Hi,

I'm new here. This is the first time i'm posting on a hair related forum.

I'm 31 years old and have been loosing my hair gradually for about 5 years. I thought about using hair regrowth products like Scalp-med but did not like the fact that I would have to be using for the rest of my life to keep the results.

Lately I have been thinking about HT and I'm trying to gather as much info as I can about the topic. I have some general questions to ask.

I have read several posts and I see people having multiple surgeries.
Is it possible to have only one surgery and achieve excellent results?
Is Dr Hasson one of the best? Cause i'm considering of going to him.
I'll post my pictures, please give me any advice you can based on the photos.

Here are the photos:

http://i112.photobucket.com/albums/n188/crillin/HairLoss/CIMG0113.jpg
http://i112.photobucket.com/albums/n188/crillin/HairLoss/CIMG0112.jpg
http://i112.photobucket.com/albums/n188/crillin/HairLoss/CIMG0111.jpg
http://i112.photobucket.com/albums/n188/crillin/HairLoss/CIMG0110.jpg
http://i112.photobucket.com/albums/n188/crillin/HairLoss/CIMG0109.jpg
http://i112.photobucket.com/albums/n188/crillin/HairLoss/CIMG0108.jpg
http://i112.photobucket.com/albums/n188/crillin/HairLoss/CIMG0107.jpg
http://i112.photobucket.com/albums/n188/crillin/HairLoss/CIMG0106.jpg

Thank you,
Amiin.

Hi amiin,

Welcome to the forum. Dr Hasson has a good reputation based on what I've seen in my research and I doubt you could go wrong with him. I personally went to Shapiro Medical Group, the procedure performed by Dr. Charles. My pattern was a little different than yours in that my hairline was affected more, but density was close to the same in the mid scalp area. I had budgeted and planned for a second procedure one year later after the initial one, but now its four years later and I still haven't done it as I'm happy with results, though a little more density is in order but isn't as much of a priority as I thought it would because the results are good. So bottom line, and Dr Hasson can help you plan, is that you may not have "excellent" results in one procedure, but you may not go running right back for a second either. And since you are not fully bare, like me, Propecia (or Proscar) may help stabilize your situation.

Thanks tkotko.

I hope one surgery is enough for me if I decide to go with HT. I still have to get as much info as possible so I know what to expect.
One thing i know about myself is that i don't like to continue taking something to keep it stable, I'm the "fix it and forget it" kind of person. This is the reason why i prefer the HT over those products that you can use to regrow hair. I'm trying to find out if HT is for me or not. I don't know much about Propecia but guessing it's not meant to be used temporarily.

you're doing the right thing by researching. I spent nearly a year looking into it before I was comfortable. You're also correct in the Propecia is not a short term thing. That's what sucks about it, but on the other hand I'm glad I'm taking it because it seems to have helped stabilizing my loss, if not added a bit back. If nothing else I've been able to save the money for a 2nd treatment, for at least a little while. Good luck in whatever you do.

amiin,

Welcome to the forums. You have come to the right place for research. Make sure you spend plenty of time doing it before jumping into anything.

First piece of advice: If you are still losing hair, get on finasteride ASAP to control the hairloss...it has a good chance of minimizing or eliminating the loss of more hair. Jumping into a hair transplant without first getting your hairloss under control may not be the best idea. Yes, it is a lifetime committment, however, cost is way down if you get a prescription for Proscar and take 1/4 pill a day instead of Propecia. If you are covered medically, you MIGHT be covered for Proscar. The active ingredient in Propecia and Proscar is finasteride. Propecia = 1mg whereas Proscar = 5mg. That's why cutting the pill is important and it ends up being virtually the same thing. Many people do it, including me and it works for them/us.

According to your pictures, I can see you've definitely experienced some loss, but it's not that bad. Keep in mind that when transplanting hair in and around existing "native" hair, shockloss is possible. There is both permanent and temporary shockloss. Permanent shockloss can occur either if a doctor transects the native hairs during surgery (which won't happen with a high quality doctor) OR if the native hair was going to jump ship anyway...it probably won't return. That's another reason why getting on finasteride is important...to help strengthen the existing hair to minimize/eliminate permanent shockloss. Temporary shockloss can occur for a number of reasons due to trauma from surgery, but the good news is, the hair will return.

Well I've given you a lot to chew on for now...but here's my conclusion. Get on finasteride first...try it for at least 6 months, but preferably a year before jumping into an HT.

Dr. Hasson is a great doctor...one of the best for sure. That's why I chose him for my third HT.

Falc

Thanks guys, this is very helpful.

So no matter how I look at it, lifetime commitment to finasteride or something like that will be involved?

Well, first thing i'll do is check if i'm covered for Proscar. Once I know that, i'll continue my research from there.

Thanks again.

How do I go about in getting Proscar? Do i have to go to a special doctor to get the prescription or any doctor will do the job?

Thank you,
-amiin.

amiin-

Ditto Falc's advice........get on Finasteride ASAP. Yes, it is a lifetime commitment as you'll lose anything you've kept or gained because of it if you stop.

You do need to get a script for Proscar from your Doc. A General Practitioner can presrible it for you, if they won't do it, see a HT Doc or a dermatologist. Even if your insurance won't cover Proscar, it's only $69 from Walmart Pharmacy for 30 pills which lasts you 4 months if taken daily, 8 months if taken every other day.

You do have some diffused thinning going on. I'd try Finasteride (Proscar) and see how you respond. You can always get a HT 6 months to 1 year down the road.

Best of luck,

Hi guys.

I just wanted to say thanks for the advice. I got me a year supply of generic Proscar 5mg. I have started using it on March 15 1/4 pill a day. I gotta say, even though it's still too early, that i see way less hair on the sink when i comb my hair now. So i'm very happy with it so far.

Thanks again,
amiin.

Great news!! Proscar (Finasteride) may do the trick for you.......stick with it for a year and see how it goes.

You may want to try and log your progress with pics every month or two. It will really help with your evaluation in the end.

Keep us posted on your progress.

amiin,

That's great...glad you decided to save yourself some dough and get Proscar! Hopefully it will help you. Stick with it at least 6 months, preferably a year to see if it does anything for you. Even if you don't lose anymore hair, then it MIGHT be working!! Take that into careful consideration before stopping the medication even if it doesn't regrow any new hair.

Falc