Hair transplant or finasteride for early stage hair loss? 40 year old male (Photo)

You have a few options to look into. First thing to remember is that if you are currently losing hair, you will continue to lose hair from that area without a treatment of some sort. That treatment can be Finasteride (which we know you are hesitant to use) vitamin/herbal therapies exists and could possibly help,  and there is much research in the works to show PRP in combination with micro-needling can help. That being said, we know that the hair from the back of the head does really well when transplanted to the areas you have concern with, so you also have the hair transplant option as well. In my office we use NeoGraft and my patients have wonderful success with it. The bottom line is, you have many options and treatments available to you just make sure you do your research and are comfortable with your decision! Good luck!

If you want to change your hair line you can certainly have a hair transplant surgery.  You should see a doctor for a consultation to make sure it is right for you.  You can also discuss finasteride with your doctor but finasteride does not always help with front temples.

There is certainly nothing to lose from trying medication first. After using it 6-12 months you may decide that the improvement in hair caliber is sufficient and your hair loss is stabilised. This way you may prevent unnecessary surgery. However, if you are fed up of looking at a thinning hairline and you want a dramatic improvement, you could consider having a small to medium sized hair transplant. 

It should not be a choice, if you are looking for a transplant, its always a good idea to begin with medication therapy if you can.  Finasteride has its well documented adverse effects and take with caution, and minoxidil is a great choice if you think you can stay complaints with its use.  Surgical option is when you want the exact look that you yearn.  If you are looking for improvement in densities, medications/PRP/stem cell therapy can do that for you, 

ultimately, the choice is yours. If you were very conservative, I would recommend starting finasteride and seeing how you do for a couple of years. But that will not re-grow the hair that you have already lost. Finasteride specifically helps the crown. Also, the side effects occur in less than 1% of men who are taking the drug.  If you went forward with a grafting procedure now, you would not want to add just to your hairline. It would be better to add to the hairline, forlock and midscalp.  That way it still looks natural if you continue to lose your hair overtime.  The risk you run without taking finasteride is having to repeat your hair transplant again in five or 10 years. It is impossible to predict how quickly you may lose your hair.  It's difficult to answer questions about pricing, because it depends on what area of the country you choose to have surgery.  I prefer the ARTAS FUE system. With robotic site making, it can ensure that none of your existing hairs are damaged during placement and can still produce excellent graphs without a long scar in the back. Good luck

You are in a envious position with all options available

The good news is that you have a lot of supply and not a lot of ongoing demand (ie hair loss) 

So you certainly have the option for a tranplant at a time of your choosing.  Non surgical options will help to slow on going hair loss but will not re-create the hairline you desire.



Good Luck



J VOGEL, MD

The best treatment for early hair loss is the drug finasteride. Make sure that the diagnosis of male pattern balding is correct