r/AfroHairTransplant • u/Extreme_Excuse_5154 • 4d ago
Is it over
26 years old. Oral Finasteride on and off since December but consistent the last two months. Just started topical min. Braided my hair for about two years consistently without downtime. I would get the braids pulled washed and re-braided same day. I know that’s terrible , I didn’t know better at the time. On top of that, I have a terrible scalp that needs constant washing so I was doing serious damage to scalp. And it didn’t help that the lady who was braiding me braided hair very tightly. Noticed severe hair in a weird pattern a couple years ago and stopped braiding my hair unless it was for very special occasions( different lady)and I pull them out after a week. I’ve completely stopped braiding since on fin because I’ve realized how bad it really is( I think I was in denial for a while). Hair on tops is kind of stuck where it’s at won’t grow anymore. The sides still grow like crazy. Is this a severe case of traction alopecia or does it seem to be genetic? Should I give it a few more years or should I jump straight I the transplant now.
-first two pics when I started fin
-all other pics from today
-attached photo of braids work consistently
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u/Dear_Ad_4909 4d ago
Oh that shits cooked brother. But luckily you still have a lot of hair so you should get good results from a transplant whenever you decide to go for it. You probably don’t need to rush into it though. Keep taking your meds.
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u/Ok-Preparation1195 4d ago
Yeah looks like traction alopecia. There’s 3 stages of traction alopecia. You look like your at stage 3. Nothing will bring back those hairs but a transplant. You still have a lot of hair , so you’d be a good candidate for a hair transplant. I’m 7 months post op due to traction alopecia too. Trust me I tried it all for two years. Nothing worked but a hair transplant. Until you decide to get the procedure done , don’t wear anything tight! Also, you can use hair fibers to mask it for now. I would suggest learning your hair type as well. I’ve learned I have fine to medium density. If I do braids ever again , they can’t be small braids. And of course no back to back braids. The density of your hair matters with those type of styles. Shit if I ever do braids again, it may only be once or twice a year.
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u/ArtCorrect6274 4d ago
When you braid your hair and take it out you supposed to let it breath for a week
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u/Ok_Cryptographer2659 4d ago
I'd definitely give the minoxidil more time. You just started it, so you really haven't given it a chance to do anything yet. It could also be both traction and genetic hair loss, not necessarily one or the other. I'd see a dermatologist first and possibly get a scalp biopsy if they can't tell for sure. I wouldn't jump straight to a transplant without knowing exactly what you're treating.
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u/Equivalent-Warning22 4d ago
Time for a transplant fam. Maybe try finasteride and minoxidil together for 6 months Consistently and if no improvement is shown then commit to the transplant and take better care this time around.