairline and some compromises like less density in the crown area. Look at David Dimuzio. You need a proper hair transplant surgeon to assess your donor and give you an honest opinion, but the notion that you have to be on finasteride to have a successful transplant is a lie.

You're lucky Minoxidil and wounding is enough for maintenance, some of us are not so lucky.
And if Minoxidil effect starts to wear off, as studies have shown, you'll probably end up looking like Nicolas Cage.

Don't talk too soon, you're not out of the woods yet

Point is, and you confirmed it, maintenance and stability is the key to a successful transplant
Even an extremely good donor area can't recover a full horseshoe pattern, this is just maths...nothing else

 

[Vinc2097]

You're lucky Minoxidil and wounding is enough for maintenance, some of us are not so lucky.
And if Minoxidil effect starts to wear off, as studies have shown, you'll probably end up looking like Nicolas Cage.

Don't talk too soon, you're not out of the woods yet

Point is, and you confirmed it, maintenance and stability is the key to a successful transplant
Even an extremely good donor area can't recover a full horseshoe pattern, this is just maths...nothing else

thats totally true,, but at least he would have enjoyed his 20's/early 30's more.. yeah being bald at 40 is not nice at all.. but being bald at 20 is just CRUEL.

 

[BalderBaldyBald]

thats totally true,, but at least he would have enjoyed his 20's/early 30's more.. yeah being bald at 40 is not nice at all.. but being bald at 20 is just CRUEL.

Any decent derm will give you this advice, do what you got to do to stabilize it first (some don't even maintain with Dutasteride), and then go for transplants.

Going full Nicolas Cage mode without knowing how this will progress is just stupid

And btw maintenance for current treatments is known at 1 year mark...you just got to wait for 1 year at minimum, but whatever

 

[coolio]

They say "get your loss stabilized" because you have to make decisions about how to use your donor hair. It's hard to do that when you don't know how much hair you will eventually lose. You get one chance to do the transplant thing right. Foul up at the beginning and you'll be struggling with it for the rest of your life.

"Stabilized" means your final pattern is already clear. Either that, or else your loss is too moderate (for your age) to worry about it ever becoming very significant. The worse you are balding at a young age, the more severe the loss will probably get during your lifetime. That's almost always how it works.


Speaking VERY generally - You can rely on transplants to reverse about 2 Norwood levels in your lifetime. I'm talking about average patient results (from the top transplant docs) and getting good density in the results.

Yeah, I know there are cases of guys effectively reversing 4 Norwoods with transplants. Those are exceptions. "I'm gonna be the exception" is not a smart plan.

 

[kiwi666]

Wrong section...

Unless you consider that in 5-10 years there will be a cure and your hair transplant saw you through the wait.

Also don’t trust the f*****g Turkish. Surgeons.

Balding Blog is a good resource and shows some good examples of what can go wrong.

 

[BalderBaldyBald]

Tomorrow guys ! Tomorrow !!!

 

[BalderBaldyBald]

They say "get your loss stabilized" because you have to make decisions about how to use your donor hair. It's hard to do that when you don't know how much hair you will eventually lose. You get one chance to do the transplant thing right. Foul up at the beginning and you'll be struggling with it for the rest of your life.

"Stabilized" means your final pattern is already clear. Either that, or else your loss is too moderate (for your age) to worry about it ever becoming very significant. The worse you are balding at a young age, the more severe the loss will probably get during your lifetime. That's almost always how it works.


Speaking VERY generally - You can rely on transplants to reverse about 2 Norwood levels in your lifetime. I'm talking about average patient results (from the top transplant docs) and getting good density in the results.

Yeah, I know there are cases of guys effectively reversing 4 Norwoods with transplants. Those are exceptions. "I'm gonna be the exception" is not a smart plan.

My final pattern is full NW7 like my father in my 20's, should i wait to reach stability ? NO, treatments are required for some of us
Every case is different with Androgenetic Alopecia

Waiting and praying for it to stop...man that's harsh for the mind

 

[coolio]

My final pattern is full NW7 like my father in my 20's, should i wait to reach stability ? NO, treatments are required for some of us
Every case is different with Androgenetic Alopecia

Waiting and praying for it to stop...man that's harsh for the mind

I'm not suggesting that anybody not treat their hair loss with medications until it's a full pattern. Far from it.

I'm saying don't go down the transplant route until the full pattern is there. Transplants are irreversible. Baldness is bad, but baldness + scalp scarring is way worse.


The number of Norwood#7s who get good results from transplants . . . good lord, it's tiny. Even if the Doctor can manage to produce a decent result (big "IF") you are still probably going to be cursed with significant "donor thinning" as you age. Some people are just not transplant candidates.

 

[Alex Contee]

I'm not suggesting that anybody not treat their hair loss with medications until it's a full pattern. Far from it.

I'm saying don't go down the transplant route until the full pattern is there. Transplants are irreversible. Baldness is bad, but baldness + scalp scarring is way worse.


The number of Norwood#7s who get good results from transplants . . . good lord, it's tiny. Even if the Doctor can manage to produce a decent result (big "IF") you are still probably going to be cursed with significant "donor thinning" as you age. Some people are just not transplant candidates.

This. Hair transplant docs really want that money. If they are being cautious with you, it’s because they are extremely concerned. Have a Dr. check you hair for minituration to figure out your pattern. As many have mentioned, we just don’t have enough donor hair to cover a NW5 or higher. A hair transplant candidate with a NW5 or worse pattern, who isn’t stable, will end up with a result similar to Joe Biden or Chuck Shumer in the long run. You won’t be able to shave your head because of the scares either (guessing you aren’t a FUE candidate).

Good luck.

 

[Vinc2097]

Any decent derm will give you this advice, do what you got to do to stabilize it first (some don't even maintain with Dutasteride), and then go for transplants.

Going full Nicolas Cage mode without knowing how this will progress is just stupid

And btw maintenance for current treatments is known at 1 year mark...you just got to wait for 1 year at minimum, but whatever

whats wrong with nicolas cage lol ? this is an interview from him this year

He is 55.. give me this head of hair at 55 and i wouldnt mind at all

 

[Murkey Thumb]

whats wrong with nicolas cage lol ? this is an interview from him this year

He is 55.. give me this head of hair at 55 and i wouldnt mind at all

I believe he has had a transplant but it was a conservative one due to poor donor zone.

 

[Vinc2097]

I believe he has had a transplant but it was a conservative one due to poor donor zone.

you gotta look at this in perspective.. this hairline in 20's sucks.. in 50's its good i think