bear101

New Member

Total Posts: 17

Member Since:
January 2010

January 26, 2010, 10:48 AM

When is a good time to get one?

I feel in my current state at 35 my hair is quite stable even without treatment. I’ve had thinning around the hairline and corner recession, but its been like that for the last 6 of the 17 years I’ve had hairloss. Never get shedding anymore…some of the “sick” hairs are getting smaller though, but generally I harldy notice any hairs falling. I’m not satisified with the appearance though.

Problem is you never know what the endpoint is going to be? Will I go slowly to a NW3 from a 2 or will it pickup and go to an extreme like a 7. I doubt I’ll ever reach a NW7, but you can never be to sure.

I went to one of the best HT doctors (does strip surger) recently mostly to get a professional to look at my hair as my family MD thinks everything is fine. The sales rep said that I have a good head of hair and that I would be fine with finasteride. The doctor asked me if I was losing any sleep over it and I said no, but I would be happy if I could keep what I’ve got. He observed some thinning in the first inch. He wrote be a prescription and was told to come back if it got worse. I suppose if I really wanted a transplant he would do it, but it was my perception that it really wasn’t necessary.

The hair still bothers me (or I wouldn’t be here lol). All I want is some strenghhening of the hairline and reduce the corner recession a bit.

Maybe I should wait until FUE has comparable yield to strip.? See if I can get some regrowth without surgery? Complete Stabilization? Who knows?

OverMachoGrande

Editor

Total Posts: 502

Member Since:
January 2010

[ # 1 ]

January 26, 2010, 06:08 PM

Hey, Bear101…

Can I ask what your apprehension is over a strip?  Are you ever planning to shave your head?

My position, by the way -and I’m going to make a big effort to make this point on this site- is that hair transplants shouldn’t be ever thought of as a last step (not that you are thinking that at all, but I like to say it outloud right at first so people know where I’m coming from).  There isn’t a better ego boost you can do for yourself.  If you have the money and if you want the closest thing possible to looking like you have zero hair loss, then you should do it.  If you are slowly balding like you are, then that’s great because it’s easier to keep further recession from occuring behind the transplant line -so that’s an extra plus.

For some reason, many people have it in their head that getting a transplant is some sort of “failure” or something.  I honestly think some of that is rooted in jealousy, by the way, but I’m certainly not going to debate that!  EVER. 

See, I want “rock star” hair.  I want people to look at my hair and go “Damn, that’s some good hair”.  If you’ve read the debate on the 30-month-window, you know that for whatever reason… hair just isn’t going to come back if it’s been gone for a while for 99.999% of us.  Therefore, the only way to have true success is to put new follicles in the areas where the old ones just aren’t going to go terminal anymore.

I got one in April by Dr. Cooley -who hopefully is going to be a big contributor here- and you literally can’t find the scar.  I’m going to put that in video very soon.  I used a cruddy little 100 diode laser strip on the back of my head on the scar area for 20 minutes, three times a week, and by the end of two months, it was well on it’s way to full healing.  A plastic surgeon in my area looked at it then and said -and I’m quoting- “If you would have told me this scar was two YEARS old, I would have said it still looks a little pink.  For two months, that’s incredible”.  I think that was the quote… it might have been a “month and a half” compared to a “year and a half,” but you get the point.

More importantly… by month six, you couldn’t find it through my hair.

But see, you probably COULD see it -at least a little- if I shaved my head.  However, and I say this a lot… the day I shave my head is the day an invading army is putting me in a concentration camp (which I’m too big for that -they’d probably shoot me on the spot), or I’m on death row (and I don’t plan on ever being there!).

So yes, if you plan on shaving your head, then you should be apprehensive.  If not -and I will NEVER shave my head… I’d look like an albino ogre or something- then you shouldn’t automatically think that you should get FUE.

Anyway, I’ll have the video up sometime next month.

-O.M.G.

Build your own Laser Helmet | Laser Brush | Laser Device at OverMachoGrande.com!  The internet’s first, best, and biggest consumer advocate site on laser therapy for hair loss!  It’s time to educate yourself about one of the greatest treatments in FORUM HISTORY…

bear101

New Member

Total Posts: 17

Member Since:
January 2010

[ # 2 ]

January 26, 2010, 10:31 PM

I think my biggest apprehension with the strip is the possiblility of receding past the strip scar although this is highly unlikely. Cost is a bit of a factor, but I can still squeak out the money. Avg house where I live is around $900,000 so you have to spend wisely.

I think I would look horrible with my head shaved as it is oval shaped. I might look like King Tut or something.

If it was up to me I would probably get a HT tomorrow, but my wife doesn’t consider it balding until you have a giant patch in the back of your head. The big question is how I break this to her.

I want the HT mostly for myself so I can look in the mirror and not worry.

Can I ask you OMG if you had above average density in the donor area?
(Your HT looks awesome.)

I’m also uncertain how a HT will look like with fine-medium straight hair. Have you seen any HT’s done on this hair type?

Look forward to the video.

Nidhogge

Editor

Total Posts: 371

Member Since:
January 2010

[ # 3 ]

January 29, 2010, 02:46 AM

bear101—

Most open-minded HT surgeons will agree with this notion, but LLLT will be very effective in preserving what you have post-op.  I saw a cop at Yankees Stadium over a year ago that had a great hairline, but recession in back of his hairline…my guess, he had either some condition as that would be one rare form of MPB, or the more likely reason—he had an HT, and continued to recede. 

bear101

New Member

Total Posts: 17

Member Since:
January 2010

[ # 4 ]

January 29, 2010, 07:43 PM

Nidhogge-

While I could get a transplant and forget about treatment I would definetely keep up with the LLLT….I might quit finasteride and replace with alternative (if side effects become issue).

For some reason with LLLT use my hair is so easy to syle where it use to fall limp or go everywhere before.

Nidhogge

Editor

Total Posts: 371

Member Since:
January 2010

[ # 5 ]

January 29, 2010, 11:04 PM

bear101—

I agree, it seems to strengthen the base of the follicle (which I would assume means thickening), which in turn makes hair less limp and more capable of standing straight up on its own.  Keep us posted on if you’re planning on getting one or not though!!