Hi all,

Just having some concerns about a HT. 12 Months ago I would have considered anyone having a HT to be mad, be very vain or have far too much free cash. I have convinced myself this is now the right decision as I have been unhappy about my hair loss for over 10 years and had come to accept that the reality was that I would have to live with it. My wife thinks it is unnecessary but will support me in my decision but I am very concerned as to my family and friends reaction once I have had the procedure.

Has anyone had any bad reactions or negative comments from people after their procedures? Do you find people talking about you behind your back and referring to you as "that guy that had the hair transplant?" I will probably have 3 weeks off work and try to wear a hat for work until some normality returns to my head but I guess you can not fool everyone?

One other question, does anyone have any idea as to how many HT procedures are been carried out worldwide per year? And what as a percentage would be actual forum members?

Thanks for any help on this

Hi Falconny

I have just had a hair transplant. Guys are really funny about having a HT, most guys try to keep it a secret. From reading the forums I would consider myself in a minority as I have not kept my HT a secret from anyone. I neither shout about it nor hide it.

Is it vain? Yes of course it has an element of vanity, so does buying a new suit or putting gel in your hair. IMO, guys think vanity is somehow unmanly and yet we are all vain to some degree, we just pretend not to be!

IMO HT's are restoration rather than enhancement, if you busted your nose you might get it corrected (that's restoration) if you didn't like your nose in the first place – that's enhancement. Actually, to be quite honest, who cares, restoration or enhancement – if it really bothers you – get it fixed.

The cost - Well, consider a buying a new car, that will last a few years and eventually depreciate to nothing. When we buy cars we may consider build quality, looks and practicality, but many will also consider it as a status symbol and therefore pay more than they need. If you had to choose between a new car and not being bald – well that is easy, how many of us get seriously depressed / troubled because they don't have a newer / better model car?

Hope you don't mind me offering the following advice – f*** what other people think, do it (or not) for yourself and do not worry about what people might think and say. If you go to a top surgeon then people might say "that's the guy who had a hair transplant" but likely as not they will also say "you can't tell, it looks great". Guys who are not bald wouldn't understand guys that are bald will be jealous!

Apologies that didn't actually answer any of your questions!!

Tubs

If your worried about what people will think, then don't tell them! how bald are you? becos obviously the more hair you had previously the less likely people are going to notice.

Or don't say anything to anyone and if people ask just say you've started taking the meds and they are working well for you.

I know how you feel, i'm a NW5V/NW6 and i'm havin my ht in Oct, i'm still as yet undecided how i'm gonna approach the post op months.....its prob gonna involve a few lies i know that

Some of it is dependent on how bald you are...but I had similar concerns about ppl finding out. I had my procedure 2 months ago and confided in only one friend. I ditched my hat at the 4 week point and was worried about ppl detecting the scar. Even the person I'd told couldn't detect it after I'd applied dermatch. With the natural results that ppl get these days, fully grown out HTs are virtually undetectable when you choose the right surgeon. Also, it has become so much more acceptable in the past few years with so many stars and public figures accepting that they had procedures. In a few years it will be as common as breast implants!
Go ahead with your plans...pick the right surgeon and you'll be happy!

I think people noticing obviously depends on how bald you are prior to the surgery and how many grafts you get.I guess you could always tell people you got the results from meds. But I had my hair transplant done a few weeks ago and I tell everyone. Personally, I don't think it's a big deal at all. I mean it's your own hair that you are moving around to look better. It's not like you are wearing a wig to be embarressed, and with a good doc the results should look totally natural. If anything it just shows that you care about your appearance, which I think is a positive. I think its less of an issue than even breast implants for women because its not like your putting some foreign substance into your buddy.

Do you have any native hair on top? The reason I asked is it wouldn't have been noticeble at all in my circumstance and I'm a diffuse thinner.

The only reason it coul've been noticeable for a few days is I had my hairline of old plugs removed and the process left large holes and scabs on top.

Thanks guys, should have said i am NW5a and planning around 4000grafts to the front 1/3, I have attached a picture.

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quote:

Originally posted by Falconny:
Thanks guys, should have said i am NW5a and planning around 4000grafts to the front 1/3, I have attached a picture.

Falconny,

If one of your primary goals is to not be noticed as a recent transplant patient, I would go with one of the top dr.'s who doesn't require shaving the recipient area. I know this might spark a huge debate, but honestly there are incredible physicians who shave the head and there are incredible physicians who don't. In my opinion, it's probably better to shave but for some people (hand raised) it just isn't an option at that particular point. Having said that, I have found the following clinics to be among the best: H&W, Alexander, Cooley, Shapiro, Charles and Feller. That's not to say there aren't many more because there are, but those are just the ones I see everyday or researched the most. About half of those don't require shaving of the area where the new hair will be transplanted. I found them to be similarly priced with Cooley and Charles being the least expensive (maybe b/c of location in smaller cities...plus I'm not 100% on SMG's price structure)

Judging from your pics, I think you'd be suprised at how many people won't recognize what you've had done after three weeks.

Falconny,

Everyone has already given you some excellent feedback. It's completely normal to be concerned about how a hair transplant will make you look. After all, it is a cosmetic procedure and the goal of a hair transplant is to improve your appearance and look natural that draws eyes away from your hairline, and not toward it.

I have found in the best surgical hands that hair transplants can be very natural looking. People will most likely notice something different about you, but most probably won't even realize you have more hair - just that you look different, and better somehow.

The very astute may notice that you have more hair, so be prepared to answer as to why. If you don't want to tell people you had a hair transplant, I found that telling people you are on Propecia and it's working wonders for you does the trick quite nicely.

I've had some nice overall commments since I was a norwood 6 and now with an appearance of slight thinning.

Someone noticed that I used to have a bald spot, but I don't anymore. A norwood 3 told me they were envious of my hair.

I remember another time a boyfriend of a girl I'm friends with saw me with a hat regularly, and he asked why. The girl I am friends with (this was before my hair transplants) told him I wore it because I was covering my baldness. It kinda hurt, but I know she wasn't trying to be mean. Of course, when I saw them a few years later without a hat, the girl's boyfriend said, "I thought you were going bald, but you have a lot of hair!" The girl never said anything but she seemed surprised that I had hair - it was a good day

Best wishes,

Falc

Great answers, thank you everyone for the support.

No one answered the question on HT popularity as to actual numbers of people having HT surgery.

I know this is a hard one but I thought someone may have previously asked how many HT procedures are been preformed now compared with say 10 years ago. Obviously it has increased as the procedure and results have improved.

I am only speculating but in my opinion I would have thought that the majority of prospective HT patients would have found their doctor through the internet, probably on sites very much like this one which may gave some indication as to the numbers. My interest is only to measure if we are going to see an exponential increase in the popularity of HT's as the word gets out there about the successful results people seem to be achieving.

Again, thanks

falconny, i think the members answers are pretty much spot on as far a getting a HT. i used the analogy of buying a HT vs a new car. a car is temp but HT is pretty much permenant :-).
Also, friends & family around me have noticed a very +ve change in personality..a much happy bud!
i was a nw5 i think & even then people are not sure what happened, they make comments of looking healthier/younger but they would NEVER think i would go through a HT ;-)
if someone asks, i tell them i use MEDS.
i reckon the no of people having HT will go up as results are much better now cost will be a factor in this.

anyway, thought i would share my 0.02cents
FS

I have thought of the same thing.
And come up with this conclusion.
everyone is vain to a point. if they were not, they would not put any effort whatsoever in how they look.
also, in a year or so, who will care as your new hair will be grown out and people will forget.
if it is ok for women to get implants, lipo etc...when those things can be hidden by clothing or enhanced in other ways (padded bra etc) why should it not be ok for a man to improve his self esteema and appearance by fixing something that is plain as day for everyone to see. you only live once is what I say, who cares what people think.
some people spend the equivalent on booze, cigarettes, drugs and or junk food that will cost them a hell of a lot more than a hair transplant someday.

I swear to God, Falconny, I was thinking the same thing (about number of people getting HT)

Actually, before I found this forum (which is the first one I found, Im lucky ) I HONESTLY didn't think that baldness bothers man as much as it bothers me. You know kinda like you only see things from your own perspective

But I am too wondering about the number of people going thought HT procedure every year.

Maybe doctors can chime in and shed some light here, since they can probably bring actual numbers. Then we can do a simple math of calculating approx number of doctors (yea yea including BUTCHERS) to get somewhat real number.

Great post Falconny!

Found a quote on the web

"Procedures have increased 42% in the past two years in Canada, according to figures released by the Canadian Hair Transplant Centre and the International Society of Hair Restoration Surgery (ISHRS), making it the top cosmetic procedure for men, worth $76 million dollars."

I make that around 15200000 grafts? Based on $5 per graft.

Approx 5000 Hair transplants a year based on an average of 3000 grafts per procedure??

Help me out here, Maths isn't my thing! This is only Canada, so I would reckon the USA is probably more. My best estimate would be 20,000 procedures worldwide a year, can anyone give a more accurate figure???

Really good thread guys. I would guess the number worldwide is higher judging by the relative population size of Canada to other countries, espeically the USA. I believe the US has about 8 to 10 people for every one in Canada. Since there is a similar culture I don't think it is unreasonable to suppose that people in both countries would get HT's on a similar ratio of the population. On that basis there might be 40-50,000 in the States each year.

Having said that people do travel to get them and some of the top docs are in Canada so it may see more surgeries per head of population than other countries. Still I guess it is much more than 20,000 since there are also docs in Europe, Asia and Latin America etc. also doing it.

I would rather not tell anyone about having a hair transplant. What are some good stories you can use for your new found hair? I noticed some people used propecia as their story. Are their any other things you can use for nosy people that ask you?
Sorry guys this is a bit off topic but i think that most guys would prefer to keep it a secret.

Everything has been 100% positive with my experience.. I went from Rags to riches and nobdy noticed ..

A good doc and patience will get you far!