Transplant Risks, Stopping Propecia After Hair Transplantation

1. What are the risks of hair transplantation?
2. Will I keep balding after a hair transplant?
3. Can I stop my hair loss with Propecia?
4. I am 35 years old and a Class NW 3V, will I get very bald (like a Class 7)?
5. A Doctor told me that I needed 3500 grafts, Is this a reasonable goal for a NW 3V?

1. Hair transplantation is a surgical procedure and entails all of the risks of an outpatient procedure. The risks of death and severe complications (in good hands) should approach zero. The usual risks such as infection, drug side effect/overdoses, and the like are rare. Scarring risks for strip surgery are about 5% for a scar measuring greater than 3mm. Folliculitis (local infection/cycts of hair follicles) is not an uncommon problem in the post operative course over the first few months as the sebum builds under the skin and can not get out (this is easy to treat). Most people do not have much of a problem with things that go wrong from the surgery. The biggest problem is for the patient to match his/her expectations with what the surgeon can deliver. Miscommunication here is the biggest problem of all because either patient or doctor often oversell the results.
2. Male patterned genetic hair loss is a life long process, but most people stabilize or slow down the progression by the time they are 35. From that time forward, hair loss is usually slower. This is what a good doctor will cover as he develops a Master Plan for your hair loss with you.
3. If you take Propecia (for men only), then hopefully if your goals are achieved with the drug alone, surgery may not be necessary. If Propecia alone does not solve your problem (typical for the NW 3V or more advanced balding patterns), then transplants may be necessary to achieve your goals. Again, that is where the Master Plan is customized to your needs.
4. A Class 3V varies in size and degree. The ability to supply enough hair from the front and crown depends upon your densities, scalp laxity, hair characteristics, shaft thickness ,and color/contrast of hair to skin. Each person is different so the actual answer to your question is that each person is different and what is good for one person may not be food for another.
5. It is not unusual for me to perform a session of 3500 grafts, but that depends upon what is safe and what is in the best interest of the patient according to his Master Plan. If you are 25, I would probably not consider the crown transplant. If you were 45 with good density and scalp laxity, then this may be a reasonable option depending on other factors that would be defined in an extensive consultation.