Hair system combined with hair transplant hairline?

[Blurred Hairlines]

Hello all,

This is my first post so forgive me if it's been talked about previously on the forum.

I am well aware I am not a pioneer on this topic - transplanting permanent hair at the hairline/side hair and inserting a hair system behind it for extra coverage.

However, my research on this "combination" approach has found very little discussion on the topic and where I did find any forums on it, the opinions were pretty mixed.

I believe this strategy could work based on three individuals I have seen:
(1) I believe Jon Hamm is doing this (see attached photo): If you look at his recent appearances, I doubt that he can get that much coverage with concealers alone - the style he generally rocks in Skip the Dishes Commercials are too voluminous in the sides and back for it to be just toppik.

(2) I am certain Ted Danson is doing this (see attached photo):

(3) Random guy in Jake Kent's video - Probably not a transplant, but this is the concept of having bio hair at the front:

These guys have virtually undetectable hairlines and it's because they have tiny amount of natural hair at the front line. I heavily suspect that Jon Hamm and Ted Danson had transplants because male pattern hair loss doesn't usually allow a man of their age to retain their front hairline like that.

If one were to do a conservative hairline - similar to Jon Hamm's - I'm not sure why this wouldn't be a powerful remedy to hair loss. From what I've read, a good surgeon will make sure the grafts are permanent. Furthermore, you only need probably under 1000 grafts transplanted to your hairline as clearly it only take very little bio hair at the front to give a great illusion.

However, I am a huge noob to hair loss and hair systems. If anyone has experience doing this, or strayed from this path for a certain reason, I'd love to hear a pros/cons list of this "combination approach."

Thanks in advance everyone. This community is by far one of the most helpful/supportive and insightful I have ever seen.

 

[Smartone84]

At the end of the day surgery is surgery. There are risks, there are chances it might not come out great, and just because it might be only 1000 grafts to do a hairline, it's still a process, and a very costly one at that. In addition, you have the scaring in the donor zone which is especially a problem for guys like me who like to have their hair short on the sides and back. For me personally, this process just seems over the top and that I'd have way too much going on with my head. First a transplant to get a hairline, then the system. I'd already feel a little "frankenstein" like with a hair system alone (i'm not a wearer yet)... Having a hairline hair transplant done in addition just feels over the top. I can't imagine trying to ever explain to a woman or anyone else what I had done. But overall for me personally it's just not appealing to me. Now if I was an actor in hollywood and my job depended on my looks that would be another story. For now i'll just focus on obtaining the best possible hairline I can with a system, and on the days I can't i'll hide it.

 

[Noah]

Hi BH, you have obviously thought about this carefully. I think you are probably right about Jon Hamm, and you are definitely right about Ted Danson (he took his hairpiece off on camera in the last episode of Cheers). My guess is that both these men are still primarily using their natural residual forelocks in front of their hairpieces, although Hamm may have had some discreet transplants as well. It's a tempting idea, but there are a few considerations you need to be aware of:

(1) transplants are always low density compared with a full natural head of hair - it is not possible for surgeons to transplant hairs anything like as tightly as nature. With a system you can normally have the look of a full natural head of hair, but if the front inch is transplant then you have to go for a lower density system behind to match. If you are just thinking of a very thin line of transplanted hair, this is not such an issue, although then you would still need to put in the effort to keep the hairline of the piece undetectable, because it would still be partly visible;

(2) once you get a transplanted hairline you are committed to keeping your hairline in that location. That can be a problem, because as you get older your hairloss may get more advanced, and often your side hair recedes and thins, which can make the hair system look unbalanced and fake. If you were wearing an ordinary system you could just adapt it - move the hairline back a bit and build more recession into the hairline, but if you have a transplanted hairline you can't do that. A 50-year old guy with a 50-year-old's side hair but a 30-year-old's hairline is going to look a bit suspect, and I have occasionally seen that;

(3) you are pretty much also committed to wearing a hair system permanently. The option of ditching the piece and shaving is going to be much less attractive, because you will have a scar (or at least scarring) at the back and uneven mottled skin under the transplants at the front. You will also look pretty odd when you take the piece off, with your isolated tufts of hair at the front, and the more hair you transplant the odder you will look. So you probably won't ever want to be seen without your piece;

(4) with a transplanted hairline you have to get a good contour match between the back of the transplanted hairline area and the front of the system, and a consistently accurate placement of the system, otherwise you will get the system sitting on top of the tp hairs or a bald gap, both of which look peculiar.

So I wouldn't want to put you off the idea - it can be successful - but just be aware of the issues with it. In particular, because of point (2), be conservative about where you place the transplants so that it is not going to look silly as you get older.

Noah

 

[Smartone84]

Hi BH, you have obviously thought about this carefully. I think you are probably right about Jon Hamm, and you are definitely right about Ted Danson (he took his hairpiece off on camera in the last episode of Cheers). My guess is that both these men are still primarily using their natural residual forelocks in front of their hairpieces, although Hamm may have had some discreet transplants as well. It's a tempting idea, but there are a few considerations you need to be aware of:

(1) transplants are always low density compared with a full natural head of hair - it is not possible for surgeons to transplant hairs anything like as tightly as nature. With a system you can normally have the look of a full natural head of hair, but if the front inch is transplant then you have to go for a lower density system behind to match. If you are just thinking of a very thin line of transplanted hair, this is not such an issue, although then you would still need to put in the effort to keep the hairline of the piece undetectable, because it would still be partly visible;

(2) once you get a transplanted hairline you are committed to keeping your hairline in that location. That can be a problem, because as you get older your hairloss may get more advanced, and often your side hair recedes and thins, which can make the hair system look unbalanced and fake. If you were wearing an ordinary system you could just adapt it - move the hairline back a bit and build more recession into the hairline, but if you have a transplanted hairline you can't do that. A 50-year old guy with a 50-year-old's side hair but a 30-year-old's hairline is going to look a bit suspect, and I have occasionally seen that;

(3) you are pretty much also committed to wearing a hair system permanently. The option of ditching the piece and shaving is going to be much less attractive, because you will have a scar (or at least scarring) at the back and uneven mottled skin under the transplants at the front. You will also look pretty odd when you take the piece off, with your isolated tufts of hair at the front, and the more hair you transplant the odder you will look. So you probably won't ever want to be seen without your piece;

(4) with a transplanted hairline you have to get a good contour match between the back of the transplanted hairline area and the front of the system, and a consistently accurate placement of the system, otherwise you will get the system sitting on top of the tp hairs or a bald gap, both of which look peculiar.

So I wouldn't want to put you off the idea - it can be successful - but just be aware of the issues with it. In particular, because of point (2), be conservative about where you place the transplants so that it is not going to look silly as you get older.

Noah

^^^^^ Amazing info there ^^^^^

To echo #2 this is really what keeps me and I feel a lot of guys nervous about hair transplant's. In a word- its permanent. You are going through this whole ordeal and laying out what could be your life savings and whatever result you get you are stuck with. This doesn't just go for the hairline procedure being talked about here, but a regular transplant in general. Lets say I got my temples and front region done and it came out just "okay". While sure that would be better than being bald, there would definitely be a lot that just wouldn't sit right with me about that. Knowing you have this permanently transplanted hair on your head that is there to stay. Unlike a system, you can't just decide to go backwards.

If there was a 100% guarantee that you're getting a perfect result with this surgery I'd be much more inclined to go forward with it, but that's just not the case. There are so many variables to consider, the most important imo being the surgeon you choose.

With a hair system even though I don't think I could ditch it one day and show up the next to work bald, the reality is you can pull off transitioning away from a hair piece. A mediocre or even bad transplant, you can't. I think if a guy is ok with the idea of it, trying out a hair system first would really be the smartest route, short of maybe going to one of the greatest (and most expensive) hair transplant docs out there. (i.e. Bernstein)

 

[J_D_R]

I came across this video the other day.

 

[Smartone84]

I call that guy very "lucky" with regards to his hair loss type

 

[Blurred Hairlines]

^^^^^ Amazing info there ^^^^^

To echo #2 this is really what keeps me and I feel a lot of guys nervous about hair transplant's. In a word- its permanent. You are going through this whole ordeal and laying out what could be your life savings and whatever result you get you are stuck with. This doesn't just go for the hairline procedure being talked about here, but a regular transplant in general. Lets say I got my temples and front region done and it came out just "okay". While sure that would be better than being bald, there would definitely be a lot that just wouldn't sit right with me about that. Knowing you have this permanently transplanted hair on your head that is there to stay. Unlike a system, you can't just decide to go backwards.

If there was a 100% guarantee that you're getting a perfect result with this surgery I'd be much more inclined to go forward with it, but that's just not the case. There are so many variables to consider, the most important imo being the surgeon you choose.

With a hair system even though I don't think I could ditch it one day and show up the next to work bald, the reality is you can pull off transitioning away from a hair piece. A mediocre or even bad transplant, you can't. I think if a guy is ok with the idea of it, trying out a hair system first would really be the smartest route, short of maybe going to one of the greatest (and most expensive) hair transplant docs out there. (i.e. Bernstein)

Hey man, thanks for both your comments - i'll respond with my opinion to both of what you said here and your earlier comment:

Your first issue seems to be cost. Now I'm not sure what you do for a living or what your savings account might look like, but if we are talking between 1000-2000 grafts, it's all probably under $ 10k (CAD) FUT. FUE goes up to around $8 per graft, so max 16k. While that's pricey, it is pretty reasonable to me to have a good hairline (although I have a pretty good career and I understand others might not be as fortunate with salary). I think the cost is kind of subjective - 10-12k really isn't much to me to be honest, but valid point because some might view that that kind of money as extreme for hair.

I get what you're saying and I like the way you phrased the 'frankenstein' comment too. This approach is definitely drastic and intense - "over the top" as you say - but it's all in a concentrated effort to actually make maintenance of the system less effort in the long run. The reason I'd want the transplant is so I can save my valuable time not having to redo the hair piece every few days - the maintenance of a hair piece strikes me as equally intense, and this looks like a cool way of having to not be spending a ton of time on maintenance. So while at face value it is "over the top," I think, in the long run, it's more like a huge down-payment to allow one to be more lazy and exercise less effort on their hair over the years to come.

As for your, "I could never explain this to a woman" comment, I totally understood where youre coming from on that too. However, I suppose I have never really thought in those terms. Women wear wigs and makeup all the time. Women get breast surgery, eye surgery, nosejobs, facelifts, etc. I think it's a pretty medieval attitude to base one's decision around a stigma when it comes to making decisions for one's happiness. If a partner were to judge me for wanting to do this for my appearance, I'd ask them to be philosophically consistent and refrain from spending money on makeup, fake nails, lashes, and expensive clothing. Women cumulatively spend thousands on those things all the time and no one cares - seems contradictory to me.

As for the permanence? Yes, you and Noah are correct. That is a big concern. However, I believer side hair recedes significantly slower. So in 15-30 years, you can always just get another transplant that is tailored to your sides if it looks 'absolutely ridiculous.' Alternatively, you could just shave your head. Joe Rogan shaves his head and he's had multiple transplants. There is virutally zero scarring when it comes to FUE, and even FUT scars can be filled in with skin-coloured ink (tattoo that hides scars).

Regardless man, I sincerely appreciate your perspective. If I end up going for it in the future, I'll let you know.

 

[Blurred Hairlines]

Hi BH, you have obviously thought about this carefully. I think you are probably right about Jon Hamm, and you are definitely right about Ted Danson (he took his hairpiece off on camera in the last episode of Cheers). My guess is that both these men are still primarily using their natural residual forelocks in front of their hairpieces, although Hamm may have had some discreet transplants as well. It's a tempting idea, but there are a few considerations you need to be aware of:

(1) transplants are always low density compared with a full natural head of hair - it is not possible for surgeons to transplant hairs anything like as tightly as nature. With a system you can normally have the look of a full natural head of hair, but if the front inch is transplant then you have to go for a lower density system behind to match. If you are just thinking of a very thin line of transplanted hair, this is not such an issue, although then you would still need to put in the effort to keep the hairline of the piece undetectable, because it would still be partly visible;

(2) once you get a transplanted hairline you are committed to keeping your hairline in that location. That can be a problem, because as you get older your hairloss may get more advanced, and often your side hair recedes and thins, which can make the hair system look unbalanced and fake. If you were wearing an ordinary system you could just adapt it - move the hairline back a bit and build more recession into the hairline, but if you have a transplanted hairline you can't do that. A 50-year old guy with a 50-year-old's side hair but a 30-year-old's hairline is going to look a bit suspect, and I have occasionally seen that;

(3) you are pretty much also committed to wearing a hair system permanently. The option of ditching the piece and shaving is going to be much less attractive, because you will have a scar (or at least scarring) at the back and uneven mottled skin under the transplants at the front. You will also look pretty odd when you take the piece off, with your isolated tufts of hair at the front, and the more hair you transplant the odder you will look. So you probably won't ever want to be seen without your piece;

(4) with a transplanted hairline you have to get a good contour match between the back of the transplanted hairline area and the front of the system, and a consistently accurate placement of the system, otherwise you will get the system sitting on top of the tp hairs or a bald gap, both of which look peculiar.

So I wouldn't want to put you off the idea - it can be successful - but just be aware of the issues with it. In particular, because of point (2), be conservative about where you place the transplants so that it is not going to look silly as you get older.

Noah

Hey Noah,

Appreciate the comprehensive response. This gives me a lot of perspective and I'll be really cautious if I decide to go for this in the next few years.

(1) I would be concerned about this, but clinics like Hasson and Wong portray incredible hairlines. They changed my opinion on the density of transplants. (I am Canadian and these guys are considered #1 in the world I believe).

(2) This is undisputedly the biggest concern. I appreciate the warning. My thoughts on this are (a) to err on the side of caution with a conservative NWII hairline. (b) since one would effectively be saving a ton of grafts in their donor bank, they could always re-up when the time comes and get transplants to fix their sides. From what I've read, side hair recedes far slower than the Crown/Hairline. So it would be a problem potentially 20+ years where if it's to a point where it looks bad, you could just opt for another transplant at that point for another 1000 or so grafts.

(3) I'm not sure about your comment here. FUE very rarely have any scarring nowadays. FUT still has scarring but I believe you can fill it in with a tattoo nowadays that's matched to your skin. If I were to do this, I'd do FUE where there is virtually no scar in most operations (unless I'm being sold some BS from some FUE myths).

(4) I am definiftely concerned about this too. However, as per the 'Jake Kent' video I linked, in addition to the link posted by JRD, I think the evidence speaks for itself that - if done properly - a thin amount of hair makes a world of difference.

All in all, I'm really glad you responded and your answer perfectly summarized the strongest counter-arguments to this approach - exactly what I wanted to hear!! If I end up going for it in a few years, I'll post on the forum for sure! As for now, I'll continue to research hair systems as I may take the plunge beforehand to see if I can tolerate the lifestyle.

 

[Blurred Hairlines]

I came across this video the other day.

That looks next-level. This to me is the gold standard. If one could simulate that with transplants a the front - permanent hair - you're definitely good for a long time.

 

[Noah]

Hi BH, thanks for the comments, which I pretty much wholly agree with, except that I think you are a bit more upbeat about scarring/mottling than some of the guys I have talked to who have had these procedures. I have not had a transplant myself, but I would definitely consider one to strengthen my temple points if they recede too far. I actually think that is the real use of transplants - to strengthen existing but weakening hair. Unfortunately they are also sold to guys with NW4 or 5 hairloss, and that is not usually a great outcome.

Good luck if you do go this route, and please do report back.

Noah

 

[Smartone84]

Hey man, thanks for both your comments - i'll respond with my opinion to both of what you said here and your earlier comment:

Your first issue seems to be cost. Now I'm not sure what you do for a living or what your savings account might look like, but if we are talking between 1000-2000 grafts, it's all probably under $ 10k (CAD) FUT. FUE goes up to around $8 per graft, so max 16k. While that's pricey, it is pretty reasonable to me to have a good hairline (although I have a pretty good career and I understand others might not be as fortunate with salary). I think the cost is kind of subjective - 10-12k really isn't much to me to be honest, but valid point because some might view that that kind of money as extreme for hair.

I get what you're saying and I like the way you phrased the 'frankenstein' comment too. This approach is definitely drastic and intense - "over the top" as you say - but it's all in a concentrated effort to actually make maintenance of the system less effort in the long run. The reason I'd want the transplant is so I can save my valuable time not having to redo the hair piece every few days - the maintenance of a hair piece strikes me as equally intense, and this looks like a cool way of having to not be spending a ton of time on maintenance. So while at face value it is "over the top," I think, in the long run, it's more like a huge down-payment to allow one to be more lazy and exercise less effort on their hair over the years to come.

As for your, "I could never explain this to a woman" comment, I totally understood where youre coming from on that too. However, I suppose I have never really thought in those terms. Women wear wigs and makeup all the time. Women get breast surgery, eye surgery, nosejobs, facelifts, etc. I think it's a pretty medieval attitude to base one's decision around a stigma when it comes to making decisions for one's happiness. If a partner were to judge me for wanting to do this for my appearance, I'd ask them to be philosophically consistent and refrain from spending money on makeup, fake nails, lashes, and expensive clothing. Women cumulatively spend thousands on those things all the time and no one cares - seems contradictory to me.

As for the permanence? Yes, you and Noah are correct. That is a big concern. However, I believer side hair recedes significantly slower. So in 15-30 years, you can always just get another transplant that is tailored to your sides if it looks 'absolutely ridiculous.' Alternatively, you could just shave your head. Joe Rogan shaves his head and he's had multiple transplants. There is virutally zero scarring when it comes to FUE, and even FUT scars can be filled in with skin-coloured ink (tattoo that hides scars).

Regardless man, I sincerely appreciate your perspective. If I end up going for it in the future, I'll let you know.

Hey BH. Glad you took the comments to heart and are considering all options out there. But just to respond to a few of the things you said with some genuine honesty. Some of my comments are in response to your response to Noah.

1- And this is most important... I do not know where you were told, learned about, or even saw that FUE scarring is virtually nothing. This couldn't be any further from the truth. Aside from my own extensive research on and off for the past 13 years (and yes, even the last 5 years when FUE has really changed rather drastically, there will ALWAYS be some form of scarring that will at the very least somewhat noticeable, even with the most minuscule FUE punches out there, whether Artas' new punch or any other punch device. Don't believe me? Take my $150 consultation with the legendary Dr. Bernstein in Manhattan last year when he told me flat out that even if I had my haircuts to a 1 guard you would likely be able to see the scars because "If you can see scalp, you can see the scars" were his words.

2- As far as money goes if 10-12k isn't a lot to you (though I would never ever go the barbaric route of FUT), then by all means do it if you have done your research and feel comfortable. You are right that for FUE and 1,000 grafts you're probably going to be shelling out 16-17 grand. Again I must say again, while I personally am not a fan of the hairline hair transplant/hair system combo, IF I were you (who might want that) and a doctor were to come to me and saying the result for your $16-17,000 will be flawless, then fine, put me in the chair and let's get this done. Unfortunately that is just not reality with this or ANY surgery there is. Also with the money thing, I guess for me and my drastic hair loss, it always feels worse bc I was told I would need at least 2 surgeries to end up somewhat happy, and just those 2 would amount to over 30 grand (FUE). To me that's money I just don't have, at least not for something that wouldn't guarantee me a good result. Also by result I hope you also understand that there are circumstances, a little less common, where the grafts simply don't "take" well. Then you're out thousands and thousands and don't even have a full result to show for it!

3- The Women thing. For quite some time I went along with the narrative of "Well women wear ALL sorts of makeup, wigs, get breast implants, botox, etc etc etc", so what's the big deal if a guy wears hair? (or in your case, wears hair and had surgery to redo your hairline). Look, while I do (like all of us) have my own few insecurities, by no means am I a flat out insecure guy. But that being said, simply put, men do not get the same societal acceptance women do when it comes to cosmetics. It's JUST the way that it is. I once went to a tanning salon two years ago to look a little more photogenic for an upcoming winter wedding in October here in New York, and even my own (female) boss picked up on it at work the next day (wedding wasn't until the following day) and made a joke about it to my face. She would not be alone in her thoughts had others in the office found out I can promise you that. Again, just the way that it is. A lot people in this world, especially the US/UK are judgmental. Plenty are even a--holes. These are parts of the reason I'm on here everyday trying to learn every single thing before I wear in order for it to look the most realistic way possible. I'll explain more in a second..

But first, moving back to men wearing hair in general, the harsh reality is that these things, for the most part, DO in fact still have a very negative stigma attached to them to the ordinary person. Certainly not to all of us wearers/potential wearers/hair stylists on here commenting everyday, watching YouTube videos that were specifically suggested for us, etc, etc. The bottom line is people still haven't really detached their minds from what they used to see from the 60's, 70's and so on with regards to their grandfather's toupee's, or even Sy Serlings Hair Club's rise in the mid 90's along with his cringe funny commercials. Occasionally sure, you'll get someone in the know who may have heard Travolta wore them in movies or Kevin James wore on in King of Queens, but for the most part, nobody is looking at this stuff like we are. And the sadder harsh reality is that if all the hair system YouTubers subscriber counts are any indication, the base and audience for them really are not as big as we may think it is. Curtis and My Hair Experience which is by far the biggest and most successful channel on the subject for years now, has a measly 28k subscribers. I don't need to tell you what a number like that is in the grand scheme of YouTube.

But in any event, we still have to find a way. A way to move on and a way to just not give a F--- what women or anyone for that matter thinks, and the best way to combat this is again, trying to ensure that a system looks so believable that in the event anyone found out that you were wearing, they'd be so floored and shocked that they wouldn't even think must about associating your new cosmetic enhancement with being negative. Instead, again, they'd just be shocked.

4- I hope you know that video you shared was not a hairline transplant but instead a guy who has gone bald/thinned out in a very "fortunate" way with regards to the route he has decided to go with applying a hair system.

Be well and thank you for reading.

 

[Blurred Hairlines]

Hey BH. Glad you took the comments to heart and are considering all options out there. But just to respond to a few of the things you said with some genuine honesty. Some of my comments are in response to your response to Noah.

1- And this is most important... I do not know where you were told, learned about, or even saw that FUE scarring is virtually nothing. This couldn't be any further from the truth. Aside from my own extensive research on and off for the past 13 years (and yes, even the last 5 years when FUE has really changed rather drastically, there will ALWAYS be some form of scarring that will at the very least somewhat noticeable, even with the most minuscule FUE punches out there, whether Artas' new punch or any other punch device. Don't believe me? Take my $150 consultation with the legendary Dr. Bernstein in Manhattan last year when he told me flat out that even if I had my haircuts to a 1 guard you would likely be able to see the scars because "If you can see scalp, you can see the scars" were his words.

2- As far as money goes if 10-12k isn't a lot to you (though I would never ever go the barbaric route of FUT), then by all means do it if you have done your research and feel comfortable. You are right that for FUE and 1,000 grafts you're probably going to be shelling out 16-17 grand. Again I must say again, while I personally am not a fan of the hairline hair transplant/hair system combo, IF I were you (who might want that) and a doctor were to come to me and saying the result for your $16-17,000 will be flawless, then fine, put me in the chair and let's get this done. Unfortunately that is just not reality with this or ANY surgery there is. Also with the money thing, I guess for me and my drastic hair loss, it always feels worse bc I was told I would need at least 2 surgeries to end up somewhat happy, and just those 2 would amount to over 30 grand (FUE). To me that's money I just don't have, at least not for something that wouldn't guarantee me a good result. Also by result I hope you also understand that there are circumstances, a little less common, where the grafts simply don't "take" well. Then you're out thousands and thousands and don't even have a full result to show for it!

3- The Women thing. For quite some time I went along with the narrative of "Well women wear ALL sorts of makeup, wigs, get breast implants, botox, etc etc etc", so what's the big deal if a guy wears hair? (or in your case, wears hair and had surgery to redo your hairline). Look, while I do (like all of us) have my own few insecurities, by no means am I a flat out insecure guy. But that being said, simply put, men do not get the same societal acceptance women do when it comes to cosmetics. It's JUST the way that it is. I once went to a tanning salon two years ago to look a little more photogenic for an upcoming winter wedding in October here in New York, and even my own (female) boss picked up on it at work the next day (wedding wasn't until the following day) and made a joke about it to my face. She would not be alone in her thoughts had others in the office found out I can promise you that. Again, just the way that it is. A lot people in this world, especially the US/UK are judgmental. Plenty are even a--holes. These are parts of the reason I'm on here everyday trying to learn every single thing before I wear in order for it to look the most realistic way possible. I'll explain more in a second..

But first, moving back to men wearing hair in general, the harsh reality is that these things, for the most part, DO in fact still have a very negative stigma attached to them to the ordinary person. Certainly not to all of us wearers/potential wearers/hair stylists on here commenting everyday, watching YouTube videos that were specifically suggested for us, etc, etc. The bottom line is people still haven't really detached their minds from what they used to see from the 60's, 70's and so on with regards to their grandfather's toupee's, or even Sy Serlings Hair Club's rise in the mid 90's along with his cringe funny commercials. Occasionally sure, you'll get someone in the know who may have heard Travolta wore them in movies or Kevin James wore on in King of Queens, but for the most part, nobody is looking at this stuff like we are. And the sadder harsh reality is that if all the hair system YouTubers subscriber counts are any indication, the base and audience for them really are not as big as we may think it is. Curtis and My Hair Experience which is by far the biggest and most successful channel on the subject for years now, has a measly 28k subscribers. I don't need to tell you what a number like that is in the grand scheme of YouTube.

But in any event, we still have to find a way. A way to move on and a way to just not give a F--- what women or anyone for that matter thinks, and the best way to combat this is again, trying to ensure that a system looks so believable that in the event anyone found out that you were wearing, they'd be so floored and shocked that they wouldn't even think must about associating your new cosmetic enhancement with being negative. Instead, again, they'd just be shocked.

4- I hope you know that video you shared was not a hairline transplant but instead a guy who has gone bald/thinned out in a very "fortunate" way with regards to the route he has decided to go with applying a hair system.

Be well and thank you for reading.

I did some more research on hair transplant scarring and I must admit that you and Noah are 100% correct on the FUE.

I was wrong af: I found the articles I was reading about scarring and they were a mix of (1) Snake oil sales tactics or (2) Honest articles that described the scarring as imperceptible 'if covered by the residual donor hair.' I grazed over the last part and interpreted it incorrectly. I was mistaken and believed that FUE just left a 'dot-like' scarring that was imperceptible EVEN with a shaved head - my bad on that. You guys are totally correct.

As for surgery - I agree the risks are inherent in the territory. I'm not a firm believer in cosmetic surgery - generally speaking - unless it's something that bothers you to a point where the risk is worth it as per your cost-benefit analysis. I would only ever go to a reputable hair transplant clinic with loads of research beforehand. As a Canadian, that would be Hasson and Wong (feel free to look them up as they have thousands of amazing testimonials). So I think the risk is fairly minimal if you're paying the big bucks and not flying to turkey in the hope of landing a good surgeon. People who fly to Turkey or go for the hair transplant 'bargain clinics' are rolling the dice big time & that to me is really reckless. I have faith in reputable surgeons though - not absolute faith, but strong faith.

I think I need to clarify the 'women' topic - which is evidently a topic that interests the both of us from a sociological standpoint:
As per the 'tanning situation' that you described, I agree that I would be insecure about people in my workplace knowing that I wore a hair-piece or had a transplant. I can only speculate cause I have never worn. I don't think it would absolutely MORTIFY me if people knew, but I would definitely be a bit insecure about it. The whole reason I would go to the extremes of a hair piece AND a surgery is to a) make MYSELF happy and b) make sure people don't know I'm wearing a hair system so I can live judgment-free. So I wasn't making a blanket statement saying that I was "above the stigma." I would be fairly distraught about my boss or coworkers - both MEN and WOMEN - finding out and judging me.

I think I misunderstood what you meant by a "woman" finding out. I immediately jumped to the hypothetical context of a partnership where you need to reveal to your partner about the surgery and hair system. In my opinion, this interaction is far different than colleagues knowing and should elicit very little fear of any judgement because it's a loved one who should seek to understand and support my decisions. While there is still a stigma here, I have zero fear of it. If it's even a relatively 'somewhat serious' relationship, I don't think it should be a big deal at all if a partner wants to do a cosmetic surgery if it's really important to them.

I've already talked to my current girlfriend about her thoughts on hair transplants in general. I'm extremely comfortable with her and knew she would respond the way she did (paraphrasing her response): "As long as you've methodically thought it through and it's within a reasonable limit - financially, cosmetically, and mentally - people should be free to resort to these types of measures to effectively liberate themselves from their own insecurities. I would love and support you if you got a transplant or wanted to wear a hair piece if hair loss was really bothering you." In my opinion, this is how the conversation should pretty much go with every relationship. My girlfriend wears make-up, spends tons of $ on designer brands, and posts photos on her instagram. I'd have a hard time dealing with a partner who makes those "superficial" choices but fails to see the hypocrisy in judging me for wanting the security blanket of a hair piece or hair transplant to make myself feel whole.

I think times are changing and soon it will be more normal for men to wear wigs. We are definitely not there yet, but with guys like Harry Styles wearing dresses on GQ, and tons of guys my age (I'm 25) wearing makeup on instagram, I think it's becoming more and more normal for men to take care of their appearance in a more traditionally 'feminine way.' Hopefully we can get there within the next 15-20 years.

Thanks for the discussion man. I look forward to conversing more if you continue to post on the forum in the future! Looks like we are both frequenting here because we are both in the preliminary phase of deciding to do this.

 

[Smartone84]

Yes Dr. Wong is amazing based on everything I've seen on him over the years. He would be a good choice should you decide to move forward. As weird as a trip to Turkey to get a surgery like this would seem for people like us in North America, it really is absolutely insane just how much cheaper it is there. I've seen good results come out of Turkey from certain doctors, but like so many this is something I could just never do.

Glad your girlfriend is supportive of your potential decision. I agree totally that if you're in a legit relationship and in love with someone then there shouldn't be an issue and if there is, then she ain't the right woman for you. But yes, much different ballgame when you are talking about a loved one when compared to randoms in an office environment, or even some friends that might break your balls should they find out you were a "toupee".

I too hope times change for the better in the future with regards to hair systems being destigmatized. As I alluded to in my earlier post I personally don't see it happening anytime soon, but I guess you never know. I just wish some of these celebrities would come forward more and talk about the transplants and hairpieces. Sadly that's what needs to happen in society today in order for it to become more 'acceptable'. Instead you have Matthew McCounnaghey going on Kelly Ripa years ago blatantly lying about his treatment, and so many others that just don't ever speak about it ever, aside from Agassi, Danson and Jon Cryer that is.

Just imagine what it would do for the industry and the stigma if there was some sort of social media trend started by A-Listers like Travolta, Affleck, Elton John or even Charlie Sheen showing before and afters of their hair systems. One day maybe. One day...

 

[Fanjeera]

How exactly is this done and who will do it? No hair transplant surgeon is familiar with this and if they're not they are probably not willing to do it. We need an exact description of the procedure: what exactly has to be done, what's the goal, how much is needed. This could go terrible wrong too as it's quite permanent.

 

[Fanjeera]

Charlie Sheen wears?!

 

[cottonReville]

Hi BH, you have obviously thought about this carefully. I think you are probably right about Jon Hamm, and you are definitely right about Ted Danson (he took his hairpiece off on camera in the last episode of Cheers). My guess is that both these men are still primarily using their natural residual forelocks in front of their hairpieces, although Hamm may have had some discreet transplants as well. It's a tempting idea, but there are a few considerations you need to be aware of:

(1) transplants are always low density compared with a full natural head of hair - it is not possible for surgeons to transplant hairs anything like as tightly as nature. With a system you can normally have the look of a full natural head of hair, but if the front inch is transplant then you have to go for a lower density system behind to match. If you are just thinking of a very thin line of transplanted hair, this is not such an issue, although then you would still need to put in the effort to keep the hairline of the piece undetectable, because it would still be partly visible;

(2) once you get a transplanted hairline you are committed to keeping your hairline in that location. That can be a problem, because as you get older your hairloss may get more advanced, and often your side hair recedes and thins, which can make the hair system look unbalanced and fake. If you were wearing an ordinary system you could just adapt it - move the hairline back a bit and build more recession into the hairline, but if you have a transplanted hairline you can't do that. A 50-year old guy with a 50-year-old's side hair but a 30-year-old's hairline is going to look a bit suspect, and I have occasionally seen that;

(3) you are pretty much also committed to wearing a hair system permanently. The option of ditching the piece and shaving is going to be much less attractive, because you will have a scar (or at least scarring) at the back and uneven mottled skin under the transplants at the front. You will also look pretty odd when you take the piece off, with your isolated tufts of hair at the front, and the more hair you transplant the odder you will look. So you probably won't ever want to be seen without your piece;

(4) with a transplanted hairline you have to get a good contour match between the back of the transplanted hairline area and the front of the system, and a consistently accurate placement of the system, otherwise you will get the system sitting on top of the tp hairs or a bald gap, both of which look peculiar.

So I wouldn't want to put you off the idea - it can be successful - but just be aware of the issues with it. In particular, because of point (2), be conservative about where you place the transplants so that it is not going to look silly as you get older.

Noah

I think that hairpiece thing was nonsense. He had so much hair - & then removed a little piece that only covered the crown...

 

[cottonReville]

If you wear a hairpiece, you should wear it w/ utter confidence I think.

Otherwise, you'll just be too fussy & too pussy.

I don't know why but I have no shame in wearing a toupee.

 

[Smartone84]

Charlie Sheen wears?!

My mistake. Got him mixed up with his Two and a Half Men co-star Jon Cryer. Cryer actually doesn't wear. He does fibers/dermatch. Admitted it on Conan O'Brien years ago.

If you wear a hairpiece, you should wear it w/ utter confidence I think.

Otherwise, you'll just be too fussy & too pussy.

I don't know why but I have no shame in wearing a toupee.

I agree. Well said.
What's your story? When did you start wearing?

 

[cottonReville]

My mistake. Got him mixed up with his Two and a Half Men co-star Jon Cryer. Cryer actually doesn't wear. He does fibers/dermatch. Admitted it on Conan O'Brien years ago.



I agree. Well said.
What's your story? When did you start wearing?

Year ago - should have started earlier. I'm actually not bald but don't like my high hairline & hair texture.

I didn't know there were partial pieces when I got into this - but I'd prefer losing my hair so I wouldn't have to shave it so much. I wear 7x9", just showing my sides & back, which I trim down quite short.

 

[Fanjeera]

Has anyone done this? The only real solution to dirty hairline.