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pretty sure ive posted in this thread before. if not, ive definitely posted in multiple similar threads on this site haha.
I started balding in my 20s and eventually just shaved it a few years back and I wish I did it sooner. I get plenty of compliments and random women want to rub my head all the time. I'm fortunate that my head is shaped fairly normal I guess haha. Though I would prefer hair, I think I pull off shaved well. People are either going to be attracted to me or not. That's not really my problem.
I noticed that I was losing hair in my mid-20s- I actually used a pair of sheets and it didn't grow as thick as it once was, then proceeded to seem to take ages before it grew at all. Given that I have red hair, fair skin, freckles, and an oddly shaped head, I didn't see shaving it as an option, nor the Ron Howard look. It wasn't to the point of being translucent, but it didn't seem far away.
I've used Propecia (the 5mg generic) and minoxidil for over 4 years and have been very happy with the results for such a minor cost. While it probably wasn't 100% of what it once was, it was close enough that speaking of hair loss to others would seem like a joke. Supposedly it takes up to a year to work, but I'd say in less than half that time, I could see obvious improvement. It was fuller and grew much faster.
It seems thinner than it was at its peak, but there are other things that have been a factor-exercising less, drinking much more, a week or two without one or both of these, a very stressful job, becoming vegetarian. It's still much better than it was, and I've changed many of these lifestyle choices so I'm expecting to see improvement in the coming months.
If you catch it early enough, a transplant likely won't be necessary. And I don't think there's any shame in wanting hair as opposed to being bald-it just doesn't work for some people.
I know a guy who is pretty wealthy and had one a few years ago. He had some pain during and afterward.
My husband considered it when he was younger (he started balding when he was 21), but he ultimately didn't want to scar his head and have to worry that if the transplants didn't work, he'd have to deal with scars on his head once he went bald on top.
He looks great without hair, so I don't care either way.
I would say the same to a woman, but women do not typically have the "go the bald, closely shaved head" route as a societal option in most western countries. So, if women were more inclined to try this option because they'd wear wigs if it didn't take, then I see no conflicts, really.
Men DO have a socially-acceptable option. They CAN go bald and still be successful, attract mates, etc.
So, it's not urgent for guys to have hair. It's a preference, like clothing.
I know there are some women who won't date bald guys, but they are usually not of the age that women are by the time MOST men start to go bald. Women in their late 20s and beyond will usually overlook some degree of male pattern baldness in a mate, if all other factors are good and the guy is a match.
That's not to say that men cannot be upset over hair loss. I know they can be. I am married to a man who was bothered by it. I still know that he'd rather his hair not have started to fall out so young, but his dad is bald on top, so he always knew it was a possibility.
As an aside, some of the men I know who have had hair transplants were SURE this was the reason they could not get dates. They got hair and you know what? They still have trouble with women. It's their personalities, not their amount of hair.
I guess I'm saying men need to be sure of WHY they want the hair before they go through surgery.
Getting closer, but not close, to agreement.
First, my complaint isn't about pain vs. no pain; it's about "painful." People throw the word around like "Ow, terrible experience." As far as I know, hair transplants rarely cause more than mild pain. Should people avoid the gym because exercise causes soreness?
Yes, "no baldies" is usually a young woman's attitude, but plenty of attractive, older women probably are strict about it. I know for a fact - from research I've seen - that attractive women typically have higher physical standards. I also know, of course, that most men want attractive women. There's also the more sympathetic situation where a man is picky about personality and doesn't want his pool further shrunk due to his hair.
Assuming a shaved head remains a socially acceptable option, that doesn't mean it's a cosmetically acceptable option for many pale, skinny guys. Try thinking of one such baldie who is widely considered nice-looking. Men get upset about baldness because, just like most people getting upset, there's some real reason to be upset.
Yes, I am a victim of "male pattern baldness".
SHAVE my head? what on earth for?
I quit shaving my face when I retired. Why would I shave my head?
I don't shave at all, anywhere, for any reason, except when necessitated by surgery.
I see men every day who obviously scrape their face every morning, then tie a symbolic noose around their neck, and I have to wonder; What the hell is Society thinking, that they REQUIRE such stupidity?
At 75, I ignore "Society".
in the NYC area, transplants go for $1 per graft.
= $10K for a "mega-session".
as others have pointed out, an insufficient supply of donor hair is the problem.
it usually isn't worth it to go through all that just for moderate coverage.
men's hair pieces have come a long way in terms of appearance, the challenge is still the attachment method.
some hair-wearers have grown accustomed to the ritual of removal/cleaning/re-attaching.
but for it to really be worthwhile, you need a super-bond where you can sleep/shower/etc. with the unit on.
even the best units will eventually wear out, so we can't use true permanent glue.
the current "best" extended wear adhesives last about 2 weeks.
Important post that I'm going back to.
My understanding is that $1 per graft is the minimum. I generally distrust products and services that are priced lower than all their peers. Cutting corners with cosmetic surgery is not smart.
Also, I read more about mega-sessions. There's no clear definition of the lower end (amount), but in my opinion someone getting 4000 or more grafts transplanted at once is almost surely making a mistake. The guaranteed money benefits the doctor, but the patient will be permanently out hair and money if it doesn't go well (not enough donor hair to really fix). How would he even know it would work out without trying a smaller procedure first? Also, it would be more painful than a smaller transplant. Then after a mega-session, people will notice the change, which would be embarrassing, I think. For most men now under the age of 50, there's hardly an excuse to let hair get to the point where there is room for 4000+ grafts.
My understanding is that $1 per graft is the minimum. I generally distrust products and services that are priced lower than all their peers. Cutting corners with cosmetic surgery is not smart.
Also, I read more about mega-sessions. There's no clear definition of the lower end (amount), but in my opinion someone getting 4000 or more grafts transplanted at once is almost surely making a mistake. The guaranteed money benefits the doctor, but the patient will be permanently out hair and money if it doesn't go well (not enough donor hair to really fix). How would he even know it would work out without trying a smaller procedure first? Also, it would be more painful than a smaller transplant. Then after a mega-session, people will notice the change, which would be embarrassing, I think. For most men now under the age of 50, there's hardly an excuse to let hair get to the point where there is room for 4000+ grafts.
Yes, you're right -- on all counts.
Virtually every HT doc in the US still pushes towards strip surgery, vs. true FUE.
There's sooo much that could be written on this, for anyone wanting to take a deep dive into the topic, best to head over to one of the dedicated forums...
I forgot to mention my hunch that surgeons also like mega-sessions because that produces dramatic (cherry-picked) before-and-afters that nets more business.
I went to educate myself on hair transplants for black people's hair and stumbled on an interesting example of a small procedure. At first glance, this seems like a "Why bother" situation. http://www.arochahairrestoration.com...estoration.jpg
However, in a few years, his hair might have looked like garbage without the reinforcement.
I think 1) hair transplant is much more complicated than detractors and potential patients realize and 2) there's not enough empathy for men almost forced into hair transplants because shaving down and medication (necessary anyway) don't work as well as the public thinks.
OK, simply put: I can't imagine why anyone would think that getting a hair transplant would be a good alternative for a balding man. I also think comb-overs look terrible.
If you're a balding guy, why not just shave your head? I'm in my mid-40's, and have been bald for years - though I still have some hair growing on the sides & back. About 3 1/2 years ago, I started shaving my remaining hair off, and have kept the look up ever since. I love it, and have gotten a lot of compliments (some unsolicited) regarding the look. Some women seem to dig the look as well, which is obviously a big plus
May I ask if you are a man of color? I ask because IME not many white guys can pull this off, while with darker skin tones it usually looks good. Tanning can help the pale-skinned here, but tanning is now something doctors warn us away from almost as much as they do cigarettes. My older brother shaves his head, and it looks good on him, but he probably spends more time outdoors without a hat than he should.
Of course every guy's different.
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