28 year old thinking about possible minor hair transplant. How will this hold up in the long run? (photos)

Question

Hi I’m 28 years old and have a fairly big sized forehead, I have tried Finasteride and have gotten side effects. I haven’t used anything else for awhile. My dad is 50 and is probably a NW2.5-3. I want to just thicken my current hairline and bring it down a tad, but I am curious how it will hold up in the long run. How many grafts do you think I would need and would I be okay without Finasteride? Thanks!

J. Timothy Katzen, MD, FACS · Answer

Hi Fantastic546312, thank you for your question regarding being a 28 year old male and thinking about a possible minor hair transplant and how will this hold up in the long run? First, I think you will be a good candidate for follicular unit extraction (FUE) technique for hair transplantation. With FUE technique, individual hairs are harvested and transplanted individually. I assume you have good hair donor sites. With FUE and good donor hair, 98-100% of the hair grafts survive. You would not need Finasteride post-op. The number of hair grafts you would need will depend on how far you want to bring down your hair line. I would assume you would need between 1000 and 2000 hairs. I hope this helps to answer your question regarding a possible minor hair transplant and how this would hold up in the long run. Good luck. Sincerely, Dr. J. Timothy Katzen

Anya Costeloe, DO · Answer

I think you are a good candidate for hair transplant. If the size of your forehead is what is bothering you, you may be a candidate for forehead reduction surgery where the hairline is lowered. And, after the forehead reduction you can still get a hair transplant down the road if you lose more hair as you get older. 
I also recommend using topical minoxidil to prevent further hair loss (Rogaine). I have patients use it before and after the hair transplant to prevent further hair loss. 
To get the best recommendations you should see a plastic surgeon who specializes in hair transplant so they can analyze your hair thickness and hairline in person. Good luck!

Marco Barusco, MD · Answer

Based on the pictures, it looks like you could be a great candidate for a hair transplant if your goals are realistic and if you understand that you will likely need more transplants as time passes. It looks like you have adequate donor zone and that your hair loss right now is limited to the front and temples. You could also explore topical finasteride and minoxidil. These tend to be effective in preventing further loss.

Sanusi Umar, MD · Answer

The possibility of using hair transplant surgery to reduce forehead size relies on various considerations, including the thickness and quality of available donor hair, the degree of hair loss, and the specific objectives you wish to achieve through the procedure.

Age is one of the factors influencing suitability, but it is not the sole determinant, and you should not be ruled out solely on that basis. To determine the most appropriate and effective technique or procedure for your individual case, it is essential to seek guidance from a skilled hair transplant specialist who will present all available options during a thorough consultation.

Seems like you have a full head of hair, and given your father is only an NW 3 at 50, I’d say you should get the transplant if that’s going to make you like your look more and feel more confident. Depending on how low you want to get, about 2000-2,500 grafts should be sufficient to bring down your hairline. If and when your hairline starts receding at an older age, you can go for a subsequent procedure to fill in the gap.

I usually recommend Finasteride pre-surgery and, depending on the case, post-surgery, but you should be fine without it, too.

Take a look at this young patient of mine who got a forehead reduction through FUE surgery. It’s not for everyone, but it could be for you.

Kristy Truong, MD · Answer

The way that hair transplants work is that they are taken from an area in which people do not tend to lose hair (it is a from a separate embryologic origin to the rest of the scalp). So in the long run is that they hold up fine. The problem is that if you continue to lose hair, the transplanted hairs in the area will stay while the rest of your hair may recede further requiring future hair transplants. Have you tried finasteride topical solution? Minoxidil is a great medication as well as it increases the blood supply to the hair follicles which in turn provides a better environment for them to grow. You could try that for now .

Jagdeep Rao, MBBS · Answer

Hello dear, don't take finasteride, only minoxidil or Ro-gain topical solution will be fine for you and you want to increase your hairline further then you should take this medicine only after transplant, apart from this you can also take PRP sessions along with the solution in the gap of every forty five days after transplant You can get it done, it will also help in maintaining your hair. Around 2500 to 3000 grafts can be transplanted with maximum density, after 45 days of transplant you can take head massage from your barber with good pressure at the interval of every 15 days, this will increase the blood circulation in the head. This is a natural cure for you

Samer Muala, MD - Account Suspended · Answer

Are you using any topicals.  Have you tried microneedling and PRP?  I think there is a chance to regrow your hair prior to doing a transplant.  Good luck.

28 year old thinking about possible minor hair transplant. How will this hold up in the long run? (photos)

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