I know it isn’t a super bad case of MPB yet but I really don’t like these temporal recessions. They make me look old and I want them to go away. I’ve traced where my hairline used to be and I’m wondering: can it be restored with just fin + min or will I need to buy a hair transplant at some point?

I am not 100% sure that this is balding. To be sure, I need to see a frontal view with your eyebrows lifted high so that you forehead creases. That will tell me exactly where your hairline belongs, if it is receded, and by how much.

This may be an early Class 3 pattern of balding. If you are under 22, it will likely respond to minoxidil and finasteride. If you are over 26, if it doesn’t respond to the above medications, then try microneedling for 6 months, which should regrow your hair. If not, you can get a hair transplant if you have tried it all and are over 25, which will work well if this is balding. The design of your hairline you sent to me is clearly feminine. You need a good doctor to design it properly if you get a hair transplant, and it should be a mature MALE hairline.

 

Is shock loss after HT worse if you’re on fin and min than if wouldn’t be taking any medication? And how long does it last approximately? I’ve lost a lot of native hairs as well.

Finasteride takes time in some men. Give it a full year before drawing conclusions. I have found that in close to 100% of men, the drug will slow, stop, or reverse the hair loss. Slowing it down is common and sometimes hard to detect unless the drug is stopped, when hair loss will immediately accelerate. Stopping hair loss is less common, and reversing it is even less common (more common in men under 23). Finasteride is very effective at preventing hair loss

I found this graph showing the various racial origins for various hair densities.

Reference: Interesting graph!Diversity in human hair growth, diameter, colour and shape. An in vivo study on young adults from 24 different ethnic groups observed in the five continents. Geneviève LOUSSOUARN, Isabelle LOZANO, Ségolène PANHARD, Catherine COLLAUDIN, Charles EL RAWADI. , Gilles GENAIN, L’OREAL Research and Innovation,
11-13 rue Dora Maar 93400 Saint-Ouen,,France, Eur J Dermatol 2016; 26(2): 144-54

Diversity in human hair growth, diameter, colour and shape. An in vivo study on young adults from 24 different ethnic groups observed in the five continents

Background: Based on previous findings, from a worldwide study, classified the shapes of human hair into 8 major types, from straight to highly curly. This clearly extended the usual classification of hair into African, Asian or Caucasian types. However, determinations of hair growth parameters and hair density were excluded from such studies. Objectives: To measure and compare the hair growth profiles of young adults without alopecia living in the five continents. Materials & Methods: 2249 young adults (18-35 years, females and males) without alopecia, originating from 24 various human ethnic groups were includedin the study. Total hair density, telogen percentage and growth rate on three different scalp areas were measured, using non-invasive validated techniques. Natural hair colour level, curliness and hair diameter were additionally recorded, when practically possible. Results: Diversity in hair growth parameters among the entire cohort was a key finding, with differences linked to scalp area, gender and geographic origin. Statistical approaches depicted African hair as having lower density and a slower growth rate. Asian hair showed a thicker diameter, with faster growth. Caucasian hair showed a high total hair density. Conclusion: On the one hand, this inter-continental study of hair growth parameters provides initial valuable base-line data on hair in young adults without alopecia, and on the other hand, further extends our knowledge of this unique human appendage. 

 

Click to enlarge for details

 

 

 

 

[If you have any questions, you can reach me at williamrassman33@gmail.com]

Specifically, is the spike in testosterone levels just an effect from the body adjusting to the finasteride?

Yes, it is the body’s feedback loop. Some men actually get an increased libido from the increase in testosterone. one of my friend’s son had that happen to him and he called me worried. His girlfriend loved it, so I told him to enjoy the experience.

I am now 3 months after the surgery.  The grafts have started to grow. This photo was taken one day after the surgery.  What do you think?

This is a nice job. I hope that readers who go to Turkey note that you received 2000 grafts, not 5000 grafts. This means that your surgeon respected your donor reserves while covering the areas that were needed. I like your work and wish I would see more conservative use of grafts on those of you who go to turkey. Hair transplantation is not a race to see who can get more grafts in a single session.

[If you have any questions, you can reach me at williamrassman33@gmail.com]

 

That is a lot of grafts for the frontal area. What happens if you lose the back as your hair loss progresses? Is there enough donor hair left to follow your balding? What is your Master Plan? Actually, I think what you did was overkill, using too many grafts.  Let’s assume that you continue to bald as you get older.  The donor supply is often around 6000-8000 grafts, and with a higher number, it is almost certain that you will have a see-through donor area unless your hair is coarse.  

[If you have any questions, you can reach me at williamrassman33@gmail.com]

I’m going to is talking about using a robot to harvest grafts I’m just wondering if I can trust it I’m worried about losing my donor area. The surgeon said it’s better but I would rather have a surgeon do it themselves. Do you have experience with this?

Focus on the quality and experience of the surgeon and his/her team. I am the inventor of the hair transplant robot (https://patents.google.com/patent/US20080033455A1/en?q=(Hair+Transplant+Harvesting+Device+Rassman)&oq=Hair+Transplant+Harvesting+Device+Rassman), so I can tell you that the skill is not in the robot but in the surgeon’s hands, artistic skills (so he knows where to place the grafts, create a hairline, and direct the hairs that are placed), and knowledge of the field. Check to meet some of his patients to be sure you have the right place.

[If you have any questions, you can reach me at williamrassman33@gmail.com]