Why Not Get A Hair Transplant Instead?

[SimonC]

What do you guys think about this guy? His native hair is very thick and overall density is decent, still looks presentable, likely random people would never consider him as a balding guy. Do you think it was a wise decision to go a hair system route?

Personally, I can really understand him, he looks very young (under 25 y/o), probably he has constant depression and anxiety due to hair-loss and he won't be able to look nice with no hair because of his appearance (boyish facial features). Treatment + hair transplant could definitely help him, but if you put yourself in his shoes you probably realize that you will need to take Propecia (or other anti-androgen) for the rest of life. No one can guarantee that pills will work long term, no one knows what side effects could occur in the long run, will they be reversible and so on; as you can see this route is quite risky and dangerous, but on the other hand it does make sense to take risks because there is a pretty good chance to save native hair and look great for years (after hair transplant).

Analyzing the hair system route it turns out that system isn't so bad option (at least on the paper). No side effects, look great if done correctly, and the only one downside is time-consuming maintenance, but it doesn't seem to be a big issue.

Somebody mentioned that good hairpiece could be available for about 250-300$ and it should last 3-6 months, plus you will need some auxiliary products (adhesive, scalp protector, special shampoos, and conditioners etc) I don't know how much it costs but let's say somewhere 100$ for 6 months. Month supply of Rogaine costs around 20$ + about 30$ Propecia, overall 50$. If we do the math you will see 400$ (Hair systems) vs. (300$) treatments, not a big difference, isn't it?

The only one concern which I see is the density of that guy. Seems like it could be a problem, he still has a lot of hair so hair system products and wearing can potentially cause bad itching or even some dermatitis. What do you think about that, guys? Or maybe he should consider shaving to the bone and reattaching of the system every 3-4 days instead of 7 days?

Darn, wish we had his instagram, youtube channel or something so we could see how he is doing now.

 

[Noah]

I think he was mad, or possibly just well paid. If there was any case for him doing hair replacement at all (which I doubt) it should have been limited to a small front partial to fill in his receding temples. Shaving off a whole head of thick hair like that is insane.

I have talked to a few young guys on this board who obsess about a slightly receding hairline or slightly thinning crown and are wanting to know about hair systems, when really anyone objective would say they look fine. It's a kind of body dysmorphia I think. A little bit of recession comes with maturity and can look very handsome - Jude Law had that look for most of his early career. The more decent suppliers would have strongly discouraged this kind of over-the-top action.

 

[BaldBearded]

I watched the video, and, from my (mine, just mine) experience, and a couple of things jumped out at me. Yes, I agree they buzzed off quite a bit of really thick bio-hair. But there were others; Why did they buzz and not shave for better adhesion?

Also, if I am not mistaken, did they make a template, and then take a stock unit and then modify it to the template? I have never seen that before.

As for what Noah said about guys with slightly receding or thinning areas wanting full-blown hair systems. I have seen it quite a bit. There seems to be such a panic of going bald, that they would rather just shave off their hair, and cover it without having to go through the process of ever larger hairs systems as they had more and more areas of hair loss.

I could not imagine the shock of being 25, with a Norwood 2, sitting in the chair and having all your shaved down to an N6 or N7. Then seeing it every time you re-attach.

There are also the guys on this and other forums who have almost perfect hairlines and crowns who are in a panic if they see a cowlick. There is such an incredible stigma of going bald if affects even kids as young as 15 or younger. Sad.

 

[Bigbone]

What do you guys think about this guy?

That's almost what I had when I got a system, I have a lower Norwood but less density than he does.

The only one concern which I see is the density of that guy. Seems like it could be a problem, he still has a lot of hair so hair system products and wearing can potentially cause bad itching or even some dermatitis.

It does itch a bit, but we had an insane summer in Europe, so that might be the cause. Regarding shaving, 7 days is not a problem since hair won't grow fast enough to affect the bond.

Why did they buzz and not shave for better adhesion?

With that amount of hair using a razor will irritate the skin and I guess it might cause ingrown hairs.

 

[SimonC]

I have talked to a few young guys on this board who obsess about a slightly receding hairline or slightly thinning crown and are wanting to know about hair systems, when really anyone objective would say they look fine. It's a kind of body dysmorphia I think

What would you suggest? Go with concealers and once it becomes challenging to achieve necessary look consider the transition to hair systems?

There seems to be such a panic of going bald, that they would rather just shave off their hair, and cover it without having to go through the process of ever larger hairs systems as they had more and more areas of hair loss.

Yep, that's true, going bald at the young age is devastating experience. Only a few young men can rock with a bald head, the majority look very-very bad. Sad reality.

That's almost what I had when I got a system, I have a lower Norwood but less density than he does.

Could you please tell us a bit more about your experience? Are still wearing? Are you happy?

 

[Bigbone]

Could you please tell us a bit more about your experience? Are still wearing? Are you happy?

I wear one currently. I would say hair systems work and I would rather wear one than be bald, but it's not like having your own hair. I regret not trying concealers before I went with a system. Even though concealers might be time-consuming I imagine that it's way easier as a whole.
What bothers me the most is all those things out of my control.

Like I said, I would rather wear a system than be bald but there are a lot of downsides.

 

[SimonC]

but there are a lot of downsides

Can you elaborate on that? What do you dislike the most and why? BTW, how old are you?

 

[Bigbone]

Can you elaborate on that? What do you dislike the most and why? BTW, how old are you?

You know the usual ones, maintenance and worrying if people notice. Other than that it bothers me that it will never be perfect, I know the average person doesn't notice but it's hard to convince yourself that. I believe a trained eye in person will notice if they know what to look for and all it takes is one person to ruin your secret. The system hair does not behave as real hair. I mean, a fresh cut and perfectly styled hair system will look really great but it's hard, if even possible to keep it that way 24/7.

I've noticed that those that seem to be the happiest about their systems are those that don't view it as the end of the world if they get spotted. This is probably what it all comes down to. I'm not saying people are going to call you out, people will probably not notice at all but you still have to not give a f***. Basically, I care too much what others think.

I'm in my 20's.

 

[Fanjeera]

You know the usual ones, maintenance and worrying if people notice. Other than that it bothers me that it will never be perfect, I know the average person doesn't notice but it's hard to convince yourself that. I believe a trained eye in person will notice if they know what to look for and all it takes is one person to ruin your secret. The system hair does not behave as real hair. I mean, a fresh cut and perfectly styled hair system will look really great but it's hard, if even possible to keep it that way 24/7.

I've noticed that those that seem to be the happiest about their systems are those that don't view it as the end of the world if they get spotted. This is probably what it all comes down to. I'm not saying people are going to call you out, people will probably not notice at all but you still have to not give a f***. Basically, I care too much what others think.

I'm in my 20's.

I didn't keep it a secret, because I needed my closest friends to support me while doing such a big change in my life. Forums are not enough. Now I sometimes freak out at the amount of people who know and sometimes lecture them to definitely keep it a secret, but do people really care, especially if you're proud about it and with years it grows to be a natural part of who you are?

 

[disfiguredyoungman]

You know the usual ones, maintenance and worrying if people notice. Other than that it bothers me that it will never be perfect, I know the average person doesn't notice but it's hard to convince yourself that. I believe a trained eye in person will notice if they know what to look for and all it takes is one person to ruin your secret. The system hair does not behave as real hair. I mean, a fresh cut and perfectly styled hair system will look really great but it's hard, if even possible to keep it that way 24/7.

I've noticed that those that seem to be the happiest about their systems are those that don't view it as the end of the world if they get spotted. This is probably what it all comes down to. I'm not saying people are going to call you out, people will probably not notice at all but you still have to not give a f***. Basically, I care too much what others think.

I'm in my 20's.

Concealers suck my dude, they are so messy and leave dust everywhere. You have to be afraid of your hair touching objects ever so slightly, wind, rain and of course detectability.
Heck I even heard a story of one guy who got asthma after using concealers for 10 years, he gets steroids and it makes his scalp thin so he can’t even wear a piece anymore,

Nah, you made the right decision...your paranoia worries me though, because I will definitely be prone to that as well when I get my system.

 

[Bigbone]

Concealers suck my dude, they are so messy and leave dust everywhere. You have to be afraid of your hair touching objects ever so slightly, wind, rain and of course detectability.
Heck I even heard a story of one guy who got asthma after using concealers for 10 years, he gets steroids and it makes his scalp thin so he can’t even wear a piece anymore,

Nah, you made the right decision...your paranoia worries me though, because I will definitely be prone to that as well when I get my system.

How bad is your hair? I've tried Toppik before, I had no issues with staining but I found it hard to apply well at the hairline. I think it depends a lot on how bad the hair loss is.

Maybe I made the right choice, time will tell. However, not many people would make the jump as early as I did and they shouldn't, that's what I'm trying to say.

 

[CrownBalding]

Ugh this is so difficult. On one hand you want to make the jump early enough so people don’t realize, on the other hand, what if you regret your decision and shaved off too much hair?

I’ve actually went so far as to pile toppik in my hair and ask a stranger at a bar (while we were piss drunk talking for a while) if it looked like I was thinning on top. His reaction, “oh wow, yeah man”. So I know my thinning is noticeable now.

Then again, the paranoia about wearing a system must be unreal. I’m trying to train myself to not care if I get caught “bro I’m 22 I’m definitely not gonna be walking around like a cueball”. But that’s obviously just an act as well.

 

[Noah]

The paranoia definitely wears off after a few weeks. Partly because you realise people can't tell you're wearing, and your new look with hair becomes the new normal. But also I think you just do become more relaxed about the idea itself - you think through in your mind what would happen if somebody found out you were wearing, and you realise it just wouldn't be that big a deal. You're not doing anything wrong. You have adopted a prosthetic solution to a cosmetic deficiency; it's a small act of vanity, but no worse than wearing a denture or getting a nose job or a hair transplant. It's actually something pretty ordinary - people will be interested for 5 minutes and then they are on to something else.

 

[BaldBearded]

When I first started wearing, I placed the system about 3/4" too far back. I was walking around for weeks like that, no one said anything. I look at photos and think to myself WTF? Also, I tried using tapes for the hairline. Also... again, I saw some lift, in certain photos. No one said anything. I live in a country where people, as a rule, are NOT polite. If people see something, they tend to comment, especially friends.

My point is, that you are probably your own worst critic when it comes to your hair. The general public tends to be less observant or critical of it. They also don't get within inches of your hairline.

 

[disfiguredyoungman]

How bad is your hair? I've tried Toppik before, I had no issues with staining but I found it hard to apply well at the hairline. I think it depends a lot on how bad the hair loss is.

Maybe I made the right choice, time will tell. However, not many people would make the jump as early as I did and they shouldn't, that's what I'm trying to say.

Pretty bad , very diffuse to the point of bald patches. The trick is to apply it a bit behind the hairline and then to comb or rub it in.

That may very well be, but on the other hand without antiandrogens you are just prolonging the inevitable and you can always grow it back if you wanted to. On top of that, the health risks from hair fibres are underestimated...breathing that sh*t in every day cannot be healthy.

 

[Bigbone]

Pretty bad , very diffuse to the point of bald patches. The trick is to apply it a bit behind the hairline and then to comb or rub it in.

That may very well be, but on the other hand without antiandrogens you are just prolonging the inevitable and you can always grow it back if you wanted to. On top of that, the health risks from hair fibres are underestimated...breathing that sh*t in every day cannot be healthy.

That's the thing, I didn't give finasteride enough time before I made the jump (I'm still on it though). I would recommend trying to save your own hair before going the system route. If you end up still losing hair or getting sides I believe the transition is going to be way easier since there are no other options left. Like I said, I would definitely wear a system over being bald but like anyone else I would prefer my own hair even if the density is lower.

 

[disfiguredyoungman]

That's the thing, I didn't give finasteride enough time before I made the jump (I'm still on it though). I would recommend trying to save your own hair before going the system route. If you end up still losing hair or getting sides I believe the transition is going to be way easier since there are no other options left. Like I said, I would definitely wear a system over being bald but like anyone else I would prefer my own hair even if the density is lower.

Yes I mean that makes sense, I too would prefer to take finasteride if I didn’t develop sides of course.
Look at it this way, your situation is still reversible, if you get regrowth or maintenance you can just drop the piece and grow your hair out. Nothing lost, really.

 

[matt0135]

Meds will slow your hair loss down, that's about it. I don't think there's an miracle pill out there .I was on minoxidil for years and it did a great job slowing things down but in the end I went the system route .

I needed time to digest the idea, and honestly I should have jumped sooner. Systems are not perfect but if you do your maintenance you don't have to worry about half the things u did when using toppik, and other things

 

[Hairloss88]

I have had a hair transplant and it completely ruined my life. They advertise it as the miracle solution but once you go that route there is no way back not even to mention the anxiety it brings. Don't forget you will never ever ever be able to shave it down. I am looking into hair systems now , at a very very young age, and would probably have to deal with this for the rest of my life as there is no way back for me. To be really honest, I don't even know why they offer hair transplants as it is nowhere near a good solution for anyone, it just f*cks your head up and then it will f*ck you up as well.

 

[disfiguredyoungman]

I have had a hair transplant and it completely ruined my life. They advertise it as the miracle solution but once you go that route there is no way back not even to mention the anxiety it brings. Don't forget you will never ever ever be able to shave it down. I am looking into hair systems now , at a very very young age, and would probably have to deal with this for the rest of my life as there is no way back for me. To be really honest, I don't even know why they offer hair transplants as it is nowhere near a good solution for anyone, it just f*cks your head up and then it will f*ck you up as well.

You could look into SMP to cover the scars.