Is It Crazy To Get A Transplant Before Your Hair Has Stabalised?

[JohnsonDDG]

I'm a norwood 3 and need roughly 2000 grafts to have a normal head of hair.

I've been slowly losing hair these past ten years. I've actually only just started on minoxidil and finasteride 6 weeks ago. I took them 3 years ago for 9 months without regrowth so I quit prematurely (hair loss continued at a slow rate).

Now, my question is: should I get a hair transplant in 7 months to fix my frontal third?

Or, should I wait 18 months to see if finasteride can give me stable hair or regrowth?

I really want to fix my hair ASAP but I don't want to get a transplant only to lose more hair and then need another one in 3 years.

What to do?

Here's a picture so you can see my situation (this picture doesn't show off the loss of density too well but it shows my hairline).

 

[IdealForehead]

It depends. Two approaches:

1) You get on finasteride and stabilize it first - this is the safe approach and will give you confidence going forward that you're not making a huge mistake. If it doesn't stabilize, you are free to consider further options - harder drugs, let it go, still get the transplant and deal with how horrible it looks later.

2) You get the transplant and hop on finasteride. Outcomes from here:

(i) finasteride works and you tolerate it fine. Transplant is safe. Hair is safe. No problem.
(ii) finasteride works but you don't tolerate it. Now what do you do? Transplant will become an island if you continue to progress, and you will no longer have natural balding patterning. Or you keep taking drugs with side effects.
(iii) finasteride doesn't work at all - you continue losing hair. Now you will feel more pressured into taking aggressive measures, because you have already invested in a surgical process, and again you will no longer bald naturally. It locks you into more aggressive therapies.

I actually ended up in the position of #2(iii) when I got my forehead expander put it for forehead reduction. Literally one week before I got the device implanted I realized RU was not maintaining me, but I was already locked into the surgery so went ahead. Once the implant was in, I had no choice but to finish the procedure. So then I was stuck with the horrifying possibility of continuing to recede in the midst of the procedure leaving an awful outcome, or NEEDING to get on aggressive therapies ASAP.

That's why I was so frantic about trying everything and anything when I came on here 7 months ago. I was "locked in" by my surgery. I HAD to find something to work ASAP.

If you don't want that pressure, then maybe try to stabilize it first. For me it worked out for the best, since I doubt I ever would have tried so many aggressive things in such a short time if not for that surgical pressure. I fixed my problem in the end.

You have to decide how much risk or pressure you want to take. From what I know of you, I would suggest you try to stabilize your hair first. I think that will suit you better.

I'd give it 6 months to a year before you operate.

 

[JohnsonDDG]

It depends. Two approaches:

1) You get on finasteride and stabilize it first - this is the safe approach and will give you confidence going forward that you're not making a huge mistake. If it doesn't stabilize, you are free to consider further options - harder drugs, let it go, still get the transplant and deal with how horrible it looks later.

2) You get the transplant and hop on finasteride. Outcomes from here:

(i) finasteride works and you tolerate it fine. Transplant is safe. Hair is safe. No problem.
(ii) finasteride works but you don't tolerate it. Now what do you do? Transplant will become an island if you continue to progress, and you will no longer have natural balding patterning. Or you keep taking drugs with side effects.
(iii) finasteride doesn't work at all - you continue losing hair. Now you will feel more pressured into taking aggressive measures, because you have already invested in a surgical process, and again you will no longer bald naturally. It locks you into more aggressive therapies.

I actually ended up in the position of #2(iii) when I got my forehead expander put it for forehead reduction. Literally one week before I got the device implanted I realized RU was not maintaining me, but I was already locked into the surgery so went ahead. Once the implant was in, I had no choice but to finish the procedure. So then I was stuck with the horrifying possibility of continuing to recede in the midst of the procedure leaving an awful outcome, or NEEDING to get on aggressive therapies ASAP.

That's why I was so frantic about trying everything and anything when I came on here 7 months ago. I was "locked in" by my surgery. I HAD to find something to work ASAP.

If you don't want that pressure, then maybe try to stabilize it first. For me it worked out for the best, since I doubt I ever would have tried so many aggressive things in such a short time if not for that surgical pressure. I fixed my problem in the end.

You have to decide how much risk or pressure you want to take. From what I know of you, I would suggest you try to stabilize your hair first. I think that will suit you better. You also might get a lot of regrowth on finasteride which will reduce the number of transplants needed (if you're lucky).

I'd give it 6 months to a year before you operate.

When you say it like that it makes sense to wait

I just want to fix it ASAP so its sucks to realise I need to wait.

I've decided not to date again until I fix my hairline so now that could be 10 more months of waiting for the finasteride and a 8 more months post surgery: 18 months of no dating!

I keep trying to convince myself it will work because show that over 80% of men stabalise their hair loss and maintain what they have.

It feels like my life is on halt right now.

 

[IdealForehead]

When you say it like that it makes sense to wait

I just want to fix it ASAP so its sucks to realise I need to wait.

I've decided not to date again until I fix my hairline so now that could be 10 more months of waiting for the finasteride and a 8 more months post surgery: 18 months of no dating!

I keep trying to convince myself it will work because show that over 80% of men stabalise their hair loss and maintain what they have.

It feels like my life is on halt right now.

Hahaha. 18 months of no dating? Why on earth wouldn't you be able to date the way you are? You're still better looking than most men. Also you're a tall robust healthy looking white guy in a Southeast Asian country. You should be living like a god over there.

 

[JohnsonDDG]

Hahaha. 18 months of no dating? Why on earth wouldn't you be able to date the way you are? You're still better looking than most men. Also you're a tall robust healthy looking white guy in a Southeast Asian country. You should be living like a god over there.

I can if I want to but I want to fix my hair first.

It will get me hate but I need a break from dating because its been one woman after another and I've become a serial dater. I need time to clean up my life and not focus on women.

Plus, dating can cost over a $100 per month - so not dating for a year is over a $1,000 saved.

Considering my transplant is between 3 and 4 thousand dollars - this will help me get to my goal by winter instead of my spring.

I want to date when I've got a full hear again - so I know I will be around a 7 out of 10 and can feel confident going for top tier women.

 

[hanginginthewire]

@IdealForehead how does someone know that propecia works? I’ve been on it for about 2 years. I still can pull out hair easily from my diffusing areas. I have no sides.

To me “stabilized” hair would mean I wouldn’t be able to tell the difference between my top and side hairs anymore.

What do you think of pull tests? What other ways can we determine if propecia is working? It’s hard to determine visually as a diffuser.

 

[JohnsonDDG]

@IdealForehead how does someone know that propecia works? I’ve been on it for about 2 years. I still can pull out hair easily from my diffusing areas. I have no sides.

To me “stabilized” hair would mean I wouldn’t be able to tell the difference between my top and side hairs anymore.

What do you think of pull tests? What other ways can we determine if propecia is working? It’s hard to determine visually as a diffuser.

Good question.

For me stabalised really has to mean that your hair is no longer falling out and your hairline stays the same.

 

[Fleece Johnson]

Of course it is wise to get on medication and see if its working out for you. Still, unless your hair loss is very aggresive, if you have good donor and money you should not worry about going bald that much. Clinics like ASMED can take up to 8000 grafts from your donor and still leave it looking perfectly fine. And even 6000 grafts on total might give you a full head unless you are NW6. I have seen it. Besides in this hair game all you need is a perfect hairline. Say somehow you ran out of donor after several hair transplants you can still get away with combovers & concealers if you go diffuse on middle or crown. Shitty situation but still better than being bald or shaven imo.

Check this sh*t out: https://www.hairtransplantfue.org/asmed-hair-transplant-result/norwood-6-before-and-after

 

[hanginginthewire]

Check this sh*t out: https://www.hairtransplantfue.org/asmed-hair-transplant-result/norwood-6-before-and-after

I find hair transplantation so confusing. Some of those results were great, others terrible, even though the patients seemed to start out at a similar level of baldness. It seems utterly random.

 

[Fleece Johnson]

I find hair transplantation so confusing. Some of those results were great, others terrible, even though the patients seemed to start out at a similar level of baldness. It seems utterly random.

Its a coin toss unless you go to top surgeons like Dr. Konior, Dr. Lorenzo etc.

 

[Fleece Johnson]

I find hair transplantation so confusing. Some of those results were great, others terrible, even though the patients seemed to start out at a similar level of baldness. It seems utterly random.

And to get the best result possible you usually need a touch up after a year imo

check this guy having a terrible result at first but how it was changed to perfect after his second hair transplant. f****r got hair greedy afterwards and went for third touch up just to get widows peak look lmao. Wasn't really necessary for him but looks perfect anyway.

bottom line if you have good donor, money and patience you will never go bald

 

[JohnsonDDG]

Its a coin toss unless you go to top surgeons like Dr. Konior, Dr. Lorenzo etc.

I'm talking to Dr Bhatti and Dr Path.

Both the best surgeons in Asia.

 

[hanginginthewire]

I’ve also been reading about (and possibly experiencing) DONOR hair miniaturization. From what I’ve seen online you are still a “good candidate” for transplantation if your DONOR hair has less than 10 percent miniaturization. I have a thick donor area but I feel like pull tests in the donor yield more hair than previously and some of them do look miniaturized. I’m surprised this isn’t more commonly discussed. I was previously under the impression that your donor was unchanged (outside of DUPA) until senile alopecia kicks in when you are in your 60s and 70s.

Proving once again there is no bottom when it comes to androgenetic alopecia. It’s “progressive” alright, progresses until every last shred of your self worth is destroyed.

Anyway, this issue with miniaturized donor hair makes me question the concept of “stabalized” loss even more.

 

[BootyWarrior]

I'm talking to Dr Bhatti and Dr Path.

Both the best surgeons in Asia.

I have not heard about them but you might wanna check Dr. Muttalip Keser from Turkey. He is one of the very best in the world when it comes to hairline. And he likes to work with real low numbers of grafts which makes him even more awesome.

 

[JohnsonDDG]

I have not heard about them but you might wanna check Dr. Muttalip Keser from Turkey. He is one of the very best in the world when it comes to hairline. And he likes to work with real low numbers of grafts which makes him even more awesome.

I'm only looking for surgeons in asia - I don't live in Europe anymore.

Those two surgeons above have great reputations.

 

[shookwun]

you will still have a thin looking head of hair after 2k grafts. Your forelock will be improved but your bald temples will need additional work.


Something they never tell you

it will look see through still/.

2000 then another 1000-1500 on your frontal third and you will have a desired a result.

 

[JohnsonDDG]

you will still have a thin looking head of hair after 2k grafts. Your forelock will be improved but your bald temples will need additional work.


Something they never tell you

it will look see through still/.

2000 then another 1000-1500 on your frontal third and you will have a desired a result.

Thanks - as you can see I don't need hair in the centre of my forelock - its just the temples.

Maybe I need 2500 grafts at the temples.

 

[diseasedrat]

I'm a norwood 3 and need roughly 2000 grafts to have a normal head of hair.

I've been slowly losing hair these past ten years. I've actually only just started on minoxidil and finasteride 6 weeks ago. I took them 3 years ago for 9 months without regrowth so I quit prematurely (hair loss continued at a slow rate).

Now, my question is: should I get a hair transplant in 7 months to fix my frontal third?

Or, should I wait 18 months to see if finasteride can give me stable hair or regrowth?

I really want to fix my hair ASAP but I don't want to get a transplant only to lose more hair and then need another one in 3 years.

What to do?

Here's a picture so you can see my situation (this picture doesn't show off the loss of density too well but it shows my hairline).

View attachment 85447

yes, it's crazy. common sense man. What exactly happens if you're a non responder who decided to jump into transplants first? You're destined to lose and lose behind it and for it to look weirder and weirder. not quickly, but devastatingly slowly. every year, it will look worst and worst = depression.

 

[IdealForehead]

@IdealForehead how does someone know that propecia works? I’ve been on it for about 2 years. I still can pull out hair easily from my diffusing areas. I have no sides.

To me “stabilized” hair would mean I wouldn’t be able to tell the difference between my top and side hairs anymore.

What do you think of pull tests? What other ways can we determine if propecia is working? It’s hard to determine visually as a diffuser.

I think the only way to know your absolute true minimum daily amount to shed is to go on castration or tranny level drugs.

I have always shed a lot of hair since i was young and always thought that was normal. It was only when i got on hardcore drugs and the shedding stopped completely that i realized such a thing was even possible.

 

[JohnsonDDG]

yes, it's crazy. common sense man. What exactly happens if you're a non responder who decided to jump into transplants first? You're destined to lose and lose behind it and for it to look weirder and weirder. not quickly, but devastatingly slowly. every year, it will look worst and worst = depression.

You're so right.

I just want to fix this problem ASAP so hence the urgency of a transplant.

I feel I could be a solid 7.5 if I had a nw1 and was in my best physical shape.

Being bald I think I may be a 5.5 or a 6.