surgeon good with macro irregularities

[Briandesigns]

Hi experts,

I'm 34M, currently estimated to be a NW2. I've been slowly but steadily losing hair since I was 17. Fortunately I started out with VERY thick hair and a VERY low hairline. I went to a consultation with Rahal and his sales rep put my donor supply at 8000 grafts and recommended 1,500 grafts FUE at ~50 grafts/cm^2 average density. He drew a very straight hairline that lacked any sort of macro irregularities. I did not like the hairline he drew on me.

Instead, I want something that has a widows peak in the middle and secondary peaks on either side similar to Collin Farrell.

I designed my own hair transplant hairline using the shape of my juvenile hairline as well as Collin Farrell's hairline as reference. It isn't as low as my juvenile hairline but it definitely lowered my temples quite a bit and has the macro irregularities I wanted.



I need some advice on the following:



1 - Is my hair transplant design too low/high, should I go more aggressive/conservative? How would you change it?

2 - Which surgeon would you recommend me to achieve the results that I am looking for? I've been pitched Pekiner, Laorwong and Panchaprateep. I was told that Panchaprateep is an expert at macro and micro irregularities.

3- what density should I aim for?



some more info for those who likes to reading lol:

My dad is late 60's with NW3A. Density wise he isn't doing great but also isn't doing bad.

I've been on finasteride for 6 months about a year ago. Came off of it due to headaches and gyno. The gyno calmed down when i went on a lower dosage but the headache never went away. I plan on trying RU58841 and topical finasteride while I get on a surgeon's waiting list.

 

[cuckthorn]

I just prey a hair transplant doesn't f*** you. Rahal is a master, so the results will be great, but I was just like you at 30, thick dense hair, dad not to bad off until his 60's, brothers the same. If you are sure you have male pattern baldness, and are not 100% certain you are maintaining on meds, things can become bad quickly. Not trying to scare you, just give you my account and what's happened to many men like you that finasteride doesn't work for. The first thing I was not aware of was getting telogen effluvium from the transplant. Their so called "shock loss". Within 6 months after I lost 50% of my density. The veterans on here know my story. I never got it back. So, if you start to lose behind the transplants, you'll need another, and another and another. Just a warning.

 

[cuckthorn]

I know that's not what you asked... but why jump into a transplant with all that thick hair if you're not maintaining on finasteride?

 

[Briandesigns]

I know that's not what you asked... but why jump into a transplant with all that thick hair if you're not maintaining on finasteride?

thanks for your input, I do want to hear stories like this so I know what could potentially happen. Do you have posts detailing your own journey? I'd like to read it.

As for the transplant I am still considering it and gathering feedback. I'm making my first batch of RU right now and will be ordering topical finasteride if I react badly to RU. I do understand the importance of stabilizing hairloss before surgery which is why I'm going to be putting more effort in finasteride and RU and maybe even dutasteride. Its just that some of these surgeons that are popular today already have 2 year + of waiting list so I want to jump on their list sooner rather than later. A few hundred to a thousand dollars isn't that big of a loss to me if I do decide to not go ahead with a transplant, time however is. I don't want to have tried the drug solution for 2 years then decide to get a transplant to only find out the best surgeons all have 3-4 years of waiting list at that point.

As to why I gravitate towards a transplant at my age is for 2 reasons.

1- I think a full head of hair (relatively speaking) is worth more at 30 than it is at even 45. currently I'm trying to maximize my chance of finding the girl that I want to start a family with. After that my looks will be less crucial.

2- From a perspective of aesthetics, I am very much against the horseshoe look and I will do anything to avoid looking like Dr Phil. I rather have hair in the front than hair anywhere else like NW3+.

i rather look like this even in my 80's if I can make it that far. If this isn't possible I rather shave it all off and be slick bald than have a horseshoe. So I am not against getting multiple transplants down the line. If it all fails I'll just shave it all and go with hair system of SMP.

 

[cuckthorn]

thanks for your input, I do want to hear stories like this so I know what could potentially happen. Do you have posts detailing your own journey? I'd like to read it.

As for the transplant I am still considering it and gathering feedback. I'm making my first batch of RU right now and will be ordering topical finasteride if I react badly to RU. I do understand the importance of stabilizing hairloss before surgery which is why I'm going to be putting more effort in finasteride and RU and maybe even dutasteride. Its just that some of these surgeons that are popular today already have 2 year + of waiting list so I want to jump on their list sooner rather than later. A few hundred to a thousand dollars isn't that big of a loss to me if I do decide to not go ahead with a transplant, time however is. I don't want to have tried the drug solution for 2 years then decide to get a transplant to only find out the best surgeons all have 3-4 years of waiting list at that point.

As to why I gravitate towards a transplant at my age is for 2 reasons.

1- I think a full head of hair (relatively speaking) is worth more at 30 than it is at even 45. currently I'm trying to maximize my chance of finding the girl that I want to start a family with. After that my looks will be less crucial.

2- From a perspective of aesthetics, I am very much against the horseshoe look and I will do anything to avoid looking like Dr Phil. I rather have hair in the front than hair anywhere else like NW3+.
View attachment 188147

i rather look like this even in my 80's if I can make it that far. If this isn't possible I rather shave it all off and be slick bald than have a horseshoe. So I am not against getting multiple transplants down the line. If it all fails I'll just shave it all and go with hair system of SMP.

Interesting you say if it doesn't work out you'll go with a hair system or SMP. Also interesting you put a pic of a guy with hair that I fantasized about having when I got my first transplant. I'll tell you my story briefly. My hair was exactly like yours at the same age. I wasn't on finasteride. I jumped into a transplant with images in my mind of looking like the guy you posted. 3 months after I was finding clumps of my native hair in the shower. Because of the trauma of the surgery after 5 months literally 50% of my native hair fell out... wouldn't be a big deal if I was maintaining on finasteride, but I wasn't. So most of it never grew back. I spent many years depressed hiding the transplants. It got so bad this year that you can see the outline of the transplants. I shaved bald... guess what, looked like sh*t! I went from getting flirted with by girls half my age to girls looking at me and immediately looking away cause I creeped them out. Looked 10 years older. So I said, I'll get SMP!!! But I didn't cause it's kind of bullshit. The difference between SMP and no SMP is very negligible and anyone that has gotten it will tell you. You still look bald in most lighting and your head is still shiny. So... hair system!! Yeah ok... I'm actually considering it cause the transplant left me scarred with pitting on the top. I'll let you know how the consultation goes but I'm guessing it's just more feeling like a fraud... point being, you're simplifying something that is extremely complicated and usually doesn't work out. Hair transplants WORK for people that have maintained for many years, pay for the best doctors and don't have high expectations. And, most of the time they don't even work for them.

 

[Briandesigns]

Interesting you say if it doesn't work out you'll go with a hair system or SMP. Also interesting you put a pic of a guy with hair that I fantasized about having when I got my first transplant. I'll tell you my story briefly. My hair was exactly like yours at the same age. I wasn't on finasteride. I jumped into a transplant with images in my mind of looking like the guy you posted. 3 months after I was finding clumps of my native hair in the shower. Because of the trauma of the surgery after 5 months literally 50% of my native hair fell out... wouldn't be a big deal if I was maintaining on finasteride, but I wasn't. So most of it never grew back. I spent many years depressed hiding the transplants. It got so bad this year that you can see the outline of the transplants. I shaved bald... guess what, looked like sh*t! I went from getting flirted with by girls half my age to girls looking at me and immediately looking away cause I creeped them out. Looked 10 years older. So I said, I'll get SMP!!! But I didn't cause it's kind of bullshit. The difference between SMP and no SMP is very negligible and anyone that has gotten it will tell you. You still look bald in most lighting and your head is still shiny. So... hair system!! Yeah ok... I'm actually considering it cause the transplant left me scarred with pitting on the top. I'll let you know how the consultation goes but I'm guessing it's just more feeling like a fraud... point being, you're simplifying something that is extremely complicated and usually doesn't work out. Hair transplants WORK for people that have maintained for many years, pay for the best doctors and don't have high expectations. And, most of the time they don't even work for them.

What part of your hair do you think creep the girls out when you shaved everything? Was the transplanted hair still noticeable or was it the donor area being messy?

It would be nice if we have a study done on the success rate of hair transplants. Do you mind sharing the details of your transplant (surgeon/clinic) here or via DM?

 

[cuckthorn]

If you go to Rahal or another IAHRS surgeon your transplant will probably look great with a very high success rate. That's not the point. The point is. You have more to lose than gain. 1) are you accounting for telogen effluvium from the trauma? Because it's extremely common. 2) are you certain the hair you lose after the transplant will come back? 3) RU is not FDA approved and imo as a biology professor dangerous as hell because if it's working it goes systemic. Does finasteride work for you? Because even if it does, you'll still slowly lose and need another and another transplant. So, point being all these people with these wondrous success stories of hair transplants, all of them are going to have to get more in the future if they don't end up completely fucked by them. Not to scare you, but doctors like Rahal will not even perform on you unless you have a history of maintanence with finasteride

 

[Briandesigns]

If you go to Rahal or another IAHRS surgeon your transplant will probably look great with a very high success rate. That's not the point. The point is. You have more to lose than gain. 1) are you accounting for telogen effluvium from the trauma? Because it's extremely common. 2) are you certain the hair you lose after the transplant will come back? 3) RU is not FDA approved and imo as a biology professor dangerous as hell because if it's working it goes systemic. Does finasteride work for you? Because even if it does, you'll still slowly lose and need another and another transplant. So, point being all these people with these wondrous success stories of hair transplants, all of them are going to have to get more in the future if they don't end up completely fucked by them. Not to scare you, but doctors like Rahal will not even perform on you unless you have a history of maintanence with finasteride

I appreciate your perspective. I think many experienced members from different platforms have basically told me the exact same risk/benefit analysis that you just presented.

 

[cuckthorn]

I appreciate your perspective. I think many experienced members from different platforms have basically told me the exact same risk/benefit analysis that you just presented.

There is no benefit... you have a perfect head of hair and you're going to let vanity destroy you. Guaranteed. If you're already worried about having more, with that head of hair, no transplant will please you.

 

[Briandesigns]

There is no benefit... you have a perfect head of hair and you're going to let vanity destroy you. Guaranteed. If you're already worried about having more, with that head of hair, no transplant will please you.

Rahal's rep took these and drew the line. It shows my recession a bit more. But I do agree with you that I'm not far off from full head of hair.

 

[cuckthorn]

Rahal's rep took these and drew the line. It shows my recession a bit more. But I do agree with you that I'm not far off from full head of hair.

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OK man, just keep doing a ton of research and be careful. I almost guarantee that you'll get the done and within six months to a year you'll start to see thinning right behind it. Then it will look weird. Then you'll get another, and another and another. Instead of just being grateful for what you have you are sentencing yourself to a life of hell. Post this on Reddit and say you have not been maintaining on finasteride and see what they say. You'll get many more responses. Good luck bro