I'm a 21 year old male diagnosed with MPB at age 19. Recession in hairline has occurred rapidly over past few years. FUE?(Photo)

Question

I have tried almost every treatment there is including the big three (fin,minox,nizoral) and have had terrible side effects with all of them. There is no hair loss in my immediate family. I am curious as to know if I can get a FUE treatment at this age, taking into consideration that I will not be using any three of the treatments I stated above post op. Without proper stabilization after the procedure...what are my options as far as maintaining what I have now. Looking for procedure ASAP

Sara Salas, MD · Answer

In my opinion, you need PRP as well as finasteride. You need to give finasteride some time to work. And if you’re having side effects 60% of people it will go away within the first six months and if anybody who has a lingering issues just stop the drug however you really need it. Didn’t get a transplant because you are very young and already losing quite a bit of hair so you’re going to have to figure that out

Jae Pak, MD · Answer

You need a diagnosis, a prognosis, and a treatment plan before considering surgery FUE.  You need to see a doctor for an exam to understand how much hair loss you may have in the future so you can plan your treatment plan.  In general, a hair transplant is not the first solution for someone in their teenage years as you really don't know what your balding pattern may be in the coming years.

Amiya Prasad, MD · Answer

I’m a cosmetic surgeon practicing in Manhattan and Long Island for over
20 years. Hair transplant has been a very significant part of my practice. One
of the biggest challenges for any transplant surgeon is the rate of hair
thinning. Hair transplant is very aggressively marketed and people who market
it do not counsel patients about the need for some kind of stabilization.
Within a few years after a transplant, hair loss will continue, so the hair
grafts will become isolated and look like plugs. Many men will not do hair
transplants because they are afraid of looking pluggy. The pluggy appearance is
because people lost hair so that hair transplants are left on their own.

The procedure that we’ve developed to stop and reverse the hair
thinning process is Hair Regeneration. This procedure combines a wound healing
material called extracellular matrix with platelet-rich plasma (PRP). Platelet-rich plasma is derived from your own blood and is
a concentration of wound healing and growth factors. We developed an algorithm/process
based on different factors such as gender, age of onset and type of hair which
is not surgery but an injection. We have observed that thinning hairs become
thicker and we're able to halt the progression hair loss. In terms of the
longevity of the procedure, we have approximately 5 years of data showing that
the procedure does last and that people aren’t regressing.

In addition, the treatment is based on the patient’s condition. so we study
individual patterns. There are some people who’ll do more than just one
injection based on a very close follow-up process that we do. We follow our
patients every 3 months. We do microscopic photos and digital photography to
objectively assess how patients are doing.

I think that your concern about the stabilization is well founded.
Through Hair Regeneration, you’re able to avoid a lot of heartache from a
transplant where you lose hair and you run out of donor area. The limitation of
hair transplantation is that the permanent zone where the hair is never going
to fall out has limited number of hairs. Usually, the amount of area that needs
to be covered doesn’t match the amount of hair available for that coverage.

As far as the longevity, if someone needs to have hair injection every 3
to 5 years to keep their hair thick, this is more convenient and sustainable
than doing surgery every few years until you’ve run out of donor hair. Unfortunately,
many people come to my practice that have had multiple surgeries and are in a
very difficult position because of that. I suggest that you learn more about
this new technology called Hair Regeneration. I hope that was helpful, I wish
you the best of luck, and thank you for your question.

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Ilker Apaydin, MD · Answer

Risk of having a hair transplantation surgery at early ages has its own risks as it is not possible to see the future of your progressive hair loss being conservative for the surgery is almost a must.Of course most important point is the richness of the donor site.I would prefer to make the planning as if you will become a Norwood 5-6 in the future and use the donor site conservatively.

Jeff Donovan, MD, PhD · Answer

I understand your concern and wish to act promptly. Hair transplants are not a good option for your men with progressive hair loss. You have a finite number of hairs available to move in your lifetime. If you are likely to become quite bald in your lifetime, then a more recessed hairline will look best on you. You may not actually want to put any hairs in front of your current hairline. It's important to sit down with a hair transplant surgeon to carefully plan out how to keep your hair looking good over the next 60 years. You will likely come to realize that moving hair now is not in your best interest.

I'm a 21 year old male diagnosed with MPB at age 19. Recession in hairline has occurred rapidly over past few years. FUE?(Photo)

Answers (8)

Answer: When is the best time for a hair transplantation

Answer: When is the best time for a hair transplantation

Answer: Hair transplants are not for most very young men

Answer: Hair transplants are not for most very young men

Recommended reading

Everything you need to know about FUE Hair Transplant

Our mission is to create a world where every investment in modern beauty is Worth It.

I'm a 21 year old male diagnosed with MPB at age 19. Recession in hairline has occurred rapidly over past few years. FUE?(Photo)

Answers (8)

Answer: When is the best time for a hair transplantation

Answer: When is the best time for a hair transplantation

Answer: Hair transplants are not for most very young men

Answer: Hair transplants are not for most very young men

Browse related questions

Recommended reading

Everything you need to know about FUE Hair Transplant

Our mission is to create a world where every investment in modern beauty is Worth It.