HAIR TRANSPLANT FORUM

Hi all.
I'm wondering what to do about my temple hair loss. It started 11 years ago, like really sudden, Bang! Gone! I couldn't believe it. One day I had a full hairline and the next it was gone. I was 30 years old at the time, now at 41 I guess there's been a little change (thinner) but nowhere near as dramatic as that first time. I'm currently on my first year of taking Fincar, and also applying a 2% solution of Minoxidil to the crown (which has begun to miniaturize)

These days however, it's becoming increasingly difficult to maintain the illusion of a hairline (brushing and arranging strands here and there, and constantly stressing about being caught out in public without any means of checking it to make sure it's still intact)

I see the results achieved here by Dr Cole , and I'm totally impressed! But, I'm also an extremely distrustful person by nature, and the internet is not the best place to get an objective view of things, so I wonder, can any of you offer me some concrete advice about what the best course of action for someone like me would be? I want to act, but I'm basically stifled by the amount of people advertising quick and easy cures. How does one get through all of that to find themselves standing in the office of the best? No offence, but how do I know this isn't just another one of those sites that prove the staff have more skills in the use of Adobe Photoshop rather than actual surgery? Don't get me wrong! I really would love nothing better than to eat my words!!

How do I get through all the crap, and find true professionalism and genuine care? Am I already there? I don't want to spend years searching either.....well I guess you know what I mean.

Hello:

You are right to be skeptical about this business as there are alot of hucksters looking to cash in on how we feel about our appearance. It sounds like you are in a better position than most since your loss has been slower and you are fairly older. I am 26 and started recession my senior year in highschool, which was an utter blow to my confidence level. I decided once I graduated college that I was going to be proactive about my hairloss and I was not going to be unhappy in this one life I have to live. I spoke to a few different places with a very skepitcal attitude and then I found Dr. Cole. He struck me as a straight shooter from the beginning and didn't fluff me up with a lot of "baiting" techniques that a lot of hair loss centers use. Added to that, he is from the South, as I am and I felt pretty comfortable with him. From the beginning he reiterated that I was young and could possibly face future loss, so we were very conservative about the hairline, which is all about framing the face. We would all like to have that 15 year old hairline back, even guys that aren't experiencing full loss, but that is not going to happen, nor would it look right on the majority.
My advice would be to research as much as you can and talk to Dr. Cole and his staff, while at the same time reading testimonials. Also, stay on the meds b/c it's a lot harder to get the hair back rather than maintain it.

Good luck!!

Emanresu,

Listen to me carefully; we are the BEST (just teasing you ). Seriously, you are right to be cautious when researching hair loss solutions on the net.

My best advice to anybody suffering with hair loss is jump on maximum medical therapy and hold onto what you have. It is good that you are on Minox. Do not limit the application to the crown if other areas are starting to thin though. Many people think that Minox is only affective in the crown area but we have seen that it can be helpful all over the scalp for some individuals. Propecia or fractionated Proscar or Generic 1mg Finasteride tabs will help halt loss in most males with patterned hair loss. Consider shampoos such as Nizoral and Hair Cycle. I personally do not know that much about Topical Spiro but I do know some that swear by Dr. Lee's version. This might be somewhat of an ancillary treatment though.

With regards to surgical intervention, I will start by saying your age will play a part in your candidacy for surgery. It is easier and wiser to transplant a 41 year-old versus a 24 year-old for many reason. As far as picking a doc, you need to research research research. Do some reading about cutting edge surgery, microscopic follicular unit grafting, FIT, FUE, etc.

If you want to call the office for some information, Michelle or Damien will be glad to speak to you about your needs and about what our clinic does. We offer a phenomenal hair restoration here. One thing I am particularly proud of is that our patient care staff is really oriented toward patient education versus “the sell.” If you would like to set up a consult for an evaluation with Dr. Cole or Truitt ^^^ this is certainly a good option. In addition, we offer photo consults. If you wish you can upload some photos of the front, top, back, and sides of your scalp with an explanation of your goals to http://www.forhair.com/contact_page.htm. Dr. Cole can then review your case. You might also consider posting some photos on this board for some preliminary comments and suggestions.

I am happy that you are impressed with our portfolio and, no, we did not use photoshop If you want to check out some results in person we have a lengthy patient reference and referral list and some of our employees have had some work done as well should you decide to come in for a consult.

Hope this helps. Keep posting if you have anymore questions.

FITLocks is too humble , we have the best program
I will suggest you to do your research (and that includes doing a consultation ,Meet patients in person and read this forum) until you are certain and confident enough to move towards surgery.

Emanresu, i urge you to meet Dr. Cole or any of the other stuff form IHTI, no commitment...just do a consultation. these guys are the best of what they do, they are very professional and you will not get the feeling like they want to sell you or push you...they show a great deal taking care of their patients and that caught my eye immediately. trust me i have been in many consultations with other hair restoration groups, and they are to be the most honest group i ever experience with...
I am planning a FIT procedure for next year in the Belgium clinic.

Thanks for all your replies guys! It's very reassuring to hear what you have to say. I really would love to sit down with Dr Cole and talk this though in more detail. Problem is, I live in Tokyo!

Saaay, ...does Dr Cole like Sushi? My treat! You don't have a Japan branch do you?

As much as Dr. Cole likes sushi and traveling, we currently do not have plans to be in Japan anytime soon. We are based in Atlanta with another office in Brussels.

If you want to at least get an opinion, you might try a photo consult. After Dr. Cole looks at the case we give you a detailed report of his recommendations. You will also work with your patient coordinator, going over any questions of concerns you may have.

Thanks again FITLocks for your reply. I'll get on to taking some pics of my head for posting.
Cheers!

hey I didnt know Japanese men could go bald??? Im Turkish and I think its the most natural thing for me to loose my hair.. hehehe! Currently living in South Africa, Dr Cole give me a shout as well when you plan on doing a world tour or even if you plan on watching the 2010 world cup maybe you can quickly check my hair out while we watch the game hehe..

Sentarli, I'm sure dr cole will rather watch the atlanta braves than the 2010 world cup
i personally never saw a bald Japanese man...
fitlocks, did you ever had patients with a Japanese background doing hair transplant in your clinic?

Euro-

Sure, Japanese patients are candidates for HT and we do treat them at this clinic.

And yes, the Japanese do bald. Sure as the Europeans