Would going forward with a hair transplant be irresponsible if only on oral minoxidil?

[Blixa Haar...fell]

So I've tried every bloody concentration of topical Finasteride, oral Finasteride, and most heartbreakingly, topical Dutasteride - my brain chemistry just seems incompatible with the stuff, and the brainfog always came back.

Currently my only treatment is oral min, 1.25 mg daily. I tried going up to 2.5 mg, but I had a bad reaction - I think I just need to be patient and allow my body to adjust.

This is a bloody strong medication, but I'm unsure if I'd be setting myself up for a world of pain without a functioning AR Blocker or anti androgen.


What are people's thoughts on this?


P.S. The doctors I'm in talks with are Bisanga, Sever Muresanu, and (as of next week) Özlem Biçer.

 

[Bigmac]

Hello Blixa.
Your pictures are poor quality but you seem to be around a Norwood 4 plus from what I can make out. May I ask how old you are?
There are many guys who go ahead with a HT without any meds. They may or may not continue to lose hair. It’s a shame you have sides from Finasteride but a plus that the 1.25mg of oral minoxidil is ok. I`ve been hearing positive reviews about the oral version. There is a good chance you will be ok to go ahead. What have the clinics advised so far?

 

[Blixa Haar...fell]

Hi BigMac,

Thanks for responding so quickly.

Again sorry about picture quality. Norwood 4, edging into 5 seems about right. I'm 35, and started shaving my head around 33.

Thanks for your feedback where the meds are concerned. Well, I'm headed to see Bisanga on the 5th of September and due to see Muresanu sometime this month. Haven't yet spoken directly with Biçer.

 

[Bigmac]

At 35 the doctors will want to know what your family history is and are what age your loss began.
Do you see any gains with the minoxidil?
Are you looking at Fue or Fut? Or not decided yet?

 

[Blixa Haar...fell]

Dr Sever Muresanu asked me a bit about this on our first video call. My father had a norwood 7 which was complete by age 30. No loss on my mom's side at all, lucky bastards.
Unfortunately I'm basically estranged from my dad's side of the family (drama from a generation back), so I don't have many pictures of my much older cousins from when they were my age. Dr Muresanu assured me that if I were to have my father's pattern, it would have been complete by now.

The minoxidil is quite new - only 1 month in. It took me quite awhile to adjust to the medication, I felt a lot of pressure in my legs etc. Hoping to see some improvement/sign in 3 or 4 months.


My hope is FUE. Even if FUT will provide a higher yield, I really want to save the option of buzzing my hair very short later in life if need be.

I was surprised by Dr Muresanu - the reigning king of FUT in Europe actually suggested FUE to me first and foremost. Sever and Laura do amazing work, but their pricing is astronomically high - 4000 grafts would equal about 18 000 euro.

I was recently looking through before and after photos of Dr Biçer's work with a friend and she really reacted positively to it. I realize almost all documented cases from the Muresanus are FUT, and very little showing FUE - especially at my level of loss. Dr Biçer, by comparison, seems to produce quite astonishing transformations via FUE to norwood 4s and borderline 5s like me.

So that's been my thinking so far! Does it make sense?
I appreciate you answering these questions and giving feedback - I really need a second (and third and fourth) opinion from people who have been in the game longer than I have.

 

[mania]

The medicine which your surgeon prescribed and recommended should be taken according to the advice of your surgeon ...

 

[Blixa Haar...fell]

The medicine which your surgeon prescribed and recommended should be taken according to the advice of your surgeon ...

I have not yet received medical advice from a surgeon, but am talking to one this coming Saturday. Thank you for the feedback.

 

[Bigmac]

Only you can decide which clinic best suits your needs.
Hattingen have a lot of documented FUT results, especially the higher Norwood’s.
Other clinics such as Dr Bicer have mainly been FUE only resulting in a lot more FUE cases from her clinic.
One issue clinics have is getting consent from patients to post their results.

One month using the minoxidil is just the beginning. At least 6 months are required to see any gains.

I understand your concern with FUT and the possibility of the scar being wider than anticipated which will be visible, therefor not allowing you to shave down.
Be aware, FUE can leave a lot of visible scars too.

Take your time before deciding on what to do. Make a list of questions s you wish to ask when you have your consultations.

 

[Blixa Haar...fell]

Only you can decide which clinic best suits your needs.
Hattingen have a lot of documented FUT results, especially the higher Norwood’s.
Other clinics such as Dr Bicer have mainly been FUE only resulting in a lot more FUE cases from her clinic.
One issue clinics have is getting consent from patients to post their results.

One month using the minoxidil is just the beginning. At least 6 months are required to see any gains.

I understand your concern with FUT and the possibility of the scar being wider than anticipated which will be visible, therefor not allowing you to shave down.
Be aware, FUE can leave a lot of visible scars too.

Take your time before deciding on what to do. Make a list of questions s you wish to ask when you have your consultations.

Thank you so much, BigMac. This is really helpful.