How Can I Know if Hair Transplant Surgery Is Right for Me?
I’m very curious about the world of hair transplants. I’m in my late 40s and have been reading up on transplants. My story in a nutshell:
- Started losing my hair in my mid-late 20’s
- I have little to no hair on top but have plenty of hair on the sides and on the back of my head. I keep it cut short because if I let it grow out it gets poofy and I look like a mad scientist from a 40s monster movie.
- I don’t want to go “nuts” with hair on the top because it will be obvious I have a transplant. Having said that, it is my head and I would welcome some more on top.
I can’t say I’ve been bothered by my hair loss since it’s been that way almost half of my life. Yet lately I’ve been thinking about having the procedure. I am getting tired of feeling like the oldest guy in the room (looks wise) on job interviews.
I guess my general questions are…Has your life and self-esteem changed in the way you thought it would after your hair transplant? Any regrets? Any advice on the best procedure to ask a doctor about?
As I’m sure you can imagine, there is a lot to know about hair transplant surgery. Without photos, it will be difficult to give you any valuable feedback.
“Little to no hair on top” and “plenty of hair on the back and sides” are very subjective statements. Where do you think you fall on Norwood Scale? This can give you a general idea of how many grafts you may need to achieve your hair restoration goals, but other factors such as hair caliber, hair texture and contrast between hair and scalp color will all affect that number.
Factors such as your healing characteristics, scalp laxity and density of donor hair will affect how many grafts you can safely harvest in a single session and how many you have available in total.
With photos we can give you a ballpark estimate but the best thing to do is to consult with one or more recommended hair transplant surgeons. Follow this link to view our Recommendation Criteria. If you like you can even schedule free online consultations with the physicians of your choice.
There are really only two procedures that you need to be aware of. I won’t go into details here because volumes can and have been written about the pros and cons of each, but you can find plenty of information on our hair loss forum and elsewhere if you search.
- Follicular Unit Strip Surgery (FUSS)- also commonly referred to as FUT.
- Follicular Unit Extraction (FUE)
My only regret is not having surgery years earlier and not starting Propecia (finasteride) when I still had a full head of hair. I’ve been very pleased with the outcome of my first two surgeries and have high hopes for my latest procedure.
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David
Editorial Assistant and Forum Co-Moderator for the Hair Transplant Network, the Coalition Hair Loss Learning Center, and the Hair Loss Q & A Blog.
To share ideas with other hair loss sufferers visit the hair loss forum and social community.
Technorati Tags: hair transplants, hair loss, hair transplant, Norwood Scale, hair restoration, Follicular Unit Strip Surgery, FUSS, Follicular Unit Extraction, FUE, Propecia, finasteride
