Those that conceal existing hairloss - how are they OK shaving their head??

[recedingboy]

I don't get it. I have a receding hairline (as my screen name implies), I grow my rear hairs longer and conceal the hairline. I'm looking at getting a FUE procedure, but if I got one done and shaved my head (or even the rear and sides), I would have go through an ugly duckling stage.

How is it that no one seems to mind this? Do these people shave their heads otherwise? I have not had a shaved head since I was 16 and now I'm in my 30's. For those of us working, etc. shaving your head not only looks odd in many situations, it would require a lot of explaining to people.

If someone just needs a couple thousand implants, why not grow the back longer, shave 2-3 strips of hair, allowing for the hair above to fall upon it? Then extract from only these strips? Don't shave the recipient site at all.

I MIGHT shave my head after transplantation while the litle transplanted saplings are sprouting, at least that way it is done after, whereby people would not realize that I had hairloss to begin with. But if someone shaves their entire head, the transplanted hair will fallout after a couple weeks revealing bare skin/bald areas.

 

[hairtech]

Recedingboy,

This is a very long standing argument. Yes it is hard to have to shave your head for a procedure. Especially since you have not shaved your head since you were young. But it is hard to perform an FUE without doing so if there are "only a couple of thousand implants."as you are are saying above. "Only a couple of thousand implants" by way of FUE will encompass more of what you think.
A strip can harvest with an average density of 80/cm2 a couple thousand grafts+ depending on laxity, length and width of the strip harvested. An FUE extraction is a different animal. To harvest 2000 plus grafts in an average density in any given donor AND doing so conservatively to account for a further procedures MUST be taken over the entire donor region. This way you will not take to many grafts from any particular region and you will preserve what FUE was created for. In other words... spread the extractions out... don't create a moth eaten look (thinning from over harvesting) and take into account in each patient that there may be a possibility of further loss (further MPB) in all patients. This is my opinion only though.

There are a few clinics that will shave small areas when doing FUE to try to accommodate a patient, but this will limit the amount of grafts that are extracted. We at SMG do cut small areas of hair for small cases.

 

[recedingboy]

I know what you are saying about spreading out the extractions, to avoid as you put it, a moth eaten look and also to be able to choose ideal grafts.

But can't this be achieved by creating 2-3 rows from ear to ear at the back of the head?

 

[Prohairclinic]

Hairtech is correct, it is best to spread the extractions in order to minimize the loss of density.

Sometimes patients argue that it would not fit their job to cut the hair short. I then ask if bald people are not allowed in the company?

See it as a temporary discomfort, the results will give you much more hair and for a much much longer time.

 

[recedingboy]

Yes, but why not spread the extractions with 2-3 rows from ear to ear? I think I've seen a video on this by your Prohairclinic.

Is that not as ideal as shaving the entire back of the head?

 

[Prohairclinic]

No, it is not ideal in terms of the donor management plan.
it will leave some area's more thinned then other.
If you need a second third or even more procedures it becomes very hard to try to balance the donor area.

Furthermore shaving a strip instead of using the entire donor area will limit the numbers quite a bit during the session. So you will probably end up having multiple procedures. Each procedure comes with the discomfort of swelling and crusting and time off from work.

 

[recedingboy]

if two smaller sessions of say 1200 were done just at the hairline, couldn't the existing hairs be combed forward hiding any swelling/scabbing?

 

[janna]

Yes, if the session is small enough you may be able to get by without shaving the entire head - only the immediate donor sections. Here's a link to such a patient who received just under 1300 grafts. This patient has above average donor density, not all patients are so foruntate. Another patient may have to shave to get 1200, 1300 grafts.

http://www.hairlossexperiences.com/view_topic.php?id=1864&forum_id=16