Hi all,

I have been thinning on my crown region for about 3 years now. I am 25 and it is really starting to distrub me and curb my social acitivites. I am worried of it continuing further and getting even worse.

I want to get a transplant procedure to thicken up the crown area and perhaps look at adding something to the receding hairline.

I have been on propecia for 1.5 years and rogaine for the same.

Any thoughts would be greatly appreciated. The biggest problem for me is that I live in Oz and from what i have been reading we do not have the best surgeons and if we have any they charge through the rough. Given how big a decision this is in ones life I would be willing to go to a top Dr like Hasson.

Hey all,

I have done a little bit of research but have not much of a clue on transplants.

I want to thicken up my crown and top region where it is needed. Can anyone say suggest a rough figure on how many grafts I would need to make this achievable?

As I have already mentioned I am concerned about the scar being left from the procedure and was wondering whether people have found docs that help leave minimal to no evidence of the procedure having taken place.

Thanks in advance and please excuse my ignorance as I have done a lot of reading but still am slightly overwhelmed by all the information out here.

well i see u like to wear ur hair a bit long (afro) you can try dermatch tocreate an illusion to having thick hair in the crown area. I think it would work perfect plus its easy to apply. check it out.

I would agree with Goldstar; and it's like $30 for 7 months worth. I'd seriously wait on a ht and try spending 5 mins. a day on Dermmatch or Toppik. I certainly wouldn't let that amount of loss bother me.

In 10 years when you're 35 maybe you've kept what you have with the meds, and consider one then.

champs,

In my opinon, you are a not a hair transplant candidate.

Though your hair is thinning a little bit in the crown, you still have a lot of hair in that area and at your age and the possibility of future hair loss, it would be too risky to add hair density in the crown.

See also:

Am I Too Young for a Hair Transplant?

What Should I consider when researching Hair Transplantation?

Best wishes,

Falc

Without examining you in person it is difficult to give you a definitive answer. From the photos you look like you have a fairly dense donor area and that your has some curl to it. Also, if you have a lot of finer, shorter hairs in the crown that are only an inch or so in length you could be a candidate for a relatively small procedure even though you are only 25. Over the past 10 years I have done a single smaller surgery on hundreds of young men who are willing to take propecia. The surgery and the propecia work together, where we see very significant hair growth that exceeds expectations. Most of these patients have had minimal further loss as long as they continue propecia. Since a very small amount of donor is used, in many there is no real downside. They return for refills on their meds, not more surgery.

Hi all,

Thanks for all of your thoughts. From what I have been reading I gather that If I were to have a small procedure like what Dr Tessler explained I am likely to suffer loss of my existing hair in the crown.

My questions are will that hair grow back or is it lost forever?

I have been on propecia and rogaine for 1.5 years and wish to continue to take it.

My second question is given that a small procedure could be done, how many grafts would approximately be needed and would strip of extraction method be preferable?

Since I am from Australia it is difficult for me to get overseas. Given the points made by the others that I am not suitable, or if I am it would only be a small procedure, then I guess it seems more logical to wait it out a bit. However given this I still hate the fact I have a patch which is notably thinner and barer than the rest of my head! I don't want to be worrying about this for the next five-fifty years either.

Thanks in advance

M

I think I lost a lot of hair prematurely when I had my procedure at 25; but I can't be 100%. but my "thickness" might have lasted 2 months or so.

Have you checked the Dermmatch or Toppik? I think the strip is preferable unless your talking hairline, but I'm no expert. P.M. Dr. Feller or Lindsey and ask for a phone consult.

That's what I did. I spoke with 6 clinics over the phone while they looked at my pics. Call Jotronic or some of the others on here who do this for a living.

Personally, I think if you sprinkled some Toppik in you'd never know you were thinning.

Falc is right, too soon to start with an HT, give meds the preference.

Dr. Tessler,

Though Propecia can be pretty good at maintaining existing hair, what do you have to say about the risk of future hair loss? If hair loss does continue to progress, wouldn't this patient be left with a small session or patch of hair in the crown while the hair around it is lost? In other words, couldn't this potentially create the halo effect?

I know there are varying philosophies on this but I tend to believe that adding hair to a thinning crown on a young patient with a lot of hair is a bit risky. Of course, I recognize a smaller session will maintain an adundant donor hair supply for subsequent surgeries if necessary.

What are your thoughts on this?

Thanks,

Bill (Falc)