this is my first post-- but i have questions i'd really like answered.

background
I'm 27, early stages of balding i think-- but all my balding is in the frontal third so I look much more bald than i am. I went for a HT consult to David Orentreich. Was about to let him touch my head, then found this website. Cancelled my appointment. Then researched for another 6 months. And then went to Bernstein. We set up a surgery-- but I totally chickened out. I feel like it's so hard to get good info that i can't pull the plug.

Questions:
1. With the scar, no-one can tell me if i can buzz my hair on a #2 without it showing. also, i have no idea how transplanted hair will look when buzzed on a #2 because of the low density. i like hair-- but i like short hair. (please don't say, if you like short hair then why not just go bald and shave it-- 'cos i have very black hair and light skin, and the colors work nicely. it makes me tall, dark and handsome (well, 2 out of 3 (-: and if i have no hair, i'll look like a neo-nazi and only have 1 out of those 3).

2. And also the more times i spend researching this stuff, the more I find negative comments about Bernstein. There's obviously a lot of great comments, but some say he's out-of-date and suggestions to go somewhere else. (Admittedly he did suggest 2 procedures with a low density of grafts spaced a year apart).

3. I'm also confused about what propecia is going to do. i have taken it for 2 years, and my hairloss appears to be getting worse, but only in the frontal third. does that mean the frontal third will be lost ultimately. or will propecia maybe kick in at some point to prvent further miniaturization? and hold what i have now, even though it's a lot thinner than the rest of my hair?

4. Finally i just want to know what my hair will look like. i have long, thick curly hair behind my ears, and in front i have miniaturized hair that's thin and curly and looks pretty bad. if i get a HT with low density, will i be able to style my hair in the kinda wild-curly thing i've been doing? or can one only go for the style rocked by the guy from the bosley website: battle against bald (see pic)? [also-- not sure about you guys, but would you really rather have the hair in that pic, than have a bald head that you keep nice and clean on the back and sides [like on a #1 blade]?).

hair.jpg (133 Kb, 138 downloads) picture

If that's the length you'll wear your hair, then no way a good scar will be visible, imo.

Bernstein appears to be one of the tops, but you'll find other docs in that area with more of a presence on this forum.

Therefore, a lot of people have seen Dr. Wong for example, but not the case with Bernstein. Check out the weblogs and email some of those guys who have been to him.

With your level of loss you're going to need a more aggressive ht doc than bernstein, imo. you need to see dr. feller. i'd also consult with h&w.

the good news is that wavy hair will allow for even better results.

also, i've buzzed my head to a #3 and you can't see the scar.

Really?,

Welcome to our discussion forum community. You have come to the right place to educate yourself and for support. We are all here for the same reason, to find the best solution for our hair loss.

To answer your questions:

1. You are correct. Nobody can give you a definite answer about shaving down to a number 2 clip without the scar showing because surgery is not an exact science and you won't get exact answers. If you have very HIGH donor density and heal very well, you could very well wear your hair at a 2 or 3 clip on the sides and back showing no or minimal evidence of scarring. A 3 or 4 clip is a more safe "guarantee", but even then, there are risks to consider.

2. I'm not sure where you are reading your "negative" reviews of Dr. Bernstein but in my opinion, he does quality state of the art hair transplantation. He is however, a bit on the conservative side and often won't perform session sizes over 3000 grafts because he doesn't take too wide of a strip.

3. Propecia may help slow down or stop hair loss, and if you are one of the lucky few, it may even stimulate hair regrowth. If you have been taking it for 2 years and hair loss is continuing, it may not be working for you. It MAY however, be slowing down your loss. It's hard to say for sure exactly what it is or isn't doing in your case.

4. It apears that you already have a lot of hair loss from your picture. Hair transplantation can certainly improve your overall hair coverage and density, but don't be fulled in thinking it will restore a full head of hair. At best, with higher levels of hair loss, one can only achieve an illusion of hair density. See also our animated graft calculator which can be used as a tool to help you determine how many grafts you may need to accomplish your goals.

If your that adverse to growing your hair out to cover the scar, then a strip surgery is completely out of the question.

If you get a single doctor on the planet to guarantee you can buzz down to a #2 after a strip surgery, get it in writing.

Can it happen? Sure, after my first HT I could buzz down to a #2 and only small parts of my scar showed, but there is no guarantee it will turn out that way.

Additionally, with your level of loss and your age, your going to need a couple of sessions at the least.

I recommend you either try to re-establish a solid frontal half through FUE NOT strip, or forget about a Hair transplant--there is a good chance you will be unhappy with your decision.

Take Care,
Jason

Oh--BTW--propecia is notorious for only helping the crown and possibly some of the mid-scalp area---however, you should continue taking it as it helps retain your donor region--more donor=more hair to work with.

thanks for your replies guys. i really appreciate your input.
at first i was really worried when you talked about the loss i have at my age is really bad. i don't think it's that bad-- i'm full except for the frontal third which is really weak (the type A pattern sucks i think)...but then i realized that you were talking about the picture i added.
that picture isn't of me. that's someone who had a bosley transplant and is advertised as a bosley success. that attachment was related to my question of whether what hair transplants look like. i've seen some awesome ones here. but if someone offered me slick bald or that picture i added, i wouldn't consider the transplant for a second. does that mean i'm a bad candidate with unrealistic expectations? would you guys prefer that hair to slick bald?

most people who are completely bald would probably love to have even that much hair again.

Its hard to say what your expectations could be without seeing a picture of your hair.

If that was all the hair a completley bald man could get than I'd rather go completley bald.

This is a job for H&W!

Get 4500+ grafts with most concentrated in the front half and you will be a happy camper.

May need a follow up 2500 session to thicken the crown.

while i agree its not great, a guy whos completely bald and say 50-60 years old probably would welcome that appearance. just my opinion

Really?,

I was under the impression that the picture you posted was of you.

If you want a more accurate assessment, I recommend posting a picture of yourself.

But even completely bald guys like me may be able to get more hair than the picture you posted agbove. My before picture is deceiving because I've lost more hair since then. I'd pretty much be completely bald now if it wasn't for my three hair transplants.

See below



Getting a hair transplant or not is only something you can decide. Hopefully we can continue to help you make an informed decision.

Best wishes,

Falc