Should i have a hair transplant?

[luisfernandez]

Hi everyone,

First time poster. I'm 36 years old. Been taking finasteride 1mg a little under two years. Great results but i still have recession and thinning in the crown that has not been restored. My hair doesn't look too bad. When i let it grow out i wear it messy which hides my receding temples. However, this doesn't work when i sweat or my hair is wet. I also cannot comb it back.

I want to restore my juvenile baseline hairline and improve the crown a bit. My hair is important to me and i think it would boost my confidence not having to worry about wind, getting the hair wet etc.

I do not wish to do microneedling + minoixdil. Mainly because i am very busy and cannot commit to applying a topical once or twice a day. I could potentially just do microneedling once a week.

I'm currently located in Los Angeles and have consulted with "Alvi Armani Hair Restoration Clinic." They have quoted me that i need 2,500 grafts + PRP for the hairline. They also recommend exosomes for the crown in the first session. They say i would need an additional 1,500 grafts for complete crown restoration in a second session.

To me cost is not a big deal, i want the absolute best possible results.

- Does anyone have any general advice?
- Does 2,500 seem like a reasonable amount of grafts?
- Should i reconsider Minoxidil?
- Any thoughts on Alvi Armani clinic?
- Any recommendations on clinics either in LA or elsewhere?

In this post i have attached pictures of my hair short, wet, and combed back which is the worse case scenario.

 

[luisfernandez]

In this post i am posting how my hair looks when i grow it out, or when it's short and i apply light gel with good lighting. It looks pretty good. But of course i would want it to be better when wet and not in good lighting.

 

[Hemingway]

I think you'd be a good candidate if you want one. Maybe consider oral minoxidil, it's quite popular currently.

Make sure you vet any clinic you go to thoroughly and get at least a couple opinions; look at patient posted results on various forums etc not just cherrypicked clinic gallery photos. Just because you're having it done in the West doesn't mean you can't get a bad procedure.

 

[Norwood]

An ethical doctor would most likely be reluctant to design a juvenile hairline for you if that's what your expectations are.

As Hemingway says, do your research and have consultations with multiple clinics before proceeding with anyting. I've seen decent results from Alvi Armani clinic, Dr Marc Dauer is another based in LA and has produced consistent results from what I've seen, it would probably be worth seeing what he suggests just to get another perspective.

 

[Salazar]

They have quoted me that i need 2,500 grafts + PRP for the hairline.

They say i would need an additional 1,500 grafts for complete crown restoration in a second session.

I am by no means an expert but given that your hair loss seems pretty minor -- it's only really noticeable when the hair is wet and viewed under unfavourable lighting (and, even then, it's minor) -- 4000 grafts sounds high. You have a fantastic head of hair for your age. Surgery, in my opinion, should only ever be a last resort. What if it doesn't work, or fails to meet your expectations? Given that all surgery (even FUE) leaves scars, are you prepared to maintain your hair, for the rest of your life, at the length necessary to hide them? Personally, if you can avoid surgery, then I think it is better to do so, but, of course, it's your call. All the best.

 

[luisfernandez]

Thanks everyone for your insights. I'm unsure about oral Minoxadil. Kind of a long story but i also take daily Cialis. So i'm concerned about potential heart issues. I think i will experiment with microneedling with the beard and MAYBE minoxidil and monitor my heart rate.

I also did think 4k grafts is a bit high based on other patient case studies. I don't think i'd mind the scars because i pretty much always wear my hair long at least past a 2. Getting a fade may be out of the question but i rarely wear it like that.

I will get some other Dr opinions and update this thread accordingly.

Thanks.

 

[Bigmac]

Personally, I would not lower the hairline. I’d keep it where it is using 15-1800 grafts. If you wanted to, whatever is left from 2500 could then be placed in the crown. Alternatively, just do the hairline as suggested and see how the crown responds to the medical therapy.
Let us know what other options you get.

 

[jsharvey]

Hi everyone,

First time poster. I'm 36 years old. Been taking finasteride 1mg a little under two years. Great results but i still have recession and thinning in the crown that has not been restored. My hair doesn't look too bad. When i let it grow out i wear it messy which hides my receding temples. However, this doesn't work when i sweat or my hair is wet. I also cannot comb it back.

I want to restore my juvenile baseline hairline and improve the crown a bit. My hair is important to me and i think it would boost my confidence not having to worry about wind, getting the hair wet etc.

I do not wish to do microneedling + minoixdil. Mainly because i am very busy and cannot commit to applying a topical once or twice a day. I could potentially just do microneedling once a week.

I'm currently located in Los Angeles and have consulted with "Alvi Armani Hair Restoration Clinic." They have quoted me that i need 2,500 grafts + PRP for the hairline. They also recommend exosomes for the crown in the first session. They say i would need an additional 1,500 grafts for complete crown restoration in a second session.

To me cost is not a big deal, i want the absolute best possible results.

- Does anyone have any general advice?
- Does 2,500 seem like a reasonable amount of grafts?
- Should i reconsider Minoxidil?
- Any thoughts on Alvi Armani clinic?
- Any recommendations on clinics either in LA or elsewhere?

In this post i have attached pictures of my hair short, wet, and combed back which is the worse case scenario.

View attachment 35731View attachment 35732View attachment 35733

I am no expert, I just have my own experience. So I can say that you shouldn't listen to every clinic that comes your way. Because your hair loss doesn't look too severe to me. And I'm saying this as someone who did get a hair transplant and benefits from it. You're closer to my age so if you do decide to get a hair transplant, your look may be quite permanent. Like, you wouldn't get additional hair loss. It's your decision really. But be careful about choosing a clinic if you do decide to get a hair transplant. Before finally choosing Dr. Ekrem Keskin for my hair, I got in contact with so many clinics. It's hard to separate the legit clinics from the hair mills.