Hi all. Please see attached pics and rate my suitability for FUE. I'm 38 starting balding mostly in crown at 25. Bizarrely things haven't changed much in the last 5 years, it's like my hair is willing me to keep trying! All i want is a bit more thickness in the crown region. The crown is not slick bald as you can see and a dab of concealer works like a charm but it does come off after 24 hours. A little extra thickness goes such a long way. The front hairline is ok and stable as is much of my hair. I tried finasteride but couldn't handle the sides. Regaine 5% foam worked amazingly, took me back 10 years, but then i stopped due to dark circles then went back on but it no longer worked. Gutted minoxidil stopped working...it was such a miracle. Anyway, any input on FUE appreciated.
Rate my FUE suitability
- Thread starter gooose
- Start date
shookwun
Senior Member
- Reaction score
- 6,093
Not a good candidate.
What you need to take is finasteride then reevaluate your situation in a year. Chances are you will happy, and not need surgery.
Seeing how you have taken finasteride and couldn't handle the sides then this leads to what I said earlier about not being suitable.
Crown is a very unique case-by-case. Eventually it will diffuse to the hairline then what? you have a bowl patch at the back and no hairline. Where as replacing, and reinforcing the hairline is most optimal when applicable.
Consider a hair piece.
What you need to take is finasteride then reevaluate your situation in a year. Chances are you will happy, and not need surgery.
Seeing how you have taken finasteride and couldn't handle the sides then this leads to what I said earlier about not being suitable.
Crown is a very unique case-by-case. Eventually it will diffuse to the hairline then what? you have a bowl patch at the back and no hairline. Where as replacing, and reinforcing the hairline is most optimal when applicable.
Consider a hair piece.
Bummer! What do you mean it will diffuse to the hairline? You mean the baldness will creep towards the frontal area? I highly doubt that, my actual pattern has been rock solid for years. The front and mid/top scalp areas are stable and respond well to minoxidil which i still apply. What do you mean i have no hairline...you mean the neck?
No way i'd wear a hair piece.
No way i'd wear a hair piece.
- Reaction score
- 5,210
Please trust me when I say - a hair transplant is a HORRIBLE idea for you right now. Shookwun is right, you're not a good candidate and I will tell you from personal experience, a hair transplant right now has a 99% chance of f*cking up your entire life. Here is why.
1) You are not on finasteride. Because of this, most ethical hair transplant surgeons will not perform on you.
2) After an hair transplant, be very very emotionally prepared to experience a LOT of native hair loss. Anyone that denies is simply wrong. The cushy term "shock loss" is often really the more severe telogen effluvium, a condition that lasts months and causes lots of hair loss.
3) correlate 1) and 2) above together. Most surgeons won't perform, because without a complete assurance of regrowth, by having stabilized on an anti androgen, then, like shookwun mentioned, you will end up looking weird. You will have lost lots of native hairs exposing the thick grafts around them, and will need another hair transplant down the road.
The ideal candidates - Have COMPLETELY stabilized on anti androgens (finasteride/dutasteride) and have maintained a distinct pattern for years. These are the successful cases. PLEASE - THE HORROR STORY ABOVE HAPPENED TO ME. I am not trying to scare you, rather warn you of a very real reality. Go online and thoroughly research this. As a former hair transplant victim, it is my duty to warn whoever I can. Will I get an hair transplant in the future? probably. But, if so, I will have very minimal expectations and probably no concern for my native hair.
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How are you certain minoxidil stopped working? Try a higher concentration perhaps? You can get 10-15%. What sides did you have with finasteride? How long were you on it.
Buckthorn thanks for the reply i'll take the advice on board. Looks like hair transplant not a sensible path. I'd figured i'd be suited since my hairs loss has stabilised completely. I guess your point is the lack of tools to regrow native hair gone missing.
minoxidil used to thicken my scalp A LOT and it would work quickly. I've been on it long enough without results to know it's not working. Which 10-15% brand do you advise? You think that's different to just applying more of the 5%? finasteride sides were loss of libido, belly fat, groin ache. I quit 3 weeks ago and i get nut ache on arousal. I'm just not prepared to take it long term so no point in trying to 'ride' out the sides.
minoxidil used to thicken my scalp A LOT and it would work quickly. I've been on it long enough without results to know it's not working. Which 10-15% brand do you advise? You think that's different to just applying more of the 5%? finasteride sides were loss of libido, belly fat, groin ache. I quit 3 weeks ago and i get nut ache on arousal. I'm just not prepared to take it long term so no point in trying to 'ride' out the sides.