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Old 08-06-2015, 02:49 PM
 
Location: all over the place (figuratively)
6,609 posts, read 4,825,597 times
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Quote:
Originally Posted by The Big Lebowski Dude View Post
OK, good to know for those balding guys who want alternatives to shaving their heads. I definitely think the method you describe above is far safer than hair transplants - especially since I'm very much against unnecessary (i.e. elective) surgery in all cases.
Finally confirming a suspicion I aired a few months ago.

All surgery is not the same. All elective surgery is not the same. I don't think hair transplants ever include more than local anesthetic. It's not like having a joint operated on. In other words, it's almost zero-risk, maybe as safe as the usual medication for hair loss. Or safer maybe, since minoxidil can make some people pass out. I still think the medication is the way to start, but nobody should be afraid of a transplant from a health standpoint. And if it's a philosophical objection, that shouldn't be foisted on others in this forum.
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Old 08-06-2015, 03:43 PM
 
Location: Eastern Washington
17,122 posts, read 56,791,431 times
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To the OP: There are 2 FDA approved treatments, Propecia, and Rogaine. Propecia is by prescription, but the generic form of it is dirt cheap, like $9 for a 3 month supply. Rogaine is OTC, and not that damn expensive.

Beyond these 2, there is anecdotal "evidence" that Nizoral shampoo used about 2X per week tends to help keep the hair.

Most of my Mom's brothers were bald to balding by 40. Taking heed of this, I have used first Rogaine (back when it was prescription) and added Propecia (Finasteride) when they became available. I still have a full head of hair, with some recession on the temples. I'm almost 60.

That said, since I don't have a twin brother that's not using the drugs, I have no actual data to report. For all I know I would have the same hair without them - but I sort of doubt that.
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Old 08-06-2015, 07:34 PM
 
2,508 posts, read 2,163,271 times
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Quote:
Originally Posted by goodheathen View Post
Finally confirming a suspicion I aired a few months ago.

All surgery is not the same. All elective surgery is not the same. I don't think hair transplants ever include more than local anesthetic. It's not like having a joint operated on. In other words, it's almost zero-risk, maybe as safe as the usual medication for hair loss. Or safer maybe, since minoxidil can make some people pass out. I still think the medication is the way to start, but nobody should be afraid of a transplant from a health standpoint. And if it's a philosophical objection, that shouldn't be foisted on others in this forum.
The only thing I agree with you on is regarding minoxidil - I have heard it can make your blood pressure go up, which is obviously dangerous. I would never use that. Other than this:

You can't tell me what I can & can't post on this forum.

And, as far as influencing people either way, I could care less if every bald guy in the world (other than me, of course) gets a hair transplant. That being said, people should also know what they're getting into.

In an earlier post, you mentioned that some hair transplant procedures don't leave scars. Then, someone else posted pictures of the only two types of hair transplants around that both left scars, one more than the other. Well, which is it? I don't believe that a hair transplant will never leave at least some type of scar.

As far as surgeries go, I've had several dishonest scum bag doctors try to convince me to get surgeries that were completely unnecessary. Well, it won't work with me. I hate & despise most (not all) doctors. I think most of them are scum of the earth P.O.S.'s, and most of them shouldn't even be practicing. These doctors could care less about your health, and are just trying to get your money. The health care system in the U.S. has nothing to do with healing anyone, helping anyone's cosmetic appearance, etc. It has everything to do with screwing patients over for money.

Last edited by The Big Lebowski Dude; 08-06-2015 at 08:43 PM..
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Old 08-06-2015, 10:04 PM
 
Location: all over the place (figuratively)
6,609 posts, read 4,825,597 times
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"People should know what they're getting into" doesn't work when advice is tinted by an off-topic strongly anti-doctor view (not that I myself have a high regard for most doctors). In the sense that transplants are "necessary" to replace lost hair (because nothing else is likely to), while doctors can mess that up in many ways, there's almost no chance a surgeon will try to place hair in an area that already has enough of it.

Re the pictures, I don't consider those white dots scars (my body has multiple scars, which look nothing like that). Still, maybe they technically are hypopigmentation scars. I think someone would either have to be highly neurotic or interested in shaving his head later to be scared off by that.

Lastly, I think you mistyped about minoxidil - it was originally a blood pressure medication and I think it can only have an adverse effect on blood pressure in the downward direction.

Last edited by goodheathen; 08-06-2015 at 10:22 PM..
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Old 08-06-2015, 10:27 PM
 
2,508 posts, read 2,163,271 times
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Quote:
Originally Posted by goodheathen View Post
"People should know what they're getting into" doesn't work when advice is tinted by an off-topic strongly anti-doctor view (not that I myself have a high regard for most doctors).

I don't consider those white dots scars (my body has multiple scars, which look nothing like that). Still, maybe they technically are hypopigmentation scars. I think someone would either have to be highly neurotic or interested in shaving his head later to be scared off by that.

Lastly, I think you mistyped about minoxidil - it was originally a blood pressure medication and I think it can only have an adverse effect on blood pressure in the downward direction.
Well, I don't think my anti-doctor view is off topic. A hair transplant would be done by a doctor.

Regarding the small scars re: the hair transplant, my whole point was that if someone wanted to shave their head after having the transplant then the scars would be an issue, however small they are. I have heard of cases where someone had a hair transplant & for whatever reason wasn't happy with this, so ended up shaving their head - and was embarrassed by the hair transplant scars.

Thanks for the clarification re: minoxidil - I did think it affected blood pressure in a negative way; but, even if I'm wrong there, you said it could cause people to pass out - so, it's obviously not a good idea to take this unless you have to.
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Old 08-06-2015, 10:45 PM
 
Location: all over the place (figuratively)
6,609 posts, read 4,825,597 times
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You have to weed out your anti-elective-surgery view from your view of hair transplant surgeons, and I'm not sure you know enough about the latter to say much about them.

My point about minoxidil is that it might not be safe for a small percentage of would-be users, people with regularly low blood pressure who would need to put a lot of stuff on their heads to treat hair loss. It might be a bad idea even if it doesn't cause actual fainting, because low blood pressure entails some other problems and it's not good for anyone's scalp health either. It's funny how Propecia and transplants are feared when it's minoxidil (maybe incorrectly criticized by one other person in this thread) that is the biggest health risk.
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Old 08-06-2015, 11:55 PM
 
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Quote:
Originally Posted by goodheathen View Post
You have to weed out your anti-elective-surgery view from your view of hair transplant surgeons, and I'm not sure you know enough about the latter to say much about them.
Any surgery involves incisions, potential blood loss, etc. It's an invasive procedure whether it's done on your arm, leg, head, etc.
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Old 08-07-2015, 12:29 AM
 
Location: all over the place (figuratively)
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I don't consider most skin surgeries (including hair transplants) invasive. Getting near internal organs or major nerves is invasive. Superficial incisions themselves are almost risk-free in the modern era in the developed world, assuming aftercare is appropriate. (Maybe if someone has a clotting disorder, a superficial incision could be risky. Otherwise, it's not going to hit something that could gush.) Medication given by IV during surgery is one of the biggest risks, and that is not applicable to hair transplants. Having to spend time in a hospital is another risk factor (hospital-acquired infection), and that's also NA. Ii've heard that only one person has ever died from a hair transplant. No cases of paralysis, I assume. How many other common surgeries can say that? People should be careful about getting hair transplants, but not for health reasons.
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Old 08-07-2015, 01:42 AM
 
Location: brooklyn, new york, USA
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Homesickness View Post
No, just no. Some people don't suit being bald!! I think he should at least TRY and see if there are some solutions.
george costanza on seinfeld. fat bald and short. trifecta! a guy like that is pathetic. he NEEDS hair. he actually had hair in that mcdlt commercial for mcdonalds from 1980s. check it out on youtube. the hot stays hot and cold stays cold! but his hair? no it vanishes!

btw, a guy who works with me had a hair transplant. they basically take sides of your hair and put it in your front. this is all done with local anesthesia with mild bleeding and mild pain. it takes a few hours and you are charged by the graft, usually a thousand or two. the idea is that the sides of your hair are not affected by dna hair loss or dht (look it up) so they will always be up there in the front. i am almost 40 and have about 70% of the hair i had when i was a kid. i don't show any scalp but it's not as thick as it was. sucks but that's how life is. at least you are young and healthy. shave it all off or go for a transplant (my recommendation). in general, hair on the head makes a man appear 10 years younger. and yes, i was one of those kids at that dining table who would snicker to my friends about "horseshoe balding pattern guy" whenever i saw one walk by. my own friend had a terribly recessive hairline in his teens. he always wore hats to hide it. another friend had a hairline that was about 2 inches from his eyebrows so (as he was uneducated) he would wear headbands that were so tight and he tried to force his hairline to recede a bit.

and btw, do NOT touch any medication. one of them will make your penis stop working (some guy is suing the pharmaceutical company for this) or other random things. stay away. either go bald and enjoy it or get a transplant. no drugs, nada.

http://topclassactions.com/lawsuit-s...onies-disease/

it's bad enough you don't have hair on your head (young girls your age DO want a guy with hair on his head, not someone who reminds them of their dads). don't lose your penis functionality too on TOP of growing titts! stay away from any of these drugs.

http://propecia-lawsuit-info.com/201...-male-breasts/

Last edited by Hairy Guy; 08-07-2015 at 01:51 AM..
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Old 08-07-2015, 11:40 AM
 
2,508 posts, read 2,163,271 times
Reputation: 5421
Quote:
Originally Posted by goodheathen View Post
I don't consider most skin surgeries (including hair transplants) invasive. Getting near internal organs or major nerves is invasive. Superficial incisions themselves are almost risk-free in the modern era in the developed world, assuming aftercare is appropriate. (Maybe if someone has a clotting disorder, a superficial incision could be risky. Otherwise, it's not going to hit something that could gush.) Medication given by IV during surgery is one of the biggest risks, and that is not applicable to hair transplants. Having to spend time in a hospital is another risk factor (hospital-acquired infection), and that's also NA. Ii've heard that only one person has ever died from a hair transplant. No cases of paralysis, I assume. How many other common surgeries can say that? People should be careful about getting hair transplants, but not for health reasons.
If one has died from a hair transplant, then it's a good chance that others have died. I don't believe that it's only happened to one person in all the time transplants have been done, despite what any kind of statistics say.

And, even in the unlikely event that only one person has died, that's still one person too many. The point is, a hair transplant is unnecessary surgery. However, if someone elects to have this, that's their business.

We also don't know what other kinds of health problems have occurred as a result of a hair transplant. I mentioned in a previous post that someone I talked to a while back told me that their entire top of their head was numb for a month after the transplant. Again, this doesn't sound healthy. Maybe not all transplants have this side effect, but I would be concerned about this.

As I said before, I don't trust doctors. They'll lie to you to get what they want. Also, note that it's my understanding that anyone who has any kind of surgery has to sign a form that states that if anything happens to them during the surgery, that the doctor/hospital isn't liable - I know, because one of my P.O.S. doctors was trying to convince me to get unnecessary surgery, and he was trying to get me to sign this form. I refused, and that was the end of that.

That all being said, it sounds like a lot of the medications for hair growth out there are also risky....

Last edited by The Big Lebowski Dude; 08-07-2015 at 11:52 AM..
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