I Have a Hairline Like Joel McHale

Dr Rassman and co.,

Firstly, wonderful job on the blog. The content is balanced, informative and insightful to my research – big props! I am early and my research and considering coming to one of your seminars, as I am located close to your San Jose office.

I was hoping you could first give me some perspective. I believe I am around a stage 2 and wanted to get a confirmation on this. My hair line is almost identical to Joel McHale’s pictured here: photo

I am planning on going the FUE route and I am wondering about how many grafts it would take a patient, such as the one in the picture, to have a better hairline upfront.

Thank you in advance.

The photo you linked to of actor Joel McHale (from the shows “Community” and “The Soup”) might show what appears to be a Norwood class 2 or 3, but we’ve written in the past about his possible hair transplant. Without a close look at his hairline, I can not tell for sure what class he’s at now.

Without seeing you or at least seeing good pictures, I can not give you an opinion about your individual case. Graft needs depend on more than just looking at the size of a bald area. We need to also consider hair character, skin contrast, etc.

I also generally do not advise surgery on Norwood 2 patients or younger patients unless they fully understand they will never have a full hair density they desire. Plus, they need to understand that they may continue to lose hair in the future. In fact, hair transplants may precipitate more hair loss as a direct result of surgery itself.