Help evaluate me

[tootall]

Im looking into getting FUE with Dr Ron Shapiro hopefully early next year. Im almost 28 and have been receding/ thinning since at least 20. My hope is to be very conservative and frame the face with 1500-2000 grafts.

Pros:

1. Donor seems very thick [/*]
2. I have light brown curly/ wirey hair that I think will give good coverage. [/*]
3. I keep my hair short(3/8-1/2inch) and style it forward and to the side which makes it look thicker, each hair just long enough to provide some coverage. [/*]
4. Im very tall, and I think framing the frontal third will go a long way. [/*]
5. My dad is only bald in the frontal third.

Cons:
[/*]

1. Thinning/miniaturization throughout the nw4 area. Honestly, the miniaturization was only in the front a year ago. [/*]
2. My meds DONT include fin, bc of sides when I took it years ago. [/*]
3. All my uncles are nw 5-6's and went bald super quick. I dont think Im following this path. [/*]
4. I have a really big head, Fitted hat size 8. Not sure if this matters...[/*]

Attached is a pic I just took.

 

[janna]

Hi Tootall,

This is Tooshort......lol. No, I am so we won't stand next to each other.:T:

I'm not sure if this is the type of evaluation you're looking for but I'll give it a shot...

The size of your head does matter since we refer to number of grafts needed for a specified cm2 recipient area and there is a limited number of donor hairs. A conservative approach is necessary for you as no one knows for sure what NW level you 'll end up. The lone picture you posted is a bit blurry but it looks evident that there is diffused thinning behind the frontal third like you mentioned. You'll want to plan as if you will eventually lose those hairs since you are not taking Finasteride to combat DHT. You should hold off surgery until your hair loss has stablized. Where and what to address will be different depending on your degree of loss. Hope that makes sense.

 

[tootall]

Hey Janna,

Thanks for the quick and honest response. Far different from the sales pitch I got at Bosley as a desperate 21 year old. The integrity of all those at SMG seems on par with their superb results.

The result I was hoping for is something similar to "Dodger,"but even more conservative. We have both blond hair, mine being curly and slightly darker. I think I have less loss, but I am younger and dont take fin.

I think this picture is a little better. Its closer and with higher definition. My hope was I could frame the face for now and address the crown later, if needed. My hairloss has always been slow, although steady. Please let me know if you think this is just wishful thinking. I'd love to try to stabilize my hair and am always trying new meds, but its just not worth it to take fin.

Thanks for your time

 

[topccat29]

Tootall what you do have in my opinion is ideal hair to skin contrast. It €™s almost perfect for a hair transplant but this is not the only factor to consider when deciding.

 

[janna]

tootall wrote:

Hey Janna,

My hope was I could frame the face for now and address the crown later, if needed. My hairloss has always been slow, although steady. Please let me know if you think this is just wishful thinking.

I don't think it's wishful thinking to hope for a hairline to frame your face, it's realistic and certainly achievable. It's your future loss that's a concern, especially since you're not on Fin. Addressing your crown down the line may not be an option if you steadily lose more hair in the diffused area. As long you are aware you won't be able to achieve full coverage, you should be able to proceed with a HT.

 

[tootall]

topcat- thank you for your input. I forgot about hair/skin contrast. I always thought more about my wirey hair providing good coverage.

Janna- Im hoping that I'll always have some hair in the back, with a procedure initially taking care of the front third. Then, maybe a few yeara later, addressing the middle third. My biggest concern would be the transplanted hair blending in with the native hair. Im hoping my hair characteristics will allow me good results with a lower density.

 

[janna]

I think you're right that having more body to your hair (curl) should give you better coverage than Dodger, which allows you to be slightly more conservative than him. There shouldn't be a problem blending transplanted hairs with native hairs. The biggest concern at this point is absence of Fin. What dosage were you on before when you had side effects?

 

[tootall]

I was doing the typical 1 mg a day initially when I had side effects. I tried years later with topical applications and felt some side effects to a lesser degree and decided I didnt want to go down that road again.

Im always trying and looking for new stuff to use.